One of the common issues many people come into when they first start seeking paganism, witchcraft, and alternative spirituality is that they might not have space for an altar all the time. There are also many people who live with unsupported family members, or have room mates, or many other factors that do not really allow for having a full time altar set up. This leaves them asking themselves and other pagans what can they do about this? Some people feel they are less pagan or witchy if they can’t have a full time working altar or shrine. If you fit into any of these, then this post is for you.
It is perfectly acceptable to only have your altars set up when you are going to be doing an active working. Many people have to do this sort of practice and work. There are many reasons why people don’t have full time altars (children, family, pets, room mates, room size, ect) set up in their lives. For some it can be a hassel and for others they embrace it and make it apart of their actual rituals. In this way they can build more power. They will not be suseptable to any and all energy of day to day life when in storage, as such the ritual and power charge in them remains and builds.
In having your altars up only during working its important to still build a powerful personal connection with the tools on your altar. When you have to set up an altar for each working you make that part of the work itself. The set up will help you get mentally and physically prepared for magical, spiritual, and religious work. The set up and placement triggers the body to know that certain actions are going to happen next. The mind gets told that a different sort of mindset is needed and the transition from normal consciousness to ritual consciousness comes a lot easier.
By making the altar set up and preparation a part of the ritual you start building power and energy for the ritual the moment those items are touched and sent out. By unwrapping the items and placing them reverently on the altar they get full of sacred energy. This energy will build in those items and radiate when they are used. This process also puts mental and emotional energy into the item that serves as triggers for magical, spiritual, and religious actions.
Ritual preparation is as much a part of the ritual as the meat or actual working is. By treating this process as sacred and reverently as you would the actual ritual you create an even more powerful ritual working. The power will start building the moment you start setting up your altar and get it complete for the working. The blessing after the set up will seal the power in and set the tone for the ritual.
Yes. That is an important part. If you are not going to be having a permanent altar the altar should be physically cleansed before and after each ritual. This is yet another part of the ritual prep and the building of power over the altar. This will remove any mundane or day to day energy that has built up on the surface of the altar making it sacred and suitable for workings. The blessing when the altar is set up charges them for that specific ritual.
When you take the items down and put them away you have an action that serve as a way to transition in and out of ritual consciousness. This serves to finally disperse any energy raised in the ritual that was not directed. From here the sacred energy can be placed into the objects to be used again. Anything not wanted to be kept will be dispersed into the ground as the altar is taken down and day to day life returns. This is why the blessing and cleansing of the altar items and actual altar surface is essential.
I hope that now you can see that even if you have to use temporary altars you can make the most of it and still perfor very powerful and effective rituals. The spells and ritual workings may take a little longer, but if you put all your intent and focus of the ritual into the items from the beginning the power will still be there. It will not diminish. It will only grow the more you feed them.
The process of seeking spirituality is a difficult one. There are a lot of questions that come up as you being to question your path and your beliefs. Many people when they leave their previous belief systems don’t really understand what they are looking for. They may feel something missing but be unsure of what it is exactly they need. During this period its good to read anything you get your hands on. You should read basically any material regarding religions and spirituality you are drawn to. There may be something in those sources that fits what you are looking for, or it could provide you with more confusion.
When you begin seeking a path there is often more information out there than you can handle at once. There are so many texts and websites all offering different insights on how to start and where to begin the practice. They all offer different insight into the lore and the belief systems of various religions and paths. Its too much to take in and can cause confusion and ultimately frustration. Don’t worry. There is something you can do to fight this problem.
So before you throw out all your books on the different topics out of frustration, before you find yourself hopelessly lost in the sea of information you should ask yourself some questions. Wait? Ask myself questions? You got it. Ask yourself-your higher self (spirit guide, soul, how ever you want to see the part of you that is connected to the divine and exists in the spirit worlds) to answer some questions. Your spirit will answer. Even if the answer is not exactly specific pr uncertain you will at least have a place to start.
