Archive for February 27, 2012

| February 27, 2012
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Uncovering – What Is Wicca?

real-witch real-witch

Wondering about Wicca? What is Wicca? What it means? You are not the only one who is curious to know exactly what the Wicca religion is all about. There are a lot of other individuals who have heard many tales about Wiccan traditions and beliefs, but now it’s time to sort out fact from fiction. The question about what is Wicca cannot be easily answered but it is definitely not witchcraft. However there are many who naturally associate these two belief systems. Those who do practice Wicca may have some traditions that are based on the same traditions once used in witchcraft but this does not mean that Wiccans are witches. What is Wicca? This question has many answers, and most of them may surprise you. Actually Wicca is a spiritual and self empowering way to live life. Those who follow the Wiccan traditions and beliefs strive to live in harmony with the universe. One of the key beliefs is that your good deeds will be returned to you three times over, and the bad deeds are also repaid in the same manner. This is very similar to what a person is taught in many other religions. For Wiccans there is wonder in even the minute aspects of everyday life. The trees, sun, moon, sky and lakes all are connected to a person’s spirit and each person’s spirit is connected to all of nature as well as to every other living being. The Wicca religion, beliefs and traditions were established many centuries before Christianity came

Category: Wicca | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
| February 7, 2012
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Tree Lore and the tree calendar

yggdrasil the world tree yggdrasil the world tree

Trees have always played a great part in the lives of human beings, and in magic’s they represent the symbol of life regeneration and rebirth and to some said to contain sacred knowledge. Trees are used, from everything from a source to creating shelters heat and tools. The wood from the trees has been also used as a sign of authority. Many kings and queens priests and priestesses would carry a staff of rowan , oak, Birch or beach. These trees were considered to be incarnations of the gods, and by carrying the staff would show others of their authority, and that their power was directed from the gods themselves. The image of trees in the pagan in a neopagan faith has always been considered to be magical and the symbol of the tree is used to connect the three rounds (roots), the underworld, (trunk of tree). The earthly realm, and (the branches) the heavens and the worlds beyond. It is even said that the phrase “ as above, so below” comes from trees, due to the fact that way trees grow their branches and roots seem to be of similar shape and size, the as above, refers to this almost identical shaping of roots and branches, whilst the so below, refers to the idea that whatever is created in the heavens manifests itself in the one of the major principles behind all kinds of magic. The trees are also appeared in folklore and mythology as places where gods have sacrificed themselves or have been

Category: Divination, Druidry, Magicks, Symbols and Sigils, Tree Magick | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
| February 7, 2012
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The wheel has turned full circle

wheel_of_the_year wheel_of_the_year

Now we have travel through all the major Sabbats and returned back at Beltaine. A year ago I launched the Cyber Cauldron with the hopes and dreams of earning enough money to survive as well as provide some information on witchcraft and paganism, which was informative and fun, a great start for the newbie. This journey allowed me the time to reflect on the things I have learned over the years. As well as giving more time with my goddess and sort out the person I really want to be. I have face new discoveries and have learned much about what it is to be a true pagan and a witch and have become friends with some very wonderful people. So as we close this year we will have to decide what to do next. Now the one thing that was always difficult was making the Cyber Cauldron a success but my view of what a success was at the time based on income, number of Facebook fans any thing that could be quantified “In a real sense”. So much so that as I looked to the figures I would get depressed and frustrated and begin to feel a failure. I would see other pages and site grow and grow some where total rubbish people claiming to be hereditary witches or claming to teach witchcraft in 5 easy steps and beat myself up on why I was not doing as well. So I decided to give the site up at the end of the year

