Lammas - Autumn
We also have four major holidays celebrated on the Spring and Autumn Equinox and on the Summer and Winter Solstice:
Yule - Winter Solstice
Ostara - Spring Equinox
Litha - Summer Solstice
Mabon - Autumn Equinox
All together these are called the eight Sabbats. To find out more about these please refer to the chapter on the Sabbats. Wiccans also follow moon phases throughout the year and practice our rituals and magic using the power of the moon. There is more on this in the chapter on Esbats.
To get in touch with nature, go for long walks in the countryside, in woodland or on the beach. Pay attention to your surroundings; look at the trees and how they transform at the changing of the seasons, look at the different plants, their smells, their colours, their beauty. Feel and smell the earth and the grass. Bury your feet in the sand at the beach. Walk along river banks and notice the shrubs. See if you can identify them, look at them close up, really look at them. Attention to detail is not just being particular; it’s something great poets and artists do, and yet it’s inherent in all of us – it’s natural, like the creativity and love within us all. Look up to the stars. Be amazed that we are all made from the same matter, whether we be animal, plant or mineral.
Learn about the different rocks and crystals, trees, plants and herbs, the different animals and their role and habits within this great cycle of life. Listen to nature, listen to the wind and the trees, listen to the birds singing and other animals chatting and calling out their warnings and mating calls. Listen to the rain. Smell the grass and mud after a good rainfall. Close your eyes and tune into the sound of the earth. Listen to a flowing river or the waves at the beach. How does all this make you feel? Breathe it in and smile. We were born with five senses; some might even say six. And yet modern society can take us away from all that is natural, both within us and without. Help yourself and you help us all appreciate and reclaim what is natural, because we are all connected.
Nature harnesses so much power. Inside every one of us is an enormous amount of power; we can mix ingredients together to make a bomb that can devastate a whole city, the whole world itself. We can build crafts that can fly. We can cure disease, build cities and erect monuments. As humans we have untold power within each one of us, using the tools and ingredients nature has provided for us. Let’s use it for the right purposes, to celebrate our being part of nature, not our dominance over it.
In science, within the last hundred years or so, they have discovered infra-red, ultra-violet, x-ray, radio waves, electricity and so much more. Just because these things can be explained, does it make them any less magic? These are things that were once hidden from the naked eye. What is science going to discover next? Some people say witchcraft is just magic that science hasn’t discovered yet.
We have created telephones that allow us to speak to people at the other end of the world, and now we have the internet and smartphones with their incredible fast-moving technology. It’s amazing, isn’t it, when you stop and think about it? But remember, these things are accomplished by using the power of the earth, using metals, generated electricity and other natural earth resources. We are just beginning to understand solar power and other natural energy resources. We understand so little about our own minds. There really is so much more out there.
Medicine is just another name for potions, a mixture of ingredients used for effect, whether that is to heal, give energy, induce coma, anesthetise, hallucinate, make you tell the truth or help you feel euphoric. They are all potions, and ‘witches’ were the first to put these ingredients together, to understand all this. It is where medicine was born. We were the first to use natural power for cause and effect. Shamans, witches and witch doctors were the first medical people and scientist. The vast majority of medicine that the Western world ‘discovers’ has been used by indigenous tribes for thousands of years. Wicca means wise or wise one. We never stop learning and discovering more about nature and its incredible power.
“Love is the affinity which links and draws together
the elements of the world... Love, in fact, is the
agent of universal synthesis.”
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
The Elements
Wiccans work with the five elements; Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. Without any one of these elements, the building blocks of life, we would not exist. Wiccans use these elements on altars when we call on them to combine and give power to our spells. We honour them for giving us life and for giving us nature.
Each of these elements has its own attributes and magical properties:
Earth is stability, strength and healing. It is connected to practicality and finance, but also to beauty and nature. Earth element is feminine. To use magic with this element, use herbs for healing, or flowers and trees. Bury objects, notes and symbols within the earth itself.
Air is intelligence and creativity, independence and thought. The Air element represents deep consciousness and psychic power, inspiration and imagination. You cannot see Air but it is always there. To do magic using Air, a masculine element, use incense or aromatherapy oils. Write a message on paper and give it to the wind. Magic representing Air is about travelling, freedom, knowledge and finding things that were once lost.
Fire is ambition, passion and forward moving. It represents energy and getting things done and is the element that brings love and heat. Fire represents change or transformation and is the element of magic. When using this masculine element in magic, light candles, burn objects in fires and use cookery.
Water is spiritual and ever changing, connected to our emotions and subconscious. Strong when moving, but calm and still when dormant, it is a purifier and gives us wisdom of the soul. To do magic with this feminine element brew teas using herbs, relax in herbal baths, submerge objects and symbols under water, use water to purify, add sea salt to water or use seawater as a holy water to purify a space or object.
Spirit is the prime element that is present in everything. It provides the space and balance for all the other elements to exist. It is the universe, gravity, and what all things are made of. It is our being and our soul. To do magic using the spirit element you should combine all the other elements in your magical working. This would usually be done when you are trying to see the future, communicate with the spirit world or for deep meditation.
We give thanks to these elements at our altars and use their power in our spell work and rituals. In Wicca remember, we work with balance. It’s been written in this book a number of times already but it is always worth repeating. This balance is everywhere, or should be, and includes elemental balance. When writing this book I am working with the Air element. Someone wanting to work with their aggression, frustration or passion should work with the Fire element. But people often use one element more than the others and can become over dependent on one element or have trouble relating to others. We must find a balance and use each element equally to stay focused and balanced within ourselves.
The elements also connect to other parts of our life and surroundings and these are important when conducting our rituals and spell work.
Earth is North, Air is East, Fire is South and Water is West.
We can use various things to represent an element for our altars. Below are some suggestions. For further information on how to set up your altar, please see the chapter on Altars.
To represent Earth In the north quarter of our altar we would use salt, rocks, crystals, stones, acorns, tree branches, flowers, herbs, and a green or brown candle.
To represent Air in the east quarter of our altars we would use burning incense, feathers or a yellow candle.
To represent Fire in the south quarter of our altars we would use a burning candle, or a red or orange candle.
To represent