Pagan Morals

This post was originally written for the 5th number of the online magazine "Puni Mjesec" (Full Moon). Since I publish all my texts on my blog, I decided to do the same with this one. In addition to this, I think that this article could be useful to every Pagan and in general those that want to be informed on the topic of Paganism and the cornerstones of this spiritual path. I can only hope that I am right about this and that my words will give you some new insight. 

The Difference between Morals and Ethics

Morals and ethics are exceptionally similar terms, to the extent that morals are actually a part of ethics. To elaborate, morals are the stance an individual, or a group takes towards the principles of good and evil; it refers to behavioral customs and ideals which are closely related to conscience. We often say that a person is moral, or virtuous and by this, we usually mean that they behave in accordance with his/her own (or perhaps a socially defined) codex of good behavior, that they are fair and that they have a highly developed sense of their role in society. Ethics, apart from it being a distinct philosophical discipline, refers to the behavior that is in accordance with morality rules. As we have established, morals don't have to be individual; they can also belong to a group. Different historical periods had their own morals (e.g. medieval morals), as do different cultures or professions (we can therefore talk about tribal morals, or medical morals). There are also religious morals which are specific for every religion/faith. So, for example, Christian, Islamic and Pagan morals may differ. Yet, there is one important difference between ethics and morals, which is that ethics are global and timeless; they do not have temporal, cultural or geographical boundaries. Ethics implies simply behaving in accordance with morals, regardless of which group or period they belong to. On the other hand, morals are conditioned by these factors. This is why the title of this post is "Pagan morals" in stead of "Pagan ethics".

The Basics of Pagan Morals

Pagan ethics stem from aesthetics. It's important to emphasize that, in this context, "aesthetics" doesn't imply the concept of beauty which is defined by social conventions. On the contrary, it doesn't even have to refer to secular beauty! Aesthetics refers to beauty in any form and in the broadest sense of the word. Aesthetics also includes any form of harmony (or as the ancient Greeks called it - cosmos). It is human to strive towards cosmos i.e. order in any shape and in any aspect of our lives. If everything in our lives was chaotic, then we would be unhappy because chaos by the very definition of the word denotes a sort of abyss, or chasm from which cosmos (order) should and will come forth. Therefore, chaos signifies ugliness and disharmony. Pagans believe that by behaving ethically, they contribute to creating order, beauty and harmony in general. Since anything that is beautiful and harmonious is also aesthetic, we ultimately create aesthetics by behaving ethically. It is precisely because of this that Pagan ethics stems from aesthetics. 

Furthermore, Pagan morals are based on love. In Paganism, and almost all global faiths/religions/spiritual paths, there is something called the "golden rule". It reads: "Do to other as you want them to do to you". This rule exists in Christianity, Judaism, Islam but it was also known to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Chinese and many other cultures. It simply changed is form according to the culture and time, but it is essentially about the same things - love. It is expected that people, as social beings, behave nicely towards the society they live in as well as towards themselves. You are surely aware of the old saying: "You must first love yourself before you can love another". There is some truth in this. Anyway, love, or in the least respect towards others (and ourselves) is essential for individual and group development. The golden rule speaks precisely about this. If the whole world functioned on the basis of mutual respect (if love is not possible all the time), there wouldn't be as many problems.

The Pagan "Golden Rule"

Pagans have their own version of the golden rule which in its longest form reads: " 'An ye harm none, do what ye will". The short version, which also happens to be the most frequently used version reads: "Harm none". Although this "rule" originally wasn't generally Pagan, it gradually took its honorary place in the Pagan moral system (more information in the post "The Wiccan Rede"). It originally comes from Wicca - a Neopagan denomination which was formed in the 50s in England. Gerald Gardner, who is thought of as the father of Wicca, mentions it for the first time in his book Witchcraft Today: 

