Current Reads

Hey guys! I apologize for not blogging at all/rarely last month, but I have had a lot of things going on with me. I am aware that I have been having panic attacks, and it is suspected to be stemming from an anxiety disorder, so please send a little healing energy my way.

Today, I wanted to share my love of books. This is pretty different from what I usually do, but I have found this excellent book that I have picked up. I'm about halfway done with it, and I got it about 3 days ago. It's a fairly light read, and it's packed with information on Wicca. It is titled Exploring Wicca by Lady Sabrina. It is the updated edition, and I absolutely adore this book.

This book is beyond perfect for a person who has just started classified themselves as Wiccan. It goes over all of the basic things that one would be expected to know after the first and second years of being in this religion. It goes over a history of Wicca, the different traditions of Wicca (some of which I had never heard of until now), and many, many concepts.

It explains the different types of gods such as Sun Gods, The Horned Gods, and The Harvest Gods. It gives a brief history of them and some examples from the Norse, Greek, Roman, and Celtic pantheon. It does the same with the Goddesses (Moon Goddesses, The Triple Goddess), and it actually helped me find which God and Goddess I can consider my patron deities. (In case you do not follow me on Twitter, I have recently changed from the 

This book also has a detailed description of the elements, and what they represent. This book, in a way, help me find that my element is actually air. I believed it was fire or water, but given the meaning in the book, I can clearly see that I am of the element air (natural leader, and the intelligence behind the event). They list herbs, the archangels, the stones, the colors, and so much more representing these elements. They also explain how certain herbs can promote certain actions, and I thought that was really neat.

I flipped through the book, and this tells you about alter setups, the history and meaning behind the Sabbats, how to go about casting a circle and magickal spells, and it even has a glossary. You can look up specific terms, and that may be helpful for starters in Wicca.

I give this book a 5 star rating. The only that caught my attention and bugged me is that I saw a couple of love spells in the book. As much as love spells are popular, I have no problem with them... IF THEY DO NOT TARGET A SINGLE PERSON. I don't believe in manipulating one's free will, but... I'll be perfectly honest, I have done a spell having to do with love. It was not aimed at a specific person, but it was more-so a "let me find love, and let me experience it with whoever the universe feels like pairing me up with" spell. The book does have a spell that does say [insert name here] in one love spell, and I didn't care for that. (Once again, I was just scanning ahead and found that.) 

Other than that, the book does contain spells that I can actually conduct with what I have on my hidden alter: a pink candle, a green candle, incense....

I can't say it enough, I love this book. I want you guys to check it out and tell me what you guys think of it. I also have to wait for the library to get the other books I have on reserve. One is a Scott Cunningham book, and another one is a huuuge book on Wicca and Witchcraft. I'll let you guys know about those ones too and what I thought of them.

Brightest blessings and much love,
Dawn )O(

Wicca 101: Appreciating Nature

Hello, again! I haven't blogged in forever, or at least, that's what it feels like.  Today, I want others to take a breather and think about what you've been doing with nature, and how exactly you treat it.  

Pause for a second.  When you are a Pagan, especially Wiccan, you notice that you don't go to a certain building for a worship session.  Nature is your temple.  You go out there and you admire its beauty. To be perfectly honest, that is why I go to camp, regardless of its religious teachings.  There are so many subtle ways to go into nature and bond with it.  I believe that's why I connect with the element earth a lot.

First of all, when you search for a wood to make a wand, don't you ever snatch a branch off on the tree.  Look and see if there is a detached branch. Trust me... I learned the hard way. Another thing you can do is that if the tree shades you from the sun, give it an offering, like water.  I remember doing it to this magnificent pine tree and I felt as though the tree actually said thanks. 

Meditation in the afternoon is calming, and you can focus on the beauty of nature.  You don't do it by using your vision, but by touch and listening. It is amazing.  I've done it for 5 days, 15 minutes each day.  You don't even have to close your eyes.  Just sit and write or draw.  It's amazing.  

You don't have to be in the sunshine in order to appreciate nature.  Sometimes, I like to sit out in the rain, or just watch it.

