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Secret Spiritual Practice: Spiritual Self-Hypnosis

2/22/2024

Many of you practice various methods for moving from ordinary consciousness to non-ordinary consciousness such as meditation, drumming, chanting and so on. These techniques bring us into states of peace and self-awareness. There is one technique that is used by Wiccans that not many people know about. We use a knotted fiber, with 13 knots in it, to move deeper into a type of trance, usually just before sleeping. In this state we connect with our spirit guides and create the intention for manifestation and magick. I was surprised to discover that this teaching is virtually identical to Spiritual Self-Hypnosis.

I interviewed Stephanie Lecuyer, a practicing Hypnotherapist who teaches Spiritual Self-Hypnosis to get more information:

Can everyone learn to use Spiritual Self-Hypnosis?

Yes! We all have the ability to learn and use this practice. This profoundly relaxed state of hypnosis is also known as trance and takes place between the brainwaves of being wide awake and the brain waves of sleeping. This state of being is natural and one that you go in and out of throughout the day. Examples of this are when you’re just about to fall asleep, when you’re watching TV, zoning out on an everyday commute, or absorbed in a book or movie. You’re aware of what’s going on, but you’re relaxed and hyper-focused on the task at hand. Through spiritual self-hypnosis practice, we gain the ability to intentionally influence what our subconscious mind absorbs during these phases of heightened focus and suggestibility, which can greatly benefit our healing journey and overall sense of fulfillment and joy.

Is there a difference between Hypnosis, Self-Hypnosis and Spiritual Self-Hypnosis?

Yes, Hypnosis typically refers to a state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility, often induced by a hypnotist. Self-hypnosis is when an individual induces the hypnotic state on themselves, usually through guided imagery or relaxation techniques. While the basic principles of getting into that trance state are similar, the focus and intention differ in each practice.

Spiritual Self-Hypnosis integrates spiritual elements, including connecting with one's higher self, spirit guides, past life exploration, and delving into the metaphysical, within the hypnotic journey. The primary focus is connecting to our inner-healer and creating balance and harmony between our mind, body, and soul. Through connecting with our inner-healer and higher-self, we can gain invaluable insights and clarity into the healing needs for all aspects of our being.

Why would someone who meditates also benefit from this technique?
Meditation and Spiritual Self-Hypnosis complement each other very well. Someone who already meditates may find Spiritual Self-Hypnosis to be a natural extension of their practice, offering additional avenues for self-exploration, spiritual growth, and healing. Spiritual Self-Hypnosis can provide a structured framework for delving deeper into spiritual experiences and/or addressing specific issues using hypnotic techniques, which may enhance the benefits of meditation. Additionally, for individuals who may find it challenging to reach certain states of consciousness through meditation alone, Spiritual Self-Hypnosis can offer an alternative approach. In my experience, individuals who practice meditation can enter that trance state much quicker and deeper than someone who does not meditate, it is all about practice and consistency.

Imagine your consciousness as a multi-story building. The ground floor symbolizes your everyday consciousness. Self-hypnosis serves as the staircase leading you to the next level, one level up would a meditative state. With each level you ascend, you reach increasingly relaxed trance states. As you approach the top levels you may be able to channel enlightened beings or astral travel. Those who practice meditation and self-hypnosis can seamlessly navigate these levels, similar to stepping into an elevator and selecting the level they wish to explore within their consciousness.

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Wicca as a spiritual path

8/7/2023

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People often feel an emptiness, even a feeling of homesickness, although they have a home, a family, a job and a good life. It can translate into feeling down, or even depressed. Is your higher self trying to send you a message that you are ready for a spiritual path or new spiritual experience and inner evolution?

There are many spiritual paths or religions with structure and beliefs that assist you to experience the presence of God. Some of them are very rigid and defined with a Big Book, a clear idea of what God supposedly looks like and a structure of priests and congregations. Other religions may have inspired teachers that started the faith and the followers subscribe to their writings. These religions are dogmatic, which means the beliefs and practices of the devotees are all the same.

Wicca is an earth-based spiritual practice and it is non-dogmatic. This means that the goal of Wiccan practice is to connect with the Divine in nature and also to uncover your own soul's path, not blindly follow a sacred book. It is a path of experience, not faith.

This does not mean that there are no universal practices followed by all or most Wiccans. For example, there is a belief that the Divine can be both God or Goddess. Eight holy days during the year, called Sabbats, are celebrated on the same days in all Traditions and most Wiccans vow to follow the Wiccan Rede to the best of their ability: An it harm none, do as ye will, without interpreting the Rede for others.

