How to Become a Witch, Amber K. [new books to read .txt] 📗

as a Witch, but first, some basic decisions need to be made. Will yours be a completely personal activity, done in solitude? Will you work with your spouse or partner? If you have children, will they be involved? Or will you do some combination of these, perhaps working alone in the morning, having a bedtime ritual with the children, and giving thanks later in the evening with your partner?

Of course, if you don’t share your home with other humans, it may just be you and the cat, or dog, or iguana—whomever.

Think about timing as well. Morning practices are fine to energize and seek direction for the day. Your schedule may allow a daily practice at any time during the day, perhaps during your lunch hour or breaks from work or study. And many Witches like to do progressive relaxation and meditation just before bed.

Your daily practice will evolve into something unique because you are unique. But you will probably want some suggestions to get started; experiment with these techniques until you find the activity or combination that fulfills your needs. Write the results of your experiments in your Book of Shadows.

Your Changing Altar

A personal or family altar can be an ever-changing work of art and part of your daily practice. A basic altar is described in chapter 3. However, you can get very creative with your altar arrangement—and you can redo it daily, weekly, at each moon cycle, or for every sabbat.

For some Witches, it feels appropriate to change the altar each day, to reflect the energies and goals for that day. You would not have to change every part, only as much as feels helpful. Simply changing the candles to a different color is enough to change the focus: for example, orange for energy if you feel sluggish, or pink for healing if you feel a cold coming on. Or you might have one central magickal object that changes according to need: a quartz crystal for clarity, a rose in a bud vase for romance, or a chunk of hematite or tiger iron for stamina. Tarot enthusiasts might place a different card in the center each day, while others may prefer a carefully selected runestone. (For more on tarot and runes, see chapter 10.)

On any special occasion, take the time to redo the whole altar; you don’t have to wait for a sabbat or a new lunar cycle. Job interview? Health crisis in the family? Looking at a new project? A fresh altar will help you be ready.

Words of Power

Witches are careful with their words, because words have power to heal or harm. They can become part of your daily practice if you craft them carefully into a tool for self-transformation.

You have probably heard some of the affirmations floating around the New Age community: “I am a child of the universe, filled with rainbow light…” Most are harmless, but perhaps they could be more powerful.

Here are some simple guidelines for writing or choosing a powerful affirmation:

State your intention in the positive: “I am strong” rather than “I am no longer flabby and weak.” Your younger self will focus on the adjective, such as “strong” or “flabby,” and has difficulty understanding a state of not-being.

State it as something that exists now or is coming into existence, rather than in the future tense. For example: “I am the balance of the elements…” or “I am becoming more balanced every day…” Don’t say, “I will become…,” because that’s always in the future and can’t manifest now. And don’t say, “I am trying”; remember Yoda: “Do or do not; there is no try.”

Keep it simple. Concentrate on what you need most right now.

Write affirmations you like in your Book of Shadows, whether you create them or find them in your research. Carry around three-by-five-inch index cards, and when you come across a well-phrased statement that is especially meaningful to you, write it down (transfer it to your book later) and tape it to your bathroom mirror.

Apart from affirmations, you can read passages from an inspirational book, favorite poems, or anything that has power for you. You can choose things that are appropriate to the season and sabbat if you wish.

Sometimes you may want to switch from a positive statement to a question, to broaden the possibilities. For instance, if you don’t know what you want to be doing, instead of saying, “I have a great new job,” you may want to ask a question: “What wonderful financially abundant opportunities are coming my way?” This adds the opportunity for a financially abundant non-“job” to come to you. Meditate on this question, and unexpected answers may pop up!

Remember, all words are Words of Power.

The Breath Of life

Breathing is good. We highly recommend it as part of your daily practice.

Well, yes, you breathe all the time—but do you often breathe consciously, in a particular pattern, for a definite purpose other than survival?

If your daily practice includes a balancing activity for each element, then intentional breathing is one way to include the element of air. Hindus have a name for the practice of intentional, controlled breathing: pranayama. Here are three different styles, from many possibilities:

Energizing Breath: Boosts your oxygen and clears your lungs of stale air. Either stand up or sit tall. Inhale deeply, all the way down into your abdomen, then expel all the air. Now inhale three times quickly through your nose without exhaling: three deep sniffs. Immediately open your mouth wide and blow out all the air through your mouth quickly, making a ha sound. Do it again: three quick inhalations through the nose, one explosive exhalation through the mouth. Do five to seven complete breaths; then pause, and breathe normally. You should feel energized and clear-headed.

Relaxing Breath: Inhale deeply through your nose to a slow count of four, then exhale through your lips to a slow count of four. Make sure you inhale all the way down into your belly. Relax your neck, shoulders, and facial muscles as you breathe