Spirited (10 page)

Below, you will find two spells to bless your love life and to keep the Magick alive and real in your relationship. You may also brew a tea to promote understanding and acceptance in your relationship, and share it over a romantic dinner.

Two's Company

This spell can be used to prepare for a romantic night at home with the DVDs and popcorn.

You will need:

One handful of dried lavender

One handful of rose petals

Plenty of blankets, pillows, and soft things

A sappy love movie, corny teen flick, or even gory horror film

Sparkling apple juice for the two of you

There is no need to cast a circle, as you will be constructing a temporary sacred space during the spell.

About half an hour before you are expecting your partner to turn up, get dressed slowly and seductively (it helps to turn on some mood music to help dash the self-conscious qualms), making sure you look your best. In your living room (or wherever you are planning to watch the movies), make sure you have a solid surface to carry out the spell. Before you begin,
to exude comfort and warmth
you will need to arrange several blankets, pillows, and cushions around the space and on the couch you will share with your partner.

Take the dried lavender in your power hand and the rose petals in your receptive hand, and ground and centre. Incorporate pink light into your visualisation, and see yourself surrounded by an aura of pink that is flowing around you like warm honey. See the energy congregate around your two hands, and feel the pink light seep into the lavender and rose. Once you feel the energy reach its peak, chant the following:

Flowing streams of warm romance

Fill my hands and weave your dance

Rose, seduction, loving light

Cast upon this house your might

Lavender, your peaceful dew

Open arms so that we two

May drift upon a sea of love

This spell is cast as flies the dove!

As you finish the last line, see a white dove burst forth from the pink light and fly three times deosil around the room, blessing the space. Watch as the dove settles itself wherever it chooses, and be sure to keep an eye on it every now and then throughout the night.

The only thing you've got to do now is scatter the rose petals and lavender under the couch and pour two glasses of sparkling apple juice for yourself and your partner. The night should be a splendid one, as you are joined with your lover over the empowered properties of both lavender and rose.

At the end of the night, when your partner has gone home or is out of sight, sweep up the herbs from under the couch and go outside. There, reflect on the night and pay homage to the dove as it settles on your shoulder. When you are ready, chant the following:

All is well, the spell is cast

This night as memory shall last

For blessed it's been by purest dove

How sweet the messenger of love

And now about the heavens fly

And take your peace into the sky

Until such time I'll call again

Farewell, good dove, my gentle friend.

Throw the rose and lavender into the air—hopefully a breeze will catch the remnants and scatter them, spreading loving energies of concord and romance. Feel the dove launch off your shoulder before it disappears into the night.

Friday Is for Fun!

This spell is designed to enhance the act of sex. If you are under the legal age of consent, I suggest that you simply read over this spell to catch a glimpse of the power and sensuality of sex Magick. This by no means is the collective form of sex Magick and is simply a spell aimed at the joining of two consenting individuals.

This spell will not aid in conception and is focused on energising your sexual experience. It is up to you and your partner whether you will use contraception or not; however, it is recommended here. Use this spell wisely!

You will need:

Patchouli incense

Ylang ylang essential oil

Pine essential oil

Jasmine essential oil

Two red candles

For this spell, you will not need to cast a circle. Cast this spell on a Friday evening before a lovemaking session.

Begin by anointing one of the candles with equal parts of ylang ylang and jasmine essence. This will represent feminine power and will be placed in a secure candleholder on the left-hand side of your bed. Use the first two fingers of your power hand to dress the candle. Begin in the middle of your candle and going deosil and up, dress the candle until you reach the top; then do the same, but this time start at the centre and go down until you reach the bottom. As you do, visualise a young maiden with beautiful, flowing hair, a body woven of gossamer threads, and soft, voluptuous skin. Her heart is wild within her chest, and she smiles secretively at you. She is the flirtatious and alluring nymph.

Now, with equal parts of pine and ylang ylang, repeat the procedure as above, but this time focus on a young, virile man whose body is well developed. He is a kind-hearted poet and generous friend while also being the spear carrier and the warrior of his tribe. This candle, once dressed properly, will be placed in a candleholder to the right of your bed.