„They [witches] are inclined to the morality of the legendary Good King Pausol, “Do what you like so long as you harm no one ". But they believe a certain law to be important, “You must not use magic for anything which will cause harm to anyone, and if, to prevent a greater wrong being done, you must discommode someone, you must do it only in a way which will abate the harm." This involves every magical action being discussed first, to see that it can do no damage, and this induces a habit of mind to consider well the results of one's actions, especially upon others, This, you may say, is elementary Christianity. Of course it is; it is also elementary Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and Judaism, to name only a few.“

Surely, Gardner was inspired by Aleister Crowley whose texts he researched in depth, whom he privately knew and with whom he also cooperated in the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) into which he himself was initiated. In his Book of the Law, which is one of the basic literary works of this path, Crowley wrote the following: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will. There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt. (...) but in practice, only one act is lawful for each one of us at any given moment. Therefore Duty consists in determining to experience the right event from one moment of consciousness to another". Crowley writes the words "Law" and "Duty" (and in some versions also "Will") with capital letters. By doing so, he emphasizes that he isn't just thinking of any duty, will or law but rather of something personal and transcendental. Will is transcendental because it is correct/lawful (of course, for every person individually). The law is also true because it is true for every person individually (every person knows their own law which is true from their perspective). Duty is also individual and is conditioned by Will and the Law. Therefore, a person's own and true will is that which is intrinsic, which is true for him/her and towards which he/she has to strive. According to Crowley, if everyone were to follow their true Will, there would be no problems in the world because the universe is a cosmos in the complete sense of the word (everything has its place i.e. everything is in order so every person's Will also has its own orbit and nobody's Wills clash). Nevertheless, there is one condition to achieving individual Will - "love is the law, love under will". Gardner paraphrased this condition and turned it into: " 'an ye harm none". Essentially, Pagan morals claim that you can do whatever you want as long as love and/or respect are present because only while it is present can be ensure that no harm will be done. It is important to note that "do what thou wilt" doesn't only refer to actions, but to passive actions as well (or the lack of them). Also, the word "none" includes the doer of the action and not only the beings around him/her. So, both principles offer complete freedom ("do what ye will"), but they also condition it. This is how complete freedom is turned into relative freedom.

Relative Freedom - What Does It Imply?

When talking about relative freedom in the context of morals, the central topic is free will. Free will is that which enables every person do decide what they are going to do and what they aren't. Through this, a person takes on a certain amount of moral responsibility towards him/herself and their surroundings because their every action can and will have a reaction.

Within philosophy, there are two prominent, contrary systems which talk about free will. One of them is determinism according to which everything is predetermined. Therefore, a person's free will and human activity have no effect whatsoever. In this sense, free will doesn't even exist. A contrary belief system is indeterminism which speaks of the existence of absolute free will. That is to say, people can do anything they want because causal reactions do not exist. It's also worth mentioning predestination which is very similar to determinism, but according to predestination, God is the one that decides the fate of everybody and everything.

Pagans are somewhere in between these two extremes because they mainly believe that free will exists, but as a part of a determined world. This could be called the philosophy of compatibilism. Since Paganism doesn't have a strictly prescribed moral codex, opinions may vary, but no one opinion will go to extremes. But even Pagans believe in some sort of conditioning. This can be seen in the Pagan version of the golden rule which, although it confirms the existence of free will, also posts a condition for its existence (" 'an ye harm none"). Our actions, lives and fates generally can be conditioned by many factors; some of them will be external (the world around us, general life conditions in which we find ourselves, or the surroundings into which we are born), and others will be eternal (we can condition ourselves). In this sense, a condition is something that we cannot influence. But this is why all the things that we can influence are subjected to our free will. Nevertheless, we mustn't let ourselves get drunk with free will and in the process stop thinking about the repercussions of our actions. Remember that free will and moral responsibility are inevitably linked together.

