Lammas Correspondences

Message from a Magpie

When I got home from being out and about this morning I found this beautiful Magpie feather in my handbag. The only time it could have appeared was when I was collecting some wheat from a field. Either way, it was in my bag when I got home. I was looking around online and I saw this quote appear on spirit-animals.com/magpies and it fits quite well with me lately. I know I have to take a few leaps of faith and stop holding myself back with "what could have beens" instead of moving forward and welcoming the "what can bes".

~)O(~ Rainbow Love, Light and Blessings ~)O(~

Creating your own Lughnasadh Altar

Lughnasadh, also known as Lammas is the Sabbat in which many the Pagan community celebrate the first of the harvest. This harvest festival is all about the grains. As with other Sabbats, it is about life, death and rebirth, and the turning of nature through all these stages. When you create your altar you have to look closely at the space you have available. Those who have a large table, or plan to build their altar outside will have more space and room to maneuver than someone who only has a shelf. Size doesn't matter in terms of altar, as long as you plan for what you have available to you.

~ Creating your Lughnasadh Altar ~

Lughnasadh stands on the backs of both Summer and Autumn so the colours you use is a combination of the fiery reds, oranges and yellows which capture the sun's power and the coming of the Autumn, but you can also have the greens, browns which represent the earth and harvest which is being collected. (I like to use golds as they remind me of the rolling gold fields of wheat which are being harvested at the moment.) Cover you altar in a cloth (or cloths) that you think symbolizes this change of season. Rich colours are very good to mix with greens and golds.

Some of the most iconic symbols for Lughnasadh are sheaves of grain and bread. You can also have other produce that is available this time of year, fresh Honey, Berries such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries. (I like putting Sunflowers on my Lammas altar (when I can find them that is) - as they remind me of the sun and I mix them with Cornflowers and Poppies - these are autumnal flowers.) The Corn Dolly is another symbol that is very popular at Lughnasadh, and they can be fun to make with your witchlings .

Lughnasadh is a celebration where the Celtic God Lugh is venerated and celebrated and he is a god of arts and crafts. If you enjoy painting or drawing add a few of your supplies to your altar space, if you enjoy writing add a few pages and a pen, or a notebook - or any tool you use in your creativity. You can also have tools that are use in harvest, sickles and other metalworking tools, as Lugh is also a god of smithing/metalworking.

~)O(~ Rainbow Love, Light and Blessings ~)O(~

New Moon Manifestations

I promised I would share with you my New Moon Manifestations for this month. My altar always changes, and it never looks the same month to month, as I am always changing. This month this is what I chose.

ツ Silver Candle in a Triple Goddess holder - represents Fire
ツ The Abalone Shell - represents Water
ツ Incense - represents Air 
ツ Crystals selection - represent Earth

In the cauldron I have written some things i wish to bring into my life for the coming month until the next New Moon. You don't have to use coloured paper, I chose pink, because pink is my favourite colour (outside of the rainbow). I'm keeping what I wrote on the paper private though. All of the things I write are strong and positive.

* I am
* I will
* This will

The stronger and purer you make your "wish" or manifestation the clearer the Universe will hear it from your heart. Sometimes it take more than 1 month to get something, but keep on manifesting your wishes and desires and they will come to you from the Universe, but don't forget, you have to put the work into it as well.

~)O(~ Rainbow Love, Light and Blessings ~)O(~

☽☥☾ Prayer to Isis ☽☥☾

Holy Mother of all the gods,
Great and Powerful Isis
I pray to thee
Queen of all, mistress of forever
Lady of the oceans
Ruler of the Moon and Earth
I call to thee
Holy Mother Goddess of all
Isis, the One Who is All,
Isis, the All Goddess,
Isis, Lady of Ten Thousand Names
Come bless my Circle
Bless my Magickal Rites
O Holy Mother of all
The Great Goddess Isis
As is my Will
So mote it be

Written by The Rainbow Witch 28/03/14

Lammas Activities

Lammas is coming up in just 6 days. in the days coming up to Lughnasadh/Lammas we need to gather together all the things we may need to celebrate the Sabbat. In this post I am going to give you some ideas on what activities you can do to celebrate.

~ Group or Family Activities ~

This time of year is the time to throw away useless thoughts and habits, to make way for some new ideas that can bring you a renewed strength. Reflecting on these topics alone or around a Lughnasadh fire is a great way to bring them into your life.