OK so I get asking questions now. So what are these questions? These questions are questions that will help you find the path you are looking for. They will shed light on what you personally believe. You may think you know what you believe but have you ever really asked yourself what you believe? Many haven’t considered their position on many beliefs out there that you might not find in traditional religions or spiritual paths.
So here are the questions. There is one big overall question with some smaller questions for each section. This is to make you really think about all aspects of the questions. They may seem simple but these are deep questions that you need to think about. As you write down these questions create a journal and write your answers down. You may want to focus on one question or question set at a time.
Do you believe in multiple Gods or just one God? Do you think that one God can manifest in different forms? Do you believe that the multiple Gods are all different individuals? Do you believe that the divine exists in everything and everything is part of the divine?
Do you believe that all things contain spirit (animals, plants, rocks, trees, rivers, oceans, mountains, etc)? Do you believe in different types of spirits (Dragons, Fairies, Elves, Dryads, Nymphs, etc)? Do you believe in angels and or demons? What are the relationships these spirits have with humans? With the divine? Do you believe in spirit guides?
Do you believe in a soul? Do you believe in an eternal soul or does the soul die/change after death? Does the soul have multiple parts (like a mind, the spirit guide, etc) or is it one thing? How does the mind relate to the soul? The body? Is the spirit and the soul the same thing?
Do you believe in reincarnation? Do you believe in heaven? Hell? Do you think that there is a place where we go after we die till we are reborn or till our memory fades away? Do you believe in multiple afterlives and multiple realms of the dead?
Do you believe in magic? What is magic to you? Is it something you want to use in spirituality? Is it something you want to be a part of your religion? Are you looking to use magic for more practical means? Do you think prayers are spells and magic?
What does religion mean to me? What does spirituality mean to me? Do I need one to have the other? What do I want out of religion? What do I want out of spirituality?
I just gave you a lot of questions to answer and think about. I don’t expect the answers to come to you easily. The idea is that you will think about these questions. You might be wondering how do I answer these questions? I can’t really answer that. You have to find the answers yourself. I can show you how I answered these questions myself, and continue to answer them myself.
I have a journal that I have used to write down these questions and the answers I have come up with. I have one page that lists all of the questions. I start with the first question I asked. I center myself through breath and focus. I call to my higher self and spirit asking that they provide me with the direction to go in. I then focus on the question and just start writing down my thoughts related to the question.
Don’t limit yourself. Write down all the thoughts that come into your mind when you think about the question. Don’t worry if there are questions you think of when you answer it. Write them down as part of your response. This the gives you something to work with. When you feel that you can’t say any more on the subject you have channeled all the answers you will have for the time being in regards to that question.
Write down your experiences with any of these things. If you have experienced the divine write about that in the questions about the divine. Write about spirit encounters under spirit beliefs. Experiences often say more than beliefs. If experience something you don’t necessarily need to believe in it as you have first hand knowledge and experience of it. If the experiences made you question something or want to know more about something write that in. Most pagan and spiritual paths are mystery and experience based. That is why including personal experiences with these entries is important.
What if I can’t think of anything to write? What if my answer is I don’t know? Then you start with that. Just keep working the pencil. As you repeat “I can’t think of anything to write” you will eventually find some thoughts coming into the page. If you keep repeating I don’t know eventually you will have a few thoughts or ideas filter into the writing. This is your answer. Your starting point.
Once you have answered a question give yourself a day before going on to the next question. Do not underestimate the amount of spiritual energy and mental energy used when writing these answer and thinking about these questions. You do not want to overwhelm yourself when you first begin seeking. The more time you spend writing about and thinking about spiritual concepts, practices, and the like the more comfortable and aware you will become of the energy used around you.
Once you have answered the questions you have asked yourself give yourself a day or two before reading them. This will give your mind and your soul a little rest. You have been asking and looking deep at big questions. A day or two to wait before reading your reflections and thoughts is not a bad thing. You have given yourself a lot of information from deep down and processing it will take time,
So where do you go from here? The next thing you need to do is look at each question group specifically. Start with the deity question. If you found answers along the lines of multiple deities than you have an idea that looking at pantheons may be a good place to start. From here you can then think about any cultures you feel drawn to and start with those myths and god concepts. Then you look at the spirit question. If you already have a pantheon look within other myths and fairy tales or folklore to learn about the spirits in that culture. If you don’t have a pantheon or god concept to start with then looking into shamanic practices is a starting point. I think you see where I am going with this.