Category: Cyber Cauldron, Cyber Pagan, Eclectic witchcraft, Everyday Pagan, Pagan Paths, Witch Skills, Witchcraft | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
| February 7, 2012
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Do Pagans pray

binding-love-spell binding-love-spell

Pagans do pray but not in the Christian way with palms pressed on bended knee. For many neo pagans the Christian way is considered pleading rather then praying. For a pagan a pray is a direct correspondence with a deity /spirit / or divine and are used mostly for gaining wisdom, and that being said many pagans will prepare to pray. Preparation will include ritual cleansing or bath or shower, preparing sacred space have the appropriate offerings for the deity / spirit. A circle or sacred space is created and then the deity is called to attend offering are offer to encourage the presence of the deity / spirit. The person once they have felt the presence of the deity / spirit the person would state who they are and by what right they have to call the deity / spirit in question. This can often be a long process of speaking your history, training and anything that the person thinks the deity would like to know. If the deity / spirit sees the person as worthy they will stay the person would the petition the deity / spirit for what they require listing the reason why they need or want and how it will be used. Only the very foolish will try to strike a bargain offering personal favours in return for what they require. If the deity / spirit has been duly impressed by your petition the answers will come to you it almost like speaking with the words of the spirit or

Category: Everyday Pagan, Pagan Mysteries, Rituals and Rites, Spell, Witch Skills | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
| February 7, 2012
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Basic Practices and Beliefs in Wicca

Wicca is a nature and magic based religion that is taken from the Pagan practices of ancient times. Wicca mimics other world religions with its own rituals, seasonal “holidays” and belief system. The beliefs of the religion can vary by region, since there is no orthodox method of practice or central organization.

Category: Wicca |
| February 7, 2012
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What is Wicca?

dianic_wicca dianic_wicca

Wicca is an earth-based Spiritual path, based on reviving the ancient pagan religions of pre-Christian Europe. Wiccan’s have a strong belief in the forms and forces of nature and that the divine source exists on all planes and is both male and female. Wiccan’s see aspects of life and nature as being sacred. Wiccan’s will attempt to attune themselves to natural rhythms of nature and cycle of life so they can communicate with the divine form. Wiccan’s will use rituals and rites, which are a mix between ancient text and modern ceremonies as well as shamanic practices to achieve this commune with the divine force. For Wiccan’s the divine form / force is divided in to two parts the two parts are considered to be equal and opposite (up-down / left-right / good bad / summer-winter etc.). These two halves created the balance in the universe and manifest as a Goddess(s) and God(s). By manifesting the power in two deities (Goddess and God), the natural balance of opposites, cause and effect are retained, e.g. Summer/winter, light/ dark, life and death etc    Although Wiccan’s may name their deities Wiccan’s believe that all goddess’s are but one goddess and all gods are but one god. The reason a Wiccan will call on a deity by name is to focus the aspect or nature of the persona that that aspect of the divine portrays. Wiccan’s believe that with the will of the divine and through magickal workings such as spells and rituals you can bend the unlimited

Category: Book of Shadows, Ethics, Everyday Pagan, Wheel of the year, Wicca | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
| February 7, 2012
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Lesser Known Gods and Demi-Gods of Greece

goddess and god goddess and god

Listed below is a selected list of many of the lesser-known gods and demi-gods of Greece that have apparently been ignored or forgotten by historians for various and sundry reasons. Some of these gods were obviously important and useful in everyday life habits, others apparently had no redeeming value whatsoever, but somehow achieved god- or goddesshood. This list is presented here in the hopes that it will prove helpful to someone somewhere, sometime. Egregious – God of Errors Though he spent virtually all his life with the other gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus, he is rumored to have left for a short vacation to the south of France where he met and had an affair with the French goddess, Faux Pas. Egregious was one of the smartest gods on Mount Olympus. In fact, many thought he might be as smart as Zeus, though no one would ever admit this publicly. However, his unfortunate habit of making so many mistakes kept him from becoming one of the better-known gods. When asked how someone so smart could make so many stupid mistakes, his reply was always “You learn from your mistakes. Obviously, I’ve made so many mistakes, I’ve become a genius!” Melanoma – God of Tanning Often seen away from Mount Olympus and down along the sandy beaches of southern Greece, Melanoma could have been ranked up there with the other major gods of his time, He was strong, handsome, and had a body that attracted all the goddesses. His only major fault was getting involved

