Thats pretty!

Thanks I thought it is too and it's pretty unique, well to me anyway

I like this a lot Jill. I would hang it by your bed at night and use it as a dream catcher.

Thanks Abra. I was either going to do that or wear it when I go to bed...
I have some of the worst dreams

Boy, this witchcraft is tough stuff.

Seriously, there's so much to it. I mean it's quite interesting, and I have had some really possitive results from it thus far.

Just the same, it can be quite complex.

I suppose it can also be simple, and much of that depends upon the practitioner.

However, what I've been discovering is that much of it has to do with "sacred space". And sacred space has much to do with your own psyche. In other words, you ultimately need to decide for yourself what you consider sacred space to be.

Sacred space is about much more than just clearly the physical space of unwanted vibrations. It's about setting an entire mood. Because ultimately the energy that needs to be raised is 'mood energy' or emotional energy.

So I can see this entire first year of study being devoted in many ways to just setting up altars, and various other sacred spaces, and or tools.

Tools are very important. They are more than just phsyical object, they are indeed channels for the psyche.

Just like that necklace that Jill just bought. There doesn't need to be any magic in the necklace prior to obtaining it, the magic is bestowed upon the piece by the own of it.

This has become 'crystal' clear to me as I've been working with crystals. (no pun intented ).

Some of my cystals need to be charged. In fact, according to some sites, all crystals need to be charged and they need to be charged periodically (perferably monthly in harmony with the cycles of the moon).

Although many disagree on what the cycle should be, Some say to charge them during a new moon, other say to charge them only during a full moon.

I think ultimately the main thing is to charge them monthly.

I've learned how to charge crystals with specific intent using meditative rituals.

One thing that I really love about witchcraft is indeed it's abstract nature.

I just came from a site about how to charge tools, create sacred spaces, and self-dedication rituals, etc.

Here's an example page from that site:

http://www.abaxion.com/tools.htm

They go into some detail, yet in their self-dedication ritual they give much leeway in how you actually dedicate yourself.

All these sites, and books suggest writing up your own Book of Shadows, and that book should contain your own rituals.

They also always explain how to create your own rituals. In fact, most of them suggest that the best rituals are indeed the ones you create on your own.

In other words, witchcraft is best done on an individual basis. Both Penczak and Cunningham suggested that the Mother Goddess thrives on creativity and thus she appreciates originality in ceremonies and rituals.

So the idea is to be original. Yet the guidelines of how other people do things are certainly helpful.

I can see now why many covens would like a witch to have studied for at leat a year before being initiated. It takes a good year just to figure out what it's all about.

I'm two months into it and I feel like I'm only just starting, yet at the same time I can see that I have come a very long way.

I'm excited to think of where I'll be at this time next year. It will be the beginning of a whole second solstice cycle and new rebirth, and in a very real sense I will start all over again, only at that point in time I will be moving on to more complex ideas.

In the meantime, it's a lot of WORK!

But it's enjoyable work.

You should look into Shamanic Journeying.

There's a good introductory book on it by Sandra Ingerman it comes complete with a drumming CD with 3 seperate journey tracks. I like her drumming.

They you can take control of those dreams.

Yes Abra. I noticed while I was on ebay last night how many items are being auctioned off as "blessed" or "charged" by witches. That was not important to me as I do my own. But I guess I was ignorant to the fact that so many people buy and sell already blessed items from "witches".

It is a lot of work as far as learning and just getting in there and doing it repeatedly. But, I have found that the more complicated I make a spell or ritual the less results I see. I think it's a very individual thing. Maybe the most work you have to do is figuring out what works for you?

For me, I have to keep it very simple. Same thing with my tarot card readings. As soon as I start to add in any fancy rituals to make me "see" better, I lose it. It's like I can't read the cards at all. The simpler my magick, the better it works.

Jill, I love the necklace! If you suffer from a lot of bad dreams I would try wearing it to bed. Really nice!

