August 2011 – StormJewel's Gifts Spirit Blog

Wiccan Supplies Essentials

Here’s your guide to some of the most useful and essential Pagan and Wiccan altar tools!

Guest Post by Moon Light’s Magic

Wiccan Supplies Essentials

The Athame
An athame or athamé is a ceremonial double-edged dagger, one of many magical tools used in Classic Witchcraft and other Pagan beliefs and religions such as Wicca for different ritual knives. A black-handled knife called an arthame appears in specific versions of the Key of Solomon, a grimoire originating in the Middle Ages.

The athame’s main use is for ritual and magical purposes only, to direct energy if things such as herbs or cords need to have to be cut, one more knife called a boline – a white-handled knife – is used. An exception is the “kitchen witchcraft” philosophy, which actively encourages the use of magical tools for mundane purposes to improve the witch’s familiarity with them.

An athame may well be employed in the demarcation of the Magic circle rite.

As a masculine principle, it is usually utilized in combination with the chalice, as feminine principle, evoking the act of procreation, as a symbol of universal creativity. This is a symbol of the Wonderful Rite in Wiccan rituals. Some contemporary witchcraft traditions may well prefer not to use iron blades, instead preferring alternatives such as copper, bronze or wood. This is most widespread amongst traditions that have a specific fondness of the Sidhe, to whom iron is supposedly harmful.

The Chalice
In Wicca a chalice, as a feminine principle, is usually employed in combination with the Athame (ceremonial black-handled knife), as male principle. Combining the two evokes the act of procreation, as a symbol of universal creativity. This is a symbol of the Excellent Rite in Wiccan rituals. A chalice is also utilized in the Tiny Rite.

A chalice is a symbol of the element of water, a feminine element representing intuition, gestation, psychic ability, and the subconscious. The Cup also stands in as a symbol of the Goddess, of the womb, and the female generative organs. The chalice is often interchangeable with the cauldron.

Wiccan Altar Bell
Bells are like the Voice of the Goddess. When you ring one, it brings the Divine’s attention to you. And your attention to the Divine.

A bell with a lovely tone will call gorgeous, healing energy to you. Bells can also be utilized to clear energy. At the end of a ritual is a good time for this, but if unwanted energy crops up throughout a ritual, you can use the bell to disperse it. The purpose is that the clear tone of the altar bell will drive away negativity and keep evil spirits at bay. There are claims that evil spirits can not tolerate the sounds of a clear high pitched bell.

Employing an altar bell to call upon the goddess will guarantee you are far more protected throughout your rituals, spells, and ceremonies.

Altar Cloths
In specific Neopagan faiths, Wicca in specific, the altar cloth is placed on the altar exactly where magical workings are performed. Several altars are patterned with pentagrams, the classic symbol for Wicca.

Altar cloths prevent damage, dirt, and grime to form on your altar. It is usually best to maintain your altar clean to guarantee you appease the several gods or goddesses you may possibly be calling upon in you rituals. Keeping ones altar untidy can show disrespect to the gods and goddess, so be confident to clean your altar cloth often. Several altar cloths can be put into the wash with your other clothing whenever it is time for you to do laundry.

Altar Tiles
The altar tile is often a pentacle and used on a Wiccan altar as a focal point for ritual work. It is commonly made of metal, wood, or clay stoneware.

The tile itself is usually inscribed with the pentagram (5-pointed star) and at times with other symbols. The star symbol represents the four elements of earth, air, fire, water and a fifth element of spirit, as represented by the Goddess and God. The tile is positioned with the spirit tip pointing up to signify that the spirit rules more than the elements.

Moon’s Light Magic also has an info blog about ritual tools, Wicca, Witchcraft, the occult, paranormal, and divination where you can understand almost everything you need to know on these subjects:
Wicca and WitchCraft Details Weblog
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How to use and activate Crystals for Healing

So you’re thinking of getting some healing crystals or maybe you already have them and you want to know what to do with them, here you will find out how to cleanse and activate the crystals so that you can receive the maximum benefit from them. If you haven’t bought any yet you can take a look in my shop to see the various healing properties of each crystal, there are also gift sets for things like curing insomnia, boosting confidence or beating depression naturally. Alternatively you may wish to get a Rock Crystal of the Quartz variety which is one of the most powerful of stones and is all purpose.

