The Modern Guide to Witchcraft (32 page)

Ukrainian folk art gives us some of the best examples of ritual egg decoration. Two main types of decoration are called
krashanka
and
pysanka.
Krashanka
(plural
krashanky
) comes from the word
kraska
, meaning “color” and refers to an egg dyed a single brilliant hue. Believed to possess magickal powers, these eggs were usually eaten. People placed the shells under haystacks or stashed them in the thatched roofs of their homes as protective charms against high winds.
Krashanky
were also used for healing physical ailments. A sick person might wear a whole
krashanka
on a string around his neck, or place the egg on the infected part of the body as a cure.

Pysanky
(plural of
pysanka
), which comes from the word
pysaty
meaning “to write,” involves decorating the egg with a variety of symbols and a wide array of colors. Believed to provide protection against fire and lightning, these eggs were displayed in the home, carried as talismans, and exchanged as gifts. An old folk legend claimed that
pysanky
ruled the very fate of the world. Only
pysanky
could stem the flood of evil that threatened the earth, and if people ever gave up the custom a vicious monster would consume the world.

You can create your own magick
krashanky
by hard-boiling some eggs. Make natural vegetable dyes from red cabbage (for red dye), beets (purple), yellow onion skins (yellow), carrots (orange), and spinach (green). Combine chopped dye material with a quart of water and boil. Strain the liquid into a jar and add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to set the dye.

Soak the eggs in the color of your choice, making sure that the liquid covers the eggs completely. The longer the eggs soak, the deeper the color will be; however, they will not be nearly as dark as the dye liquid itself. For the most intense color, allow the eggs to soak overnight in the refrigerator. Be careful when handling freshly dyed eggs, as some of the dye will rub off.

After you eat the eggs, burn the shells in a ritual fire or cast them into flowing water—it’s bad luck to just toss them in the trash.

To make a
pysanka
, pierce both ends of the egg and carefully blow out the contents. With a wax crayon, draw magick symbols and images on the shell. Then immerse the egg in the dye—the wax will prevent the dye from adhering to the marked portions of the egg. The wax designs will be lighter and will stand out against the darker background. When you are satisfied with your work, allow the shell to dry completely. You can then remove the wax by warming the eggshell in an oven for a few minutes, then wiping the wax off with a paper towel.

Witches usually celebrate Beltane on May 1, although some prefer to mark it around May 5, when the sun reaches 15 degrees of Taurus. Flowers bloom and plants begin sprouting in the fields. Bees carry pollen from blossom to aromatic blossom. The sabbat is named for the god Baal or Bel, sometimes called “the bright one.” In Scottish Gaelic, the word
bealtainn
means “fires of Belos” and refers to the bonfires Pagans light on this sabbat. This ancient holiday has been adopted as May Day, and some of Beltane’s old rituals (
sans
the overt sexuality) are still enacted today.

The second fertility holiday in the Wheel of the Year, Beltane coincides with a period of fruitfulness. To ancient and modern Pagans alike, this holiday honors the earth and all of nature. In early agrarian cultures, farmers built fires on Beltane and led livestock between the flames to increase their fertility. The tradition of the Beltane fires survived in Wales until the 1840s; in Ireland, the practice continued into the mid-twentieth century; and in Scotland to this very day, the Beltane Fire Society holds an annual bonfire.

Sexuality is also celebrated on this sabbat—the Great Rite (the sacred union of God and Goddess) has traditionally been part of the holiday’s festivities. In pre-Christian days, Beltane celebrants engaged in sexual intercourse in the fields as a form of symbolic magick to encourage fertility and a bountiful harvest. Children who were conceived at this time were said to belong to the Goddess.

It’s best to celebrate Beltane outside in order to appreciate nature’s fullness. Because Beltane is a fertility holiday, many of its rituals contain sexual symbolism. The Maypole, around which young females dance, is an obvious phallic symbol. Witches often decorate the Maypole with flowers in recognition of the earth’s beauty and fruitfulness. Sometimes a woman who seeks a partner will toss a circular garland over the top of the pole, signifying the sex act, as a way of asking the Goddess to send her a lover. You may also choose to write wishes on colorful ribbons and tie them on a tree.

