The New Witch

Jones Marie D.

Description

Wicca is considered the fastest growing religion in the United States, according to The Pew Center

Interest in reconnecting with nature, the Earth and all of its magical forces at an all time high.

Focuses on modern ways to make the old craft fun, exciting, inspiring, and workable on any budget with tips on how to find tools and items for spells and ritual.

Examines the modern role of witches and pagans as activists for the Earth, the environment, and for equality and justice.

A field guide to being a witch in the 21st century.

Logical organization makes finding information quick and easy

Numerous color photographs and illustrations

Thoroughly indexed

Authoritative resource

Ideal for anyone interested in natural, Earth-based beliefs, practices, and traditions, with plenty of tips for the modern age.

Publicity and promotion aimed at the wide array of websites focused witchcraft, natural healing, and the supernatural

Promotion targeting more mainstream media and websites on a popular topic

Promotion targeting national radio, including Coast to Coast and numerous other late-night radio syndicates looking for knowledgeable guests

Promotion to local radio

Promotion targeting magazines and newspapers
Celebrate the Modern Witch!

Good energy. Sacred spaces. Healing, harmony and balance. Honoring Earth and nature. Developing your sixth sense. Tapping into your natural talents and creativity. Unlocking your potential. Being your best self. Connecting your soul to life, nature, and all living creatures. Harnessing the power of natural magic, The New Witch: Your Guide to Modern Witchcraft, Wicca, Spells, Potions, Magic, and More bridges the ancient pagan ways of our ancestors and today’s digital world to help you live a happy life to its fullest.

Embracing the past and honoring the future, The New Witch focuses on the harmony between the “new way” of technology and the “old way” of living. It brings together the brave new world of gadgets and social networks with the wise nature-based traditions of our ancestors by offering ideas on how to combine the old with the new for a more successful, fulfilling practice. Discover and learn about …

Finding tools and items for spells and rituals

Amplifying the good and dispelling the bad

“High Magic” versus “Low Magic”

Getting grounded, alert, and aware for spell casting

Finding substitutions for items you might not have available

Learning the astrological correspondences of candle colors

Recharging your own energy

Building your intuitive muscles

Adding love in your life

Calming anxiety

Lifting your vibration

Improving sleep

Learning the connection between the Moon’s phases and Moon magic

Understanding the benefits (and detriments) of technology

And much more!

Rediscovering the past and aligning it for today’s world, The New Witch offers a look at fresh, new ways to make the old craft fun, exciting, inspiring, and workable on any budget. It covers everything from spell casting to ritual work to divination methods to herbal medicine in today's world, plus tips on social networking, making a podcast, finding tools of the craft online, finding and creating products to sell, and more. You’ll discover how to bring balance and harmony to modern life through the inherent magic found in nature. With many photos, illustrations and graphics, this tome is richly illustrated. Its helpful bibliography and extensive index add to its usefulness. It's the Field Guide for the Modern Witch!
The Feri Tradition

Feri is a modern form of American Traditional Witchcraft founded in the 1960s by Victor and Cora Anderson and passed down through initiation. It is a diverse ecstatic spiritual tradition that seeks to transform the initiate through ritual magic, energy work, healing, and meditation and emphasizes the more natural and wild forms of magic and sorcery. There is also an emphasis on sensual experience including sexual mysticism. Some scholars categorize Feri as a Wiccan tradition, and others as witchcraft.

Victor was a gifted witch and shaman, and he was legally blind since childhood, but soon developed the skill of reading auras He claimed that in 1926, a group of fairy women initiated him into witchcraft. Cora was a descendent of a “root doctor” who called himself a Druid and worked with herbal remedies. She was also a kitchen witch and psychic. She and Victor met and created the tradition, initiating about thirty people into the craft over the course of forty years, one of whom is Starhawk, a famous witch and writer, whose best-selling book “The Spiral Dance” is considered a classic and was influenced by Feri teachings.

Feri has many elements from various cultures and their magical systems including Huna; Conjure; Voodoo; Tantra; Celtic Folklore; Christian Mysticism; Yezidi Mythology; Greek Gnosis; and others and focuses on direct experience for practitioners and those initiated into the mystical tradition. It may also be referred to as Faery, Faerie, or Fairy traditions.

