Author: A Solitary Pagan
Invoking Water Element
Water is the Element of the West and is represented by a bowl of water or a goblet of wine or fruit juice. Its color is blue and, because it represents the giving of life, it is associated with the Elements of sea, rain, snow, and rivers. When you need cleansing, revitalizing, the removal of curses or hexes or change of any sort, you will call upon Water. It is to do with emotions, right through f...
Invoking Fire
Fire is the Element of the South and is usually represented by a candle or a cauldron with a fire inside. Its color is red and its associations have to do with power, determination, and passionate energy. You would call upon this Element for protection from evil forces, cleansing, and creativity. The quality associated with Fire is ‘doing’ and it is a male principle. It is the third quarter or car...
Invoking Air
The direction of this Element is east and the colour usually associated with it is yellow. Incense is often used to represent Air since the movement of the air can be seen in the incense smoke. When you are looking for inspiration, need new ideas or perhaps to break free from the past or undesired situations, you would use this Element. The quality associated with it is that of thinking or the use...
Invoking Earth
Traditionally the direction of this Element is north and the colour normally associated with Earth is green. It is represented on the altar usually by salt or sand. Crystals, because they are totally natural substances, can also be used. When invoking Earth and the powers of the north, you are looking for recovery and healing and perhaps trying to find answers to questions. These powers deal with ...
THE ELEMENTS
In most systems of magical working you will find mentioned the four (or sometimes five) Elements, often in conjunction with their directions or, as they are known in magic, quarters of the universe or cardinal points. The four Elements are energies, and manifestations of energy, that make up the entire universe. They also influence our personalities and therefore what we do. Each Element has an in...
Incantations
This type of spell prepares the magical worker and his helpers for further work by heightening their awareness. It does not set out to call up the powers, but appeals to gods, goddesses, powers of nature and so on for help. Chanting, prayer and hymns are in many ways incantations, particularly when the intent is stated with some passion. An incantation is often very beautiful and rhythmic. Music h...
Invocations
These call on what is believed to be the ultimate source of power, which differs from spell to spell. Quite literally, they call up that power and ask for permission to use this influence for a stated purpose. Meddling with this power and calling up negative forces is extremely unwise and very foolish. Spells for selfish personal power or to gain power over others will often backfire on the unwary...
Healing spells and charms
Within this type of spell it is wise to go beyond the presenting symptoms and to ask for healing on all levels of existence – physical, mental and spiritual – because the practitioner may not have the knowledge or correct information to enable him to diagnose a condition correctly. The natural energies and specific vibrations are enhanced by invocations, incantations and blessings wherever appropr...
Blessings Spells
These might be counted either as prayers or spells and need a passionate concentration on bringing, for instance, peace of mind or healing to the recipient. They hold no danger for the practitioner but are sometimes more difficult to appreciate since they tend to be more general than other types of magical work. They may be thought of in terms of a positive energy from beyond the practitioner, bei...
Bidding spells
These are spells where the spell maker commands a particular thing to happen, but without the co-operation of those involved. Trying to make someone do something which they do not want to do, or which goes against their natural inclination, obviously requires a great deal of power and energy and can possibly misfire, causing the originator of the spell a good deal of difficulty. For this reason, i...
Love spells
Many people’s first thought in this context is of love spells – ways of making another person find them sexually attractive and desirable. In theory, love spells should be unconditional and this type should be entirely unselfish and free from self-interest. However, most of the time they obviously cannot be so, unless they are performed by a third party, someone outside the longed-for relationship...
What We Are Drawn to
We do not control that which we are drawn to. Nor does it control us. Witchcraft is a symbiotic relationship between Witch and World, Living and Dead, Universe and Spirit. Growing on one another, feeding off Dreams of Ancestor and dying in the Shadows. Voices always carry where eyes cannot follow, and there you are in Echo… facing Self again, blind to your own words and yet recognising the cadence...