Imbolc

As an apprentice witch, this is my first year going through and celebrating all the sabbats or holidays on the wheel of the year. I was familiar with some of them already. For example, Yule, which happens around Christmas was a pretty easy one to recognize. The word Yule is literally found in modern Christmas songs. Samhain, which is around Halloween, I was aware of as well because of Halloween and all the spooky associations with that holiday. However, Imbolc stumped me. I hadn't even heard of the holidays around it. The only thing that came to mind was Groundhog's Day, so I did my research and found out about this holiday. If you're a newbie witch like me, let me give you the low down on Imbolc.

Like the other sabbats, it has many names, because it is recognized in different parts of the world in some form or another. It's been called Brigantia, Oimelc, Feast of Torches, Feast of Pan, Brigid's Day, and many more, but for our sanity's sake, let's just stick with Imbolc. Imbolc means, "In the belly". This is the quickening of the year. The Mother has recovered from giving birth to the God at Yule and The Crone, who has been minding the newborn God, gives him back to The Mother. Basically it means the sun is coming back, the days are getting longer, and the Earth is becoming warm and habitable again. It's the light at the end of the tunnel after a long winter. Who wouldn't want to throw a little party?

Imbolc is a sabbat of purification and renewal after being shut in all winter and there are lots of ways to celebrate this time. You can do some spring cleaning. You can throw a big party while you burn your Christmas tree in your backyard. You can do a ritual of self-dedication or reaffirmation. You can even burn some white and pale blue candles on your altar. It's all up to you. I would highly suggest reading more about Imbolc or the various holidays associated with it to see what resonates with you. The two reference books I used for this blog post can be found in the shop: "Grimoire For The Green Witch" by Ann Moura and "Wicca: A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham. In the Grimoire, she has listed the various herbs, ritual items, altar decorations and food you can use for a ceremony. She also details a ceremony you can do, along with little activities associated with it. In Cunnigham's book, he describes more about what the holiday is about and he includes references to the type of rituals you can do at that time. Both books definitely give a lot of insight into the Wheel of the Year and its importance to the craft.

For those of you who don't wish to celebrate the holiday alone, please come and see us at ATL Craft on February 2nd. It is a donation based event and it is a potluck, so please feel free to bring something to share with the community. We'll have a ceremonial feet washing, and a small demonstration on making Brigid's Cross. Doors will be closed and locked by 7:30pm. Hope to see you there!

Just Moonin' Over You

We started off this new year with a bang. The first day of the year not only had a full moon, but a Super Moon in Cancer. For those of you not into astrology, Cancer is ruled by, you may have guessed it, the moon. The Moon rules the unconscious and emotions. It is the mother and the wife. It is our sensual side and rules our primary instincts. This is the part of self we keep close, we keep hidden or we keep secret. When it comes to spell work, we need to know where the moon is at and what she is feeling, so we know what we should do. 

The full moon is a very magical time and it is good for any type of spell. It's a time of ending and beginnings. To think of it in regards of a garden, this is when the crops are bearing fruit and it is time to harvest. It is an abundant and happy time. But at the same time, it is the death and fulfillment for those plants. It's side by side, life and death. Very powerful. And since the moon is in charge of the unconscious and the primal, psychic abilities are increased at this time. This is a wonderful time to do abundance and fertility spells, as well as look back on what you have accomplished and rejoice for rejoicing's sake.

After the moon is at its fullest it starts to wane. The party of the full moon is over. The crops have been harvested and the moon is getting closer and closer to her death and rebirth, her dark womb space. This is a time to do spells that involve decreasing, releasing and letting go. If you have a bad habit or an addiction you are trying to shake, this is the time to do it. It's a time to get rid of the bad and negative energy in your life. I believe that's why it is suggested to do spells involving legal matters at this time.

