Tag Archive for Traditions

Calling the Quarters

Click to enlarge direction from which to draw pentagrams Click to enlarge direction from which to draw pentagrams

The quarters or watchtowers are called to attend and protect Wiccan and some other pagan paths, rituals and circles. Each of the quarters represents an element Earth, Air, Fire and water. These elements are often assigned to a compass point the most common version is Earth – North, Air – East, Fire – South and Water – West. Although the most common version of the quarters is used in most Wiccan groups there are slight variations there can be wider variations for the solitary practitioner as they attune themselves to a location and not a group, example if a witch can see the see the sea from his or her north facing window, mountains in the west it would be very logical for the witch to place the Water quarter in the north and the earth in the west leaving air and fire where they are. Wherever you place the quarters or watch towers you will need to invoke in the correct way. or the way I was taught, was to visualise the guardian of the watchtower or quarter coming in to form and substance as you chant the an incantation which is used to invite the guardian to stand guard and protect the circle as well as adding the energy to the ritual. The Guardian is then held in place with the corresponding invoking pentagram (see below).   Once the ritual is complete the elements and Guardians are released with the banishing pentagram with a thank you for attending. In Wicca, the invocation of

Dianic Wicca

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In the 1970s feminist Zsuzsanna Budapest founded Dianic Wicca / Dianic witchcraft / Dianic Feminist Witchcraft a neo pagan belief structure based on Wicca, goddess worship and feminism. Dianic Wicca fuses traditional Wicca with Italian folk magick, feminist values and healing practices. Originally Dianic Wicca was a female only tradition favoured by feminist and lesbians although today Dianic Wicca is open to everyone although the main principles of Goddess worship and feminist values have not change. Unlike traditional Wicca Dianic Wicca pays little if any attention to the God (male deity) focusing on the Goddess herself and her mysteries and acknowledging that she is the source of all living things. In Dianic Wicca if the male deity is included he is only referred to as a consult and not as equal. Dianic Wicca uses the same ritual days as traditional Wicca (full and new moon rites as well as the wheel of the year). And abides to the Wiccan rede to some extent hexing and bindings are considered as negative action unless the hexing or binding is used on persons (MEN) who attack women. The term Dianic come from the roman goddess Diana known for her skills as a hunter and her links to childbirth, it is also known that Diana main companions where female Nymphs. Much of the ritual and spell work in Dianic Wicca is based on or come from aradia (Gospel of the witches) which was published in 1899 by Charles Leland an American folklorist who claims that Aradia contains the religious

Three Degrees Of Wicca

Like most pagan paths Wicca has a degree system although the degree system exists it is not based upon requirements of learning it is main based upon suitability for the role. Wicca has three degrees- First Degree The first degree is open to all and it marked by initiation into a coven, a person of the opposite sex does this initiation although there are exceptions to this rule such as a woman can initiate her daughter or a man can initiate his son if no one of required degree is available to do it. In some circumstances a First degree can initiate others. Initiation to first degree can happen very quickly in some covens requiring very little knowledge of the craft the idea behind this is “Bring ‘em in and let the Goddess sort them out” type of approach while other covens require some basic knowledge of Wicca such as generally used chants, circle principles, simple energy work, Coven etiquette, etc. To move in to the second and third degree a first degree must develop the following- Understands the Coven principles and basic circle etiquette Has rapport with other Coven members (or with your 2nd/3rd Degree Sponsor) Has gathered together the basic Witches tools of- Athame, Cords, Robe and a robe belt. Has learned the “Witches Rune”. Has developed basic visualisation skills. Can “Ground and centre”. Can enter the twilight-altered state of consciousness in which magic happens. Can sense true Power Flow (i.e. senses it if it is there and doesn’t if it isn’t) and

The Cyber Cauldron

Hecate Wheel Hecate Wheel

The Cyber Cauldron is about the rituals rites and daily life of a solitary gay witch Draco of the Dragon Star (that me by the way) I have been a pagan now for about 27 years and have worked in groups large and small. As for my path i would describe myself as a sharmanic eclectic hedge witch or Wiccan’esk partly because over the years i have found things that have worked from other traditions and have blended them into my own path. Since i am a homosexual i have fairly balanced sexual energies which helps working alone with the divine forms of the Goddess and God, working all male groups / female heavy groups i only seem to have very minor issues if i work in traditional wiccan groups (due to some prejudice) . I hope with this site to inspire and teach as well as be taught by sharing my insights to living with Magick in your life. i will cover things like mediation techniques, spell casting, tarot reading, healing and my understanding of the Goddess and the God and their different aspects. I will also provide rituals and spells along with jokes and musing. Over the years i have gathered many spell and rituals and I can not remember where i picked them up from but will share some with you. Cyber Cauldron Shop Dragon Jewllery Dragon Goddess for Balance & Harmony £24.99 Celestial Dragon for Inner Peace £24.99 Draco for Stability & Progress £24.99 Ouroborous for Healing £13.99 Dragon Heart for

