How to Become a Witch (11 page)

Exercise for Imagination: Pick a tarot card at random, or a picture from a magazine of a person doing something, and imagine it in great detail. Make up a story about the character in the picture. What are they doing, how did they get there, where are they going, and why? If you draw a blank, ask yourself, “If I did know, what would it be?” You’ll be surprised how that can loosen up your thoughts!

Fire

Fire is the smallest candle flame, the hearth fire, the deep heat at the earth’s core, and the fire of the sun. Fire corresponds to our desires and passions, our will, purpose, and goals. It is the energy that animates us and all living things, and that we bring to our magick to make it work.

Exercise: If you don’t have a desert or volcano handy, build a small fire outdoors or light a candle in a darkened room. (Take appropriate safety precautions.) Take a deep breath and let it out, ground and center, take another deep breath and let it out slowly, then focus on fire: will, passion, and purpose. Do you want more of them in your life? What is your passion, anyway? You may have already addressed this back in the earth exercise, when we asked what you would do if your physical needs were taken care of. That may give you a glimpse of your true will—that voice inside that says, “This is my contribution to the world!” How can you make your passion a larger part of your life? Write the answers to these questions in your Book of Shadows.

Living as a Witch in the World: Think about how you use energy—sparingly or wastefully? Have you replaced your light bulbs with compact fluorescents? Again, how could you have a smaller carbon footprint? Go to the Internet and search for carbon footprint, use a calculator at one of those sites to figure your carbon offset, and choose one of their green partners to support, like Native Energy.

To light a fire

Sacred fires such as sabbat bonfires are sometimes made with the traditional
nied-fyr,
Anglo-Saxon for “forced fire”—that is, fire made by friction, such as the bow-and-drill method used by our ancestors, or ignited with flint and steel, or by focusing the sun’s rays through a lens. Modern Witches don’t always follow the old ways, though; wooden matches are very handy, and on a cold night it’s not uncommon for the fire builder to “flick the sacred Bic.”

Exercise for Purpose: Think about the toughest goal that you ever set for yourself—and achieved. Remember how you felt when you said, “I did it!” Sort of tingly and wide awake, alive and vital? Go back to the treasure map you made, and stand in front of it. Bring that vital, alive feeling back to your consciousness, and put that energy into your goal. Feel success as you look at the pictures on your treasure map. When the feeling peaks, take a deep, quick breath in, say “So mote it be,” clap your hands together once, and in one powerful
whoosh
, exhale the energy into the treasure map—but retain the good feeling!

Water

Water is the mist, the rain, and the snow, the streams that flow to the rivers and into the oceans, the ice that forms the glaciers, the blood that runs through our veins, and the tears that we cry. Water corresponds to our emotions, our compassion and love, and our intuition. Some people say that our emotions let us know we are alive, and intuition is our direct connection to the Divine.

Exercise: Go to a watery place—out on your porch during a rainstorm; next to a stream, lake, or ocean; or into your own bathtub, filled with clean, pure water. Take a deep breath; ground and center. Take another deep breath and let it out slowly, then meditate on water: What does water mean to you? What do compassion, love, and intuition mean to you, and how can you bring more of them into your life? Think about the luxury of clean water to bathe in, the refreshing quality of ice in your tea, and water in all its forms. Then think about emotion. Remember the last time you cried—what prompted that? Did you injure yourself? Did a good movie make you cry, or a sad song? Then switch back to that joyous feeling you accessed during the fire section, take a deep, quick breath in, say “So mote it be!” and clap your hands, and feel that really good feeling again. A true Witch can change consciousness at will—that’s one of the definitions of magick—and changing your emotional state at will is a particularly potent form of magick. (How many times have you heard someone say they couldn’t do something because of their emotions? Well, what if they could change their emotions at will?) Write your thoughts in your Book of Shadows.

Living as a Witch in the World: Find a good book or documentary about the hydrologic cycle, the cycle of rain and evaporation. Find out how you can help support people who are working to guarantee clean, drinkable water. Use the Internet, and get involved. Buy a water filter and a reusable water bottle, and quit sending plastic bottles to the landfill—or recycle if you must use them.

Exercise for Connecting with Your Intuition: Find the quietest place you can. Ground and center. Listen, and let the quiet soak into your soul. For a few minutes, meditate in and on silence. Find that still point within, and ask a question. The answer may not come through on the first try—you may be out of practice listening, and your intuition may be feeling shy—but keep trying. Let your inner voice know you are ready to listen; after a time it will become clearer, and it will always be reliable. Write your thoughts in your Book of Shadows.

