#besom stand and sword

[bookoformon]

2 Nephi Chapter 24. "The Messenger of Nations."

Israel will be gathered and will enjoy millennial rest—Lucifer was cast out of heaven for rebellion—Israel will triumph over Babylon (the world)—Compare Isaiah 14. About 559–545 B.C.

1 For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land; and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

2 And the people shall take them and bring them to their place; yea, from far unto the ends of the earth; and they shall return to their alands of promise. And the house of Israel shall bpossess them, and the land of the Lord shall be for cservants and handmaids; and they shall take them captives unto whom they were captives; and they shall drule over their oppressors.

3 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall give thee rest, from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve.

4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that thou shalt take up this proverb aagainst the king of bBabylon, and say: How hath the oppressor ceased, the golden city ceased!

5 The Lord hath broken the staff of the awicked, the scepters of the rulers.

6 aHe who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

7 The whole earth is at arest, and is quiet; they break forth into bsinging.

8 Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and also the cedars of Lebanon, saying: Since thou art laid down no feller is come up against us.

9 aHell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the bdead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

10 All they shall speak and say unto thee: Art thou also become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us?

11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave; the noise of thy viols is not heard; the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

12 aHow art thou fallen from heaven, O bLucifer, son of the morning! Art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!

13 For thou hast said in thy heart: aI will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north;

14 aI will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.

15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the apit.

16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and shall consider thee, and shall say: Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms?

17 And made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof, and opened not the house of his prisoners?

18 All the kings of the nations, yea, all of them, lie in glory, every one of them in his own house.

19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and the remnant of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcass trodden under feet.

20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land and slain thy people; the aseed of bevil-doers shall never be renowned.

21 Prepare slaughter for his children for the ainiquities of their fathers, that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

22 For I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of Hosts, and cut off from Babylon the aname, and remnant, and son, and bnephew, saith the Lord.

23 I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water; and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of Hosts.

24 The Lord of Hosts hath sworn, saying: Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand—

25 That I will bring the Assyrian "leveler" in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot; then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.

26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all nations.

27 For the Lord of Hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

28 In the year that king Ahaz "he has grasped" died was this burden.

29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, "Land Of Grief-Stricken Dust-Rollers, Land Of Burrow-Diggers" because the rod of him that smote thee is broken; for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

30 And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant.

31 Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved; for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.

32 What shall then answer the messengers of the nations? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

Exaltation of oneself at the expense of the poor, called "decadence" is a sin. In the prior chapter quoted from Isaiah in the Book of Mormon it says a replacement regime should swoop in when the former one can't make it happen, in this one, it says then must come the eradication of poverty.

God turns the land of grief, dust and famine into places the needy can lie down in safety and slays their oppressors. All who respect God's Authority are expected to do the same and ensure the root causes of such oppression never occur again.

If you are a president or a prime minister or crown, any kind of head of state, there are laws mankind expects you to follow in this regard as well.

It is called the Responsibility to Protect. Heads of State that neglect to respond to the Responsibility to Protect must not be allowed to continue in office as this signals the world that oppression is acceptable and it is not.

[constantly-disheveled]

At long last

[upthewitchypunx]

PBW Witch Shop & Zine Distro

The PBW Witch Shop is a curated selection of witchcraft and magic related zines, books, pin-back buttons, tarot cards and more.

We focus on traditional and folkloric witchcraft, animism, chaos magic, secular witchcraft, magical herbs and plants, queer witchcraft, tarot & Divination, witchcraft & magic in politics, history, culture, and social & racial justice,  and aspects of non-Wiccan forms of witchcraft, magic, and paganism.

Pre-Covid the Portland Button Works primarily made custom pinback button. Selling zines and books was secondary and more of a hobby for me to share things I’d like to read. Right now our business is pivoting to focus on books and zines that people can read in the comfort and safety of their own homes. Some items are from well known witchcraft and occult publisher and some are titles from small publishers with interesting items I don’t see in other shops but I’m excited to elevate.

Not everyone has income to buy books right now, we totally understand that, but I would love it if you were able to reblog this post or share Portland Button Works and PBW Witch Shop with your friends.

If you have been looking for a book about something specific, or if you think something would be a good fit for our catalog, get in touch. We can order almost any book in print, even if it isn’t witchcraft or magic related.

With that being said, here are some categories of items we carry:

Some good books to get you started studying witchcraft:

Grovedaughter Witchery by Bree NicGarran

Making Magic by Briana Saussy

Magical Power for Beginners- How to Raise & Send Energy for Spells That Work by Deborah Lipp

Weave The Liminal by Laura Tempest Zakroff

Some creative books to help build your witch craft practice:

Spellcrafting- Strengthen the Power of your Craft by Creating and Casting Your Own Unique Spells by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

D.I.Y. Magic -a Strange & Whimsical Guide to Creativity by Anthony Alvarado

Psychic Witch- a Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick, & Manifestation by Mat Auryn

Urban Magick by Diana Rajchel

Standing and Not Falling - a Sorcerous Primer in Thirteen Moons by Lee Morgan

Tarot Books

Queering the Tarot by Cassandra Snow

Tarot for Troubled Times by Shaheen Miro & Theresa Reed

Modern Tarot by Michelle Tea

Tarot Decks

Next World Tarot (regular and pocket sized)

Science Tarot

Rider-Waite-Coleman Smith Regular sized and Mini sized

Crow Tarot

Modern Witch Tarot

Cat Tarot

Check out the tarot and divination books in our catalog and also check out tarot and divination decks in our catalog here.

Condensed Chaos by Phil Hine

Advanced Magick for Beginners by Alan Chapman

Chaos Protocols by Gordon White

Hands on Chaos Magic by Andrieh Vitimus 

Liber Null & Psychonaut by Peter Carroll

Other books in the Chaos Magic section

Anthologies: Becoming Dangerous: Witchy Femmes, Queer Conjurers, and Magical Rebels, Bringing Race to the Table: Exploring Racism in the Pagan Community, Shades of Ritual: Minority Voices in Practice

Magical Resistance: Witchcraft Activism by David Salisbury, Magic for the Resistance by Michael Hughes, Revolutionary Witchcraft by Sarah Lyons

Witches and Feminist Perspectives: Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici, Witches, Midwives and Nurses by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English , Witches Sluts Feminists by Kristen J. Sollee

Pagan Anti-Capitalism: Pagan Anarchism True to the Earth: Pagain Political Thology by Kadmus, All That is Sacred is Profaned: A Pagan Guide to Marxism by Ryhd Wildermuth, A Pagan Anti-Capitalist Primer

Queer Witchcraft: Witchcraft and the Gay Counter Culture, Sapphomanteion a Lesbian Oracle, Queering the Tarot

Check out the Witchcraft Culture and History and Witchcraft Politics and Resistance sections of our website.

Green Witchcraft: The Green Witch by Arin Murray-Hiscock, Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck

Plants and Herbs: Under the Witching Tree by Corinne Boyer, Under the Bramble Arch by Corinne Boyer

The Poison Path: Veneficuim: Magic, Witchcraft and the Poison Path by Daniel Schulke, Pharmo/Gnonsis: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path by Dale Pendell , Plants of the Devil by Corinne Boyer

Witchy Crafts: Pestlework: a Book of Magical Powders and Oils by Bree NicGarran, Sew Witchy by Rachel Henderson, Sigil Witchery by Lara Tempest Zakroff

Other books in our Plants, Herbs, and Magical Crafts section

Books on Atheopaganism

Godless Paganism (anthology)

Atheopaganism by Mark Green

Other Pagan Perspectives

Jailbreaking the Goddess: A Radical Revisioning of Feminist Spirituality by Lasara Firefix Allen

The Wakeful World: Anismism, Mind, and the Self in Nature by Emma Restall Orr

Circling the Star by Anthony Rella

All That Is Sacred is Profaned: A Pagan Guide to Marxism by Rhyd Wildermuth

All Other Pagan books

Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways by Gemma Gary

A Deed Without A Name: Unearthing the Legacy of Traditional Witchcraft by Lee Morgan

Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft by Keldon

Backwoods Witchcraft by Jake Richards

Besom Stand and Sword A Guide to Traditional Witchcraft the Six-Fold Path the Hidden Landscape by Christopher Orapello & Tara Love Maguire

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

Folk Witchcraft by

The Flame in the Cauldron by Orion Foxwood

Craft of the Untamed by Roger Horne

Check out the rest of the books in our Traditional & Folkloric Witchcraft Section

What are zines? Small independently made magazine and pamphlets filled with stories and unique ideas that you won’t find from major publishers!

Some topics you will find in zines we carry are Secular Witchcraft, the fantastic Fiddler’s Green Pamphlets and lots of zine on the places where Politics, Paganism, and Witchcraft intersect.

Check out all of our witchy zines here.

Other Stuff

witchy buttons

 magnets and hand mirrors

We carry more than just witchy books.

Here are some of the other titles we carry:

You Were Born For This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance by Chani Nicholas

When Language Runs Dry: An Anthology for People with Chronic Pain and their Allies

What is Gender Nihilism?