Karma - As You Sow, So Shall You Reap

The principle of karma comes from Indian philosophy and primarily speaks of moral retribution. Simply put, every action has a consequence (the law of cause and effect), or rather every action has a reaction. A more common way to put it is: "As you sow, so shall you reap". If this saying is taken literally, it is easy to conclude that the land will not yield tomatoes unless a person first plants them.

Any individual's free will and thus their intentions, play a key role in karma. Namely, people have several choices in any given moment of their life - to do something or not do something. The intention (the final goal, meditating on the path that should be taken) and free will (the very act of choosing a path) define the further development of the situation/life. For example, person X has the intention to go to work that day and decides to do so of their own free will. This person chose one path (a different path would be not going to work, for example). By deciding to go to work, he/she opened many more doors and an myriad of repercussions of this decision. Maybe person X gets a raise at work that day but if he/she hadn't had gone to work, that wouldn't have happened.

One could say that karmic outcomes can be seen in the future (be it the near of distant future). According to Indian philosophy, they can even occur in another lifetime because the notion of karma originally implies the belief in reincarnation (rebirth). Pagans are divided on this topic because some believe that the repercussions of an action have to be visible in the lifetime during which the action was done, while others believe that they can be passed on from life to life (which agrees with Indian philosophy).

Still, Pagans almost always agree with Indian philosophy when it comes to one thing - that every cause (action) has to have a proportionate repercussion (reaction). This repercussion doesn't have to be of the same nature, but it has to correspond to the cause proportionally. This is how balance in the universe as well as the state of cosmos (order) are maintained.

Before this was brought into awareness, a large number of Pagans believed in the Threefold Law which originates from Wicca. According to this "law", the reactions to an action are three times as large as the action itself. For example, if a person does something good, he will receive something three times better. Equally, if they do something bad, they will receive something three times worse in return. Doreen Valiente, Gardner's student, High Priestess and friend (who some see as the mother of Wicca) claimed that too many people had understood Gardner's theory too literally and that too many misinterpretations appeared after this. It simply doesn't make sense that one type of karma applies for Wiccans/witches and another type for everyone else. This rule isn't logical in a secular respect either because, if we go back to the aforementioned example, why would a person's land yield three times as many tomatoes as that person planted?

Either way, karmic reactions are the fruit of conscious actions and choices. The key word here is "conscious" because what we do unconsciously we also don't do with intention. Also, we don't include the factor of free will or active choice-making in the mix. And we have established that intention and free will are essential for the existence of karma.

But what's the whole point of being conscious of the effects of karma? Karma is there to remind us that our every action (or perhaps non-action) has an influence on us and our surroundings. This is why we should be careful about what we do (or do not) do. In addition to this, it's always good to have in mind the golden rule which essentially speaks of basic human values and what our parents teach while we are little - love others (or at least respect them), do what you can for your surroundings, take care of your loved ones, be honest, help those that are weaker and so on. Through all this, an individual develops a sense of responsibility towards him/herself, towards others but also towards their surroundings (Mother Earth).

We could summarize this in the following few sentences:

"Pagan ethics can be compared to a tree which has several big branches. (...) Everything starts with love. Love is the tree out of which the first branch grows: our respect and adoration of the cosmos (order, unity, harmony) from which stem beauty and an affinity towards aesthetics. The second branch is absolute freedom which sends the message that everyone should do what their will tells them to do. The third branch is relative freedom, that is conscious restriction of our own freedom with the freedom of others. This is the principle of nonviolence (harm none). The fourth branch is the branch of compassion, that is the feeling of obligation to help someone who is in distress. The fifth is the branch of avoiding false sentiments and giving up on the people that don't deserve either help or compassion. By doing this, you are actually protecting yourself, which is your most sacred duty. This is how Pagan ethics is entirely rounded and complete." (translation, Iolar, p. 223)

SOURCES:

1. FARRAR, JANET. FARRAR, STEWART. A Witches' Bible: The Complete Witches' Handbook. London: Robert Hale Ltd. 1984.
2. IOLAR. Paganizam u teoriji i praksi: doktrina paganizma (knjiga 1). Zagreb: Despot Infinitus d.o.o. 2013.*
3. VALIENTE, DOREEN. Witchcraft for Tomorrow. London: Robert Hale Ltd. 1978.

