Thursday, January 31, 2013

C is for Cleansing and Consecrating

C is for Cleansing and Consecrating - Pagan Blog Project - Week 5

When I speak of cleansing and consecrating, I’m referring to ritualistic purification and the charging or blessing of an item. The process is used to remove discordant energies by raising vibration and then to imbue the item with your own intention and energy. If you've researched the topic, you know that there are several ways this can be done.

I know some of you may cringe at the old proverb about “cleanliness being next to godliness”, but it’s very appealing for an anal retentive, somewhat perfectionistic, obsessive compulsive. More often than not, my entire house must be in order before I even begin to think about doing any kind of magickal working, whether it is a simple meditation, a devotion, or full blown spell work. Cleaning the cobwebs from my home is like cleaning them from my mind. For me, getting hardcore with the broom and dustpan can be just as rewarding of an experience as journey work. I realize that not everyone holds the same values as I do when it comes to physically cleaning your space, but it is a good idea to keep that pile of mail off your altar and take a feather duster to your divine statuary once in a while. I don’t think Hecate or Brigid would be terribly pleased to find their likenesses buried under a pile of dust.

That being said, we can move on to the “fun” stuff. While lengthy, this is not a comprehensive list. Do what works best for you and remember that it is important to concentrate on your intent when using any of these methods. Call your Gods and Guides to aid you, and meditate on the cleansing process as well as the consecration.

Incense and smudging are probably the most commonly used techniques when it comes to ritualistic cleansing. The item is simply passed through the smoke. You can probably find a premade blend of incense for this intent on just about any store website that caters to witches, or you can try your hand at making your own blend. I personally like to make my herbal incense because I can imbue it with my intent as I make it. For me, the process has the added benefit of being incredibly soothing. White sage bundles seem to be the most popular smudging tool and are easy to find, though I personally enjoy the scent of sweetgrass more. Always be careful when working with anything you are lighting on fire. Smudge bundles tend to break apart easily, trailing little fire pixies onto your altar or carpet. When working with smudges it’s best to have a fireproof container handy. An abalone shell or cauldron work perfectly in my opinion. Charcoal hookah tablets are excellent for burning your homemade incense blends, but again, please make sure you nestle them into a fire proof container before lighting up.

Sage Goddess offers a lovely video tutorial on cleansing. Scott Cunningham’s The Complete Book of Incense, Oils, and Brews is a great resource that I use often. Unless otherwise stated, the various blends listed were taken from the book.

Altar Incense
Consecration Incense
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Wood Aloe
2 parts Myrrh
1 part Mace
1 part Cinnamon
1 part Storax (or Gum Arabic)

1 part Benzoin


Crystal Purification Incense

2 parts Frankincense

2 parts Copal

1 part Sandalwood

1 part Rosemary

1 pinch finely powdered Salt


The Altar incense is used for general purification. I use this one often because it works, the ingredients are easy to get, and I enjoy the scent. The Consecration and Crystal Purification blends are self-explanatory.
Another commonly used technique is to cleanse with “holy water” or an oil blend. Both of these items can be purchased from just about any witchy shop, but again, I’d rather make my own. If you are working with oils, simply anoint the object. If you choose to cleanse with holy water you may submerge the item if permissible. If the item is made of metal or is water soluble, simply aspurge (sprinkle) with a few drops while holding the intent in your mind.

Purification Blend
Christopher Penczak’s Magickal Wash
½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tablespoon Vervain
1 handful fresh Eucalyptus leaves
1 tablespoon Rose Petals
1 handful fresh Rue leaves
1 Tablespoon Yarrow
3 pinches Salt
1 Tablespoon Mugwort
1 quart Water


For the Purification blend, the herbs are to be added to the vinegar and left to sit overnight. Strain through a cheesecloth and add the water and salt. It can be used to purify objects, or you may add ½ cup to your bath water. For Christopher’s wash, he asks that you place the herbs into two cups of boiling water, along with a stone from your sacred place. Allow to sit for twelve hours in a sealed glass jar, then strain. Add one to two tablespoons of high-quality alcohol or preserve, then bottle. I tend to make my holy or blessed water by simply adding sea or kosher salt to a decanter of water and leaving it out overnight during a full moon.

