Magick and Wicca

Magic is the art and science of causing change to occur in conformity with will.

~ Aleister Crowley 

Magic is the projection of natural energies to produce needed effects.

~ Scott Cunningham

We do not affect fate by our magical operations, we affect ourselves; we reinforce those aspects of our nature which are in sympathy with the powers we invoke.

~ Dion Fortune

Magic is making something happen that you want to happen. 

~ Raymond Buckland

The work of magic involves transformation, and the first transformation is the shift of perception. 

~ Marion Weinstein

Magic is the art of effecting change in consciousness at will. 

~ William Butler 

In this post, I will try to define magic/magick and also discuss its uses a bit. When it comes to this topic, many moral questions get involved, although I won't provide answers to all of them so there may be room for you to find answers to them on your own. 

At the very beginning of the post, I listed a couple of "definitions" of magic. Some of the listed names may be familiar to you, and that is because we are dealing with people who have gained somewhat of a reputation in the field of magic, Neopagan spiritual paths and, ultimately, Wicca. The reason why I even wrote these quotes is because I believe that the people who they originate from definitely do a better job in defining magic than I ever could.

I think it's worth noting that Wicca is primarily a spiritual path. That is, magic doesn't come in first place, but we could call it a sort of a little bonus (if you learn how to handle it correctly) :D

A long time ago, I read an interesting statement (paraphrasing): A Wiccan doesn't have to be a witch and a witch doesn't have to be a Wiccan. What we have here is a play of words between Wiccan and witch. A Wiccan is, by definition, someone who is initiated into Wicca, although my personal beliefs are that one doesn't have to be initiated, but rather that it is enough to follow a certain moral code that is a part of Wiccan beliefs as well as agree with some of the aspects of this spiritual path. Witches are usually defines as people who practice magic. I personally know a number of Pagans who don't practice magic at all; not because they don't know how, but because they don't want to. Basically, magic isn't obligatory!

As a student of the English language, my inner linguist is making me emphasize one more thing. In English, you may find the terms magic and magick being used for the same thing, but I believe that they should be differentiated. When we say "magic", we're usually thinking about magic tricks (e.g. card tricks, rabbits in hats, saw tricks...basically what magicians do). As for the word magick, this is actually the Old English spelling and is used in the Craft when talking about controlling/sending energy (please reread the definitions at the beginning to get a more detailed definition of this word). You will see me mixing these terms depending on my mood and how professional I want to sound :) please don't hold that against me :)

"Black" and "White" Magic

I would like to state, at the very beginning, that this categorization doesn't hold water (I would dare to say that it's completely inaccurate, but that's my opinion). Let me explain, the term "white magic" is often used for magic behind which are good intentions, while "black magic" is usually thought to be ill-intentioned. This seems to be quite logical, but it implies all sorts of things. These terms come from the Persian concept of Good and Evil (Ahura Mazda = the sun = light = good and Ahrimanu=the dark=evil). It is logical that one cannot know good without evil or light without darkness because it is precisely these contrasts that make these opposites recognizable. I hope you're following me :) these concepts were later adopted my Mithraism (Mithra = the Indo-European god of the Sun) thanks to which they came to the West and also to Christianity.

When it comes to this topic, I always like to quote "Hamlet" in which you can find the following line: "...for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." Magic, in itself, cannot be neither good nor bad. It is our perceptions and intentions that make it so. Therefore, we can say that our intentions may be "black" or "white" (even though not even this is completely accurate), but magic (energy) cannot be neither good nor bad (i.e. white or black). And no, it also cannot be pink or even orange with green spots.

Intention is key here. Intention is what will define the outcome of a magical deed, the strength of your magical rite and also the karmic outcome etc. If you think (or will think) of yourselves as a follower of any Pagan path, I believe that bad intentions are far away from your thoughts, but I still have to mention moral play an important role in magic, but I'll talk about this more later on in the post.

Magic as energy

Magic is, essentially, energy. This is what makes it so mobile and adjustable. Actually, it all depends on you (on your knowledge, ability, physical and mental health etc.). In this section, I would like to talk about your energy. When doing magic, it is important that you have enough energy of your own so you are able to control what you are doing (for this reason, doing magic while you are sick is not recommended). Also, being overweight (but also underweight) can influence your physical health quite badly. What I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't neglect your physical body in the process of mental and spiritual growth because they are equally important. This doesn't mean cutting out sweets or fatty foods from your diet or even meat (although nobody can really stop you from being vegetarian if you wish to do so), but you should learn how to balance out your diet so you don't affect your body badly. I, for example, am not a vegetarian because I believe that my organism needs meat, but I don't smoke, I avoid drinking alcohol and unhealthy foods, and I even avoid taking medicine (as in chemically-altered drugs). Physical activity is always a plus! Remember, all of this is needed for a healthy organism, and this is the kind of organism you want to have in your rituals (as well as in life in general). Because of the same reasons, pre-ritual baths are often recommended as well as fasting for 24 hours (i.e. eating only bread, honey and whole-wheat cereal as well as refraining from sexual activity).

You have probably heard this hundreds of times, but your body really is a temple, and you should cherish it. Life a healthy life and you will see that it will pay of both physically and energetically :)

Magic in rituals

Magic really does play an important role in rituals (more on this subject in my earlier post entitled "Ritual Form"). To elaborate, magic (if we're talking about energy) is often used in rituals, for example when opening and closing the ritual circle, when invoking or banishing etc. Another point I have to make when it comes to this topic is that it is recommended to do magical works only inside the consecrated and cleansed ritual circle. Why, you ask? Energy tends to escape very quickly, and the circle helps to direct and keep this energy on the right track (i.e. towards your goal). It helps to send energy for a more quality performance.

Feeling, intention and visualization 

Feeling and intention are the two most important factors in magical works. It is necessary to have a goal, and in doing so, you already have a certain intention in mind. This intention has to stay constant and stable throughout the whole magical work; from the establishment of the essential idea, through the preparations, execution of the plan all the way to the end of the whole performance (and preferably even after this). In doing all of this, you put more and more energy into that specific magical rite, and the more energy there is, the better the outcome will be (imagine it like making bread; the more times you knead the dough, the more time, effort and energy you put into it, the better and tastier the bread will be).

The second factor is feeling. Without feeling, you won't get very far. You have to feel what you do and be excited about it. This is why it is recommended that every individual does magic only for themselves or for a certain goal that induces subjective feelings and emotions. Basically, the more you want something to succeed, the bigger the chances are that it actually will!

Visualization is the development of a mental picture of the final outcome. Remember that you shouldn't visualize any phase of the process, but rather the achieved goal (when everything is done), what you want the whole situation to look like after the finished ritual.

Let me give you an example to make things clearer. Let us say that someone very close to you is having financial problems. Up to this point, everything is appropriate because we are dealing with someone close to you and for whom you have positive emotions, all of which will enable you to work with emotions. You also have to have an intention (not to harm that person, but help them) and visualize the final outcome. You won't visualize that person staying at home and being a couch potato, nor as they are doing some job they don't like. You will visualize them signing a contract for a full-time job with a firm that they want to work for or them happily fulfilling their professional obligations etc.

It is important to say here that magic is not done without any reason. It should only be done when necessary! It shouldn't serve as a means for gloating or bragging or a selfish way of getting what you want because if you do function like that, then there won't be as much feeling in the whole process nor will the intention be good and, ultimately, the outcome will not be positive (not to mention that the chances of you goal/wish even coming true is very small of not not-existent).

If you want to succeed in what you have set out to achieve, you should doubt it the slightest bit. Not until you are completely sure that you magical rite will work (without doubting it for a second) will it actually work! If you're not sure in what you are doing, there is probably a reason for that and it's better in that case to not waste your time or energy on magical works.

Timing

There are many magical correspondences that you can take into consideration when doing magical works. Pagans usually look toward the phases of the moon for guidance since it is a sort of general indicator of energy. The waxing moon is excellent for doing constructive magic (e.g. for raising /enhancing something, getting something you want and so on), while the time of the waning moon is the best time for destructive magic (bad intentions have nothing to do with this either. This type of magic is "destructive" because it puts and end/finishes something, gets rid of bad things, for example bad health, habits etc.). The full moon is thought to be the energetic peak of the month and is hence believed to be the best time for doing constructive magic. Of course, try to aim at doing more constructive magic because this is where fulfillment lies. Aim at gaining, not eliminating! :)

Magical Correspondences 

Certain days of the week, phases of the moon or the sun (as well as others) can affect the outcome of magic. Also, some colors are more welcome in the circle than others depending on what kind of magic you are doing. The same goes for metals, crystals etc. Why is that? It is believed that every color, every object, day etc. has certain vibrations (or energy if you wish) which it radiates and that magic will function best when all of these vibrations are synchronized (you can think of them as chords in music which are in harmony).

So I don't end up talking about these correspondences to infinity, I have written out a few tables here in hopes of helping you out. Fro more details on the subject, you can have a look at Raymond Buckland's The Complete Book of Witchcraft or perhaps one of his other works entitled Wicca for One.