Feminist and Activist Witches

Some covens and solitary witches are devoted to working for equal rights for women, LGBT, animals, and indigenous peoples and focus most of their craft on activism and spell casting for a better world. Every witch honors and reveres nature and wants a better world, of course, but activist witches organize meetings, marches, petitions, and work on political campaigns to promote people who will treat the world with more respect. The activist witch can be an armchair activist working from home spell casting and writing letters, emails, and phone calling, or someone who is out in the world educating and enlightening others and fighting the good fight. The activist witch is usually also a green witch, and someone who recycles and engages in environmental activism to clean up their neighborhoods. With the rise of feminism in the 1960s, many witches and pagans alike have embraced activism into their daily practice as a way of using magic and the forces of nature to improve the quality of life for all living things.

Modern witchcraft allows for a witch to be any of the above styles and descriptions. The bottom line is to be the witch you are meant to be and practice the kind of craft that resonates with your heart and spirit. Just like any other area of life, trying to shoehorn yourself into a particular brand or description can hamper the amazing energies and gifts you bring to the craft in general. It may take some time to come to understand where you fit in best, or what feels most right to you, but once you get there, go with it. Never let another witch or any outside person tell you how to practice, what to believe, and who you are as a human being, or a witch.

Tip: In 1986, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recognized Wicca as a religion and belief system protected by the First Amendment. In 2014, Wicca had become the fastest growing religion in America, and the numbers of Wiccans, witches, and pagans continues to grow faster than any other religion. In England and Wales, Wicca and other pagan traditions, including Druidism, have seen a major revival in popularity since 2001.

The Wiccan Traditions

Wicca is not a synonym for witchcraft, as many have thought over the decades. While witchcraft is looked upon as a practice or craft, Wicca is considered a spiritual or religious tradition, even though they both share so many things. Wiccans subscribe to the Wiccan Rede, their Golden Rule, which states, “Do what you will but harm none.” Wiccans also worship a Lord and Lady deity as witches do with gods and goddesses, but like goddess-based witchcraft, Wicca has a tradition that strictly focuses on the feminine, the Lady. This is the Dianic tradition. Dianic Wiccans worship the huntress goddess Diana and do not recognize a god or male deity.

Dianic Wicca is the only form of witchcraft or paganism that is focused on the feminine divine exclusively and embraces modern women’s rights. Many Dianic Wiccans become feminist activists fighting for equal rights and equal pay, and they are messengers of the power of the female and female sexuality. One of the founders is Z. Budapest, a Wiccan author and activist who lead the Susan B. Anthony Coven in Los Angeles. Her book, “The Feminist Book of Lights and Shadows” serves as the basic textbook for Dianic Wiccan rituals, spells, and rites. By the way, witches don’t hate men, or exclude them out of hatred. They simply realize there must be a return to balance and are drawn to the energies of the feminine divine that is expressed through them.

Though Wiccans follow many of the same holidays and ritual celebrations as witches do, they may have their own spin or uniqueness, and they consider their focus the Wheel of the Year, with cycles and seasons marked with sabbats, and esbats, or festivals that honor that time of the year, such as Halloween, Beltane, Imbolc, and Yule. More on those later.

Tip: Never call a male witch a “warlock.” It is a totally inaccurate and derogatory term more popularized by movies and pop culture but does not describe a male witch. During the witch trials in Europe when witches were tortured, they would often under duress give the names of others who were witches. The word “warlock” was applied to these poor souls because it meant “traitor, accuser,” and never had any association with the practice of witchcraft itself. A male witch is a witch and calling him a warlock is claiming he is some kind of traitor or betrayer. Don’t use that term!

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction: In with the Old, in with the New

1) The Old Ways: A Brief History of Witchcraft

2) Which Witch Are You?

3) Gods and Goddesses

4) What Witches Do and Believe

5) Magic Potions, Elementals, and Correspondences

6) The Wheel of the Year

7) Amulets and Talismans

8) Setting Up Your Altar

9) Candles, Crystals, and Gems

10) Casting the Sacred Circle

11) Divining the Future Path

12) Moon Magic: Working with the Phases of the Moon

13) The Power of Rituals

14) Wortcunning: Kitchen Witchery

15) Symbols and Sigils

16) Power Animals and Spirit Guides

17) Technology and Witchcraft

18) Green Living, Gaia, and Environmental Activism

19) A New Spirituality for a New Era

20) Easy Spells, Potions, and Rituals

21) Everyday Witchcraft

Further Reading

Index

Sujets

• Witchcraft
• Spirituality
• Wicca

Informations

• Publié par: Visible Ink Press
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781578597284
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