I’m currently taking classes in the Temple Tradition. In Christopher Penczak’s book The Outer Temple of Witchcraft, he outlines a way in which to cleanse your tools via fire. The process calls for you to first cleanse and consecrate a candle. The item to be cleansed is to be held above the flame while you imagine the heat and light surrounding the object and burning away the unwanted energies. I personally feel that this is too much work. Why go through the trouble of c&cing the candle just so you can do the entire process again with another item? However, I realize it has its purposes. I might try this the next time I am cleansing a tool connected with the fire element.

There are several simpler and more natural ways to cleanse your tools. They can be left in sunlight, moonlight, hung out on a windy day, or even bathed in a running stream or the ocean. Some people cleanse their tools by setting them in a bowl of salt, others bury them. I’m not terribly fond of the burying thing. I’m far too lazy to dig a hole, and then there is that whole process of digging it up again.

One of my favorite techniques, which I tend to combine with the trusty ole incense/smudge technique, is to imbue the item with a white, cleansing light.
I use a combination of incense or smudge (air and fire) along with aspurging (water and earth) to ritually cleanse my home. I've even used music on some occasions. Sound is a cheap, easy, and less smelly way to raise the vibrations in your home. I tend to pop a Native American drumming cd in when I’m doing my housework. I’m rhythmically challenged, but for those of you who are not, you can use drums, rattles, bells or singing bowls for the same purpose. Even if you aren't a fan of regular housework, it’s a good idea to periodically remove any nasty energy that may have built up. No matter how well rounded your family is, chances are someone will bring something discordant into the home. From disagreements to full blown arguments, these things produce nasty vibrations that hang around and pile up in the corners.

House Purification Incense
Clearing Incense
3 parts Frankincense
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Dragon’s Blood
3 parts Copal
1 part Myrrh
2 parts Myrrh
1 part Sandalwood
1 part Sandalwood
1 part Wood Betony

½ part Dill seed

A few drops of Rose Geranium Oil



Citrus Purification Oil

3 drops Orange

2 drops Lemongrass

2 drops Lemon

1 drop Lime


Cunningham suggests that the House Purification blend be used for house cleansing once a month, perhaps on the Full Moon, and before moving into a new home. The Clearing Incense is to be used after an argument or when the house’s energy feels heavy. Windows should be opened when burning this blend. The Citrus Purification oil is to be anointed on white candles which are burned to purify the home.

Our beloved Mr. Cunningham suggests that the essential oils be mixed with a base oil. He asks that you add 1/8 of a cup of one of the following to a sterilized glass jar (the jojoba being the being the best as it is not truly an oil but a liquid form of wax which never becomes rancid):

Safflower
Jojoba
Sunflower
Almond
Coconut
Hazelnut
Apricot Kernel
Grapeseed

  • ·         Use an eye dropper to add your essential oils in the proportions recommended
  • ·         Swirl the essential oils into the base oil, don’t stir.
  • ·         Store away from heat, light, and moisture, in an airtight, opaque or dark-colored glass bottle.


And lastly, we come to cleansing ourselves. Sometimes I take a nice long shower before doing my magickal workings. While the sweat and dirt of the day circles the drain, I release the things that do not serve, washing them away with the rest. Ritualistic baths have the same effect, washing away our anger and anxiety along with the work funk. We can anoint ourselves with purifying oils (please test the blend before rubbing it all over your skin), smudge our bodies, or release tension by grounding into the earth. One of my favorite methods to spiritually cleansing myself is to hold a pumice stone. Sounds kind of weird, I know, but the pumice stone is amazing. I originally bought it with the intent of using it on my hearth altar to help grab the nasties out of the air. I decided to do a meditation with it one night, and wow, was I blown away. The stone acts as a vacuum, literally sucking discordance from the body. I sit with it for a few moments after a particularly challenging day at work or in those moments when I've been pushed to near homicide.
"Let Dreams Come" by EmiliaPaw5 of deviantart. I am using this without permission  and hope I don't get burned. ;p


Purification Oil
Purification Oil # 2
4 drops Frankincense
4 drops Eucalyptus
3 drops Myrrh
2 drops Camphor
1 drop Sandalwood
1 drop Lemon


Ritual Purification Bath

4 parts Lavender
2 parts Hyssop
4 parts Rosemary
1 part Mint
3 parts Thyme
1 part Vervain
3 parts Basil
1 pinch Valerian root
2 parts Fennel


The two oil blends can be added to your bath water or worn. Please remember to follow the directions listed above when making oil blends. For the Purification bath, add the herbs to a sachet and then toss into your bathwater. It was adapted from The Key of Solomon, and Mr. Cunningham cautions against using more than a pinch of Valerian root. It smells like dirty feet!

