The Modern Guide to Witchcraft (31 page)

Do you feel burdened or trapped by old beliefs, habits, or relationships? Now’s the time to release yourself from figurative chains that may be holding you back. This spell breaks old bonds and sets you free to enjoy a happier life.

• A ball of red yarn (cotton or wool, no synthetics)
  
• An athame (or kitchen knife)
  
• A cauldron (or pot)
  
• Matches or a lighter
  

Cut the yarn into 9" pieces. Knot the ends together, forming a circle. Give each one a label, something in your life that you feel is holding you back. Perhaps it is a past hurt or a regret that you have been dwelling on. Cut as many pieces as you need. Slip them around your wrist and tell each of them specifically:

“[What you want to release], I have carried you long and far.

Your burden has been my teacher, and I accept your lessons.

Now I summon the strength to release you,

For your presence serves me no longer.”

With your athame, begin cutting through the circlets. This might take a while, as an athame isn’t normally sharp—your persistence is part of the spell. As you cut away your symbolic bonds, imagine yourself separating from your actual bonds. When you finish, burn the yarn in your cauldron, saying, “You are now consumed by the flames of transformation. You no longer bind me. Away you go, so that something new and blessed in me shall grow.”

When the flames die and the cauldron cools, take it outside. (If your cauldron is too heavy to carry, scoop the ashes into something smaller.) Stand with the wind at your back and release the ashes into the air. As they blow away, prepare yourself to make a new start.

The winter solstice occurs when the sun reaches 0 degrees of the zodiac sign Capricorn, usually around December 21. This is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The word
solstice
comes from the Latin
sol stetit
, which literally means “sun stands still.” Also known as Yule, the holiday marks the turning point in the sun’s descent into darkness; from this point, the days grow steadily longer for a period of six months. Thus, witches celebrate this sabbat as a time of renewal and hope.

Pagan mythology describes the apparent passage of the sun through the heavens each year as the journey of the Sun King, who drives his bright chariot across the sky. In pre-Christian Europe and Britain, the winter solstice celebrated the Sun King’s birth. This beloved deity brought light into the world during the darkest time of all.

It’s easy to see parallels between the Old Religion’s myth and the Christmas story. You can also see the theme expressed in the custom of lighting candles during Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, both of which fall near the winter solstice. In these religious practices, light symbolizes blessings, joy, and promise. However, the Yuletide celebration goes back even further, to the ancient Roman observance of Saturnalia, the festival of the Roman deity Mithras, which was held from December 17 until December 25. The cult of
Sol Invictus
, or “invincible sun,” with which Mithras is often associated, may have predated the Romans by several hundred years.

Before the Victorian era, Christians didn’t decorate their homes at Christmas with ornamented pine trees and holiday greenery. That’s a Pagan custom. Because evergreen trees retain their needles even during the cold winter months, they symbolize the triumph of life over death. Holly was sacred to the Druids. According to Celtic mythology, holly bushes afforded shelter for the earth spirits during the wintertime. The Druids valued mistletoe as an herb of fertility and immortality. It has long been used in talismans as an aphrodisiac—perhaps that’s the reason we kiss beneath it today.

Burning the Yule log is another ancient tradition by which Pagans mark the winter solstice. On the eve of Yule, witches build a fire from the wood of nine sacred trees. The central element in the Yule fire is usually an oak log, for the oak tree represents strength and longevity (although you can use any wood). The fire symbolizes the sun’s return. After the fire burns down, anyone who wishes may collect ashes and wrap them in a piece of cloth. If you place the package under your pillow, you’ll receive dreams that provide guidance and advice for the coming year. Tradition says you should save a portion of the Yule log and use it to kindle the fire the following year.

Harvesting your Yule log is a ritual in itself. If you live in the country in a wooded area, you may find just the right log lying dead on the ground. If you take a cutting from a live tree, do so with humility and clear intention. Ask for the tree’s permission before you start cutting and leave a symbolic offering (such as a special crystal or an herbal charm) in its place. Select your Yule log long before the winter solstice because it will need some time to dry in order for it to burn properly.

Before you light your Yule log, cast a circle large enough to encompass your home and call in the guardians of the four directions (as discussed in
Chapter 9
). If you don’t have a working fireplace or wood stove, you can place four candles in fireproof candleholders at the four directions and light them instead. Adapt the basic method to fit the season, as follows:

“Guardians of the east, we greet the dawn of the shortest day. We beckon you to join us in our celebration of the returning light and new beginnings. May the spirits of air bless us with the winds of winter. Hail and welcome!

“Guardians of the south, we honor the return of your radiant light. The lengthening of days is upon us. May the spirits of fire bless our home and hearth. Hail and welcome!

“Guardians of the west, the sun retreats to you and brings us to the longest night. You spirits of water, who take many forms, bless us with your purity and grace. Hail and welcome!

“Guardians of the north, yours is the place of all endings. In the depths of darkness, we dance upon the sleeping earth and ask for your blessing tonight. Hail and welcome!”

Light candles on your table and altar. Enjoy a special Yule feast either alone or with companions as you watch the fire and candles burn. Share gifts with your companions, such as the good luck charm that follows. When you’ve finished, release the directions, open the circle, and extinguish the candles and fire.

Would you like to help your friends and loved ones by increasing their good luck throughout the coming year? This Yuletide custom lets you make a unique magickal gift for everyone on your list.

