Roots of Your Craft 30-Day Challenge

Roots of Your Craft 30-Day Challenge

Divination. Does it work? Would you use it? What do you think of those who do? Why?

I believe that divination does work, but I do not believe it can ever be 100% accurate. The future is never set in stone, and one tiny change can send out ripples that change everything. So, for me, divination is a slippery slope to climb. Does knowing what could happen make it more likely to happen? Do we unconsciously work to fulfill our own prophecy without realizing it? I'm not sure. For this reason, I might use divination tools to gain insight on a situation that is troubling me, but I would never seek to know the ins and outs of the future.

What do you think Magick actually is? What is the power or force behind witchcraft?

I think any magick that exists comes both from within us and from nature and the cosmos around us. Every plant and animal is made up of living energy, and when it dies, the particles of energy carry on in another form. The energy itself never dies. I think people, when they open themselves to their innate ability, are able to sense and touch that flow of energy that is constantly around us. I think that's what magick is.

How powerful do you believe Magick to be, and why?  

Believing that magick is the energy of the cosmos, I also believe that magic is both finite and everlasting. There will never be more or less energy than exists right now. The kinetic potential of everything that can be is already here. Everything has has ever been is still here as well. The only thing that changes is our belief, openness, and ability to access that energy.

What are your beliefs about ethics and morality? Do you think practicing witchcraft will change your views? If so, how?

I believe the same things are right and wrong now as I did when I was growing up in the Christian church. That hasn't changed with the evolution of my personal spiritual beliefs. Basic human rights should trump everything else. No one should be judged lacking and discriminated against because of their race or ethnicity, their gender, their sexual orientation, their gender identity, their religious beliefs, etc. My personal ethics and beliefs on morality should never dictate laws that are applied to the population at large. Morality should not dictate the law because morality is subjective and changes with every perspective.

Do you plan to be open about witchcraft to people you know? Why or why not?  

While I am not part of an organized group of practitioners because I do not trust organized religion of any kind, I do not hide my own beliefs. I am always open to discussion with anyone as long as it is civil. I spent too much of my life hiding various parts of myself that I do not care to do that at all anymore. Take me as I am or not at all.

What kind of belief system were you raised with? Do you feel it suits you, or are you making a change?

I was raised in the Christian church. My mother was raised Southern Baptist. My father was raised Methodist. When they had me and started taking me to church, they chose to explore other denominations. We went to a Church of God of Prophecy for several years, a Primitive Baptist church, and various non-denominational Protestant churches. In the rural South, honestly they are all very similar. There are important and meaningful messages to be gained from Christianity. Being Christ-like is a beautiful ideal to strive toward. But, the organized religion part of Christianity mucks up the message so much with prejudice and hate that I find it hard to reconcile the good with the bad. People are fallible no matter how holy they attempt to be. I do not want nor will I abide someone else deciding what is right or wrong or holy on my behalf. I have two eyes and a brain of my own. I can read and study and seek knowledge for myself so that I can make my own decisions on what is right for me.

What was your earliest memorable exposure to the concept of witchcraft? How did it influence your interest in it?  

Appalachia is full of Grandmothers with home remedies, family traditions, and old wives' tales that have guided their households for generations. Very few would call it Witchcraft. Many go about doing these things on a daily basis in the name of their Lord. Seventh sons of seventh sons can cure certain ailments and treat wounds/burns. Planting by the signs is common, and many know which herbs and other woodland plants to use for all sorts of cures and preventatives. They learned these things in Scotland and Ireland and Wales and brought the traditions with them to a new continent. They keep the practices alive both out of tradition and out of the necessity of Poverty. Practical magicks and wisdoms are what influence me most.

Do you think you will work with or worship deities as part of your Craft? Why or why not?  

I'm not sure for me that it is about choosing a deity to work through or for. I have respect for the cultural deities and the people who worship them. I am happy to honor their presence and purpose. My beliefs fall more into honoring natural and forces that guide and shape the world around us than a specific deity or pantheon. There are one or two that I feel a certain kinship with, and I will find ways to acknowledge them.

What do you think your life will be like in five years, magically speaking?

I have for years pushed aside the part of me that wanted to explore more spiritual things. I pushed it away for my parents who wouldn't have understood for the most part. Now that they are both gone, there's no reason to push it away any longer. 

If you could list one thing that you hope to gain from practicing witchcraft, what would it be?

Peace. Quietness of mind.

Which of the four classical elements best describes you at the beginning of your journey? (Earth, Wind, Air, or Fire)

Water. I've always been water. Water can be soothing and and gentle, refreshing and replenishing, but it can also be destructive and frighteningly dark and deep and unforgivingly harsh. The duality of being something that is the essence of life and also something that is fathomless and unknowable has always drawn me.