Now light both candles and stand at the bottom of your bed, facing the bed's head; spread your legs apart and lift your arms into the air, palms open and facing out. Ground and centre, and attune your breathing to the ragged cycles experienced during an impassioned lovemaking session. Feel the passion and sensuality of bodies joining and
enveloping
each other. Feel the pulsing tides of energy as it moves between the bodies. Experience the waves of heat and energy as they sweep over you and spin you into a world of ecstasy and transcendence. This is the eternal spiral of the shaman's dance.

When the power reaches its peak, chant:

Gods of love and passion rise

Upon this night of Freya's ties

Fill this room as your sacred shrine

My flesh is charged by this sign
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Five by rite and five by life

Mark me well and cast out strife

Union, joining, merging halves

Imbue the air that shifts 'tween calves

Lip to lip and phallus to womb

Bless the spinning Lady's loom

Flesh to flesh and grail to lance

Sacred is the lover's dance

Upon this night of Freya's ties

Gods of love and passion rise!

Feel as the energy spirals to a pinpoint and then explodes over you in a shower of warmth, electricity, and passion. Now you may light the patchouli incense and begin, making sure that the candles' flames are safely contained.

Note:
This spell can also be used for two gay guys or girls. You may like to stick with the original candle-dressing routine invoking both God and Goddess as symbolic forces of co-creation, which are inherent within both you and your partner, or you might like to focus on two specific male or female deities who are associated with homosexuality. If you are male, you could invoke Zeus and his lover Ganymede, the cupbearer of Olympus, or Apollo and Hyakinthos. For two girls, Artemis and one of her maidens are valid options. In any case, do your research on your chosen deities beforehand so you are familiar with their myths, their energies, and their characteristics.

You may also like to change the wording of the chant from “Lip to lip and phallus to womb …” to “Lip to lip and limb to limb, weaving wonder as we sing. Flesh to flesh and heart to heart, no longer do our bodies part.” You can adapt the words to suit your own tastes.

Both of the spells above are open to adaptation, and if you like, you can ask your partner to help cast the spells with you.

[contents]

The word
community
is generally used to define a group of people who share a common historical and cultural background and live together in a specific area, interacting and weaving a complex web of interdependence, responsibility, experience, and power. However, in the case of Paganism, community does not imply that all Pagans must live in the same area—or, for that matter, interact.

Think of J. K. Rowling's
Harry Potter
series. The
“wizarding world”
is almost exactly synonymous with the Pagan community in terms of how the phrases are used.
Wizard
in Rowling's interpretation is a word referring to a magickal person.
World
and
community
can also be identified as representing similar circumstances. However, the word
world
implies that wizards live in a separate place with different rules, in contrast to the day-to-day routine of muggles. That world is one of perception given its distinct qualities, because those who live within it accept that Magick is real, whereas muggles are oblivious to its presence or equally defiant that it cannot and will not exist. Likewise, Pagans seek to maintain their connection with the physical world while at the same time experiencing something that is often described as paranormal and supernatural. To Pagans, however, it is very much a part of who we are, and
to separate the two
is inconceivable.

Pagan community
is a concept that is flourishing rapidly. Having that sense of connection with people on the opposite side of the world inspires us to communicate our ideas and philosophies and contribute our individual energies to a universal movement. Despite all of our differences, there is a sense of unity among today's Pagans. But in order to consolidate and progress into a brighter future, we Pagans need to reassert the communal values that unite us, despite unwarranted Witch wars and power struggles. Let there be no more ego-tripping and battering of salt-soaked wounds.

Something Old, Something New:
Bridging the Gap

NeoPaganism is a decentralised, autonomous, and anarchistic spirituality. Essentially, NeoPaganism is pure democracy. Discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, appearance, sexuality, etc., is frowned upon. Freedom and equality are admired and upheld, and opinion is valued for what it is—opinion. Unfortunately, despite accepted Pagan attitudes, Pagans are human and therefore prone to mistakes. Making mistakes is not necessarily a bad thing—in the long run, they can help us to learn and progress along life's bountiful path. However, despite the discrimination Pagans receive from non-Pagans, there are still those who suffer from ill treatment within the Pagan community. One of these groups is the youth.