Another fertility ritual utilizes the cauldron, symbol of the womb. Women who wish to become pregnant build a small fire in the cauldron, then jump over it. If you prefer, you can leap over the cauldron to spark creativity in the mind instead of the body.

Beltane’s connection with the earth and fullness makes this sabbat an ideal time to perform prosperity magick. Incorporate peppermint, parsley, lavender, alfalfa, cedar, or money plant into your spells. This is also a good time to make offerings of food and wine to Mother Earth and the nature spirits.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice is the longest day of the year. The Sun King has now reached the highest point in his journey through the heavens. Witches generally celebrate Midsummer around June 21, when the sun enters 0 degrees of the zodiac sign Cancer. This is a time of abundance, when the earth puts forth her bounty.

In early agrarian cultures, Midsummer marked a period of plenty when food was abundant and life was easy. Our ancestors celebrated this joyful holiday with feasting and revelry. At this point, however, the sun has reached its pinnacle and begins its descent once again.

Folklore says that at Midsummer earth spirits abound—this belief inspired Shakespeare’s delightful play
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
. If you wish, you can commune with the elementals and fairies at this time. Our ancestors regarded Midsummer’s Eve as a time of intense magick, especially for casting love spells. Any herbs gathered at midnight on Midsummer’s Eve were believed to have unparalleled potency.

Just as they’ve done for centuries, witches today celebrate the summer solstice with feasting, music, dancing, and thanksgiving. Remember to share your bounty with the animals, too, and to return something to Mother Earth as a sign of gratitude.

Midsummer is also a good time to collect herbs, flowers, and other plants to use in magick spells. Some say that if you wish to become invisible, you must wear an amulet that includes seeds from forest ferns gathered on Midsummer’s Eve. Spells for success, recognition, and fulfillment are best done on the summer solstice, too.

Candles represent the sun and the fire element, so burning them at the sun’s peak is a common way to mark the holiday.

• 3 candles: 1 red, 1 orange, and 1 yellow
  
• Cinnamon or sandalwood essential oil
  
• 3 candleholders
  
• The Sun card from a tarot deck
  
• Matches or a lighter
  

On Midsummer’s Eve, dress the candles with the essential oil and fit them in their holders. Arrange the candles in a triangle pattern with the point facing you, on your altar or another place where they can burn safely. Lay the Sun card face up in the center of the triangle. Light the candles. The Sun card represents fulfillment, abundance, recognition and respect, creative energy, and all the good things in life.

As you stand in front of your altar, feel the message of this card being directed toward you and visualize yourself absorbing all that it symbolizes. Sense the candle flames illuminating you and increasing your power on every level. Imagine yourself radiating with the sun’s bright light. Stand this way for as long as you like, allowing the fiery force to fill you. When you feel ready, snuff out the candles and pick up the tarot card. Slip it in your pocket. Wherever you go, whatever you do the next day, you’ll shine like the sun and enjoy the fullness of Midsummer.

Named for the Irish Celtic god Lugh (Lew in Wales), this holiday is celebrated either on August 1 or around August 5, when the sun reaches 15 degrees of Leo. This cross-quarter day falls halfway between the summer solstice and the fall equinox. According to Celtic mythology, Lugh is an older and wiser personification of the god Baal or Bel (for whom Beltane is named). Lughnassadh (pronounced LOO-na-saad) is the first of the harvest festivals. The early Christians dubbed the holiday Lammas, meaning “loaf-mass,” because the grain was cut at this time of the year and made into bread.

Corn, wheat, and other grains are typically harvested around Lughnassadh. In agrarian cultures, this was the time to begin preparing for the barren winter months that lay ahead. Our ancestors cut, ground, and stored grain, canned fruit and vegetables, and brewed wine and beer in late summer. The old English song “John Barleycorn Must Die” describes the seasonal ritual of rendering grain into ale.