Be Gay Do Crime by The Mary Nardini Gang

Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher

You Black Friend by Ben Passmore

Learning Good Consent an Anthology edited by Cindy Crabb

How To Talk To Your Cat about Gun Safety and Abstinence, Drugs, Satanism and Other Dangers that Threaten Their Nine Lives

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Honoring your Ancestors by Mallorie Vaudoise

Do-it-Your Self Guide to Fighting the Big Motherfucking Sad by Adam Gnade

Yes, I’m Flagging: Queer Flagging 101 by Archie Bongiovanni

Full online catalog of books, zines, buttons and more can be found at PortlandButtonWorks.com and the PBW Witch Shop can be found here.

All items are shipped from Portland, Oregon in plain packaging or United States Postal Service Flat Rate envelopes or boxes with the return address as Portland Button Works. We ship daily and most order come with small fun gifts of buttons or magnets.

Thank you so much for supporting your local witch!

[the-college-of-whispers]

Witch Tools for the Skyrim Player

It's no secret that a giant list of tools just isn't feasible for many witches, whether they be in the broom closet, broke, or just not interested in having those tools. So this post will go over some common tools and what you can use instead in Skyrim. Some things are one-to-one comparisons, and others will have you scratching your head in disbelief because of the limitations of the base game.

Please note that this list does not include any mods, because I own the objectively worst version (the PS3 version) and my assessment is based on that.

Alcohol and food can be used as offerings and even tools in their own rights. These translate more-or-less directly into the game.

A chalice is often used to hold liquid offerings and represent the element of water broadly. Luckily, goblets exist in Skyrim, and many of them look very fancy.

Coins aren't needed in much, but if you do, gold pieces are super easy to use since they are coins.

Manifestation boxes aren't broadly used, but if you need to make one, you can use a container of any sort that won't reset and make you lose your items.

The athame is a ritual knife with a double-edged blade and (usually) a black handle. A boline is a white-handled ritual knife. These are used for cutting things in rituals. An enchanted dagger will do just fine here.

Swords are used mostly for channeling and directing energy, not really for cutting things. Like with the athame and boline, an enchanted sword or dagger will work here.

Pentacles are used for protection and as symbols of the element of earth. You can use an enchanted shield in place of one.

A staff is used for directing energy and channeling power. Wands are smaller versions of staves. A magic staff from the game will work here. You can use a single arrow for a wand if that works better for you.

Amulets and talismans are created, enchanted, and used for various desired effects (usually protection). An enchanted necklace in-game works the same.

Taglocks are varying items based on what you need to cast a spell. This can be anything from a lock of hair to a full name. You can use stolen items, notes written for or by characters, and named personal items as taglocks (even if you have to enchant them yourself).

A besom is a broom made of twigs, and even normal brooms can suffice for this one. This translates over into the game as just a run-of-the-mill broom.

In the event that you need bones, various skeletons can be found all over the place. If you need to carry them with you, skulls and troll skulls are easily accessible.

Candles are often used for spells of their own because of the energy and color/scent correspondences. They're also used to represent the element of fire. Candles and other light sources exist in basically every environment in Skyrim. You can also use torches if you have them. The Alteration spells Candlelight and Magelight are also useful for this.

Feathers are used to represent the element of air. Hawk feathers and hagraven feathers are accessible ingredients, provided that you can buy them or kill hawks or hagravens for them.

Cauldrons are one of the hardest tools to get access to, so if you're looking for a Skyrim cauldron, look for kettles or cast iron pots depending on the size you need.

Statues are harder to make up or come by, but you can get around this by using the statues, shrines, and altars of the Daedra and Aedra found around Skyrim. The Statue of Dibella item is particularly good for those of you who worship Dibella because it can be moved and set up anywhere.

A poppet is used as a focus for spells cast on people. They're often confused for Hollywood's idea of a "voodoo doll" when poppets are the real deal and based on European sympathetic magic. In Skyrim, if you have the Hearthfire DLC, you can use a child's doll instead.

Clear quartz is the number one crystal recommended for witches because it can fill in for just about anything. The closest thing to it would be a soul gem. Soul gems can also be stand-ins for rose quartz/other translucent pink stones or smoky quartz/other translucent black stones. Hag stones are used for seeing things as they are, for protection, and preventing nightmares. Since rocks with natural holes in them aren't easy to find or even use in Skyrim, you can use soul gem fragments instead.

Rosemary is the clear quartz of plants. Tundra cotton is the most easily accessible plant in all of Skyrim, and thus also carries associations of being able to be used for basically everything. Speaking of which, other plants and herbs translate directly into the game, and others don't exist and are replaced by new ones.

Salt is used for basically everything, particularly banishing and protection. Salt piles are things in Skyrim, along with fire salts, frost salts, and void salts.

Witch bottles are created and used for various reasons, often protection- or health-related. Potions and poisons can be used for these based on what you need, especially if you brew them yourself.

[sevenclowds]

In Which I Have a Rambling But Hopefully Informative Talk About These Symbols

There has been speculation that the new MCR symbols are magickal in nature and that this new era, if indeed there is one, could have mystical themes (I personally would like to see them bring out an alter ego band called Alchemical Romance but that’s probably too much to ask). 

We certainly know Gerard has been getting into Magick lately:

In the recent Carry the Fire Podcast with Thrice’s Dustin Kensrue, Gerard  talks about how he’s been reading up on high magick, chaos magick, and witchcraft.

Also in the above podcast, Gerard talks about having taken “Magick lessons” from his friend and fellow graphic novelist, Grant Morrison. (More on Morrison later.)

Gerard has written a song about witches, about which he had this to say: “2018 was a dark year full of black magic in my opinion, so it got me thinking about witches again. I was inspired to buy this mask [witch mask] because I had just written a song called I Am The Hag, which I haven’t finished yet. It’s kind of heavy. Maybe I’ll release it in 2019.”

A guide to witchcraft, Besom, Stang & Sword, is in the book collection at his house.

He has often talked on social media about magick, meditation (as a means to access magick), and crystals.

The symbols seem pretty magickal in nature

There seem to be some magickal vibes surrounding these symbols, even in the way they are drawn, with simple black and white lines.

If you look up alchemical symbolism, some of the symbols are depicted and have specific meanings:

So here the Candle represents a spell, the Droplet stands for purification, and the Light Rays could be sunset.

Also, something has been bugging me about this hand symbol:

It’s those drippy bits at the bottom, as if it’s a severed hand. And then it struck me that this could represent a Hand of Glory.

Hand of Glory Theory

A Hand of Glory is a magical tool used to immobilize one’s enemies. It is also known to unlock doors, portals, etc. It’s made from the severed hand of a hanged man, and together with a candle (ooh! another connection maybe?) made from the fat of the hanged man, they form a rather macabre candlestick arrangement. When lit, the Hand of Glory “would render motionless all persons to whom it was presented” and could only be put out with milk. 

Note also, the word that goes with the hand symbol is “Sacrifice” which certainly fits this theory nicely.

Here’s an image I found which seems to depict a Hand of Glory, and it also contains all the elements of the four new symbols MCR has provided so far: Candle, Droplet, Hand, Light Rays:

Hmmm. Hmmmmmmm. HMMMMMMMMM!!!

Further research into the Hand of Glory reveals that none other than Grant Morrison (who, if you remember, has been teaching Gerard about Magick), incorporated a Hand of Glory into his series, The Invisibles. Morrison has been practicing magick for many years, and in particular, something called Sigil Magick, or the magic of symbols. He considers The Invisibles to be a hypersigil. From Wikipedia: “Grant Morrison coined the term hypersigil to refer to an extended work of art with magical meaning and willpower, created using adapted processes of sigilization. His comic book series The Invisibles was intended as such a hypersigil.”

There’s even a video on youtube of Morrison talking about Sigil Magick and its power.

Therefore, it’s not only possible, but absolutely probable that Gerard is aware of sigil magick and the Hand of Glory, given that his friend and mentor has included them in his work.

More about sigils

Sigils are symbols used in magick. At the risk of getting slightly off track here, I wanted to talk more about sigils because symbolism is obviously very important to Gerard, and as we’ll see in a minute, Frank also (a man can’t have that many tattoos without being a fan of symbols).

Sigils can be anything, but a common way to make one (as outlined in Morrison’s video above) is to take a word or phrase, remove the vowels and repeated letters, then arrange them into one symbol, apply some artistic flair to make it look more “magical”, and voila! you have yourself a sigil.

Frank’s No Fun Club sigil tattoo

Did you know Frank has a No Fun Club sigil tattooed on the inside elbow of his right arm? Neither did I until my friends and I met him after a FIATFV show in May. I can’t remember why exactly, but he rolled up his sleeve to show it to us (it’s that nordic-rune-looking thing above the spider). I distinctly remember him using the word “sigil” to describe it (although at the time, I didn’t know what the word meant exactly). He said it symbolized No Fun Club, which if you apply the rules above for creating a sigil, would need to incorporate the letters N F C L B. I can definitely see these letters in the design.

Let’s not forget that Frank’s logo/symbol that he created for himself is also a form of sigil...

So what have we learned?

Both Gerard and Frank are fans of magickal symbols.

The four new symbols seem to have magickal significance.

The Hand of Glory may be involved somewhere.

I can ramble on about this stuff forever.

I can’t fucking wait to see what happens next.

[witchcraftthings]

WitchCraftThings’ Beltane Ritual

Beltane 2020 is just around the corner and I've decided to share the ritual I perform with my circle.