When you follow the Wiccan way spiritual evolution follows, that is how we know it is a bonafide path. How do you know if you are making progress? You start to feel the presence of God, in whatever form is meaningful for you, and a feeling of joy and happiness awakens. Sometimes 'shadows' arise, showing you what you need to work on for inner equilibrium and healing. Each Wiccan tradition teaches methods for working with those shadows.

Core concepts may include ritual, meditation, healing, shamanism, celebrating Sabbats and Esbats (moons), connection with an immanent (found within) god/dess form and more. To find a Wiccan tradition that feels right to you will take some exploration, research, reading and effort, but it is well worth it. The adventure begins!

(Photo by Mary Janet Fowler and used with permission)

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Facing the Shadow at Samhain

10/12/2021

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At Samhain we face the shadow of death as we remember and honour the passing of our beloved ones that have moved beyond the veil. We also have other fundamental shadows that we face on our spiritual journey and these are all related to the fear of death. Facing the truth of these shadows can be very painful and we wonder if we will survive them.

Shadows or fears are our greatest teachers and the place of our power, but learning from them is an art. There are different ways to discover our shadows such as divination or meditation but most people have only one or two fundamental shadows that manifest in different issues or challenges.

These are the questions we need to ask when processing the shadows:

What are our shadows?
Where have they come from?
What have they taught us?
How have they shaped our life?
How can we release the negative aspects and keep the positive teachings and energy?

The Shadow (fear) of Abandonment

The fear of abandonment is a common fear that is the root of many other shadows such as being unable to love or trust, fear of moving forward, fear of telling your truth and much more. This shadow may have originated from trauma in childhood, divorce, death of loved ones, and many other losses. Sometimes people feel that shadows are also rooted in past lives.

Positive lessons from this shadow are gratitude for family and community, understanding the value of love, loyalty and never taking loved ones for granted. There could be many more positive lessons. Because of my experiences with abandonment I became committed to creating a loving and strong community. The Sacred Cauldron wouldn't exist without that! Some negative effects from the fear of abandonment could be not loving yourself, fear of trusting or loving others and worry that people will lie to you or leave you.

We can reinforce the positive lessons taught by our shadows when using affirmations. “I am worthy of love and family.” “I am free, and others are free to live their own lives. They are not forced to stay with me and I am not forced to stay with them.” “Love is a gift, not an obligation.” If you can acknowledged the positive ways the shadow shapes your life and the powerful lessons it has taught you, the strength of who you are and who are becoming in relation to these shadows is revealed.

One of the best ways to release the negative aspects of the shadows is to acknowledge first that you don't have to hold on to them, and then write them on a paper and burn them in a sacred fire. Whenever you see them creeping back in again because they have created a habitual internal dialogue, remember that they are not part of your life any more. We can change, we can grow and we can be free from fear! Blessed Samhain everyone!

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Is Wicca a Gender-Specific Spiritual Path?

10/11/2020

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In the big three religions of today God is seen as a paternal All-Father ruling his flock with a more or less heavy hand. The omission of the Divine Feminine principal and the fact that the Goddess can be found in Wicca is one of the main differences in belief systems.

For people struggling with gender identity, the idea that God might be only masculine or feminine is an obstacle to understanding the true nature of how Wiccans view the Immanent Divine.

God in Wicca is a fluid construct. We have five pantheons of gods and their sacred stories holding energies and power like hidden jewels, that can be accessed through ritual and spiritual/magickal work. Whether you as a Witch resonate with the Celtic, Norse, Roman, Greek or Egyptian Old Gods, there will be certain sacred beings that call to you. We refer to this resonance as 'creating correspondences'. For example, if you are focusing your spiritual work on understanding love, healing and compassion you might connect with the presence of a Goddesses of compassion and healing such as the Celtic Goddess Brighid, or the Greek Goddess Eleos. Are we polytheistic or monotheistic? Both and neither. We feel the separate energy of the Gods and Goddesses so in that sense we are polytheists, but if we feel that all Gods are part or aspects of one God/Goddess we could be seen as monotheists. This is the beauty of Wicca, no one is going to tell you how to approach or relate to the Divine.