What are you favorite c&c methods?

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

B is for Broom Closet


Pagan Blog Project - Week 4 - B is for Broom Closet

                I was in the twelfth grade when I first discovered Wicca and actually realized that Witchcraft was a real thing and not just a fantasy found in the tragic stories of history books or in the Sci-fi section of the local Barnes and Noble. I was immature to say the least. The idea of hiding my new found religious and spiritual beliefs was never a consideration. I flaunted them, proudly displaying my pentacle outside my shirt and chatting to everyone I knew about it. The immaturity also extended to my immediate and loud distaste of all things Christian, but we will leave that for another topic. I’m not proud to say that my behavior was nothing short of obnoxious. But hey, you know what they say – you live, you learn…hopefully.

                In the thirteen years since, I've learned a few things. There is nothing wrong with “coming out of the broom closet”, but it is well advised to do so gently, and with a grace. I don’t feel that people should hide their beliefs. You should be proud of what you are. However, there are some situations in which it is best to just keep your mouth shut.

                Unveiling before the family and friends can be a tricky subject. There are some of us that have very opinionated family members, those that might be so worried about our unsaved souls that they forget their own values and disown the offender. My own father, while not as fanatical as some, is nonetheless rather disturbed by my beliefs. I didn't speak of my pagan ideals for a long time, and will never admit to him that I practice witchcraft. However, I do NOT hide my altar when he comes around, or rearrange my household, which is speckled with witchy paraphernalia including a lot of witch statuary. After I revealed that I was a pagan, he went into what I call “preacher mode” on several occasions. We eventually agreed to disagree, or maybe he’s just given up. We remain close and I even share some of my activities with him, though I refer to them in a gentle manner, speaking of things like meditation and “spiritual group meetings”. He doesn't seem to mind and I feel that perhaps he’s begun to realize that my connection with God is no less valid than this his. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking.

                My mother, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. As a teenager at the time of my shift, I simply handed her a copy of Mama Silver’s Teen Witch and gave her a few moments to read the introduction. While I don’t remember her initial response, she told me at some point that her grandmother used to call herself a “white witch” and often got drunk on the weekends and levitated the coffee table while singing old Irish folk songs. My mum is one of those people that seems to have no religious beliefs, and yet allows me to do spell work for her and has even asked me to a bike blessing for her motorcycle. My mum is pretty damn cool.

                For those of us who are not blessed with an open-minded family or group of friends, it may be best to exit the broom closet very slowly, and in some instances, not at all. You should probably tuck away any jewelry that might be found offensive, pentacles tend to raise alarm bells, and refrain from chatting about your spirit guides at the dinner table. Actually, it’s probably a good idea to keep the spirit guides away from the dinner table indefinitely.

                First and foremost, you should make sure that you are able to answer any questions that will come your way. There will more than likely be many. Begin by feeling out the situation and trying to gauge how a specific person would react to the information. Start a casual conversation to find out how much s/he knows about the subject. “I know this chic from work…” or “I met an interesting guy on the bus today…” Not only does this allow you to gauge a response, it might also allow you the chance to correct misinformation. Argue the merits of the idea before s/he has the chance to oppose you.

When you are ready to actually throw open the door, start small. Push the little things from the closet first. If you like to light candles and incense, do it in their presence, but keep your spells and prayers in your head. Wear your crystals or other jewelry of a less obvious nature. If you want to start dropping conversational bombs, meditation and affirmations are great subjects. Both practices are used by a variety of people, including those who are not religious, and information on these subjects can be acquired from places where our close-minded relations can feel safe. Displaying ancestral altars is another idea. While it’s true that some people would not be comfortable with the idea, most seem to have no problem with honoring loved ones who have passed on.