The idea is that by answering the questions you can find cultures and spiritual paths that deal specifically with those beliefs and concepts. You may find several different paths that hold similar beliefs. At this point you will be able to read and look at them all. Now is the time to write down as you read what you agree with in a path and what you don’t agree with. You’ll already have an idea of your own beliefs. So finding where you fit in is easier.
The journal you started with answering these questions is going to serve as your spiritual development journal. This is where you will continue to write down questions you have. You will write down what you agree with in certain paths, what you don’t agree with and the things you are not sure about.
As you continue you will find more questions and more answers. You may find that when you review your original answers you have questions there to explore. You may have found the answers to those questions. If you do write a page about that question, when you asked it, and when or where you found the answer in your journal. There will probably be some repetitive entries, but that’s ok. It is your journey and it is going to be unique to you and you alone.
The last few blog entries have been focusing on why pagans and witches are very individual people and why personal truth is so important. Today is a bit of a continuation on that theme. Today it’s about why witches and pagans are always seemingly reading a new book or looking for new materials to study,
There is always something new to explore or even something old to reexamine. With in the realms of spiritual practices and spiritual development there is always something new to learn about. There are so many different cultures out there that one can always look to new cultures for further inspiration as to where they would like to go or different types of practices.
I’m going to provide a few cultural examples that you can look at to see what I mean when it comes to looking for new things to study and explore to advance your spiritual practices and development. These are examples of things that I have looked at and thought about for my own personal studies. Though these will only serve as examples. From here I will go back and talk about what exactly this means for you as a seeker and a practitioner.
The first example I am going to cover is that of Germanic Paganism and witchcraft. These are two spiritual and religious paths that are a part of my personal practice that also inspire and help form the products that this business sells. This is also a popular culture to explore spiritually right now with more people having interest in Germanic mythology with new pop culture references.
In Germanic paganism there is a lot of lore that can be explored. Most people start off with the Eddas and Sagas. With in the Eddas and Sagas there are many tales of magical practices and spiritual works. This is where most of the concepts of Modern Germanic worship come from such as the Blot and the Sumbel. The Eddas and Sagas while having an extensive study in themselves, is not the only source of the lore out there.
Many people are familiar with the Grimm’s brothers fairy tales. These fairy tales actually come from the Germanic forests, These fairy tales provide another source of wealth for practicing Germanic Paganism and witchcraft. The tales describe many different spirits and even some of the traditional practices of the Dwarves, Witches, Elves, and other spirits found within Germanic cultures. These tales provide even further keys into the folk knowledge that create the base of witchcraft and other magical practices.
Aside from the fairytale and the Eddas there are other sources of practical information. The Rune poems give inspiration for the practice of rune magic which has been mentioned in the Eddas and the Sagas. By reading the Rune poems a Germanic Pagan begins to study another wealth of information regarding the spiritual practices of the ancient Germanic Pagans.
Even within the Umbrella of Germanic Paganism and practices one could go into even more specific studies. For example one could focus their attention on the continental practices in old Germany and Norway for example. Focusing even further on some of those specific tribes. One person could even focus on the Anglo-Saxon practices (England mostly here for those looking for a region). One could go so far as to say that even the Icelandic practices and tribal setting would have been different.
While each of these tribes had a base shared language and some base cultural similarities, the names for the Gods and even some of the specific practices were different. Though they were similar and related enough that the cultures and tribes were able to trade and intermarry and work successfully together in war and in peace.
Those are just a few examples from the Germanic cultures. There is so much to explore and study within one area of the vast umbrella of Paganism and Pagan spirituality that one will always find something new to learn and study. Even if a person decides to stick to a specific set of cultural practices and identities ( Germanic paths for example) there will always be something to learn.
