Wicca (20 page)

Meditate. Commune. Communicate.

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

The Law of the Power

The Power shall not be used to bring harm, to injure or control others. But if the need rises, the Power shall be used to protect your life or the lives of others.

The Power is used only as need dictates.

The Power can be used for your own gain, as long as by doing so you harm none.

It is unwise to accept money for use of the Power, for it quickly controls its taker. Be not as those of other religions.

Use not the Power for prideful gain, for such cheapens the mysteries of Wicca and magic.

Ever remember that the Power is the sacred gift of the Goddess and God, and should never be misused or abused.

And this is the Law of the Power.

Invocation of the Elements

Air, fire, water, earth, elements of astral birth,

I call you now; attend to me!

In the circle, rightly cast,

safe from psychic curse or blast,

I call you now; attend to me!

From cave and desert, sea and hill,

by wand, blade, cup, and pentacle,

I call you now; attend to me!

This is my will, so mote it be!
*

Prayers, Chants, and Invocations
of and to the Goddess and God

These prayers can be used to invoke the Goddess and God during ritual, just after the cirde casting. Of course, any that you compose or are inspired to say can be used as well.

A few chants are also included to raise energy or to commune with the deities.

Some of these invocations rhyme, and some do not. This simply speaks of my ability to compose rhyme, I suppose. But recall the power of rhyme—it links our conscious mind to the unconscious or psychic mind, thereby producing ritual consciousness.

Some of these are related to specific deities but, as Dion Fortune wrote, “All the gods are one god; and all the goddesses are one goddess, and there is one initiator.”
†

Invocation to the Goddess

Crescent one of the starry skies,

flowered one of the fertile plain,

flowing one of the ocean’s sighs,

blessed one of the gentle rain;

hear my chant ’midst the standing stones,

open me to your mystic light;

waken me to your silver tones,

be with me in my sacred rite!

Invocation to Pan

O great God Pan,

beast and man,

shepherd of goats and lord of the land,

I call you to attend my rites

on this most magical of nights.

God of the wine,

God of the vine,

God of the fields and God of the kine,

attend my circle with your love

and send your blessings from above.

Help me to heal;

help me to feel;

help me to bring forth love and weal.

Pan of the forests, Pan of the glade,

be with me as my magic is made!

Isis Invocation

Isis of the moon, you who are all that ever was,

all that is, and all that shall be:

come, veiled queen of night!

Come as the scent of the sacred lotus charging my circle

with love and magic.

Do descend upon my circle, I pray,

O blessed Isis!

Prayer to the Horned God

Horned one of the wilderness,

winged one of the shining skies,

rayed one of the splen’drous sun,

fallen one of the Samhain cries—

I call amidst the standing stones

praying that you, O ancient one,

will deign to bless my mystic rites—

O fiery lord of the blazing sun!

New Moon Chant to Diana

Waxing, waxing, growing, growing—

Diana’s power is flowing, flowing.

(repeat)

Call to the God

Ancient God of the forest deeps,

master of beast and sun;

here where the world is hushed and sleeps

now that the day is done.

I call you in the ancient way

here in my circle round,

asking that you will hear me pray

and send your sun force down.

Invocation to the Goddess

Gracious Goddess,

you who are the queen of the gods,

the lamp of night,

the creator of all that is wild and free;

mother of woman and man;

lover of the horned God and protectress of all the Wicca:

descend, I pray, with your lunar ray of power upon my circle here!

Invocation to the God

Blazing God,

you who are the king of the gods, lord of the sun,

master of all that is wild and free;

father of woman and man,

lover of the moon goddess and protector of all the Wicca:

descend, I pray, with your solar ray of power upon my circle here!

Goddess Chant

Luna, luna, luna, Diana

luna, luna, luna, Diana

bless me, bless me, bless me, Diana,

luna, luna, luna, Diana
(repeat)

Evening Chant to the God

Hail fair sun,

ruler of day;

rise on the morn

to light my way.

(to be said while watching the sunset)

Evening Chant to the Goddess

Hail fair moon,

ruler of night

guard me and mine

until the light.

(to be said while moon-gazing at night)

Goddess Chant

Aaaaaaaaaaaaah

Oooooooooooooh

Uuuuuuuuuuuu

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
*

The Lore of Numbers

To be used in ritual and magical workings. In general, odd numbers are related to women, receptive energy, and the Goddess; even numbers to men, projective energy, and the God.

1—The universe; The One; the source of all.

2—The Goddess and God; The perfect duality; projective and receptive energy; the couple; personal union with deity; inter-penetration of the physical and spiritual; balance.

3—The triple Goddess; the lunar phases; the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of our species.

4—The elements; the spirits of the stones; the winds; the seasons.

5—The senses; the pentagram; the elements plus akasha; a Goddess number.

7—The planets that the ancients knew; the time of the lunar phase; power; protection and magic.

8—The number of the sabbats; a number of the God.

9—A number of the Goddess.

13—The number of esbats; a fortunate number.

15—A number of good fortune.

21—The number of sabbats and moons in the Wiccan year; a number of the Goddess.

28—A number of the moon; a number of the Goddess.

101—The number of fertility.

