What is Intent? Intent is a specific idea, followed up by exacting purpose.
I have mentioned Intent before where spells are involved. Successful spells require specific Intent.
An example of Intent would be having an idea and following through on it. If a person were to decide to go to the store, but have a flat tire on the way, and change the flat tire and get to the store anyway. That is Intent.
Intent is having the tenacity to be like a bulldog. To sink your teeth into something and not let go until the desire is achieved.
Intent is more than tenacity though. Intent is single-minded purpose. Intent is also purity of thought. It is not letting other things surrounding them let them be dissuaded from their final outcome.
Another thing about Intent, is that it is direct. When working a spell, it is best to turn off the phone, and not have any kind of electronics in the room at all when working the spell or Ritual. Outside noises can distract us from our Intent. It is also a good idea to cover windows and close doors, if there are a lot of distractions outside.
The more focused the person can be with their Intent, the better and more powerful the Witch or Spell-caster will be.
Focus of Intent is very, very powerful. Focus takes practice, and believe it or not so does Intent.
Spend time practicing Intent. See how many other ideas come to mind when trying to focus on one Intent. The sooner one can weed out the fluff and interference that comes to mind, the stronger the Intent and the more powerful the focus.
Good Luck, and Blessed Be!
Liz T
Liz T Designs
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Witch Crafts
Many crafts can and could be considered "Witch Crafts". Crafting is an art unto itself and many crafts started out with Pagan or Witch roots.
Think if you will, about the scarecrow in the farmer's field. Not just for show, it was made for a purpose. To keep the birds from the valuable crops!
Back many hundreds of years ago, the farmer's wife would make dolly's out of corn husks, known as Corn Dolly's. These would not only be for the little children to play with, but a sign of thanks to the Gods for the bounty of the harvest.
Poppets, small cloth dolls stuffed with herbs and other ingredients, were made to represent someone. Many Poppets were made to represent the person the spell was intended to be cast for, or on.
Gourds and Pumpkins were carved to scare off spirits on All Hallows Eve. Special Logs were burned with Holly for the Oak King at Yule, known as Yule Logs.
There are many crafts to come! Stay tuned, and I will describe them and also give directions for many of them!
There are also numerous crafts that have Pagan roots. We will discuss many of them throughout the year as the Sabbats come along.
There are eight Sabbats during the year. The next being Beltane, which occurs on May 5th this year, which is also the full moon.
We will discuss Beltane very soon in an upcoming post.
Blessed Be!
Liz T
Think if you will, about the scarecrow in the farmer's field. Not just for show, it was made for a purpose. To keep the birds from the valuable crops!
Back many hundreds of years ago, the farmer's wife would make dolly's out of corn husks, known as Corn Dolly's. These would not only be for the little children to play with, but a sign of thanks to the Gods for the bounty of the harvest.
Poppets, small cloth dolls stuffed with herbs and other ingredients, were made to represent someone. Many Poppets were made to represent the person the spell was intended to be cast for, or on.
Gourds and Pumpkins were carved to scare off spirits on All Hallows Eve. Special Logs were burned with Holly for the Oak King at Yule, known as Yule Logs.
There are many crafts to come! Stay tuned, and I will describe them and also give directions for many of them!
There are also numerous crafts that have Pagan roots. We will discuss many of them throughout the year as the Sabbats come along.
There are eight Sabbats during the year. The next being Beltane, which occurs on May 5th this year, which is also the full moon.
We will discuss Beltane very soon in an upcoming post.
Blessed Be!
Liz T
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Book of Shadows
Since we have covered quite a few topics so far, let's cover another important one.
The Book Of Shadows, even it's name alludes to secrets. This book took it's name from being "in the shadows" and secretive.
A Book of Shadows is and needs to be kept very private. It can be as simple or elaborate as the writer wants it to be. It can be as simple as a $1 spiral notebook from the drug store, or as elaborate as a $250 custom bound leather one.
What makes a Book of Shadows special is the person authoring it. "But I am not an author" you say? Maybe author is the wrong word. The Book of Shadows is very personal and very private, and is a collaboration of all you know as a Witch, and all you have learned and all that you want to learn.
Your Book of Shadows should include your personal journey into and through your life as a Witch and what you learn getting there. It can include as much information or as little as you would like. Let me say this though, if you are serious about your Book of Shadows, you will get a lot out of it. The old saying is true, "You get out of it what you put in it". If you put in little effort, you will get little out of it. If you put in a lot of effort, you will get a lot out of it.
