of Vesta, the Greek goddess of home and hearth.
•June 21: Summer Solstice, when fire circles honor Midsummer—the longest day.
•July 7: Nonae Carpotinae, an ancient Roman custom celebrating women with feasts under the fig tree.
•July 17: Isis Day, when the Egyptian goddess queen is honored and embodied.
•August 2: Lammas Day, a ritual of remembrance for Earth Mother and Fortuna.
•August 13: Festival for Diana, the huntress moon goddess, who is worshipped with fires and pilgrimages.
•August 21: Consualia, greeting the coming harvest with dances, feasting, song, and contests of speed and strength.
•September 23: Autumnal Equinox, the pagan time for giving thanks.
•October 31: Hallowmas, the witch’s New Year, when the veil between worlds is thinnest.
•December 19: Opalia observes Ops, the ancient goddess of farmers and fertility.
•December 21: Winter Solstice, the shortest day.
For centuries, witches have understood that friendship is a high art, never to be taken for granted. Even the most congenial of friends have to focus their intentions to maintain harmony and reinforce their bonds. I have seen numerous people lifted to new heights by the encouragement of a friend. I have also seen more than one friendship end in ruin over a simple misunderstanding. This, of course, could have been avoided with a little magical intervention.
Witchcraft is a powerful tool to pave the way for both letting others into your life and for enriching the relationships that already exist. In extreme situations, spell craft can also be used to heal deep wounds so friends can move on, either alone or together. People often think of witchcraft as a solitary undertaking, best done between you and the moon. But the craft was originally nurtured and informed by groups of friends passing on herbal remedies, exchanging favorite plant seeds, and working spells together in covens.
Friends were also responsible for capturing the lore, spells, and healing arts of fellow witches and keeping the magic alive through the grand oral tradition of yore. On the wings of friendship, witchcraft flew and grew to be practiced worldwide. In its essence, Wicca is a wisdom tradition intended to aid and abet our evolution, both individually and communally. It helps us maintain spiritual harmony with the earth and the stars while also balancing our relationships with others.
Witchcraft reflects the soul of humanity, celebrating the richness of the natural world around us and the beauty of the human heart. Spell craft has been used for centuries to sow an especially fertile ground for friendships. It teaches us to accept people for who they are and discourages us from passing judgment, and, as I have grown, I have learned from my friends, both pagan and not, that tolerance is the best ingredient for a long and rewarding friendship. My girlfriends and I bolster each other emotionally by sharing our secrets, our fears, and our loves won and lost.
With my male friends, the same holds true, perhaps with less complication. Friends have seen me through heart-shattering breakups, a divorce, a cross-country move, and more job-related ups and downs than I care to mention. I, too, have been the caregiver, consoling and counseling as best I could. Throughout, I’ve used spell craft to make these transitions richer and smoother.
If you are “flying solo” and wish to seek the company of like-minded people, you have only to focus your craft. As the old saying goes, when the pupil is ready, the teacher appears. I have included spells that range from very simple to more advanced in the craft.
Enhance your self-appreciation in order to call on new people to enter your life. Remember, “Know thyself,” and “To thine own self be true.” This you must do before you can offer your gifts to someone else. A strong, centered sense of selfhood will enable you to reach out to others without giving your “self” away.
If you are fortunate enough to have a group of friends who share an affinity for witchcraft, you can form a coven. Traditionally, covens gather at least twice a month, for the new and full moons. I have known some covens that met once a week in order to learn more about each other and build the level of their craft together. These groups of friends become much like family—feasting, planting, and maturing together.
Witchcraft has taught me to treasure my friendships, which, like the finest wines, grow better through the years. My best friend Abby and I, both practicing witches, realized long ago that the greatest magic we had created was “us.” That is why I bestow upon you these sacred spells, to enhance your inner conscience and your external bonds. As with all witchcraft, master these lessons so you can share them with others. The rewards know no bounds.
The Lore of Love
Ivy wreath:
Because of ivy’s unchanging green color and clinging nature, it has become a symbol of friendship and fidelity. In ancient Greece, it was given to brides and grooms at weddings.
Creating connections, Celtic Knot:
Tying a knot symbolizes connection, continuity, and union; whoever pulls on the knot will only make it more solid.
To prepare the way for letting new friends enter your life or to focus your attention on existing friendships, set up an altar where you can concentrate your energy and clarify your intentions. If you already have an altar in place, incorporate some of the following elements to enhance your relationships with others as well with yourself. The more you use your altar, the more powerful your spells will be.
Your altar can be a low table, the top of a shelf, or even a shelf. First, purify the space with the smoke of a lit sage bundle. This is called “smudging” and is an essential part of witchcraft. You can dry wild sage to use or purchase it in any herb store. Once you have smudged the space, cover your friendship altar with a pink-colored scarf or cloth and place pink and white candles in each of the four corners. (Pink is the color of affection and white represents purity.) Place rose quartz and calming fluorite stones around a vase of fresh flowers, often with poppies, daisies, or whatever connotes fun and friendship to you.
As a centerpiece, place on the altar a photograph of your friends or an image that represents companionship in your life.
Light the candles, kneel before your newly created altar, and say:
•
I light the fire of loyalty,
the heat of heart, and the flame of friendship.
Brightest blessing, great Goddess bring.
The spirit of friendship will surely sing.
As the fates do dance, I welcome the chance
to share my love and my life.
So mote it be.
•