*Iolar's books were only published in Croatian and there is no translation of them (yet), but the group title of the three volumes is "Paganism in Theory and Practice". The full title of volume 1 is "Paganism in Theory and Practice: the Doctrine of Paganism".

Offerings or Sacrifices?

Caravaggio - Sacrifice of Isaac, 1603

Just above these words, you can see two pictures. At first glance, which one would you associate with sacrifice? I'm guessing the right one because this is definitely my association. For some reason, a lot of people think that Pagan rituals include sacrifices. And it is interesting to point out that "sacrifice" is usually perceived as/equated with blood sacrifice. This is yet another misconception that I will attempt to dispel in this post. Let us first have a look at dictionary definitions of these two terms just to cover the basics.

sacrifice /ˈsækrəfaɪs, ˈsækrɪfaɪs /, noun
(1) when you decide not to have something valuable, in order to get something that is more important
(2) a) the act of offering something to a god, especially in the past, by killing an animal or person in a religious ceremony; b) an animal, person, or object offered to a god in sacrifice
a human sacrifice (= a person killed as a sacrifice )

offering /ˈɒfərɪŋ/, noun 
(1) a book, play, piece of music etc that someone has written recently
(2) something that is given to God
(3) something that is given as a present to please someone  

According to these definitions (which were taken from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, 5th Edition), a sacrifice implies either blood and/or asking for something valuable in return for it. An offering, on the other hand, does not include blood and can be practically anything. In addition to this, offerings are usually given with the goal of pleasing someone/something. Speaking from personal experience, Pagans do not give sacrifices to the gods/God/Goddess or any being; they give offerings. Of course, when I say "Pagan", I am referring to Noepagans and not the people who lived in ancient times. Back then, blood sacrifice and bargaining with the gods was a completely normal thing. Nowadays, blood sacrifice is almost unheard of and the gods are generally treated differently. At the bottom of this lies the global change in ethics or rather the contemporary understanding of what is ethical and what is not (and I think it is safe to say that blood sacrifice is thought of as unethical by most people today).

I firmly believe that offerings and sacrifices are not the same thing and that Pagans give offerings, not sacrifices, because this is what our relationship with deities implies. But I will get to this a bit later on. It is worth noting that some Pagan authors would not agree with me on this subject. For instance, Raymond Buckland in his The Witch Book says the following about sacrifices:

A sacrifice is the giving of something or someone to a deity or deities as a gift, in supplication, to atone, or to appease. It establishes a connection between the profane and the sacred. Common sacrifices are food and drink, tokens from the harvest, animals, and - historically - even humans. (pp. 398-399)

 He defines an offering as:

A sacrifice or gift to the gods. Whenever Witches have a meal, before they eat or drink they pour some wine onto the earth, onto the altar, or into the fire, as a sign of giving thanks to the gods for what they have. This is an essential part of the ceremony of Cakes and Wine, a part of every Witch meeting, although it will also be done any time Witches are feasting together. Offerings may also be made at any time, but they are done especially at the time of harvest to show appreciation for the bounty of the gods. (p. 350)

Rosemary Guiley says something similar in her book The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca:

sacrifice: An offering of a gift, especially to a deity or being, in petition, thanksgiving or appeasement. The most common offerings are food, drink, the fruits of harvest and the blood sacrifice of animals and fowl. The highest sacrifice is that of human life, a practice now rare. Sacrifices can be made to the elements, the sun and Moon, the cardinal points, sacred landmarks (mountains, lakes, rivers and so on), the dead and supernatural beings. 