There are many sources on the internet and thousands of books on the subject of Witchcraft and also Crafting. If you want to be a crafty Witch, add that to your Book of Shadows also!
Your Book of Shadows, also known as a B.O.S. should include what you want it to include about your journey, basically anything that is important to you. It can include the following: Your Astrological Birth Chart, Definitions of important "Witchy" and Pagan words. Color Correspondences, Stone Correspondences, Rune Definitions, Chapters on the major items you have studied or want to study, including Divination, Scrying, ESP and Psychic Powers, Magick, Herbs, Essential Oils, Healing, The Moon and Her Phases, Astral Projection...the list is long. These are just a few.
Also to be included in your B.O.S. are the Spells you have performed and when you performed them and the outcome. You can also include Spells you would like to perform some day.
Basically, your Book of Shadows should include anything that is important to you and your growth in the world of Witchcraft or the path you are following.
More to come regarding this important book at a later time.
Blessed Be!
Liz T
The Book Of Shadows, even it's name alludes to secrets. This book took it's name from being "in the shadows" and secretive.
A Book of Shadows is and needs to be kept very private. It can be as simple or elaborate as the writer wants it to be. It can be as simple as a $1 spiral notebook from the drug store, or as elaborate as a $250 custom bound leather one.
What makes a Book of Shadows special is the person authoring it. "But I am not an author" you say? Maybe author is the wrong word. The Book of Shadows is very personal and very private, and is a collaboration of all you know as a Witch, and all you have learned and all that you want to learn.
Your Book of Shadows should include your personal journey into and through your life as a Witch and what you learn getting there. It can include as much information or as little as you would like. Let me say this though, if you are serious about your Book of Shadows, you will get a lot out of it. The old saying is true, "You get out of it what you put in it". If you put in little effort, you will get little out of it. If you put in a lot of effort, you will get a lot out of it.
There are many sources on the internet and thousands of books on the subject of Witchcraft and also Crafting. If you want to be a crafty Witch, add that to your Book of Shadows also!
Your Book of Shadows, also known as a B.O.S. should include what you want it to include about your journey, basically anything that is important to you. It can include the following: Your Astrological Birth Chart, Definitions of important "Witchy" and Pagan words. Color Correspondences, Stone Correspondences, Rune Definitions, Chapters on the major items you have studied or want to study, including Divination, Scrying, ESP and Psychic Powers, Magick, Herbs, Essential Oils, Healing, The Moon and Her Phases, Astral Projection...the list is long. These are just a few.
Also to be included in your B.O.S. are the Spells you have performed and when you performed them and the outcome. You can also include Spells you would like to perform some day.
Basically, your Book of Shadows should include anything that is important to you and your growth in the world of Witchcraft or the path you are following.
More to come regarding this important book at a later time.
Blessed Be!
Liz T
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Spells, Part 2
As promised, the description of an elaborate spell follows:
The more elaborate spell is not always more effective, but it can be. Once again, the main ingredients are Focus and Intent. Those two things, above all, are what make a spell effective. The rest of the ingredients are just trappings, but if they help the Witch or Spell-worker be more focused and put more intent and personal power into the spell, then that is what is needed to make it work.
Imagine if you will, a Witch or Magickal worker who takes an elaborate cleansing bath with herbs and candles, then dons special sacred garb, then clears a special room or a space in a room to do a special Magickal ritual, lighting candles and incense.
Once the Spell-worker has cleansed themselves and cleansed the area, they then cast a Magick circle, and smudge the area with special incense or some form of sage or other aromatic. Once this is done, it is time to start the spell. It is very important that the Spell-worker have everything assembled ahead of time in the area, so that the circle does not get broken once cast. The next step will be to call the quarters (East, South, West and North--we almost always start in the East and move Clockwise). This is usually done verbally and can also include lighting candles at each quarter. Then we can either call the Elements separately (Air, Fire, Water, Earth) or this can be done at the same time we call the Quarters. Then, we will call the Goddess and the God, asking them to be with us, and we can light a special candle for each. Usually Silver for the Goddess and Gold for the God. Once that is done, we do our spell. This is usually the time we raise energy, either as a Force, or as a Cone of Power. After we raise our power, we have to release it. Then we thank the Goddess and God for being with us. We then thank and dismiss the Elements and the Quarters. The very last thing we do is open the circle. After the spell is performed, we can clear the area again to disperse any excess energies.
