{"id":2237,"date":"2009-08-01T01:10:51","date_gmt":"2009-08-01T06:10:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=2253"},"modified":"2009-07-21T19:27:57","modified_gmt":"2009-07-22T00:27:57","slug":"new-to-the-craft-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2009\/08\/01\/new-to-the-craft-10\/","title":{"rendered":"New To The Craft"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ritual Connection <\/strong><\/p>\n

From time immemorial we have desired guidance from the God\/dess, and sought ways in which we can connect with and honor those powers we hold in reverence.\u00a0 Many in the mainstream find prayer or meditation to fulfill their needs in this area, or they attend services where they can participate to a limited extent in the ceremonies led by the priests of their congregation.\u00a0 The purpose of such rituals is to enact symbolic events that the observers understand to hold a deeper meaning than the actions themselves.\u00a0 Realization of that meaning on the mental, emotional, and spiritual levels unites the individual with the divine.\u00a0 But while churches tend to leave most of the actions to the clerics and expect their constituents to connect passively, Wicca invites all of its members to participate directly in its ritual workings, whether solitary or as part of a coven.<\/p>\n

If you are working as a solitary there is no one to direct the course of a ritual for you.\u00a0 As a matter of fact it can be difficult to make a start as a beginner.\u00a0 What do I do?\u00a0 Am I doing this right?\u00a0 These are common questions that pop up when working rituals on one\u2019s own instead of in a group setting or coven.\u00a0 Several good books will provide a basic outline for common sabbat or esbat ceremonies, but even then it can sometimes feel as if you are reading a script more than invoking a deity.\u00a0 Yet part of the beauty of Wicca is that you do not have to follow a script!\u00a0 Witches celebrate spontaneity, as is fitting for an earth-based spiritual practice.\u00a0 Many Wiccans create their own rituals based solely on the inspiration of the moment and their setting.\u00a0 It is the feeling and intent they put into their words that matters, not the phrases themselves.\u00a0 Knowing this takes the stress out of solitary ritual \u2013 What do I do?\u00a0 Do what you feel is right!\u00a0 Am I doing this right?\u00a0 If it feels right then yes!\u00a0 That may sound a bit glib, but the point of the matter is to just let go and forget about making mistakes. It is next to impossible to connect to a deity if you are wound up with worry.<\/p>\n

That being said, just as most Wiccans share a common language of symbols and tools, most also follow a general structure in their rituals to identify it as Wiccan.\u00a0 While no part is mandatory to an individual, these steps would be part of most group rituals, and each part has its purpose and place.\u00a0 An excellent book that explains the reasoning behind the stages of a Wiccan rite is The Elements of Ritual by Deborah Lipp.\u00a0 Before adding or omitting any steps it would be wise to study each part to know how those changes might affect the overall working.<\/p>\n

Typically the first stage involves purification of both the participant and the area where the ritual is to take place.\u00a0 Purify in this sense is another way of saying clearing one\u2019s head and getting in the right frame of mind to connect to the God\/dess.\u00a0 This can be as simple as a grounding and centering exercise or as elaborate as a perfumed bath.\u00a0 Most practitioners find a routine specific to them that they can rely on to trigger the correct mental state.\u00a0 Purifying the space is the act of setting an area apart from being just an ordinary room and clearing it of any negative energy in preparation for ritual.\u00a0 A besom or broom, sprinkled salt water, and\/or incense are common ways to accomplish this.\u00a0 The area you are working in will be host to the temple you create while there, and should be an outer reflection of your inner centered state.<\/p>\n

A Wiccan\u2019s ritual temple is held within the magic circle.\u00a0 Such a circle is formed by the will and imagination of the participant, forming a barrier against outside intrusions and also serving to concentrate any energy generated within.\u00a0 Covens and traditional forms of Wicca have very specific methods for circle castings, with the High Priestess using her athame or sword to project a visualized blue-white flame while pacing the outlines of the circle in a clockwise direction.\u00a0 The representations of each element upon the altar are often brought around the circle as well, always in a clockwise or deosil direction.\u00a0 Once the circle is established many Wiccans \u201ccall the quarters\u201d, which is to say they invoke the energies associated with each of the cardinal points.\u00a0 All of these actions reinforce the equilibrium maintained within the sacred space that is necessary to connect to the higher spiritual planes.\u00a0 In a sense the witch is projecting their centered state into the area around them and calling upon forces within or beyond themselves to bless the work they intend to do.<\/p>\n