Early Pagans sold their wares at harvest fairs and held athletic competitions at this time of the year. You can see this age-old tradition carried on today at country fairs throughout rural parts of the United States.

Today, witches enjoy sharing bread and beer with friends on Lughnassadh, just as they’ve done for centuries. You might like to bake fresh bread from scratch or even brew your own beer as part of the celebration. While you’re kneading the bread, add a dried bean to the dough. When you serve the bread, whoever gets the bean in his piece will be granted a wish.

If you like, you can fashion a doll from corn, wheat, or straw to represent the Sun King. To symbolize the time of year when his powers are waning, burn the effigy in a ritual fire as an offering to Mother Earth. The custom of decorating your home with dried corncobs, gourds, nuts, and other fruits of the harvest is also connected to Lughnassadh.

The autumn equinox usually occurs on or about September 22, when the sun reaches 0 degrees of Libra. Once again, day and night are of equal length, signifying a time of balance, equality, and harmony. Mabon is also a harvest festival, and witches consider it a time for giving thanks for the abundance Mother Earth has provided.

This sabbat marks the last spoke in the Wheel of the Year. From this day until the winter solstice, the Sun King’s path arcs downward toward earth. As the days grow shorter and the cold, barren winter approaches, witches reflect on the joys and sorrows, successes and failures of the year that is nearing its conclusion. Like all harvest festivals, this is also a time to give thanks for the year’s bounty and to recognize the fruits of your labors.

Mabon is a good time to do magick spells that involve decrease or endings. Do you want to let go of self-destructive beliefs or behaviors? Lose weight? End an unfulfilling relationship? Now is the time to break old habits and patterns that have been limiting you. Anything you wish to eliminate from your life can now be released safely, before the New Year begins with Samhain.

Because the equinox is a time of balance, try to balance yin and yang, active and passive on this day. Seek rest and activity, solitude and socializing in equal portions. Mabon marks the sun’s entrance into the zodiac sign Libra, which astrologers connect with peace, diplomacy, harmony, and balance. Are you at odds with someone? If so, this is a good time to make peace. Is something causing you stress? Use the energy of this special day to find ways—magickal and/or practical—to ease that stress and restore balance in your life.

As our planet continues revolving in a great wheel around the sun, the seasons of the witch keep you attuned to the earth and the sky—even if you live in a high-rise in the middle of a city. They also link you to the past, the traditions of your ancestors, and the ongoing circle of birth, death, and rebirth.

As you can see from what we’ve touched upon in this book, the world of magick is vast and complex. Countless books have been written about magick, and more are published every day. Movies and television shows, no matter how silly, reflect a growing interest in magick. Now that witchcraft and wizardry have come out of the closet and people around the world are sharing their wisdom openly, the field will continue to grow ever richer. Everyone’s experiences contribute to the development of the whole. Each witch is a torchbearer whose flame, when joined with others’, lights up the world.

If you’ve managed to finish reading this book, you’re surely ready for more. Maybe you’re trying to decide which magickal path suits you best—the simplicity and earthiness of kitchen and hedge witchery, the drama of ceremonial magick, or something else? Maybe you’re wondering if you should become part of a larger group or continue studying and practicing alone. The ever-expanding circle of witches worldwide provides opportunities to share your ideas with a supportive community and to align your abilities with other witches and magicians. You can even join an online coven. This chapter will help you decide what’s best for you, at least for now.

Some witches choose to work alone rather than with a group. Perhaps no coven is available in her community, or she may prefer to follow solitary practice because it suits her particular purposes, temperament, or lifestyle. Some people may work alone for a period, and then join a coven for a period, or vice versa. Witches who don’t belong to a coven may still gather with “kindred spirits” to celebrate the sabbats or other events, in a sort of extended Circle.