A rose quartz pendants can help you heal.

Firstly the crystals need to be cleansed and activated.

There are different ways to cleanse crystals, and some people advocate cleansing them with cool water, preferably mineral, then leave them to dry – drying them with a towel for instance attach fluff which collects negativity. But be aware that certain precious stones should not touch water. I prefer using natural (ie not idodized) sea salt – you cover the crystals with the sea salt and leave them for about 24hrs. Then you remove the salt and leave them for a day in the sun or if you are not seeing much sun at the mo then moonlight is good too!

Since the dawn of time, Lapis Lazuli has been a powerful stone associated with royalty. It is a very strong stone that evoked the powers of the third eye chakra. This helps in being more creative, intuitive and even allows you to enhance your psychic powers.

Secondly you must attune your mind to the crystal/s.

Play some soft gentle music to get you relaxed and in the mood.
Place the crystal at eye level next to a lit candle and focus on the flame. This will help to calm and focus your mind and remove any other distractions, which is essential for crystal gazing.
With half-shut eyes watch the light expand and let the glow illuminate the far edges of the room.
Breathe in deeply and breathe out slowly, deliberately breathing onto the crystal.
Now imagine yourself in a favourite place, if there is no where you can think of in particular then choose an idylic setting, such as in the woods, in a field full of flowers or on a deserted beach.
You’re doing well! At this point you will be becoming attuned to the gemstone, and this will allow the healing energies to flow between you and the stone.
Now take your crystal to a peaceful and light place – it can be indoors or outdoors, and this time without the candle, concentrate on the crystal until its body light explands. Let its energy field surround you as you breathe in the crystal’s vibrations.

The Dolphins Triskilian for Guidance and Inner Peace represent harmony and spirituality while the traditional Triskilian design shows the three realms of being. This charm may be worn for guidance and inner peace.

Now you can carry your crystal about with you on your daily business, be sure to play with it or touch it in your pocket or whatever, the more contact you have with the crystal, but also the more focus you have on it, the better it will work. At night you can put it near or under your pillow so it can work whilst you sleep.

If you have a bad experience or a difficult day, you should cleanse the crystal again using one of the methods mentioned above. You may wish to do the attuning process again as well. The more you do this process the easier and more natural it will become.

Happy Healing!

StormJewel x

Amethyst, gemstone of the heavens set on the symbol of fire with the Sigil of Cassiel, Angel of Saturn inscribed for Karma clearing.

Chatoya – Tigers Eye Pendant for Inner Confidence

Voodoo and Hoodoo Beliefs and Magick Around the World

Voodoo is an ancient art of magick, healing and meditation coming from Africa.

In my previous article (Voodoo and Hoodoo – what are they really all about?), I explained how West Africa is the cradle of Voodoo, and talked about the nature of the religion there, as well as giving you a look into a young initiates ceremony. In this second part of the article you can find out more about Voodoo in different parts of the world, and learn about the magick and practices of Hoodoo

Voodoo in Haiti

As I explained the previous article, Voodoo traveled to countries such as the US and Haiti, through African people being sent into slavery, and the religion became different things in different places. The Voodoo (or Vodou) of Haiti is close to that of Benin, although has absorbed many religious elements from Christianity.

Voodoo in Louisiana and New Orleans

Like the Voodoo of Haiti and the Hoodoo of the US, Christianity has been a large influence upon the beliefs of this religion, whilst at the same time keeping much from the Voodoo of Benin. The flexibility and adaptability of Voodoo is no doubt a lot to do with the face that there is no formal doctrine or sacred book, and knowledge is passed orally.

Like Paganism, the religion can mean different things to different people, but a core belief is that the main God does not interfere in the everyday lives of people, instead it is spiritual forces which affect everyday life. Just like the Voodoo of Benin, communication with the spirits is achieved through dancing, chanting, drumming and so on, and ancestor worship is also important.