Now the way is prepared for the main purpose of the ritual, which is the invocation of the God\/dess and any magical or ceremonial work to be done.\u00a0 Invocations can be anything from spoken prayers to words uttered while in self-induced trance states.\u00a0 To invoke deity is to ask for guidance and blessing.\u00a0 What we feel we cannot accomplish or realize on our own we ask to be aided with.\u00a0 We can also invoke the divine out of simple reverence and a desire to honor that which is greater than but also part of ourselves.\u00a0 Acknowledging the God\/dess in our rituals makes the work we do sacred and set apart from the everyday.\u00a0 We call upon what is highest and best to witness our endeavors.\u00a0 And each time we do we hope to bring a bit of that spirit into our awareness to enrich our lives as a whole.<\/p>\n

If the occasion calls for any magical work or special observance (for instance if it is a sabbat or esbat) it is typically performed after the invocation.\u00a0 When all practical work has been accomplished it is time to reverse the process and deconstruct the sacred space.\u00a0 This serves to bring the witch back into a more ordinary consciousness.\u00a0 First the participant should ground any left over raised energy.\u00a0 Visualizations can be used, as can the tradition of Cakes and Ale.\u00a0 Eating a bit of food helps bring your focus back to your body and the material plane.\u00a0 Any deities invoked or energies called upon should be thanked for their aid and released.\u00a0 This is not so much a dismissal as a courteous farewell.\u00a0 If you invite someone in its rather rude to have them show themselves out!\u00a0 Traditional Wiccan practice has a variety of ways of circle deconstruction, but in its basic form the energy used to create the circle is reabsorbed either into the witch or his\/her athame for future use.\u00a0 With that the ritual is complete!<\/p>\n

With this basic outline a solitary Wiccan has a tool to create any custom ritual for their own purposes.\u00a0 The heart of the ritual is the invocation and practical working, which is only limited by the imagination of the individual.\u00a0 I have a simple candle ceremony I have worked into my sabbat rituals to honor the Goddess in her triple aspect of maiden-mother-crone.\u00a0 On my altar I keep a white, a red, and a black candle, and at the appropriate point in the year when the Goddess\u2019s phase changes I transfer the flame from one to the other.\u00a0 This is done with a silent prayer of welcome for the new aspect that has arrived and I meditate for a bit to try to connect with the new energies.\u00a0 Such an observance is not elaborate or accompanied by eloquent poetry, but it works for its purpose which is to help me connect with my deity.\u00a0 This is the true function of all religious ritual.\u00a0 It just takes a bit of experimentation to help the new witch find out what works for them.<\/p>\n

Journal for the Month of July: <\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m reading two new books this month, Progressive Witchcraft by Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone, and Goddesses in Everywoman by Jean Shinoda Bolen.\u00a0 The first is a very interesting read after having read A Witches\u2019 Bible which was written by the Farrars a couple of decades ago.\u00a0 It definitely reflects an evolution of Wicca and witchcraft over the decades, at least from one person\u2019s perspective.\u00a0 I am currently on a chapter that relates aspects of witchcraft to the Eastern chakra system.\u00a0 I found it extremely interesting in that it draws parallels between the blue of the throat chakra and the blue flames visualized in traditional rituals and circle castings.\u00a0 In my last ritual I connected each quarter call to the opening of the chakra connected to that element and was pleasantly surprised by the results.\u00a0 It helped me connect my visualizations to the energy I was projecting, a stronger macrocosm-microcosm connection if you will.<\/p>\n

The second book has been extremely interesting not just in learning more about classical goddess archetypes, but also more about myself.\u00a0 The author makes a distinction between three classes of goddesses: the independent virgins, the vulnerable relationship-orientated wives\/ mothers\/daughters, and the transformative Aphrodite (in a class all her own).\u00a0 Each of these archetypes is a potentiality in every woman, and the book goes into the challenges, strengths, and weaknesses of each in turn.\u00a0 It\u2019s given me a new perspective on the particulars of each goddess\u2019 qualities and which I may chose to call on for a particular working.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a fascinating read and I highly recommend it to all.\u00a0 Once I\u2019m done with this one I\u2019m moving on to her other book Gods in Everyman for some perspective on the guys!<\/p>\n