For people who identify as transgender, or non-binary the idea that God is only male, or only male and female, seems to upset them. But no matter how you feel about it, God/dess is the creator and fertility and procreation on earth are related to the interaction of male and female. That is nature. Wicca is a nature based or earth based spirituality, meaning that we feel the Divine presence in the Sacred Earth and the polarity of gender is part of that. So yes, for Wiccans, God is feminine and masculine; but wait...there's more!

This is how we approach but it is not the end of the story. As we develop our deeper mystic relationship with the divine we begin to see the Sacred within everything. The earth is sacred, so is the mountain, the rain, the wolf, the human being and love itself. You are sacred and you are also a manifestation of the Creator. Sacred is not gender specific or even species specific; the divine can manifest in any way that it wants because God is a spirit and how spirit manifests into the physical is part of the mystery of life.

In Celtic Wicca we might call in the Sacred energies of Anu the Great Mother paired with Cernnunos the Lord of Wild Nature but as they combine within the Circle their energy is more than the sum of both of them. It is a balance of Earth and Sky, masculine and feminine, above and below, intertwined in a magickal dance that becomes Spirit which transcends male/female and the concept of gender. Spirit just is! It is the source of life and the place life returns when it has finished the dance.

It's hard to approach this source energy, or develop a personal loving relationship with it, especially for people muddling their way to enlightened evolution like us. It's easier to wrap our arms around a tree and feel the pulse of the green heart of nature, equating that with the archetype 'Mother' or the protection of 'Father'. Gender is only a possible beginning place for our relationship with God and Wicca is a spiritual system that can guide you through the mysteries towards a deeper meaning of the Divine within and without. Don't get hung up on the words used to describe a profound non-verbal experience. Who or what is God? That quest is your adventure, an experience that is neither gender specific nor religion limited!

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You Cast WHAT Kind of Spell?!!

2/5/2020

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Last night we were exploring Tarot Spells which involves a kind of active meditation and moving mentally into the images and the currents of power held by the archetypes within the cards. (See book by Janina Renee)

The Spell we cast was an 'opening' spell, a kind of new beginnings that would move the seekers onto the path of new adventures and awakenings, moving them off the old stagnant paths and onto a journey of discovery. I thought it would be a nice gentle kind of spell as I am teaching the students this way of casting. I know that there is tremendous power in the archetypes which are also directly connected with the paths of the Tree of Life and other cosmic energy surges but my idea was to create a pattern that would allow them to open up a little to new learning and possibilities so it would be easier for them to learn and feel the magick. Nothing more impressive than that!

Maybe I should have thought this through a little more!

I know that Magick is real because I practice it and I had no doubt that it would work. I led them on a guided visualization through the Fool, the angel of Temperance, The World Dancer and the New Born Child of the Sun and we used knot magick to solidify the changes. They went home, I had a cup of tea and went to bed. I had an amazing nights sleep, better than I've had in ages and when I woke up in the morning I felt as if it was Christmas Day and I was 5 years old. I had been worried by some personal problems that lay heavy on my heart, busy with day to day running of the Sacred Cauldron with all the community work and having some painful arthritic joints. When I woke up I felt free! I had no pain, my heart felt light and it was as if my worries had evaporated. I was inspired by all the things I had to do and did not feel overwhelmed.

As I started my day with no fatigue only eager excitement I suddenly stopped and thought: "What's different?" I'm usually an cheerful and optimistic person but this morning I felt like I was on something more than Yorkshire Gold Tea. I looked down at the string still tied around my wrist and remembered the feeling of the spell done in Sacred Space last night. I thought it was a gentle little spell, a nice little magickal working about as world changing as eating a chocolate biscuit, just a nudge to open up to possibilities. Ahem! I am feeling a major shift within me as the innocence and excitement of the Fool leads me into a new phase of my life, protected by a huge being of light, moving through the starry birth canal of the world dancer into transformation and renewal. What on earth was I thinking when I thought this would be little?

Now I wait with gratitude to see where this new life will lead me. Who knew that everything can change in a moment?

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The Book of Shadows Is Not Open To Debate

2/6/2018

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If Wicca was a tree, the core belief each Tradition shares would be the trunk and all the branches would be different ways to connect with that core belief. So what is our core belief? It is that Deity is imminent. This is why we call ourselves an Earth-based spirituality.