Colors	Correspondences
Red	courage, health, sexual love, strength, vigor
Pink	honor, love, morals
Orange	adaptability, attractiveness, encouragement, stimulation
Yellow	attraction, charm, confidence, persuasion, protection
White	truth, honesty, cleanliness
Greenish-yellow	anger, cowardice, discord, jealousy, sickness
Green	fertility, finances, healing, happiness
Brown	hesitation, neutrality/indifference, doubt/uncertainty
Light blue	health, patience, peace, understanding
Dark blue	variability, depression, impulsiveness, toxicity
Violet	healing, peace, spirituality
Purple	ambitions, professional progression, power, tensions
Gray	cancellation, neutrality, dead-end situations, brilliancy, reflections
Black	confusion, disagreement, negativity, loss, indecision, neutrality

Astrological sign	Date of birth	Primary color	Secondary color
Aquarius	January 20-February 18	blue	green
Pisces	February 19-March 20	white	green
Aries	March 21-April 19	white	pink
Taurus	April 20-May 20	red	yellow
Gemini	May 21-June 21	red	blue
Cancer	June 22-July 22	green	brown
Leo	July 23-August 22	red	green
Virgo	August 23-September 22	gold	black
Libra	September 23-October 22	black	blue
Scorpio	October 23-November 21	brown	black
Sagittarius	November 22-December 21	gold	red
Capricorn	December 22-January 19	red	brown

Day of the week	Color	Planet	Metal	Correspondence
Monday	white	Moon	silver	ancestors, pregnancy, dreams, healing, instinct memory, clothes, chastity, theft, innocence
Tuesday	red	Mars	iron	enemies, prison, initiation, devotion, marriage, protection, war, wealth
Wednesday	purple	Mercury	mercury	work, fear, communication, debts, journeys, losses
Thursday	blue	Jupiter	tin	dressing, wishes, honor, harvests, marriage, vows, wealth, agreements/treaties
Friday	green	Venus	copper	beauty, growth, family life, friendships, love, fertility, concord, nature, pleasures, sexuality, water, strangers
Saturday	black	Saturn	lead	building, doctrines, freedom, gifts, life, protection, real estate, crops, strength, immunity
Sunday	yellow	Sun	gold	agriculture, beauty, hope, creativity, destiny, money, victory, expression

The days of the week and planets will help you time your magical rites, while colors, zodiac signs, metals and their interconnection be of great use when choosing a certain colored candle for your candle magic rites, what colored decorations you should have in the circle/on your altar, materials for your talismans, the color of your cord when doing cord magic etc. Of course, there are many types of magic and these are just a few of them. I won't be dealing with them here, but just so you know that they do exist. My main goal with this post is to give you some basic information on magic :)

Preparation and warnings

Before doing any magical work, it is necessary to prepare and secure the space in which you will be working. So here are some suggestions and warnings on this subject. You choose which you will listen to :)

Suggestions:

• when opening the circle, go around it once more and energetically secure it to ensure the energy doesn't "run away"
• meditate a bit before magical rites
• do your magical works in a consecrated and cleansed ritual circle (preferably always)
• cleanse yourself beforehand (by bathing, visualizing etc. especially if you're not going to be working in a circle)
• make sure that you're comfortable while doing your rite (nothing should distract you!)
• make sure if you have everything you need at hand (candles/cords or anything else you might be using as a medium)
• if you are going to fast before a ritual, hunger shouldn't distract you (this fast doesn't mean not eating anything at all, in fact you should eat. I already mentioned what is acceptable to eat/drink in this period)
• develop your concentration (work on this because it will be useful and you can find many handy exercises in literature or even on the internet)
• ground yourself after you have finished the ritual (be it devotional or magical, this is a good thing to do. This is done by making contact with the earth; lying on the ground, touching the floor/ground with your hands, eating...we often let go of the left-over energy in doing so)

Warnings:

• be careful how and what you invoke (don't order the God and Goddess to come into the circle but ask them nicely and don't invoke anything without know what it is any why your want it there...or simply put: don't play with fire!)
• don't break the circle while working (because of concentration, draining energy and letting negative energy into the consecrated circle)
• always take into account the consequences of your actions (more on this is the next section: Magic and Morals)

Magic and Morals

There's that main "rule" in Wicca which reads: " 'An ye harm none, do what ye will." This should definitely be kept in mind when doing magic (and rituals in general). So, before even beginning to do anything, think hard about who your actions could affect and in what way. Remember that every person has their own consciousness and the right to choose freely and if you affect this in any way, then you have already crossed the line and interfered in the private life of that person (and everyone deserves their privacy). If you notice that you are impeding someone's will and freedom, then it is best that you stop what you are doing unless you want to feel the consequences. I don't mean to sound rude or frightening, but that's what it's like in real life too. Everyone should mind their own actions, otherwise the whole system falls apart.

Let us take as an example the most popular type of magic - love magic. Everyone will ask themselves what harm there is in making someone fall in love with them. If that person isn't already in love with you, then by doing so you are taking away all other possibilities for that person. Maybe that person is in love with someone else or simply isn't ready for a relationship. By doing love magic to get that person to love you, you are harming them and not taking into account their feelings and wishes. Similarly, you can do harm to yourself by attracting the wrong person (without realizing it). Of course, "harm none" implies that you shouldn't harm yourself either.

So remember: harm none!

I hope that this post wasn't too tiring, but I thought it was necessary to cover this subject before you set out to do anything magic-related :)

Although, magic isn't as bad as I might have made it seem. It really can bring you some wonderful things. Not everything is about seriousness and bad consequences. You just have to be careful what you do and proceed with good intentions and happy thoughts! :D

The post really does cover a vast range of topics, so feel free to contact me with any questions you might have in case something is still not clear enough or if you feel that something has been left unsaid. :)

Until next time. Yours,

Witch's Cat

Astralna projekcija (3. dio)

Došlo je vrijeme da završim i s ovim ciklusom postova. :) Ako se sjećate, u prvom i drugom postu na temu astralne projekcije sam objasnila o čemu se radi, neke tehnike kojima se projekcija može postići i što treba, odnosno ne treba raditi kada ste u astralu. 

U pokušaju da objasnim kako astral izgleda, dala sam primjer leta avionom i raketom. Kada smo u fizičkom tijelu, to bi bila ekvivalenta hodanja po zemlji. Astralni svijet ima više ravni, a ako idemo maksimalno pojednostavniti ovu shemu, onda bi se moglo reći da postoji niži i viši astral. Niži astral bi bio kao da letite avionom, dok je viši astral viša ravan i može se usporediti s letenjem raketom kroz svemir. Nadam se da me pratite do sada. :)

Drugi dio ciklusa sam posvetila upravo nižem astralu u kojeg se direktno ulazi kada uđete u astralnu ravan, no potrebno je nešto više naučiti i proći kako biste dospjeli u viši astral. Bio bi red da to malo pojasnim.

Kako dospjeti u viši astral?

Rekla sam da postoje dvije stvari koje utječu na baš boravak u astralu izuzev vas samih, a to su vaša podsvijest i vaša viša svijest (ako to uopće možemo tako reći pošto su obje svijesti zapravo dio vas). Ukratko, vaša podsvijest je ona koja će vaš pokušati vraćati na niže ravni i naposljetku natrag u vaše fizičko tijelo tj. u fizičku ravan. Kako bi to učinila, ona će vam postavljati mamce poput vrata koja će vas zaintrigirati jer su tamo gdje ne bi trebala biti, zvonjenja telefona na kojeg ćete se htjeti javiti i slično. Dakle, ti mamci su i te kako primjetni jer je podsvijest previše primitivna da bi primijetila, a kamoli uopće stvorila, male promjene kojima bi vas mogla namamiti. Vaša viša svijest zna da podsvijest ne primjećuje detalje i ostavlja vam malene tragove koje morate pratiti. Zašto ovo spominjem? Iz jednostavnog razloga što će vam upravo ti maleni tragovi omogućiti odlazak u viši astral tj. na višu ravan astrala. 

Poanta bi bila ta da će vas detalji odvesti u viši astral! Taj će vam detalj svakako privući pažnju na ovaj ili onaj način jer vaša viša svijest zna kako funkcionirate i zna čime će vas privući. Stoga se ne morate brinuti oko toga; ona će naći način. No zapamtite da će ti detalji odskakati, najčešće po tome što ih inače uopće nema u fizičkom svijetu, ili pak jer će biti tamo gdje inače nisu (sjetite se da će niži astral najčešće biti replika vašeg fizičkog svijeta).

Kako funkcionira viši astral?

Kao što sam rekla, niži astral je replika fizičkog svijeta koji vas inače okružuje, ali viši astral će biti nešto s čime se do sada još niste susreli. Stoga se preporuča da se ne pokuša ući u viši astral dok niste stopostotno sigurni u svoje sposobnost i dok ne steknete dovoljno iskustva u nižem astralu. Sada se možda pitate kako steći to iskustvo? Sjetite se plana rada/akcije kojeg sam spominjala u prošlom postu. Taj plan  rada će sadržavati ciljeve koje želite ostvariti u tom astralnom putovanju, a što više ciljeva uspijete ostvariti, to ćete stjecati veće samopouzdanje i iskustvo (kao i u stvarnom životu zapravo). S vremenom ćete imati dovoljno samopouzdanja i iskustva da odete u viši astral.

No, važno je da zapamtite da ste vi u višem astralu uljez na neki način (barem dok se ne "udomaćite"). Postoji mnoštvo svjetova u višem astralu, a svaki ima svoje stražare, vodiče i pravila. Kada ste na tuđem teritoriju, morate igrati po njihovim pravilima, a naravno da ih ne znate kada po prvi put dođete tamo. Zato ćete morati pitati nekoga da vam pomogne.

Vaš vodič

Neki ga nazivaju čuvarom svijeta, a neki vodičem. On postoji u svakom svijetu, no, kako ne bi došlo do zabune, moram napomenuti da svaki svijest ima svog vodiča. Kada dospijete u viši astral, prvo morate njega tražiti. Pozovete ga kao što i sva bića i sve stvari u astralu - mislima. Dovoljno je zaželjeti da vam se pridruži vodič i on će se pojaviti. Zapamtite da u astralu nisu potrebne nikakve komplicirane invokacije ili vizualizacije jer sve kontrolirate vašim mislima. Jedna korisna napomena je da se stvari/bića koja "zazovete" u astralu obično stvore iza vas pa ćete se trebati okrenuti kako biste ih vidjeli. Ovo vam se možda čini neobičnim, no zato ću i pojasniti zašto. Naime, kada vi zamislite/zaželite to nešto, nesvjesni dio vas već konstruira to nešto van vašeg vidokruga. Mogli ste do sada shvatiti da je cijeli fenomen astrala zapravo vrti oko konstruiranja, a za to će vam više koristiti domišljatost neko "knjiško" znanje. Potrebna je domišljatost kako biste prevarili sami sebe i svoj razum (koji je, na neki način, neprijatelj astrala). 