Until next month, blessed be! )O(<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Ritual Connection From time immemorial we have desired guidance from the God\/dess, and sought ways in which we can connect with and honor those powers we hold in reverence.\u00a0 Many in the mainstream find prayer or meditation to fulfill their needs in this area, or they attend services where they can participate to a limited extent in the ceremonies led by the priests of their congregation.\u00a0 The purpose of such rituals is to enact symbolic events that the observers understand to hold a deeper meaning than the actions themselves.\u00a0 Realization of that meaning on the mental, emotional, and spiritual levels unites the individual with the divine.\u00a0 But while churches tend to leave most of the actions to the clerics and expect their constituents to connect passively, Wicca invites all of its members to participate directly in its ritual workings, whether solitary or as part of a coven. If you are working as a solitary there is no one to direct the course of a ritual for you.\u00a0 As a matter of fact it can be difficult to make a start as a beginner.\u00a0 What do I do?\u00a0 Am I doing this right?\u00a0 These are common questions that pop up when working rituals on one\u2019s own instead of in a group setting or coven.\u00a0 Several good books will provide a basic outline for common sabbat or esbat ceremonies, but even then it can sometimes feel as if you are reading a script more than invoking a deity.\u00a0 Yet part of the beauty of Wicca is that you do not have to follow a script!\u00a0 Witches celebrate spontaneity, as is fitting for an earth-based spiritual practice.\u00a0 Many Wiccans create their own rituals based solely on the inspiration of the moment and their setting.\u00a0 It is the feeling and intent they put into their words that matters, not the phrases themselves.\u00a0 Knowing this takes the stress out of solitary ritual \u2013 What do I do?\u00a0 Do what you feel is right!\u00a0 Am I doing this right?\u00a0 If it feels right then yes!\u00a0 That may sound a bit glib, but the point of the matter is to just let go and forget about making mistakes. It is next to impossible to connect to a deity if you are wound up with worry. That being said, just as most Wiccans share a common language of symbols and tools, most also follow a general structure in their rituals to identify it as Wiccan.\u00a0 While no part is mandatory to an individual, these steps would be part of most group rituals, and each part has its purpose and place.\u00a0 An excellent book that explains the reasoning behind the stages of a Wiccan rite is The Elements of Ritual by Deborah Lipp.\u00a0 Before adding or omitting any steps it would be wise to study each part to know how those changes might affect the overall working. Typically the first stage involves purification of both the participant and the area where the ritual is to take place.\u00a0 Purify in this sense is another way of saying clearing one\u2019s head and getting in the right frame of mind to connect to the God\/dess.\u00a0 This can be as simple as a grounding and centering exercise or as elaborate as a perfumed bath.\u00a0 Most practitioners find a routine specific to them that they can rely on to trigger the correct mental state.\u00a0 Purifying the space is the act of setting an area apart from being just an ordinary room and clearing it of any negative energy in preparation for ritual.\u00a0 A besom or broom, sprinkled salt water, and\/or incense are common ways to accomplish this.\u00a0 The area you are working in will be host to the temple you create while there, and should be an outer reflection of your inner centered state. A Wiccan\u2019s ritual temple is held within the magic circle.\u00a0 Such a circle is formed by the will and imagination of the participant, forming a barrier against outside intrusions and also serving to concentrate any energy generated within.\u00a0 Covens and traditional forms of Wicca have very specific methods for circle castings, with the High Priestess using her athame or sword to project a visualized blue-white flame while pacing the outlines of the circle in a clockwise direction.\u00a0 The representations of each element upon the altar are often brought around the circle as well, always in a clockwise or deosil direction.\u00a0 Once the circle is established many Wiccans \u201ccall the quarters\u201d, which is to say they invoke the energies associated with each of the cardinal points.\u00a0 All of these actions reinforce the equilibrium maintained within the sacred space that is necessary to connect to the higher spiritual planes.\u00a0 In a sense the witch is projecting their centered state into the area around them and calling upon forces within or beyond themselves to bless the work they intend to do. Now the way is prepared for the main purpose of the ritual, which is the invocation of the God\/dess and any magical or ceremonial work to be done.