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Witchcraft is a positive, joyful celebration of life expressed through a meaningful, creative connection with nature. If you feel a kinship with all the life forms of Earth - animal, plant and mineral - and find solace in nature and the changing seasons, then you have already sensed the essence of this alternative spiritual path. Reverent and relevant, nature-based spirituality offers a way to experience the divinity and magic of all around you everyday.
This introductory guidebook presents the beliefs and practices of Witchcraft. Learn how to bridge the worlds of the seen and unseen, and integrate both the magical and mundane into a balanced life. Not exclusive to any one tradition, Witchcraft: An Alternative Path covers Esbat and Sabbat celebrations, simple spells, divination, altar set-up, deities, the Witches' code of personal responsibility, and rites to honor the God and Goddess.
- Sales Rank: #1915776 in Books
- Brand: Brand: Llewellyn Publications
- Published on: 2003-03-08
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: .65" h x 6.06" w x 9.00" l,
- Binding: Paperback
- 264 pages
- Used Book in Good Condition
About the Author
Ann Moura has been a practitioner of Green Witchcraft for over forty years. She holds both a B.A. and an M.A. in History. Maura lives in Florida where she runs her own metaphysical store, presents public rituals, and teaches classes on the Craft. Visit her online at www.annmourasgarden.com or at www.lunasolesoterica.com.
Excerpt. � Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
2
Deciding to Learn
Perhaps you have decided you want to reclaim your connection
with the Earth and release your inner wild child of Nature,
but how to begin? There are many ways to approach
Witchcraft, and making a change in perspective that is gradual
or one that is completely different from a prior lifestyle is
a matter of personal decision or necessity. Witchcraft may be
practiced within the confines of mainstream religions as folk
art, utilizing the prevalent names of the deities, saints, and
other holy figures familiar to that religion. Throughout Europe,
the folk arts continued in all countries with local variations
―this is how some of the practices of the Old Religion
were preserved through times of persecution. In much of the
Americas, the native population was subjugated and forced to
convert to Catholicism, yet they too retained folk traditions
by adopting the names of saints for their gods, and in Mexico
even finding their own version of Mary with the Virgin of
Guadalupe. The site where the vision and miraculous painting
of the latter appeared was one held sacred to a local Earth
Goddess. To the priesthood, accepting the native image of
25
Mary was convenient to Catholic conversion. North American
tribes were more often converted by force to a Protestant version
of Christianity, with efforts made to eradicate all Native American
spiritual practices, creating a lasting resentment by the persecution
of those who did not conform to the new religion. Only in
the past century have Native Americans in the Northern Hemisphere
been successful in reclaiming their religious heritage.
African slaves brought to the Americas were also forced to convert
from their aboriginal religions to embrace Christianity, and
they responded to this challenge by adopting the images of Jesus,
Mary, and the various saints to represent their own deities. By
using the names accepted by society, the attributes of the old
deities were merely shifted until such time as it became possible to
return to the old names. Today, Santer�a, Candombl�, and Macumba
have mostly reclaimed the names of the deities and images
of African heritage. The same can be said for those Witches of European
heritage who have quietly practiced their Craft using the
names of saints for the Gods and Goddesses, and celebrated the
traditional holidays under the culturally accepted names, while
understanding the Pagan origins of these special days. Thus, folk
art Witches may invoke the Power as the energies of socially accepted
deities, angels, saints, and spirits, while adapting earlier
cultural images into their practice.
Many Pagan practices were adopted by the Catholic Church
under Pope Gregory the Great, in the seventh century C.E., as a
method for bringing acceptance of the new religion to Europe's
Pagan population and thus extending the power of the Church
over an ever-increasing amount of territory. The holy days of the
Old Religion were made into those of the saints and incorporated
into the mythology of the new religion. The myths of Dionysos,
Cybele and Attis,Mithras, and other very popular religions at the
dawn of Christianity were drawn into the new religion. The
Pagan holy days of the Winter Solstice (Yule), the Spring Equinox
26 So You Want to Be a Witch?
(Ostara), and Lughnassadh became Christmas (although scholars
argue that Jesus had to have been born in June), Easter (although
this word is the Saxon name of the Goddess of Spring), and Assumption
Day (although there are different religious traditions as
to whether Virgin Mary died or was bodily taken up into Heaven).
The Pagan sacred sites had their temples destroyed and churches
built over them; the rituals of the Mass came directly from the rituals
of meeting the Roman emperor as established by Diocletian;
and the customs of lighting candles at shrines, laying flowers at
natural wells, using incense and images of the different aspects of
the Divine were all adopted, with the Holy Family and the saints
taking the place of the ancient deities. Thus, because there has
been so much interweaving of the old with the new, it is not difficult
to practice the ancient ways within a culturally acceptable
and modern societal context.