Never hope to find wisdom at the high colleges alone: consult old women, gypsies, magicians, wanderers, and all manner of peasant folk, and learn from them, for these have more knowledge about such things than all the high colleges.
-Paracelsus (1493-1541)
There is a responsibility that comes with being a witch, and it is to have an open heart, and to spread magic, not fear.
-Corinne De Winter
You are the most powerful and magical being. You have no need for trinkets and tools to empower your casting or ritual. You re an energy that when you BELIEVE taps directly to source. Tools can help...but we rely too heavily on the props of the craft. The truth is it all comes from within. You could stand in your bare-naked butt if you chose to and be the most powerful conduit of magical power.
-Phiona Hutton, Sisters of the Mist
A Witch is born out of the true hunger of her times.
-Ray Bradbury, Long After Midnight
Photo Sources
ANELKAOS (Wikicommons): p. 9 .
Kyle Cassidy: p. 15 .
Walter Crane: p. 52 .
Dedda71 (Wikicommons): p. 62 .
Anselm Feuerbach: p. 228 .
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery: p. 48 .
Heron Herodias: p. 31 .
Midnightblueowl (Wikicommons): pp. 50 , 100 .
William Rimmer: p. 74 .
Guillaume Seignac: p. 47 .
Shutterstock: pp. 2 , 4 , 12 , 14 , 17 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 27 , 29 , 35 , 41 , 44 , 58 , 66 , 68 , 70 , 72 , 78 , 80 , 90 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 96 , 98 , 103 , 106 , 108 , 113 , 118 , 120 , 123 , 130 , 134 , 138 , 141 , 142 , 144 , 151 , 152 , 153 , 156 , 157 , 163 , 166 , 167 , 171 , 172 , 174 , 176 , 177 , 180 , 184 , 185 , 187 , 189 , 192 , 193 , 196 , 197 , 202 , 203 , 208 , 213 , 216 , 220 , 222 , 223 , 226 , 233 , 236 , 238 , 240 , 243 , 245 , 249 , 250 , 253 , 256 , 258 , 263 , 265 , 268 , 270 , 277 , 279 .
Stepping-Stones of American History (W. A. Wilde Company, 1904): p. 11 .
Ethan Doyle White: p. 20 .
Zoharby (Wikicommons): p. 7 .
Public domain: pp. 5 , 28 , 82 , 85 , 140 , 147 .
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Photo Sources
Introduction
The Old Ways: A Brief History of Witchcraft and Wicca
Which Witch Is Which?
Gods and Goddesses
What Witches Do and Believe
Potions, Elementals, and Correspondences
The Wheel of the Year
Amulets and Talismans
Setting Up Your Altar
Candles, Crystals, and Gemstones
Casting the Sacred Circle
Divining the Future Path
Moon Magic: Working with the Phases of the Moon
The Power of Rituals
Wortcunning: Kitchen Witchery
Symbols, Sigils, and Power Animals
Technology and Witchcraft
Living Green with Gaia
Easy Spells
Easy Potions
Witchcraft Today
Appendix A: Gods and Goddesses
Appendix B: Stones and Their Powers
Appendix C: Useful Resources
Further Reading
Index
Acknowledgments
Marie would like to acknowledge Roger J necke, publisher extraordinaire of Visible Ink Press, who is just wonderful to work with. He and his company are an author s dream, and I am so grateful to be writing for them. Editor Kevin Hile, you are amazing. You make my writing shine and are so great to work with.
Lisa Hagan, my agent extraordinaire, is not only a fantastic mentor and agent but a dear friend. How lucky is that for a writer? Thank you for everything you do for me!
To my mom, Milly, who is my number one cheerleader as well as my mom and has to put up with me being a crazy writer, and my sister and best friend, Angella, who never fails to support anything I do no matter what it is. To my brother, John, and my extended family: thank you for being there! To my dear friends Wendy, Stephanie, Therese, and Jan-my girls-what would I do without you guys? To all of my friends, followers, fans: I d be nowhere without you guys and gals! To my writer and filmmaking colleagues: you inspire and motivate me every day! You know who you are, and I thank you for everything.
To every radio host who ever interviewed me, thank you. To all those who purchased my books, thank you. To every publication or TV show that featured me and my work, thank you. It s hard being a writer because you are one of so many out there trying to stay relevant, and these people keep me relevant and known to audiences. That is no small feat, and I am grateful.
To my dad, John, who passed on years ago, for instilling in me a love of science and the natural world, and to all of my grandparents who passed on: you are loved and thought of.
To every pet I ever had that had to put up with me working so much and not always being there to play: I apologize and love all of you.
But nothing I do would matter at all if it weren t for my son, Max. He is my Sun, my Moon, and my stars, and I am beyond blessed to have such a bright, insightful, sharp, scathingly funny, talented kid. Everything I do is for Max, and I hope it s enough.
Introduction