If you will continue to follow my blog, all of these steps for a spell will be explained in depth and in detail in following posts.
The main thing, again about Spell-Casting, is Focus and Intent. There are many ways to raise Power, and I will explain those in future posts. The spell is only as effective as the Spell-Caster, and that will be explained more in future posts also.
Merry Meet and Merry Part and Merry Meet again!
Blessed Be!
Liz T
The more elaborate spell is not always more effective, but it can be. Once again, the main ingredients are Focus and Intent. Those two things, above all, are what make a spell effective. The rest of the ingredients are just trappings, but if they help the Witch or Spell-worker be more focused and put more intent and personal power into the spell, then that is what is needed to make it work.
Imagine if you will, a Witch or Magickal worker who takes an elaborate cleansing bath with herbs and candles, then dons special sacred garb, then clears a special room or a space in a room to do a special Magickal ritual, lighting candles and incense.
Once the Spell-worker has cleansed themselves and cleansed the area, they then cast a Magick circle, and smudge the area with special incense or some form of sage or other aromatic. Once this is done, it is time to start the spell. It is very important that the Spell-worker have everything assembled ahead of time in the area, so that the circle does not get broken once cast. The next step will be to call the quarters (East, South, West and North--we almost always start in the East and move Clockwise). This is usually done verbally and can also include lighting candles at each quarter. Then we can either call the Elements separately (Air, Fire, Water, Earth) or this can be done at the same time we call the Quarters. Then, we will call the Goddess and the God, asking them to be with us, and we can light a special candle for each. Usually Silver for the Goddess and Gold for the God. Once that is done, we do our spell. This is usually the time we raise energy, either as a Force, or as a Cone of Power. After we raise our power, we have to release it. Then we thank the Goddess and God for being with us. We then thank and dismiss the Elements and the Quarters. The very last thing we do is open the circle. After the spell is performed, we can clear the area again to disperse any excess energies.
If you will continue to follow my blog, all of these steps for a spell will be explained in depth and in detail in following posts.
The main thing, again about Spell-Casting, is Focus and Intent. There are many ways to raise Power, and I will explain those in future posts. The spell is only as effective as the Spell-Caster, and that will be explained more in future posts also.
Merry Meet and Merry Part and Merry Meet again!
Blessed Be!
Liz T
Friday, April 20, 2012
Spells
Ah, one of the main topics that people want to know about when talking to Witches or about Witchcraft, how to do Spells. Next to Magick, it is one of the things most asked about.
So what is a "Spell" exactly? A spell is a combination of several things. It is part Ritual, part Magick, part Intent, and part Planning.
The ingredients needed for a spell can be either very elaborate, or very simple.
An example of a simple spell is a young child skipping aimlessly about in the rain, sing-songing the old rhyme "Rain, Rain, go away, come again some other day." Guess what? That is indeed a simple spell! And it can and has been very effective! Why? Because with the right intent, it works! And it has worked for centuries! Spells work when the intent is genuine, and it is sent out to the universe correctly. If the child has every intent for it to work, it will work. What stops a spell from working? When we adults tell the child it won't work and the child believes it won't work. In order for a spell and the spell-caster or Witch to be effective, the person performing the spell has to "believe" that the spell will work.
Guess what? Magick is real, and spells do work! If you believe they will, and you have to believe. The minute you believe or think that it won't work or think "what am I doing, this is silly, this will never happen", guess what, it won"t happen! Doubt kills correct intent.
If you were raised to believe Magick isn't real, you can still believe in it. It just takes practice to open your mind and clear out the dis-belief.
Have you ever been driving somewhere you always go and suddenly find yourself going a different direction or stopping somewhere you wouldn't ordinarily go, then later find out there was a wreck right where you would have normally gone? What caused you to change where you were going? Some call it Magick. It can happen for many different reasons. Magick is all around, if you look for it. If you spend time looking, and open your mind, you will find lots and lots of Magick. The more Magick you find, the more you will believe. If you let yourself believe. Clear out the doubt and it is possible to believe.
An example of an elaborate spell will be our next topic.
Blessed Be!
Liz T
So what is a "Spell" exactly? A spell is a combination of several things. It is part Ritual, part Magick, part Intent, and part Planning.