Abra, you're absolutely correct in that it's up to the practitioner how tough it is. I personally find it to be one of the simplest things I've ever done. Sacred space, for me, is very simple. I am Sacred, therefore, wherever I am is sacred space. As for tools, for the most part, they are simply props to help put one into the proper mindset, and to provide a physical focus for the energy being used. Crystals are a bit different in that they can actually store energy to be released into a working later. As for charging them, I've never worried about time tables or rituals. I simply directly charge the stones with the energy I want them to contain, and renew the charge as needed.

Personally, some of the best spellwork I've ever done was performed with nothing save a pocket knife and a zippo.

Scott

TY.

Spell of Protection



Abra ka dabra,Hokus Pokas,
Together we create a tunnel of focus

We call upon our higher selves to enter these proceedings
And only friendly family spirits are privy to these meetings.

(If there are any unfriendly spirits or projections present leave now.)

(Smudge with sage, and chant.)

Around this property there is a sphere
And we are all protected here
This is our fortress, this is our center,
Only good intentions are allowed to enter.

We send thankful energies of gratitude
With a loving and joyful attitude
To the angels who always protect us
And the spirit that connects us

To the prime source of our creation.
(And we have unshakable faith in that.)

We are all connected and fully protected
(And we have unshakable faith in that.)

So be it, so it is.

WARNING! Very Long-winded Post


Hi Scott,

I agree with the things you've said. I didn't mean to suggest that it was 'tough' or hard. I just meant that there's a lot more to it than I had first anticipated. Which is actually a good thing. That means that as a philosophy it's far richer than I had originally thought.

For me personally, much of the 'work' of my journey has to do with studying what other people have to say about it. So I guess the bulk of my 'work' recently has been involved as much with research as it is with actual practice.

I will forever be grateful to Ruth for introducing me to Penczak's books. I intuitively bought his first three books, The Inner Temple, The Outer Temple, and the Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft without fully understanding what they were about exactly. I just knew they were important for me. And they are.

These books cover a lot of similar ground, but they are truly unique in what they each address. Each book is actually a year-and-a-day course of study and exercises. And completing all of these exercises is a lot of work. Especially if they completed correctly, and not just gone through superficially as a bunch of empty motions.

But of far more importance is that my study is not limited to Penczak's books and exercises. He actually suggesting reading and studying other materials of whatever calls to the reader. And many other things have indeed been calling to me.

One of those things are the teachings of Deepak Chopra. Chopra teachings the philosophy of Buddhism and many people might ask why I would want to study Buddhism and Witchcraft at the same time. But they are in fact the same thing. Mankind has created different religions and traditions, but they ultimately all lead to the same place.

As I've studying the Inner Temple I've learned about the Three Selves. As I study Shamanism I've learned about the Three Worlds. As I've learned about Buddhism I've learned about the trinity of the self, the Ego, the Subtle Body, and the Universal Mind. These are just different labels for the same three concepts of witchcraft. In Shamanism the three world actually represent the three selves (or trinity) of existence.

In fact, much of the goal of a shaman is to bring the three selves into harmony. This is actually the goal of Buddhism too according to Deepak, but his teachings are more subtle. They become far more clear when seen alongside the traditions of witchcraft and shamanism.

One thing I've noticed is that both traditions (Witchcraft and Buddhism) recognize the concept of chakras. Chakras are a study in and of themselves. Culturally they have taken two different pathways, one of them being associated with the physical body, the other one being more associated with the spiritual body.

So a lot of the 'work' that I'm talking about really has to do with sorting through all this stuff and trying to find authors and information that genuinely relates what's actually going on with these things.

For my own journey I've found a very profound connection between many of these concepts. And To share that information I'll use Penczak's titles just as a reference point.

The Inner Temple - or "The Subtle Body" - or "The Lower World"

This represents are direct connection to the physical world. This may be thought of in part as 'intuition' as well as our connection with all the elemental forces and energies of nature. This connection is what make elemental magick possible. This connection gives rise to physical manifestation.

Most witches don't bother studying this connection intellectual as I'm presenting it here. It's simply not necessary. The connection is there whether it's understood intellectually or not. All humans use this connection whether they believe in Witchcraft, of Buddhism or not. We've all been performing magic spells ever since we were born whether we realize it or not.