Spirit

Spirit is embodied in the other four elements and transcends them as well, for spirit is the Goddess and the God, and all that they have created is imbued with their energy.

Two Exercises: Go to a place that feels sacred to you. This may be a place in nature or your personal altar. Take a deep breath and let it out, let your thoughts slow down, then ground and center. Think about the Goddess. What does the feminine energy of the universe feel like? What women do you find inspiring and powerful? Do you connect with the feminine divine as an individual goddess (Diana, Aphrodite, Danu, Quan Yin) or as the all-pervasive Goddess? If all of this is new to you, that’s okay, too.

Reach out with your mind to the feminine energy of the universe and feel it surround you like a warm, soft blanket or a gentle, cool breeze, whichever feels good at this moment. Imagine a wise young woman leading you into a field of fresh flowers to dance for joy under the golden sun and the blue sky. Then imagine a loving, gentle mother cradling you in her arms and rocking you to sleep like a small child. Allow yourself to drift. Finally, imagine a wise old grandmother, with the ages in her face and compassion in her eyes, telling you just what you need to hear as advice for your journey to become a Witch. Write her words in your Book of Shadows.

Take another deep breath, and move your awareness to the God. What does the masculine energy of the universe feel like? What men do you know who are strong and inspiring? Do you connect with the masculine divine as an individual god (Zeus, Pan, Cernunnos, Odin) or as the all-pervasive God? Imagine a bold, strong youth leading you into a forest to share the secrets that he has learned through his wanderings. Then imagine a young warrior showing you how to use a bow and arrow, like magick, to hit your target. Imagine a kind father who speaks of the joy of fatherhood and family. And finally, imagine a wise old sage who answers your most important question about magick. Write their gifts in your Book of Shadows.

Living as a Witch in the World: Where and when do you feel most in touch with spirit? When do you feel awe, peace, connection, belonging, and joy? If it’s a place you can go to in person, go there at least once a month to renew your spirit. If you can’t go there in person, take the trip in your imagination. Feel whatever feelings come up, and take the opportunity to ask your intuition for guidance. Always write your thoughts in your Book of Shadows.

Elemental Symbols And Your Personal Altar

Almost every Witch has an altar. It can be elaborate or simple, but it will probably become the focal point of your daily practice, as explained later in chapter 6. Choose a place for your altar: in the center of a room, along one wall (traditionally either the east or north), in a closet or drawer, or on a shelf. Find a quiet span of time to set up your altar. You may choose to use just one altar cloth all the time or change it with the seasons. A basic Witch’s altar usually includes the following items:

• Symbols of Goddess and God or a statue or picture of one’s patron deity
  
• Two candlesticks with candles, called “lamps of art”
  
• An air symbol, usually in the east (such as an incense burner or a feather)
  
• A fire symbol, usually in the south (such as a red candle)
  
• A water symbol, usually in the west (such as a seashell or bit of driftwood)
  
• An earth symbol, usually in the north (such as a stone or crystal)
  
• Small dishes or bowls holding salt and water
  
• A fire-making tool (wooden matches will do)
  
• Your ritual tools: pentacle, wand, chalice, and athame (see chapter 4)
  
• Working tools such as tarot cards, runes, essential oils, herbs, etc., that you may need for a particular magickal working (we’ll get to these later in the book)
  
• And, in our tradition, a coyote (see chapter 8)
  

As you gather objects to represent the elements on your altar, pass each one through incense smoke and sprinkle it with saltwater to cleanse it before placing it on the altar with reverence. The objects on your altar may be changed whenever you like; your altar should be a living thing, used often and reflecting your growth as a Witch.

Once your altar is set up, sit before it and do the following exercise:

Five Elements Breath: Breathing rhythmically and slowly, visualize white clouds in a vast, sunlit blue sky, and inhale the refreshing power of air. Exhale all tension and any negative thoughts.

Now visualize the shimmering heat and white sands of a hot desert, and inhale the exhilarating power of fire. Exhale all tension and tiredness.

Next, visualize the rolling green waves of a wide sea, and inhale the rejuvenating power of water. Exhale all tension and any emotions you don’t need.

Now visualize great, rocky snow-capped mountains mantled with green forests, and inhale the solid power of earth. Exhale all tension and weakness.

Then visualize your favorite goddess or god, shining, beautiful, and smiling, embracing you; inhale the exquisite power of spirit. Exhale all that is not perfect.

Finally, visualize a glowing pentagram radiating all the colors of the rainbow, and inhale the power of life—balanced, whole, and well. Exhale and give thanks.

The elements of the pentagram are the building materials of the universe. All that we experience can be understood as being of earth, air, fire, water, or spirit, or some blend of these.

A personal altar