Open Your Mind …
Sometimes to access the ‘world between the worlds’ doesn’t require elaborate ritual, dedicated meditation, or initiation into occult secrets. Often all that is needed is a silencing of the ‘censor’ that is in the hearts and minds of so many of us. The censor is the voice that says, ‘This is stupid, this is make-believe, you’re imagining things, what would everyone think?’ I find that a warm, relaxed, intuitive headspace is the key to worlds beyond, and the lock that bars those worlds is only self-doubt.
The most magickal thought you can achieve is the unshakeable, unconditional faith in your own infinite abilities.
Days
Monday
* Ruled by the Moon;
* Divination and female health issues.
Tuesday
* Ruled by Mars;
* Courage, confrontations and strength.
Wednesday
* Ruled by Mercury;
* Travel, money, academic success.
Thursday
* Ruled by Jupiter;
* Jobs, careers, friendships, wealth (not just of money, but of spirit, confidence, etc).
Friday
* Ruled by Venus;
* Love, sex partnerships.
Saturday
* Ruled by Saturn;
* Knowledge, especially esoteric/occult knowledge, banishing of limitations, exorcisms, legal issues.
Sunday
* Ruled by the Sun;
* Growth, healing, male health issues.
Moon Phases
If it’s been overcast for days and you’re not sure which phase the moon is in, you can buy a moon calendar from a New Age occult supply store (see Crafty Contacts at the back of this book). Also, most newspapers report the phase of the moon every day on the weather page.
Full Moon
A great time to do any magick as the lunar energies are ripe and potent.
New Moon
New plans and new beginnings; a time to sow the seeds of future success.
Dark Moon
The three days of the dark moon are not the best for spellcasting, but are particularly good for divination.
Waxing Moon
Building, growth, strengthening, encouragement, a time to set things in motion and put impetus behind them.
Waning Moon
Retreat, reversal, banishing, protection, cleansing – a time of reflection on what occurred during the waxing moon.
Note: be resourceful when you are working with lunar energies. For example, if you want to do a spell for personal empowerment, but it is the time of the waning moon, concoct a spell to banish fear, loneliness and insecurity. If you want to do a spell for prosperity, but it is the dark moon, do a Tarot or rune reading for information on what actions will best suit your goals in the coming weeks.
Magickal Music
Music is the voice of the soul and playing music during certain ritual work can enhance the proceedings. Often Witches, in being attached to the old Western European roots of their tradition, will play pan pipes or folky, bardic music, but personally I find these really put me off. I have been known to play hard metal at home rituals when I have needed to conjure up a lot of adrenalin, and really trippy, ambient trance techno, as well as recordings of Tibetan throat singers for deep introspective, meditation work. You can sometimes get really interesting results by using fairly unusual music in magickal ritual. At other times, however, music can be distracting, especially if there are lots of lyrics, so it is really up to you as to whether you include it. At group gatherings and coven meetings I have attended, music is often used at key points in the ritual, whether it is spontaneous drumming, hymns to the Goddess, or songs performed by coven members with lyrics pertaining to the work at hand.
Colours
Colours permeate every moment of our lives, each having its own unique vibration and psychological, therapeutical and magickal effect. At the core of everything is light (an interaction of electrical energy and magnetism) and colours are the various wavelengths that form light. Occult scholars believe that the seven colours of the light spectrum (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet) represent the evolution of the Universe and that we have already passed through three: red, orange and yellow, and are now midway through the green period, moving beyond primitive development and into higher periods of spiritual development. Human auras are electrical emanations from our bodies which manifest as colours and scientists have determined that our brains emit thoughts measurable as colours, as well as infra-red and ultraviolet waves and beyond! Using colour in magickal work empowers spells in a huge way as they can be used to manipulate the potential of events and objects, so put some thought into the colour of the candles, paper, cloth and ink you use; the colour of the clothing or jewellery you wear when doing ritual, as well as the colour of flowers or other objects you may have on your altar. Following are the magickal properties of colours for use in rituals and spells:
White
Cleansing, protection and spirituality. White is not considered a true colour, as it contains all seven of the spectrum. It can take the place of any colour. For example, if you need to do a spell for healing in a hurry and you can’t get any blue candles, you can use white instead.
Purple
Power, success and commitment, psychic matters.
Red
Lust, passion, courage, willpower, vigour, endurance and ambition.
Blue
Healing, happiness, guidance, truth and religious inspiration.
Green
Prosperity, fertility, employment, good luck and beauty.
Yellow
Concentration, action, wisdom, intellect and learning.
Orange
Legal matters, confidence, pride and empathy.
Pink
Love, friendship, leisure, gentleness, reconciliation.
Black
Used for accessing the subconscious, banishing and binding and for invoking periods of rest; it can also be used in legal spells. Not considered a true colour, black is actually the absence of colour.
Silver
Representative of the Goddess and the Moon, silver can be used to stimulate visions and intuition.
Gold