Witchcraft is also practiced as personal magics, bringing the individual
into union with the Universe and enhancing personal energy
with that of herbs and other natural objects. In this style,
there is no reference to any deity, but rather the Divine is approached
as distilled through those objects used in spell work to
purposefully move energy for achieving a goal. Ritual, magical
tools, and conscious spellwork are actually functioning through
the Divine emanations known as the Elementals. This is when the
Witch begins to categorize spell-casting correlations and attributes
called lists of correspondences, placing these in a journal called
a Book of Shadows for consistency in magic work. Religion is very
muted in this approach, save as the Witch and the unnamed All
work together through the powers of Nature, using trust in instinct
and intuition as the main guide for magic. Ethics is still
needed here because the idea of balance permeates the magical
practice, be it in the form of giving a gift to receive a gift, knowing
that energy sent returns equally or threefold, or understanding
karmic destiny as determined by one's actions.
So You Want to Be a Witch? 27
Witchcraft is also a religion in its own right, and the magics of
the Craft are worked in a partnership between the Goddess and
the God and the Witch. Besides the lists of correspondences in the
Book of Shadows, there are also rituals for celebrating the phases
of the Moon and the eight Sabbats which are the spokes to the
Wheel of the Year. For the Solitary Practitioner, a Self-Initiation
may be done for introduction and for seeking arcane wisdom,
and later a further Dedication may be approached for a complete
union with the Divine. Many Wiccan Traditions have three degrees
of initiation, with the first degree being the introduction,
during which time the new Witch learns about the Craft; the second
degree being an elevation to High Priest or High Priestess allowing
the more experienced Witch to initiate others; and the
third degree being a recognition that the Witch is sufficiently experienced
to form her or his own coven. But for practical purposes,
the ideas behind these degrees are incorporated in the Solitary
practice of Self-Initiation, followed by study and practice for a
year and a day, and a periodic Re-Affirmation thereafter. A Self-
Dedication may be performed by personal ritual later on, or it
may occur as the experiencing of a spontaneous opening of the
lines of communication between the Witch and the Divine. The
only difference between the advancement of the individual
through experience and that of the degree system is the ritual according
to the tradition of the coven. The Solitary acts are between
the Witch and the Divine―hence, the Goddess and the
God are invoked by the Witch through the Self-Initiation for introduction
and learning, the commitment is usually reaffirmed at
least once a year, and there may finally be a complete union between
Witch and the Divine in a Self-Dedication. Not all Witches
pass through these stages of growth in the form of rituals, but instead
may note a difference in their perceptions and attitudes as
they live the Craft. As a religion, the magic of Witchcraft is often
directed through personal communion with the God and the
28 So You Want to Be a Witch?
Goddess, but the Divine energy may be indirectly channeled
through the Witch by working with the Elementals and the objects
of Nature such as herbs and crystals. Additionally, the Solitary
Witch also observes the Sabbats and the Esbats, either
through rituals or through recognition of the time and with activities
associated with these times.
The most important step in becoming a Witch is making that
first statement, which is the heart of the Self-Initiation. This is
how a person states his or her desire to learn about the Craft, to
become a Witch. The desire comes from the heart, and the ritual
act is actually a demonstration of what has already taken place internally.
To get to that point, the would-be Witch will have come
to a world-view with a Divine that is Goddess and God; an understanding
that life is meant to be enjoyed; and a comprehension
that the individual is part of the living Earth that needs to be
revered. Not only does this person recognize the connection with
all things, but with the Elementals, who are emanations of the Divine
and part of the person, in physical form and strengths
(Earth), in breath and thought (Air), in ambitions and energy
(Fire), and in blood, water, and emotions (Water). This feeling of
union is also a comprehension of the flow of energy through the
Self and Nature, the Universe, and the Divine; thus magic may be
worked simply by gathering, directing, and sending that energy to
accomplish a task before returning it to Nature. For many Witches
and other magical practitioners in other Pagan systems, this unifying
and sacred energy is simply called the Power. The Power can
be accessed through meditation―a quiet time in which the Witch
focuses the mind to receive information rather than attempting to
direct or shape it. An ethical standard may have already evolved
naturally in the supplicant since the awareness of interconnection
will stimulate the need for compassion and care in actions and
thoughts. This standard may be put in writing, or the adoption of
the basic Witches' Rede in chapter 1 will help in defining Craft
So You Want to Be a Witch? 29
ethics, and should be recited at the Sabbat and Esbat observances
or rituals.
Names in Witchcraft
If you have decided that you want to explore the path of Witchcraft,
you can begin with a Self-Initiation, announcing yourself to
the Goddess and the God, and asking for their help in your education.