\u00a0 Invocations can be anything from spoken prayers to words uttered while in self-induced trance states.\u00a0 To invoke deity is to ask for guidance and blessing.\u00a0 What we feel we cannot accomplish or realize on our own we ask to be aided with.\u00a0 We can also invoke the divine out of simple reverence and a desire to honor that which is greater than but also part of ourselves.\u00a0 Acknowledging the God\/dess in our rituals makes the work we do sacred and set apart from the everyday.\u00a0 We call upon what is highest and best to witness our endeavors.\u00a0 And each time we do we hope to bring a bit of that spirit into our awareness to enrich our lives as a whole. If the occasion calls for any magical work or special observance (for instance if it is a sabbat or esbat) it is typically performed after the invocation.\u00a0 When all practical work has been accomplished it is time to reverse the process and deconstruct the sacred space.\u00a0 This serves to bring the witch back into a more ordinary consciousness.\u00a0 First the participant should ground any left over raised energy.\u00a0 Visualizations can be used, as can the tradition of Cakes and Ale.\u00a0 Eating a bit of food helps bring your focus back to your body and the material plane.\u00a0 Any deities invoked or energies called upon should be thanked for their aid and released.\u00a0 This is not so much a dismissal as a courteous farewell.\u00a0 If you invite someone in its rather rude to have them show themselves out!\u00a0 Traditional Wiccan practice has a variety of ways of circle deconstruction, but in its basic form the energy used to create the circle is reabsorbed either into the witch or his\/her athame for future use.\u00a0 With that the ritual is complete! With this basic outline a solitary Wiccan has a tool to create any custom ritual for their own purposes.\u00a0 The heart of the ritual is the invocation and practical working, which is only limited by the imagination of the individual.\u00a0 I have a simple candle ceremony I have worked into my sabbat rituals to honor the Goddess in her triple aspect of maiden-mother-crone.\u00a0 On my altar I keep a white, a red, and a black candle, and at the appropriate point in the year when the Goddess\u2019s phase changes I transfer the flame from one to the other.\u00a0 This is done with a silent prayer of welcome for the new aspect that has arrived and I meditate for a bit to try to connect with the new energies.\u00a0 Such an observance is not elaborate or accompanied by eloquent poetry, but it works for its purpose which is to help me connect with my deity.\u00a0 This is the true function of all religious ritual.\u00a0 It just takes a bit of experimentation to help the new witch find out what works for them. Journal for the Month of July: I\u2019m reading two new books this month, Progressive Witchcraft by Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone, and Goddesses in Everywoman by Jean Shinoda Bolen.\u00a0 The first is a very interesting read after having read A Witches\u2019 Bible which was written by the Farrars a couple of decades ago.\u00a0 It definitely reflects an evolution of Wicca and witchcraft over the decades, at least from one person\u2019s perspective.\u00a0 I am currently on a chapter that relates aspects of witchcraft to the Eastern chakra system.\u00a0 I found it extremely interesting in that it draws parallels between the blue of the throat chakra and the blue flames visualized in traditional rituals and circle castings.\u00a0 In my last ritual I connected each quarter call to the opening of the chakra connected to that element and was pleasantly surprised by the results.\u00a0 It helped me connect my visualizations to the energy I was projecting, a stronger macrocosm-microcosm connection if you will. The second book has been extremely interesting not just in learning more about classical goddess archetypes, but also more about myself.\u00a0 The author makes a distinction between three classes of goddesses: the independent virgins, the vulnerable relationship-orientated wives\/ mothers\/daughters, and the transformative Aphrodite (in a class all her own).\u00a0 Each of these archetypes is a potentiality in every woman, and the book goes into the challenges, strengths, and weaknesses of each in turn.\u00a0 It\u2019s given me a new perspective on the particulars of each goddess\u2019 qualities and which I may chose to call on for a particular working.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a fascinating read and I highly recommend it to all.\u00a0 Once I\u2019m done with this one I\u2019m moving on to her other book Gods in Everyman for some perspective on the guys! Until next month, blessed be! )O(<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2237"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2237\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}