Beltane in Edinburgh

I haven't had a lot of time to focus on the blog lately :( Still telling myself that I will get a blog post out for Beltane in the next few days though! As ever, I am sorry that I have not been able to get to Edinburgh for the festival though. If you are able to make it, details are here. Sounds like a riot!

Rynnoflight's Druid Path

Thought you might like this youtube video that was uploaded yesterday. I find her warm, sweet and engaging :)

Free spell for learning

We all have times in our lives when we need to learn. This may or may not be related to college or formal education. In fact our whole lives are one big learning curve so being open to the lessons we need to learn at any point is always benefical and positive for us.

But it's not always easy. Often we are tired, often it's a subject or area we don't consider to be our strength or we may have had bad experiences in the past which makes us fear failure. So what can we do to open ourselves up to our full potential and let the wisdom in?

Well, how about a little spell ;) This is really simple and that makes it perfect to do whenever you feel it's necessary and even to do on a daily basis when you need to build up the energies for a set amount of time such as on a course.

You will need:
2 spell candles. I personally use orange for this as it's the colour for being fllexible and stimulation but I know of others who prefer blue. So the choice is yours.

A piece of string or ribbon

A piece of paper on which you write down the gift that you will give yourself when you make progress. Could just the be promise of a bar of chocolate, could be a holiday! This can be written at the closing down of the spell.

Light the candles and say:

The gift of knowledge I am ready for thee
I am able and so willing to learn
I am all avidness and positivity
And hope for wisdom in return

Tie the string or ribbon so that it makes a circle.

I will learn from others and pass it on
Knowledge and wisdom knows no bounds

Write down your "treat" and if you want, what your specific goals are. Fold the paper so that you can put it somewhere safe.

I am at one with my task and ready to strive for all I can be. I feel blessed for the opportunity.

Happening upon a Pagan ceremony at the Rollright Stones

As I mentioned the other day, I did my traditional Ostara walk last week, and as usual went a-strolling around the Cotswolds. On the way my friend directed me to the intriguing Rollright stones as she knew I'd be interested in these ancient, possibly Druid, relics.

The Rollright Stones

For some info on what they are all about, take a look at their website here, but basically think Stonehenge but smaller and more accessible! The local folklore apparently says that they are the petrified remains of a brave king and his knights and there are 3 separate sites to visit - the King's Knights, the King Stone and the Whispering Knights. My favourite tale of a travelling king and his men who encounter the reknowned witch, Mother Shipton who cast a spell on them and turned them to stone!

The King Stone

I am aware that the Cotswold Order of the Druids often organise events at Rollrights and that it is not uncommon for local groups to arrange ceremonies there too. So I was delighted to come across what had obviously been a very recent function and thought I'd share the pictures with you.

Gifts

Ribbons

If anyone happens to know of the specifics of who the group were or anything to do with the event I'd be so interested to find out! The site had a lovely, clean and peaceful energy around it - absolutely gorgeous :)

Ostara 2011 spell

Right, further to my blog post on some basic ideas for Ostara 2011, I have put together a really simple spell for energy and zest to perform for tomorrow. It is as follows:

You will need:
Fresh coffee or coffee beans.
Fresh mint
Citrine tumblestone (if you get one that is more to the browny orange range then the colours are fabulous together!)

Arrange them near to one another but not combined. I like to place them in small bowls. Say:

Spring is here
The sky is clear
Its essence remains in my soul

I carry it with me
To fuel all I can be
And help me to reach my true goal

Lightly crush the mint, in between your fingers is fine. Breath in the lovely, fresh scent. Do the same with the coffee. Then hold the citrine in your hands and close your eyes while you envisage the powerful and energetic feelings you that you will be experiencing over these glorious spring months!

Ostara 2011

Ok, we are nearly at Ostara and I haven't yet written up my suggestions although I do have an article that will be published any moment now that I will post up when it's ready :)

But Sunday is not too far away - so what am I planning to make Ostara 2011 a special one?!

I have been mainly focused on the fact that 2011 is the Chinese year of the Rabbit and that this links very nicely with the Pagan rabbit (or more traditionally, hare) at this time of year. Here are some of the plans I have made so far:

• The rabbit in many cultures is linked to the moon. Ostara is a lunar festival and it is tradional to plant your seeds at this time of year. The full moon is actually on Saturday rather than Ostara itself and so I am planning on planting my mint on this day instead. (The herbs for Ostara are mint and thyme).