Kada ste pristojno pozvali vašeg vodiča i sprijateljili se s njim (ne zaboravite osnovna pravila pristojnosti), on će vas vodit po toj astralnoj ravni kao pravog turista. :) Važno je napomenuti da taj vodič ne mora uopće imati oblik ljudskog bića. Ono može biti životinja, kamen, list kojeg otpuhuje vjetar, niz smjerokaza ili nešto potpuno apstraktno. Ali bez brige; znati ćete da vas vodi nešto i taj osjećaj trebate samo slijediti. 

Kada se dovoljno dobro upoznate s tim svijetom i njegovim pravilima, moći ćete putovati sami, ali nitko vam neće braniti da u bilo kojem trenutku zazovete vodiča  za pomoć ako se "izgubite". :)

Kretanje u višem astralu

Manje-više su isti načini kretanja kao u nižem astralu, ali s drukčijim efektima. Neki od njih su:

• Teleportacija (nemojte ovo pokušavati dok niste već dosta puta bili u astralu jer je isto potrebna neka vještina da biste ovo postigli). Ona ste postiže tako da zamislite vaše odredište i držite ga u glavi 5-10 sekunda i pritom držite zatvorene oči. Dok držite zatvorene oči ćete osjetiti kretanje (kao da vas vjetar nosi do destinacije), ali ne dajte da vas to omete. Sljedeći put kada otvorite oči ćete se nalaziti na tom mjestu kojeg ste zamislili. Kada ste jednom u višem astralu, teleportacija će vas voditi direktno u neku još višu ravan astrala (no ako se idete teleportirati u nižem astralu, vratit ćete se u fizičko tijelo...tu je razlika!). Također, može se dogoditi iznimka jednom u sto puta. Naime, vrlo rijetko će se dogoditi da će vas vaša viša svijest htjeli nekamo odvesti kako bi vam prenijela nešto i onda će iskoristiti trenutak vaše teleportacije da to učini. Dakle, umjesto da se stvorite tamo gdje ste vi htjeli, stvorit ćete se na mjestu u kojeg vas je dovela vaša viša svijest, ali nemojte se brinuti. Sjetite se da vam ona nipošto ne želi nauditi. Samo se opustite i "go with the flow", prepustite se njoj i dozvolite joj neka vas vodi.
• Translokacija (razlikuje se po tome što je ona nasumična, a teleportacija namjerna). Ona se radi tako da pogledate sebi u ruku i držite tu pogled neko vrijeme. One će izgledati drukčije nego u fizičkom svijetu, ali to je sada manje važno. Ono što jest važno je da, kada maknete pogled s nje, ćete biti na nekom drugom mjestu (nasumičnom, naravno). Ovo vrijedi za sve ravni astrala. No, ovo zna biti zeznuto. Najbolje ćete učiti iz iskustva. Trik je zapravo u tome da naučite koliko dugo treba gledati u ruke jer ako gledate premalo, nećete ništa postići, a ako gledate predugo, vratit ćete se u vaše fizičko tijelo. Ali kažem, iskustvo će učiniti svoje. 
• Vratima (čini se očito, ali moram napomenuti) se možete kretati i dok hodate u astralu. Ona vas mogu odvesti u drugu prostoriju, ali i na neko u potpunosti drugo mjesto. Isto tako vas mogu odvesti u druge svjetove, što se postiže crtanjem simbola tih svjetova na sama vrata/iznad njih/na kvaku itd. Ovo spada pod kategoriju višeg astrala pa hajdemo malo više o tome popričati.

Ulazak u druge svjetove

Već sam rekla da postoje razni svjetovi u astralu, no koji točno? Pa postoji ih bezbroj. No navela bih neke koje je i te kako vrijedno posjetiti i koji su, na neki način, univerzalni.

• Elementalni svjetovi - svaki element (voda, vatra, zemlja, zrak) ima svoj svijet u astralu. Svaki taj svijet ima svog čuvara/vodiča s kojim trebate postupati kao i s bilo kojim drugim vodičem. No, svijet vatre će vas upoznati samo s elementom vatre, kao što će vas svijest vode samo s elementom vode. Vrijedi posjetiti ove svjetove kako biste se bolje povezali s elementima, što će vam mnogo koristiti i u fizičkom svijetu kada budete, na primjer, tijekom rituala radili s elementima i elementalima.
• Svjetovi tarot karata - znate da postoji priličan broj tarot karata, a za one koji se ozbiljno bave njima, odličan način da se s njima povežu je da otiđu u posjet svijetu svake pojedinačne karte. Ovo je dugotrajan proces, ali se isplati jer dobijete priliku ući u trodimenzionalni svijet koji se krije iza onog dvodimenzionalnog prikaza na karti. Moći ćete se upoznati s likovima na karti (zapravo bi bilo pristojno da to učinite i da, uz to, poštujete njihova pravila) a s vremenom ćete moći i sami istraživati.
• Svjetovi zodijaka - znate koji su znakovi zodijaka pa tu ne treba previše objašnjavati. U njima ćete imati priliku istražiti zviježđa, upoznati kako funkcionira koji znak itd.

No, kako zapravo doći u sve te svjetove?

Najjednostavniji način bi bio koristeći se vratima. Pošto na višem astralu vi kontrolirate stvari (a u tome pomaže i vaša viša svijest), možete naprosto zaželjeti vrata i ona će se stvoriti iza vas (kao što se uglavnom sve stvori). Potrebno je znati neke znakove povezane sa svijetom u kojeg želite ući i da taj znak ucrtate negdje na vratima (iznad njih, na njih, na kvaki itd.). Kada prođete kroz ta vrata, stvorit ćete su u tom svijetu. Ovdje bih navela još jedan trik koji vam može pomoći. Ova će vam tehnika možda predstavljati problem u početku jer naprosto neće biti logična tj. vaš razum je neće priznavati. Ovaj problem možete riješiti tako da se, nakon što ucrtate znakove, okrenete leđima ka vratima i napipate kvaku. Tek kada unatraške prođete kroz vrata i okrenete se ćete se naći u potpuno novom ambijentu.

Za elemente postoje brojni simboli, pa je najbolje da se koristite onima koji vam se najviše dopadaju, ili koje inače koristite, ili pak nekim simbolom koji isključivo vama predstavlja taj element. Glavno je da  znate što taj simbol znači. :) Svaki zodijački znak ima svoj univerzalni simbol kojeg se uglavnom ne mijenja. Tarot karte su već priča za sebe.

Ako želite ući u svijet neke tarot karte, možete to učiniti na više načina. Možete zamisliti tu kartu kao sama vrata ili pak nju zamisliti na vratima. Druga opcija je da zaspete s tom kartom prije nego što uđete u astral. Kada se "probudite" u astralu (tj. kada vaše astralno tijelo padne s kreveta), trebate samo napipati tu kartu tamo gdje ste je stavili u fizičkom svijetu. Tada je možete ponijeti sa sobom i iskoristiti kada vam god treba, a ako ste jako iskusni (kao moj prijatelj koji mi je i objašnjavao ovo sve), onda možete ravno iz nižeg astrala ući u svijet tarot karte tako da je postavite na pod i uskočite u nju. Tako ćete se direktno naći u višem astralu.

Još jedna napomena. :) Korisno je uvijek postavljati razne ulaze/portale u vašem stanu tj. nižem astralu ponajviše u slučaju nužde. A super je ideja u stvarnom svijetu na nekom mjestu imati torbicu sa svim simbolima koji vam mogu poslužiti za ulazak u druge svjetove (set tarot karata, set runa itd.). Umjesto da pamtite te puste simbole, u nižem astralu trebate samo prošetati do torbe, izvući onaj simbol koji vam treba i uskočiti u njega kao što se čini s tarot kartama. :)

Druge stvari koje možete raditi

Vi ne morate samo putovati od svijeta do svijeta! Vi možete još dosta toga isprobati u astralu kao što je, na primjer:

• Pokušati letjeti (iako se preporuča da se ovo izbjegava što je više moguće jer se tijekom leta gubi osjet opipa, a kao što sam već rekla, osjet opipa je primarno osjetilo u astralnom svijetu)
• Pokušati prizvati svoje više "ja" (ovo ćete morati otkrivati sami za sebe)
• Liječiti oboljenja (ovo se radi tako da se zapravo punite energijom u astralu, što vas tu ujedno i dulje zadržava. Možete puniti energiju na više način: gledanjem u sunce (kojeg je, usput rečeno, jako teško naći), vrtenjem oko svoje osi ispruženih ruku, radeći vježbu vibriranja srednjeg stuba koju se izvodi u vašem astralnom hranu...uskoro ću ovo pojasniti)
• Čitati knjigu (iz puke zabave. Nećete odjednom biti prosvijetljeni, ali je jako zanimljivo vidjeti koja je razlika naspram čitanja u fizičkom svijetu. Mnogo je teže zbog spoja lijeve i desne hemisfere mozga u astralu, ali se može uraditi. Uglavnom se ovo prakticira u vašem astralnom hramu.)

Stvaranje vašeg astralnog hrama

Evo, već sam dva puta spomenula ovaj astralni hram bez da sam objasnila što je on uopće. Dakle, znate što je hram. Pa onda je vrlo jednostavno zaključiti što je astralni hram - hram u astralnom svijetu.