Here is a set of examples from a different Pagan culture completely. Hellenic Paganism or Greek style Paganism has many different facets. This cultural style of study and practice can be even more difficult and extensive as it is so diverse. You have on one hand the cults for each city state as well as cults of areas.
Greece because of the way it was organized for many years did not have really a cohesive religion for the culture. They had in general a pantheon that they all shared with some common festivals, but each area was highly specific. There were areas where people focused their entire worship on One of the Gods and you had those whose temples were only really visited once a year (The Elysian mysteries for example).
Hellenic pagans from what I have found typically follow one or two specific Gods that are their Patron Gods. While extensive research into the practices of worship in the culture is important in order to form bonds closer to their chosen deities they will most likely focus their attention on studying the cult centers and cult worship of those Gods.
The above examples were specific to Paganism in general as a study. Now I am going to try and give some examples of magical practices from the view of a witch who is always studying and learning. This blog does focus on all of these topics so covering both of these topics in this entry is reasonable.
Within magic and witchcraft there are many different ways to practice and types of practices that one can study. To be honest there are so many options that a newbie often seeking to start practicing witchcraft can feel overwhelmed. Which is why many find that mastering spellcraft can be near impossible and they wonder if they are doing it right.
In magic you have herbalism, crystal and gem magic, Galdar, Seidr, Trance work, summoning, healing work, poppet magic, astral projection, weather work, ect. Often times a person may have so many interests that they can’t figure out where to start and will find that practices can overlap.
I’ll take Herbalism for example. In Herbalism a witch and magician studies the herbs that they work with. They can use them in powders and in potions as well as in oils, lotions, tinctures, soaps, and other types of charms. There is also the healing work with herbalism. Though while one studies making an oil for example they may learn or hear about spell oils from Hoodoo and then start to explore that for further herbal use and practices.
The examples above are one cultures examples of how deep and diverse the study of a cultures religious heritage can be. The above examples also illustrate just one example of why it is impossible to master the spiritual crafts. There will always be something new to learn and explore.
This is also why some witches, Pagans, and spiritual people tend to have rather extensive libraries. Books are used as references in work and in studies and are often to valuable to just borrow from a library when it is needed.
It is important to know your craft as a witch, pagan, or spiritual practitioner. One does not simply know their craft through books and study. One must practice and explore their craft in order to really know their craft.
It is often said that Witches dont believe. That they know. This is because they have experienced magic and spells. They have done the rituals and done the book study. Putting them together one gains knowledge and wisdom.
So how does one get to know their craft and path? One must gain experiences. By trying new techniques that are read about in books one gains new experiences. By performing exercises over and over one can gain deeper understanding of the topics they are exploring. This gains knowledge.
There is an academic study involved in the development of knowledge. This involves history and cultural studies. It involved studying mythology and folklore. It then involves studying practical modern books as well. From here we gain exercises and techniques to try.
The important thing is that one must actively practice their craft in order to really know the craft they practice. The practices give us experiences. These experiences are what give us the potential to access and experience the various types of mysteries mentioned in a earlier post.
Witches experience their craft. Pagans experience their deities in ritual and in trance. Shamans experience the spirits that they work with and fight. Magicians know the magical forces they work with. Here you could say that experience turns belief into knowledge and inner truths. In the end this is what it means to really know the truth and the crafts that we practice.
Some witches will choose to practice certain crafts more than others. Every witch must find their own practice and style of working their craft. There are never two witches who will practice the same thing. We must develop our own practices based on our own experiences and tastes.
Knowing our craft comes through study, exploration, testing, failures, and much more. This takes time and effort but it is worth it. Find what areas and styles of witchcraft really catch your fancy and drive you “wild”. Ignite your passions and find your craft. Create it and craft it. Learn it and study it make it yours and claim the knowledge for yourself.
~Loona Wynd~)0(
Religious witchcraft falls under the category of mystery religions. In mystery religions the focus is not on worshiping the Gods through action and words but on having direct experiences with the Gods and the spirits. Mystery religions are all about bringing forth the Gods from within you and becoming one with them.