However, there are some benefits to be had from the intellectual understanding of this primordial connection. One of the most obvious benefits is in simply understanding what the connection is and how it works. Witches understand this as a closeness to the cycles and vibrations of nature, as well as the ability to call upon and use elemental forces and energies to transform the physical world around them. (i.e. they recognize it in their spellwork)

When it comes to chakras, the first two chakras are the most profoundly connected with the forces of nature and with the power of manifestation. This is one reason why romantic love is so magickal. Romantic love is associated with these primordial earthly chakras. This is not to say that other chakras aren't also associated with the elements. Actually elemental associations go up as far as the Throat Chakra. However the next three chakras are better associate with the second essence of our being.

The Outer Temple - or "The Ego" - or "The Middle World"

This represents are interaction with the everyday world that we live in, and focuses almost entirely on social interactions. Now it may not seem that way from reading Penckaz's book alone, but when combined with these other visions of the human essence this makes perfect sense.

Many people believe that the ego is something to 'overcome', or avoid, or grow out of, or somehow do away with, but that's truly the wrong idea. The Ego is nothing more than the interaction with other spirits (or any living being which is also, of course, spirit). So we can't do away with the ego, nor should we want to. But what we do want to do is recognize what the ego is so that we can have control over it rather than it having control over us.

The simplest way to define the ego is as follows:

Imagine that you are an actor. You become a character in a play. You take on the character so well that you actually become totally absorbed by that character that you BECOME the character. You convince yourself that you ARE the character. And that actually makes for a GREAT PERFORMANCE!

However, if after the play is over you continue to think and act like you are that character, then everyone is going to think you are crazy and you will also become quite unhappy because you will be living the life of a fictitious character rather than focusing on the REAL YOU - (i.e. the ACTOR).

In fact many performers have actually done this. They build up a persona for the public and they become that persona putting on that "FACE" and acting the part, because they believe that this is what the people expect.

Well this is precisely what we do. We build up a character that defines who we think we are, and then we go though our lives playing that character, when in reality we are shutting out our true self.

The real way to conquer the ego is not to attempt to get rid of it, but rather to recognize that it's just a role, and the we can change that role anytime we choose.

You might say, "Well what is my real role?". Well, you're real role is not playable in the is world. This world requires that you become an actor. The closest thing that you can become to being you is drop all roles. But think about it. If you go out on a stage and a play is going on, you're going to look really out of place if you don't at least try to fit in with the play. So the important thing with an ego, is not to get rid of it, but to simply be sure that you are defining it, rather than allowing it to define you.

In the shamanic world this is called the "Middle World". And the important chakras here are the 3, 4, and 5th chakras. The Solar Plexus, the Heart, and the Throat.

The Shamanic Temple - or "The Spirit" - or "The Upper World"

This represents the connection to our true divine nature. This is are eternal self. The universal mind of which we are eternally connected and part of.

Many people mistakenly believe that spirit is only associated with the Upper World. In fact, as we all know far too well, religions like Christianity view the Lower World as the realm of demons and evil, the Middle world as mere mundane life, and the upper world as being the only place where true spirit resides (save for the evil demons of the underworld).

In truth, spirit pervades all worlds equally, and there are good and bad intentions in all worlds equally.

Where the lower world represents intuition and elemental connections, the upper world represent intellect and psychic connections.

Many people don't differentiate between elemental connections and psychic connections. It's all the same to them. And intellectually it's totally irrelevant because intelligence is nothing more than the ability to recognize organization. So if you aren't organizing things then intelligence is a moot point.

In any case, the upper world (or "spirit world" which is really a misnomer) has to do with the timeless interconnection of all things. In the upper world all points in time are equal distance. There is no such thing as time in the upper world. The upper world is the world of pure consciousness without any physical restraints, including time.

In fact, Deepak Chopra speaks of "Spirit" and "Consciousness" as being one in the same thing. If you are focusing your consciousness on something, then you are focusing (or directing) spirit to that very thing.