Your work situation can also be an issue. I wear my jewelry without fear and upper management knows of my beliefs because of a conflict in scheduling on Sabbat celebrations. I follow a simple rule when it comes to my co-workers. I do not talk about my religious and spiritual beliefs unless specifically asked. And people will ask. Just the other day I was approached by a coworker who asked if I “read my bible”. I told him that I did not. “Why not?” he inquired. “Because I’m not Christian,” I responded. I told him that I was pagan and when he asked me what that was, I told him it was even older than Christianity and left it at that. He took it pretty well and continues to chat with me on a daily basis.

“But how do you network if you don’t put yourself out there?” you ask. Be patient. Network through the internet and look for local stores and social gatherings that pertain to your beliefs. They are out there. Farmers markets, green grocers, bookstores, and metaphysical shops are great places to find like-minded people in your local area. Witchvox, the Pagan Blog Project, and countless forums are a good outlet for conversation when you feel as if you can no longer hold it all inside.

                Even if you take your time when exiting the broom closet, you are likely to find others in hiding. Simple conversation recently unveiled a like-minded individual at work. We began with topics about nature and animals. He came to me one day with an amethyst and asked if I knew what it was. A few days later, he brought me a handful of other semi-precious stones that he’d dug out of the ground near his home. I told him that I knew people who could probably identify them for him, and if they couldn't  I could take them to a shop that could. He eventually inquired about astral travel.



                The point is, take your time. If you are worried about the reactions of those around you, crack the door and take a peek outside before slowly exiting the closet. Remember to take into account who you are coming out to and how that person will react. Gage the situation, and be gentle. Ask your gods and guides for help and don’t forget to use common sense. Good luck and Goddess Bless!

Monday, January 21, 2013

B is for Bast

Pagan Blog Project - Week 3 - B is for Bast

I’ve chosen Bast for this week’s topic, not only because she is my Matron, but because there seems to be a massive amount of misinformation about her floating around on the internet. Too often I run across websites that describe her solely as a playful sex kitten. Herodotus’s account of her yearly festival celebrated in Bubastis is probably the main reason for this. I find it hard to believe that there is but one celebration in which the ancient Egyptian women let their hair down.


Let’s begin with the name. She is commonly referred to as Bastet, though you can also find her under Ubasti and several other titles. While it isn't possible to know exactly how her name was pronounced, it was probably something close to “Oo-bahst-ee-yah”. I just call her “Baast” (baa, like a sheep). It is believed that the name Bastet is an error. According to per-Bast.org:

Toward the beginning of the New Kingdom, the “t” at the end of words began to vanish from the spoken language due to foreign influences. In an attempt to preserve the pronunciation of some of the words, scribes added an additional –t to stress that it should be pronounced. This is where we get the “double loafs” that spell out “Bastet”. This was the scribes’ way of telling the reader to pronounce the word as “Bast”, and not “Bas”, and it should not be taken to mean that Her name is pronounced “Bastet”.

Bast is one of many Egyptian Goddesses referred to as the “Eye of Ra”. She has also been called “Lady of the Ointments”. The hieroglyphs for her name begin with a bas-jar which we were used to store perfume. In her earliest depictions, she was represented as a woman with the head of a lion or a desert cat. She was not associated with the domesticated cat until nearly 2000 years later.

In her “Eye of Ra” persona, she is protector goddess and avenger, a guardian of the Pharaoh, and she is anything but cuddly. As a huntress, she must demonstrate strength and cunning. “One passage has her ripping out the hearts of the transgressors of ma'at and delivering them to the feet of the Pharaoh and Her father.” As time passed, she began to be associated with Het-hert (Hathor) and several other goddesses. Her role as protector spread and she became a guardian for pregnant women and children, linking her to fertility as well as artistic and musical endeavors.

Bast’s connections with Sekhmet are often confused. Some believe them to be sisters, other’s believe they are two sides of the same coin; Bast as the “nice kitty” while Sekhmet displays a fiercer side. They are separate entities; Sekhmet being another persona of Het-hert. Both ladies were known to bring an ass-whoopin’ when needed.

In later times, Bast became associated with the moon. The Greeks can be thanked for this association as they linked her to their own lunar goddess, Artemis. Even in this we can see the tougher side of our beloved Bast. “Artemis is not a ‘sexual’ divinity -- she is solitary, often harsh, celibate, and a hunter.”

