Doing "What Feels Right" in Wicca

I adore my witch study group because they make me think. I find myself challenging years of training, years of study, and many preconceived notions. Today was especially challening. One young, firey member whom I treasure questioned why she had to trust what others say when, even as a new and inexpereinced witch, she knew in the depths of self what felt right whether or not she had the experience to back it.

At the risk of painting my back with a target, I'm going to risk wading in on this one. Remember, this in only my .02 cents worth, backed by coven work, solitaire work, and my eclectic leanings after leaving several covens over the years. So yes, I know my stuff. Nope, don't know everything: )

Generally, when a new person petitions to enter a group, be it a coven, grove, or whatever, they are taught tools/associations/etc. The reason is that in order to enter the group mind, and to achieve tighter focus/results, if everyone has the same view of "green means money" or "blue means healing when we can't use green cause it would cause harm" or "wand represents wisdom/air" while athame represents "fire/will" then the group can effect stronger magic because everyone is working together with the same associations/imagery.

Now, that does not negate the use of personal associations/"feels right" kind of stuff. When that group member is at home they may choose yellow for a healing color because they gave a cool piece of citrine on the altar that works for them. The solitaire might use a piece of black obsidian instead, because they want to target cancer cells and destroy them. In each case, magick is effective. In each case, the witch had studies, prepared, and knew what they were doing.

Now, let's look at an example of the danger of doing "what feels right" without having studied or been part of a group. Let's say my friend has cancer and asks for a healing spell. I know that green is good for healing, so I use it as a part of my healing ritual. It feels right. What I don't realize is that green, as a color of growth, will actually grow my friend's cancer even faster. If she steps into my circle without special shielding, the circle energy will grow her cancer even faster. These are the counter intuitive aspects that not being a part of a group to train, or not being a part of a list like this one, or not asking those who have been around a while. I can't emphasize this enough: there are counter-intuitive aspects of magick that can cause harm.

Stepping out even further on a limb: Outside of magic, "what feels right" for a twenty-year-old is not the same as "what-feels-right" for a fifty year old. The same applies to magic. Now, on the flip side, that might mean that I, as an older memeber of the community, limit myself unnecessarily because I have developed so much caution, or because I have bought into coven teaching without questioning as much as twenty-something.

Consequently, I think that we function better in the pagan community when we discuss, share, listen to teach other. Age does not buy me respect or knowledge. Age does not negate your knowledge/experience. We learn together. Nevertheless, those of us who have practiced awhile, who are crones, who do research have an edge all sould pay attention to and benefit from. And it can be a matter, especially in a discussion group, of taking what you want and leaving the rest.

Choosing a Magickal Name

My email list has been talking about choosing a magickal name, so I thought it might be fun to post my email response here:

When I first began reflecting on a name, I was required to write a paper on the name I choose. I choose the name Weaver partly because I love the image of weaving the web of life. Indeed, I ran a book review site for many years called WordWeaving (yes, still part of my email address). My sister-of-the- heart, who also went through both The Grove of the Eternal Harvest training, and later, Grove of the Unicorns, became Spinner (she's a fiber-geek, so of course it fit her). We were dedicated together, forming a permanent bond on this path. By choosing names that also go together, we were ever more tightly bonded. Our friendship still shows that bond, though our names have changed over the years.

An impasse with a Lady Luna led to the name Grace. As a first degree initiate, though I had been on the Wiccan path five years, she didn't think I was ready to be DreamWeaver. She suggested Grace, which is a powerful word with powerful meaning for me. I find it appropriate that my wife's first name means Grace.

With my third degree, I put all my names together. Others choose a completely different name, as did my sister-of-the- heart. For me, transforming my name into Grace DreamWeaver brought together the disparate parts of self into a unified whole. I love the name and I value what it says about me. It also challenges me to step out of my anal retentive, Virgo self and into the world of dreams, possibility, and magick. I am:

Lady Grace DreamWeaver,
Priestess and Daughter of the Gods

I love that phrase...LOL it's part of a traditional Unicorn quarter call...but it's empowering. For me, when I need to ground and center, stepping into an uncomfortable situation or facing something unknown or difficult, it's become a Mantra. I still here Lady Amber calling quarters, calling the Lord and Lady, using that phrase and I still feel the shiver of power going up my back.