Čemu on služi? Pa služi vam kao neka vrsta utočišta. Može vam biti poput dnevnog boravka, može služiti religioznoj svrsi, poslužiti vam za obavljanje magijskih radova (da, i njih se može izvoditi u astralu i još su intenzivniji nego kada ih se radi u fizičkom svijetu!) itd. Što se tiče izvođenja rituala u astralu, moram napomenuti da su oni svakako najsnažniji tu i da se naprosto spuste u fizički svijet i tu vrše svoj utjecaj nakon što ih odradite u astralu. Zapravo, rituali su praktički stvoreni da bi ih se izvodilo u astralu.

Za što je on pogodan? Odličan je za imati jer ste u njemu najsigurniji od vaše podsvijesti. Zapamtite da vam je astralni hram poput kuće, a podsvijest poput lopova. Ona će htjeti ući, ali ako se vi dobro ogradite, ako zaključate vrata kad uđete (ali i kada izađete) i postavite nekakav "alarm" ili čuvare, onda ona neće moći prodrijeti u vaš hram.

Kako izgraditi hram? Vi ste šef u višem astralu. Vi određujete kako se što radi. Ako vi želite da se on magično gradi sam od sebe, to će tako i biti. Ako zamišljate proces gradnje tako da ga grade bauštelci, ili pak mali gnomovi, tako će i biti. Sve je na vama. Može biti izgrađen od bilo kojeg materijala, nemogućih proporcija i formi koje nikad ne bi bile ostvarive u fizičkom svijetu. Može imati tlocrt kakav god poželite. Sve je prepušteno vama na volju. Samo nemojte zaboraviti dobro ograditi hram, pa čak i dodatno ograditi nakon što ga radnici izgrade. To možete učiniti postavljanjem ograde, jarka, mosta, sigurnosnog koda na vratima, energetskom zaštitom, postavljanje čuvara (snažnih  muškaraca, moćnih Amazonki, sfingi, lavova ma što god!). Sve je na vama. Tu je sve moguće! No, možda je najbolji način da ga izgradite je mislima (misao o njemu je jedini pravi materijal za gradnju!). Kada ste budni, crtajte njegove tlocrte, nacrte (pa makar oni ne bili arhitektonski), mislite o njemu itd. Sve će ga to osnažiti i poboljšati gradnju.

U hramu možete imati i spavaću sobu u kojoj ćete zaspati i ući u dublji astral, tu napuniti energiju i onda se probuditi zapravo natrag u vašem astralnom hramu spremni za nastaviti život u astralu još neko vrijeme. Ovo će vam produžiti vaše vrijeme u astralu, što je ponekad od velike važnosti (pogotovo kada radite neke rituale, ili druge vrste radova). Ovakav san vas dovodi u susret s najdubljim dijelovima vašeg bića. Preporuča se da ta soba bude povezana s glavnom prostorijom jednim malim, teško vidljivim tunelom koji se blago spušta put dolje. Sve to utječe na vašu svijest i omogućuje usporavanje vremena. Možete imati posebnu prostoriju za rituale, vlastitu knjižnicu, prostoriju s bazenom napunjenim čistom energijom u kojem se možete okupati i tako napuniti energiju (što će vam opet produljiti boravak). Ovo su samo neke ideje, ali sam sigurna da ćete vi uspjeti smisliti još dosta toga.

Važno je da napomenem još nekoliko stvari vezane uz vaš astralni hram. Kao prvo, nemojte nikada gasiti svijeće u vašem hramu! Nedostatak svjetla omogućava lopovu (podsvijesti) da lakše provali i time vas vrati natrag u fizičko tijelo (to je zapravo jedini način na koji ona može upasti u vaš astralni hram). Kao drugo, imajte neki emergency exit s nekakvim tajnim prolazom koji vas vodi na neko drugo mjesto. I ovo može dobro doći (nikad se ne zna!). 

Također, prije nego što krenete graditi astralni hram, preporuča se da odmah zamislite kako će izgledati vrata u detalj i da zapamtite kako izgleda kvaka te na koji način se ulazi (ukucavanjem sigurnosnog koda, posebnim načinom kucanja, izgovaranjem nekih riječi, radeći neke poteze itd.). Ovo je važno jer će vam omogućiti da, kada budete dovoljno vješti, uđete direktno u vaš astralni hram iz nižeg astrala; sjetite se dijela kada vaše astralno tek padne na pod. Tada trebate pipati oko sebe kako biste stvorili sebi sliku o prostoru u kojem se nalazite. Pa ako dovoljno dobro zamislite vrata vašeg hrama, u tom mraku ćete moći napipati i njih tj. kvaku i prepoznati to kao vrata vašeg hrama te ih otvoriti na prikladni način. 

To bi otprilike bilo to što se tiče astralnog hrama :)

Kako se vratiti u fizičko tijelo?

Skoro se na iste načine možete vratiti u fizičko iz višeg astrala kao i iz nižeg. Ali i ovdje ću nešto napisati o tome, iako detaljnije o tome možete pročitati u drugom dijelu ciklusa.

• Zatvaranjem očiju - zapamtite da vi u astralu zapravo nemate fizičko tijelo, a time ni kapke pa će ovo učiniti onaj potrebni fizički most. Ovo je drukčije od teleportacije jer kada naprosto zatvorite oči, nemate neko odredište, ali kada se teleportirate i pritom zatvorite oči, važno je da znate kamo želite otići.
• Žmirenjem - sličan efekt kao kod zatvaranja očiju, ali je manje naglo.
• Gledanjem gore - pokret očima unatrag nas podsjeća na ono vrtenje unatrag koje se čini kada pokušavamo ući u astral pa nas ovo doslovno vraća natrag (u prijašnje stanje tj. fizičko stanje).
• Štipanjem sebe i vrtenjem glavom - ovo su jako fizički pokreti koji će opet stvoriti premosnicu do fizičkog tijela.
• Koncentriranjem na nešto - ovo je najjednostavnija metoda. Ako se predugo fokusirate na nešto onda se slika oko vas počne topiti i opet se nađete u fizičkom tijelu. Dobar primjer je gledanje u dlanove. Ako gledate u dlanove u astralu, oni će se nakon nešto vremena početi topiti i ako ne skrenete tada pogled s njih, uskoro ćete se opet naći u fizičkom tijelu, ali ako skrenete pogled na vrijeme, naći ćete se na višoj razini astrala od one prijašnje.

Posljednje napomene za rad u višem astralu

Isto vrijedi kao i za niži astral: nemojte ulaziti u zatvorene prostore (bili oni pokretni ili nepokretni), nemojte pokušati ulaziti u astral dva dana za redom (barem u početku), pazite na detalje itd. Neke bih posebne napomene vezane uz rad u višem astralu izdvojila. Većinu sam ih već spomenula u tekstu, ali jedan sažetak zna biti jako praktičan. 

• Kako biste ušli u viši astral, tražite detalje dok ste u nižem astralu.
• Nemojte se zaboraviti voditi pravilima svijeta u kojemu se nalazite i biti pristojni.
• Poželjno je i kada idete u viši astral imati plan akcije!!! (bez obzira što ste u višem astralu, nedostatak animacije i prevelika koncentracija vas i dalje mogu vratiti u fizičko tijelo)
• Vodič (kao i svi drugi entiteti u višem astralu) je jako moćan. Uzaludno je pokušati pobjeći od njega (a time i bilo kojeg drugog bića tu), makar nećete imati potrebe za tim uopće jer vam oni neće htjeti naštetiti. No imati ćete osjećaj strahopoštovanja prema njima jer naprosto imponiraju.
• I u višem astralu možete izgubiti energiju pa vam se zbog toga može početi mutiti slika. Na iste načine možete izoštriti sliku kao i u nižem astralu (pogledajte drugi post u ciklusu).

Napomene vezane uz vaš astralni hram:

• Svijeće UVIJEK moraju biti upaljene u vašem hramu (bile one električne ili voštane, ili baklje ma kakve god samo da uvijek gore!)
• Dobro ogradite hram, a po mogućnosti ga nekako i sakrijete (prilagodite ga okruženju tj. kamuflirajte)
• Nemojte nikome odati kako ući u vaš hram (ni-ko-me!). To je prostor rezerviran isključivo za vas.

Zašto uopće ulaziti u astral?

Pretpostavljam da ste počeli čitati ovaj ciklus postova jer želite ući u astral, no neki možda neće ovo čitati s tom namjerom. Možda vas je samo ponukala znatiželja? Svakako, osjećam se dužnom objasniti zašto biste uopće htjeli ući u astral, odnosno što možete dobiti od toga izuzev novih iskustava i malo zabave. Ovo je jako važno pitanje pa bih stoga ovo prepustila mom prijatelju, Dušanu Trajkoviću koji je, skupa s još nekolicinom ljudi, sve ovo što sam ja govorila u ovim postovima isprobao, osmislio i prenio na mnoštvo ljudi diljem svijeta. Evo koji vam on odgovor nudi na ovo pitanje. :)

"Andy Warhol je rekao da svatko od nas ima svojih petnaest minuta slave. Možda je dobro reći da je ovo jedan lijep i nadasve drukčiji način na koji tih petnaest minuta možete iskoristiti. Živimo u uvjerenju da naše vrijeme traje, da je prošlo, ili da će proći i sukladno tome, naš duhovni napredak mjerimo vremenom (koliko dugo se bavimo nekim sistemom), a ne kvalitetom onoga što smo možda samo tijekom jedne večeri doživjeli. Prosta računica nas navodi na frapantan podatak da trećinu života provedemo spavajući, a mali dio toga i sanjajući. Zapravo, prosječan tridesetogodišnjak je svjestan samo dvadeset godina svoga života. A ako dodamo našem životu nesvjesne periode, zašto onda ne dodajemo i onih devet mjeseci koje smo proveli u majčinoj utrobi, za koje su danas psiholozi ustanovili da su jako važni u našem životu? Stoga, razlika u duhovnom radu početnika i majstora, upravo leži u iskorištavanju onog dijela našeg života koji je nesvjestan, svima isti, i nažalost, previše često svima neprimjetan. Bez postignuća iskustva koje se navodi kao astralna projekcija, svi sistemi zapadne i istočne ezoterijske misli samo su još jedna bajka. Usudite se dosegnuti uspeh. Štoviše, usudite se upotrijebiti sredstvo."