 Lughnasadh is one of the Celtic Fire festivals. Having a feast around a bonfire is a great way to celebrate the first harvest.

 Making Corn Dollies is a fun activity that can be done with your witchlings. Your corn dolly is a physical representation of the harvest. As you work on creating her, think on all the things you wish to harvest this year. You can even giver her a name, this can be the name of a goddess connected to Lammas or a name that is personal to you. She is going to be with you until the Spring when you plant her with the coming year's crops.

 Another activity you can do with your witchlings is to make and bake bread. Lammas is a festival of grain, so baking bread (you can find lots of recipes online) is a great way to honour and celebrate the harvest of the grains you use for the flour. Once you have baked your sacred loaf, give a portion back to the earth, as thanks for the harvest she gave.

 As a family or as a coven you can decorate your personal or group altars with grains such as wheat, oats, rice, barley.

~Solitary Activities ~

 Something to do while you're on your own, or as a solitary is to do a visualisation where you focus on projects you would like to be completing.

 Collect herbs, flowers, grains, seeds and dry them out for your spell working for the upcoming year. You can also make oils for healing and cooking from the fresh crops that you gather.

 Write your own prayers for the harvest and prayers for the rest of the harvest season.

 If it rains on or around Lammas, collect the water and use it in your spell work, your bathing (if clean), for your plants or store in bottles for future use.

~)O(~ Rainbow Love, Light and Blessings ~)O(~

Image: unknown, but found on flickr

Finding Your Guiding Goddess

Exercise: Finding Your Guiding Goddess

When starting out in the oath if spiritual discovery? Whether alone or with friends, it is good to have speedo all companion on the journey to guide and direct you in the way. The object of this exercise is to introduce you to your guiding Goddess. This is a goddess who will remain with you throughout your early days on the path , and to whom you can turn for advice and guidance. She is a Goddess who is also *the* goddess, and this is part of you. Try to keep an open mind about who will come to you - the more fiery among you will expect a Boudicca-like figure may well be attended by a water deity, while gentle souls expecting a quieter aspect of the Goddess may get a thundery storm-goddess. Be prepared to accept whoever, and whatever comes to you. She is also part of you, so trust your own inner wisdom. ~ for this exercise, you will need a safe place where you will it be disturbed for about 30 minutes and a notebook and pen.

1) sit or lie on a comfortable position. Relax and slow your breathing. When you are relaxed and ready to begin, close your eyes.

2) Concentrate on your breathing, and with each breath in, draw in strength and energy. With each breath out, breathe out stress, fatigue, and anxiety. Keep exchanging wholesome energy for harmful feelings until you feel recharged.

3) Keeping your breathing regular, listen now to your heartbeat. It should be slow and regular after your relaxation exercise. Listen to the pulse that pumps life-giving blood around your body. It is telling you to "listen, listen, listen......"

4) imagine you are deep beneath the ground, under a great tree, whose roots spread around to for the rafters that hold up the roof of the hollow where you are sitting . The heartbeat you are hearing comes from around, and below, as well as within you. This is the pulse of nature. Touch the ground to feel it's beat, and the roots that tap into the water and minerals in the earth to nourish the living tree above you. With each beat, your heartbeat will slow to match this much larger, deeper pulse.

5) Above you, the earth begins to crack and daylight appears. The roots are breaking through the surface soul as they grow and the pulse running through them grows stronger. The earth below you heavens upwards, and you are delivered through the crack in the earth, to the world of daylight above you.

6) You are standing in a green forest clearing. The clearing is in the shape of a circle, and around it are oaks, hawthorns and ash trees. These are a particularly magical combination of trees, so you know that you are standing somewhere special - somewhere between the everyday world and the Otherworld. This is the threshold of the realm of the Goddess Consciousness - a pale that you will one day visit. Go to the centre of the space and seat yourself on the floor.

7) On the ground, and to the side of you, you find a think stick or club. Take it in both hands and bang it on the earth in front of you three times to summon your guiding goddess.

8) Before you, in the clearing, a figure of a woman will appear. Take careful note if her appearance, any symbols, totems, animals that accompany her, and if anything happens to the clearing for the surroundings, for example, a sudden nightfall, or the appearance of particular flowers. This is your guiding goddess.