This is not to say that Bast has no capacity to display her sexy side. I am well versed in the often unexpected and surprising ways in which the divine manifests. Hell, I have a Penguin guide that goes by the name Apsu and seems to have absolutely nothing in common with Tiamat’s cranky husband.

UPG time: Bast comes to me as a sister or a friend. She is silent at times, out-spoken at others. She has a fantastic sense of humor, but can be impatient and downright snarky when I’m being dense. While she does not manifest to me in a particularly nurturing way, that doesn't mean she can’t be comforting. During a recent journey in which I was not making progress toward my goal, she came to me in silence, sat cross legged behind me, and proceeded to braid my hair. She is will personified; a fiery blast of feminine strength, courage, independence, and confidence. If you haven’t met her, I hope you are able to someday.

Bast by: Susan Seddon Boulet


Fleming, Fergus, and Alan Lothian. The Way to Eternity. London: Duncan Baird, 1997. Print
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A is for Altar


Yeah, so I’m behind again. I’m going to post this anyway, because I set a goal for myself. I never said it couldn't be late. ;p

To continue with the letter A, I decided to go with something that I consider easy. There are plenty of excellent posts on altars. I assume that most of you already know what an altar is and what purpose it serves, but you know what they say about assuming. So I’m going to serve up a dish of leftovers and then add my own ideas to the pot.

Dictionary.com offers several definitions of the word altar, the first being:

·         An elevated place or structure, as a mound or platform, at which religious rites are performed or on which sacrifices are offered to gods, ancestors, etc.

That’s pretty cut and dry. If you have your own altar, you know that the work that goes on there is far more meaningful than that pitiful little definition. For the purpose of this post, I will focus on my own pagan altars, their uses, and how they came to be.

I found the spirituality or religion, whichever you prefer, of Wicca during a rather angry and emotional time of my life, my teen years. After first blaming and then denying God for all the perceived injustices in my short life, I stumbled across a bit of graffiti during my senior year. In black magic marker someone had written, “Merry meet and merry part until we meet again” and drawn a pentacle on one of the wooden books stands in keyboarding class.

I immediately thought “How nice,” raced through my work, and then hit the computers with internet access to do a wee bit of research. I was limited, being on campus, but the information I found called to me. I borrowed a few books from classmates who I’d learned were practicing, and then promptly dove in.

I can’t remember much about my first altar other than the fact that is was small, placed on a second hand table held together by that obnoxious silver duct tape, and was pretty much disguised. My father would have blown a gasket had he known that I was dabbling in witchcraft. I know that I followed what was described in the books I read. I had no real clue as to what I was actually doing or why I was doing it. I think I came to the craft in the same manner that many others do. I wanted to change my life and I thought that magick would, well, magically cure everything.

I have since grown, thankfully, learned a bit, and continue to “fill my cup”. I don’t call myself Wiccan anymore, unless I end up in a conversation about religion with someone who is unfamiliar with paganism. It’s just easier that way. I am a witch, and still use many of the techniques and practices I picked up through the Wiccan path, including keeping an altar.

I now have an entire room for my workings. The walls themselves are little shrines, built in dedication to the Elements and their many representations. The room also serves as a space for my crafting. I like to think the magick space helps to inspire my creativity, and well, let’s face it; I’m lucky enough to have an entire room for my magick and worship. I won’t press my luck for a second room for my crafts.

In what I refer to as my “witchy room”, I have my working altar. It’s used for magickal workings, ritual celebration of the Sabbats, healing work and Reiki, communion with the gods, and now for meditation and journey work. I used to have a separate altar for my meditations, but as I've grown I've come to feel that it’s better not to separate the two. This altar changes often. I add little mementos from nature and change the décor for holidays.



The little silver Penguin is a tribute to one of my spirit guides; the drinking horn was a Yule gift a few years ago from my boyfriend. He got me the stand this year. The little tray holds feathers, leaves, stones, shells, moss, and other odd gifts from nature. The ribbon was wrapped around a gift from my little sister. I just love the color and wanted to add it to the pile. ;p The basket is used for healing and contains the names of people I am currently working with. I use the feather in cleansing, the rattle to raise energy, and the wand is a work in progress. After working with Bast awhile, I feel that my altar is a little off kilter. I’ll probably end up switching her to the right side and changing the color of my candles.