If you’ve practiced spellcraft, what was the experience of casting your first spell like? If you’ve not yet cast one, what do you think your first spell will be and why?

I ask for blessings and offer thanks for those blessings. I ask for advice and guidance. I very rarely use what I would call an actual spell. For me it is more about doing things with intention than the ritual of spellcasting.

Are there any witches or magicians in fiction or history that you particularly admire? Why or why not?

I will have to think on this.

If you were to think of your beginnings in witchcraft as a certain color, what color would it be and why?  

A sea of green. It's the color of the crops in the garden that fed our family year after year. It's the color of the herbs that seasoned our meals. The grass beneath my our feet as we played. The trees that covered the mountains that I grew up in. Green is Life. Green is Health. Green is Wealth.

What are your general thoughts about newer magical traditions such as pop culture spells, and technowitchery?

With new technology and evolving culture comes new tools that are at our convenience. Nothing is inherently bad or good. It just depends on how it is being used.

What are your general thoughts about older magical traditions such as rune Magick, kabbalah and esoteric eastern traditions?

Runes are a tool of divination just like tarot, pendulums, spirit boards, and bones. If drawing and reading runes feels right for you, do it. If it doesn't, they aren't a tool that you have to use. You get to make the rules for you. It's the same with any other tool or resource you happen across. If you read a text and gain something meaningful from it, use that new knowledge to enrich your practice. If you read it, and it doesn't speak to you, maybe it wasn't meant for you. Either option is okay.

Do you think that tradition is important in witchcraft? Why or why not?

I think we can learn a lot from traditions that are passed on by more experienced practitioners. Knowledge is power, and some knowledge can't be gained just by reading a description on a page. Some knowledge is best shared verbally while brewing a a pot of fire cider for the cold season or tactilely while applying a poultice to a burned arm or visually when Grandma points out which berries are good for eating and brewing and which are poisonous. But I also believe traditions should not be allowed to hold us back. We can take in all of the things that traditions can teach us and then transform those lessons by pairing them with implements, rituals, and environments that closer match our day to day experiences. If we can't use what we learn to improve our lives and the lives of others, what good is it? Everything changes. The world changes, and we have to change with it to stay relevant.

What role do you think dreams play in magical life, if any? Why or why not?

I think dreams are our sleeping mind's way of working through problems that we do not want to deal with while awake. If we study them and their patterns, I think we could potentially learn more about how to deal with the issues that plague us. I have dabbled here and there with dream interpretation, but it's not my forte.

Are you more aligned with chaos or order in terms of the Magick you have or will practice? What do you think Magick itself is more aligned with?

Nature has an order to it, and I think magick does as well. But like everyday life, some things happen for a reason and make perfect sense and some things are unexpected and happen by chance. Chaos does not have to be at odds with order. There can be a place for chaos within the order of the world.

Curses. Do they work? Would you use them? What do you think of those who do? Why?

If the person you curse believes in the power of your curse, it will be more likely to work. That may be because of your innate power, or it may be a self-fulfilling curse in that the person believes something bad is going to happen to them and so subconsciously sabotages themselves. I would never place a curse on anyone. I do not believe in purposefully seeking to do harm to anyone. Nothing good or fulfilling can come of it. Only bad for them and bad for you.

Blessings and protective Magick. Do they work? Would you use them? What do you think of those who do? Why?

I believe they can work. If you believe that a spell/ritual, crystal, charm, etc. will protect you, then it is likely to work. Do I think wearing a certain crystal and burning a particular color candle will keep you from getting shot in an unsafe part of town? Uh, no.  Do I think it replaces my home security alarm or my door locks? No. You have to use common sense too. But can it hurt to bless my house and ask a higher power than me to look over my home and family? No, I can't see how that can be a bad thing.

Do you have an affinity with an animal or type of animal? What does it mean to you? If you don’t, but had to have one, what do you think it would be?

I do not have an animal spirit guide if that's what you mean, and I do not have a familiar. I do enjoy being around farm animals, and I rarely meet a dog I can't be friends with. I wouldn't call it an affinity though.

Do you think that there is any potential in utilizing certain ritual places or “ley-lines” between ritual places? Why or why not?

I do think some places have inherent power not because of what is built there or what grows there or what people once called that land home. It has power because power was always there. The place is the power. I think a lot of people are very naturally either drawn to or repelled by those places. There are places that I have been that I have immediately felt were different than what I consider normal. Some felt good and welcoming to me, and others didn't. I would imagine over the years many others have felt the same, and it would only be natural for sacred places of all cultures to arise around these charged areas, intentional or not.

What role does the archetype of death play in magic to you, if any? Why or why not?