Louisiana Voodoo is commonly used to help people with sicknesses, addictions and other ailments, and also to help the hungry and poor. Rituals tend to be conducted behind closed doors.

Jesus Christ and Mary are important figures in the religion and reciting the Hail Mary and the Lord’s Prayer is part of Louisiana Hoodoo practice.

Superstitions, Spells and Voodoo dolls

If you lay a broom across the doorway at night, a witch can’t come in and hurt you.

Here are some spells and superstitions from Louisiana Voodoo

A lock of a girls hair brings good luck.
If you lay a broom across the doorway at night, a witch can’t come in and hurt you.
Having a woman visit you the first thing on Monday mornings is bad luck for the rest of the week.
If you sweep trash out of the house after dark you will sweep away your luck.
Don’t shake a tablecloth outside after dark or someone in your family will die.
If a woman sprinkles some salt from her house to yours, it will give you bad luck until you clean the salt away and put pepper over your door sill.
If a woman wants her husband to stay away from other woman, she can do so by putting a little of her blood in his coffee, and he will never quit her.
If a woman’s husband dies and you don’t want her to marry again, cut all of her husband’s shoes all in little pieces, just as soon as he is dead, and she will never marry again.
You can give someone a headache by taking and turning their picture upside down.
You can harm a person in whatever way you want to by getting a lock of his hair and burning some and throwing the rest away.

Whilst Voodoo dolls are usually thought in Western culture to be a way of harming people, this is incorrect, they are to bless people. Pins are stuck in the dolls to attach a picture of the person to the doll, thus creating a magical link, and then a magical cure is performed using a special recipe (the cure is known as a gris gris), and is usually either for love, power, luck and finance or removing a curse.

What is Hoodoo?

Hoodoo can be called folk magic is better understood as a collection of magical practices rather than a religion, and this is made clear by changing the name from Voodoo to Hoodoo. Hoodoo’s magick focuses on using roots, herbs and natural elements for magical and medicinal use.

However there is still worship of deities, and like the Haiti Voodoo, (in fact perhaps more so) many Christian elements have been absorbed into the religion. Christian figures such as Moses are worshiped, and the Bible is seen as a source for spells, particularly the Psalsms. The bible itself can be carried as a talisman to keep people safe. Hoodoo also absorbed certain Native American practices as well. Like Paganism there is no formal doctrine, or structured hierarchy, and knowledge tends to be passed on orally.

Some Magickal Items of Hoodoo

Hoodoo magick items have become popular with people from all around the world, and from all traditions. I have tried Goofers Dust To Defeat Enemies. This green dust can be thrown on the land of someone that means you harm, to bring confusion and bad luck to their household.

This works well in tandem with Hot Foot Powder Incense, which can be sprinkled around your home to keep away enemies and troublemakers and to bring peace to your household.

Another popular Hoodoo item is the Lucky Hand Root for Protection and Good Fortune, so called because it resembles a small withered hand (but it’s only an orchid root!). This root is known for bringing good luck and safety, and is particularly used for bringing luck to gamblers.

Cobra Black Snake Pellets can be used in rituals of protection, and are also a great magickal aid for spiritual healing rituals, cleansing such as cleansing a space for an altar, or a new home, and to assist in removing curses or jinxes.

Finally another popular Hoodoo ingredient is the Adam and Eve Roots for Love and Marriage proposals. This can be used in two ways, firstly a charm to encourage that special someone to propose, or for good luck to encourage the person to say yes! Secondly it can be used by lovers to help discourage rivals and prevent temptation. The woman carries the round white seed and the man the long bud.

Want to know even more about Voodoo and Hoodoo?

Here is a great site full of interesting information, written by a Voodoo practitioner. A page I found particularly interesting was this one which goes into more detail about what Hoodoo is and where it came from.

Are you interested in Voodoo and Hoodoo? Have you or would you try Hoodoo Magick? Comment below and feel free to ask me any questions beliefs or practices, or contact me privately through my website if you prefer.