The Everything Wicca and Witchcraft Book: Rituals, spells, and sacred objects for everyday magick

452 Pages·2008·3.43 MB·English

by  Alexander

THE

WICCA &

WITCHCRAFT

BOOK

2ND EDITION

Rituals, spells, and sacred objects
for everyday magick

Skye Alexander
THE EVERYTHING Wicca & Witchcraft Book
®

Dear Reader,
What come s to mind when you hear the word witch? A cackling old hag
with a long nose, warts, and a pointy black hat? An evil sorceress stirring a
strange brew in a cauldron? Those negative stereotypes are rapidly being
replaced with more accurate images as Wicca and witchcraft “come out of the
broom closet.” Today’s witches are doctors, computer programmers, teachers,
landscapers, and flight attendants. The person who cuts your hair or repairs your
car might be a witch. Wicca, in fact, is one of the fastest-growing religions in the
Western world.
That’s all fine and well, but what can Wicca and witchcraft do for you? First,
let’s consider what it won’t do. It won’t solve all your problems overnight; it
won’t give you perfect hair; it won’t do your housework. But it will provide a
framework for living the life you really want and the tools to achieve your
fondest dreams. It will open new horizons for you, bring you myriad
opportunities, and change your life in incredible ways. It will show you how to
control your own destiny.
Maybe you’d like to learn to do magick spells. Maybe you’re seeking a
community of people who share your reverence for the earth and all life. Maybe
you want to connect with a deeper par t of yourself and with the divine forces in
the universe. If so, Wicca and witchcraft can guide you to become what you
already are in your hear t and soul—a powerful, magickal, spiritual person. This
book can lead you as you take the first steps. Blessed be.
Skye Alexander
Welcome to THE EVERYTHING Series!
®

These handy, accessible books give you all you need to tackle a difficult
project, gain a new hobby, comprehend a fascinating topic, prepare for an exam,
or even brush up on something you learned back in school but have since
forgotten.
You can choose to read an Everything® book from cover to cover or just pick
out the information you want from our four useful boxes: e-questions, e-facts, e-
alerts, e-ssentials. We give you everything you need to know on the subject, but
throw in a lot of fun stuff along the way, too.
We now have more than 400 Everything® books in print, spanning such
wide-ranging categories as weddings, pregnancy, cooking, music instruction,
foreign language, crafts, pets, New Age, and so much more. When you’re done
reading them all, you can finally say you know Everything®!

DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION Paula Munier
MANAGING EDITOR, EVERYTHING SERIES Lisa Laing
COPY CHIEF Casey Ebert
ACQUISITIONS EDITOR Lisa Laing
DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Brett Palana-Shanahan
Visit the entire Everything® series at www.everything.com
Dedication
To the Kerrville Cowgirls
Contents

Top Ten Ways Wicca and Witchcraft Can Help You
Introduction
1
And Harm None: Philosophy and Ideology
Which Is the Witch?
Different Strokes for Different Folks
Good Witch, Bad Witch
Immanence, Interconnectedness, and Community
Heaven and Earth
The Next Generation
Folklore and Superstitions
2
A Brief History of Magick and Witchcraft
The Old Religion
Witchcraft in Europe
Witchcraft Outlawed
Witchcraft in the New World
Witchcraft’s Rebirth
Wicca and Witchcraft Today
3
The Divine Realm
One Deity or Many?
The Divine Feminine
Goddesses and Their Attributes
The Divine Masculine
Gods and Their Attributes
Honoring and Invoking Deities
Other Spiritual Entities
4
The Wheel of the Year
Samhain
Winter Solstice or Yule
Imbolc, Brigid’s Day, or Candlemas
Spring Equinox or Ostara
Beltane
Summer Solstice or Midsummer
Lughnassadh or Lammas
Autumn Equinox or Mabon
5
Meditation and Visualization
What Is Meditation?
How to Meditate
Different Types of Meditation
The Importance of Meditation in Magick
Creative Visualization
Journeying to Other Worlds
6
Sacred Sounds: Prayers, Affirmations, and Incantations
Prayer
Prayers and Magick
Chanting
Chanting and Magick
Affirmations
Affirmations in Magick
Incantations
Incantations in Magick
7
Sacred Space
Establishing Sacred Space
The Circle
Protocol and Practices
Casting a Circle
Squaring the Circle
Creating a Permanent Circle
Altars
Your Personal Sanctuary: Auras and Sacred Psychic Space
8
The Four Elements
The Cornerstones of Creation
Earth
Air
Fire
Water
Spirit: The Fifth Element
Elemental Beings
Tapping Your Own Elemental Power
9
The Plant Kingdom
Green Witchcraft
Divine Flowers and Plants
Petal Portents
Druid Tree Magick
Magickal Herbcraft
Spellworking with Scent
Plants and Sacred Space
10
The Mineral Kingdom
Mineral Magick
Gemstones
Magickal Correspondences and Properties of Stones
Magickal Jewelry
Crystals
Magickal Uses for Crystals
Metal Magick
Shells, Fossils, and Rocks
11
The Animal Kingdom
Human-Animal Relationships
Familiars
Spirit Animals, Power Animals, and Totems
Animal Messengers
Animals in Dreams
Animal Imagery in Magick
Shapeshifting
12
Magickal Symbolism
Color
Colorful Candle Magick
Fabric and Materials
Shapes as Symbols
Shapes and Numbers in Spells and Rituals
Sigils: Secret Magickal Symbols
Dream Symbols
13
The Witch’s Tool Kit
The Role of Tools in Magick
Wand
Pentagram
Athame
Chalice
Cauldron
Broom (Besom)
Candles and Incense
Knots
Other Tools
Keeping a Grimoire
14
The Art of Spell-Casting
Ethical Spell-Casting
Sympathetic Magick and the Law of Similars
Forming Your Intention
Choosing Components for Spells
Adapting Spells
Creating Spells from Scratch
Creating a Magickal Environment
Letting Go