This ritual doesn't have to be performed with a group, especially with the quarantine in place that may not be possible. For more quarantine-specific ideas, check out this post courtesy of the lovely @lunerbean !

This ritual can be adjusted to fit your specific needs, but I thought I’d share what we do. This will be our fifth or sixth year celebrating as a circle, and Beltane is a personal favorite.

Beltane Ritual Setup

- Mark the sacred space with a blanket and candles placed far enough away that they won’t be in danger of getting kicked or knocked over.

- Set up your altar in your starting direction (in our case we start in the north rather than the east) and on it you can set up things like: a chalice, a Beltane candle, representations of the elements, a bowl to place items to be enchanted, and the snacks and drink. 

- Snacks and drink usually includes some kind of sweet cake-thing, sometimes fruit or vegetable salad, bread and honey, and mead my husband made for our wedding. 

- Anoint yourselves with markings if desired and cleanse before entering the circle space with smoke from a cleansing herb like palo santo, sage, or cedar. Alternatively, you can prepare water with mint steeped in it and sprinkle droplets instead of using smoke.

Cast Circle and Call Quarters

Not everyone using a circle or calls quarters, so if this isn’t part of your practice feel free to skip it or perform it in your own method, but I’ll post our method here.

Welcome to the Sacred Space: First, gather everyone together within the area that will serve as your circle.

“We have gathered here at a time that is not a time, in a place that is not a place, on a day that is not a day. May we be protected and blessed. So let it be.”

Cast the Circle: The ritual leader will then draw the circle (with their hand, athame, sword, want, etc). At this point, the circle is now drawn, and the members should typically try not to cross the boundary if they don’t have to.

“I consecrate this circle of power. May it be protected and blessed. So let it be.”

Invitation into the Circle: The leader will take the athame/tool used to cast the circle and point to the participant to their left. After reading the text below, they can choose to kiss or hug, and then the tool is passed on and the participant turns to the person on their left, continuing clockwise until everyone has been welcomed. 

“It is better that you rush upon the point of this knife than to enter the circle with fear and darkness in your heart. How do you choose to enter?”

“In perfect love and perfect trust.”

Once all of the participants have entered, participants hold their hands out to their side with palms outwards (think: yoga mountain pose) and say:

“The circle is bound. Within it we stand.”

Calling Quarters: Depending on your own preferences, you may have your own way of calling or order that you welcome the elements, this is just how our circle does it. If you have a small number, each member can participate in calling. If you have a large group, sometimes it may be simpler for the leader/castor to call all four. 

Water: Take the Water candle and lift it to the north as you light it and say:

“Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtower of the North, powers of emotion and compassion. We call upon you, O Powers of Water, to witness this rite and to guard this circle. Hail and welcome!”

Air: Take the Air candle and lift it to the east as you light it and say:

“Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtower of the East, powers of wisdom and inspiration. We call upon you, O Powers of Air, to witness this rite and to guard this circle. Hail and welcome!”

Fire: Take the Fire candle and lift it to the south as you light it and say:

“Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtower of the South, powers of passion and manifestation. We call upon you, O Powers of Fire, to witness this rite and to guard this circle. Hail and welcome!”

Earth: Take the Earth candle and lift it to the west as you light it and say:

“Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtower of the West, powers of life and cultivation. We call upon you, O Powers of Earth, to witness this rite and to guard this circle. Hail and welcome!”

Once the elements are summoned, take a moment of silence to give honor to their presence.

Beltane Blessing

Blessing of the group: Leader holds up their hands.

“Now is the time of Beltane. This evening, we honor the return of the sun; the fire of life, and the fire of passion. It is the sacred energy that flows through all things. May it flow unrestricted through those who have gathered here and bless us with health, inspiration, joy, and love. So let it be.”

Group: “So let it be.”

The circle holds hands.

“The Year Wheel has turned again, the sun has returned and our hearts are alight. Let the good planted now be honored and nurtured, and let that which would harm or hinder be cast aside. So let it be.”

Group: “So let it be.”

Blessing of the food and drink: The leader holds their hands over the food.

“May we always have good health, prosperity, and plenty.”

The leader holds their hands over the drink. 

“May we always have strength of body, spirit, and mind. I ask all who have gathered to join in this feast. Merry we meet, merry we part, and merry we meet again.”

Individual Blessings: The leader takes the ritual chalice and offers it to the person on their left.

Participant: “I drink of my circle, and I ask for ____” (consider asking for things to help you in your immediate situations like patience, health, wealth, inspiration, etc. Try to make it a positive affirmation: “I ask for health” not “I ask not to be sick anymore”.)

Enjoy eating and drinking, offer a plate and cup to any gods, spirits, ancestors, or fae if desired, and discuss goals and plans for the coming year. 

Other Activities 

These obviously aren’t always possible depending on if you are practicing indoors or outdoors, but here are some things we do:

- Jump the Bel-fire: Please always be very careful and take precautions, but jumping the fire is done to cleanse you of sickness for the next year. If you jump with someone while holding hands, it’d ‘seals your bond’ for the following year. If you can’t have a fire, you can leap over a candle (carefully!) or,

- Jump a Broom/Besom: A safer alternative, especially for indoors, is to lay down a broom and leap over that instead. You can decorate the besom with ribbons and flowers for the season as well.

- Toss Roses: Tossing roses of different colors to each other across the fire is another way to ‘seal your bond’ together. Examples include red roses between lovers, pink or yellow between friends, etc. 

Ending Blessing

Take the elemental representations off the altar and hold them up so the others can touch them or pass them around.

Water: Take the chalice, cup, cauldron, etc. and allow the participants to dip their fingers in the water or pass it around so they can each drink from it. 

“Through the blessings of Water, may we be cleansed with compassion.”

Air: Take the incense or feather and let the participants pass their hands through the smoke or touch the feather. 

“Through the blessings of Air, may we find wisdom and inspiration.”

Fire: Take the candle and allow the participants to pass their hands over the flame. 

“Through the blessings of Fire, may we embrace love and passion.”

Earth: Take the bowl of salt or dirt and let the participants touch its contents. 

“And through the blessings of Earth, may new growth awaken.”

“Hail to the spring, hail to the earth, and blessed by those who have gathered here. Blessed Beltane!”

Release the Elements and cut the Circle

Conclude any last business with blessings and offerings, return any items that have been placed on the altar to be blessed, and embrace in the circle once more.

Release the Elements: Take the elemental candles and extinguish them in reverse:

“Depart in peace, O Powers of [Water, Air, Fire, Earth]. Stay if you will, go if you must, but take my thanks and blessings. So let it be.”

Cut the Circle: The leader takes the casting tool and makes a slicing motion to cut the circle.

“Their circle is cut, but ever it remains a circle. And through it, may benevolent energies flow. So let it be.”

And that’s our Beltane ritual! Depending on the weather, how many members we have, and our energy levels we sometimes alter it, but I hope it can offer some ideas of how to celebrate. 

As always, let me know if you have questions and I would love to hear about your own Beltane rituals or celebrations, solitary or otherwise. 

Blessed Beltane!

[shanie-the-toyaddict]

Who Here Asked For Pictures of  “CASA DEL SHANIE”??

Nobody? Nobody at all? TOUGH!

Have some pictures of my freshly cleaned apartment because dammit it took a month to get it this way, I’m gonna show it off!

We start off with my primary figure shelf and entertainment stand. Notice the ass-old CRT TV. No it isn’t getting replaced anytime soon. I’ve showed off the figure setup already (I believe) but since they are really tiny here, I’ll just let you know that those bitty figures on top of the JVC Monstrosity are Japanese Final Fantasy X Coca-Cola figures. I can’t begin to afford full sized Final Fantasy ANYTHING!

Moving to the other side of that end of the living room, we have the giant Young Simba plush (If you get it, you get it, I’m not explaining), my line of Doctors (along the banister) and my precious sword, hung over a Doctor Who poster. That sword was the first sharp ‘n’ shiny I ever bought for myself. I was 15 and had to buy it though my boyfriend at the time since I was under age. It is, in fact, a women’s sword, but it’s for display only. It can’t cut for shit. There’s also a random Boxed GoT Dany figure there too. It’s the only GoT figure I have and it was a gift.

The pit on the left of the photo are the steps leading down. I live on the second floor.

My kitchen table. Nothing fancy here other than the plastic candelabra, some nifty bottles and some posters. That DW Six/Peri poster is not my only one of them (you’ll see) and yes, I do ship them. They are my guilty pleasure Classic Who ship. The grumpy one is soft for the whiny one. It’s a thing.

Also, two different Pokemon posters here. Oh, and that recycling bin? I yoinked that from my college dorm nearly 20 years ago, Had it ever since.

Wall of Shane and looking into the bedroom. I’ve shown off that wall before, but notice that the centerpiece is a poem. It’s “Footsteps” in case you were wondering. I am a Christian. Also, that sketched looking photo up top is Sarah Jane Smith. That wall used to be a Doctor Who tribute wall. I took down all the DW photos except her. And yes there’s a photo missing where the gap in the center of the photo is. It keeps coming out because I can’t pin the sides. The wood art was a gift from my high school sweetheart.That plush sunflower on the back wall was a gift from a lady at church. She was so nice. I miss her.