Mystery religions are not religions of the book. In a mystery religion it is not so much important on how the religion is practiced. This is actually a type of religion which is based on experience. The lore and the rites of the religions are there to guide and direct you towards your interactions with the Gods and spirits and may even provide some context for the meetings.
The nature of these religions means that it is impossible for each witch or participant to ever have the exact same experience. Even covens of traditional Wiccan practices like Gardnerian or Alexandriean while there is a core set of contexts and practices which provide a foundation for some what shared experiences, in the end each of the members of the covens have their own relationships and their own unique experiences.
Mystery religions can not be learned from a book. With this statement one may be wondering why there are so many books out there on the market on witchcraft and pagan practices. The answer is simple. The books provide key concepts and guidelines which can lead the seeker to having their own experiences. With the books and the concepts within the books a witch is able to begin their understanding and practices for developing their own spiritual path.
This is ultimately the reason why two witches will never practice the same path even within the same tradition or base practice. Each with must find their own way. No one path is better than the other paths out there. It is simply not the path for you. Even if a path is not perfect for you there may be something in that path that will inspire you or have something to teach you.
Be open and let the spirits teach you. Find your own wisdom and personal path. Let your heart guide you and your path can do no wrong. Go out there and experience life and what the spirits has to offer. Play and go wild. Don’t let other people tell you what to do. This is your path and your journey. Find your own truths and find your spirituality.
~Loona Wynd~)0(
Oct 25
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Often times today a seeker of witchcraft is surrounded by books and websites which state that a real witch will do no harm. They are told that no real witch ever performs a hex or a curse and that these witches are actually black magicians and not worth the time of day. On top of […]
One thing that many starting Pagans, witches, and magicians seek to do is find a way to integrates their spells and rituals into their daily life and really make it a part of who they are. When I started out in my studies and practice of witchcraft this was one thing that I too struggled with.
Here is a simple spell and ritual that you can use every morning to refresh yourself and prepare for a new day.
Materials:
SoapWater
Shampoo & Conditioner
When you get into the shower turn the water on to as hot as you can stand.
Get in the shower and let the water rinse you off. A the water rinses your body before you soap state:
“Water water wash away
Water water cleanse today”.
Take your shampoo and soap and wash your body once. Repeat the chant over and over again. As you watch the soap go down the drain visulize all emotional baggage that causes you pain washing down the drain as well.
Soap yourself up and repeat the chant and ritual once more. This time see any and all blocks in your way going down the drain.
You may shorten the chant to “wash a way cleanse today” as you get into the washing.
Use this each more to prepare for each day,
Enjoy!
Loona Wynd
Magic is a powerful force. This is the force that allows witches and other magical traditions and practices to be able to cause the great changes they do in the world. This is a force that is neutral in nature. This is a force that is used to both create and to destroy. It is the same force used to heal and to bless that is used to harm and to curse.
By itself magic has little to no direction. Magic as a force will simply work to cause changes in the lives of the world. That is what magic is. Magic is the subtle forces that effect changes. These are the forces caused by thoughts and actions as well as emotions. The energy which makes up magic is the very energy of life which is why thoughts and emotions are key to the way magic works and acts.
There are many different names for people who practice magical arts. Witches are one. Shamans practice a form of magic as do many other tribal Wisemen and women. One thing that unites magic practitioners is some form of mental discipline and training. This training is what allows them to connect to the creative forces of the universe however they envision them.
It was mentioned above that thoughts and emotions are key to manifesting and making magic work. It was also mentioned that those who practice magic are often trained with some form of mental discipline. These two statements illustrate the reason why magic is both creative and destructive. Human thoughts and emotions are creative and destructive, This is also why with out direction and manipulation magic is simply a neutral force that creates changes in life.