It is a good idea to prepare in advance for this simple ritual,
and one of the things you should already decide upon is a
Working Name. This is different from your birth name or legal
name, being one that you have chosen and which you will use
whenever performing magic. Most religions have some way of
distinguishing the moment of transformation from nonparticipant
to membership. In the Catholic Church, the taking of a
saint's name is part of the Confirmation ceremony. In many
Protestant Churches, a similar event occurs or the person receives
a new title such as Brother, Sister, or Saint to designate the new
membership status.With Witchcraft, the Working Name is chosen
and carried in secret as a bond between the Witch and the Divine.
If the Witch works magic or conducts rituals with other
Witches, a second name is used in front of these people, and it is
called the Craft Name.With your Self-Initiation, you are creating
a special covenant between yourself and the Goddess and the
God.
Later on, when you have more experience and have decided
that you have found the spiritual path that speaks to your heart,
you may want to do a Dedication ritual. At this time, the Goddess
and the God will give you a new and secret Working Name, and
you can use the old one that you created as your Craft Name or
discard it. This new name from the Dedication is one that defines
you, and is never revealed to anyone, for it is a sacred trust between
you and the Goddess and the God. They may reveal to you
30 So You Want to Be a Witch?
Their secret names, or if not, you may ask Them and They will
answer. For now, the Initiation is first, and you will not be doing a
Dedication until much later.
Working Names are normally derived from something the person
enjoys, finds attractive, or is otherwise drawn to in Nature.
Some people adopt a deity name, but more likely the name will be
based on a personal appreciation for something in Nature such as
animals, trees, flowers, herbs, minerals, and weather. Some typical
examples of Working Names would be Willowleaf, Elderflower,
Tourmaline, Amber, Bear,Moth, Traveler, Explorer,Mist, Rainfall,
Autumn, Summer, Luna, AstroNightSky, Waterfall, Timber, and
Mossyrock. So you are thinking about something in Nature that
appeals to you, concepts that relate to you in particular based on
your hobbies or line of work, and you may even draw together
several ideas into one name. The main point is that it is a name
that has meaning to you. You could also draw your name from astrological
events and things from the universe, utilizing stars,
solar flares, comets, nebulas, and so forth as a portion of your
name. Or you could simply use a regular name that has always appealed
to you, and by investigating the derivation, find a meaningful
connection. In this way, a name such as Isadora can be seen
as derived from one who follows the Goddess Isis. There are any
number of ways to pick a personal Working Name, and all that
matters is that you are satisfied with it and that it is different from
your birth name.
When you take on the Working Name, you are alerting your
subconscious mind that something different is about to occur―it
takes you out of the ordinary world frame and prepares you to
enter into the magical realm. This aids in getting you into an altered
state of mind wherein you will be more able to move energy
and commune with the Goddess and the God. You will use this
name for spell castings and for the rituals familiar to Witchcraft―
the Esbats and the Sabbats.
So You Want to Be a Witch? 31
In general, the Craft Name is one you choose to call yourself by
and introduce yourself to others in the Craft. A Craft Name may
be used openly and when visiting a coven or working with other
Witches, and is sometimes called an outer court name. The Working
Name is a secret one that you choose to go by when working
magic and ritual in private. After doing a Dedication Ritual, the
Goddess and the God will bestow a new Working Name, one that
defines you, and is also kept secret. The Working Name is never
revealed to anyone, not even family and friends. If someone learns
your Working Name, you will need to release it and choose another.
For Witches who are part of a coven, there is also the Eke
Name, or Coven Name, which is either chosen by the person
being initiated into the coven, or is bestowed on the person by the
coven leaders, usually by the High Priestess. This name is used
only in the coven environment and is called an inner court name.
The Moons of the Witch:
The Esbats
The Esbats are rituals of the Full Moon and the New (Dark)
Moons―times to receive learning from the Goddess. The Lady is
mostly honored during the lunar phases of the Full Moon and
New Moon (at the last waning crescent), when magical workings
are usually done.While the Dark Moon (fully obscured) may also
be celebrated, this phase is best for meditational work rather than
active spell casting. The Esbats are times for drawing in the Goddess
energies, either for spell work or for personal understanding
and communication. Divinations and meditations may be done
as desired, for while there may be a ritual framework, the individual
practitioner has the freedom to do as needed. This freedom to
play around with the structure of the rituals and to incorporate
what you want into the Esbat is probably one of the more difficult
things for the new Witch to learn. Often we are accustomed to
32 So You Want to Be a Witch?
being told what to do and how to do it, but Witchcraft turns this
responsibility over to the Witch. You are in charge of your rituals
and your development, and you learn through asking the Goddess
for her assistance in your training.
The Full Moon honors the Goddess as Great Mother and recognizes
her influence in the tides of the Earth and in our lives.
