The Modern Witchcraft Grimoire Read online

  The word “amulet” comes from Latin amuletum, which means “a charm”—so it’s no wonder people still confuse one with the other. The Greeks called amulets amylon, or food. This definition implies that people used food offerings to ask gods and goddesses for protection. They may have even eaten or carried a small bit of that food as an amuletic token. For example, ancient Greeks carried leaves with Athena’s name written on them to safeguard themselves from hexes. And, of course, we’re all familiar with the idea of hanging garlic to scare away harmful entities.

  Witches mainly use amulets for protection. An amulet wards off danger and guards the owner from all manner of harm: illness, assault, accident or injury, theft, natural disasters, evil intent, or black magick. Until something external creates a need for their energy, amulets remain passive. Consequently, an amulet’s power might stay latent—but still present—for a very long time.

  Amulets and the Moon

  Usually it’s best to create amulets during the waning moon. You could also consider making an amulet when the sun and/or moon is in Capricorn or on a Saturday.

  You can fashion amulets from all sorts of materials: stone, metal, or bundled plant matter. A symbol drawn on a piece of paper will work too. Just make sure whatever you include represents your intention. Gemstone amulets are perennial favorites—our ancestors prized them, just as people do today. Amulets were sometimes chosen for their shape or where they were found. A stone with a hole through it supposedly protected a person from malicious faeries (who got trapped in the hole). Carrying a crystal found adjacent to a sacred well known for its healthful qualities could encourage well-being. Witches also use plants for protective purposes. Some botanical amulets contain herbs valued for their healing or cleansing properties; others rely on their symbolic nature.

  The ancient magi gave precise instructions on how to make amulets. The base components must be organized and measured precisely, and any carving is done in an exact order. Say, for example, you want to create a healing amulet for a sick person. You could use copper as the base material. First you’d apply an emblem for recovery to the copper base, because recovering from the ailment is your primary objective. Afterward, you might choose to add a symbol for ongoing protection to keep sickness from returning.

  Protection Amulet

  Do you feel a need for some extra protection? This amulet helps to shield you from potential injury or illness. Perform the spell during the waning moon, preferably on a Saturday.

  TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS

  A piece of turquoise

  Black paint or nail polish

  Rosemary essential oil

  Pine incense

  An incense burner

  Matches or a lighter

  Saltwater

  Wash the piece of turquoise with mild soap and water, then pat it dry.

  Cast a circle around the area where you will do your spell.

  With the paint or nail polish, paint the protection rune Algiz (see Chapter 5) on the stone.

  Rub a little rosemary essential oil on the other side of the stone.

  Fit the incense into the burner and light it.

  Sprinkle the stone with saltwater, then hold it in the incense smoke for a few moments to charge it.

  Open the circle.

  Carry the gemstone amulet with you at all times to protect against harm, or give it to the person you wish to protect.

  TALISMANS

  Talismans serve as active participants in magick work. Unlike amulets, which remain inactive until an outside force stimulates their energy, talismans instigate conditions. Today the word “talisman” refers to any token that has been created specifically to attract or activate a desired result: love, prosperity, success, and so on.

  When to Make Talismans

  In most cases, talismans should be made or acquired while the moon is waxing. Also consider the position of Venus when fashioning love talismans. Jupiter’s placement will affect a talisman for success or abundance.

  Unlike amulets, talismans can influence conditions from a distance. For example, a love talisman can attract a partner from all the way on the other side of the world. Although talismans are more potent than amulets—at least in terms of how far their energy extends—their power tends to get used up rapidly because they’re constantly projecting it rather than sitting back waiting for a need to arise.

  Like amulets, talismans must include materials appropriate to their functions. For example, when making a love talisman you could use rose quartz, rose petals, small heart-shaped tokens, or other components that symbolize love. An effective talisman could be as simple as a single gemstone or quite complex, including numerous carefully chosen ingredients. (See Chapter 16 for lists of correspondences.) As you fashion a talisman, recite affirmations or incantations over it, instructing it to carry out your intentions. Charge it by sprinkling it with saltwater or holding it in the smoke of burning incense.

  Aladdin’s Lamp

  Many old stories tell us that spirits dwelled in talismans and could be commanded by the magician to do specific tasks. Aladdin’s lamp, which held a powerful spirit known as a jinni, was a kind of talisman.

  How to Use Talismans and Amulets

  Most people wear or carry talismans and amulets on their persons, but you can use them in other ways too:

  Display one on your altar.

  Set one on your desk, near your computer.

  Hang one above the entrance to your home.

  If you know feng shui, place them in the sectors of your home that relate to your intentions.

  Slip one under your pillow at night.

  Put one in your car’s glove compartment.

  Attach one to your pet’s collar.

  Bury them in your yard or garden.

  Put one in the cash register in your place of business.

  FETISHES

  The word “fetish” probably comes from Latin facticius (meaning artificial), by way of Portuguese feitiço and French fétiche. A fetish can be any object, so long as the person who carries it has a strong emotional connection to the object or regards it as representing a higher authority (such as a spirit or deity).

