Chapter One
Try to take each lesson in turn. If you are having a problem with your house, the temptation, I know, will be to rush ahead to chapter 12 and read just that, opting for a spell that will "solve" your domestic difficulty. However, this will represent only one small part of what you need to know to become fully cognizant of the practice of successful, powerful, responsible magic. Take the time and trouble to read the whole; by doing this you will become a powerful exponent of the craft and will save yourself much disappointment.
The building blocks of white magic are presented in each successive chapter, so that by the time you reach the end of the book you will have a full working knowledge of what is required to interchange various elements within your spell-making and to design yourself the perfect, appropriate spell to deal with any situation that is thrown at you. If you learn about each step in magic-the thought process, the right way to meditate and send thought waves, the different symbolic possibilities, incorporation of individual colors, the use of candles, scent, and so on--you will be able to recognize what is necessary to work any kind of magic, for any kind of situation ....always remembering the restrictions placed on you by the Wicca philosophy, of course!
Wicca celebrates the idea that we are all individuals, that we have personal rhythms and responses to what we meet with in life: it is, in fact, for this reason that spells can and should be very personalized. Apart from the philosophy of "harming none," there are no hard and fast rules in the practice of spell-making. We are fluid, organic, emotional beings, and we should use the colors, combinations, climatic conditions, emblems, Music, and so on that heighten our individual senses. In other words, the intention of this book is to provide you with the reasons why certain elements arc used in magic-making, to enlighten you as to methods of making your thoughts stronger and more focused for good "spelling," and to provide a (by no means exhaustive!) list of symbols, color meanings, and herbal and scent properties to work with under the aegis of each individual moon.
The rest is up to you: do what feels right. Work with your intuition, and follow the rhythms set in motion by your spell-workings. You will soon learn to be adept, but don't worry too much about what is "right" and what is "wrong." Your magic will be strongest if you prepare the ground thoroughly; it will make better sense if you understand the guidelines given in this book. Sometimes, however, you will have to be flexible-if, for instance, you are in a place without candles, or when the time is not absolutely the first choice by moon or weather, or if you are in a public place and have to perform the whole spell in your head! This cannot be helped.
The important creed I have laid out; the working tools are described in the chapters before you. Now, make your own magic from an informed choice, which I hope will be yours by the last pages of this book. Make yourself, and others around you, happier by spreading your magic.
This is the true meaning of being a "White Witch." And now to the poetic journey ... Blessed Be.
Master Spell: A Magic Circle. This is the most important precursor to powerful magic. The idea of the circle is to create a powerful zone into which nothing harmful can reach. From inside the 360 degrees, the powerful witch has control over any forces coming from any direction: her sphere of power reaches everywhere. Most importantly, the circle also prevents any curious lower spirits from entering into the magic-making and corrupting the results.
There are many variations on the construction of the magic circle. However, some of the descriptions derive from the Druidic tradition, which, it is widely believed, sometimes used a circle in connection with divine sacrifice. From the Wiccan creed of harming no one, and my grandmother's beautiful circle--which was literally a pool of light and accompanied all her incantations for healing heart, mind, and body--I draw my own preferred model for a magic circle from which to pour forth beautiful, powerful, enlightened thoughts. To do it justice, you may wish to use as many as forty or fifty candles for a circle about two yards in diameter! If this seems too extravagant, settle for thirteen, and place them equidistantly around your drawn circle.
You Will Need
At least 13 small candles in glass holders, either flame-red or white(or both); rose petals, or rose potpourri, to strew in the center,with a little rose oil added to intensify the fragrance; a handful ofearth; a small dish of water; a small mirror; a birch leaf or twig ifit i's winter; a twig or leaf from the appropriate tree for themoon/month in which you are performing this spell; 2 yards offlame-red ribbon.
Moon Phase: Full (birch moon, for the purist).
Choose the area in which you are to create your circle carefully. It is best to use the floor area in a room where you will habitually perform Your magic, or even your garden on a still night.
Standing in the center of the circle you will create, place the candles around it in a clockwise direction--no more than 18 in. apart, and much closer if you are prepared to buy more candles and create a really intense ring of fire. Still standing in the center, strew some rose petals or potpourri around your feet, and sprinkle with a little rose oil to make the scent very powerful. Step once outside the circle, and place in the north of it the earth, in the south of it the dish of water...