Most religious and spiritual traditions go through growing pains as they change and evolve over years, even centuries. Ideals and beliefs transform into something more fitting with modern times, even as they try to hold on to older traditions and rituals in an ever-changing landscape. Scientific knowledge and the rise of technology no doubt add to the need for belief systems to get with the times or fall by the wayside. If people can t relate to it, they won t believe in it.
When it comes to witchcraft and Wicca, these traditions have found a way to continue to embrace primitive roots and beliefs while modernizing alongside the growing affinity for technology, social networking, and the shifting ways of relating to others that now include screens of all sizes.
Witchcraft and Wicca have found the sweet spot of honoring the old ways in a new way that resonates with people who just twenty or fifty years ago would never have even considered looking at these traditions, or walking the path of Earth-based belief systems. These old systems have found incredible new life and are growing more popular by the day. Why? Perhaps it is because they offer a return to the natural world and a newfound respect of Mother Nature while allowing for growth, expansion, and enlightenment via the most cutting-edge methods by which human beings now relate to other human beings.
One look at Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram shows that witchcraft and Wicca feel right at home in the wild world of social networking, and have succeeded in drawing new eyes and minds to explore and experience the world of witchery enough to decide to either join or turn away from it. Never before in history has so much information been so accessible to so many people.
Perhaps that is why witchcraft and Wicca are growing like crazy while more traditional systems stagnate, struggling to find a way to keep up with the passage of time and the current needs of the people they serve. Witchcraft and Wicca offer a way, a tradition that is both formal and free, with different sub-paths to choose from depending on individual beliefs and preferences. The technology-driven world might seem in direct opposition to the nature-loving world of witchcraft, but the two have so much to offer each other when it comes to spreading knowledge and sharing information all over the world.
When it comes to witchcraft and Wicca, there simply is no out with the old, in with the new because both go hand in hand and both complement each other. The old is as revered as the new, for without the deep and ancient roots, the fresh and green treetops would never exist to touch the sky. It all serves to make up the tree of life. The new witch of today is a bridge between the ancient pagan ways of our ancestors, and the future of humanity.
Witchcraft is a return to the self, yet also a deeper connection to the soul of the world itself. Witches revere life and the planet we live on. Witches do not harm or kill people as some would try to have you believe because they are not empty or void of a strong inner spirit. They cultivate that inner spirit and their bonds with the natural world. They do their best to put out good vibes and healing.
If you are already a practicing witch who wants to expand his or her horizons, or a new witch who isn t sure where to go or what to do, come along on this journey. You are welcome here. There is no judgment or persecution. All are welcome as long as they respect themselves, others, and the planet and do no harm. Being a witch is more than just tossing runes or putting crystals on an altar. It s more than casting a spell for a healing or an increase in finances. It s more than dancing under the full moon with others of like mind. It s a way of life and one that just might help save the world.
As a witch on Instagram stated: A witch is someone who works with Nature, not against it. A witch has respect and awe for Nature, not disregard and contempt. A witch uses the gifts of nature with gratitude and reverence, not abusing it and destroying it for selfish gain.
Wiccans strongly believe in magic that can be manipulated through the form of witchcraft, according to Witchcraft and Witches , with spells being cast through the form of ritual practices often using a set of tools. The practice of spells is a conscious act seeking both inward and outward transformation, and is inextricably linked with the Wiccan notion of what is spiritual and how they understand their relationship with all beings, the Earth, and the Cosmos.
I am a student of nature and the Mother Earth, says another witch on Instagram. What she knows, I wish to learn.
As students of the Arts Magical, it is noted in Exploring the Pagan Path: Wisdom from the Elders, we have a responsibility to educate ourselves about the world around us. If we are to impose our will upon the universe, we ought to have a decent understanding of the natural order of things. Our power lies in our connection to deity, a link that requires constant maintenance.
Notice a pattern here? Not one of these practicing witches talks about evil or the Devil or making blood sacrifices. Not one talks about being better than others or even j