This is my kitchen. It is tiny and cramped and I hate everything about it except for my kettle and coffee maker.

Looking out of the bathroom door. Being an adult means nobody can bitch over the SpongeBob wood painting you have hanging on your wall. He brings me great joy. Best thing I ever bought from Hot Topic in my life. And he was on clearance!

Oh, and that’s my old besom hanging above it. There’s remnants of my pagan days all around my place. I just never got rid of the stuff.

You don’t get to see my bathroom because who the fuck wants to see the bathroom. Instead, have a look at my bathmat. Four dollars on Wish.

The one corner of my bedroom by the door. See, I told you there was another Six/Peri poster! Also, an Eleven/Amy/Rory poster. I’m proud of that one. i don’t think you can even buy that one anymore. Also, there’s another wood art, a Sherlock poster (don’t judge me) and a dollar store decorative fan.

The bookshelf is a random assortment. Except for the top two shelves which contain the entirety of my Classic Who DVD collection. I have a bunch of those, including some rare ones!

Oh, and the painting under Six and Peri was a Christmas gift from a friend. It reads “You Are Fearfully And Wonderfully Made”

MORE POSTERS! YES! I DO HAVE A SHANE O MAC POSTER!

For the record, that’s the second copy I have owned of that poster. The first one I got directly from a bar in college after the PPV. It hung in my dorm room until I went home on med leave and it got destroyed in the interim. So I had to rebuy it and, guess what, it just got hung today! 

Oh, and also, random Tenth Doctor poster there as well. The curtains are also new. 

Plus Lizzie. Lizzie says hi.

Finally, my Xena Wall. I want to put up more photos there but I just haven’t gotten to it yet. That bookshelf is my TV Series/Musicals/MCU bookshelf. I have almost all of the MCU films, all of Fringe, and almost all of NuWho on there. I’m missing the Season 12 set. 

Oh, and yes, that’s an entire setup of McMahon figures on top of the shelf. I just set those up yesterday. As you can see, there is plenty of room for more McMahon figures!

Oh, and the dreamcatcher was a gift. I have no idea if it’s native sourced or not. Try not to judge me for having it.

It just occurred to me I missed a wall. This is standing by my staircase looking toward the kitchen. Important notes here include another shot of SpongeBob, the Dark Willow photo top right, several Doctor Who postcards, a Star Trek Generations mini-poster, another witchy leftover, my glorious Kit Rae dagger (my FAVORITE sharp ‘n’ shiny), a M&M’s Gumball Machine, and finally, my last shelving unit that has Buffy, Xena, Star Wars, and my full McMahon Family Master Set. Also, yes that is a sconce on the wall. It was supposed to be for my keys, but I’m too disorganized to ever put them there.

Really though. I love that SpongeBob hanging. It’s awesome and he smiles at me every time I walk by.

Well, that about covers it. If you stuck through to the end, grats. I probably wouldn’t have. But I just feel like there’s so much fun stuff in my place that absolutely NOBODY ever gets to see. It’s mi casa and now es tu casa.

Hope you enjoyed!

[eclecticstarlightconnoisseur]

Edinburgh To Boston - Chapter 10 - Getting To Know You

Good evening all,

I’m back with Chapter 10.  I tried something different here and I hope you all like it. There are some words I used that I got from Google Translate, I hope they are correct. The story also includes references to middle eastern culture. I also hope these are correct.  I did my due diligence and researched the culture as best as I could. If there are errors, I do apologize.

We are nearing the end of this story.  I am wondering if after I finish it should I continue with a Part II?  Would you all be interested in continuing to read about these two or should I move on to something else? Your opinion matters to me.

Any thoughts or comments you have about the story, please let me know. Constructive, respectful criticism is welcome.

 I need to thank @curlsgetdemgurls for putting up with me, encouraging me, and being the best beta around.

So without further ado, I give you:

Edinburgh to Boston

Chapter 10

Getting To Know You

SPLAT!!!

Something struck Jamie squarely in the center of his back. He had a suspicion of what hit him and who did it. Turning around he found Claire standing several feet behind him with the most angelic look on her face and her hands behind her back.

“What are ye doin’ there a nighean?” he asked, eyeing her suspiciously. She had the appearance of pure innocence.

“Oh, Jamie! I saw it happen. Those little buggers. It was a drive-by snowballing. They ran off that way.” she pointed with her chin toward the street. 

Against his better judgment, he turned to gaze in the direction that the supposed miscreants had fled.

SMACK!!! 

Another snowball struck Jamie just below his hairline. The snow had yet to freeze and remained soft and powdery. The cold missile exploded sending a shower of fine-grained flakes across his neck tightly gripping his warm skin with icy fingers.

“Ifrinn! Now, Claire! I…” Jamie grumbled, wiping off his forehead, fingers cold. 

THUMP!!! 

Hurling her third projectile, it impacted successfully at his mid-center. 

“OOF! I’ll get ye for this, ye wee minx. See if I dinna,” he said, his eyes narrowing. He meant to get his revenge.

“Catch me if you can!” Claire squealed as she turned to run as fast as the snow-covered walk permitted.

She was no match for Jamie’s long stride and powerful leg muscles.

“Got ye, ye wee besom. Now, tell me what I should do with ye?”  He caught up his Sassenach wrapped his arms around her, gripped her in a tight embrace, lifting her up.

“Anything you want to,” she smirked. 

Claire dropped her head down and gently kissed him on the tip of the nose. Her eyes shining bright with mischief.

“I can think of any number of things I’d like to do to ye, but none of them can be done in a public place.”

She lowered her head kissing him tenderly on his wide sweet mouth. Her lips parted, tongue sweeping across his, seeking entry. Granted. Their kiss deepened. The world, the cold, the snow all melted away.

“For the love of Mike! Get a room will ya?! This is a public park.” A voice barked out from some distance away.

The lovers broke apart, each looking at the other giggling.

“We have one!” they called back in unison to the anonymous voice.

“Then go there and use it, for Pete’s sake.” There was no malice to the voice rather it sounded amused and happy for the couple.

“Aye, I think we will. Thank ye for the advice.”

*************

The lovers continued their slow-paced walk.  Hands linked, fingers intertwined, they stole shy glances at each other. She found his crooked smile charming. He thought her smile sweetly radiant, warming him to the backbone. The walkway was narrow causing them to frequently brush against each other or they wanted to believe. 

They talked about everything and nothing, truly getting to know each other. Even though they had worked together for the past year, they knew precious little about each other.

“Have I ever told ye about my family, Sassenach?”

“No, not really,” Claire shook her head. 

Jamie, a born storyteller, told her about his family and childhood at Lallybroch. 

“My Mam, she seemed to favor me for some reason.” He added quickly, “No’ that she dinna love Willie and Jenny, but she would always look at me, smile and tell me that I was special that I was born to do something important. She said she kent it the day I was born. She would look at me and say, “Jamie lad, I want ye tae study hard, harder than ye want tae or think ye need tae. Someday ye will do something that will affect a lot of people. Ye need tae be ready.'’ I always thought all Mams said such things to their bairns. I dinna ken what I was supposed to do, but I studied hard just as she asked.”

“Now my brother Willie, I idolized him.  He could do no wrong as far as I was concerned,” Jamie said with a wistful look on his face, his eyes glistening. “Lord, I was a true pest! I followed him everywhere he went, never chased me away. I mimicked everything he did or tried to. He was to be the next Laird, no’ me,” he said with some guilt in his voice. “He woulda been the better choice for it.”

“Why so?”

“He loved the land, the farm. No’ that I don’t, mind ye, but he woulda stayed at Lallybroch. No’ like me. I kent I had something else to do.”

He went on to tell her about playing with Ian his best friend and his sister Jenny. Bossy one she is and a true meddler. Jenny took over the household when Mam died. He told her tales of going fishing in a burn, sword fights with sticks, climbing trees, and a broken arm from falling out of a tree.

“Did I tell ye about the time Ian and I set the barn on fire? Accidental like, ye ken?” He looked rather sheepish in the telling. “Weel, it happened just after I turned fifteen.”

“Did ye get it,” I asked anxiously as I grabbed Ian by the arm pulling him into the barn.

“Aye, I did.” Ian looked around making sure that they were alone. He looked nervous. 

“We’re alone here ye numpty. Where is it?”

He pulled out a fairly crumpled handkerchief from his jeans pocket. The unwrapped bundle revealed a cigarette, somewhat bent, but intact. A half empty book of matches was withdrawn from his other pocket.

Standing there the two boys looked at the cigarette with great reverence. It was the symbol of their burgeoning manhood. They thought of emulating cool Hollywood icons, Steve McQueen, James Dean, Paul Newman, or Marlon Brando with a cigarette hanging from their lips.

“What if we get caught, Jamie? Our Das will kill us.” Second thoughts raced through Ian’s mind wanting to forget the whole idea.

“Nah, we’re safe here. They’re in the fields and willna be back for a few hours,” he grinned.  “Ye watched yer faither smokin’ one. So, how do we do it?”

Sighing, he acquiesced to the plan. “He does something like this.” Ian placed the cigarette in his mouth, letting it dangle trying to look ‘cool’. Instead, he looked like a bird with a worm drooping from its beak.  He struck the match and the smell of sulfur floated about the barn. The flame ignited the end turning the tip red and glowing. He took a tentative inhale causing the paper to blacken. The fragrant scent of burning tobacco lifted and borne upon the air current. He choked, coughed, and his eyes began to water. His wame twisted and turned with the collywobbles.