          Christianity and other Abrahmic religions believe that God is transcendent. "He” made the creation and someday we will return to “Him” if we follow the rules. Taoists believe that Deity is real but the world is not real, merely an illusion, and someday if we become “enlightened” we will merge back into the spiritual consciousness. Secular people believe that the world is real and that is all there is. There is no Divine here or anywhere else. Wiccans believe that Deity, God and Goddess, is present in the world and that the world is therefore sacred. For us God/dess is imminent AND transcendent. Our spiritual path changes us so we can interact and experience Deity in nature and in our lives. It is because of this main difference in theology that trying to be Wiccan and Christian at the same time, or Wiccan and other religions, doesn’t work.

          The BOS in each Tradition is their system for spiritual transformation leading to the awareness and realization of this belief. In other words, if you practice the Craft, you will experience the Sacred here and now. Of course if you don't practice, don't celebrate the Sabbats, and only come to Coven once in a blue moon nothing will happen. The BOS also gives guidelines for teachers, such as how to teach a session, who is ready for Initiation, Coven structure and so on.

          The Greenwood Tradition has a BOS. If you follow it you will become transformed and experience Deity. When Seekers come they sometimes want to argue with the Priestesses. They don't like or agree with something in the BOS. They are surprised when we tell them we don't want them to believe what we are saying indiscriminately, with blind faith! Don't mindlessly follow the BOS as if it were the Christian Bible. Just keep an open mind and see what happens when you try it. We know our system works because it has worked for us.

          We practice Celtic Shamanic Wicca. How do you know it's right for you? All bonafide Wiccan Traditions have at least one thing in common, they lead you to the same core experience...Deity is imminent. This is the way WE practice the Craft. It is right for us and we welcome sincere Seekers to share our way. Don't waste your Priestesses precious time by debating the value of our Book of Shadows. We welcome questions and the more the better. Saying things like: “I don't like the way your Tradition is run” or “I don't think Silver Moonbeam should be initiated” or “We should be able to vote on the BOS,” are not going to help you understand our Mysteries. You could ask WHY we do what we do and we will gladly explain. There is a reason for everything. If you don't like the way we do it, that's okay! You can join another Tradition, be a Solitary, or even start your own Tradition. The Craft transforms us...we know this because it has. If you open your heart and mind you will be transformed too.

          The Book of Shadows is not open to debate but it is open to testing, questioning and exploring. It is our way of transformation and we gladly share it with you in love. Take it, try it, keep some of it, keep all of it that is up to you. Your relationship with Deity is yours. If you want to stay with us and share our branch on the Holy tree that is Wicca, you are welcome to do that. This is the way we do it: from our heart to yours, the circle is cast.

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Witch's Soul Work: Magick Mirror

3/21/2015

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“If that which thou seek thy find not within thee, thy will never find it without.” (1)

The Craft involves deep soul work leading to understanding the authentic self, the connection with the divine, and understanding the Mysteries. If you were Buddhist you might called this enlightenment. What is enlightenment for Witches? Many people new to the Craft read the beginner books and think that that is all there is. I would like to share with you some of the ways that Traditional Witches do soul work, the way they approach and understand the Mysteries and an exploration of what the Mysteries are. This idea was inspired by a course called Soul Work from Cherry Hill Seminary (2) and from a comment by a woman on our local pagan internet site who said that she was quitting our group because we were not serious (i.e. fluffy) about our spiritual work. (Thank you dear!) The Craft is the most deeply spiritual path I know, but because it is hidden it is not easy to find. So let’s start!

Magick Mirror Work

In many traditions the work of the Initiated Witch starts with the path of the Magick Mirror. In this pathworking the practitioner travels inward to face her shadows and learn to know herself. (I’ll use the feminine in this column but that doesn’t mean that this is only for women!) We start with learning how to meditate.

Practice Question: Do you know how to meditate?

Test: Sit down and meditate for 5 minutes. Are you able to do it? If you can only clear your mind and settle into deep stillness sometimes; if you don’t know when you sit down if you will have a good meditation or a poor meditation then you need more practice. You should be able to meditate and fall into that silent place whenever you want to. It is a skill and it is not about forcing your mind to stop but rather using techniques such as breath work and chanting to gradually refocus the mind and then let it become still and peaceful. See a reference to help you below. (3)

The Ritual

Witches use ritual to raise power, celebrate and also to do magick. In the beginner books there are many good instructions on how to cast a circle and create sacred space. I’ll put some of my favourite books in the bibliography below. (4) I’m supposing that you already know how to do this so we’ll start from there. You will need two mirrors, the white (ordinary) mirror and the black mirror. The white mirror is the mirror of Truth and the black mirror is the mirror of Hidden Secrets. To make a black scrying mirror see reference below. (5) When you are not using the mirrors you should keep them wrapped in a cloth or pouch. You will also need a new notebook of some kind, also called a Book of Shadows. Create a ritual to call your Higher Self, the divine part of yourself, to be your guide on the Magick Mirror path. In this ritual the Elemental powers and the Gods will witness your commitment to this inner spiral and soul work. You also need to bless and consecrate both mirrors and the book.

