- As often as possible, hole the rites in forests, by the seashore, on deserted mountaintops or near tranquil lakes. If this is impossible, a garden or some chamber shall suffice, if it is readied with fumes or flowers.
- Seek out wisdom in books, rare manuscripts and cryptic poems if you will, but seek it out also in simple stones and fragile herbs and the cries of wild birds. Listen to the whisperings of the wind and the roar of water if you would discover magic, for it is here that the old secrets are preserved.
- Books contain words; trees contain energies and wisdom books ne’er dreamt of.
- Ever remember that the Old Ways are constantly revealing themselves. Therefore be as the river willow that bends and sways with the wind. That which remains changeless shall outlive its spirit but that which evolves and grows will shine for centuries.
- There can be no monopoly on wisdom. Therefore share what you will of our ways with others who seek them, but hide mystic lore from the eyes of those who would destroy, for to do otherwise increases their destruction.
- Mock not the rituals or spells of another, for who can say you are greater in power or wisdom?
- Ensure that your actions are honorable, for all that you do shall return to you three-fold, good or bane.
- Be wary of one who would dominate you, who would control and manipulate your workings and reverences. True reverence the Goddess and God occurs within. Look with suspicion on any who would twist worship from you for their own gain and glory, but welcome those priestesses and priests who are suffused with love.
- Honor all living things, for we are of the bird, the fish, the bee. Destroy not life save it be to preserve your own.
- And this is the nature of our way.
Author: adanaluna
Words to the Wise
O daughters and sons of the Earth, adore the Goddess and God and be blessed with the fullness of life. Know that They have brought you to these writings, for herein lie our ways of Wicca, to serve and fulfill the keepers of wisdom, the tenders of the sacred flame of knowledge. Run the rites with love and joy, and the Goddess and God will bless you with all that you need. But those who practice dark magics shall know Their greatest wrath. Remember that you are of the Wicca. No more do you trod the ways of doubt. You walk the path of light, ever climbing from shadow to shadow to the highest realm of existence. But though we're the bearers of truths, others do not wish to share our knowledge, so we run our rites beneath moon filled skies enwrapped in shadows. But we are happy. Live fully, for that is the purpose of life. Refrain not from earthly existence. From it we grow to learn and understand, until such time that we are reborn to learn more, repeating this cycle 'till we have spiraled up the path of perfection and can finally call the Goddess and God our kin. Walk the fields and forests; be refreshed by the cool winds and the touch of a nodding flower. The Moon and Sun sing in the ancient wild places: The deserted seashore, the stark desert, the roaring waterfall. We are of the Earth and should revere Her, so do Her honor. Celebrate the rites on the appropriate days and seasons, and call upon the Goddess and God when the time is meet, but use the Power only when necessary, never for frivolous ends. Know that using the Power for harm is a perversion of Life itself. But for those who love and magnify love, the richness of life shall be your reward. Nature will celebrate. So love the Goddess and God, and harm none!
A Self-Dedication Rite
Prepare yourself by drawing a bath of warm water. Add a tablespoon or so of salt and a few drops of a scented oil such as sandalwood.
If you have no bath, use a shower. Fill a washcloth with salt, add a few drops of essential oil, and rub your body. If you’re performing the ritual at the sea or a river, bathe there if you so desire.
As you bathe, prepare for the coming rite. Open your consciousness to higher levels of awareness. Deep breathe. Cleanse your mind as well as your body.
After bathing, dry and dress for the journey. Go to a place in the wild where you feel safe. It should be a comfortable spot where you won’t be disturbed by others, an area where the powers of the Earth and the elements are evident. It may be a mountain top, a desert canyon or cave, perhaps a dense forest, a rocky outcropping over the sea, a quiet island in the center of a lake. Even a lonely part of a park or a garden can be used. draw on your imagination to find the place.
You need take nothing with you but a vial of richly scented oil. Sandalwood, frankincense, cinnamon or any other scent is fine. When you arrive at the place of dedication, remove your shoes and sit quietly for a few moments. Calm your heart if you’ve exerted yourself during your travel. Breathe deeply to return to normal, and keep your mind free of cluttered thoughts. Open yourself to the natural energies around you.
When you’re calm, rise and pivot slowly on one foot, surveying the land around you. You’re seeking the ideal spot. Don’t try to find it; open your awareness to the place. When you’ve discovered it (and you’ll know when), sit, kneel or lie flat on your back. Place the oil on the Earth beside you. Don’t stand – contact the Earth.
Continue deep breathing. Feel the energies around you. Call the Goddess and God in any words you like, or use the following invocation. Memorize these words before the rite so that they’ll spill effortlessly from you, or improvise:
O Mother Goddess, O Father God, Answers to all mysteries and yet mysteries unanswered; In this place of power I open myself to Your Essence. In this place and in this time I am changed; From henceforth I walk the Wiccan path. I dedicate myself to you, Mother Goddess and Father God.