The dark moon, or the new moon is a time of new beginnings. The slate has been wiped clean. The new moon reminds me of a freshly tilled field that is just waiting for seeds to be planted in it. It's the time for positive changes, such as looking for fresh career opportunities or new relationships or new endeavors. Maybe you have an idea that you need to take root. This is the time to do a spell to plant that seed and then watch it take root.

Last, but not least is the waxing moon. It is growing and increasing on its journey to becoming full. Those little seeds at the new moon have taken route and now it is time to do some watering for the little sprouts. This is the opportune time to do spells that involve increasing. Increasing knowledge, money, or maybe increasing love in a relationship.

If you feel drawn to work with the moon, I suggest going outside at night and looking right at her. Sit and meditate and think of her and her message. I also have found a really good resource called "Moon Spells" by Diane Ahlquist available here at ATL CRAFT. It's great for beginners and more advanced alike. In the first part of the book, she teaches you how to cast circle, cast different formations, and she tells you which days of the week are best to do which spell. Then, in the second part, she has a whole lot of spells and tells you down to the last detail everything you need.

Yer a wizard, Harry

About a month ago, Witch Mama announced a "Witchcraft 101" class she would be teaching November 19th and it got me thinking. It got me thinking about my own journey within the Craft and how much I've learned in the short time I've been practicing. I've only been practicing since mid-June, so I'm by no means an expert, but I would say I'm well-versed on getting into the swing of things. And it can be confusing. There are so many books and so many different practices, it's hard to figure out what to do and when, especially if you're a solitary practitioner. So I tried to think about the best advice I got starting out and I've boiled it down to these three things:

1. Build yourself an altar

You don't have to physically build yourself an altar (unless that's what you want to do, then by all means go ahead). You just need to create a sacred safe place where you can meditate, pray, practice spells, or whatever. And it can be really simple. An altar should at least consist of the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. If you don't have money to buy anything, don't worry about it. I personally think there is no shame in winging it. Maybe all you have is a nice scented candle, a cup of water, a drawing of a bird or feather, and some loose dirt or a rock from outside. Or even some loose change. So much of witchcraft is intention, so if you have minimal supplies, you can make up for it with maximum intention. Having this small space gets you out of your head and connects you with elements. It's also said to be representative of your self-compassion. So taking care of this little sacred space and adding special objects to it is some always needed self-care. It also feeds into my next bit of advice.

1. Meditate

Meditate at your altar. Go outside and simply get out of your head and connect with the elements. One of the first and most powerful things I did when I first got started was to take a quick little solo hike. Nothing huge or hard (I was by myself, so safety first), but I was alone in the woods, with no sounds from other humans anywhere near. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other and I paid attention to my surroundings. I focused in on the sounds of the forest. I was able to get my mind quiet and appreciate the natural wonders around me. It helped me tap into something greater than myself and it lead to my first experience with a deity. Meditating and getting out of your head is essential to the craft. Witchcraft is a spiritual practice and even though you can read a lot about it in books, you will learn as much from getting quiet and tapping in with universal consciousness. And the only way to tap into that spiritual side is to practice different ways of doing so, until something really resonates with you. 

1. Read!

There are so many different types of practices and deities and ways to do things, you could literally spend days reading this stuff and not be any the wiser. For beginners looking for direction, I suggest one or both of these books:

"Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practioner" by Scott Cunningham

And/or

"To Ride A Silver Broomstick" by Silver RavenWolf

Both these books go over the basics of witchcraft and they have really good recommended reading lists. A word of caution: these books are not infallible nor do they claim to be. Witchcraft is not an organized religion, so everyone has their own way of practicing. That means as you are reading, if you read something you don't agree with, that's absolutely fine. This is your spiritual practice and you have to do what feels right to you. These books are simply notes and guidelines to aid you in your own journey.

From there, I leave you to figure things out on your own. Doing these three things will lead you to the people or things meant to guide you further down your path. And if you ever have any questions, you are more than welcome to seek us out at the shop, because that's why we're here.