9) you may ask the goddess her name. Do not be disheartened if she does not offer it at first - she may offer you clues instead. Make careful note of these - try not to forget in your excitement at finding your personal guardian.

10) Tell the Goddess that you accept her as your guide and teacher, and wait to see if she wishes to offer you any advice

11) The figure will quickly fade one she has spoken, but se may leave a trace of her identity, or purpose in your life behind her.

12) When you are ready, return to the lace on which you are sitting or lying. Before you eat or drink something ground yourself, quickly write down some notes in her appearance, anything you noticed.

13) if the goddess offered her name, and it is one that you either recognise, or find in a reference book, you can research her history, what she represents and learn about her totems and symbols. Otherwise, you may need to research her identity in a more roundabout way. Meditating often to recall the figure and try to build a working relationship with her.

Text: Way of the Goddess

Witting, M 1985 quoted in Harvey 1997 pg 85

Working with the Heart Chakra

Post originally from 14th July 2014 

For quite a while I've been putting off working with my Heart Chakra. For me it is the hardest work work with. I find trusting hard, and I find trusting with my heart even harder, especially in in the last 18 months. My heart and feeling have been through the mill. Though, today, I felt it time was time to begin working with this chakra. Normally this is the kind of work i keep to myself, but I thought I would open up my heart and share with you all. In a hope to rebuild the trust within myself. I'm not perfect, I am likely the least perfect person.

Now, what can be seen on my altar? As always, my craft is very intuitive and personal to myself. But I will walk you through it. First off, you see the altar cloths. They are Green and Pink, the colours that are closely associated to the heart chakra (I also ADORE pink). Next you can see that I have chosen items to represent the elements.
* Chalice - At the back - this represents Water
* The Rock (Moss Agate) - on the right - this represents Earth
* Incense - at the front - represents Air
* Candle - to the left - this represents Fire.
In the centre of the four elements you can see a blue ring with a green card. The ring is an Agate Slice - for me, this represents Unity and the Spirit. The Green car in front is one of my Chakra Cards about the heart Chakra. This give me something to focus on.

In front of the card there is a Green candle. This is from a Chakra set I got and it is scented Lavindin, Orange and Tangerine - it's quite refreshing actually. To the right of the Green candle you will see a selection of pink stones. These include Pink Agate and Rose Quartz. To the left of the Green candle you'll see a selection of green stones. These include New Jade and Aventurine. In front of the Incense holder you can see a little selection of more stones. These are Rhodonite. This is a stone that I have been very drawn to lately.

Finally, you will see that I have drawn 2 cards from The Goddess Oracle. These are Aphrodite and Hecate. These are the reason why i have chosen to work with my heart Chakra. The Aphrodite card represents LOVE and the Hecate card represents CROSSROADS. I'm very much at a crossroad in my life with respects to my heart chakra.

~ Info on the Heart Chakra ~

The Heart Chakra is located in the centre of your chest, just over your heart (I know, obvious right). The colours that are associated with the Heart Chakra are Pink and Green. (I've found the paler pinks have more of a connection than the brighter pinks, but this could just be me). The metaphysical themes that are connected to the Heart Chakra are - Unconditional Love - Compassion - Self-Love - Acceptance - Truth. Physical themes that are connected to the Heart Chakra are - The Heart - Chest - Lungs - Coronary - and Vascular System. The gland that is associated with the heart Chakra is the Thymus.

~)O(~ Rainbow Love, Light and Blessings ~)O(~

Working with the Base Chakra

I decided to work with my Base (or Root) Chakra today. I have a few health problems at the moment, and it is important to me to keep myself going, and not give up because my body hurts, or I am suffering from fatigue. I was looking at the Chakras today and tired to work out which would be the best to work with. It took a while, believe me, but I finally settled on the Base Chakra, because of it's 'physical' associations rather than the metaphysical.

Now, what can you see on my altar? As always my craft is very intuitive, and what I have here I was guided to have on my Base Chakra Altar. (If you decide to create your own, you may be guided to have something else). First, you can see the altar cover. When i was in Scotland a few years ago I fell in LOVE with this material, and for a very long time, I didn't know what to do with it - but I was looking in my box and found it this morning and WHAM perfect for what I wanted for my altar cloth. Red is the primary colour of the Base Chakra. Next you can see that I have items to represent the elements.
* Chalice - At the back - this represents Water
* The Rock (Smoky Quartz) - on the right - this represents Earth
* Incense - at the front - represents Air
* Candle - to the left - this represents Fire.
In the centre of the four elements you can see a blue ring with a red card. The ring is an Agate Slice - for me, this represents Unity and the Spirit. The Red card in front is one of my Chakra Cards about the Base Chakra. This gives me something to focus on.