• It is also a pretty traditional activity to take a walk and for those of us with modern lives, it's important to connect with nature whenever we can. I have been doing a Ostara walk for a few years now and did mine yesterday. It was just about the best day, weatherwise, we have had so far this year and it was glorious! I will post this up soon because we actually happened upon what was left behind from a Pagan ritual at some ancient stones!

• The Easter Bunny that we all grew up with gave gifts to all, especially children. So I am trying to think of some appropriate gifts to the children in my family (who have everything!) and also to those who may need a little pick me up or have been through a hard time.

• The rabbit is intuitive and so, as a tarot reader, I am going to be doing a quick tarot reading for myself as well as for a close friend of mine who asked me to take a look for her recently. You can also use a crystal ball if you like. This is always good at a full moon.

• The rabbit is a very lively, energetic creature and I am in need of this at the moment as I have sooooo much going on! So for my Ostara spell, I am going to try and put something together (quickly) to bring about this vibrance and enthusiasm to help me leap out of bed of a morning raring to go!

Free Spells - Money spell to help with a little bit extra

Ok, who doesn't need a bit of extra cash now and then. Or in fact anytime! I have a lot of really exciting things coming up and I would really hate to miss out on them just because I hadn't taken action to bring in a few extra bob in good time. So I am going to share a simple money spell with you so that you can try and open up the energies to let some much needed money flow your way.

Now as usual, I'm going to point out that spells and witchcraft are not about getting what you want necessarily. The universe and the self is a complicated blend and just because you want more material things in your life, it doesn't mean that this is something the universal wisdom would deem as important for you. So please do try to focus on this money spell as one of widening up your life in as many ways as possibe, a means to grow or explore and develop. It's fine to ask for help if you are in dire straights of course but my main point is, try to make sure that motives are not entirely selfish as this can affect the efficacy of what you are doing.

Also, I would like to emphasise what I say about money flowing towards you. What do I mean by this? It's about opening up the opportunities for what you want coming to you, being aware of everthing that can make the difference. This can happen in just about an infinite amount of ways but what you mustn't do is just sit back and hope that money flies into your lap!

Ok, so that said, onto my money spell. There are only two things that you need for this - a green spell candle and a penny that you found in the street! You may think that this is going to take you some time to come across. Trust me, I have never found it to take more than a few days when you keep your eyes peeled. I started this yesterday and saw a penny outside the supermarket within 3 hours :)

Light your candle and place the penny in a pot, pouch or purse to keep it safe. Then say:

Where there is one
There will be more
To greater luck I open the door

1,2,3 or 4
Let the pennies flow to me
And each one I'll store

May I accumulate and be blessed with that which I deserve.

Don't forget to let me know if you find anything and how long it takes you!

Ostara Events 2011, Benicia, CA

Right, next Ostara event! This one, the Witches Ball, is in Benicia, CA if you are around. You have to buy tickets in advance according to this bit of press, but I'm LOVING the idea of featuring tarot cards inside the eggs :)

Ostara Events, 2011. Ostara Fest, TX

I thought I might post details of up-and-coming Ostara events as I find them just in case there is one local to you and you want to pop along. Here's one in Harker Heights, Texas on March 19-20th. Check out here for details of their Ostara Fest and workshops! (And they have bouncing bunnies on their website.)

Casting witchcraft spells and the importance of confidence

I mentioned yesterday (I think it was yesterday!) that I had had someone comment on the blog regarding starting out in witchcraft and she brought up some excellent points on how it can make you feel in the early days. Here's part of what she asked me about:

"I have yet to cast a successful spell. I haven't tried tons, but I have tried many. I am starting to think I am just a regular person, eventhough I feel now more than ever that I have natural witch abilities. "

I can TOTALLY relate to every word! You begin by being so excited in your new found quest and then so quickly lose faith in yourself when you don't see a smidgen of success. This starts a downward spiral - whenever you do a spell, you don't expect it to work and when you don't expect it to, it won't. I always felt casting a successful spell was like trying to jump on to a carousel while it's still going round - I had no idea when it started or what was powering it, I just wanted to be onboard and couldn't quite make the leap!

But are there many other statements in life more irritating than, "you should have more confidence"? Where on earth are you supposed to just pull a load of confidence out of?! It's too simplistic to be of much use but on the other hand, you know deep down that it's the key.