There is a gap between the older members of our community and the younger ones. This gap is evident in all aspects of life; Pagans are not the only ones who recognise it. The gap between the younger generation and their parents or the older members of society is there. Things have changed over the past few decades, and that change has given way to a new generation.

My generation lives in a world of shifting attitudes and deteriorating fashions. Sexuality is something that is generally celebrated, although there are still many who revile homosexuality. Multiculturalism is seen as a necessary component of a modern democratic nation, though racial friction still exists. Freedom of speech and expression is guarded and given sanction by the law; however, hypocrisy still reigns.

Youth is change, revelation, and awakening. Youth is the bridge from childhood innocence into adulthood, and the Pagan reveres both. Unlike modern Western society, Paganism does not view time in broken and separate phases but in ongoing cycles and necessary passages. Childhood, adolescence, and adulthood should not be seen as separate and discrete stages but as passages serving the experience of the next. They are all intertwined.

Bridging the gap between us and the “adults”
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should not have to be a momentous trial but an enjoyable experience full of life's lessons. If we are to succeed, the effort needs to go both ways. Both adults and youths need to cooperate and honour each other as evolving beings in order to create a sense of peace and harmony in our community. Honesty and humility are wise things.

If Paganism is to survive into the future, we need to retain our unique spirit of honour, community, and friendship. Look to Nature, our great teacher, and see how she celebrates the links between every individual being. Nature does what has to be done so that life may continue to flourish. Rather than drown us in eternal torture or shower us in perpetual light (and light does blind!), Mother Nature reinforces the importance of balance. She draws no line between dark and light but sees them as complementary and thus reflects this paradox into our lives.

The wider Pagan community needs to acknowledge the young as a vital strand of existence, and the youth need to honour the older members of the community as a source rich in experience and knowledge. Once both “sides” come to grips with the reality of the situation and seek to promote understanding and cooperation, we will have truly embraced the stuff of peace. Our differences should not separate us but unite us in life's keen diversity. Without change or destruction, life would recede and be rendered extinct.

Working together in reverence, celebration, and understanding should be our main aim in order to bridge the gap. As young Pagans, we need to uphold a positive and dynamic image as well as break down the tendency in the more traditional Pagans to categorise all teens as fluffy bunnies.

A successful community is founded on the principles of compassion, acceptance, and diversity, and Paganism as a spirituality seeks to integrate all of these into practice. Fundamentalism and conservatism are alien and outdated practices that have no place in the Pagan traditions of today. O
ur home, the earth, is no longer revered as the great mother of all but exploited and disregarded. Rather than allow this pattern to fester, Pagans need to set an example for the rest of the world; the microcosm (in this case, the Pagan community) will work to affect the macrocosm (the global community). Therefore, it is unreasonable and hypocritical to allow discrimination to occur within our own community. In conjunction with “bridging the gap,” issues of hidebound tradition and discrimination also require attention. For the most part, Pagans have made it part of their spiritual endeavours to see that the world becomes a better place in both spirit and body.

If you as a young Pagan are ever ostracised or discriminated against because of the circumstance of age, then I suggest you take a good look at the offender and stand your ground. Several years ago, I had to endure a period of feeling uncomfortable and “lesser than” the older Pagans at a local social gathering I attended. I finally voiced my concerns, and I no longer felt small or worthless but empowered and inspired. Positive self-esteem is required for any individual who desires to develop their skills of perception and to evolve spiritually. Never allow yourself to be compromised in the name of social hierarchy.

When you approach the gap, don't anticipate that either side will make the first move. If you internally reject the gap and affirm that it only exists in relation to the community's attitude, then you have successfully begun the bridging process. Over time, the need for a bridge will dissipate, and the gap that once seemed so vast becomes a mere memory. Celebrate unity in diversity, and understand that the path to healing lies in your motivation to become whole. I think when it comes to removing the injustices in our community, we can take a page from the Witch's Pyramid:
Know
who you are,
Dare
to be yourself,
Will
that justice is done, and
Silence
the voice that feeds intolerance.