“‘Tis good,” he exclaimed lying, not wanting to look unmanly.

“Ye try.”

Jamie dubiously scrutinized his friend/brother. “Ye dinna look so good.” He took the cigarette afraid to look the coward, took a deep inhale, held his breath, eyes bulging wide, and expelled the blue-grey smoke in one giant cough. He continued to cough, sputter, gag, and felt the bile rise to his throat.

“I dinna ken why anyone would wanna tae do this! It tastes nasty, burns my throat and makes me wanna puke.”

At that moment, the laddies heard the return of their fathers from the fields.

They looked at each other with abject horror on their faces, knowing they would soon be caught.

“Damn it, Jamie. I thought ye said they would be gone for a while.” Ian grabbed the cigarette threw it down trying to stomp on it but did not see where it had dropped.

“He told me they would be gone for about an hour or two! They must have finished early.”

They ran to the barn door just in time to see their fathers cresting the hill.

“Did ye put it out?”

“I dinna ken. I think so. It got buried in the hay.”

“Jamie, lad where are ye? Have ye finished yer chores?” Brian Fraser called out in his deep rumbling voice.

“Och, Brian, ye ken they’re probably off on some mischief.” Auld John chuckled. “Ye ken what they’re...what’s that smell? Like something’s burning.” He raised his long straight nose in the air and began to sniff.  His eyes drifted toward the barn. “FIRE!!!!”

All the heads swiveled toward the barn. It was on fire. 

“Christ,” Jamie exclaimed looking at the back of the barn where they had just been. “Ian get water, I’ll get the horses out. NOW.”

Ian nodded his head and ran hell-for-leather to find the hose to drag it into the barn.

The horses were stamping, snorting, large heads tossing in agitation, eyes wide rolling wildly in their sockets while trying to break free from their stalls.

Donas, the massive ill-tempered black, gnashed his teeth. 

“Sin, na biodh eagal ort a-nis. Tha mi an seo.”     

Jamie took his shirt off threw it over the head of the black leading him out of the stall. He ran back leading the other two horses to safety.

Ian had returned with the hose dousing the fire putting it out.

Their fathers had arrived breathless from running to find everything under control.

“Care tae explain this?!”

Squaring his shoulders, standing to his full height and taking a deep breath (while commending his soul to God), Jamie told the truth taking the full blame. “I talked Ian into taking one of his Da’s cigarettes. The blame for everything should rest on me. I’m sorry Da.”

“Ye canna take the whole blame. I had a part in this also. ‘Tis my fault as much as his. I’m sorry too Da.”

Jamie stood with his hands clasped in front of him awaiting judgment and punishment to be pronounced. Likewise, Ian stood straight, hands at his side, ready to hear his sentence like a convict before a judge.

“Bairn, get ye tae the rail. Brian’s hands went to unbuckle his belt.

“Both of ye.” Auld John said in a tone that would brook no argument.

 “No. Sir.”

“Defiant too, I see. Whatever has gotten into that thick skull of yers, son? Are ye testing me?” Brian asked his face red with fury.

“No, sir. I am no’ testing ye. I just think that I should be punished as a man, no’ as a boy. I have admitted my wrongdoing, seen the error of it, and willing tae take my punishment as a man would, sir.”

 “Oh, ye think ye are a man now? Would a man be as careless and start such a fire, hmm? I think no’. Over tae the fence and let’s get on with it.”

“No, Da. Ye need tae punish me as a man, no’ as a boy.”

The two fathers walked away from the boys to confer with each other.

“Man!” Brian snorted sarcastically. “I’ll gie ye a chance tae prove yer a man. As a man, ye should choose yer own punishment. But, I warn ye, if it is not serious enough ye will be over that fence faster than a thought going between a lad and a lass.”

This was an unexpected turn of events.

Jamie and Ian also went to consult with each other and came back with a plan.

Jamie cleared his throat then began, “We have caused considerable damage tae the barn, so we thought we could repair whatever was destroyed in the fire on our free-time after school and weekends. We’ll clean out the old storage shed tae make room for the horses tae stay until the barn is repaired and we’ll take care of the horses, feeding, watering, grooming them, and mucking out the shed. In addition to our regular chores.”

“Ye ken that means ye have to give up yer after-school activities and sports.”

“Aye, Da we ken. We want tae prove we are responsible for our actions and make amends. We’ll explain to coach why we canna participate.”

The two young men stood patiently awaiting the acceptance or rejection of their proposed punishment.

Their fathers looked at each other and smiled. 

“Get ye gone, lad. Tell your sister that four men are hungry for their supper.”

Jamie turned to look at his Sassenach after telling her this tale.

"Strange, the things you remember. The people, the places, the moments in time burned into your heart forever, while others fade into the mist. I've always known I would live a life different from other men. When I was a lad, I saw no path to take in front of me. I simply took a step and then another. Moving ever forward, ever onward. Rushing towards someplace, I kent not where. Then one day, I turned around and looked back. I realized that each step I'd taken was a choice. To go left, to go right, to go forward, or maybe no’ go at all. Every day, every man has to make a choice between right and wrong, between love and hate, and even between life and death. And the sum of those choices becomes your life. The day I realized that I became a man.”

There was a faraway look on his sweet face, seeing memories of a time long gone.

“My Da was a strict man, but fair. That day I saw him bend and it made me mindful of what it meant to be a man. A man is one who cares for his family, his community, his friends, his land. He takes responsibility for his actions every day of his life. From that day, I kent I wanted to be just like him. I took things more serious like after that day.”

Jamie paused in telling his story drawing Claire to him gathering the strength to continue from her nearness.

“It...It was after my parents and Willie deaths that I decided to become a doctor.  I thought I should do something to help other people, ye ken. Since my heart was broken, I thought I would become a heart surgeon so I could fix other people’s broken hearts and give them a second chance. Does this make sense tae ye, Claire?”

“Perfect sense.”

His hands went to her waist, pulling her even closer to him anchoring himself to her. He rested his chin on the top of her wooly cap. “Do ye think me becoming a doctor and helping people is what my Mam meant about doing something important that would affect a lot of people?”

“I don’t know if she knew you would become a doctor, Jamie but you help so many people because you are. That is something important. The one thing that I do know is she would be so proud of you.” 

“Thank ye, Sassenach, for listening.” He clasped her close to him feeling her love permeate out into him warming him to the bone.

He kissed her tenderly on the lips then gave her a little push back looking into her warm amber eyes. 

“Enough about me. What about ye, my Sassenach, what was it like growin’ up for ye?”

Claire reciprocated in kind.  Telling him of her Travels with Lamb.  She laughed saying she always thought that maybe it should be the title of a book. Besides Lamb, there was Firouz, a manservant in her uncle’s employ. Far from being just a steward, Firouz became a beloved second uncle.

Her uncle undertook her education with Claire studying by lamplight each night. On her own, she learned enough of the local language and customs which allowed her to play with the village children. She also learned how to do many things not normally suited for a young lady of gentle birth, digging latrines, hauling water, building campfires, cataloging artifacts, and generally helping her uncle with his excavations.

The trio traveled the world together. India, Egypt, Peru, Mexico were by far the most frequented archeological sites. There once was a summer spent in Paris, while Lamb helped organize an exhibition at the Louvre.

“When I first went with my uncle I was five years old. Poor Firouz, he more or less became my nanny. I spent all my time with him whilst my uncle worked in the field.”

“Come little one! We must hurry to the market before the Aljaddat buy everything.  If we do not get there soon, whatever is left will not even be fit for the dogs.”  

The child’s legs were no match for the long graceful strides of the man. So, she simply gave up and sat down in the dirt road in her pretty pink dress, white pinafore, white ankle socks with lace trim, and black mary jane shoes. The dust and sand blew around her, covering her in a fine layer of dirt. Her face was gritty, and her curly hair a magnet for grim. The road traffic, braying donkeys and bleating goats, people on foot, children running amongst the animals and pedestrians, passed around her without so much as a glance. No one paid attention to the strange forlorn little girl sitting on the ground.

The man continued to talk believing that the child remained at his side. He stopped when she did not answer him and froze. He looked around and she was gone. Where did she go? Firouz, fearing the worst, began to run quickly retracing his steps only to find her sitting waif-like in the road. He ran to her picked her up cradling her to him. He ran his hands over her, checking her for any obvious sign of injury. Thank Allah, she was sound.

“What were you doing, child? Why were you sitting there?”

“I couldn’t walk that fast.” She looked up at his face speaking in a tiny tremulous voice, “I thought you left me too.” Claire buried her face into the crook of his neck, sobbing.

‘You are a foolish man, Firouz’, he berated himself. ‘She is so small, how could she keep up with you? And after everything that has happened to her? You must be more careful.’ He felt guilty for almost losing the Professor’s niece. But he was a bachelor in the service of a bachelor. What did he know of children, especially a little girl? 

“Do not cry Aziz, I will never leave you.” He wiped her face with the sleeve of his tunic. “Let us go to the market, I will carry you.”

