Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

A term that I have heard my mother use for many years, is “Slow and Steady, Fast and Fragile.” One of her favorite statements, she has used that phrase to cover a variety of things. From doing school work to building a personal relationship, my mothers advice was always the same. Slow and steady, fast and fragile.

As I have grown older, I have adopted this statement for myself as well. This is especially true in magick, as rushing through your spell or ritual hardly ever provides the results you are looking for. But this saying also applies to other things in Wicca as well, including your desire to start practicing the craft.

When a person is first starting to explore Wicca, it can be an exciting time. And why not? Perhaps I’m a bit biased as a witch myself but I think Wicca is wonderful! Even so, you cannot expect to start exploring Wicca one day, and the next suddenly be an expert that is performing spells and rituals that are always successful. You have to take the time to learn all that you can so that you are fully prepared and educated to properly handle the work before you. That’s not to say that you should spend years in study before you begin experimenting with various spells. However, having patience and taking your exploration slow is important. If you go to fast, the foundation of your knowledge may be too fragile and quickly start to crumble around you.

Being slow and steady is also something that even the more experienced witch needs to remember when practicing their work. A spell or ritual requires your undivided attention in order to be successful. You must be able to remain focused, without interruption or worry. If you are rushing through a spell quickly, chances are it will be a huge waste of time. Rather than trying to get that ritual in before you have to leave to pick the kids up from the babysitter, just wait. A spell that is performed too quickly without your full attention not only has the potential to be unsuccessful but damaging as well. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.

It almost seems to me as though people are becoming genetically coded to rush through life at full speed, with no concern of how quickly they are going or whether things are actually getting completed properly. In fact, whenever I hear the saying “They don’t build them like they used to” I am often reminded of my mothers favorite phrase. They really don’t build them like they used to, because today it is all about getting “them” build as quickly as possible. Whereas the builders in generations past took pride to build things with their own hands and take the time necessary to make sure that the quality of the work was superior and “steady,” modern builders only care about getting it done fast. There is no concern for quality, nor concern for how “fragile” something might be.

Yes, the life we are living right now is short. But that is no reason to speed through life not taking the time to do things properly. Whether you are doing something as mundane as cooking your nightly dinner, or something more complex such as performing a ritual or a spell, stop, slow down and make sure that what you are building is steady. Don’t go through life so fast that everything you build is as fragile as glass, for when it all comes crashing down it can end up being very painful.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”

Dear Friends,

As a witch, it is very important to me to connect with nature on a daily basis. My love of nature is a profound part of who I am, and I could not imagine not having it around me constantly. Fortunately, I am blessed enough that it is very easy for me to connect with nature on a daily basis where I live. I do realize however, that for some people it is not always so easy. Those of you that may life in suburbia or in large cities may have it a bit more difficult to make that connection daily, but fortunately there are some things that you can do.

Making a connection with nature does not have to be as difficult as some people think it is. You do not have to go on some wild journey through the wilderness to connect with the natural world around you. The connection can be as simple as growing a single flower in a flower pot, or believe it or not, having a fish tank next to your desk that you can enjoy. Making a connection with nature is a cinch. You simply need to learn to enjoy things that are from the natural world.

In a world with homes outfitted with central heating, air conditioning, electricity and more, it is easy for use to lose touch with the natural world. We’ve become so dependent on modern technologies and so obsessed with being civilized, that to many people anything natural is viewed as “dirty.” In fact, nature is the cleanest, purest thing that we have in our lives and is something that many people have forsaken.

Even if you live in a large city or suburb, there are still many places where you can make a connection with nature. Take a walk in the city park. Visit a pond or lake to view the wildlife. You can even simply walk through a rain shower or frolic in the snow and make a connection with nature that you never would have imagined.

Perhaps there are certain conditions you face which present you from performing such tasks so easily. You can still make a connection with nature right from the comfort of your home if that is the only option you have available to you. You can place a few birdfeeders outside of your windows so that you can watch the birds feed. Become a plant hobbyist and start cultivating a variety of different indoor and/or outdoor plants that you can enjoy. One of my absolute favorite ways to “get back to my roots” and make a strong connection with nature is to garden, and there is almost nothing I enjoy more than getting my hands dirty playing in the dirt while planting new plants that I can enjoy.

The ways that you can connect with the Earth are endless. Watching the sun rise or set, or simply gazing at the stars twinkling in the night sky make a connection with the universe that is unsurpassed. Watching the ant build it’s colony or the bird build it’s small nest helps to connect you with the simple acts of nature that are so important to the natural world that we live in. You see, in nature, everything works together. There is a balance that is essential to life as we know it. Once we open ourselves to see and recognize that balance, the world as we know it is forever changed. We realize that as humans, we do not dominate the world, but have part in a perfectly synchronized performance that happens naturally everyday.

I hope that all of you have found some way to make this beautiful connection with nature, and are able to enjoy the wonders of the universe that surrounds us in all of it’s glory.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”

While some ritual tools can last a lifetime, there are some that you may at some point find need to be retired. Perhaps your favorite goblet has developed a crack, or your crystal ball has a mar in it. Maybe you simply feel that your tool has lost some of it’s power, and is tired from a lifetime of magickal service. When it comes time to retire your ritual tools, there are certain steps that should be taken to ensure that your tools end their service in the proper and respectful way.

If you are extremely attached to your ritual tool, but feel it is simply not safe to use it anymore either because it is lacking in power or has become fragile, you can of course simply put the tool away in a safe place where it can live out the rest of it’s life in a peaceful place. You should of course cleanse the item before storage, but once the item is cleansed you can then store it in a cabinet, drawer or storage chest. If you desire you can absolutely put the tools on display for others to admire, but be careful allowing anyone to handle the tool if it is delicate and damaged.

Some people may consider the magick of sharing when retiring their ritual tools. Maybe the tools is simply something you were once fond of, but no longer enjoy. Perhaps you feel the tool still has a great deal of power to it, but it no longer speaks to you. In these cases, you may decide to share the tools and pass them onto others to use in their magick. Just because one tool may not work for you, does not mean it will not work for someone else. There are many ways that you can share your tools with others, and possibly even gain some new tools for yourself as well.

Tool swapping is very popular between witches. Maybe your friend has a robe that she no longer wants, but you absolutely adore it. At the same time, she is fond of the crystal wand you have but never use. Swapping these tools is a great way to enjoy the magick of sharing, retire your ritual tool, and gain a new tool all at the same time! You may also consider donating the tools to new witches that are just getting started and have yet to establish a good set of working tools, or to a teaching coven or group that teaches beginners how to properly use such tools.

In some cases, you may feel as though the tool just simply needs to be disposed of. This can often happen when a tool has somehow absorbed too many negative energies and cannot be thoroughly cleansed and restored with positive energy. There are different ways that you can respectfully and effectively dispose of the tools to let the energies be placed back into the universe and taken care of properly. In my personal opinion, the two best ways to do this are by burial or by fire. If you choose to bury the item, you must make sure that the tool you are burying will not harm the environment in any way. Next, you will need to make sure that the tool is buried in a location where it will not be disturbed or found.

If you choose to destroy by fire, make sure it is done in a safe manner and that the item will not release dangerous smoke toxins, explode, or anything else of that nature. All of these retirement methods should be performed with the proper ceremonies, with a circle of protection in place and your sincerest thanks for the service the tool has provided for you.

After a time, retiring your ritual tools is inevitable. Otherwise, you may end up with a house full of old ritual tools that are not used, and may be causing your home to harbor negative energy. By using these methods you can easily prevent this from occurring, and help to retire your tools in a manner that is worthy for them.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”