Either way, these things and more can be taken into consideration. 

Just a little thought and lesson for you. 

Dawn )O(

Huge Steps

Hello, again, guys! I'm Dawn, and today, I'd like to share with you what actually happened yesterday.  I talked about it briefly on Twitter, and seeing as there's only about 140 characters, I couldn't explain on what I was saying and what had fully happened, so I'd thought I blog about it.

Yesterday, I had met not only another Pagan, but I had met a Wiccan.  It started when we were talking about religion, and he claimed he was a witch.  He prefers the title to be called "Mage," so I asked him if he meant real life or Skyrim (because that was quite a bizzare statement).  He said both.  

At this point, I was really interested in the conversation.  He told me about a couple of spells that he had cast...  He had cast a couple for revenge, which I'm mostly against.  I wouldn't cast one in order to put a family member in the hospital, which is what he did to his sister, but if it was to teach another person humility, then MAYBE.  (Let's just say the other involved extensions falling out. Yes, I laughed my butt off.)  So, he's more into... a darker side of Wicca, you could say.  

He explained to a friend that was sitting with us that Wicca is all about manipulating energies and that is how spells work.  He actually volunteered to help her learn more about Wicca and its beliefs.  He also stated he works with candle magick, and I was happy that I wasn't the only one.  After he said this, I stated that I knew a lot about Wicca and asked him how long he's been a Wiccan.  He is on his 7th month, 5 months after I became a Pagan.

The conversation had died out, and he left to check out a devotional book from the library.  I then took a deep breath and said I researched Wicca for a year, and that I am Wiccan.  She is quite accepting, and now she has 2 friends that are Wiccan.  She has yet to get used to the fact that I don't believe in the Christian God and that I believe in Apollo and Hecate and other deities of this nature.  As a matter of fact, she loves religion and is kind of wondering if she wants to minor in Theology like I might do.

So, that's yesterday in a nutshell. I am so glad I was able to find another Wiccan, and I am starting to get out of the broom closet. 

To all of you who are still in the broom closet, I suggest that you tell your best friend about being a Pagan first. They are usually the ones to understand you a lot more.

Much love and blessings,
Dawn )O(

I Am Offended...!

Hello again, guys! It's me, Dawn, and I want to tell you guys about something that is making me angry at church. (Yes, in case you didn't notice, I am still in the broom closet, but I'm becoming more bold and may tell others about my actual religion.)

So, the minister is doing a series about the main questions people don't have answered, and that is why they aren't Christians (to his logic, that is).  I thought it was a brilliant idea at first, but he is doing things that are very controversial to not only the church, but Pagans as well.  

I have never heard the word "Pagan" so much when a minister is preaching.  It seems as though he brings it up every single Sunday, and so many people are confused as to why.  Are you trying to tell the church that Pagans are bad, or are you trying to drive them away from the Christian God to...  I don't know, Gaia and Zeus?  If you drill the word in their head, they're going to get a little curious.  After all, that's what happened to me. Oh, and here's the best part.

 According to him, there are Roman Pagan documents that state that Jesus was alive. Does it, like, matter where the documents are from?  I mean, they're from Rome, alright.  But did you have to include the word Pagan? 

This minister also downsized the Pantheon that I associate with, the Greek Pantheon.  It stung when he looked at me when he said the insult, about how it is "mythology" and "false deities."  Let me put it this way: I am a Wiccan and a Pagan inside of a church.  I respect the Bible.  As a matter of fact, I'm going to highlight some teachings that I can apply to my Pagan life from there.  I don't downsize the Christian God.  To be perfectly honest, church saved my life.  In order to preach your opinion to a bunch of people that aren't a Christian and not knowing what background they're from, you must have a certain compassion.  You can't just talk lowly of the Greek Pantheon.  What if there was a Pagan wanting to convert to Christianity and you offended them because they used to work with the Greek Pantheon?