“My name is Claire, not Az...Azz”

“Aziz, little one. To me you are Aziz.”

“What does that mean, Aziz?”

“It means beloved.” He wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled.

“Come, let us go, before there is nothing left, only food not even fit for the dogs.”

Claire, snuggled against him and gave a little giggle.

Five Years Later -

“Come onnnn, Uncle Firouz, what is taking you so loooong?” Claire now age ten, ran ahead of her Uncle. She was indistinguishable from the other street urchins, dressed in loose white gallabya decorated with colorful embroidery and a floppy hat on her head. The sun had kissed her once porcelain skin turning it a warm golden brown. Her hair glowed with strands of gold, copper, and auburn scattering amid her dark brown curls. The child was thriving and happy, Firouz thought and was pleased. Although, there were moments when he could still see terrible sadness in those remarkable topaz eyes.

Claire ran back to her Uncle grabbed his hand pulling him toward the market. “Uncle Firouz if we don’t hurry then the Aljaddat will buy the best and ...”

“We will get what is not fit even for the dogs,” he said with a laugh. “You do pay attention, Aziz.”

Claire’s shining eyes looked up at him with affection, “Yes, Uncle I do.” 

Claire ran amongst the stalls picking, choosing, and bargaining just as her Uncle had taught her. It amused him to watch her haggle, hands on her hips, pretending that the quality of the merchandise was poor and negotiating for a better price. She was an amazing child this child of his heart.

 After purchasing what they needed, they walked to a cafe where her guardian would sit and take coffee with a friend.

“You have done well Aziz and earned a treat.” He reached into a pocket gave her some coins. “Go and buy yourself something. But do not be long, we must get back to the camp.” He touched her cheek tenderly, “Now shoo.”

To Claire, the bazaar was a magical place. The sights, the sounds, the smells that wafted around her enticed her to come nearer much as a moth dangerously circled close to a flame. All the tents, shops, and stalls were decorated with colorful pennants and banners, blue, red, yellow, green, offsetting the drab desert colors of neverending orange-yellow sand and dreary beige landscapes. Flags swayed gently in the breeze beckoning her forward like a finger curling in temptation. Many of the shopkeepers knew her by name and called to her hawking their wares.

She didn’t know what to do with her few coins. Should she buy herself a treat of some candy or a sweet bun? Perhaps she should save it as Lamb’s birthday was near and she wanted to get him a little present.

She wandered the maze of the marketplace, looking at this and that but finding nothing she wanted. Suddenly a gust of wind rose up around her carrying a spicy, herbal smell on the air that she had never noticed before. The aroma pulled at her with an almost mystical proportion weaving around her transporting her to it. She followed the fragrance to a tent where a woman was busy grinding something. She shyly crept forward watching the woman work.

“Do you wish to watch, child?”

Claire nodded. “What are you doing?”

“I’m making medicines.”

“Why?”

“Because some people come to me for help when they are sick.”

“But there are doctors and hospitals for that.”

“Some people prefer the old ways, the more natural ways, and sometimes people cannot afford to go to doctors or hospitals. So, they come to me.”

Inching closer, she peered into the bowl. She wrinkled her nose at the unfamiliar odor.

“These are coriander seeds.”

“What’s it for?”

“It can be used for many things. Like relieving pain and stiffness in joints, headaches, stomach aches, like when you eat too many sweets!” The woman tickled Claire’s belly and laughed broadly showing a number of missing teeth.

“Would you like to try?”

Her head nodded vigorously.

Pulling up a stool for Claire to kneel on, she began to show her how to grind and crush with a mortar and pestle. They laughed at some of the seeds escaping over the rim of the bowl.

The sound of grinding and scraping filled the little enclosure. The healer showed her novice different herbs and spices explaining what each was used for and how to make tisanes and ointments with each. 

A great shadow darkened the entrance, “What are you doing with my niece, witch?” said a deep male voice brusquely.

“I am not a witch!!” the woman spurted out angrily. “It is always the same. Women who have knowledge of healing are condemned as witches.” 

Claire looked from her Uncle to her new friend in complete confusion. “Uncle, she was only showing…”

“Enough, Aziz, we must be going. It is getting late.” Firouz spoke more sharply than he had intended. 

“Yes, young one, it is late. You must go back with your Uncle.”

“Will I see you again?”

The woman looked at Firouz who scowled fiercely at her. “No, child, I will be gone by the morning.” Carefully, so as not to be seen, she slipped a small pouch into Claire’s hand and whispered, “Something to remember me by. Do not show it to anyone. It will help you when you heal.”

Claire gave a little nod, slipped it into a pocket murmuring thank you.

“We are leaving Aziz. Come.” Firouz took her small hand in his large one guiding her out of the shelter.

“Why were you so upset, Uncle? She was just teaching me her ways of healing. It was interesting.”

“Aziz, women like her are often looked upon as witches. The villagers might think of you in the same way if they see you with her. It could only bring trouble for you if they do. I only want to protect you, my precious girl,” he said with a sad smile.

 That night Claire spoke with her Uncle Lamb about what had happened.  He thought it all stuff and nonsense as he did not share the villagers’ superstitions. 

“Claire, the most important thing you need to learn, even though we do not share their beliefs, it is to respect them.”

“Even if their beliefs are wrong, Uncle?”

“Even if they are wrong. You must remember, my heart, that these people have never been more than a day’s ride away from where they were born. They live in small villages, and among the oases.  They don’t know anything else other than the superstitions and beliefs that have been passed down over the centuries. It is hard to blame them as they don’t know any better or different.

“But shouldn’t we tell them it’s wrong?”

Lamb considered for a moment what to say, “My precious girl, you have a kind heart, this I know and you would like to help people, but changing long-held beliefs takes a very, very long time to take place. It can happen, but not as quickly as you or I would like. Have faith that someday it will come about.”

“That was the lady’s name...Iman. She told me it means to be faithful.”

He pulled his niece onto his lap, cuddling her close to his heart. “I love you my Claire, you are my heart’s own child.” He kissed the top of her curly head.

Lamb sat in quiet contemplation before speaking again.

“Firouz, I think we should encourage Claire’s interest in healing.  What do you say?” 

“As you wish, Professor.”

“There is one proviso, my dear girl, and that is if Firouz or I think you should not go to visit one of these healers, you will obey our instructions.” Lamb raised an inquiring eyebrow to her.

“I’ll listen to you and Uncle Firouz. I promise. Thank you, Uncles.” Claire snuggled into Lamb’s chest, feeling safe and loved.

“As we traveled to different countries, I spent time with the local healer, herbalists, shaman, or curanderos learning how they healed the sick and what herbs they used. I think that Iman set me on my path to becoming a healer, a doctor that afternoon.”

“I have one question for ye Sassenach, what was in the pouch?”

“Ah, well there was dried mint and thyme leaves, coriander seeds, and a small uncut, unpolished sapphire. Sapphires help to channel healing energy from one person to another.  Very essential for any healer to have, wouldn’t you say. I kept the pouch in memory of Iman, my first medical teacher. The herbs are all dust now, but the sapphire is still there.”

“Yer a verra fine doctor, Sassenach. Iman would be proud.”

Claire kept her arms wrapped around her Scot, holding him close, resting her head on his chest.

“Thank you, Jamie, for always being there for me.” Standing on her toes she reached up and tenderly kiss him.  She relaxed into his embrace feeling loved and cared for.

They stood holding each other within the sanctuary of their cocoon enjoying the warm feelings from sharing parts of their life story with each other. 

Their heads rose listening to the stramash slowly headed their way.  A voice carried on the swell of the air currents. It sounded like a woman scolding someone, scolding, a child. The voice sounded familiar. It carried a certain lilt to it. Scottish. 

“Rabbie, ye wee gomeral! Dinna stick yer brother’s head in the snow, aye. He canna breathe in there.”  

The figures drew closer, a man and a woman, an elderly couple. Accompanying them were two children, two boys and rambunctious ones at that. Always one with a good eye for detail, Jamie was certain he had met the couple before. The man had a jaunty set to his cap, a commanding height, and the spectacles were placed on the tip of his nose. The woman also was tall, but not as tall as the man, grey hair, and had a certain fullness of figure, grandmother-like. 

“Sassenach, ‘tis Harry and Maizie from the plane. I dinna think we would ever see them again,” he said a wide smile playing across his sweet mouth.

Jamie raised his arm waving it furiously loudly calling out, “mo charaid.”

***********

Oh, Jamie! I saw it happen. Those little buggers. It was a drive-by snowballing. They ran off that way.  --  I adapted this from the movie Mrs. Doubtfire and the drive-by fruiting. RIP Robin Williams

Sin, na biodh eagal ort a-nis. Tha mi an seo  -- Hush, don’t be afraid. I am here now.

Aljaddat   --  Grandmothers

Aziz  --  Beloved

Gallabya  --   is a traditional Egyptian garment native to the Nile Valley.