The Practice

Every day, or at least three times per week, in a duly cast circle and in sacred space, meditate for ten to twenty minutes until your mind is still and peaceful. Look into the black mirror and ask yourself the questions: Who am I? What do I need to change? What do I need to embrace within myself? Let the answers come from your Higher Self and deep within your soul.

There are many things that can come up in this work: issues that are physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, relationship-related, sexual, work-related and so on. It often takes a year or more to finish. When you are finished the work you will feel very comfortable about where you are and who you are. You will have faced many shadows within your soul, accepted yourself for who you are and created ways to gently change if needed. You will be closer to becoming your divine self.

At each session write in your BOS. On the right side pages put down all the things about yourself that are good and that you love about yourself. Example: I am a woman. I love the way I nurture my children. I work hard. I’m kind etc. These relate to the Mirror of Truth. On the left side write down the things that you would like to change, for example: I would like to eat more healthy food. I would like to work in a job that nourishes me. I would like to be in a relationship where I am respected as an equal etc. The left hand pages relate to the Mirror of Hidden Secrets. Don’t be surprised if things come up that you are not aware of now.

Now take the Mirror of Truth (the regular mirror not the black one) and using the issues that are coming up in your Book of Shadows look at your own face and speak your truth. Use the word ‘you’, not ‘I’: You are a beautiful woman. You are good to your children. You are good at what you do. You deserve a healthy relationship etc. It will take time at first to get used to talking to yourself that way. Can you see the Goddess looking out at you through your own eyes?

Final Words

This article was first published in Pagan Pages in a series about the Mysteries of the the Craft. I plan to publish the rest of the series here each month. This is a very condensed description of Magick Mirror work but I hope it gives you a place to start. Next column I will write about how Witches use the Sacred Stories and Flying to further their soulwork.

References

1.       From the Charge of the Goddess http://www.doreenvaliente.com/Doreen-Valiente-Poetry-11.php#sthash.P4IdNm9n.dpbs

2.       Cherry Hill Seminary is a Pagan University http://cherryhillseminary.org/

3.       Here is one link that might help you to meditate. http://www.wikihow.com/Meditate-for-Beginners

4.       This is a great reading list: http://twilightwicca.com/?p=35

5.       To make your own black mirror you can see this link http://www.ehow.com/how_2276484_make-scrying-mirror.html

6.       This is an interesting on-line publication Called Wicca the Ancient Way that will give you some more ideas about the Craft as a mystical path. http://www.scribd.com/doc/11935771/Wicca-the-Ancient-Way

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How to Gracefully Leave a Coven

7/21/2014

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How to Gracefully Leave a Coven

(This article was modified from an entry in the BOS: Greenwood Celtic Shamanic Wiccan Tradition)

When you begin the journey with a group you make a commitment to the God and Goddess, to the brothers and sisters of the Coven and to yourself to stay for a year and a day. What happens if you cannot keep this commitment? What happens if you need to leave the Coven before the year and a day is up? How do you leave a Coven at any time?

Because we create a group mind it is very important to leave the coven in a way that will not hurt yourself or the others energetically. Is your reason for leaving the group that you are not doing any solitary work and feel that the group is leaving you behind? Do you feel that everyone else is way beyond you and that you don’t fit in? These feelings of insecurity strike all of us at times. If this is the reason why you think you should leave, discuss this with your teachers. They can help you see your way. Perhaps you are being too hard on yourself or don’t know how or where to start. That’s why we have a coven, for support.

If you are leaving because you realize that you have made a mistake and this path is not for you that is another thing altogether. You should think about your reasons carefully and then speak privately with the Priestess. With love and support she will help you and give you ideas about where your path may lead now. It is not a crime to leave the Coven. You are an individual and your path is unique, just as you are. You have the right to make mistakes. You have the right to change your mind.