He also insulted some of my views on Jesus.  I know that he was a Rabbi (for those that don't know what a Rabbi is, it is a religious leader for Judaism) and spoke wise things, and I like his teachings, but I am a Wiccan.  I'm not denying that he isn't the son of the Christian God, but... I'm not worshiping him, at least for this moment in time. But the minister says that if I believe that, I'm denying him and his existence. 

Let me just throw a little something out there... If you worship a person, that can be considered Paganism, correct?  So why does the minister focus more on Jesus?  If he says that Jesus is God, he's denying Paganism in a way. It's the exact same thing that's frustrating me.

I have respect for the Christian religion because it is where I stemmed from regarding my spirituality, but this minister is getting on my nerves. Here's some points that a Pagan can pick out and argue on.  Excuse me if I was venting way too much, but I can't tell the minister about how offended I am.  Otherwise, everyone will start talking and... I get shunned from all of my friends and family. Hopefully you guys understand that.

Thanks for dealing with this.

May positive energies flow your way,
Dawn )O(

My Story

Within 24 hours, I come at you with a 3rd blog entry. I have been blogging a whole lot lately, so please bear with me.  

Anyways, I was thinking about where my path had stemmed from and when it actually started. I guess you could say that I didn't really notice it until my freshman year in high school (I'm a senior in high school now, so...) . 

It all started when I was 7. I was entertained with the idea of magick. Something about it had drawn me in. I read books that had had magick within them, and I used to create my own world with elements and faeries. I was completely lost in it as a child would be.

When I was in 8th grade, I started to see a huge change. I was into things like intuition, the laws of karma, and all of those types of things. I absolutely believed in self-control and if something needed to be said, I wasn't one to hold back. It seemed as though when I got mad, something was controlling me to say mature things. I thanked it each and every time. I believe it was the God and Goddess controlling me, and I didn't know it yet.

By my freshman year in high school, I had a unique friend. She wasn't exactly into church, and she introduced me to types of divination. She read my numerology (which was a 2) and said that I was bound to be a leader and do great things. I laughed at her when she said that, but now I'm starting to see what she means...

She also used a Ouija Board while I was on the phone with her. You could hear and feel the spirit she was talking to. I never really believed in such things until then. She also read my palms and taught me a little about palmistry. She had tarot cards, too, but her mother had threw them away, claiming that they "belonged to and served the devil." 

Also in my freshman year, we had this huge research project due about a Greek God or Goddess of our choosing. As much as I wanted to choose Apollo, the God of music and light, many people had chose him. Instead, I chose Artemis, Goddess of the hunt. I found that she was independent and the twin of Apollo. I had so much respect for mythology after this, and I literally obsessed over this project. I lived, breathed, and ate the project until I had to present. I had to edit my 10 minute speech because I had acquired so much information about Artemis. 

In my sophomore year, I found myself going back to church, but as soon as I did that, I began looking up spells and became a Christo-Witch. That contradicted everything in my opinion. I just couldn't make up my mind.... Until my junior year.

I actually met a pagan through a music program that unites our school district. He was goth and Pagan, so I thought he was quite unapproachable. I was wrong. He was one of the most awesome people I've met in my life. I found that surprising, not because I had heard that goths were so distant and cold, but how a Pagan, something that I was taught was wrong, was amazing and confident in what he believed in. He also developed a small crush on me, and I was pretty much liking him, too. I thought that if I got some more religious tolerance under my belt, I could actually date him and make this work. Unfortunately, we didn't end up dating, but, about a week later, Wicca became my obsession. 

I researched it night and day, tried a new moon ritual, tried keeping a Book of Shadows, and researching Gods and Goddesses to work with. In about 2 weeks, I had known most of the basics, and did a dedication ritual to the God and Goddess. It was about a week or 2 after Imbolic. I took notes, tried to memorize things, and now I have the days of the week correspondences memorized. I also have some colors that I mostly use memorized. 

I fully couldn't grasp the idea of a Goddess until I reasoned with it in a Christian way. "Ok, so God... The Christian God, has a masculine and feminine side. The feminine side would be the Goddess, right?"