Category: Gods and Goddessess, Humour | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
| February 7, 2012
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Wedding, Hand Fasting & Ceremony Tiara

tiara tiara

It is common for Tiara’s and headdress’s to be worn by women at special time in their life. Through out history and through out the world both men and women have adorned themselves with decoration to honour special times. The tiara which comes from the Latin: tiara, Ancient Greek: ?????, Old Persian tiy?r? was a high crown used by the Cialis Online kings and emperors of some ancient peoples in Mesopotamia it was a often in the shape of a tube narrowed at its apex and made of fabric or leather, which was often highly decorated. The Assyrians would include of bullhorns as a symbol of authority and a circle of short feathers surrounding the tiara‘s top as decoration. The Persian tiara was more similar to a condensed cone conic-shaped at the tip, which where highly jewelled. In the catholic faith the pope wears the Papal tiara a triple crown supposedly of Byzantine and Persian origin which is in three-tiered and highly jewelled. In modern time the tiara as be come a circular or semi circular band often made from metal and jewelled and is worn in high society at special occasions. It is also common for contest winner to be present with a tiara in such events as beauty pageants. The tiara is often used in weddings and handfasting’s as part of the wedding gown to identify the importance of the bride in the ceremony a simple reminder that the bride is the queen for that day. The tiara has a strong link for

Category: Everyday Pagan, Rituals and Rites, Tools of the craft | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
| February 7, 2012
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Getting Specific about Magical Ethics

School of Eclectic witchcraft Lesson 2 ethics School of Eclectic witchcraft Lesson 2 ethics

THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC: Getting Specific about Magical Ethics Sometimes a cliché just wears out. It loses meaning or, worse, begins to say things we never meant. I think it’s time to retire the phrase “black magic.” Saying” black” when we mean “evil” is nasty nonsense. In the first place, it reinforces the racist stereotypes that corrupt our society. And that’s not all. Whenever we say “black” instead of “bad,” we repeat again the big lie that darkness is wrong. It isn’t, as people who profess to love Nature should know. Darkness can mean the inside of the womb, and the seed germinating within the Earth, and the chaos that gives rise to all truly new beginnings. In our myths, the one who goes down to the underworld returns with the treasure? Even death, to the Wiccan understanding, is well-earned rest and comfort, and a preparation for new birth. Using “black” to mean” bad” is a blasphemy against the Crone. But even if we no longer speak of magic as “black” or “white,” we still need to think and speak about the ethics of magic. Although black is not evil, some actions are evil. It simply is not true that anything a person is strong enough or skilled enough to do is OK, nor should doing what we will ever be the whole of the law for us. We need a clear and specific vocabulary that enables us to choose wisely what we will do. We need to replace the word “black,” not simply to

Category: Ethics, Lesson Two, School of eclectic witchcraft | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
| February 7, 2012
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Christmas and Yule Customs

yule yule

Now that Christmas is fast approaching and the year has once more come full circle, most of us will soon be busy adorning the house with brightly coloured decorations, a Christmas tree and all the other paraphernalia that goes to create a festive atmosphere. Holly and mistletoe will almost certainly be included in our decorations as evergreens have been used in the winter festivities from very ancient times and definitely long before Christianity appeared on the scene. What Christians celebrate as the birthday of Christ is really something that was superimposed on to a much earlier pagan festival–that which celebrated the Winter Solstice or the time when the Sun reaches its lowest point south and is reborn at the beginning of a new cycle of seasons. In Northern Europe and Scandinavia it was noted by the early Christian scholar, Bede, that the heathens began the year on December 25th which they called Mother’s Night in honour of the great Earth Mother. Their celebrations were held in order to ensure fertility and abundance during the coming year, and these included much feasting, burning of lamps, lighting of great fires (the Yule fires) and exchanges of gifts. The Romans, too, held their great celebrations–Saturnalia– from December 17th to 25th and it was the latter date which they honoured as the birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The Saturnalia was characterised by much merry-making, sometimes going to riotous extremes, with masters and slaves temporarily exchanging roles. The use of evergreens to decorate the streets and houses was also very

Category: Wheel of the year, Yule | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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