When a person works a spell it is the intent behind the spell that gives form and direction to magic. Intent is made up of thought and emotions. The actions performed during spells and magical ritual are items used to focus and intensify concentration on desires- the intent of the spell. The desire or intent has an emotional basis. The stronger the emotion the more powerful the spell or ritual action will be,
The energy raised in the spell has direction. It has purpose. In order to allow the spell to work the magic will destroy some options and possibilities and create another. This is why magic as a tool and as a practice is always creating and destroying. It is a force that causes changes. This is the force of the cosmos.
For something to be created something else must be destroyed. This is a truth of nature. This is a truth of the cosmos. New planets and stars are created out of the debris of older planets and stars. This is also the true meaning of what they mean when they say that matter can never be created or destroyed-merely changes form.
Magic is part of the universe. It is the force which allows things to be created. It is creation and destruction. It is that which allows the universe to continue in expansion.
Today’s blog is on an important topic. This topic is one of belief. The first thing that people often ask about religions and religious practices are what some of the basic beliefs and components of those religions are. Each religion has different beliefs and practices. Even within the same religion like Christianity some of the beliefs of the practitioners vary deeply. Belief is in the end the basis of how we develop and experience our religion and spiritual practices.
Often seekers ask the question of “what do people of (insert religion here) believe. This is an important question. This question means that a person is actively seeking a path and practice which relates to their beliefs. Often times these seekers are leave their previous paths after realizing that there is something missing from their original path. In some cases the seeker doesn’t know exactly what they believe or are looking for.
The first exercise I recommend any person do when they are looking at their religious practices and searching for something is their own personal beliefs. It is only by knowing what you believe about the world and the universe that a person can begin to develop their own practices and find real spiritual fulfillment.
The following questions are important questions to ask yourself when you are trying to figure out exactly what you believe.
1: Do I believe in the existence of Gods and or spirits?
2: If I believe in Gods and spirits how do I define a God and how do I define a spirit?
3: Do I believe in the soul or any sort of afterlife?
4: Am I looking for a religion with strict rituals and deity worship or am I looking for more of a personal path for enlightenment and spiritual development?
5: Am I looking for magic or am I looking for something else?
By answering these questions you can then be able to use them to find religions and paths that are suitable to you and your personal view of the world.
I hope this helps you all.
As long as I have been searching for answers in my spirituality and religious practuces I have at least once a a year h as to asses my beliefs and what my practices are. The next 4 questions I answer were asked by Orion Foxwood in his book :The Faery Teachings. These questions are designed to make a seeker try to figure out what they personally understand about the universe before they become a member of any one tradition or practice. In this way a seeker figures out what they believe and understand for themselves.
The next few questions come from both the questions asked in the book and from the episode in Babyblon 5 where Dalen is asked by “Jack the Ripper “Who are you” and all she can come back with is family lineage, social status, political status, and jobs as descrpitions. She had no other answer. The trick of these questions is that it is easy to answer in labels, but its harder to define who you are at the core. In assessing yourself and your own beliefs you have to come to understand who you are and what you as an individual believes and understands reality to be.
I have personally found these four questions to be an excellent first step in find out where you belong as a person. It’s why I have taken the time to answer them here so that my followers can understand my development as well as I can come to understand myself and my views better as I work on forming this tradition and my own cohesive practice to teach my family, friends, children, and other seekers.
I am myself and no one else. I am the sum of my experiences. I am both who I was born and my experiences while a part of my biological family, the child of my first foster family and those experiences, the daughter of my two adoptive parents, and my fiance’s wife. Each of those people are me and I am all of them. I have a different role and relationship in each family and yet they are me.
Those experiences have added to who I am,
I am also the sum of all my social, spiritual, and emotional experiences up to this point.
In some ways this makes me a Christian, a Witch, a Christian Heretic, Satanist, and Witch again all at the same time. I embrace all of those titles because of them has added to my knowledge and wisdom of the universe. I am a Christian in that I accept the words and teaching of Christ as an excellent guide to life.
I also believe he was a wise and enlightened man who was the son of a God and thus a demi God until his ascension. This is why I still honor his birthday and his sacrifice. I see them as what they really were-lessons for enlightenment and the true path as outlined by his father.