In contemporary Witchcraft and Paganism offerings are cakes, drinks, fruits, flowers, poems, handicrafts, incense, nuts and other items. Blood sacrifice is considered unnecessary for worship. In Witchcraft rituals, an offering of food and drink is presented at the altar or sprinkled about the outdoors as an offering. (p. 294)

In my opinion, both authors have failed to distinguish offerings from sacrifices. In both situations, sacrifices are taken as being synonymous for offerings (and vice versa), and are associated with begging (supplication, petition), appeasement and, in one case, even atonement (which, from this spiritual point of view, implies the concept of sin; but as we all know, Pagans do not acknowledge sin). 

The reason why I think Bucland's and Guiley's definitions are not precise is because Pagans do not beg deities or beings for anything because our relationship with them is slightly different that what most people are used to. Whereas most organized religions see God as being transcendent (the ultimate Creator, above us all and therefore waiting to rescue us), most Pagans understand deities as being immanent (which basically means that they permeate the world and everything in it, including humans). Therefore, humans themselves are partially deific, as is all of nature from the Pagan perspective. So why would we beg a deity for something if we don't perceive them as hierarchically above us (after all, we are interconnected)? Also, most Pagans believe that the gods can bring good fortune, or blessings, strength and so on, but they cannot make something magically happen. It is up to the individual to do the actual work. For example, most Pagans will agree that no god in the history of mankind could help you get a job if all you did was sleep all day, watch TV and stay at home without even picking up the phone or newspaper to look for employment. Appeasement implies an angry god/goddess who needs calming down. From the Pagan point of view, gods have no reason to be too angry at us because there is no sin. Of course, if we do something wrong, we will have to endure the consequences. They may be of a worldly or spiritual nature but even if consequences are understood as being sent by the gods, we do not perceive them as pure punishment for a "sin". The gods sometimes have to give warnings and teach us lessons, but they do no condemn us, they do not simply strike us when we do something wrong. The consequences of our actions are there to teach us a lesson. In this sense, the gods are not angry or vengeful; they are like parents trying to teach their children how to take responsibility for their own actions. As for atonement, I think it is clear that Pagans do not acknowledge sin and therefore have nothing to atone for in the usual religious sense. If atonement is understood as making amends in the worldly sense, then this falls under the above category of taking responsibility for one's own actions. We "atone" for our wrongdoings by understanding what we have done and then trying to fix it or simply bearing the repercussions.

Although, to be fair, both authors do emphasize that blood sacrifices (i.e. human or animal sacrifices) are primarily a part of ancient customs and a few contemporary religions/spiritual paths that have nothing to do with Paganism. In fact, they clearly state that typical Pagan offerings include food, drink, fruits of harvests, flowers, poems, handicrafts, incense, nuts and so on. And they do indeed bring us closer to the Divine because offerings are only one way of communicating with the gods. After all, any form of communication is good for this, or any other relationship.

For us Wiccans, but also many other Pagans, the ceremony of the Cakes and Wine is the part of the ritual when we give offerings to the gods. This time, I have no objections to Rosemary Guiley's definition:

cakes-and-wine (also cakes-and-ale): In Wicca and Paganism, a relaxed sharing of refreshments, conversation, dancing and singing that follows rituals, circles, seasonal celebrations, rites of passage and other sacred occasions. The food and drink, which help to replenish energy after psychic work has been done, are consecrated and blessed by the high priest and priestess, which imbues the refreshments with divine energy of the Goddess and God. An offering is made to the deities as a thanks for the basic necessities of life. The high priest and high priestess sample the food and drink then share them with the group. Some of the refreshments may be scattered upon the earth as an offering, or be left for the fairies or elementals. (p. 49)

I can testify that the above definition is very accurate because all of the Pagan rituals I have attended or lead have included a food/drink offering. Occasionally, some crystals or flowers were also given to the earth, elementals or other beings, but the first bit of food and the first sip of the drink are generally left in a libation bowl as offerings (or directly poured/scattered on the ground).