There are normally twelve Full Moons in a solar year, but sometimes
there are thirteen, meaning that one solar month will embrace
two Full Moons. This second Full Moon is the Blue Moon,
and it is in this one that spiritual energy is enhanced.When there
are two Dark Moons in the same solar month, the second one will
be enhanced by psychic energy and is called the Sidhe Moon. The
reason I specify solar month is because there are also lunar
months, which will not match the more familiar calendar. The
lunar month is measured by the cycle of the Moon, while the solar
months are the calendar ones with thirty or thirty-one days, except
for February which usually has twenty-eight days, unless it is
a leap year when it has twenty-nine days.
The Full Moons follow the calendar months beginning with
the one in December, with a Blue Moon being a random event in
whatever month it happens to fall.When a second Full Moon occurs,
it can be in any season. There are different names associated
with the Moons, but these are common ones: December: Oak
Moon; January: Wolf Moon; February: Storm Moon; March: Sap
Moon; April: Seed Moon; May: Hare Moon; June: Dryad Moon;
July: Herb Moon; August: Barleycorn (or Corn) Moon; September:
Harvest Moon; October: Hunter's Moon; November: Snow Moon.
The Seasons of the Witch:
The Sabbats
The Witches' year is depicted like a wheel with eight spokes. The
spokes indicate the celebrated Sabbats, and these are composed of
four solar festivals called the Lesser Sabbats or the Quarters, and
So You Want to Be a Witch? 33
four agricultural festivals called the Greater Sabbats or the Cross-
Quarters. There are many ancient standing stone circles in Europe
where the Quarters of the year are marked by specially positioned
stones that catch the first rays of sunlight on the summer and
winter solstices and on the spring and fall (autumn) equinoxes.
Some people believe that such sites as Stonehenge in England
were prehistoric calendars used for agricultural and religious purposes,
but no one knows exactly what rituals or ceremonies were
originally conducted there. In Witchcraft, these Quarters and
Cross-Quarters form the eight major festivals of the year, revolving
around the mythology of the God and the Goddess. While
there are variations on the story about the yearly passage of the
God through these special times, the archetypes are fairly consistent
and the differences are not all that relevant.
Because the Divine is One and manifest in all things, the aspects
of the Divine may interchange roles. Either the Lady or the
Lord may represent the Sun, Moon, Grain, Harvest, Waters of
Life, Universe, Sky, Earth, Life, Death, Passage, Resurrection in
Body and/or in Spirit. The Lady and the Lord symbolize female
and male fertility. They are both Power and Passage, honored with
rites of burning lamps, candles, and torches; with salt and water,
bread and wine, and flowers and grain. They both represent the
passing of the seasons through solstices and equinoxes as well as
the cycle of agriculture from seed preparation through planting,
tending, and harvesting. The correlation of the cycles of Sun
phases and agriculture is made with the life cycle, depicting a person's
transition through the stages of life from pregnancy, to
birth, youth, maturation and parenthood, old age, death passage,
and rebirth. Thus the Lord yearly shows us through his passage in
the solar cycles how our own lives transit through our own years.
He is the Sun, and the Lady is the Earth, culminating with the energy
of the Sun entering the life-supporting grains of the Earth,
and giving the spirit of life into the fruits of the vines that refresh
34 So You Want to Be a Witch?
Most helpful customer reviews
15 of 19 people found the following review helpful.
I'm not sure about this one...
By A Customer
Ann Moura is a little odd. She says she's from a "Craftwise" family, but her mother and grandmother were Catholics. Yes, they could theoretically know some witchcraft techniques, or be Christian Witches. That, I do not have a problem with. The material she presents, however, is INCREDIBLY Wiccan. The rituals, the theology, the ethics, the elements. It's all Wiccan. She does do some things a little backwards, saying that you initiate yourself first, and after a year and a day do a dedication, which is completely contrary to everything I've ever read or heard of. Other than that, and a few other little odd things I think she might have done backwards in order to make people think she's not *too* Wiccan, this is, yet another, Wicca 101 book. If you're going to read this, I would also recommend "Out of The Shadows: Myths and Truths of Modern Wicca" by Lillith McLelland, "Triumph of The Moon" by Ronald Hutton, and "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practioner" by Scott Cunningham. I actually think "To Ride A Silver Broomstick" might actually be better for a beginners book than this one.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
A Beginner's Dream
By Smith
Aside from the fact that this book was a catalyst for me falling in love with Ann Mouras Books, it was a realistic, practical and interesting read. For those whose need to ask, "Is Witchcraft right for me?" Look no further this book will help you. I highly recommend anything Ann Moura has written to assist you on your Path.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Five Stars
By Orcusnox
I really liked this; it was simple and easy to understand.
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