Slatko spavajte i lijepo sanjajte! Želim vam ugodno putovanje! ;)

Do sljedećeg posta. Vaša,
Witch's Cat

Astral Projection (Part 3)

The time has come for me to finish up with this series of posts. :) If you remember, in the first and second post on this topic, I explained what astral projection is all about, some techniques to achieve it what you can and can't do once you're there.

In an attempt to describe what the astral planes look like, I used the visual images of flying with an airplane and rocket. When we are in our physical bodies, it is like we are walking on the earth. The astral world has several levels and if we try to simplify its plan as much as possible then we could say that a lower and higher astral plane exist. The lower astral would be the equivalent of flying with a plane while the higher astral is, obviously, a higher level and would be like flying in a rocket though outer space. I hope that this is all clear up to now. :)

I dedicated the second post in this series to the lower astral plane which you directly enter when you achieve astral projection, but it is necessary to learn a bit more and gain a bit more experience to get to the higher astral plane. Now let me explain this.

How to Get to the Higher Astral Plane?

I mentioned that there are two factors that influence your stay in the astral world apart from yourselves, and those are your subconscious and your higher consciousness (if we can even put it like this since both of them are an integral part of you). In short, your subconscious is the one who will try to bring you back to lower astral levels and, ultimately, back in your physical body (i.e. back in the physical plane). In order to do this, it will put out bait for you such as mysterious doors which will intrigue you because they aren't where they should be, the ringing of a phone which you will badly want to answer and things like this. All of these signs will be very obvious because your subconscious is too primitive to notice, and let alone create, small differences with which to capture you. You higher consciousness knows that your subconscious doesn't notice details so it leaves you small clues which you have to follow. Why am I mentioning this? Because of the simple reason that it will be these small clues that will lead you to a higher astral level, or better said, onto the higher astral plane.

The point here would be that details will lead you to the higher astral plane! They will attract you attention in one way or another because your higher consciousness knows how you function and knows what you like. So don't worry about this; it will find a way. But remember that these details will stand out, usually because they don't even exist in your physical world or perhaps because they will be somewhere they aren't supposed to be (if you recall, the lower astral plane will usually be a replica of your physical world).

How Do Things on the Higher Astral Plane Work?

Like I said, the lower astral plane is a copy of your physical world (that which usually surrounds you), but the higher astral plane will be something that you have never set eyes on before. This is why it is not recommended to try and reach the higher astral plane until you are completely confident in your abilities and until you gain enough experience on the lower astral plane. You may now be asking yourselves: "How do I gain the necessary experience?". Remember the plan of action I mentioned in the previous post. This plan will be made up of all the goals you want to achieve during that astral projection and the more goals you achieve, the higher your self-confidence will be and the more experience you will have (not much different from normal life, is it?). In time, you will have enough confidence and experience to successfully enter the higher astral world.

But it is important for you to remember that you are a sort of an intruder in the higher astral world (at least until you "make yourself at home"). There are many worlds on the higher astral plane and each one has its own guards, guides and rules. When you are on another's territory, you have to play by their rules. Of course, you won't know the rules the first time you get there. This is why you will have to ask someone to find out.

Your Guide

Some call him the keeper of that particular world and some a guide. A guide exists in every world but just so there are no misunderstandings, I have to emphasize that each world has its own guide. When you reach the higher astral plane, the first thing you have to look for is the guide. You can call upon him the way you would do for any other thing/place in the astral plane - with your thoughts. It is enough to wish for the guide to be there and he will be there. Remember that no complicated invocations or visualizations are needed in the astral worlds because you can control everything with your thoughts. A useful tip would be that every thing/creature you "call upon" in the astral world usually turns up behind you so you will have to turn around to see them. This may seem strange to you so I will explain why. Basically, when you wish for/want something, your unconscious has already started constructing it outside your field of vision. You could have figured out by now that the whole astral phenomenon is based on construction, and for this purpose, ingenuity will be of more use than "book smarts". You will have to be ingenious in order to trick yourself and your mind (which is, in some way, the enemy of the astral world).

Once you have called upon your guide and gotten to know him (never forget to be polite), he/she/it will lead you through that astral world just like a real tourist guide. :) It is important to note that the guide doesn't even have to be human. It can be an animal, a rock, a leaf blown by the wind, a series of signs or something completely abstract. But don't worry, you will know that that something is leading you and all you have to do is trust your instinct.

After you have gotten to know that world and its rules, you will be able to travel alone, but nobody can forbid you to call upon the guide for help at any time if you get "lost". :)

Moving Around on the Higher Astral Plane

The methods are basically the same as on the lower astral plane but they sometimes have different affects. Some of them are:

• Teleportation (do not try this until you've achieved astral projection several times because it does take a bit of experience). This is done by imagining your destination and keeping the image in your mind for 5-10 seconds while keeping your eyes closed. During this time, you will feel like you are moving (as if the wind is carrying you), but don't let that distract you. The next time you open you eyes, you will find yourself in the place you imagined. Once you are on the higher astral plane, teleportation can only lead you onto higher and higher levels (whereas if you try to teleport on the lower astral plane, this would just return you to your physical body....that's the main difference!). Also, an exception can happen once in a hundred times (figuratively speaking). To elaborate, it may occur that your higher consciousness chooses to take you some place of its choice to give you a certain message and it will take advantage of that moment of teleportation to do so. So, instead of ending up where you wanted to, you will end up where your higher consciousness wanted you to be. But this is no reason to be worried because, as you may remember, your higher consciousness doesn't want to do you any harm. Just relax and go with the flow, give yourself over to it and let it guide you.
• Translocation (it is different from teleportation in the fact that it is random, while teleportation is intentional). You can achieve this by looking at your hands and keeping your gaze there for a while. They will look differently than what they look like in the physical world, but that is less important now. What is important is that when you move your gaze from them, you will be in another random place. This can be done on all levels of the astral plane. But this method can also be quite tricky, but you will learn from experience. The trick is to know exactly when to remove your gaze from your hands because if you look at them for a short period of time, you will achieve nothing. Then again, if you look at them too long, you will just return to your physical body. But like I said, it will come with experience.
• Using doors (it seems obvious but I have to mention it). You can use this method even while walking around the astral plane. They can take you to another room or a completely different place. They can also take you to other worlds. This can be achieved by drawing the symbol of that world on the door/over it/on the door knob etc. This falls under the category of the higher astral plane so let's talk about that some more now.

Entering Other Worlds

I already mentioned that there are many worlds on the astral plane, but which ones exactly? Well there are countless worlds there, but I would like to mention a few which are worth visiting and which are, in a way, universal.

• Elemental worlds - each element (water, fire, earth and air) has its own world on the astral plane. Each of these worlds has its own guardian/guide towards which you should behave as with any other guide. But, the world of fire will only introduce you to fire, as will the world of water only introduce you to water. These worlds are worth visiting because they will enable you to become closer to the elements which may be of great use to you in the physical world, for example when working with the elements and elementals during rituals.
• Tarot card worlds - you know that there are many cards in the tarot deck and for those that have become serious about practicing Tarot, this may be an excellent what to connect with the cards and visit the world that lies beyond the 2D picture on the card. This is a long-term process, but it is worth it in the end. You will have the chance to meet the characters on the cards (this would actually be the polite thing to do and, while you're there, abide by their rules) and in time, you will be able to explore these worlds by yourself.
• Zodiac worlds - you know which ones they are so there's no need to elaborate here. In these worlds, you will have the opportunity to explore the stars, see how each sign functions etc.

But how exactly do you enter all these worlds?

The simplest way would be to use a door. Since you control everything in the higher astral planes (with a bit of help from your higher consciousness), you can simply wish for a door, and it will appear behind you (just as most things do there). It is necessary to know some symbols which are associated with the world you want to enter and do draw that symbol somewhere on the door (on it, over it, on the door knob etc.). Once you go through that door, you will be in that specific world. I would like to mention another trick that could be useful. This technique may be complicated for you in the beginning because it goes against logic i.e. your reason won't be able to accept it. You can solve this problem by feeling the knob and walking backwards through the door after you have drawn the symbol. Only when you have passed through the door backwards and turned back to the front will you find yourself in a completely new environment.

There are many symbols for the elements, so it's best if you use the ones you are most familiar with or those which you find the most attractive or perhaps the a special symbol that represents that element only to you. It is only important that you know what that symbol means. :) Each zodiac sign has its own universal symbol which is usually left unchanged. Tarot cards, on the other hand, are more complicated.

If you want to enter the world of a specific tarot card, you can do this in several ways. You can imagine the card as the actual door, or the card being stuck onto the door. Another method is leaving that card next to you before you enter the astral plane. When you "wake up" in the lower astral world (i.e. when you astral body falls off your bed), all you have to do is find the card where you left it in the physical world by feeling around. You can then take it around with you wherever you go. If you are even more experienced (like my friend is who explained and improved all these techniques), then you can go straight from the lower astral plane to the tarot card world by placing the card on the floor and jumping into it. This way, you will directly enter the higher astral plane.