It is also necessary to mention the nature of Pagan offerings. Pagans do not atone for their sins by giving gifts to the gods, they do not try to get on their good side by doing this or try to make them less angry. My perception of offerings is like food or drink that you give to a respected, pleasant guest when they enter your home. For instance, when you welcome someone you like and respect into your home for tea and cookies (or whatever), it is a matter of etiquette to pour tea into their cup first and offer them a snack to go with it. Only when you have done this do you take some tea and cookies. This is simply a sign of respect and greeting or perhaps gratitude for the guest coming to your home (e.g. if they are very important). As I see it, it's the same with gods and basically any entity which is welcomed into the ritual circle. Offering them food and drink is a way of saying: "Hello. We welcome you into our sacred space and wish you to join us in celebration. We thank you for being here with us and give you love and respect just as you do to us". Hopefully this has made things a bit clearer.

As for the topic of blood sacrifice, I don't have much to say except that it is not a part of Paganism. Most Pagans see it as being an ancient tradition that simply does not fit into modern-day ethics and the Neopagan worldview in general. Personally, I think that blood sacrifice completely goes against the "golden rule" of Paganism - harm none - because "none" includes basically all living beings.

So these were my thoughts on the subject and I would love to hear yours (even if they might differ from mine). Feel free to leave them in the comments below. :)

Until next time. Yours,
Witch's Cat

Love Magic

After receiving a few e-mails recently from various people asking me to help them with their love problems using magic or give them instructions on how to do it themselves, I decided it was time to write a post on love magic. I would like to note straight away that I have nothing against people asking me to help them or give them advice, but Wicca does have very well defined moral standards when it comes to magic. In a former post in which I talked about Wicca and morale, I briefly mentioned this topic, but I find that it is about time to elaborate on it.

Why Love Magic is so Popular

I have noticed that love magic is a very popular field in the world of Wicca and witchcraft, if not even the most popular. But why is this so?

Love is something that people need equally as much as food or water. Love, in any way (friendly, family or sexual) means a lot to us because people, after all, are social beings. Everyone feels nice to be loved and feel needed. It's wonderful when our mothers kiss us when we are small, when our partner kisses us when we grow up and even when our own child gives us a kiss goodbye before leaving for school. Of course, a kiss isn't equal to love, but it does represent it in these cases.

The feeling you experience in these situation is fascinating. So many chemical processes happen in our brains, so many endorphins are released that we are filled with an overwhelming sense of happiness; once could even say ecstasy. Of course we all want to be happy! For some people, money is happiness, for other it is something else, but love is always somewhere at the top of the list.

The problem is that love is often hard to find, and may sometimes seem impossible. If you don't have much money, you will always manage to find a job; if you don't have the courage for something, you can fix that yourself with a bit of work, but what if the person you love doesn't reciprocate your feelings? You can't force them; you can try until you are completely worn out but you will not see any fruit of your labor. 

This is when people get desperate...

This is when they turn to solutions they would never normally try out...

This is when they have the strength to do everything possible to win the love of that special person...

Morale

Wicca is not unfamiliar with magic, and every individual has the right to choose what they will do and how they will do it. There are many ways to do magic (using talismans, candles, cords, visualization, plants etc.) so the method is also up to the individual. But, while performing magic, you have to keep only one rule in mind:

HARM NONE

Wicca really is very flexible when it comes to a lot of things, but when there is only one single existing rule, I think it's not that hard to follow it or at least try. Some don't even consider it to be an actual rule, but more of a guideline through life (which is true in a way). This rule isn't restricted to Wicca and other Pagan religions, though; it is planted deep in our subconscious and it is more commonly known as "moral values". Human morale is the thing that says what's bad and what's good. It is that little voice in our head which tells us to be good to others. It is an essential part of every person and it is always present, even though some may pay more and others less attention to it. 