Consciousness and spirit are the same thing. Any conscious being is spirit. All things are manifestations of spirit, and therefore all things contain consciousness, even though it may not be an 'awareness' like we perceive as humans there is still a consciousness present in every manifestation.

The Chakras most closely associated with consciousness, (or spirit) are the top two, the Brow and the Crown. Although, as I stated before, all chakras are relevant to all parts of the trinity of existence.

So, anyway, this turned into a humongous ramble.

I guess I'm just trying to better share the magnitude of my studies. When I say that it's "work" I don't mean that it's difficult, but rather that it just takes a lot of effort to sort through all the information to try to discover what's truly important to gain a better understanding of the overall picture.

Anyone can do witchcraft or spellwork without any knowledge of any of this. Spellwork is not my goal. We all do spellwork every day of our lives whether we realize it or not (even atheists and Christians are doing spellwork all the time and don't even realize it).

My goal is to bring my trinity into a harmonious whole, and that requires a lot of work. Knowing all of the above information is just the beginning. It's a great beginning. But there is much work to do. Bringing chakras into alignment and balance cannot be done by sitting in the lotus position and meditating to pretty music. Chakras can only be truly balanced by actions that are related to that chakra. And I think without a doubt the center three chakras are the most difficult to align properly. They cannot be aligned in solitude. The three central chakras require social interaction. There is no way to tune them in solitude. They are interactive chakras.

Well, again, this has turned into a huge ramble, but I'm just trying to convey the scope of what I'm taking about. I'm doing much more than just learning how to do spellwork. That's the easy part. In fact, Penczak even states that most witches never go beyond what is covered in this first two books. The Inner and Outer Temples of Witchcraft. It's not until you reach the shamanic journeying that you really begin to explore the true nature of the self. Prior to that it's just the art of elemental magick, and often for many it becomes nothing more than a side-show, or just a way to make money.

Like Jill pointed out, some so-called "witches" are doing spells for other people for cash. That's a totally erroneous scam. If it happens to work for someone who paid for the spell it's only because that person BELIEVED that it would work and they actually made the magick happen themselves via their own power of belief. They could have achieved the very same results on their own. The Internet witch is nothing more than something to believe in. The Internet witch became a tool for the psyche of the person who needed a dream to come manifest. It's no different from the placebo affect of a sugar pill.

If sugar pills are worth buying then I guess so are the services of an Internet witch.

Now, having said that, I don't mean to belittle the genuine skills and gifts of psychics who can indeed provide genuine knowledge and wisdom. But most genuine psychics aren't going to be running a business selling their skills for cash.

After all, if Internet witches were truly capable of casting genuine spells what would they need money for? Obvioulsy they can't do diddly squat but if they found a way to make money for doing diddly squat who can blame them? I guess that's sort of a spell in and of itself. They have cast a spell on people to buy their magick.

Ok, owl shut up now.

I just wanted to make it clear that I wasn't just talking about spellwork. I'm talking about organizing and understanding a whole philosophy of human thought.

I find it fascinating.

I bet people will in fact purchase that woman's spells. Lonely people or those that don’t feel capable of learning how to cast a spell themselves or don’t want to open a book or are afraid or feel that only a real Witch can cast a spell and they have a preconceived notion of what a "real Witch" entails exactly and it isn’t them. I know Christians that think in these terms.

Shame on those so called "real witches". They are anything but that.

How would you even know she was "casting a spell"? Do you just pay her and hope for the best?

lol I guess so. I mean why wouldn't you trust a "true witch"? Especially one that doesn't care and has no regard for Karma. Of course she'll keep her word I'm just wondering how well 3rd party spell casting works

It seems like you have to see the person or have them come to you in order to cast a spell. I suppose you could use a personal item sent through the mail. I know psychics use a personal item for channeling dead people or missing persons. It just seems like someone preying on desperate people. Who wants someone obsessed with them anyway? That’s dangerous.

I have tried to cast spells for people. Not for money, of course, but for my friends and family. I have not had any success with that.

agreed. If the spell did work it's an awfully dangerous one. But I don't see how it could work since you purchase it online, and send her your name and birthday. That's it. Oh you can always purchase it multiple times to make it powerful shame on them.