Another note. :) It is very useful to put many entrances/portals in your apartment, or rather its copy in the lower astral plane just in case of emergency. It is also a good idea to have a bag in the physical world with the symbols of all the worlds you may want to visit (including a set of runes, a tarot card set etc.). So instead of remembering all those symbols, all you have to do in the lower astral realm is walk to the bag, take out the symbol you need and jump in it as you would with the tarot cards. :)

Other Things You Can Do

You don't have to only travel from world to world! You can try many more things in the astral planes, such as:

• Try to fly (even though it is recommended to avoid this as much as possible because you loose your sense of touch in the air and, as I said, this sense is your primary one in the astral world)
• Try to invoke your higher self (you will have to discover this for yourselves)
• Heal ailments (this is done by actually filling yourself with energy in the astral realms which also happens to keep you there longer. You can do this in several ways: by looking at the sun which is, by the way, very hard to find; by spinning around yourself; by doing the exercise of the vibrating Middle Pillar which I will explain soon enough etc.)
• Read a book (just out of fun. You won't suddenly be enlightened, but it is very interesting to see the differences from reading in the physical world. It is much more difficult because of the connection of the right and left hemisphere of the brain that happens in the astral world, but it can be done. But this is usually done in your astral temple)

Creating Your Astral Temple

I have already mentioned this astral temple without actually telling you what it is. Well, you know what a temple is. From this, you can easily conclude what an astral temple is - a temple in the astral world.

But what is its purpose? You could say that it is some sort of a refuge. It can be like your living room, or it can serve a religious purpose, be there for your do to magic in (yes, you can do magic in the astral world too and it is even more intense than in the physical world!) etc. Regarding doing rituals in your astral temple, I have to mention that they are strongest when done there and then their effects simply come down into the physical world where they carry out their influence. Actually, rituals were practically created to be done in the astral world.

What is your temple appropriate for? For starters, an astral temple is a great place to have because you can "escape" from your subconscious there. Remember that you astral temple is like a home and your subconscious like a burglar. It will want to enter, but if you secure it well enough, if you lock the door when you go out (and also enter it), activate some sort of alarm or put guards at the entrances, then it simply won't be able to get in.

But how do you build an astral temple? You are your own boss in the higher astral realm so you decide how everything gets done. If you want it to magically be built by itself, that's how it will be done. If you imagine it being built by laborers, or perhaps little gnomes then it will be built like that. It's all up to you. It can be built out of any material at all, it can have unimaginable proportions and be made up of forms that don't even exist in the physical world. It can also have any floor plan that you want. Just don't forget to guard it well and even additionally secure it after the builders have finished doing her work. You can do this by building a simple fence, or digging a ditch, building a bridge, using a security code on the door, putting in energetic protection, "employing" guards (strong men, powerful Amazon women, sphinxes, lions or whatever!). Everything is possible! But perhaps the best way to build it is in your thoughts (thought is the only real building material for this!). When you're awake, draw its floor plan, blueprints (even if they aren't professionally drawn), think about what it could look like etc. All of this will make it stronger and better the building.

You can also have a bedroom in your astral temple in which you can fall asleep and go even deeper into the astral world, charge your energy this way and then wake up in your astral temple ready for a new day in the astral world. This will extend your time in the astral world, which is sometimes of great importance (for example, when you're doing a ritual or other works there). This kind of sleep brings you face to face with the most hidden parts of your being. It is recommended that this bedroom be connected to the "living room" with a small, barely visible tunnel that just slightly drops downwards. All of this effects your consciousness and makes time flow slower. You can have a special room for rituals, your own library, a swimming pool filled with pure energy which you can bathe in to gain more energy (which, again, will extend your stay in the astral world). There are just some ideas, but I'm sure you'll be able to think of even more.

I would like to mention a few more things regarding your astral temple. Firstly, don't ever turn off the lights in your temple! Lack of light enables your subconscious (the burglar) to break into the temple and get your back into your physical body (this is actually the only way in which it can break into your temple). Secondly, always have an emergency exit with some sort of secret passage that leads you to another place. This can also come handy (you never know).

Also, it is recommended that you picture the door of your astral temple even before you start building it. You will have to remember the exact appearance and feeling of your door knob as well as the way in which you can enter (be it a security code, a special way of knocking, speaking special words, doing some actions etc.). This is important because it will enable you, at least when you are experienced enough, to enter straight into your astral temple from the lower astral plane; remember the time when your astral body has just fallen onto the floor. You have to start feeling around yourself at this point in time to find out where you are. The trick here is that you will be able to feel the door to you astral temple (or the door knob) if you imagine it well enough. If you recognize this door as that specific door, all you have to do is open in the appropriate way and just enter.

That would be about it regarding your astral temple. :)

How to Return Back to Your Physical Body?

The methods are practically the same as in the lower astral world. I'll still say a few words on this topic, although you can find a more detailed answer in the second post in this series.

• Closing your eyes - remember that you don't really have a physical body on the astral plane and, ultimately, no eyelids so this will create that physical bridge that is needed for you to return. This is different from teleportation because when you simply close your eyes, you don't have a certain destination in mind but when you teleport and close your eyes you have to imagine exactly where you want to go.
• Squinting - it achieves the same effect as closing your eyes but less sudden.
• Looking up - when your eyes roll backwards a bit, it reminds us of that spinning motion that we did to achieve the vibration stage so this literally takes us back into our previous state (the physical one).
• Pinching yourself or rolling your head - these are very physical actions which will also create that necessary bridge to the physical world.
• Concentrating on something - this is the simplest method. If you focus too long on something, then the image around you starts melting and you find yourself in your physical body again. A good example is looking at your hands (which I mentioned before). If you look at your hands in the astral world, they will start to melt after a while and if you don't look away, you will return back to your physical body (but if you do look away quickly, then you will find yourself on a higher astral plane).

Final Notes on the Higher Astral Plane

The same goes as for the lower astral plane: don't enter closed spaces (be they mobile or immobile), don't try to achieve astral projection two days in a row (at least in the beginning), pay attention to details etc. But there are a few notes that I would like to single out. I mentioned most of them throughout the text, but a summary tends to be very useful.

• To enter the higher astral plane, look for details in the lower astral plane.
• Don't forget to follow the rules of the world you are in and be polite.
• It is advisable to have a plan of action when going to the higher astral world!!! (despite the fact that you're in the higher astral world, a lack of animation and too much concentration can still bring you back to the physical world)
• Guides (as all other entities in the higher astral) are very powerful. It is useless to try to run from them (and thus any other entity there), although there will be no need for this since they won't want to harm you. But you will feel a sense of awe towards them because they simply impress you.
• You can lose energy here too, so your image may become unclear. You can solve this problem the same way you would on the lower astral plane (follow the advice given in the second post on this topic).

Notes on Your Astral Temple:

• The lights must ALWAYS be turned on in your temple (it doesn't matter if they're electric, simple wax-candles or even torches, just keep them turned on!)
• Secure your temple well and, if possible, try to hide it a bit (camouflage it or in any other way adapt it to its surroundings).
• Don't let anyone know how to enter your astral temple (no-bo-dy!). This is a place reserved for you and you alone.

When Even Enter the Astral Plane?

I am assuming that you started reading this series of posts because you wanted to achieve astral projection, although some of you may not have this intention. Maybe it was only curiosity for you? Whichever the reason may be, I feel obliged to explain why you would even want to achieve this and what you can even get out of it all expect the experiences and a bit of fun. This is a very important question so I have left the answering to my friend, Dušan Trajković who, along with a couple other people, tried all this out, thought a lot of it up and taught it to many people all over the world. Here's what his answer to this question is. :)

"Andy Warhol said that each one of us has their own fifteen minutes of fame. Maybe we could say that this is an overall nice and different way for us to use these fifteen minutes. We live believing that our time lasts, that it has passed or that it will pass and, accordingly, we measure our spiritual improvement in time (how long we have been engaged in a certain practice) instead of the quality of even one night's experiences. Simple calculation leads us to shocking information that we spend a third of our lives sleeping and even a smaller part of this dreaming. According to this, a thirty-year old has only experiences twenty years of their life. If we add these unconscious periods to our life span, then why not add those nine months we spent in the uterus (which, by the way, modern psychologists claim to be of great importance to our lives)? Therefore, the difference in the spiritual work of a novice and a master lies in how we use that unconscious part of our lives which is the same for us all and, unfortunately, quite often left unnoticed. Without the achievement of experiences such as those of astral projection, all systems of eastern and western esoteric thought are nothing more than fairy tales. Dare to reach for success. Moreover, dare to use the means you have."

Good night, sleep tight! I wish you all a nice trip! ;)

Until next time. Yours, 

Witch's Cat

The Ethics of Witchcraft

When it comes to the topic of morals and ethics, I have only written a post on the Wiccan Rede up to now. But I think it's about time that we expand on this. :)

The word "ethics" comes from the Greek word ēthike (ἠθική). Latin then adopted it and changed it into the word ethica. The French language didn't adopt it until the 13th century (etique) and only after this word had gone through this much was it incorporated into the English language. Ethics is defined as a set of moral principles. Each individual has their own, but groups can also have their specific sets of principles.

The shortened version of the Wiccan Rede is: 'An it harm none, do what ye will. I covered this topic in detail in my last post on the Rede and its analysis. But what does it actually imply? It summarizes the basic human morals, the things that we are taught as children; don't hit others, don't be rude, don't steal etc. It combines these social "obligations" with ecological awareness, the consciousness of one's surroundings, actions and the consequences they will have. As human beings we definitely have a responsibility towards other humans, towards the planet Earth, but also to all other living beings that inhabit it (be they animals or plants), and that is to be kind to them.