I have a “hearth altar” which I use for nightly devotionals. My boyfriend and I share a home, and I consider this the center of it. I built it for protection of our home and in honor of our personal guides – my Matron, Bast, and his totem animal, Fox. The center statue was a much appreciated gift from a friend. It is double-sided with a woman on one and a man on the other. I think it represents the duality of the Divine quite nicely. The stones, pyrite, snowflake obsidian, jet, lava, malachite, pumice, and petrified wood, are for protection and to clear away discordant energies. The little Bast statue was another gift from the boyfriend, handcrafted by a talented Etsy artist. The fox was also handcrafted at my request by my sister and was gifted to my boyfriend.

I also keep a small ancestral altar for my grandmother on my father’s side. She kind of raised my brother and me when we were kids. Her passing was hard on me. I’d like to add my mother’s mum, but I wasn't terribly close to her, and just haven’t gotten around to doing it yet. The little mouse peeking out behind the candle holder was something of my grandmother’s that I saved after she passed away. The ship is there because she loved the ocean and always kept mementos of it. Unfortunately, I was unable to acquire any of the ocean themed items that were actually hers.



I feel that altars are important in my practice. They are a constant reminder of my spirituality. Placing them in areas that I frequent help aid against that nasty little habit we sometimes have - getting too caught up in our day to day lives and forgetting to be thankful of what we have and where it comes from.

Monday, January 7, 2013

A is for Anubis

               I’ve long felt the pull of the Egyptian God Yinepu, aka Anubis, but have never answered the calling. I know very little about him, and have never taken the time to learn. Perhaps that not uncommon human fear of the underworld can be blamed for my procrastination. To be completely honest with myself, inertia is closer to the truth. Whatever the reason, change begins today.


                Anubis, whose Kemetic name is Yinepu, is the jackal-headed Egyptian god of the Underworld and has two very important roles. He serves as supervisor over the embalming process and monitor of the Scales of Truth. His jackal persona is probably connected to the underworld and the embalming process. Some have reported that he may not have been represented by a jackal at all, but by a wild dog. Either totem seems fitting to the nature of the god, as both beasts are scavengers and could be found poking around amongst the tombs. His black coloration, which differs from the normal brown coloration of a jackal, has been linked to both the fertile soil of the Nile and the discoloration found in corpses.

Anubis attending the mummy of Seenedjam
                Anubis is accredited with the invention of the embalming process, which we find in the story of Osiris and Isis. Set murdered Osiris out of jealousy, cut his body into many pieces, and then distributed the body parts across the land. After Isis gathered up the pieces, Anubis mummified the corpse. It became his duty to embalm and mummify the deceased Pharaohs. He also served as protector of the tombs, keeping the aforementioned scavengers at bay.

                In his role as “Weigher of Righteousness”, Anubis presides over the judgment of the ba, or souls of the deceased. After guiding the souls to the Hall of Judgment, Anubis announces the soul’s presence, lists good deeds the person has accomplished, and then performs the Weighing of the Heart. The hearts are weighed against the feather of Ma’at to determine their destination, entrance into the realm of the dead or consumption by Ammit, the Devourer of Souls. This process differs from the Christian concept of judgment in that the heart must be balanced, as opposed to perfect.

                In early Egyptian history, Anubis was considered “Lord of the Dead” and “Ruler of the Underworld”. Osiris eventually took over these roles. It is assumed that Anubis stepped down out of respect for the deceased Osiris. While Anubis remains in the underworld, he's been reduced to something of an overseer. 

                While these tales can give us insight on the personality of the god, they do little to actually connect us to the deity. Meditation and exploration can give us a higher understanding and forge personal relationships. Looks like I have something else to add to my “to do” list.
Hieroglyphic symbols meaning Anubis.


A New Beginning


I began this blog because I wanted to participate in the Pagan Blog Project. The Project calls for bloggers to write a weekly article in exploration of spirituality. We will move through the alphabet as we choose our subject matter. I'm very excited about this project because it will serve as a creative outlet while pushing me to research and meditate on topics that I feel are important.