  A fetish represents only one objective—you wouldn’t carry a single fetish for love, protection, and success. Many fetishes serve as “one shot” magick spells—you need a different one for each instance when help is sought. A witch might make up a bunch of fetishes at the same time, all of them designed for the same purpose. For example, she might fabricate a number of fetishes to stimulate artistic endeavors by wrapping bay leaves (to represent the sun god Apollo) in pieces of yellow cloth (the color of creativity) and empowering those bundles with an incantation. Then whenever she needs a little inspiration, she can use one of the bundles.

  You activate the energy of single-use fetishes by carrying them, burning them, burying them, or floating them on moving water. Burning releases your wishes to the heavens and disperses the energy. Burying helps the energy grow. Floating in water transports the energy where it’s desired or needed.

  In your grimoire, record information about the amulets, talismans, and fetishes you create. When did you fashion them? Did you make them for yourself or someone else? What did you feel, sense, see, or experience during the process? Note the ingredients you included, the steps you took during your spellworking, incantations you recited, and anything else of significance. Be sure to write down your results, how long the outcomes took to manifest, and anything you might consider changing in the future.

  Chapter 15

  WORKING WITH MAGICK TOOLS

  Practitioners in every field of endeavor rely on certain tools to help them do their jobs well. Gardeners work with shovels and hoes, carpenters need hammers and saws, cooks use pots and skillets. Magick workers utilize special tools too. The tools of the Craft speak to the subconscious mind in forms that help support spellwork. A tool’s shape, the material from which it’s fabricated, and other features provide clues to its symbolism and thus its
role in magick.

  Of course, you don’t really need any equipment to craft and cast spells—the most important “tool” of all is your mind. The implements in a witch’s toolbox, however, are good aids to magick work. They serve as centering devices that focus your attention. Wielding magick tools in a spell or ritual also adds drama and excitement, which can kick the magick up a notch.

  If you choose to use magick tools in your work—and most witches do—you’ll want to discuss them in your grimoire. How did you acquire these tools? Did you purchase them readymade or fabricate your own? Describe the process(es) you used to consecrate and charge them. How do you work with your tools? Record the spells and rituals in which you employ certain tools. How do you feel using them? How do they influence your work? You might even designate a special section in your book of shadows for each tool and the spells and rituals that use it.

  “Magic . . . uses all of reality, the world itself, as its medium.”

  —BILL WHITCOMB, THE MAGICIAN’S COMPANION

  THE ROLE OF SYMBOLISM

  We’ve talked a lot already about symbols and their role in magick work. When you use a witch’s tools, you draw upon their symbolism. If you already own a selection of magick tools, you’re probably familiar with their associations. However, if you haven’t yet acquired the tools of the Craft, take some time to learn their correspondences and their purposes in spellwork.

  Masculine and Feminine Symbolism

  Notice that the shapes of the tools of the Craft correspond to the human body. The five points of the pentagram signify the five “points” of the body: head, arms, and legs. The wand and the athame, which symbolize masculine power or yang energy, look distinctly phallic. So do the ritual sword and the rod (or stave). The chalice and cauldron, shaped like the womb, represent feminine or yin energy. So do bells and bowls. Witches often use the wand and athame to project energy, whereas the chalice and cauldron contain and nurture it.

  Elemental Symbolism

  Additionally, the four primary tools correspond to the four elements: fire, water, air, and earth. The wand represents the element of fire, the chalice signifies the water element, the athame symbolizes air, and the pentagram represents earth. You’ll notice that these tools show up in the tarot as the four suits of the Minor Arcana. Usually called Wands (sometimes Rods or Staves), Swords (or Daggers, meaning athames), Cups (or Chalices), and Pentacles (or Pentagrams, sometimes referred to as Coins or Disks), the suits describe fundamental life energies and ways of interacting with the world. It’s a good idea to keep these correspondences in mind when you’re doing tarot readings as well as when you’re performing a spell or ritual.

  “The four elements . . . are the basic building blocks of all material structures and organic wholes. Each element represents a basic kind of energy and consciousness that operates within each of us.”

  —STEPHEN ARROYO, ASTROLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, AND THE FOUR ELEMENTS

  THE WAND

  Contrary to popular opinion, witches don’t tap people with magick wands to turn them into toads or make them invisible. Witches use wands to direct energy. You can either attract or send energy with your wand. Aim it at the heavens to draw down cosmic power and bring it into the material world. Point it toward a person, place, or thing to project energy toward your goal. You may wish to use your wand to cast a magick circle too.

  Choosing or Creating Your Magick Wand

  Magick workers traditionally fashioned wands from wood, cut from a living branch of a tree in a single stroke (after asking the tree’s permission and making an offering in thanks). The Druids favored yew, hazel, willow, and rowan; however, you may prefer another wood instead for your wand. You don’t have to choose wood, if you’d rather use something else—you can find some gorgeous wands made of crystal, metal, or glass rods adorned with gemstones. Perhaps you’d like to mount a quartz crystal at the end of your wand to enhance its power.

