The Magickal Cottage

Our coven celebrated the coming of Spring over the course of a few days amidst the chill of a still young season and the rain of California storms. On Sunday, March 18th, we gathered at dawn at the Covenstead, cast a sacred circle, and expressed our hopes for the dawning of the growing season. For some of us there were new projects, for others future travel adventures and we asked the Lord and Lady for their blessings for what lay ahead.

A lovely willow egg-shaped portal had been constructed, and we decorated it with flowers from the garden.

The entrance to the egg-shaped portal faced towards the east, and beyond the portal lay a basket of plastic eggs. Each egg contained a word to focus on for the year ahead, and a seed. Each of us chose one egg at random after stepping through the portal of rebirth and meditated for a moment on the message inside our special egg. The message later would be planted along with the seed to represent the spiritual growth of our new growing season. My message was “wondrousness”- so inspiring to get me to slow down and see the wonder in each day!

We sent requests for healing and success to the divine, and as we raised the energy to be released, the sun peeked over the horizon- truly wondrous, indeed in its timing!

The next day we set off to go camping at Sycamore Canyon, close to the ocean.

The ocean is always so inspiring to me in the many ways it shows its face to us! Sometimes its pearly sheen glows in the light, and the different shades of blue and green it takes on are astounding in their variety.

On the actual morning of the equinox we gathered on the beach with bundles of blooms.

We addressed the quarters and spoke some words to the morning sky, and then offered the flowers to Mother Ocean, asking divine blessings of protection and healing for the planet.

We enjoyed the day in the canyon and were glad we had some clear weather before the approaching storms forced us to leave.

We left knowing that the much needed rain was coming to quench the parched earth, and we felt truly blessed by our time spent in nature’s realm.

May the moist and verdant blessings of Ostara rain on your lives, as this new season of growth begins! How have you been celebrating the equinox? I’d love to hear!

Brightest Blessings,

Lady Sarina 🧚‍♀️

Read Full Post »

Symbols, Signs and Sigils  …Witchen Witchy Wednesday 03-2018

For as long as humans have been on the planet they have had to communicate with one another. Beginning writing was just different symbols. The human brain is hardwired to respond to drawn symbols, and this is the easiest way to communicate. The brain interprets symbols in a different way than the spoken word. It’s very primordial, and directly affects the reptilian part of our brain. We all know what a moon or a sun looks like. For us as witches, those are ancient and powerful and represent our existence here on earth. No wonder we honor them!

There are many common and well-known symbols like the sun, moon and stars, that we are very acquainted with. Nowadays a stop sign is the same symbol in many languages. The brain has become accustomed and “knows” regardless of the language. So, when you craft a symbol to a magical end, you are in essence programming the brain. The act of putting hands to work in making a symbol that means something for you sets the brain on that path.

The symbols are many, and Psychologist Carl G. Jung looks at this in his book “Man and his Symbols”. He talks about archetypes and how we are profoundly affected through imagery, the how’s and whys are not completely clear and in my personal opinion have a great deal to do with the parts of the brain we do not use …or at lease haven’t yet discovered how they are used.

We do know symbols affect change. This is why we use imagery in ritual, and making signs and symbols furthers the affected change one is working towards. We cast a pentacle in the quarters. We know this is a powerful protection symbol. Its’ like putting a psychic lock on the space. We may wear a peace symbol to fulfill that desire inwards as well as out. So much has to do with how you view your sign or symbol. What may mean something to one person may also mean something different to another. This is very clear in the way some Christians view our pentacle, we see a sacred symbol of safety and protection that also includes the 5 elements we honor in ceremony, yet they see the devil. To this end it is very important to create your signs, symbols and sigils with intent. (what is it you really want to derive from the forming of the symbol?)

This intent takes on three levels…

1. First you think of your desire. What do you want? How would it look? Is it a simple picture or a complex set of designs? What would you use to construct it?
2. Next, one sets to making the symbol and as construction is occurring one visualizes in the mind what the goal is. This is paramount for a really strong connection to the symbol.
3. After completion one activates the symbol by charging it in a manner that feels right, all the while focusing on the goal.

The symbol can be used over and over as a talisman or temporarily as in a healing sand painting, made and then washed away, or perhaps written on paper and burned. Some might consider this a fourth level that reaches the ether and feels very effective, yet a symbol that is kept also reaches the ether of the mind, where the grooves of change form.

We can construct these symbols or talismans with all kinds of material. The ancient runes were carved on stone wood and bone as well as the tree alphabet Ogham.  These kinds of traditional methods are inspiring, like sand painting with grains of colored sand. Now with so many craft stores the options for making beautiful and meaningful transformative symbols is endless. One might want to paint a picture of a powerful symbol or make it out of clay. Paper-Mache is fun, and casting hydro-stone is an option for an authentic look. Plain paper and pen is fine, carved wood a favorite, or lines in the sand might work. What you work with will depend on if you are keeping your symbol or releasing it. Then consider your materiel to be biodegradable or earth friendly if sending it to the wilds.

Simple sigils are potent signs we may want to keep on our person, in a wallet, for instance, directed at wealth or health. Those kind obviously would work best on some kind of paper, green construction paper, perhaps, painted with gold-colored paint for drawing wealth. Signs can be etched in metal and worn as jewelry. the only limit to creating talismans is your imagination!

PRACTICE

For a certain kind of sigil known as a magic square we need a brief lesson in numerology. Use the table below with the numbers above columns of letters to assign letters to numbers.

A magic square is one that can be added up to 15 from every angle, up down, right left. Like this:

Now you will write what you need like “property” “Healthy” “protection” and change the letters to numbers like this, property=79675927 it adds up to 52. 5+2 =7. A square is drawn in box 7 the power number for this sigil. Circles at the beginning and end points of the word. Start at 7 with a circle and continue through the numbers for the word “property” this word ends back a 7 so draw another circle there. Now you erase the grid and are left with your sigil for property. Granted, that is vague so an added on card might say “house” or “agricultural” Can you combine the words? A start and stop symbol looks like two  triangles pointed together. This is used for another word or when 2 numbers are side by side

Here is a sigil done for health :

A bind rune is a combination of rune symbols put together. One is warned to be very selective when doing this because the power of the runes is said to be so strong. This is an example of a Wunjo bindrune:

The energies of Wunjo is Joy. Runes are a complete set of inspiring symbols derived from the Norse God, Odin. Other symbols are the Egyptian Cartouche, the Celtic Ogham, The Native American Pictographs, etc.

Our group also experimented with creating sigils by using the letters in our names or other magickal words. Simply write out the names or words and cross out any repeating letters. Take the left over letters and arrange them in a way to form a sigil of your own creation.

Signs and Symbols occurring in nature, such as shadows shaped like something familiar or the way moonlight appears through barren branches are ways of a divine energy letting us know intuitively that something is up. As we grow in knowledge of how we interpret certain glyphs or graphics we will become more in tune and able to know that a sign is something worth taking note. Additionally one might skry in such a way that searches for symbols to appear, in order to get an answer, or gain some clarity in which direction to turn. Caveats here are presuming everything is a “sign”.  Discernment is difficult and up to the individual practitioner. As mentioned before…what might mean something to one, may mean something else to another.

Enjoy this magickal process of creating your sigils and may you be open to receiving signs and symbols to guide you along your path!

Blessings,

Sarina Ravensmoon

Read Full Post »