In front of the Red card you can see a red candle, this is scented with Cassia, Clove and Nutmeg - it's a really spicy and invigorating scent, (it reminds me of Christmas at my grandparents house). To the right of the red candle you can see a selection of red stones. They are: Red Calcite, Garnet, Red Jasper, and red Tiger's Eye. To the left of the red candle you can see a selection of different types of Clear/Rock Quartz. In front of the incense holder and to the right of the card is Obsidian, Elestial Smoky Quartz and Hematite. To the right of the card is Obsidian, Jet and Onyx crystals.

Finally, you can see that I have drawn three cards, they match the reasons why I am working on my Base Chakra quite well. They are from the Goddess Oracle. They are Shakti, Pachamama and Kali. On the left Shakti represents ENERGY. In the centre Pachamama represents HEALING and on the right Kali represents FEAR. These are all very important to me right now.

~ Info on the BASE Chakra ~

The Base Chakra is located between at the very base of your spine, (pretty much your bum). The colour that is largely associated with the Base Chakra is Red. The metaphysical themes that are connected to the Base Chakra are Survival - Physical needs - Connection to the Earth - Materialism - Self-Defence. The physical themes that are connected to the Base Chakra are Skeleton - Bones - Blood - Cell Structure - Spine - Large Intestine - Teeth. The glad that is associated to this Chakra is the Adrenal gland.

~)O(~ Rainbow Love, Light and Blessings ~)O(~

Creative Whirlwind

One of the drawbacks to being a creative whirlwind is that there are so many different ideas, and so many thoughts buzzing around in ones head. I've said before I live in a collideoscope of ideas and colour, and here is the proof. These are all ideas that need typing and incorporating into full chapters of my book. Having these characters living in my head 24/7 can get quite distracting. Now that I am bringing them to life, I am finding they is far more to them than I first thought. I'm also a little in love with Chase, a man tortured by his past, and the actions of others. He reminds me of someone that is very dear to my heart. A souls that tortures himself needlessly. 

How and Why cleanse your crystals under the Full Moon

When I say "cleanse" I'm not talking about a physical cleaning, I am referring to the clearing of energy from within the stone. This has many other names, re-tuning (or tuning) is another popular one that I have seen in reference to this.

One of the safest ways to cleanse the energetic signatures of your crystals is to use the energy of a Full Moon. When we work with crystals they absorb our energy, good or bad, they take it into themselves (think of a sponge soaking up water). The more energy they absorb, the more their original energy frequency is changed, and crystals become more and more ineffective for their original purpose. After working with crystals for long periods or for intense work you will want to cleanse them, so they can go back to it's original vibrational energy.

One of the most common questions I am asked when it comes to cleansing crystals is "how often should I cleanse crystals?" This is a toughie to give any definitive answer to, but the simplest answer is to listen to your intuition, and to your crystals. If you with a crystal quite a lot, them you will be cleansing it more often. if you only use a crystal once or twice a year, then you won't need to cleanse them much. I always charge my crystals under the Super Moon, they all get dug out and set somewhere (my kitchen windowsill) that gets the light of the Full Moon. This way they are cleansed and charged with the energy of the "biggest" moon of the year.

Why is the moon such a popular way to cleanse crystals? This is a really easy question to answer, it is the most popular because it is 1) the safest for *all* your crystals and it is the easiest as it needs nothing more than the Full Moon (which happens every month - who'd have thunk) and your crystals. The Full Moon phase of the moon lasts for 3 consecutive days. you have the day before, the day of and the day after, so if you forget, you have plenty of time to get them out. If you have a larger collection (like mine) then you may need all 3 nights just to make sure they all get a bathing in lunar light.