Eclectic witchcraft

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Eclectic witchcraft is a strange form of paganism as although their a few books on the subject these are often subjective based a persons own personal experiences. Unlike those who follow neo pagan paths such as Wicca, Oslac, Celtic Shamanism, druidic etc there is no one to say what you are doing is wrong! The Eclectic witch is someone who embodies the true heart of a pagan and natural magicks learning through books and experimentation creating a personal spiritual path. The eclectic may be formally trained within one or more pagan path as I was but after many years of group practice may find that they need to find a more personal connection with the divine, one of the reasons the eclectic is a solitary path. The eclectic witch will often blend one or more paths ideologies and practices into a solid effective path, which will work for them alone. Most eclectic witches will often be Wiccan based and eclectic Wiccan’s now out number the Traditional Wiccan. The eclectic witch focuses on witchcraft rather that ritual and rite – some may say that the eclectic is sloppy and had hock in their practice, but this is far from the truth. The eclectic learns to work on instinct combining magicks and daily life as part of the natural course. For many neo pagan paths casting of circles / mystic plots and scared spaces is the only place where magicks are preformed for the eclectic this formality to magicks can become a barrier which stifles creativity and

Paganism Wicca way is best

Pentagram-of-Solomon Pentagram-of-Solomon

Being a pagan does not require you to follow any particular path but when most people get interested in paganism they seem to end up looking at Wicca one reason is for this is that since the creation of Wicca it became published in books and magazines as well as the news. Since it’s creation and it public exposure Wicca seems to be one of the most wrote about pagan paths available to the everyday person with books that teach people how to be Wiccan. Now I don’t want to put Wicca down it is a very valid pagan path which I was original train in many years ago, but it does have it limitations as a gay person it took a lot of searching to find a group which would accept me many wiccan’s saw homosexuality as an energy that could effect the energy created by a alternating male female circle. I will say that many new covens do not see homosexually as a issues and there are gay only Wicca groups which call themselves by other name but the practice and rituals are the same. Now many people seeking to life a life with magicks and a spiritual connection will often find Wicca the first port of call and settle into Wicca and be very happy but for other the search will continue. So if you have found a toehold on your belief through Wicca but feel that there is something missing what should you do? The first thing you need to work

A solitary circle casting

Spirograph Spirograph

As a solitary eclectic witch part of my practice is to develop new and exciting ways of developing my understanding of the goddess and learn new magickal skills. My whole practice is really a matter of trail and error and experimentation this is one of the major reasons I define myself as a witch or a pagan and if pressed to give a path I would define my path as a shamanic eclectic hedge witch as that seems to cover it. But I was sitting yesterday (Sunday) in a day that was filled with emotional ups and downs one of those days when you don’t know whether to laugh or cry so you end up doing both. I always find that these days are a way of clearing crap emotionally, which always leads to an opening. As in life we all have problems and I do to, well I am only human. And sometime those issues take a toll physically, mentally and spiritually but sometime throughout the turmoil great inspiration can take place. Since my patron goddess is Hecate and we all know that she loves to drive men mad moments of madness are her divine works and inspiration flows. So during a moment or two of madness I came upon an idea for casting a circle which feel very natural and almost perfect which I feel need to be shared. I was sitting for some reason with an abundance of energy (probably the music and the events of the day) I felt fully charged

Discrimination Is It?

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Yesterday I read a post from a young lady whose medical condition prevented her from becoming Wicca on the Dianic path, now I do not know enough about her medical condition but I have seen TV programs and documentaries on the subject and have heard the struggles that people with this condition go through. There is a lot of pain, surgery, psychological evaluations, rejection from family and friends during the healing process and after as the person adapts to their new life. I was totally shocked when I found out that when this person was lead to Dianic Wicca and found that she was not welcome. Now Amy is Transgender so was diagnosed with gender dysphoria (discontent with the biological sex they were born with) and according to the principles of Dianic Wicca only cissexual women, (aka “women born women“) can join. Although there are groups within Dianic Wicca, which are eclectic, which have an appreciation of cultural diversity, ecological concern, and familiarity with sophisticated concepts of psyche and transformation are characteristic in which she would be welcome. But as a perceived pagan elder I have to be fair to both sides when I first read the original post my reactions where based some where between the 2nd and 3rd degree of a pagan path (see the pagan degrees) I used my Feeling Man (Water) and Sensation Man (Earth) to base my argument both of which where screaming it wrong, it wrong. My views where coloured one by the fact that I myself had found