If you want to leave because you are having trouble with someone in the coven, you should also discuss this with your teachers . Many of these kinds of problems can be solved. A coven is like family; sometimes there are squabbles and sometimes adjustments to be made. Do you really want to give up the support of a spiritual family and an opportunity to learn because of a problem that can be solved?

When you are quite sure that you want to leave, discuss it with your Priestess face to face, NOT in e-mail. If you are not sure, you can take a sabbatical to think it over and then decide. You don’t need to come to coven and make an announcement in front of everyone if you don’t feel comfortable. We take a three-month sabbatical as a way of leaving slowly. It gives the coven a chance to get used to not having you there and also a chance for you to make up your mind. If you leave and then realize that you have made a mistake and want to come back, it will be much more difficult.

The other day a former member who left in uncomfortable circumstances e-mailed me and ask to come back to the circle. The issues that she left behind were not resolved and although I wish her well her key just doesn't fit our door anymore.

What not to do:

Do not disappear one day without a trace and ignore e-mails and phone calls.

Do not just suddenly announce to the whole group by e-mail that you are not Wiccan and we are all a bunch of fakes.

Do not send a group e-mail two days before we are supposed to meet at your house that you are taking a Sabbatical, especially without telling the Priestess first.

Don't join another Coven to 'try it out' and announce to the group during a Sabbat feast that the other group is much better than ours. (Yes all these things have happened in our Coven!)

Please have common courtesy. Remember your promises of confidentiality; the Goddess is not happy with people that break their word. Because of the group mind, you can inflict pain on the others in the Circle connected as we are with energetic and spiritual ties. Our Coven is based on respect. We respect each other, and ourselves. You have entered the circle in perfect love and perfect trust and you can leave the same way. Let’s all be kind to each other!

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Anam Cara : Soul Friends

6/5/2014

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We read books about Wicca and the path calls to us. Do you remember the time you cast your first circle and lit your first candle to the Goddess? Later on we search for a Coven or a teacher that can help us go further. With great excitement and a little bit of nervousness we meet other Witches and finally find a Coven or group that we think will be the right fit for us.

There are so few Covens that are led by trained Priests or Priestesses. By trained I mean a woman or man who has trained under an Elder and been Initiated; someone who has studied the Craft and knows how to teach a Tradition. So you finally meet the Coven and the Priestess but you find that you don’t really like her very much. She may be younger than you, or much older. You get a feeling that you don’t connect with her. Even though everything that she is saying and explaining is wonderful and the circle energy is very good you think that maybe you should leave the circle. Unfortunately you realize there really are no other places to learn in your area. What should you do?

This happens from time to time with new Seekers, they don’t ‘like’ the Priestess or maybe they don’t like someone in the Coven. They mostly explain it as: We don’t connect. This is a mistake of a beginner because they are bringing their mundane attitudes and judgements into the Circle. The first thing is to listen. If the person is honourable, truthful, and honest; if they are following the Wiccan Rede and have not done anything to harm you, wait. Wait and listen to what they stand for and watch how they act towards others.

A Coven is a group of people seeking spiritual transformation. Many types of people, many ages, races sexual orientations and cultures join Covens and these people may never meet in normal circumstances. There is bound to be some misgivings at first. However it is important to understand that the Coven relationships are anam-cara, soul friendships. Outside of Circle you may not have much in common with the person but in Circle, if you can come with an open mind and heart, you will meet the true self of each member of the Coven.

Story Time

Here are other examples from my own life. Bran is one of the teachers in our Tradition. He wears leather, has tattoos and rides a Harley. He may look like a biker but he is a very knowledgeable Wiccan Priest with many years of experience. The first time he walked into the Sacred Cauldron we wondered: What is he doing here? Later on I married him!

Here’s another example: One of the Coveners came to me and told me she didn’t connect with Poppy (not her real name) and that she felt uncomfortable being in Circle with her. I asked her to explain why she felt that way. Did something happen? There was no reason, just a feeling. I happened to be very fond of Poppy and I knew that she had lived through terrible heartbreak in her life making her a little prickly! It took time for her to warm up to others and she was not a fuzzy cuddly type of person. I explained that while listening to our intuition is a good thing, bringing mundane judgement into a spiritual circle is not helpful. We are not marrying each other (at least not in our Tradition!) and we don’t have to hang out after Coven if we don’t want to. I told her a few things (with permission) about Poppy’s life and she was shocked. She started to look at her in a different light and they became friends. They don’t hang out after Coven and in the outside world they have very little in common but in the circle they now connect on a spiritual level, from heart to heart.