Now to the nitty gritty of cleansing your crystals by the Moon. What if I can't put them outside? When do you take them out? When do you bring them in? What if it's raining, cold, etc...? I live in an area that isn't too safe to have things like crystals outside, but I am lucky enough to have a west facing kitchen, and I can put them there for safety. You can do the same. If you can't put them outside, see if there is a place where you can put them inside that will catch the Moons light. I usually collect my crystals up throughout the day, and then around sunset I set them out in the windowsill. Amethyst and Rose Quartz can be damaged (energy wise - and in colour) by prolonged exposure to the sun. So, sunset is the best time to put them out. When to collect them in? In the morning. Thats when I remove mine off the windowsill. Whether you can see the moon or not doesn't matter, if it's raining, it doesn't matter, if it's foggy and really unpleasant outside, it doesn't matter to crystals, they can still absorb the energy. Though, if it is raining, you will need to cover your crystals if they are outside, or bring them inside as some crystals do not like water.

When you set them out you can lay them out on a tray, in a glass bowl, in a box etc.... I say use a glass bowl because - I have 3 kitties that like to py with my crystals, and if I left them out on a tray, I would be finding them all over my kitchen in the morning - you have them in a safe place that can allow though the most amount of light. You can leave crystal jewellery out too. One advantage of the window thing, is I use the latches to hang my favourite jewellery up.

You don't have to put your crystals out every full moon. with a collection like mine, that is quite a task. However, I do put out the crystals i use and wear the most out every Full Moon. I always cleanse my Amethysts that I use in my pouches too (I make up my pouches every Full Moon too. if you have a relatively small collection and wish to put them out every full moon, that is fantastic, but for those with larger collections and large specimens it is not always possible, so perhaps break it down into sections and rotate your way through your collection.  

I hope this has been helpful for you and has answered some of your questions about charging crystals under the Full Moon.

~)O(~ Rainbow Love, Light and Blessings ~)O(~

Full Moon Blessings

Cleansing Your Cards

Cleansing your cards is very important, it will "get rid" of any stagnant or negative energy that is clinging to the cards. There are a few ways to cleanse your cards, they are:

1) Leave your cards out (spread out if possible) somewhere that can get the light of the Full Moon
2) Spread out your deck and put all of your card in Numerical order (each suit and Major Arcana) - This works for Oracle and Lenormand cards too
3) Store your cards with cleansing crystals. The best (in my experience) are: Carnelian, Selenite, or an Amethyst Geode/bed. You can use a single crystal, or a combination. The Carnelian/Selenite are crystals that rarely (if ever) need cleansing themselves.

Have fun with your cards, they should never feel like a chore. If they are, it may be time to cleanse them. If they begin to feel "sticky" or "heavy" this is another sign that the cards need cleansing of the previous energy

~)O(~ Rainbow Love, Light and Blessings ~)O(~

Principles and Ethic

Principles and Ethics. 

By the Rainbow Witch 

In magic, there is a principle called the Law of Threefold Return. This belief states that whatever you send out is returned to you threefold. Actually, this is just a fancy way of saying that your actions have consequences , and will always return to you in the end – for good or for bad. Teaching you that you have to think before you speak and act. 

This is a principle that many in the craft quote for the benefit of the media and the wider reading/viewing public, as a way to disperse myths about those who ‘abuse’ their power to send out curses and harm others.

After all, what witch would send something out when it would come back at them three times more powerful than what they sent out in the first place? It is a common sense way of alerting people to the consequences of each of their actions, and reminding them to pause before making a decision on a course of action.

Okay, this isn’t a hard and fast “law”. That what you send out will literally come back to you. So, if I was to send Tammie a bunch of flowers, it doesn’t mean I will get 3 bunches of flowers in return. However, the kindness in the actual act of giving Tammie the flowers, makes the world a slightly kinder place, even if it is almost microscopic, and it is returned to me with the knowledge form that small act I made someone, Tammie in this case happier.

At its heart the “law” of return is a spiritual truth and an ethical guideline.

There seem to be a few “laws” spinning around out there in occult circles, and each claim to be the ‘definitive’ three, seven or nine laws of magic. Firstly, they are not definitive, secondly, some of them are nonsense, thirdly the most sensible of them all boil down to the same thing HARM NONE!

You can’t change the will of another, and you should not aspire to even try. The ONLY will you can work on is your won. Many witches and other practitioners tend to listen and ask questions of the person seeking help, then they reflect and ask questions of themselves, before acting. We need to ask questions and listen, to learn all we can, so we can best decide on the right and fair course of action.

Senario: - A person comes to you and asks you to curse their cruel and unfair boss.

It is unethical to just go ahead and curse the persons boss, as you are not fully aware of the whole situation. However, you can advise them to seek legal help and help them to heal and over come the effect of the bullying they have suffered.