The ingredients needed for a spell can be either very elaborate, or very simple.
An example of a simple spell is a young child skipping aimlessly about in the rain, sing-songing the old rhyme "Rain, Rain, go away, come again some other day." Guess what? That is indeed a simple spell! And it can and has been very effective! Why? Because with the right intent, it works! And it has worked for centuries! Spells work when the intent is genuine, and it is sent out to the universe correctly. If the child has every intent for it to work, it will work. What stops a spell from working? When we adults tell the child it won't work and the child believes it won't work. In order for a spell and the spell-caster or Witch to be effective, the person performing the spell has to "believe" that the spell will work.
Guess what? Magick is real, and spells do work! If you believe they will, and you have to believe. The minute you believe or think that it won't work or think "what am I doing, this is silly, this will never happen", guess what, it won"t happen! Doubt kills correct intent.
If you were raised to believe Magick isn't real, you can still believe in it. It just takes practice to open your mind and clear out the dis-belief.
Have you ever been driving somewhere you always go and suddenly find yourself going a different direction or stopping somewhere you wouldn't ordinarily go, then later find out there was a wreck right where you would have normally gone? What caused you to change where you were going? Some call it Magick. It can happen for many different reasons. Magick is all around, if you look for it. If you spend time looking, and open your mind, you will find lots and lots of Magick. The more Magick you find, the more you will believe. If you let yourself believe. Clear out the doubt and it is possible to believe.
An example of an elaborate spell will be our next topic.
Blessed Be!
Liz T
Thursday, April 19, 2012
The Pentacle/Pentagram
Below is a short definition of the Pentacle or Pentagram, and why it is important to me as a Witch and practicing Wiccan.
The Pentacle is the symbol of Witchcraft. The image of the Pentagram is a five point star in a circle. The five points represent the four directions, or the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water, plus Spirit. The Pentacle is over 8,000 years old, and was used by many cultures including Egypt, Greece, India and Persia. In ages past, the Pentacle was used to ward off evil spirits. Today it is used by Wiccans, Magicians practicing Occult Magick, or Ceremonial Magick and other neo-pagans in Ritual Work and Magick.
Most Pentacles are worn as necklaces, carried as talismans or used in Rituals as representation of the Elements and Spirit and or the Goddess and God. If one were to cut and Apple through across the middle horizontally, the image shown inside is a pentagram, with the five seeds being the five points of the star. This may be a major reason why the Apple is thought to be a major symbol of the Witch.
By Liz T
Blessed Be!
The Pentacle is the symbol of Witchcraft. The image of the Pentagram is a five point star in a circle. The five points represent the four directions, or the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water, plus Spirit. The Pentacle is over 8,000 years old, and was used by many cultures including Egypt, Greece, India and Persia. In ages past, the Pentacle was used to ward off evil spirits. Today it is used by Wiccans, Magicians practicing Occult Magick, or Ceremonial Magick and other neo-pagans in Ritual Work and Magick.
Most Pentacles are worn as necklaces, carried as talismans or used in Rituals as representation of the Elements and Spirit and or the Goddess and God. If one were to cut and Apple through across the middle horizontally, the image shown inside is a pentagram, with the five seeds being the five points of the star. This may be a major reason why the Apple is thought to be a major symbol of the Witch.
By Liz T
Blessed Be!
 |
| One example of a Pentacle Talisman or Pendant. Author of image unknown. |
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Do Witch's Really Fly?
The answer...No and Yes!
Of course, an explanation follows! Part of the history and mystery of the Witch is that they fly around on brooms. The mystique is interesting, but only partially true. The broom, or Besom as we witches like to call them, are a main symbol of the Witch. We Witch's however, use Besoms as Magickal Tools, sometimes Ritualistically, to "sweep away" negative energies. Besoms are generally kept in the home, either near the door, or near the Hearth (Fireplace), as a clearing tool, used as described above. Yes, some of us actually do use them mundanely to sweep our floors!
As far as Witch's Flying on Brooms, this probably goes back to the middle ages. There are differing versions, but most have to do with "Flying" by using drugs, and "riding the broom" in a somewhat...how should I say, "physical way"! The "Flying" was done by using hallucinogenic herbs, such as Atropa Belladonna, Henbane, and others by making an ointment with Hog's Lard and brewing it over the fire to extract the oils from the plants and into the lard, so that the ointment can then be rubbed on the body. Those wishing to "Fly" would rub the ointment on their skin where it would most easily be absorbed without ingesting it, such as their armpits and "hairy nether regions", where the sweat glands are most prominent. They would also rub the ointment on the staff of the broom, or besom and either straddle it and "ride" it or use it as a phallus and masturbated with it. (I am not making this up folks!)
