the art of weaving, and his devotion to utter truth to help further his revolutionary goals. The Reverend Martin Luther King’s civil rights movement consisted of rituals, songs, and chants that started in southern black churches, where people were called upon to turn the tide and create reforms in civil rights. King and his followers used spirituals as a shield, chanting their gospel songs while facing down the police and soldiers. Nelson Mandela, born into the Xhosa tribe in the Cape Nguni region of Africa, ousted apartheid in South Africa in an equally inspired way. In his biography, Mandela recollected about his childhood that his “life, and that of most Xhosas at the time, was shaped by custom, ritual, and taboo. This was the alpha and omega of our existence, and went unquestioned.” Recently, we have seen suppressed traditions such as Wicca and other traditions of Witchcraft becoming popular. Wicca has a wonderfully straightforward approach to the subject of ethics through a strong code based on moral and personal responsibility. A brief outline of the three principles of the Wiccan way follows.
The Wiccan Rede
In his book, The Meaning of Witchcraft, Gerald Gardner states, “An ye harm none, do as ye will.” This statement encourages the individual freedom to do as you see fit so long as it does not affect anyone negatively. While you pursue your own interest, that is, think of how what you do affects others. This applies to all aspects of life, but especially with ritual and spell work because you are working with energies that have wide-ranging powers. This rule requires real attention and a high degree of consciousness in terms of assessing the repercussions of any action in regard to all the possible physical, spiritual, emotional, and psychological consequences as a result of all ritual work.
The Threefold Law
“What you do comes back to you threefold” resembles the Buddhist principle of karma. the Threefold Law is a directive to always think of the consequences of personal actions, including rites, ceremonies, and spells you perform. Negativity comes back to you three times over, so attention to attitudes and thoughts is absolutely essential. The flip side of this law is that positive energy also comes back to you threefold. Kindness, love, and generosity are all magnified. This is also a reason to do ritual work for long-distance healing and for global issues such as peace, the environment, and world hunger. Send good works and helpful intentions out to others and you yourself will benefit.
The Golden Rule
“Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Many people might find it amazing that Neo-Pagans and Christians share this basic rule of morality that places personal responsibility at the highest level. In other words, the “right action” is up to you and is of ultimate importance. The Bible tells us that “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
You don’t have to be Wiccan to appreciate these basic principles for responsible use of ritual. These few, simple guidelines are universal in nature and can apply to any walk of life and to any spiritual practice. It is also vital to respect the diversity of religions. Respect others as you wish to be respected. In their ability to impact others, magic and ritual are serious undertakings. With good intentions and heightened awareness about managing energy, you can learn to become a responsible ritualist. Anne Niven, publisher of the excellent SageWoman, PanGaia, and newWitch magazines, recently related a story of a writer who was unintentionally teaching a less than responsible ritual. This writer’s recommendation was for teenage girls to go for a walk near a body of water and invoke the spirit of a suicidal banshee there to help work through their depression. To work with such an unbalanced spirit while in an extreme emotional state is potentially dangerous. We need to think our rites through in regard to short-term effects, long-term effects, and how we and others will be affected by our ritual work. Careful consideration will go a long way toward increasing the effectiveness of your work. A simple rule of thumb is to trust your instincts and do your research really well. Also, never take the gods and goddesses lightly, as these ancient energies are very powerful. To protect yourself, learn as much as you can about the deities, as well as the herbs, flowers, oils, and essences you intend to use. Honoring the earth and caring for our precious environment is absolutely essential as well. Ritual requires consciousness and integrity, traits that will serve you well in every path of your life. As a ritualist, you should walk your talk and act responsibly in all your work.
The Essential Tool Kit: Everything You Need for Rites and Rituals
Magic resides inside of us; we create it with our thoughts and actions. It is our deepest personal power, and we are all born with it. This is the energy we draw upon each and every day of our life. The goal of ritual is to bring about needed change. It is how we make things better for ourselves, for the people in our lives, and for our world. From an inner place of intention, we are working to bring about change for peace, prosperity, love, health, home, spirituality, and other areas in our lives that are always in need of improvement.
When you establish a sacred space and use your magical tools in it, you can create a place where the mundane world is left behind. It can be in your home or your backyard where, despite the noise of the day-to-day, you can touch the sacred. There is no need to ascend to the top of a mountain or to a silent retreat in search of the scared; anywhere you choose can become a place of magic where you cast the circle.
The magic circle is created by “casting,” or drawing in the air with concentrated energy. Inside this circle, energy is raised, rituals are performed, and spells are worked. The sacred space is also where you call upon the gods and goddesses and become attuned to your own special desires. With attention and focus, working in the circle can be a truly intense experience. All your senses will come alive. You will feel, see, and hear the energies that you invoke. You will have created a tangible sphere of power.
You can cast a circle anywhere—out in the forest, on a beach, or in the comfort of your own home. Wherever the circle is cast, that space becomes your temple. If you are in your kitchen or living room, stack the chairs against the wall to define the limits of your circle. The Wiccan tradition specifies that the circle must have a diameter of nine feet. That said, a circle could actually be any size to accommodate a large group of people or just yourself. Many Wiccans and other Pagans case a circle for spell work and to enclose every seasonal sabbat celebration.
In truth, casting a circle is only limited by the imagination or the function you ascribe to it. The magic begins at your altar with your sacred tools. To be fully imbued with energy, your tools of magic and ritual should reside upon your altar. Collecting your ritual tools should be a pleasant search that can take months or even years. Although making ritual tools is satisfying, you can also find them in flea markets, at antique stores, and craft fairs around the country. Nowadays, the Internet and several terrific mail-order catalogs such as The Pyramid Catalog and Mystic Trader also offer superb tools for sale. Always make sure you cleanse and purify your new tools, whether they are antique or just made, to ensure that the energy is yours and yours alone. Think of your ritual tools as energy conductors that absorb and project energy of the environment and the ritual work that you perform.
Ritual Tools
Every ritual tool is sacred to the individual who is performing the ritual act. Whether your find your tool in a store or whether it is given to you as a gift, each tool should hold special meaning and should feel absolutely perfect to you as you use it.
Athame
Pronounced “a-THAW-may,” this is your magical knife. It can also be a ritual dagger or sword, and I have even seen a Tibetan dorje (the