• A Yule log
  
• Matches or a lighter
  
• A cloth drawstring pouch for each person on your gift list
  
• Dried pink rose petals (for love)
  
• Dried lavender buds (for peace of mind)
  
• Dried basil (for protection)
  
• Dried mint leaves (for prosperity)
  
• Dried echinacea (for health)
  
• A sheet of paper
  
• Scissors
  
• A pen
  

• Yule (usually December 21)
  

On the night of the winter solstice, build a Yule fire in a safe place and burn an oak log in it. The next morning when the ashes have cooled, scoop some into each pouch. Add the dried botanicals. Cut the sheet of paper into slips, one for each person on your list. Write a personalized wish on each slip of paper. Fold the papers three times and add them to the pouches. Tie the pouches closed and give them to your loved ones.

This sabbat honors Brigid, the beloved Celtic goddess of healing, smithcraft, and poetry. A favorite of the Irish people, Brigid was adopted by the Church and canonized as Saint Brigid when Christianity moved into Ireland. Her holiday begins on the evening of January 31 and concludes on February 2, although some witches celebrate it around February 5, when the sun reaches 15 degrees of Aquarius. This marks the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.

In the Northern Hemisphere, daylight is increasing and the promise of spring is in the air. We begin to notice the first stirrings of new life. Therefore, Imbolc is considered a time of hope and renewal.

Brigid’s association with the fires of the hearth and the forge represent both the strengthening of the sun’s light and creativity. Brigid is one of the fertility goddesses, and Imbolc means “in the belly.” In agrarian cultures, this is the time when baby animals grow in their mothers’ wombs. This holiday honors all forms of creativity, of the mind as well as the body. Illustrations of Brigid sometimes show her stirring a great cauldron, the witch’s magick tool that symbolizes the womb and the receptive, fertile nature of the Divine Feminine. As the goddess of inspiration, Brigid encourages everyone, regardless of gender, to stir the inner cauldron of creativity that exists within.

Witches celebrate this spoke in the Wheel of the Year as a reaffirmation of life and a time to plant “seeds” for the future. In keeping with the holiday’s theme of fire, you can light candles to honor Brigid. Fill your cauldron with soil or kitty litter. The cauldron symbolizes the womb of the Goddess. Take nine tapered candles and “plant” them into the “earth” in a spiral pattern, beginning in the center and continuing in a clockwise direction. With each candle, contemplate a different aspect of Imbolc:

1. Light the candle in the middle first, picturing light penetrating winter’s darkness.
   
2. As you light the second candle, welcome the approaching spring.
   
3. Think of the possibilities contained in new life and new beginnings as you light the third candle.
   
4. With the fourth candle, imagine your own “rebirth” and your relationship to the Divine Mother.
   
5. As you light the fifth candle, consider the lessons your spiritual path has taught you. Give thanks for challenges met and knowledge gained.
   
6. The sixth candle represents the unknown, the lessons that lie before you and all the things you have yet to learn.
   
7. Light the seventh candle and meditate on things you wish to change. They can be mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual. Think of how you can use your magick to make positive changes in your life.
   
8. The eighth candle represents the things you wish to heal. These might be physical ailments, the suffering of the planet, rifts in relationships, and so on. Make room for the healing to begin within you. Release old wounds and past hurts. Take responsibility for your health. Focus on the best possible outcomes for situations that are beyond your control or influence.
   
9. As you light the ninth and final candle, welcome inspiration into your life. Sing or play music. Write a poem in Brigid’s honor. Paint a picture. Even if you don’t think you are particularly artistic, use the energy of the season and enjoy the creative process. Fashion a special charm or a new blend of incense. Whatever your chosen method of expression, ask the Goddess to inspire you and lend her beauty to your work.
   

Pagans and witches celebrate Ostara when the sun enters 0 degrees of Aries, around March 21. In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring equinox ushers in warmer weather, days that are longer than nights, and life reawakening. Birdsong fills the air and new buds sprout on bare tree limbs; baby animals are born and the greening of the earth begins.

Christianity adopted this joyful period of the year for the celebration of Easter (which usually falls near the spring equinox). Ostara gets its name from the German fertility goddess Ostare; the word
Easter
derives from the same root. Both holidays celebrate the triumph of life over death.

The spring equinox marks the first day of spring and the start of the busy planting season in agrarian cultures. Farmers till their fields and sow seeds. Ostara, therefore, is one of the fertility holidays and a time for planting seeds—literally or figuratively. Because day and night are the same length on the equinoxes, these holidays also signify balance.

On Ostara, sow seeds that you want to bear fruit in the coming months. This is an ideal time to launch new career ventures, move to a new home, or begin a new relationship. If you’re a gardener, you’ll start preparing the soil and planting flowers, herbs, and/or vegetables now. Consider the magickal properties of botanicals and choose plants that represent your intentions (see
Chapter 11
). If you don’t have room for a garden, you could plant seeds in a flowerpot to symbolize wishes you hope will grow to fruition in the coming months.

Some popular Easter customs have their roots in Ostara’s symbolism. Eggs represent the promise of new life, and painting them bright colors engages the creative aspect of the sabbat. Some cultures connect the egg’s golden yolk with the sun. You might enjoy decorating eggs with magickal symbols, such as pentagrams and spirals. Rabbits, of course, have long been linked with fertility.