Author: A Solitary Pagan

Rite of Wind

Light incense. Pass over working area. Place the representation of your magick key near your other supplies for this night. Close your eyes, and envision yourself surrounded by white light. Take thirteen slow, even breaths, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. When you feel relaxed, open your eyes, and repeat today’s affirmation three times. Loosely grind a small amount (...

Samhain Rites and Rituals for a Hedgewitch

As this is the time when the veils between the worlds are thin, the Hedge Druid’s Craft concerns working with the ancestors and the Fair Folk at this time of the year. She can travel to the Lower world to contact her ancestral spirit guide or her fey spirit guide in order to glean information on the work that she should strive towards in the coming year. As Samhain marks the end of the old year an...

Rite of Celestial Power

Places your calendar on the center of the altar, along with your magickal key. Ring your bell or chimes eleven times. If you can, go outside and light your favorite incense. If you are confined inside, try to position yourself near a window with a good view of the heavens. Stand looking up at the heavens, and say:  Celestial magick, speak to me Of sun and moon and heaven’s sea Of signs and li...

Rite of the Mountain

Light incense. On a purple candle, inscribe the word mountain with a pin, nail, or clay inscribing tool. Place the candle in a safe holder, and light. Intone the following mountain charm: Herbal magick, speak to me Of mountain’s sacred journey Of strength and will along the way Of choosing carefully what I say. Treasures lie inside me Tonight I grasp my own true wealth And give to earth that magic...

Rite of Stone

Arrange your thirteen chosen gemstones around your dedication candle. You will not light your dedication candle tonight; instead, we are preparing your altar for the final ceremony. Put your magick key beside your dedication candle. Light the incense and pass it over all the items on your altar. On a white candle (not the dedication candle), inscribe the word stone with a pin, nail, or clay inscri...

Rite of Thunder

Arrange the white candle, the bowl of aromatic herbs, and your magick key on your altar near the black and white plate project from last night. This particular rite is mostly mental, so relax and take several deep breaths before beginning. Prepare the thunder sound effects you will use shortly. Check the closet light to be sure the batteries are working properly. We will start with the light turne...

The Hedge Craft – Rites and Rituals

We previously looked at the word, enchantment (en chantement, “to singinto”) as that which brings the songs of magic and the universe togetherso there is a flow, balance and harmony as well as a guiding, directiveforce. We can use enchantment in our lives for the same reason, to reenchant our daily lives with the magical and the mystical, through theuse of prayers and chants for mundane tasks, sea...

Rite of Silence

This ritual is dedicated to pampering yourself, which means you won’t be working at your altar. You may visit a gym or a spa, or take a long, luxurious bath followed by a personal hygiene regime. You might decide to have your hair styled in a new way, shave off a beard, or color your hair in a new shade. Visit a nail salon or have fun shopping for new makeup or personal-care products. Choose a dar...

Summer Solstice Rites and Rituals for a Hedgewitch

The time of the greatest light, this is a good time of the year to harness the energy towards your goals. Riding the tide, we can stand in the heat of the noon-day sun and allow its energy to flow through us, empowering our bodies, souls and our work. We might use herbs traditional to this time of year, such as St John’s Wort, to further boost our work. Know, though, that after this special time w...

Rite of Starry Sky

Tonight we are not using incense but enjoying the aroma of the Florida water and the fresh flowers. Sprinkle yourself with the Florida water. Go outside (or look out a window), and count the number of stars you see in the heavens for one minute. Write down this number. If it is over ten, reduce the number by adding the double digits. For example, if the number you counted is 15, then you would add...

Rite of Rain

Place your magick key and the special glass bottle filled with the listed herbs beside your pebbles on your altar. Fill the bottle with blessed water. Swirl the bottle nine times, intoning the following charm: Gifts of rain and flowing grace Create for me a sacred space Where peace and healing now abide And Spirit travels by my side. Sprinkle the pebbles with a bit of the holy water from the speci...

Essential Healing Salve Recipe

When it comes to healing salves, there are a couple kinds that prove their need most often. Though everyone has different preferences and different recipes for those salves, these are ours. Sore Muscle Salve 3 Parts Cloves 2 Parts Arnica 4 Parts Cayenne Pepper 1 Part Basil Bug Bite Salve 3 Parts Calendula 1 Part Plantain 2 parts Cloves Topical Menstrual Cramp Salve (To be applied to the abdomen) 1...