The planets are numbered thus:

Saturn, 3 Venus, 7

Jupiter, 4 Mercury, 8

Mars, 5 Moon, 9
*

Sun, 6

Thirteen Goals of a Witch

I. Know yourself

II. Know your Craft (Wicca)

Ill. Learn

IV. Apply knowledge with wisdom

V. Achieve balance

VI. Keep your words in good order

VII. Keep your thoughts in good order

VIII. Celebrate life

IX. Attune with the cycles of the earth

X. Breathe and eat correctly

XI. Exercise the body

XII. Meditate

XIII. Honor the Goddess and God

*
As mentioned in chapter 5, gestures can be potent tools for slipping into ritual consciousness. After rereading that chapter I had the idea to compose an entire ritual of gestures, using no physical tools, no words, no music, or even visualizations. This is merely a suggestion as to its form, and has plenty of possibilities for expansion. It is to be used for attunement with The One, the Goddess and God, and the elemental forces, not for magic or seasonal observances.

*
This invocation may be chanted while moving or dancing around the altar to raise elemental energy for magical workings.

†
Aspects of Occultism
. London: Aquarian Press, 1962, page 35.

*
These are, obviously, the vowels of the English language. Pronounce them as A–“Ah,” O–“Oh,” U–“Oo,” E–“E,” I–“Eye.” Extend the vowels. As you vocalize them, stretch the sounds. This produces Goddess awareness, and rouses the psychic mind.

*
There are many variants of this system. This is simply the one that I use.

Recipes

Recipes for Food

Crescent Cakes

1 cup finely ground almonds

1
¹
/4 cups flour

¹
/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 drops almond extract

¹
/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg yolk

Combine almonds, flour, sugar, and extract until thoroughly mixed. With the hands, work in butter and egg yolk until well blended. Chill dough. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Pinch off pieces of dough about the size of walnuts and shape into crescents. Place on greased sheets and bake for about 20 minutes. Serve during The Simple Feast, especially at esbats.
*

Beltane Marigold Custard

2 cups milk

1 cup unsprayed marigold petals

¹
/4 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. sugar

1- to 2-inch piece vanilla bean

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

¹
/8 tsp. allspice

¹
/8 tsp. nutmeg

¹
/2 tsp. rose water

whipped cream

Using a clean mortar and pestle reserved for cooking purposes, pound marigold petals. Or, crush with a spoon. Mix the salt, sugar, and spices together. Scald milk with the marigolds and the vanilla bean. Remove the vanilla bean and add the slightly beaten yolks and dry ingredients. Cook on low heat. When the mixture coats a spoon, add rose water and cool.

Top with whipped cream, garnish with fresh marigold petals.

Soft Mead

1 quart water, preferably spring water

1 cup honey

1 sliced lemon

¹
/2 tsp. nutmeg

Boil together all ingredients in a nonmetallic pot. While boiling, scrape off the rising “scum” with a wooden spoon. When no more rises add the following:

pinch salt

juice of
¹
/2 lemon

Strain and cool. Drink in place of alcoholic mead or wine during The Simple Feast.

Recipes for Incenses

To make incenses, simply grind the ingredients and mix them together. As you mix, sense their energies. Burn on charcoal blocks in the censer during ritual. See appendix 1, page 201, for suppliers of herbs and charcoal.

Circle Incense

4 parts frankincense

2 parts myrrh

2 parts benzoin

1 part sandalwood

¹
/2 part cinnamon

¹
/2 part rose petals

¹
/4 part vervain

¹
/4 part rosemary

¹
/4 part bay

Burn in the circle for all types of rituals and spells. Frankincense, myrrh, and benzoin should definitely constitute the bulk of the mixture.

Altar Incense

3 parts frankincense

2 parts myrrh

1 part cinnamon

Burn as a general incense on the altar to purify it and to promote ritual consciousness during rituals.

Full Moon Ritual Incense

2 parts sandalwood

2 parts frankincense

¹
/2 part gardenia petals

¹
/4 part rose petals

a few drops ambergris oil

Burn during esbats or simply at the time of the full moon to attune with the Goddess.

Spring Sabbat Incense

3 parts frankincense

2 parts sandalwood

1 part benzoin

1 part cinnamon

a few drops patchouli oil

Burn during spring and summer sabbat rituals.

Fall Sabbat Incense

3 parts frankincense

2 parts myrrh

1 part rosemary

1 part cedar

1 part juniper

Burn during fall and winter sabbat rituals.

Recipes for Oils

To create oils, simply mix them in a bottle. Wear for ritual purposes.

See appendix 1, page 201, for suppliers.

Sabbat Oil No. 1

3 parts patchouli

2 parts musk

1 part carnation

Wear to the sabbats to promote communion with the deities.

Sabbat Oil No. 2

2 parts frankincense

1 part myrrh

1 part allspice

1 drop clove

Use as the above formula.

Full Moon Oil No. 1

3 parts rose

1 part jasmine

1 part sandalwood

Anoint the body prior to esbats to attune with lunar energies.

Full Moon Oil No. 2

3 parts sandalwood

2 parts lemon

1 part rose

Another like the above.

Goddess Oil

3 parts rose

2 parts tuberose

1 part lemon

1 part palmarosa

1 part ambergris

Wear to honor the Goddess during rituals.

Horned God Oil

2 parts frankincense

2 parts cinnamon

1 part bay

1 part rosemary

1 part musk

Wear to honor the horned God during rituals.

Altar Oil

4 parts frankincense

3 parts myrrh

1 part galangal

1 part vervain

1 part lavender