A Ritual of Gestures

This elegantly simple ritual is phenomenal for connecting and communicating with the energies, spirits and deities around you. No words need to be spoken, yet everything is understood.

A Ritual of Gestures
Adapted from Scott Cunningham

Stand in the ritual area. Still your thoughts. Breathe deeply for half a minute or so until composed and calm. Turn your mind to your deities.

Face north. Lift both hands to waist height, palms down. Press your fingers together, creating two solid, flat planes. Sense solidity, foundation, fertility. Invoke the powers of Earth through the gesture.

Moments later, turn toward the east. Raise your hands a foot higher, your palms facing away from you (no longer parallel with the ground), and elbows slightly bent. Spread your fingers and hold this position, sensing movement and communication. Invoke the forces of Air through this gesture.

Face south. Lift your hands fully above your head. Keeping the elbows straight, grasp your fingers into tight fists. Feel force, power, creation and destruction. Invoke the forces of Fire through this gesture.

Turn to the west. Lower your hands a foot or so. Bend the elbows, turn your palms upward and cup them, pressing the thumbs against the forefingers. Sense fluidity, the ocean, liquidity. Invoke the forces of Water through this gesture.

Face north again. Throw your head back and raise both hands to the sky, palms up, fingers spread. Drink in the essence of divine creativity; the unknowable, ultimate source of all. Sense the mysteries within the universe.

Lower your projective hand but keep your receptive hand high. With your raised hand press the ring, middle and fore fingers against the palm, lift the little finger and thumb to create a rough crescent shape. Sense the reality of the Goddess. Sense her love, her fertility, her compassion. Sense the powers of the Moon in the gesture; the force of the eternal seas- the presence of the Goddess.

Lower your receptive hand; lift your projective hand. Bend down the middle and ring fingers toward the palm, and trap them with the thumb. Life the forefinger and little finger up to the sky, creating a horned image. Sense the reality of the God. Sense the power of the Sun in this gesture; the untamed energies of the woodlands- the presence of the God.

Lower your projective hand. Lie down flat. Spread your legs and arms until you’ve created the pattern of the pentagram. Sense the powers of the Elements running through you; merging and coalescing into your being. Sense them as emanations from The Universe, The Goddess, and the God.

Meditate. Commune. Communicate.

When finished, simply stand up. Your rite of gestures is over.

Images pulled from Google.com

 

Attuning with the Divine

No matter which religion you observe or practice, the main goal is to attune yourself with the divine and see them in all of creation. This can be done many ways, but one of the most effective ways is to incorporate a daily practice of honoring and feeling divinity around you. This can be accomplished by sitting in meditation, being in nature, sitting quietly in prayer, or even participating in song and dance.

The ways to attune yourself are endless and choosing one that works depends on you, the divinity, and your relationship together. One ritual I have found very effective when working with a new deity, or even getting to know an old one better is very simple, but very effective.

Begin by arranging your altar. An altar can be anything from a log or stone in the forest to a kitchen counter in your home. It needn’t be fancy, but it must be decorated in such a way that a bond is formed between you and the divine. Personal touches, and design are an important part of your altar, and lets the divinity know that you wish to welcome them into your life.

When symbols of the divine are placed upon the altar this allows them to be at home when they are working with you. These vary from deity to deity and research should be used to determine what is appropriate. Some examples are a cross and doves for Jesus, pieces of horns and oak branches for Cernunnos, moonstones and white flowers for Diana, and stones and herbs for Gaia. The possibilities are endless.

Another good idea to help the divine feel at home is through the use of statues. There are many, many statues out there which depict hundreds of Gods and Goddesses; and most are very reasonably priced.

When the altar is to your liking, and contains symbols of the divinity or divinities in question, light some incense which is pleasing to you or has a connection with the divine. Allow the incense to burn for a short time then light a candle for each divinity you wish to welcome. These can be tapers, jar candles, even tea lights; and even better if they are colored in a hue associated with the divine in question.

Sit before your altar, breathe deeply, and clear your mind. Allow yourself to relax into a state of calmness and serenity. When you are thoroughly relaxed begin to focus on the deity or deities you wish to contact. See them inside your mind and contemplate their many aspects. Once you have a clear image speak a simple invocation of your own design to welcome them to you.

At this time ask for them to form a connection with you, and to let you see them in your daily life. Meditate for some time on this and be open to divine contact. When you feel compelled to end the ritual thank the deity or deities and know that they are with you. Open your eyes, snuff out the candle and let the incense burn out. You may leave and offering if you so wish, and once again do some research to see what was traditionally offered to your deity.

You are then free to go on about your daily life, but be aware of signs from the divine, and welcome them to you.

All images found on Google.com

Witches’ Love Honey

Blessings Everyone! Today I want to share with you a special recipe from one of my favorite authors.

This little gem was designed to be used by those of a mystical persuasion as a way of instilling food and drinks with feelings of love and caring; but I recommend it for everyone as it is also completely delicious.

Some of the magical benefits are inherent of course due to the natural properties of the spices, but to really get the most out of your honey you must empower your herbs as well as the luscious liquid itself. It is very simple, and even a beginner can do it with ease.

If you want to use this recipe strictly for flavor, simply omit the ritual parts of the recipe, and enjoy the warm spiced honey you have created. I would still recommend letting it sit for a few weeks before using to ensure the honey has absorbed as much flavor as possible.

Witches’ Love Honey

Ingredients and Supplies

• 1 cup pure Honey
• 2 broken Cinnamon Sticks
• 1 teaspoon Whole Cloves
• 1 dime-sized piece of Candied Ginger
• 1 inch-long piece of Dried Lemon Peel
• 1 inch-long piece Vanilla Bean
• 1 pinch Ground Cardamom

Preparation

1. To charge your herbs and honey before you begin working, simply hold them in your hands -or outstretch your palms over your ingredients- as you visualize your personal power awakening and enlivening their properties. See them becoming full of power, and accomplishing the tasks you have planned for them.
2. Then in a jar with a tight sealing lid combine the herbs with the honey and mix until everything is moistened thoroughly.
3. Seal the jar and place it upon your altar between two pink candles.
4. Light the candles as you visualize the honey glowing with pink light and pulsing with good feelings of love.
5. Allow the candles to burn out, and store the honey away from light for one lunar cycle before using.
6. Add small portions to food or beverages to promote good feelings of love

To further enhance the power of your love honey, create it on a Friday on or after the New Moon, but before or on the Full Moon.

Fridays are sacred to Venus Goddess of Love; the New Moon is a time of renewal and beginnings which is perfect for creating magic; and the Full Moon is a time of fulfillment and high energy which can be used to add immense power to your work.

It is wise to be in tune with the heavens when working magic, as the energy patterns they create can help or hinder your work greatly. This is also a wonderful recipe to create in circle, and can easily be adapted into your seasonal or lunar celebrations.

This recipe was adapted from The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews by Scott Cunningham

All images in this post were taken from Google.com