  You can personalize your wand and enhance your relationship with it by decorating it with elemental symbolism:

  Attach objects to it made of brass, iron, bronze, or gold—metals that correspond to the fire element.

  Paint it fiery colors, such as red, orange, or gold.

  Decorate it with the glyphs for the astrological fire signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, or the elemental symbol for fire (an upward-pointing triangle).

  Engrave it with words of power and/or runes (such as Teiwaz) that signify your intentions.

  Tie red, orange, or gold ribbons onto your wand.

  Affix fiery gemstones to it: ruby, golden topaz, carnelian, bloodstone, tiger’s eye.

  In your grimoire, describe your relationship with your wand. Did you fashion it yourself? Why did you purchase, fabricate, or otherwise acquire this particular wand? How did you personalize it? Did you imprint it with signs or symbols? What did you experience during the process? How do you plan to work with your wand?

  How Long a Wand?

  Tradition says a wand should be the length of its owner’s forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. However, that may be unwieldy for some people. Choose a wand that is at least six inches long, but only as long and thick as you find comfortable to handle.

  Consecrating and Charging Your Wand

  Until you consecrate your wand and charge it with your intention, it’s just a stick of wood or an inert rod of metal or glass. The ritual you design to imbue your wand with your own energy can be simple or complex, depending on your personality and your objectives. You may call on a beloved deity to assist you, or invite the fire elementals known as salamanders to join in. You may want to create an incantation or other charge to direct your wand.

  Before you begin, cleanse your wand of all unwanted ambient energies. I recommend holding it in the smoke from burning incense or from a ritual fire to purify it. Cast a circle, then proceed with the ritual you’ve designed. You may want to anoint your wand with essential oil—cinnamon, sandalwood, cedar, and frankincense are good choices. Perhaps you’ll want to command your wand to do your bidding with a chant or incantation. Create a poetic directive or say something as simple as “I now consecrate this wand to do the work of the Goddess and God, and charge it to assist me in my magickal work, in harmony with Divine Will, my own true will, and for the good of all concerned.”

  Match the Tool to the Element

  Some witches design rituals that incorporate the element to which the individual tool corresponds. For example, you could charge your chalice by submerging it in a sacred pool of water. Similarly, you could bury a pentagram in the ground beneath a venerable tree or place your wand in the sunshine to let the sun’s rays charge it.

  After you’ve finished the ritual and opened the circle, write in your grimoire what you did to consecrate and charge your wand. What steps did you take to infuse it with your energy? Did a god or goddess participate? If you anointed your wand with an essential oil, you may want to dab a bit on the page where you describe your ritual. If you uttered a magickal charge, write it here too. Discuss how you felt during the process. What did you sense, see, intuit, or otherwise experience?

  The Pentagram

  The tool most often connected with witchcraft, the pentagram symbolizes the element of earth. In magickal work, it’s associated with protection, and many Wiccans wear pentagrams as protection amulets. Usually, a pentagram is depicted as a five-pointed star with a circle around it; however you may also see it as a five-pointed star without the circle. (If you visit Texas, where I live, you’ll spot pentagrams everywhere—though most people think of them as “Texas stars.” The Texas Rangers wore pentagram-shaped badges, and I often wonder how many lives those magick emblems saved.)

  Choosing or Creating Your Pentagram

  Unless you have metalsmithing talents, you probably won’t craft your own pentagram jewelry, but you can purchase some really beautiful pentagram pendants, earrings, and rings. Many witches wear pentagrams made of silver—a metal associated with the Goddess, the moon
, and feminine energy—but that’s up to you. Perhaps you’d like one decorated with earth-related gemstones, such as jade, moss agate, aventurine, onyx, or turquoise.

  In addition to choosing a pentagram to wear, you might acquire another to place on your altar. Consider hanging one near the door of your home for protection, and keeping one in your car as a safety measure. If you’re handy at sewing, you could embroider pentagrams on ritual clothing and/or an altar cloth. Some witches even have them tattooed on their bodies.

  On one of the beginning pages of your grimoire (or on the cover) draw a pentagram to protect your secrets from prying eyes. Within the pages of your book of shadows, describe how you selected your pentagram. How will you use it? If you purchased a readymade pentagram, did you do anything to personalize it? What did you experience during the process?

  Consecrating and Charging Your Pentagram

  The ritual you design to consecrate and your pentagram can be simple or complex, depending on your preferences. Before you begin, however, purify your pentagram of all unwanted ambient resonances. The easiest way to do this is to hold it under running water while you envision it cleansed of all harmful, disruptive, or unbalanced energies. Then cast a circle and proceed with the ritual you’ve planned. If you decide to anoint your pentagram with essential oil, select one that corresponds to the earth element and/or protection such as rosemary, pine, or basil.