Long story short, it's been about a year since I actually got into Wicca. In my opinion, it was only a matter of time before I got into a great religion. And now, I'm starting to learn from a mentor so that I can continue on my path, form my own coven, and become an effective leader.

Well, that's my story, but it's still not written to its fullest.

Wishing you many blessings,
Dawn )O(

Wicca 101: Rituals and Circles

Hello, this is Dawn, and this is my 2nd post of the night. In this entry, I promised that I'd explain what it means to cast a circle, why should you cast a circle, and most importantly, how to cast a circle.

Since tonight is an esbat, or full moon, this means that Wiccans will hold a ritual. Most Wiccans will cast a circle, conduct their rituals inside of this circle, then close it. This is so all negative energies are kept out and pure energies are kept in.

Before we get to casting a circle, let me state things that prefer to do before conducting a ritual. Sometimes, I like to clean the place that I am going to have the ritual. Seeing as I've been a little more bold, I clean the table in the living room. Depending on my mood, I may also clean my body. To me, it symbolizes that the Maiden (new moon) is reborn or that whatever is living will have to deteriorate and start anew (Full moon).  Then, I cast my circle. Here's where you, once again, do what you feel is correct.

I label what is in front of me north, what's on my right east, what's on my left west, and what's behind me south. I call the elements. North can be whatever your heart desires, but I label that Earth. Water is west. East is air. And South is fire.  With what I have in my possession, I am able to have representations of everything: a cup of water, a candle that will be lit when I call fire, a pine cone for earth, and incense for air. I then light the incense.  Once again, do whatever feels right.

Calling the elements can be as simple as, "air, I welcome you into my circle," or it can rhyme and all of that jazz. Normally, I would say, "Air, may you guide me in the right direction. I welcome you into my circle." Move onto the next element. I go counterclockwise. 

"Earth, I ask you to ground me..."
"Water, allow me to relax in your body..."
"Fire, warm me in your flame..."

Great. You have called all of the elements. Now, it is time to welcome the deities. So, call them and politely welcome them to your circle. Don't demand them. Welcome them. Then you do your spiritual work.

Cake and ale is not actual cake and ginger ale. It's a sweet treat that you take one bite of and take one sip of in honor of the God and Goddess. I usually grab tea and something to bite, then uncast the circle. Uncasting the circle is like casting the circle in reverse and bidding the deities and elements farewell (going from the one you recently called to the first one called). You politely say that they can leave the circle. Remember, you are in sight of the God and Goddess, and you should completely act like it.

After closing the circle, and if there's tea and what-have-you left over, then you can finish your cake and ale after the circle is gone. At least that's what I do...

I hope that this helped you guys who are new and wanting to cast your circles and have rituals. These are the basic esbat rituals...

Much love, 
Dawn )O(

Wicca 101: The Deities

Hey, guys! Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. My grandfather had transitioned on into another realm, and planning a funeral with my family and all has been hard work!

So, today, I will briefly talk about the deities, also known as the God and Goddess.  Yes, a duotheistic perspective. Actually...

This would depend on the Wiccan/Pagan. Some believe in 1 God or 1 Goddess. Most believe in one of each. Some, like I, am polytheistic and worship many. You don't have to use Greek or Roman Mythology. Many use other cultural Deities, like Indian, Asian, Norse, etc.

Some, like I, worship different aspects of the God and Goddess. I work with Hestia, Apollo, Hecate, and Artemis the most. I can connect to them.  If you can connect to them, then they might be a good fit for a deity.  For example, I absolutely love to express myself, and Apollo is the God of Music, Lyrics, and Writing in general. It is easy for me to worship him, and that is why I connect with him so well.

Honestly, if you were to search this path on finding a deity, you would need to search yourself. It may not happen overnight. My first Goddess was Aphrodite, and I couldn't seem to bond with Her. Here I am, about... 3 months later, and find that a mix of Goddesses suit me.

Again, everyone is different, and everything will fall in its place when it is intended to.

So, yeah, that's the brief synopsis of the deities in the religion of Wicca.

Blessed be! )O(
-Dawn