The Modern Witchcraft Grimoire Page 16

  Walking a Labyrinth

  Labyrinths can be found in many different designs in different parts of the world (see Sig Lonegren’s Labyrinths: Ancient Myths and Modern Uses), but the one many Wiccans and Neopagans favor has seven concentric circuits. Each circuit corresponds to a color, a note on the musical scale, a chakra, and one of the heavenly bodies visible to the naked eye.

  You can walk a labyrinth as a form of meditation—the process makes you feel relaxed and centered. A labyrinth can also be a sacred space where you do magickal workings. A potent sending and receiving device, a labyrinth focuses, amplifies, and transmits energies. From its center, you can project intentions with greater power. You can receive messages from deities, spirits, and other entities more easily too.

  If you have an outdoor space large enough to allow for a labyrinth, you might like to build one of stone or plantings, or carve the pattern into the ground. Or you can draw one on a large piece of paper or fabric (you’ll probably have to tape several pieces together). This portable option allows you to fold up your labyrinth and store it when it’s not in use.

  Labyrinth Ritual

  This active group ritual helps you get in touch with astrological energies and understand how they operate in your own life. It’s also a wonderful way to celebrate your connection with the cosmos and nature, as well as with other magickal practitioners.

  Choose eight people to represent the sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. It’s more fun and dramatic if everyone dresses up in costumes or wears masks that represent the planets’ energies. (See Chapter 6 for information about planetary powers.)

  Each of these people stands at the entrance to the circuit that corresponds to his or her planet or luminary (see illustration).

  Each participant in the ritual takes a turn walking through the labyrinth. As you come to the entrance of each circuit, the person representing the corresponding planet says a keyword that relates to the planet’s nature. For instance, the person representing Venus might say “love” or “beauty.”

  Contemplate the meaning of the keyword(s) associated with each planet while you walk through that planet’s circuit.

  As you move inward toward the center of the labyrinth, reflect on how you respond to each planet’s energy. How does it feel to you? How does it affect you personally?

  Continue in this manner until you have passed through all the circuits and reached the center of the labyrinth.

  Spend as much time in the center as you wish.

  As you move back out of the labyrinth, walking through the circuits again but in reverse order, contemplate how you express each planet’s energy in the outer world. How does it affect your relationships with other people? How can you handle each planet’s challenges better?

  After everyone has had a chance to walk through the labyrinth, share your experiences.

  Be sure to write down in your grimoire what transpired during this ritual. What did you feel? What insights did you gain? Did you have any visions? What reactions did you have to the other participants in the ritual? Did you notice any nonphysical beings in the labyrinth with you? Did you sense a closer or clearer connection with the planets and their powers?

  Some people say you can tap the energy of a labyrinth without actually walking it. Draw a labyrinth pattern in your grimoire and then slowly run your finger through the circuits, into the center and back out again. What do you experience?

  Chapter 14

  MAGICKAL CONCOCTIONS

  Let’s use our cookbook analogy again. Many cookbooks organize recipes according to the role they play in a meal, how they’re prepared, or how they’re consumed. You might see a section for appetizers, another for beverages. This method lets the cook quickly locate what’s appropriate for her purposes. You can arrange your grimoire in a similar way for convenience.

  Most witches do lots of different types of spells. We concoct potions and lotions, salves and balms, talismans and amulets, and so on. Organizing your book of shadows according to this method can be useful when you’re collecting the components you need for spells or shopping for ingredients. It also lets you see what spells you can whip up on the spur of the moment, based on the materials you have on hand.

  CHOOSING YOUR CATEGORIES

  Begin by making a list of the types of spells you do regularly. If you’re a healer, your work may focus largely on spells designed to remedy ailments and encourage well-being. If you’re a green witch, you’ll likely rely heavily on botanicals.

  Next, consider what sorts of practices you enjoy most. For instance, I know a woman who agrees with Hippocrates’s advice: “The way to health is to have an aromatic bath and a scented massage every day.” She formulates all kinds of lovely soaps and bath products with essential oils and other natural substances; the medicinal and magickal properties of her ingredients promote good health. What natural talents do you possess? Maybe you’re a great cook and can brew up some fabulous magickal meals. If you have sewing skills, you may lean toward fashioning dream pillows, ritual clothing, or crane bags. A jeweler friend of mine works with gemstones and metals to fashion wonderful magick jewelry.

  Where you do your spellwork could influence your choices too. Do you have a designated room or area for magickal activities? Do you live with other people who might not understand or support your beliefs and Craft practices? How much space do you have for storing materials? These considerations may influence the types of spells you do.

  Other factors such as your finances, mobility, age, health, availability of ingredients, and so on may dictate the types of spells you choose to perform. If you’re new to the Craft, you may want to try a bit of everything in order to discover what you like best and where your strengths lie. After a while, you’ll probably emphasize some types and pay less attention to others. Most of us have favorite spells that we do frequently, and you may give those “pride of place” in your grimoire. You might relegate other spells to a back burner—or even toss them out. Remember, your grimoire is your workbook as well as your magick journal. The things you choose to include should be ones you find useful, joyful, interesting, and effective.