The Curse of the Fluffy Bunny:
A Social Syndrome

Over the past decade, NeoPaganism, or more specifically Wicca and Witchcraft, have become the fastest-growing spiritualities in the Western world. Teenagers make up a large number of this sudden growth. Television programs such as
Charmed, Buffy,
and
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
have opened up teens to worlds where Magick is real and where Witches are powerful beings with abilities beyond the norm.
Harry Potter
, renewed interest in
Lord of the Rings
, the
Wicca/Sweep
series, and
The Witches of Eileanan
books cater to the thirst for fantasy and Magick among the younger generations and portray the supernatural as awe-inspiring and accessible in a way that no literature has ever done before. Teens are now presented with what has been an innate fascination spanning centuries—Witchcraft, Magick, and the occult. For those teens who are naturally predisposed to the Magick in this world, a door has opened and Paganism has greeted them. Unfortunately, this portrayal of Witchcraft and Pagan spirituality as trendy, straightforward, and supernatural has also conditioned the generic teen's approach to the subject. Initially, it may be the search for power and popularity that inspires their interest; however, the more they look into the reality of Witchcraft and Paganism, the more they realise they have fallen in love with what it stands for. What has happened is that society has put forth a new myth concerning Witches and Paganism that has diluted its essence in order to focus on the trappings and conquests of Magick. Teens who don't know any better and yet are deeply attracted to the concepts abide by these misconceptions, and these are the fluffy bunnies.

In a nutshell, a fluffy bunny is an individual who is involved in Witchcraft and/or Paganism and appears to lightly skim the surface of Magick and spirituality, living a fantasy of “white light” and “harm none.” Unfortunately, an archetype has been born, and many older Pagans (as well as some self-righteous younger ones) see fluffy bunnies everywhere, to the point of paranoia. Gossip, slander, and “holier than thou” attitudes have bred rapidly throughout the community, and many innocent people are being accused of being fluffy. The stereotype of a
Charmed
-obsessed, white-lighting, and naïve teenager has preceded the truth. Yes, there are those individuals who come to the Craft in the hopes that they fulfil an ancient prophecy and are instantly imbued with the power to freeze time; however, many of these individuals soon realise that what they are looking for is a self-induced illusion. For many, this is the turning point of revelation, and from this moment many a true and devoted Pagan is born. I should know, as I too came to the Craft anticipating powers and abilities beyond my wildest dreams. It becomes clear, then, that the fluffy bunny, while being admittedly irritating, is not always a permanent identity but can become a valid doorway to the truths of Pagan spirituality. Therefore, rather than hiss, swear, and preach at the fluffy bunnies who stumble upon your path, attempt to clear up their misconceptions and provide them with accurate information.

The very existence of the term
fluffy bunny
within Paganism is hypocritical in the sense that a word devoted to the use of belittling another is essentially discrimination. Ideally, Pagans—or anyone, for that matter—should not judge before the facts are known, and categorising or stereotyping isn't a trend to be proud of. Despite this, many Pagans do discriminate, and those who do are prone to the many social pitfalls that exist. I, for one, despise the term
fluffy bunny,
and any notion to abolish it f
rom usage in Pagan circles is fine with me! The very idea that Pagans have a word of their own to toss about superficially is terribly off-putting, as I like to think of the Pagan community as an open-minded, honest, and
creative bunch. I also understand that there are times when, for the sake of convenience, “fluffy bunny” is the only phrase one can think of to use.

The future lies in our hands, and like the generations that came before us, the job of improving on what we see as hampering necessary growth within our community is now ours.

Teen Pagan Network

Over the last couple of years, support groups and organisations have sprung up across the world specifically focused on the development of teen Pagans. In most cases, these networking groups are run and operated by teens themselves and have no formal connections with each other.

Teen Pagan Network is not an officially recognised or ordained organisation; it is the tip of the iceberg of a quiet and humble revolution occurring globally.
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Pagan teens and youths in general are beginning to realise that they have the right to be treated in fairness and equality with the older members of our community. This is not a radical attempt at rebellion against the Pagan community but a cry for common sense.