So what can you do to gain some much needed confidence in your spell craft? Well, one suggestion I can offer you is to not actually focus on spells. It's so hard to describe the feeling that you get when you know you are tuning in to the right energies during a spell. It just feels right and there is a sense of momentum within and around you. So instead of trying to cast spells that require results, try to find other ways to pick up on this energy. Here are some methods that you might like to try (but it's as ever, a totally individual matter):

• Meditate. Once you clear your mind you will be surprised at what you pick up on that's around you. It can be inner guidance coming into your conscious mind, it may be images that flash before your eyes or it may just help you relax enough to work better. I almost always meditate or do yoga before a spell.
• Divination. I also do tarot cards, crystal balls readings and work with a pendulum. These are great to use as you get used to your own internal energies while using external tools - it therefore gives you something to focus on and can be a prop to your confidence at first. The more you practise, the more you will recognise when you are tuning into something deeper. I find I get more psychic dreams the more I do in this field which can bring you excellent advice!
  
• Allow nature to help you. I also find that beginners (myself included) tend to get wrapped up in the self and forget that witchcraft/Wicca/Paganism is about being at one with the world around you and that we are all connecting with universal energies. Take yourself somewhere quiet outside and, without any pressure to acheive anything, just allow yourself to be at one with your surroundings.
• Follow your gut instincts with spells. Another one that's easier said than done isn't it? But be honest with yourself; how often has something come to you that you have ignored and just steamed ahead with what you had planned to do? You'll be surprised at the difference in how the spell starts to feel when you follow those little niggling feelings.
  

Hope this gives you some food for thought. If anyone has find other ways to find your witchy mojo then please do share them!

Love and hugs. x

Beginner Witchcraft

Thank you to the kind commenter the other day that bought up how difficult it is to start off in witchcraft. It can make you despondant and even like giving up so I would like to focus on this soon as maybe a mini series. But for now, I can direct you towards an article I wrote called Beginner Witchcraft for a few pointers to help you cross those initial, difficult hurdles.

Hope it helps. Blessings xxx

If you want a warm and fuzzy feeling inside watch this...

Celestial Elf posted this beautiful Ostara video in the comments section on the blog and I felt I just had to share it with all, in case you didn't get to see it. If you can resist falling into a state of peaceful tranquility then there must be something wrong with you ;)

Valentine's hot passion free spell!

A lot about Valentine's day is meant to be secretive; you hold back on your name and affections for the frisson of excitement of knowing your loved one has recieved a token of your desire for them. This is all hopeful and charming but what about when you want to unleash the passion!? As it happens I have a little spell to give it a nudge in the right direction.

You will need:
2 red candles
Dried, crushed chillies

Place the 2 candles on a large plate or even in your cauldron if it's big enough. This is mainly to create a safe enough environment for a little fire based spell so give this some consideration when setting everything up. Light your candles and say:

Let my love roam free
And may passion ignite
May your love be with me
And our union see light

Then take the chillies and sprinkle over the candle flame to spark off the romance!

The fresher the chillies, by the way, the more I find that they light up. If you find they don't, then you can consider putting the flakes in a bowl and lighting them this way. Personally, there's something about the smell that I find genuinely comforting.

Pagan Festivals 2011

It's occured to me that I have not yet posted a list of the Pagan festivals of 2011 so thought I best rectify this! So here's when to plan for fun in your diaries:

Imbolc (been and gone) - 2nd February

Ostara - 20th March

Beltane - 1st May

Litha - 21st June

Lammas/Lughnasadh - 1st August

Mabon - 23rd September

Samhain - 31st October

Yule - 21st December

Now THAT's got me motivated!

Happy Imbolc

Last year I didn't have much time to do anything for Imbolc and chastised myself for always letting this festival slide. I guess I'm going to have to chastise myself again this year too! I don't know what it is about the beginnings of February but it seems so hectic. I suppose we spend a lot of January getting over the shock of Christmas and build up momentum again by the end of the month. Who knows, but I have had hardly any time to prepare anything and for that I am truly sorry.

However, in honour of the Goddess of Brigid (the Goddess associated with Imbolc) I have plans to focus this evening on some sketching and some tarot reading. The sketching comes from her association with creativity and the arts - letting inspiration come forth. Divination is also one of her strengths and so I want to focus on a tarot reading to take me into spring and guide me towards the best choices and options for me.

If you have anyone that you feel is a little weakened in any way at this time, don't forget that Brigid is also a Goddess of healing and so you can meditate for however long you can spare and send some thoughts of love and kindness their way. It's surprising how often they can feel lifted without ever knowing you have thought of them :)

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing for this special day, have the happiest and most blessed Imbolc! Love and hugs xxx

Fran