Everything, plant ... animal ... people, die. It's a commonality that we all share and will all one day experience. Death is part of the natural cycle of things and therefore is a part of magic as well.

What do you think of practicing magic in a group setting? What about practicing alone? Why?

I've been burned by organized religion one too many times to ever be comfortable in a group setting regardless of the religion being practiced. More than two people and someone then has to be the leader. And having a leader equals rules lawyering, and I am not about that when it comes to my personal beliefs and practices. I can study and education myself so that I can make the best choices for myself. I do not need nor do I want someone else to try and foist their beliefs and rules upon me. If I wanted that, I'd still be going to church.

Witchy Wednesday - Finding Myself in The Cailleach

 

The Cailleach (a print by RachelQuinlanArt)

Serpent-Dreamer (The Cailleach)
by Julie Jeffrey at Stonemaiden Art

I have been doing a bit more exploration into deities and spiritual paths, and there have been a couple that I have felt particularly drawn to of late. One in particularly that I have a strong leaning to is The Cailleach (pronounced KAL-y-ach). On the spectrum of female deities, she falls into the category of a crone. I have made my peace with the fact that I won't have children and my body has begun to tell me that menopause is fast approaching despite my doctor saying I am too young for that. Bodies will do what they will and can't be put on someone else's timetable. I haven't been a maiden for a very long time, being a mother wasn't meant for me, but I could be a kickass crone of a granny wise woman. She's a healer and a protector, a shaper of earth, an usher of seasons and bringer of weather. She can be both creative and destructive, neither good nor evil but part of the cycle that makes up everything in our world.

In Gaelic mythology (Irish, Scottish and Manx), the Cailleach is a divine hag and ancestor, associated
with the creation of the landscape and with the weather, especially storms and winter. In Scottish folklore, she is also known as Beira, Queen of Winter. As well as weather and Winter, she is also associated with horned beasts and cattle.

Cailleach by Ashley Bryner

In Scotland, she is credited with making numerous mountains and large hills, which are said to have been formed when she was striding across the land and accidentally dropped rocks from her creel or wicker basket. In other cases she is said to have built the mountains intentionally, to serve as her stepping stones. She carries a hammer for shaping the hills and valleys, and is said to be the mother of all the goddesses and gods. According to Mackenzie, Beira was a one-eyed giantess with white hair, dark blue skin, and rust-colored teeth.

In partnership with the goddess Brìghde, the Cailleach is seen as a seasonal deity or spirit, ruling the winter months between Samhainn (1 November or first day of winter) and Bealltainn (1 May or first day of summer), while Brìghde rules the summer months between Bealltainn and Samhainn. Some interpretations have the Cailleac and Brìghde as two faces of the same goddess, while others describe the Cailleach as turning to stone on Bealltainn and reverting to humanoid form on Samhainn in time to rule over the winter months. 

Ideas for Honoring the Goddess

In the morning, cover your altar or a table with a yellow cloth (maybe a napkin or placemat) to
represent the sun. Place a blue candle in a central location on the table, along with a bowl of snow to represent Cailleach Bheur and winter. As the candle burns with the light of the sun, the wax shrinks and this Goddess’s snows melt, giving away once more to the power of warmth and light. Keep the remnant was and re-melt it for any spells in which you need a cooler head. Pour the water from the snow outside to rejoin the Goddess.”

(Patricia Telesco, “365 Goddess: a daily guide to the magic and inspiration of the goddess”.)

Embracing the Cailleach can be a step towards embracing our own potentials as purple-clad, powerful Crones ourselves. Collect a variety of rocks with which to decorate your altar. A wonderful way to do this is to walk along a beach or take a nice hike, walk listen and smell nature as best you can where you are able to do so.,  A spiritual magical hike, a kind of meditative state, make sure you are aware of your surroundings at all times. let her messages be clearly heard. Do not pick up any rock you find, feel it listen to it, let the selection of rocks be a part of a ritual she whispers in your inner self. Take a Granny smith apple, cut it so that the star will show to you, place this on a red cloth like The Cailleach teeth or on a piece of plaid cloth like the clans folk if you desire. Cast a circle place a mirror on or above your altar. bless the elements, salt, water ect. as you would normally do. Ask yourself what strengths are written on the face you see in the mirror? intelligence, curiosity, serenity. Hold these ideas in silence. Then begin to praise the women you have become and will still yet to become. The qualities that you saw in yourself write them down, praise them and yourself for embodying them. Close the circle then invoking The Caileach again, praising her for the strength she has given you.   Celebrate afterwards with a feast  of fruit juices or wines , aged cheese and your Granny Smith apple or apples. Celebratory foods reminding us that age at its best, is a time of refinement, good taste, and great power.