Anyway, that was then, and this is now! Today, some Witch's still use "Flying Ointments" or "Flying Balms", but whey are usually made with non-toxic herbs and the user is STRONGLY encouraged to use them safely and sanely, by only using them on their wrists, or on the "third eye" which is slightly below the center of the forehead or on their temples, but well away from their eyes. Current "Flying Ointments" are made with vegetable oil and non-toxic herbs, and "Flying Balms" are made with Beeswax and a Carrier Oil, such as Olive, Grapeseed or Almond and Essential Oils made from non-toxic herbs.
Yes, some out there try to reproduce the old fashioned recipes, but using "Baneful" or Poisonous Herbs is just down right dangerous, and very unsafe! These herbs are Poisonous and not used today for a reason, people still DIE from using them!
The safe way to use "Flying Ointments" and "Flying Balms" is to use the non-toxic ones, and to do it the correct and safe way.
The ones I will produce for Silverwolf Designs©™, Silverwolf Herbals©™ and Silverwolf Essentials©™, will be pure and LEGAL and safe, if used correctly! I will also include very detailed instructions for using them effectively, safely and to get excellent results! And, without putting your life or health in danger!
So, the answer to our earlier question is, yes. Some Witch's do fly, just not physically. When we fly, it is spiritually and psychically! (What you do with your Besom is up to you!)
More later...
Blessed Be!
Of course, an explanation follows! Part of the history and mystery of the Witch is that they fly around on brooms. The mystique is interesting, but only partially true. The broom, or Besom as we witches like to call them, are a main symbol of the Witch. We Witch's however, use Besoms as Magickal Tools, sometimes Ritualistically, to "sweep away" negative energies. Besoms are generally kept in the home, either near the door, or near the Hearth (Fireplace), as a clearing tool, used as described above. Yes, some of us actually do use them mundanely to sweep our floors!
As far as Witch's Flying on Brooms, this probably goes back to the middle ages. There are differing versions, but most have to do with "Flying" by using drugs, and "riding the broom" in a somewhat...how should I say, "physical way"! The "Flying" was done by using hallucinogenic herbs, such as Atropa Belladonna, Henbane, and others by making an ointment with Hog's Lard and brewing it over the fire to extract the oils from the plants and into the lard, so that the ointment can then be rubbed on the body. Those wishing to "Fly" would rub the ointment on their skin where it would most easily be absorbed without ingesting it, such as their armpits and "hairy nether regions", where the sweat glands are most prominent. They would also rub the ointment on the staff of the broom, or besom and either straddle it and "ride" it or use it as a phallus and masturbated with it. (I am not making this up folks!)
Anyway, that was then, and this is now! Today, some Witch's still use "Flying Ointments" or "Flying Balms", but whey are usually made with non-toxic herbs and the user is STRONGLY encouraged to use them safely and sanely, by only using them on their wrists, or on the "third eye" which is slightly below the center of the forehead or on their temples, but well away from their eyes. Current "Flying Ointments" are made with vegetable oil and non-toxic herbs, and "Flying Balms" are made with Beeswax and a Carrier Oil, such as Olive, Grapeseed or Almond and Essential Oils made from non-toxic herbs.
Yes, some out there try to reproduce the old fashioned recipes, but using "Baneful" or Poisonous Herbs is just down right dangerous, and very unsafe! These herbs are Poisonous and not used today for a reason, people still DIE from using them!
The safe way to use "Flying Ointments" and "Flying Balms" is to use the non-toxic ones, and to do it the correct and safe way.
The ones I will produce for Silverwolf Designs©™, Silverwolf Herbals©™ and Silverwolf Essentials©™, will be pure and LEGAL and safe, if used correctly! I will also include very detailed instructions for using them effectively, safely and to get excellent results! And, without putting your life or health in danger!
So, the answer to our earlier question is, yes. Some Witch's do fly, just not physically. When we fly, it is spiritually and psychically! (What you do with your Besom is up to you!)
More later...
Blessed Be!
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