~)O(~ The Rainbow Witch 11/08/2013

Charms, Amulets and Talismans.. oh my!

Charms, Amulets and Talismans are in the most basic terms like uncharged batteries, it is when you give the words or object meaning and imbuing it with your energy does it have any magical power. Nowadays the three terms are used interchangeably, however from a historical perspective they are not the same. 

To begin you need to respect the traditions in which they originated and understand why each is unique and it is important to learn this, so you can make an informed decision on which you may be using.

Here are the meanings to wrap your head around. When presented in a clear manner they are pretty easy to distinguish and define them. 

Charms

Charms are probably the basis for the original forms of portable magic. The word Charm most likely comes from the Latin word Carmen which means incantation and maybe even song. This gives rise to the theory that at least in the beginning they were simply words uttered by a witch with her intent clear in her mind and heart. 

Much later the word was coined to small symbolic objects you could carry on your person, to ward off evil and to inspire good luck to come your way. Whether they are a spoken word or a small symbolic object, once they have been created and (unless you intend otherwise) they remain active, and typically the energy you have placed into them lasts less than a year. 

Quote:
Charms play an important role in many various magical traditions. In many tribal cultures, a person could not all themselves a Shaman until he or she knew how to contrive dozens of different traditional charms

Amulets

Amulets on the other hand are passive until something external gives them a purpose for their energies and therefore their energy tend to last a little longer than that of a charm. The main purpose of an Amulet is to give the wearer protection; more specifically it wards of any unwanted or harmful magic or any other influence that could be baneful to you. In some cases, amulets have been created for purposes similar to that of a charm; such as improving strength, adding to personal wealth and augmenting. The word Amulet comes from the Latin word amulet which means, if you haven't guessed it charm.

No wonder people have trouble keeping the definitions straight in their heads.

Talismans

Talismans are used as active participants on magic. A witch’s wand is a very good example of how the Talisman operates; this is because the wand transports energy and in so doing helps them with casting a spell. A witch’s wand is a Talisman of power (not to different from The Staff of Moses). Many stories of old tell us that many talismans had spirits dwelling within them, who were commanded by the person using the magic to do specific tasks. 
It is extremely rare to see instances of this in nature today, the word Talisman is now used to refer to any token or item that has been created in important astrological times, and using the right materials. 

Quote:
Aladdin's lamp was a kind of Talisman. The lamp held a genie (jinni), which is a VERY powerful spirit, constrained to obey its owner

The Rainbow Witch 17-09-2013 ~)O(~


~)O(~ The Rainbow Witch 03/07/2011

Prayer

Prayer

You may have childhood memories like I do, of praying at the side of your bed, or at mealtimes. As the years have passed, that practice may have faded away and got lost under all the hustle and bustle of daily life. Nonetheless, prayers offer much to Wiccans/Witches and Pagans (especially when directed to a specific god or goddess). Prayer can also become a useful tool for Witches, if used as a mechanism for reconnecting with the psychic self, and the collective unconscious.

??? What is prayer ???

The answer to this actually depends on who you ask... When I looked it up I found that a 17th Century preacher and writer John Bunyan thought that prayer is “sincere, sensible, affectionate, and pouring out of the soul to God”. However, in comparison Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American essayist and poet described prayer as “the study of truth”, which implies a more meditative element.

So, for this, I am going to say... that prayer is defined as a means of communicating with Spirit (or the deity of your choosing), which in part also means listening. Whether that communication take the form of a request, thankfulness, worshipfulness, or simply opening up to Spirit (or deity) in truthfulness, if you do not listen as well as talk; a great deal of the effectiveness of prayer remains unrealized.

The role of Prayer in Wicca and Witchcraft.

It has taken a while for Witches on the whole to integrate Prayer into rituals and daily magical practices. The problem for many has been the connection the idea of prayer and organised religion. Since many witches come from a past steeped in a faith to which they had no strong personal connection, it’s been hard for them to reclaim the power of prayer. Nonetheless, it is happening, albeit slowly.

This change is in part due to a realization that many prayers are really a kind of respectful deity-directed spell. Think of it this way; when we pray for something, we are indicating our desire for something to manifest. In spell craft, the Witch does the same thing, adding will and an awareness of how to build and direct energy into the equation. A Wiccan/Witch/Pagan can also invoke the quarters, or Spirit to bless and guide the energy – by all definitions, these invocations qualifies as a prayer.