Iman  --  to be faithful

[brooklynbornhaitian]

But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned. Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. For I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the Lord . I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of hosts. The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? Rejoice not thou, whole Philistia, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

Isaiah 14:19‭-‬24‭, ‬26‭-‬27‭, ‬29‭-‬30‭, ‬32 KJV

https://bible.com/bible/1/isa.14.19-32.KJV

[left-handed-roots]

Laying A compass

You will need:

Your Sovereignty cord

Stang

land offerings

Navigational compass

quarter markers

To begin, use your navigational compass to find magnetic north and determine which direction is east. Make offerings to the land. Stand in silence for three or more cycles of breath. Then stomp upon the ground three times and state intention aloud. Walk clockwise drawing the space by dragging your left foot or the stand as you mark each direction, either by name or placing an item at each apporpriate point. Finish in the east.

Be sure to hold the stang in your left hand so it scribes the space outside of where you will be working. As you go say;

By east (place item)

By south (place item)

by west (place item)

Now anchor the stang in the apropriate place (in the center or in the south). At this time if you feel the need for a more fortified compass, plow the space around you with the sword in a clockwise direction, purify with incense, and bless it with saltwater. then charge the space by dancing or moving about it counterclockwise, using the center as a pivot point while performing the following compass chant:

I take a step and travel forth

to journey, beyond up, and down,

from top of tree to solid ground’to journey on through blackest night

to seek and chiill and terror fright

to vist worlds and those be gone

beyond horizons and through the dawn.

I travel through betwixt i know,

between the worlds and hedges go.

Over the hill and down the way,

to claim the night and rule the day.

by east, by south, by west, by noth.

..

Repeating from “i take a step and travel forth...” continue until you feel the space is ready. you will feel a definite change in atmosphere when it is time. The chant is used to charge the space, induce a alpha trance, alert spirits, focus you on the matter at hand, and transition you into ritual mind-set. If you are working with others it will also unite the group mind. Once you feel ready proceed with intended work.

When you are finished and have returned to the middle plane, sit silently with closed eyes for several minutes. Process what you set out to do and determine if anything was discovered or accomplished. afterward, if you created a more fortified compass, sweep the area counterclockwise with your besom. Then remove markers, thank the land, and clean up the space. THis practice requires no additional closing.

Christopher Orapello and Tara-Love Maguire. 2018. ”Besom, Stang and Sword”

[kattra]

What I’m Reading

SEPTEMBER READS Albatross by Terry Fallis Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells Crying H Mart by Michelle Zauner (NF) Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them by Francine Prose (NF) Carry On by Rainbow Rowell* ** Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell* ** Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell ** Our Numbered Days by Neil Hilborn (P) Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp Shattered by Kevin Hearne All the Pretty Girls by J.T. Ellison The Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver Days of Distraction by Alexandra Chang (DNF)

(133 books read / 150 books goal)

Currently Reading: This Wound is a World by Billy-Ray Belcourt (P) Staked by Kevin Hearne Besom, Stang & Sword: A Guide to Traditional Witchcraft, the Six-Fold Path & the Hidden Landscape by Christopher Orapello & Tara-Love Maguire (NF) Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Last God Standing by Michael Boatman Dead Ends: Stories from the Gothic South edited by J.T. Ellison (SS) Under the Dome by Stephen King Beauty edited by John Miller (NF)

* - re-read / ** - 4+ star rating on my goodreads GN - graphic novel // NF - non-fiction // P - poetry SS - short story/anthology / AB - audiobook

TBR: Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer  A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik The Cailleach by Rachel Patterson (NF) Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert (NF)

[bibleread2017]

Isaiah chapter 14

For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

 And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

 And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,

 That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

 The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.

 He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

 The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.

 Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.

 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

 All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?

 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

 All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.

 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.

 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.

 Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

 For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.

 I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts.

 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

 That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.

 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.

 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

 In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden.

 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

 And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant.

 Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.

 What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

[themessofscales]

PART 2 of the Muse Song thing!

NITROCRASH:

Standing on the edge of the crater Like the prophets once said And the ashes are all cold now No more bullets and the embers are dead Whispers in the air tell the tales Of the brothers gone Desolation, devastation What a mess we made, when it all went wrong

Watching from the edge of the circus For the games to begin Gladiators draw their swords Form their ranks for armageddon

I'm nuclear I'm wild I'm breaking up inside A heart of broken glass Defiled Deep inside The abandoned child

TERRORSMOKE:

As a child you would wait And watch from far away. But you always knew that you'd be the one That work while they all play.In youth you'd lay Awake at night and scheme Of all the things that you would change, But it was just a dream!Here we are, don't turn away now, We are the warriors that built this town. Here we are, don't turn away now, We are the warriors that built this town From dust.

INKHIDE AND DUSKSPARK:

Everybody's looking for that something One thing that makes it all complete You find it in the strangest places Places you never knew it could beSome find it in the face of their children Some find it in their lover's eyes Who can deny the joy it brings When you found that special thing You're flying without wingsSome find it sharing every morning Some in their solitary lives You find it in the words of others A simple line can make you laugh or cryYou find it in the deepest friendship The kind you cherish all your life And when you know how much that means You've found that special thing You're flying without wings

[honey-potions]

Items from my room that I use in magic! Not shown; a fox tail, box of precious stones, a book on combined zodiac signs, several tea kits/sets, my witch's ladder, and a half finished besom. ((Probably more because everything is all around the house due to reconstruction)) -stained glass made by my grandma, w/ a dream quote -rabbit fur from an amerindian preserve -a photo of Simon ((my dog)) -megaladon tooth and detail paper -three faery jars -a stamp in chinese -standing magnifying glass -a geode from my aunt -my runes and rune book -a decorative sword from my fathers time in the marine corps, used as athame -a glass bowl from France filled with shells and the like -a pendulum, broken -box from Mexico with shells inside -maneki neko -a turtle box -wooden box with horses on lid -a shell formation -statue of a black cat -iron chain -seashells and various stones, some in open boxes -a sharpie -a snailshell -three statues from my dad's time overseas (horse, buddha, and elephant)) -a dragon statue from my grandma's trip to thailand -a green stone -a chunk of what I recall to be citrine -otodus shark tooth -jar of shells -jar of stones -rattlesnake tail my dad killed during his time in the marine corps, from his tent -a gargoyle statuette from my mum -an empty tea jar with an elephant on it -a painting by my memeire I don't have an altar, so I usually have to gather things from everywhere to use them, though I'm trying to make room for an altar now. But, I figured it might be nice to share what I have, and maybe update you guys if/when I get my altar space up!

[tipsycad147]

The eight (or nine, or 13) tools of Wicca

Posted by Michelle Gruben on May 25, 2017

What ritual tools are required to practice Wicca? Theoretically, none at all—as the Witch’s will is the most important tool. But Wiccans, it may be said, rarely travel light. This article looks at the traditional altar tools that are used in the Gardnerian tradition of Wicca.

Gardner's legacy

Gerald Gardner, who first described and named the Wiccan religion, prescribed a list of tools for the Witch. His books and papers talk at length about the acquisition and use of ritual objects. Gardner was influenced in his thinking by Aleister Crowley, English Freemasonry, Solomonic magick, the new field of cultural anthropology, and various myths about European witchcraft.

Though the information in Gardner’s writings is spotty and often contradictory, it has been hugely influential. Many of the Gardnerian tools are found on the altars of both Wiccan and non-Wiccan practitioners. Others, like the scourge and cords, have largely fallen out of use, except in the strictest traditional covens. The descriptions of the tools come from Gardner’s 1954 book Witchcraft Today, and the collection of papers known as the Gardnerian Book of Shadows.

So what are the “true” tools of the Witch? It depend on who you ask. Even within Gardnerian witchcraft, the number, order, and use of the tools varies. But first, a list of the tools of old-school Wicca:

Sword

The Sword is a long knife. It symbolises power and authority. The sword entered the Craft as a legacy of Western ceremonial magick, where the magician wields a consecrated sword as an implied threat to unruly spirits. The magick sword was traditionally made of the finest smithwork possible, and engraved with Hebrew prayers or magickal glyphs.

Wiccans use the sword to cast a circle. It may also be a symbol of rank within the coven. Gardner says that a chief priestess may wear a sword on her belt when standing in for a priest. (But that no tool enables a priest to stand in for a priestess.)

While the sword is often listed first among the magickal tools, many Witches, including Gardner, say that the sword is not really necessary if you have an athame. Because of the size and cost of a ritual sword, it is common for a coven of Witches to share a single sword.

Athame

The athame is a small (relative to the sword, anyway) knife with a variety of ritual uses. Gardnerian Wiccans prefer a black-handled knife with magickal symbols inscribed on the handle. It is usually double-edged. Both the word “athame” and the black-handle requirement come from the Key of Solomon, a medieval grimoire which was studied by Gardner.

In Wicca, the athame stands for the element of Fire. It is used to cast the circle, charge objects with energy, and to represent the God in a symbolic Great Rite. It is never used for violence. If an athame draws blood, in most traditions, it must be either ritually cleansed or destroyed. Most Witches use the athame purely for magickal/energetic work, and have a separate knife for cutting objects.

Boline

This is the “White Handled Knife” described by Gardner. Sometimes it has a curved blade. Basically, the boline performs cutting tasks on the physical plane, while the athame works on the spiritual/astral planes.

Witches use the boline for magickal-mundane work, including harvesting herbs, cutting cords or parchment, and inscribing ritual candles. Boline is alternately spelled bolline, boleen, or bouline. It is an archaic word related to burin, a carving chisel.