Here’s another example: I had a teacher that I greatly admired and asked her to come and give a talk. This teacher was very knowledgeable and advanced spiritually but she wasn’t a warm huggy type. She was self-assured, reserved and came across as a bit strict. She was a teacher coming to give a talk, not coming to make friends. Some of the people that came to her talk said: Well I don’t like her. She wasn’t very friendly.

They missed the point! Her talk was wonderful and the knowledge that she had shared was important. When you go to University, you don’t have to like your professors to appreciate what he teaches you. Changing your attitude and approaching an advanced teacher with respect and gratitude for what they teach changes the relationship you have with them. You are coming to learn so leave your judging at the door!

This doesn’t mean that you cannot walk out on someone who breaks the Rede as you interpret it. I once belonged to a Circle of women and one of the Priestesses told me that I would never become a Priestess and really feel the Goddess because I didn’t ‘bleed’. (I had undergone a hysterectomy because of uterine cancer.) You can be sure that I left that Circle because of attitudes that I couldn’t accept.

So if you find a High Priest or Priestess or a Mentor in the Craft, don’t judge them. You’re not joining a social club. Listen, be respectful, ask questions and thank them for their time. Let your heart learn from them. Be humble! Don’t miss your chance to experience the transformation of a Coven experience because of mundane judgement.

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May 07th, 2014

5/7/2014

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Gratitude: Have You Hugged Your High Priestess Today?

I looked after a little 93 year old lady who was in Auschwitz for 3 years during World War II. She saw her parents killed in front of her and begged the soldier to kill her too. Every night she still has images of the horrors that she experienced and yet she was one of the most positive and grateful people that I know. I asked her how things were going at the senior's residence where she lived and she said: "Darlink! It's like paradise here! Mine beautiful children visit me and everyone loves me!" Her face shone with happiness and I made me feel ashamed that I get sad about little things in my life. This woman rebuilt joy out of truly horrendous ashes.

When we focus on the negative it creates sadness, bitterness and even depression within us. A dark cloud descends as we rehash bitter memories of perceived wrongs, painful betrayals, losses and things we don't have. If we could focus on gratitude our lives would be filled with joy for what we do have and the wonderful things we have received, not the dark side of life. But practicing gratitude takes focus and work. If we are able to start each day with a short contemplation on the things we are grateful for, opening our hearts to receive more, the dark clouds disappear and everything changes.

One of the most important things to be grateful for are our spiritual teachers who have helped us on our path to happiness and balance. I was fortunate enough to have many wonderful spiritual teachers during my life such as Satsvarupa Goswami from ISKCON, Baba Hari das, Marnie MacDonald of the Reclaiming Tradition, Cathy Heiss from the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, Lady Rhiannon from the Coven of High Oaks, American Welsh Tradition and lately Fearn Lickfield, Ivan MacBeth and Salli Crow from The Green Mountain Druid Order. These teachers gave (and are giving!) selflessly of themselves, their time and energy to answer my questions and guide me on my way.

When I became a spiritual teacher myself I didn't do it for money, for honour, or for gratitude but rather as a way to thank the teachers who gave so much to me. I wanted to share what I have with others because it brought me closer to the heart of the God and Goddess. Selfless service strips the heart of ego and creates deep happiness that is not connected to materialism. But within this idea is a dilemma of sorts. I am not doing my work to receive gratitude but rather to repay with gratitude what I have been given; but in order for my own students to progress they need to understand that giving gratitude to me is part of their own spiritual work.

As the High Priestess I represent the Goddess in the Circle and in the world. But I am human. I make mistakes! So it is difficult for me personally to receive gratitude for my work. I must stay focused on my reasons for doing it and not let my ego get all puffed up thinking that I am so wonderful! It is the Goddess who is wonderful and I am her servant.

It sounds a little strange to hear me say to my own students that being grateful to me for what I have given them is part of their spiritual path, and not my own ego. I have had many students who came, took what they wanted, and left without saying thank you and are now using the knowledge I have given then without any acknowledgement. That doesn't matter to me but it is actually doing to harm them because it is stealing, ungrateful and hardens the heart.

So I invite you all to remember the teachers in your life that have given you so many gifts, helping you to be where you are now, and don't forget them in your prayers and in your biographies. You may be a very important spiritual leader now, but giving thanks to your teachers will teach the lesson of gratitude to your own students. Have you hugged your High Priestess today?

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May 07th, 2014

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