The ethics of Wicca and Paganism in general is very positive because it isn't based on threats, but on rewards. In stead of saying that you will, for example, go to Hell, it says that you will receive three times as much as you give...and if what you give is good, then so much the better for you! :D

There are a few lines from the well-known poem entitled "the Charge of the Goddess" which I would like to emphasize. They read: "Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you." All of the mentioned qualities are balanced out in order for us and the people around us to be happy. If you try to be too compassionate, then you will the the ones who will end up being neglected because you will always put other's needs in front of your own, but if you try to bee too strong, then those surrounding you will be feeble and will suffer. I will let you meditate on this for yourselves :)

Why do I tell you to think about this on your own? You might have noticed that improvement plays an important role in Paganism, not in the sense of the Craft, but in the sense of self-improvement, of letting yourselves grow and prosper. This is, in a way, the moral duty of any practitioner. Why? Well, we are usually aware of the affect we have on our surroundings and that we are connected with the people around us. By that logic, if we improve and grow, then so do the people around us grow, improve, become accepted and calmer with us.

Another thing which all Pagans, generally speaking, have in common is the belief that the Earth is a living organism, an integrated being (this may remind you of the Gaia theory). She, mother Earth, grants us life, just like any mother does; she gives us food and drink and radiates warmth (which she gets by absorbing the sun's rays) which we need in order to live. She awards us when we take care of her and when we take care of her (plant, plow, harvest etc.) but she also knows how to punish us when we don't treat her with respect (just remember the melting of the polar ice sheets and the other effects of global warming, although this is just one of many examples). The Gaia theory is often connected with Goddess worship and I am among those that agree with this :) If you don't know what I'm talking about, I will put it as plainly as I can. Basically, what this hypothesis says is that the Earth is a living organism of its own. In this way, every living organism leads a dialog with the Earth which results in life. If you find this interesting, then you can read more about it on Gaia theory's official site.

Now, to get back to the topic of ethics; if we look at the Earth as we look at other living beings, then we ultimately have an obligation towards her too. I found a wonderful description of Earth which reads as follows: "Those creatures - human, animal and vegetable - are the individual cells, he nervous system, the lungs, the sense organs of Mother Earth, just as the mineral kingdom is her living body-tissue and skeleton, the seas and rivers are her bloodstream, and her envelope of atmosphere is the air which she breathes as we do ourselves" (Janet & Stewart Farrar - A Witches' Bible, p. 137). Of course, this doesn't mean that Pagans are the only ones who are interested in the well-being of the Earth. Many organizations, groups, and even individuals who are devoted to this problem exist today. Some will manifest this awareness by ceasing to eat meat while others (like me, for example) will decide to continue doing so keeping in mind the fact that humans are omnivores and that this is all natural. This is a personal choice of every individual, so I can't give myself the right to tell you what is better or what is worse.

At the end of the story, the essence of all of this is respect for all other living beings.

It is because of this connection with Earth that herbalism is quite popular among Pagans. Two factors have to be mentioned when talking about the reason why Pagans like herbalism: 1) the pleasure of being able to help other; 2) healing by natural means (fresh plants given to us my Mother Earth) i.e. not using synthetic drugs ("the poison of the modern age"). But by no means should we ignore the miracles that modern medicine has brought us. After all, with modern medicine came a longer life span as well as many cures for diseases that were deadly up to that point. Though one fact remains, not all of these modern methods are the most natural or healthy solution to one's problems. A synthetic drug may contain some ingredients derived from nature, but a lot of chemical processes will be needed to produce that certain drug, many of which aren't 100% compatible with the human body. I repeat, it is up to you to choose whether you want to use modern medicine or "alternative" medicine (if I may include herbalism into this category). All of this plays an important role in witchcraft ethics because you, as a herbalist (but also as a patient) have to ask yourself many questions: what methods will help the most? Is it up to you to help? Will a certain method do more harm than it will help? etc. Let this be food for thought. :)

From what I know, most Pagans look upon their bodies as temples. Some may smoke or drink or eat junk food but we are people too. I eat mayonnaise every now and then even though I know that it is one of the unhealthiest dressings that I can put in my organism. But it is important that you don't take your body for granted. This also falls under the category of ethics because this is where your principles come out. They may be strict of mild, but they are your principles and you should stick to them! We are stronger if we are aware of them, if we don't abandon them and if we keep the promises we make to ourselves. The myth that drugs have to be/are consumed during rituals is exactly that, a mere myth. I'm not saying that this doesn't exist (because we can see all sorts of things on this planet), but this isn't a custom and is definitely not obligatory if we want to reach a "higher state of mind" during rituals. The same thing goes for alcohol; some sort of alcoholic beverage is usually consumed during rituals (usually wine), but everyone only takes a sip (and this surely isn't enough to get you drunk). Keep in mind that everyone has the right to say that they don't drink alcohol and you will be provided with an alternative (e.g. blueberry juice, apple juice, milk or basically any natural drink). We know that drugs were used in the past for divinatory purposes, but the people that took them were "professionals" (I'm talking about various Priests and Priestesses) and even they would be accompanied with someone who would look out for them. But the main difference is that drugs weren't illegal back then...in fact, people were encouraged to use them for religious purposes (basically, the more a Priest/Priestess was high, the more open they were to the gods). This isn't me urging you to take drugs! They really can be dangerous and should not be toyed with (just stating facts here). Nowadays, drugs are shunned upon (generally speaking) although some may not be as harmful as the law would make us believe. Anyway, I believe that you will be able to achieve a higher state of consciousness even without drugs or alcohol, just as you can have fun without them when you go out with your friends.

You probably won't be surprised when I tell you that good "Christian" values are basically the same as good "Witches' " values. Basically, they are good HUMAN values. After all, we are primarily human beings, and only after that can we make any gender, sexual or religious distinctions. I don't believe that a person has to know, for examples, all of the Ten Commandments to know that they aren't commandments at all, but simply common sense and basic knowledge about good behavior in a civilized society. The fact that someone chose to give them that name doesn't change what they are :)

Some would say that an important part of Wicca is magick (although I wouldn't agree...on the contrary, I believe that magick can be omitted entirely). But, I also believe that there is one reason that any person practicing magick has to follow, and that is the infamous "harm none". You have already heard this saying once in this post, but believe me when I say that you will come across it many more times on this blog. Anyway, this rule is worth gold when it comes to magick because people often do spells because of various private (and I would dare say sometimes selfish) needs. It is necessary to really think through something (which includes thinking about the consequences) before going through with it, or simply put, think before you act. I don't mean to say that every person who does magick jumps into it head first, nor is this intended for any particular person. I am simply mentioning this in hopes that a few mishaps can be avoided. Energy can be very powerful and one must learn to control it properly. It is like a knife; it can be very useful (for cutting food or ropes or opening cans or things like this) but it can also be very harmful in the wrong hands (it can be used for harming or even killing). This is a very dark example, but it is important to me that I get the message across. In addition to this, I remembered a sentence from Gardner's Book of Shadows which reads: Never boast, never threaten, never say you would wish ill of anyone. I believe this needs no further explaining.

I know that it can be hard for us to even follow the simplest rules of conduct, but I truly believe that the world would be a much nicer place if everyone could just stop to think about what they want to say or do. I wrote this post hoping that some of these words might serve to enlighten and inspire. We are all human and we all make mistakes, but have to at least try to harm others (and ourselves) as little as possible with our mistakes, and also try to correct them later on. :) It is never a bad time to start anew, to be more aware of yourselves and your loved ones and to spread love in stead of hate.

So, not wanting to bore you any longer, I bid you all a farewell! Yours,
Witch's Cat

The Wiccan Rede

In my previous post, I promised that I would write about the Wiccan Rede. I think that this is an important topic that should be addressed because the it makes up the foundation of the Wiccan moral code and can be extremely useful when you forget where you are in life and where you need to go next; all you have to do is return back to these basics and everything will seem much clearer hence making it easier for you to get back on track.

The word "rede" itself is an Old English word for a piece of advice or lesson (I will list other archaisms later). There have been may debates on the origin of this poem, but it has somehow been widely accepted that it was created in a collaboration between Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente (Gardner's follower who Gardner himself initiated into Wicca, also famous for editing his Book of Shadows and writing many beautiful poems, among which we find invocations, evocations, chants and even just poetry for poetry's sake).

The Wiccan Rede was made of only two lines in the beginning:

"Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill, 

An it harm none do what ye will."

-Doreen Valiente, 1964

(an =  if; ye = eng. you)

A longer version of the Rede came out in 1974 in a magazine entitled Earth Religion News. This version was edited a number of times, but what I give you in this post is the "basic" version (or the most widely accepted one).

The Wiccan Rede

Bide the Wiccan laws ye must, in perfect love and perfect trust.

Live and let live, fairly take and fairly give.

Cast the Circle thrice about to keep all evil spirits out.

To bind the spell every time, let the spell be spake in rhyme.

Light of eye and soft of touch speak ye little, listen much.

Honor the Old Ones in deed and name, let love and light be our guides again.

Deosil go by the waxing Moon, chanting out the joyful tune.

Widdershins go when the Moon doth wane, and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane.

When the Lady's Moon is new, kiss the hand to Her times two.

When the Moon rides at Her peak, then your heart's desire seek.

Heed the North wind's mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail.

When the wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast.

When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss thee on the mouth.

When the wind whispers from the West, all hearts will find peace and rest.

Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them quick and burn them slow.

Birch in the fire goes to represent what the Lady knows.

Oak in the forest towers with might, in the fire it brings the God's insight.

Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magick to flower.

Willow at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland.

Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye.

Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning adds its strength to the bright fire burning.

White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility.

Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine.

Fir does mark the evergreen to represent the immortality seen.

Elder be ye Lady's tree burn it not or cursed ye'll be.

Four times the Major Sabbats mark in the light and in the dark.

As the old year starts to wane the new begins, it's now Samhain.

When the time for Imbolc shows watch for flowers through the snows.