The goal of every religion is to awaken this voice in any way possible. In order to do this, some may choose to emphasize the negative consequences of immoral behavior (e.g. "you will go to Hell if you are malicious"), while others will help us see the positive consequences of moral behavior (e.g. Buddhism "But since it brings blessing and happiness, I do ask of you: cultivate doing good.", that is, if you do good you will be rewarded with blessings and happiness).

Therefore, morale is universal.

Magic is a field which requires great self-control and a good ability of judgment. It is up to the individual to decide what is good or bad and to suffer the consequences of his/her actions. Love magic is especially interesting because it indirectly involves a second person in the situation, whereas the individual is the primary person at hand in other magical works. Therefore, in stead of only one person being affected, two or more people have to take the consequences of only one person's actions. This is why it is important to be extra cautious, carefully consider the possible outcomes and have even more control over yourself and improve your morale. By doing love magic, you won't only affect yourself, but also those indirectly involved in the situation! 

Let me return to the slogan "harm none" for a brief moment. I'm going to put my neck out here and openly say that I think that love magic can be very harmful. Of course, every type of magic has the potential to be dangerous, but it is up to the individual to affect this. Love magic is definitely harmful; the only question is to what degree?

What Is Love Magic Harmful?

You could have noticed by now that I am against love magic, but I believe I have to give you an explanation for this. 

When one person tries to make another fall in love with them, this is usually against the will of this other person. In doing so, you are actually taking away their free will and manipulating them and thus causing them harm. If you remember, the Wiccan Rede states "harm none". Any person who knowingly harms other living beings cannot call themselves a Wiccan. I think it's not that hard to follow one simple rule, is it?

When doing any sort of magic, it is always useful to put yourself in the shoes of the possible affected people. In this case, only one person is affected so this makes it a bit easier. So, imagine that a person you are not very fond of (or that you don't like at all) is in love with you! It is even possible that you are in love with another person and that you wanted to be with them. Suddenly, you find yourself in a situation where you are in love with a person you normally wouldn't fall for; you don't even know why...all you know is that you two are not meant to be. Therefore, by performing love magic, you can emotionally harm that person, but who is to say that you couldn't harm them on a much deeper level also? Maybe is simply isn't meant to be. You may both find even better people for yourselves later in life and this may prove to be the right thing for you. So there is also a possibility of you doing yourself harm. Basically, nothing good can come out of a forced relationship.

Alternative Ways of Attracting Love

Whenever someone asks me how to solve a love problem or win the heart of a person that love, I always recommend trying to achieve that goal using mundane methods. I believe that one of the main problems of modern society is that people have forgotten how to communicate. We have gotten used to television and the Internet too much and have forgotten what it is like to solve problems and express our feelings using spoken language; face to face with other people. This is why many relationships and marriages fail and also why many of them don't even get the chance to get started. 

I believe that it is alright to turn to alternative methods only when you have tried everything in your power and then tried a bit more to solve things the "normal" way. People always think they have given it their all  and are often surprised how much more they can achieve when they are motivated. So, when you think you have done everything you can, do more! Do not give up. If all of this fails, then perhaps it is time for you to consider alternative methods.

Even though you would be harming a person by trying to gain their love using magic, it is fine to use it to attract an unspecified person, only specifying the traits you would like them to have.

The second option is to work on yourself. You can try to figure out your flaws (be they spiritual, physical or of any other sort) and work on them. Nobody is perfect so everybody has faults, and it is always worth while to work on yourself. You can also use one of the following alternative methods to make yourself more attractive to others (emanate love which will then attract the person that is best suited for you and who you will not be harming in the process).

