How to Become a Witch by Amber K. (large ebook reader txt) 📗

to know? Why? What will you gain (or lose) by telling them? Before blurting it out, you may want to write in your Book of Shadows, answering the three questions posed here.

Silence also relates to that old saying about having two ears and one mouth because listening is twice as important as speaking. This has to do with awareness; you can’t be totally aware of your surroundings when you are babbling or planning what you are going to say next. And awareness of your surroundings, and the people near you, is one source of knowledge.

Another aspect of silence is the ability to “enter the silence within.” To become a Witch, learn to listen to that still, small voice within, also called your inner bell. This kind of listening, and listening to ancestors, spirits, devas, faery folk, animals, rocks, etc., just can’t be done unless you are quiet, for their voices are quiet. Listen in silence; make the silence your own. Record your experiences in your Book of Shadows.

Silence corresponds to the element of water, and the corresponding tool is the cup or chalice. The chalice also corresponds with the womb, the source of creation. The chalice is placed on the west side of the altar and may hold either water or another beverage you have chosen for your ritual.

Another set of tools corresponds to both water and earth. These are the salt and water bowls on your altar, small dishes in which pure water and sea salt are kept for asperging (cleansing) your ritual space before beginning ritual. The usual place for them is in the northwest part of your altar, with the water dish closer to west and the salt dish closer to north.

Lamps of art

The candles used to illuminate a Wiccan altar were called “lamps of art” in the old days. Back when candles were rare and expensive, ordinary people might have used a simple oil or tallow lamp instead. Today we often use paraffin, although many Witches prefer beeswax tapers. In some traditions, the two main candles can represent the Goddess and the God. Often we do spells that involve candle magick, and then the color and shape of the candles will vary according to the purpose—light blue or rose for blessing, green for growth and prosperity, black for banishing, and so on.

North

Faith, Pentacle

This leads us to the north side of the pyramid, the side of earth and faith. For many, this side is difficult, for faith can’t be conjured on demand, though it can be inborn or result from repeated experiences that strengthen your faith.

Faith can be described as an inner knowing that is not supported by fact, usually with a good connotation of strength. We speak of having faith in something, so what do you have faith in? What can begin to build this strength within you? Start with having faith in easier things—your dog’s love for you, the knowledge that spring will come again with daffodils and tulips. Then move to larger things: your partner’s love, the laws of nature, the existence of Goddess/God/Deity/Divine energy. Faith in Earth herself, faith in yourself; faith that all things are connected, that magick works, that you can do magick. Write in your Book of Shadows, and be totally honest with yourself. What do you really have faith in? Where could you use more faith?

The tool associated with the north, the element of earth, and faith is the pentacle. It is a magickal shield carved into wood, made of metal, or formed of fired clay. Symbols are carved or painted on it, usually including a pentagram. So why is the pentagram/pentacle a symbol of earth? The modern answer is that it is often used on the altar as the paten, or plate, from which the cakes are served—and the cakes are the bounty of the earth.

Another reason the pentacle stands for earth is that the pentacle is the physical manifestation of the pentagram, which represents the totality of this world we live in, and the element of earth is all about the things of this physical world: rocks and plants and animals, all things material and solid, as well as health, abundance, and strength. According to lore, Witches made their pentacles of wax during the Burning Times so they could be thrown in the fire if the Inquisition came calling. Again, the best way for the beginning Witch to obtain a pentacle is to make one. You can go to a hobby store, get a round disk of wood, and carve your pentagram onto it (see True Magick by Amber K for more about the traditional symbols used on a pentacle). Or you could paint the pentagram on the wood, or make the pentacle of ceramic or metal. Or you could, of course, buy it at...you guessed it...your local metaphysical shop, or online as a last resort.

The pentacle is placed on the north part of your altar.

A pentacle for your altar

A pentacle was originally considered to be a magickal shield, and it might have either a pentagram on it or a Seal of Solomon, the hexagram that today is often called the Star of David. Either one was a powerful protective symbol, useful to any magician who intended to call up “demons” to do the sorcerer’s bidding. Since modern Witches have no interest in compelling spirits to do things they might resent, the pentacle has shifted its use. It now represents the energies of earth and the center of the material world.

The Interior Is Love

The interior of the Witches’ Pyramid is love. The Beatles notwithstanding, love is not “all you need”—but it is essential for being a Witch. The best way to end any spell is with the traditional words, “With harm toward none and for the greatest good of all.” That’s a good statement of your intent to act from a place of love. It’s the love inside that gives the pyramid its shape and strength, just