When the Wheel begins to turn, let the Beltane fires burn.

As the wheel turns to Lammas night power is brought to magick rite.

Four times the Minor Sabbats fall use the Sun to mark them all.

When the wheel has turned to Yule light the log the Horned One rules.

In the spring when night equals day, time for Ostara to come our way.

Then the Sun has reached its height time for Oak and Holly to fight.

Harvesting comes to one and all when the Autumn Equinox does fall.

Heed the flower, bush, and tree by the Lady blessed you'll be.

Where the rippling waters go cast a stone, the truth you'll know.

When you have and hold a need, harken not to others greed.

With a fool no season spend or be counted as his friend.

Merry Meet and Merry Part bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

Mind the Three-fold Laws you should three times bad and three times good.

When misfortune is enow wear the star upon your brow.

Be true in love this you must do unless your love is false to you.

These Eight words the Rede fulfill: "An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"

I hope that you like it poetry-wise, but I'm guessing that there are a few things that I have to clear up, so I will give you a nice, relatively detailed analysis of the poem. This will enable us to go a step further into the understanding of Wiccan morals.

I know that this is a long post, but it is going to be even longer soon enough. Every verse should be analyzed to make everything as clear as possible. I will explain why certain traditions are mentioned and what some of the mentioned terms have to do with Wicca. So, get ready for more reading! :) mwahaha!

The reason why I decided to write an analysis is because you will find the Wiccan Rede almost too often, but no explanations will be given with it as to what it actually signifies. This is my interpretation and I hope that you will be satisfied with it. :)

Verse 1

This verse tells us that we are dealing with a law, but the name of the poem denies this and defines the poem as a rede i.e. a lesson/a piece of advice; which means that it would be great if you decided to follow it, but it isn't obligatory. The rest of the verse talks about love, trust, togetherness and fairness because these were the values that any witch had to have in the Middle Ages when they were prosecuted. They could survive only by staying together and in secrecy. Knowledge was often passed on from generation to generation because you couldn't trust anyone but your family. Back then, inter-human relationships were much better, and the Rede urges us to keep some of these qualities alive so we may be better people. These traditions/qualities are, I hope, things that most of you already practice; spreading love, giving trust, helping others, being fair etc. These are all positive human values.

Verse 2
The first line mentions walking around the circle three times because the number 3 is, numerologically and mythically speaking, the number of perfection (three aspects of the Goddess, the Holy Trinity in Christianity etc.). It is a custom to walk around the circle at the beginning of every ritual because this signifies the opening part of the ritual, which is called Opening the circle. During this short act, the circle is cleansed with the four elements. The second line is pretty clear. It is much nicer to read a spell when it rhymes and it is also believed that the spell is stronger if you put more energy into it, and you will probably agree with me when I say that it is much harder to write something that rhymes than something that doesn't.

Verse 3
A detailed analysis isn't really needed here since everything is clearly written. In this verse, certain qualities are praised and we are also told that it is better for us if we listen more (i.e. take in knowledge and experiences from those that are older than us), and talk less.

Verse 4

To go deosil means to go clockwise, and widdershins is the exact opposite (anti-clockwise). We go deosil in a ritual when we do invocations, when we open the circle but also during the waxing moon (when its power is growing). Widdershins is the direction of closing, evocations and so on, although a lot of people will claim that going widdershins actually annuls the effect the deosil direction had, but then again, that is a different story which deserves its own discussion. Wolfsbane is a poisonous plant which is often connected to wolves and other nocturnal animals.

Verse 5
The word "Her" in this verse refers, of course, to the Goddess. The connection between the Goddess and the moon is emphasized. Although every phase of the moon can be connected to her, the full moon stands out because this is the peak of the moon's energy and hence the symbol of the Goddess' strength. This is why the full moon is the best time for doing spells and rituals. Rituals done on the full moon are called Esbaths and they exist primarily to celebrate this time.

Verse 6
The north is connected to the element of earth. Because of this we have the mention of sails being trimmed as an equivalent of us returning back to land. The east is connected to air, and you may know that sound travels through air. Sound brings us news ("the new") and is hence connected to knowledge.

Verse 7
The south is connected to the element of fire (passion, temperament and such) and the west with the element of water which symbolizes emotions which can be as untamed as the sea (this is where the connection with the heart can be made). Notice the order in which the cardinal points are listed in verses six and seven: north, east, south and west. This is usually the direction in which we walk in the circle, or basically in which everything is done. This is called going deosil (clockwise). Objects are also consecrated in this order (earth, air, fire, water) and the elements invoked at the beginning of every ritual, but more on that in another post.

Verse 8
Birch is a tree connected with fertility, healing and peace (all of these characteristics can be connected to the Goddess and female energy). But why 9 woods? This is a reference to an old Celtic tradition when nine types of trees (or rather logs from nine types of trees) would be burnt on Beltane (May 1). Among these nine trees was the birch tree, and the rest are listed in the following verses and are oak, rowan, willow, hawthorn, hazel, apple, vine and fir.

Verse 9
The oak is a symbol of the God, male energy, strength and pride because of the size of the tree top and because of the oak's firmness. Rowan is the tree of spirituality, psychic abilities, protection, success and magick.

Verse 10
Willows are connected with death (but also divination, love, healing etc.) and are hence connected with the Summerlands - the land of the deceased (although this is only one of the names which Wiccans have for the afterlife if they even believe in it since the belief in reincarnation is very common). Hawthorn is the tree of purification and is often connected with faeries. It is well-known that the best fires are lit with this tree and it was cherished because of this, but in the northern parts of Europe, it was the witches' tree (but in a bad way).

Verse 11
I believe that there's nothing to really interpret here.

Verse 12
This part regarding wine should be pretty clear ;) hehe. As for the fir tree, it is usually connected to birth and reincarnation (i.e. rebirth).

Verse 13
The elder tree used to be called the Witches' tree (yes, another one), but Witches really did hold it sacred. It is poisonous, actually, but its flowers can be used in teas and fruits to make wine. It very quickly adapts to its surroundings and has amazing regenerative abilities. Because of this, it seems almost immortal. This could be the reason why it is connected to the Goddess as well as prosperity and healing. The second line informs us of the existence of four main Sabbaths which are listed in the next few verses.

Verse 14
Samhain (October 31/November 1) is thought to be the beginning of the Celtic year (i.e. the Celtic New Year). It is also the day of the God's death in mythology. Imbolc (February 2) brings the growth of the Sun's power and with it longer days. It also announces the coming of spring (flowers start to grow, animals will start mating soon etc.).

Verse 15
Beltane marks the second part of the Celtic year (they only had two seasons; winter which began with Samhain, and summer which began with Beltane). This day is meant for celebrating life and is also the day when the Goddess and God get married/united in mythology. Lammas marks the time of year when the Sun begins to weaken and this will soon lead right back to Samhain.

Verse 16
There are obviously four more Sabbaths that are defined by the Sun: two solstices and two equinoxes. Yule is one of the two solstices (the day is the shortest and the night is the longest), and it is from this holiday that we inherited the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree which used to be called the Yule log (yes, it was a log before it became a tree and a part of this log used to be burnt with next years' log - this was believed to ensure a good and prosperous year). Yule is the peak of winter and also the peak of the Horned God's power (remember that the Horned God rules during autumn and winter, while the Green God rules during spring and summer).

Verse 17
Ostara (March 21) is also knows as the spring equinox (the equal length of night and day) and marks the beginning of spring. The peak of summer (and the Sun's power) is Midsummer/Litha (June 21) or the summer solstice (longest day, shortest night). On Yule (December 21) and Litha (June 21), a battle happens between the Oak King and the Holly King. The Oak King wins on Litha and reigns until Yule when the battle is once more held, but this time, it is the Holly King who wins (who then reigns until next Litha and so on).

Verse 18
The autumn equinox (equal length of night and day) is called Lammas/Lughnasadh (September 21) and is also knows as the first harvest (the wheat harvest). The second verse tells us that we, as human beings, should take care of all the other living beings around us because we are also a part of nature, just as is everything else which is represented by the Goddess.

Verse 19
The first line talks about an old divination method that included throwing a stone in water (providing the surface of the water was calm). Sadly, I didn't have much time to find out exactly how this method works, but perhaps you can do that and tell me :D
The second line is extremely important because it covers one of the main moral dilemmas in magick. We should do magick only if we really have a need for something (i.e. out of necessity) and not out of greed (for instance, if someone pays you do to a spell). Remember, everything you do returns to you threefold (kind of karmic, isn't it?).

Verse 20
Simply put, be careful who you mix with and don't mix with people who will do you harm. The second line is quite clear on its own, but it can be connected with the famous Wiccan saying/greeting: Merry Meet, Merry Part and Merry Meet again. So basically, be happy when you are in company and if you are truly happy with those people, then stay in their company. Or even better, be happy in general! :D

Verse 21
I have talked about the first line in previous posts and have mentioned the meaning of the Threefold Law even in this post. The second line talks about the use of the pentagram - the symbol of protection. Apart from protecting, this can symbolize the opening of the third eye (which is believed to be between your eyebrows, and which symbolizes our spirituality and higher consciousness) which we should use when times get hard. Simply put: don't do stupid things when a problem occurs; stop and think about what you are going to do.

Verse 22
What this verse talks about is mutual trust which is needed in relationships, be they friendly, romantic, professional or any other type. Keep your promises, harm nobody and be fair. But, if the other person doesn't show you equal love, respect and fairness then it is like they have "broken the contract" and you shouldn't feel any more obligations towards that person because they aren't worthy of anything you have to give them.
The last eight words are the first version of the Wiccan Rede which is quite clear :)


I know that the post was very long, but I hope that it was worth writing and that you liked it. Now I'll let you take a rest from me :)

Blessed be! Yours,
Witch's Cat