Some methods which are believed to attract love and be magnetic include:

• certain crystals (e.g. alexandrite, amber, lepidolite, pearls, topaz etc.), more in Scott Cunningham's book entitled Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic
• certain amulets (e.g. quartz crystals) and talismans. For more information have a look at these two books: The Book of Talismans, Amulets and Zodiac Gems (Thomas & Pavitt) and The Complete Book of Amulets and Talismans (Gonzalez-Wippler)
• certain plants which are believed to be aphrodisiacs (e.g. mandrake)

Rituals also exist which could help you win the heart of a person, but it is important to take care not to mention and specific names in them because if you do, the whole moral background is simply lost and you then start harming that person. I usually don't like to give ready-made rituals on this blog, but I have decided to make an exception for this. The ritual below is originally from Raymond Buckland's book Wicca for One.

Candle Love Spell

This ritual should be done on a Friday (which is governed by Venus i.e. the day of love) before the full Moon.

• Put your astral candle on one side of the altar and next to it an orange candle for attraction.
• Put a white candle (symbolizing the type of person you want to attract) and a pink candle (symbolizing love) on the other end of your altar.
• Put the day candle (an appropriate color for Friday is green) somewhere on the altar where it won't be in the way; by now you should have 5 candles+your altar candle and any other ritual tools all on your altar.
• Light you altar candle, day candle and incense. Meditate shortly on yourself being filled with joy and in love (without visualizing the actual person and without any implications!). Remember that you have to imagine yourself after the ritual has been done and has succeeded. If you visualize yourself in the process of falling in love or any other period in between, this too uncertain and thus abates the efficiency of the ritual.
• Invoke the Goddess and the God (or any other deity you believe in, if you do believe) to help you in the ritual (using your own words).
• State the goal of the ritual:

"I am here to bring lasting love and happiness to myself, [Your name] that I may be filled with joy and contentment."

• Take your astral candle and engrave you name in it with something sharp, then cleanse and consecrate it in the appropriate way. While doing this say:

"Here is myself, [Your name]. It is me in every detail. All that I do to this representation, I do to me. So Mote It Be."

• Put you astral candle back in its place and take the orange candle. Cleanse and consecrate it and write "attraction" on it. While doing this say:

"Here is Attraction. It is with me and all about me. So Mote It Be." 

• Put it back in its place. Pick up the white candle, cleanse and consecrate it and engrave "true love" on it. While doing this say:

"Here is the true love I seek; the other half that makes me whole. So Mote It Be."

• Pick up the pink candle, cleanse and consecrate it and engrave "love" into it. While doing this say:

"Here is the love that is brought to us, filling our lives with all that we desire. So Mote It Be." 

• Put the pink candle back in its place.
•  Spend some time meditating on an image in which you are happy, confident in yourself, in love etc.
• When you are ready, first light the astral candle and then the orange candle. Leave them to burn for a bit and then go on the other candles (leave these to keep burning though).
• Light the white and pink candles and leave all the candles to burn for a bit while imagining the aforementioned scene.
• Slowly start to move the white and pink candles towards the astral and orange candles. You can do this in one long, slow move or several shorter stages. While you are moving them, feel love entering your life and feel yourself being fulfilled.
• Once the four candles touch each other, be aware of the love that has just come into your life and that you have caught the attention of your future partner.
• Thank the God and Goddess/whoever you invoked and end the ritual.

For more information of proper ritual form (how to open and close the Circle, which tools to keep on your altar etc.), have a look at this post. 

You can then leave the candles to burn out completely, or you can extinguish them if you wish to repeat this ritual on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. If you decide to do it every month, then do the whole ritual over again each time. If you are going to do in on a daily/weekly basis, then extinguish the candles after an hour and when you move them, move them a big each time continuing where you left off each time. Just take care to have the candles touching just before the full Moon (or at least as close as possible to it). When the candles you are using have burnt out, simply replace them so you can continue doing the ritual as long as you need to.

Conclusion

Be considerate of other people and be careful what you do because every action has a consequence. Try not to harm others, but if you unintentionally do harm them, take care to fix the problem. It is up to you how you are going to use the information I have given you, but I beg you to keep your morale high and to keep your dignity. 

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