Many Witches/Wiccans/Pagans approach prayer as a personal construct. If a practitioner doesn’t follow a particular deity, (s)he may not feel the need to pray, and will likely substitute this with meditations or other thoughtful practices. If a practitioner honours Spirit, or a particular deity, prayer will certainly have a place. This is to say, that just because someone may not have a deity, they cannot pray... because they can and I know some who do.

What to expect from Prayer?

According to Socrates “God knows what is good for us”. Prayers are filled with good intentions, yet often good intentions, pave the way to trouble. It’s a fact that we as human beings have a limited spiritual vision, and frequently don’t realize that a ‘good’ idea may have terrible consequences. Thus, the Witch may end a prayer (spell or ritual) with a phrase similar to “for the good of all, and it harm none”. This small phrase releases the energy of the prayer’s energy to the Powers so it can be guided for the best possible results. Even if those results, aren’t what we first expected

The Rainbow Witch 27-05-2012

Seven Steps to Effective Prayer

Seven Steps to Effective 

Prayer 

When you choose to adopt prayer as a personal way of communicating and connecting to the gods, (or your higher self/spirit) the first question most people ask is; how do I begin? This isn’t exactly the easiest of questions to answer, as you are dealing with an individualised vision of the Divine and a belief system that is different from person to person.

Nonetheless, many Witches/Wiccans/Pagans choose to follow some kind of generic outline to creating a prayer. Here is a very basic guideline to effective prayers in seven steps.

1) MEDITATE ON YOUR FAITH AND FIND WAYS TO SHARPEN IT; WITHOUT FAITH PRAYERS ARE IN FACE USELESS. – First thing to do is to ask yourself what do I believe? How strong is that belief? Belief and Will sort of go hand in hand in magical workings, and if you lack one or the other, the results will fall flat. Faith is very much like a muscle, it requires exercise to get stronger.

2) CONSIDER THE PURPOSE OF YOUR PRAYER, IN DETAIL. – By clarifying your purpose, you will begin to develop a multidimensional pattern for your wishes, into which you pour your power and magic into it. Purpose also helps to drive your will.

3) ADJUST THE WORDS OF YOUR PRAYER TO MIRROR YOUR PURPOSE, SO THAT IT HAS PERSONAL MEANING. – Remember you are the co-creator of your present and your fate. A Witch doesn’t see the gods as a source to blame off of lives ills on. Every mundane effort made open doorways though which the Universe and the gods to begin to answer your prayers.

4) MAKE DAILY AND PURPOSEFUL EFFORTS TO HELP THAT PRAYER MANIFEST. – After all, the Gods help those who help themselves.

5) MAKE PRAYER A PART OF YOUR DAILY LIFE, LIKE A SPIRITUAL VITAMIN, REPEATING ANY FOR WHICH YOU THINK YOU NEED. – As with any spiritual practice, the more you pray, the more effective your prayers become. Repeating a prayer doesn’t mean you have a lack of faith, it simply reiterates the sincerity and supportive energies that you are sending out into the Universe.

6) TRUST YOURSELF AND THE DIVINE, AND KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR POSSIBLE ANSWERS. – This step is possibly the hardest of them all, and it is the one that many have trouble with. Trust isn’t something that is easy to have in this day and ages, especially the blind trust that is need for prayer. Many find that trusting themselves is also a difficult task.

7) WHEN A PRAYER IS ANSWERED, REJOICE AND BE THANKFUL!! – If you have asked for help or intervention from the gods, it is only polite and good manners to say thank you. . As a race, humans are quick to blame the gods when life gets hard or goes bad. But when the good things happen or prayers are actually answered, we as a race are woefully lacking in thanks to the gods.

The Rainbow Witch 03-06-2012

How to set up an Altar

There are various ways to set up an altar, and almost all beginner books have a explanation about how to set one up, Scott Cunningham and Raymond Buckland were the ones I first followed. 

In the picture  you will see an example of an altar set up. I say it is an example because when it comes to altars, I very firmly believe they should be guided by your intuition. Not everyone has the amount of room that it would take to create an altar like the one shown. Not everyone has the items shown. 



Let your instincts and intuition guide you in creating your altar, you will never be wrong. 

~)O(~ Rainbow Love, Light and Blessings ~)O(~