(rest for a moment, silent, still. Then continue:)
I breathe your energies into my body, commingling, blending, mixing them with mine, that I may see the divine in nature, nature in the divine, and divinity within myself and all else. O Great Goddess, O Great God, Make me one with your essence Make me one with your essence Make me one with your essence.
You may feel bursting with power and energy, or calm and at peace. Your mind might be in a whirl. The Earth beneath you may throb and undulate with energy. Wild animals, attracted by the psychic occurrence, might grace you with their presence.
Whatever occurs, know that you have opened yourself and that the Goddess and God have heard you. You should feel different inside, at peace or simply powerful.
After the invocation, wet a finger with the oil and mark these two symbols somewhere on your body. It doesn’t matter where; you can do this on your chest, forehead, arms, legs, anywhere. As you anoint, visualize these symbols sinking into your flesh, glowing as they enter your body and then dispersing into millions of tiny points of light.
The formal self-dedication is ended. Thank the Goddess and God for their attention. Sit and meditate before leaving the place of dedication.
Once home, celebrate in some special way.
Offering Prayer to the Gods
Stand before the shrine with an offering of some kind in your hand. Light the candles and incense, place the offering in the bowl or plate, and say such words as these:
Lady of the Moon, of the restless sea and verdant Earth, Lord of the Sun and of the wild creatures, Accept this offering I place here in Your honor. Grant me the wisdom to see Your presence in all nature, O Great Ones!
Ash (Fraxinus spp.)
Wands, protection, leaves for prophetic dreams, prosperity, study, health, enhances magic, made into besoms and stangs. Ash, oak and hawthorn grown or found together form what is called a Fairy Triad, where the fair folk may visit and maybe seen. Sprinkle ash leaves under the pillow to grant insight and prophetic dreams. [1]
The world tree, astral travel, all rites of passage, healing, protection, initiation, autumn equinox, Midsummer, Ostara, and Yule. Sacred to Ares, Athena, Cernunnos, Fates, Furies, Gwydion, Herne, Jupiter, Llyr, Mars, Minerva, Neptune, Norns, Odin, Poseidon, Thor, Uranus, Woden, Wyrd, Ymir, and Zeus. Ruled by the sun, the elements of water and fire, and the star sign Leo. [2]
Resources
[1] Green Witchcraft by Ann Moura
[2] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
Walnut (Juglans regia)
Fertility, anointing, wishes. Ruled by the sun and the element of fire. Sacred to Adonis, Apollo, and Jupiter. [1]
Resources
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
Love, protection. [1]
Resources
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
Tangerine (Citrus tangerina)
Energy, strength, power. Ruled by the sun and the element of fire. [1]
Resources
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
Sunflower (Helianthus annus)
Sun rituals, Midsummer, happiness, blessings, fertility, strength, courage, action, self-image, consecrating healing stones and gems. Ruled by the sun, the element of fire, and the star sign Leo. Sacred to Apollo, Demeter, Helios, and Venus. [1]
Resources
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)
Blessing, love, Midsummer, fertility. Ruled by the planet Venus and the elements of earth or water. Sacred to fairies, Freya, love goddesses, and mother goddesses. [1]
In parts of Bavaria, it was traditional come springtime to tie little bags or baskets of wild strawberries to the cows’ horns to appease the fairies and elves, and to protect the cows. [2]
Some of the fairies’ preferred gathering places at Beltane are “fairy rings’ – circles of wild mushrooms; as well as circles of lawn daisies, patches of wild violets, patches of wild thyme, and, most of all, swathes of wild strawberries. [2]
Strawberry Mythology
Some Native American Indian tribes have long associated wild strawberries with spring and rebirth, as they are the first wild fruits to ripen. They used them mixed with cornmeal to make strawberry bread, which whtie settlers transformed to strawberry shortcake, a traditional Memorial Day weekend dessert.
During meieval times, the strawberry signified perfection and righteousness and strawberry fruits also symbolized esteem, love, purity, passion, health, and perfection, and were a popular embroidery motif. In heraldry, depictions of strawberry leaves were sometimes used to denote rank.
Strawberries are one of Venus’s symbols, due to their red heart shape. Frigga, the Norse marriage goddess, was believe to smuggle dad children to heaven by hiding them in strawberry patches. Both Freya, the Norse goddess of love, and the Christian Virgin Mary have been associated with strawberries.
Dutch early surrealist artist Hieronymus Bosch painted one of his most famous works, the triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights, in the fifteenth century. It is now housed at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain, and, if you are unfamiliar with Bosch’s work, it is wonderfully strange. The center panel, which represents a lustful earthly paradise, features many oversized strawberries. At the bottom right are two human-sized straberries, one bursting open to emit round blue balls, and the other being used as an exercise ball by a naked woman. One of the men is offering the woman a strawberry as big as a melon. Another giant strawberry, with fairy wings, rides on the back of a naked man, a spiny tail emergy from a slit on its side. [2]
Resources
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
[2] Llewellyn’s 2022 Sabbats Almanac: Samhain 2021 to Mabon 2022
Adana Luna 