Wand

The wand is the elemental tool of Air (or Fire, in Golden Dawn influenced trads). For Gardner, it is related to the staff of Mercury used to escort souls to the afterlife, and the thyrsus, the pinecone-tipped rod of Dionysus. Witches’ wands are usually made of wood—especially from a tree with magickal significance. It may be personalised by carving or painting. Gardner names few requirements for the magickal wand, except that it be phallic in shape.

Witches use the wand as an elemental tool, for directing energy, and sometimes for casting the circle. The wand is sometimes substituted for the sword or athame by those who object to the violence implied by the blade. Gardner tells us that the wand is used for calling up spirits “to whom it would not be meet to use the sword or athame.” These beings may include Angels (who may be invited, but never commanded) or Fae, who are known to dislike metal.

Pentacle

The pentacle is a round object bearing the five-pointed star, the primary sacred symbol of Wicca. It may also be called the disk, coin, paten, or platter. It represents Earth, and the life-giving properties of that element. In the Gardnerian material, the role of the pentacle is in summoning spirits, consecrating tools, and blessing offerings of food.

Perhaps mindful of Britain’s anti-witchcraft laws, Gardner suggests making a pentacle that can be easily concealed or destroyed if the Witch is discovered. He recommends a pentacle of wax, or else a platter with the magickal symbols painted temporarily in ink. These days, of course, Wiccans may keep a more permanent altar pentacle. Wood, metal, and clay are appropriate materials for the pentacle or Earth disk.

Censer

The censer (and incense) are used to prepare the ritual space.  Ritual censing banishes evil, and makes the circle more inviting to spirits and deities of the desired kind.

Wicca came about before the invention of quick-lighting incense. Early British covens would have preferred a traditional swinging censer with a lid, along with resin incenses. But Gardner states that the censer can be replaced, if necessary, with sweet-smelling herbs and a dish of coals.

Cords

The Witch’s cord, or cingulum, is a length of rope that may be worn as a belt. In Wicca, the cords are often given to the new initiate and worn at each subsequent ritual. Along with the athame and the censer, Gardner lists the cords as one of the three tools that must always be present in the Witch’s circle.

The cords are generally braided by hand from natural fibres. The traditional length of the cords is nine feet (three times three, an important number in Wicca.) In some traditions, the colour of the cord signifies the Witch’s rank within the coven.

Besides keeping the Witch’s robes in place, the cords have various other uses within Wicca. A nine-foot cord, folded in half, is used to measure out the radius of the nine-foot circle. Knot magick—tying and untying knots to release energy—is another ritual function of the cords.

But let’s get down to brass tacks: Gardner, like many a proper British gentleman, was obviously a little bit into BDSM. The Gardnerian Book of Shadows is full of rituals that involve tying up initiates in circle. The mild, schoolboyish kink of his Wiccan rites is another use of the cords. He also hints that the cords can be used in blood and breath control—a spiritual/erotic practice that can be extremely dangerous when undertaken by beginners.

Obviously, tying up aspirants is not the kind of thing that goes on in public rituals and fluffy-bunny Wiccan covens. Wiccans face enough PR trouble without innuendos of hazing. The Wiccan covens I know who use cords use them for mainly ceremonial dress. The cords are presented to the initiate with each new degree. Over time, they become kind of a souvenir belt, dangling with various tokens of the Witch’s experience and offices within the coven.

Scourge

Ah, the scourge. The ceremonial whip is another of Gardner’s ritual tools that’s sometimes embarrassing to modern Wiccans. The scourge or flail is an age-old symbol of power and domination. In Gardnerian ritual, it represents the pain that everyone must endure in life. It stands in contrast to the kiss, which symbolises pleasure and the gifts of life.

Maybe Gardner was inspired by the ritual flagellation in mystical branches of the world’s great religions. Or maybe he just wanted an excuse to be tied up and whipped. We’ll probably never know. In any case, the scourge has eight tails with five knots in each tail. It is usually made of leather or rope. The scourge is not used to draw blood, but only for light flogging to raise energy in circle and to purify the aspirant. The scourge is the last item in the canonical list of Gardnerian tools.

Chalice

The chalice symbolises the eternal womb and the generative power of the Goddess. On the Wiccan altar, it is used to hold beverage offerings. (Traditionally wine, but also water, milk, mead, or ale.) The chalice stands for the female principle in the symbolic enactment of the Great Rite. To Gardner, it is related to the Holy Grail of the Knights Templar, a mystic cup with boundless power to heal and restore.

A core Wiccan ritual involves the High Priest and High Priestess sharing a drink from the chalice, which may also be passed around the circle. A silver chalice is traditional, one large enough to hold the beverage offering.

Cauldron

In the Gardner materials, the words “cauldron” and “chalice” are often used interchangeably. (The cauldron being a Celtic-inflected version of the womb of the Goddess.) Yet many witches keep a ritual cauldron separate from the chalice or cup, and use it in subtlely different ways.

The main advantage of the cauldron is that it can carry heat. It is a dark, warm vessel where alchemical transformations can take place. The cauldron may be used to burn incense, to prepare potions and brews, or to ritually mix spell ingredients. The cauldron can also hold food or drink offerings, or water for scrying.

Besom

A Witch’s broom is called a besom. It is made from a bundle of twigs or straw tied to a handle. In Wicca, the besom is used to purify the circle by sweeping away negativity. It also plays a part in the handfasting ritual of “jumping the broom.”

Bell

The bell is primarily used in Wiccan rituals to focus the participants’ attention. The Gardnerian Book of Shadows prescribes a certain number of knells of the bell for each different ritual. Solitary Wiccans may keep a bell for energetic clearing, meditation, or invoking the Goddess.

Necklace

The necklace is not among the core tools of Wicca, but Gardner mentions it on several occasions as a requirement for the female Witch: “At witch meetings every woman must wear one.” There are many tales of necklaces in world mythology, and depictions of Goddesses who are nude except for a necklace. The circular shape of the necklace is thought to symbolise the eternal cycle of rebirth. The necklace may be decorated with talismans or symbols of rank. But, the material and design of the necklace are unimportant, “as long as it is fairly conspicuous” (Gardner, Witchcraft Today).

So how many tools are in Gardnerian Wicca, again?

According to the “Father of Wicca” himself, there are eight. They are, in order: The sword, athame, boline, wand, pentacle, censer, cords, and scourge. Gardner was almost certainly influenced by Freemasonry, which also has eight tools. Eight was an important number to the Knights Templar, the mystical Christian order which has trickled down into Western esotericism.

But wait! Not all of the tools on Gardner’s list are easy to come by. The poor witch may have to improvise with things found around the house, or do without. Gardner tells us that only three of the Wiccan tools are really essential for ritual: The athame, the censer, and the cords. These three, “and one or two other tools are quite enough to work with.” The other five are used only occasionally.

More troubles with the eight: The sword is often conflated with the athame. Why have both if they’re basically the same? Then there’s the whole issue of the vanishing pentacle. (Now it’s a pentacle, now it’s a biscuit tray. Move along, Inquisition—there’s nothing to see here.)  Gardner never really explains how a Witch can have a set of ritually consecrated tools and regularly grab stand-ins from the kitchen or hearthside.

A handful of Gardnerian tools—the wand, pentacle, and sword/athame—are recognizable as three of the “elemental weapons” of the Golden Dawn traditions. But there is a conspicuous absence: We have three different knives (and a wand and a scourge), but no chalice, the elemental tool of Water.

So where is the chalice in Gardner’s list? Gardner claims his source was a secret cabal of hereditary Witches, and that he doesn’t know why the chalice was omitted. Perhaps it is a holdover from the Burning Times, when Witches were afraid to have a cup lest they be accused of parodying the Eucharist. (Goddess knows how they drank their daily ale.) Gardnerian rituals make extensive use of the chalice, but it doesn’t make the list.

Wiccan groups deal with the omission in different ways. The Alexandrian tradition (which is similar to Gardnerian), solves the problem by substituting the chalice for the censer in their list of eight. Alexandrians burn just as much incense as anyone, of course. But the poor censer is demoted to the rank of “altar dressing.” One Gardnerian coven I know just adds the cauldron/chalice to Gardner’s list—bringing the total number of tools up to nine. (An elegant solution, I believe, since nine is a sacred number in Wicca.)

What about the outer circle of tools: the besom, bell, and necklace? Though these show up repeatedly in Gardnerian rituals, they are not “officially” tools of the Witch, and are not presented to the initiate as such. Instead, they are objects that Witches use in ritual. We also don’t count the Book of Shadows, which is not a tool of ritual, but a tool used in preparation for ritual. Okay. I’m as stumped as you are.

In conclusion, there are eight, or nine, or thirteen tools (and tool-adjacent objects) in Gardnerian Wicca. Unless you are a male Witch. Then you don’t get a necklace, so there are twelve at most. And if you are setting up at Pagan Pride Day, best to cross the scourge off the list. And probably the sword. Maybe count the tablecloth and iPhone speakers, instead?

I’m not trying to make fun of Gardnerians here. (Except for one or two—you know who you are.) It’s just an example of the way traditions evolve and change over time. You’re no less a “real Witch” if you’re allergic to incense, or think ritual flogging is kind of silly. Whatever path you follow, build a collection of tools that resonate with what you feel is magickal.

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/the-eight-or-nine-or-13-tools-of-wicca