I am also an event on a specific event in the world wide web of fate which includes all my previous experiences and lives. I am ultimately both just what you see in this life and the sum of any and all previous lives. Here and now I am a daughter, sister, friend, lover & wife all at the same time. I am also a witch, a teacher, a student, and a philosopher. I am many-things at once, but none of those individual things make up the totality of who I am.
I am a single event in the universe.
As a witch I only have the power to effect my own strand of fate in the universe. While having an effect on this single strand has an effect on all the strands of fate that make up reality, I can only really work changes on myself and my personal reality which is not the same any any one else reality. My reality is how I have been effected by any and all the events within my strand of fate (mostly within this current event on the strand) going back to when it was first woven into the web of life which is reality in it’s truest sense.
Out of all the questions that are asked this is often the most difficult question for me to answer. The simplest response that I can give in all my titles and experiences is that “IT” is ultimately a mystery. The true divine force behind the universe as far as I have been able to see and experience is really undefinable. There has only been one source which really explained what “It” or the ultimate force behind creation is. That book is The Kyballion.
It has been through reading that book which I have really started to get an understanding as to how the universe works and why there are so many different paths out there which can lead a person to “truth”. That book to me also explained why magic can work and why it might not work at times.
In simplest terms I believe the creative force of the universe to be essentially a mind of some sort which exists in a form we can not completely understand. This force is best explained as a giant living mind in which we are creations of that mind. The Kyballion identifies this force and mind as “spirit” which is essentially the unidentifiable aspect of what makes something alive different from something which is dead.
I see this mental force to be the initial force of thought which drove the universe into creation. I see this force inaction in various creation myths where some thought of some sort starts the first action which in the end creates either just Earth or the universe. I strongly believe that thought is power and that the way we perceive the universe and situations holds the key to accessing the mysteries available to us in this life time.
The concept of a “Great moving spirit” is not uncommon in various Native American traditions.
Now I do believe in many and all deities. The answer to both of those questions is yes. However that is something which I’ll get into in my next entry about beliefs.
This is a difficult question to answer.
The first answer that comes to mind is that I was brought into this world to serve the Gods I worship in some way shape or form. This is typically what I like to think and have based my life on. Under this view I believe I have a specific type or work or skill set I am supposed to use in service to my Gods.
The second answer I have is based on Wyrd which is:
I believe that the events that have occurred thus far on my chain of fate are there because of something from the past. I believe that what ever happens to any one in any life has a basis on any and all events which occurred in a previous event on your thread under another ego/body. There for I am here because of my fate and Wyrd
The third answer I have is: that I am simply here because I am.
In many ways the three answers are related. Today I still feel I am here to serve my Gods. For the longest time I thought that meant as a psychological healer (therapist of some sort) but I have come to realize that it’s not the path for me in this lifetime. While I am still meant to serve my Gods, it is not as a healer in that regards. Its more as a guide and teacher for others.
I am a natural healer, so I will not abandon that practice. I’ll just guide others and find other ways to heal people with their mental/emotional/spiritual issues.
I am here to serve and I will find my way.
I have many theories, philosophies, and beliefs as to what happens when we die. This belief system regarding the afterlife and how humans are both mortal and immortal at the same time actually includes several different belief systems. One thing I have accepted as I have become a witch is that as a witch I can not get out of exploring some of these mysteries while alive.
In some ways that is related directly to the etymology in different cultures regarding the terms and practices.lore surrounding witches, It is actually an aspect of being a witch that I have come to be honored to accept and proud to explore and discuss in my own path.
To put it simply I believe that all afterlives exist. I also think that if you believe strongly enough that there is nothing aside from this life then when you die your done. If you entertain in the slightest that there could be something else than something may happen to you. What ever religion or spiritual path you took the most advice in is what will happen to you.
I will discuss this more in my post about death. For now I believe in multiple types and realms in the afterlife. I also believe in reincarnation and that part of who I am now once I am dead will remain in the underworld while another part of me will be reborn.
Mystic Echoes 