Of course, today I would follow up with: Servant of the Goddess Bastet, She of the litter boxes, cat food, and petting (that's a bit humbling...LOL). Back to chores and homework!

“A time out of time, and space out of space"

I have done a lot of ritual magic over the years. As part of a coven we often worked together to ask for such things as healing or bounty for all of the covenstead. Indeed, I was trained in a healing grove so a lot of our work was for that purpose. Lady Amber always began her classes with very specific instructions and tools. By the time students initiated, they could cast circle and a ritual with no tools at all. Skill in both methods has its own time and place. Indeed, I have gone from being trained very ritualistically to become a very eclectic witch. But I think beginning with such a ritualistic approached honed my abilities.

Now as a solitaire and part of our loose, unnamed, circle of women that shifts from celebration to celebration, my magick use also shifted considerably. Indeed, cones of power aren't a large part of my life these days. Usually we do one in our group, but it's pretty watered down at our women's group--not the kind of energy raising I did as a covener. I looked in my book of shadows the other day, and since taking my third degree two years ago I might have less than a half dozen new workings in it. I had thought maybe I had fallen behind on what I should do. I love this topic, because it has provided me opportunity to think it through... I think I have done exactly enough. And there are other things to do with ritual. Often we celebrate the sabat/esbat; maybe do a visualization to draw upon its meaning and invoke its power in our lives.

I've come to believe that asking (or doing magick) for what we want/need can be part of personal responsibility. The gods/esses give us voice and the ability to direct our will. When we need something, we have the ability to do both mundane/magick things to make it happen. I don't belive that we are limited by the god/esses within ethical boundaries. For me, it's more like I had grow enough to know to ask. I had a hard time, for many years, reaching beyond my own self-imposed limits caused by shame and wounds of the past.

Furhtermore, for me magick is prayer with props. And often I no longer need the props. Instead, I seem to keep a running conversation with my Lady, whispering words or demanding needs as appropriate. I find the Universe tends to listen if I am bodacious and clear. Tentativeness does not get anywhere. And perhaps that where props are most useful, because they can focus intent and sometimes even multiply it. But I can't always be home in front of my altar when needs arise.

Major workings, for me, require major planning. I have a friend who needs a healing ritual in the fall. I talked it over with the woman who will maiden last night. Cameron will priest (she channels male energy amazingly well). We'll spend a lot of time working out our thoughts; I'll revisit a chakra balancing visualization I worked up four years ago. We'll all spend a lot of time thinking it through and we probably won't do the work until after Samhain. It's that serious of a working.

Shifting my thoughts a little: Sacred space may contain a very formal altar setting with all the elements, gods, goddesses, etc represented. Or it may be devoted to a specific need. Currently I have only a central candle with a spiral path drawn in dirt to represent my friend Truth Teller's passage to summerlands. Last night our little group at the house added pink/green candles charge with balance and harmony to see the griever's through this time. Each person present charged the candles with our intent -- the room fairly hummed before we were done. The candles will burn anytime we're home to tend them --and we envision them burning steadily in our own astral spaces.

I think sacred space becomes very individualistic. I have come to think of spaces in which I do therapy with my clients as sacred space. A place to touch the numinious and to tap into the archetypes of the universe to find the warriors, heroes, seekers within us all.

I do much less magick than I used to. I also include what I want "or better" to leave room for the universe's creative energy to provide things I haven't even thought of. Often it's not specific outcomes which I target, anyway. Like for the mourners for Truth Teller. I asked for balance and haromny so that each person's higher self, especially Priestess, can move through the process of mourning in their own ways and at all their own pace (nope, I'm not a fluffy bunny, but all thoughs have their place!). Spells like this I actually think of as "prayers with props".
Usually, I believe, our high selves know what we need to. So sending energy to higher self is often quite enough. Your own good intent reached the universe, for example, without your ever having worked magick, still resulted in a positive outcome simply because you put positive energy out there without forcing your own intent. Or at least, that can be one interpretation : )

I believe magick is much like a very strong herb. A little bit can go a long way.