  POTIONS

  Magick potions rank way up there on the list of legendary concoctions. Remember the potion labeled “Drink Me” that shrank Alice down to a height of only ten inches during her adventures in Wonderland? And the one the Little Mermaid quaffed that transformed her fishy tail into legs? Harry Potter and his pals learned to formulate all sorts of potions at Hogwarts, including one to attract good fortune, aptly nicknamed “Liquid Luck.”

  Of course, love potions are among the most popular of all and people have sought them since ancient times. The first-century Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder recommended making an elixir from hippopotamus snout and hyena eyes. Reportedly, Cleopatra sipped pearls dissolved in vinegar to heighten her sex appeal.

  “The juice of it on sleeping eye-lids laid?

  Will make man or woman madly dote?

  Upon the next live creature that it sees.”

  —WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

  Love Potion #9

  This brew calls for 9 components—hence its name. The magickal correspondences of the ingredients give the potion its power.

  TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS

  A chalice

  Red wine (or apple juice)

  A drop of honey

  A pinch of ground ginger

  A pinch of cayenne

  A drop of vanilla extract

  Grated chocolate

  1⁄4 teaspoon ground red rose petals

  A silver spoon

  If you have a chalice, use it for this spell. If not, wash a pretty glass goblet and substitute it.

  Cast a circle around your workspace.

  Pour the wine (or apple juice) into the chalice.

  Add the honey, ginger, cayenne, and vanilla to the wine.

  Grate a little chocolate on top of the liquid.

  Sprinkle the r
ose petals on the beverage.

  With the silver spoon, stir the blend 3 times using a clockwise motion to combine the ingredients.

  Drink the potion to increase the love in your life.

  Open the circle.

  Ingredients for Potions

  Usually, we think of magick potions as liquids that a person ingests to produce a desired condition. Because someone consumes these drinks, it’s imperative that you use only nontoxic ingredients in your concoctions. The brew needn’t taste good, however—many don’t. Potions for healing often contain medicinal herbs; other drinks rely mainly on symbolic correspondences, although some potions include substances with recognized physiological properties. Chocolate, for example, stimulates a release of endorphins in the brain, giving you a high similar to being in love, hence its place in love spells.

  If you’ve decided to assign a section in your grimoire to potions, you may want to break it down into additional categories for the types of spells you do most often: love, prosperity, healing, protection, and so on. The following table lists some ingredients you may want to keep on hand for these potions.

  COMMON INGREDIENTS FOR MAGICK POTIONS

  Purpose Herbs and Spices Other Foods and Beverages

  Love ginger, cayenne, marjoram, vanilla, cinnamon, rosemary, cardamom, saffron red wine, apples, apricots, raspberries, strawberries, honey, maple syrup, sugar, chocolate, asparagus, chestnuts, oysters

  Prosperity mint, cinnamon, clove, parsley, dill champagne, beer, caviar, alfalfa, barley, corn, sunflower seeds, cashews, pecans, hops, spinach, figs

  Protection basil, anise, fennel, parsley, rosemary, sage, cayenne garlic, pine nuts, witch hazel, salt, mustard, mushrooms, onions, cranberries

  Good luck allspice, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg hazelnuts, cashews, olives, sunflower seeds, coffee, bamboo shoots, bell peppers, cabbage

  Healing chamomile, ginger, yarrow, peppermint, comfrey, calendula vinegar, aloe, coconut, green tea, molasses, salmon, yogurt, almonds, dandelion greens, bok choy, watercress

  LOTIONS, BALMS, AND SALVES

  Many lotions, balms, and salves intended for healing purposes contain ingredients with known medicinal properties. Eucalyptus and spearmint, for example, help clear sinus congestion. Aloe soothes burned skin. And although many witches engage in healing practices, we also prepare magickal concoctions for other purposes. In such cases, a spell’s power usually comes from the symbolic nature of its components. (In Chapter 16 you’ll find charts to guide you.)

  If you choose to formulate lotions, balms, or salves, be sure to use nontoxic ingredients that won’t cause adverse reactions in the person for whom you’ve made them. Dilute essential oils in a “carrier oil” such as olive, grape seed, jojoba, or coconut. Ask the person for whom you are doing the spell if he or she is allergic to certain items, such as nuts or wheat. Always test a little bit of the substance on the skin before slathering on a whole lot.

  Although many lotions are designed to rub on the body, some may be applied to other objects in spellwork. Witches use oils to dress candles and to anoint magick tools, gemstones, crystals, talismans, and amulets. You may even like to dab a drop of a favorite essential oil on a page in your grimoire.

  Prosperity Oil

  This versatile magick lotion has many applications—use it alone or in conjunction with other spells to attract money as well as other forms of abundance. Blend it during the waxing moon, preferably on Thursday.

  TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS

  A green glass bottle with a lid or stopper

  4 ounces of olive, almond, or grape seed oil

  A few drops of peppermint essential oil

  Gold or silver glitter

  A small piece of tiger’s eye or aventurine

  Wash the bottle and gemstone with mild soap and water, and then dry them.

  Cast a circle around your workspace.

  Pour the olive, almond, or grape seed oil into the bottle.

  Add the peppermint essential oil and glitter.

  Drop the tiger’s eye or aventurine in the mixture, then put the lid or stopper on the bottle and shake 3 times to charge the potion.

  Open the circle.

  In your grimoire, write down the various ways you use this Prosperity Oil. Of course, you’ll also want to note the outcomes you obtain from each use. Did you get better results from rubbing the oil on your body? On candles or gemstones? Did you try dabbing some on your wallet? If you used it in conjunction with other spells, which ones? What happened?

  RITUAL BATHS

  If you agree with Hippocrates, aromatic healing baths may be your thing. For millennia, people have “taken the waters” for therapeutic reasons—and still do. Spas around the world offer all sorts of delicious treatments that involve immersing yourself in a pool, spring, or tub of water that contains mystical healing properties.

  Although witches may embrace the idea of “water cures”—soaking in mineral-rich natural springs or a bathtub to which essential oils have been added—we also bathe for esoteric purposes. A ritual bath not only washes away physical dirt and germs; it also allows you to remove the stress (and outside interferences) of the day, relax, and shift your mood in preparation for magickal work. It’s a bit like cleansing your sacred space of bad vibes; in this case, your “temple” is your body. Love spells sometimes call for taking a ritual bath with a partner prior to spellcasting.

  As part of your cleansing ritual, consider these additional steps:

  Light candles and/or play soft music.

  Place citrine crystals at each corner of your bathtub. (Golden-colored citrine possesses clearing properties.)

  Add bath salts and/or fragrant essential oils that correspond to your intention: rose for love, mint for prosperity, lavender for peace of mind.

  Sprinkle flower petals that represent your objective into your bathwater.

  Invite the undines or a favorite water deity—Oshun, Mami Wata, Aphrodite, Anuket, Thalassa, Eurybia, Poseidon, Ganga, Nymue—to join you.

  Afterward, record your experiences in your grimoire. What did you include in your ritual bath? What did you sense, see, or feel? Did the ritual bath contribute to the magickal work that followed? In what way?

  Purifying Ritual Bath Scrub

  Try this fragrant purifying scrub before doing a ritual or spell. Use warm—not hot—water. Do not use this scrub on your face. If you have sensitive skin, blend the herbs and essential oils into the oil and omit the salt. Rub the oil gently into your skin prior to your bath, and then rinse it off.

  TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS

  2 teaspoons lavender flowers (fresh or dry)

  2 teaspoons chamomile flowers (fresh or dry)

  1⁄2 cup sea salt or Epsom salt

  A lidded jar

  A small glass bowl

  1⁄2 cup vegetable oil (such as sweet almond, olive, grape seed, or jojoba oil)

  3 drops lavender essential oil

  3 drops frankincense essential oil

  A damp washcloth

  Purify all the ingredients first. You can do this by visualizing white light around them.

  Grind the dried flowers finely while you state aloud that they will cleanse and purify your body, mind, and spirit.

  Put the salt in the jar.

  In the bowl, mix the oils.

  Add the oil blend to the salt, then close the jar and shake to combine thoroughly.

  Open the jar and sprinkle the herbs over the oil and salt blend. Close the jar and shake to blend a final time.

  Place about a tablespoon of the mixture in the center of a clean, damp washcloth or in the palm of your hand. Gently rub the salts against your skin. Imagine them loosening any negative energy that may cling to you. Feel the purifying ingredients soaking into your body, cleansing your aura and calming your mind.

  When you feel cleansed, immerse yourself in the bathwater and rinse away the salt scrub along with any negative energy.

  Step out of the bath and dry yourself gentl
y with a clean towel. If you wish, dress in ritual clothing before engaging in magickal work.

  TALISMANS, AMULETS, AND FETISHES

  Do you have a special token that you carry to keep you safe or to bring good fortune? If so, you’re following a time-honored tradition. The early Egyptians placed good-luck charms in the tombs of royalty to ensure their souls would pass safely into the world beyond. Ancient Greek soldiers carried amulets into battle to protect them. An amulet or talisman may be a single object that has special meaning for its owner, or may be a combination of several items—gemstones, botanicals, magick images, etc.—contained in a charm bag or medicine pouch, designed for a specific purpose. The energies of the ingredients plus your belief in their magickal properties give the talisman or amulet its power.

  “Witchcraft is more than just a practice, it is a way of life. A way of looking at the physical and spiritual as a collaborative source of manifestation.”

  —DACHA AVELIN, EMBRACING YOUR INNER WITCH

  Amulets

  Many people use the words charm, amulet, and talisman interchangeably. However, these three types of portable magick are not the same. Each has its own, distinct purpose and application.