Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

Today’s thoughts are a product of a very interesting conversation I recently had with a friend of mine that is in a same-sex relationship. She is just beginning to dive into Wicca and was rather confused by the importance many of us place on the concepts of the God and Goddess and the associated gender roles. I can certainly understand how these concepts may appear confusing or unsettling to those of us with different sexual preferences and lifestyles, but I encouraged her to try to see beyond the basic gender roles and fertility symbols.

First of all, I personally view the masculine and feminine traits within the God and Goddess as a symbol of the combined aspects that make each of us as an individual whole. It takes many parts to make a whole, and I have yet to meet a person who embodied ONLY masculine and feminine traits as they are culturally defined. I find the dual deity in Wicca to be much more relatable than the Gods of monotheistic religions, such as Christianity. The God and Goddess are not so much symbols of physical gender as they are representations of the various emotions and strengths that reside in each of us. We assign a physical gender to the deities to make them more relatable to us as humans, but in reality they have no outward physical gender—at least, not in the way we define gender as mortal beings.

While physical gender is a matter of birth, gender identification and roles are things that are assigned as a result of our personal beliefs and those of society. We associate the God with the Sun because the God is a representation of intensity, aggressiveness, and power. The Moon is the Goddess’s symbol because it is softer, more mysterious and waxes and wanes in much the same manner as a woman’s menstruation cycle. This does not always mean that certain traits MUST be associated with a particular gender, however. For instance, the Sun God Apollo and his affinity for music and poetry may be seen as feminine, while a War Goddess, such as the Celtic Andraste, may take on traits normally viewed as masculine.

The Wheel of the Year is largely based on concepts of fertility and reproduction, but these are loose concepts that are up to the individual’s interpretation. Again, we assign the roles of male and female to the God and Goddess in terms of fertility and the cycle of life because it generally makes sense biologically to do so. There are many things in nature that reproduce without strict concepts of male and female roles, such as plants, amoebas and some animals. The Wheel of the Year begins at Yule when the God is born of the Goddess. He matures and impregnates Her at Beltane. An abundant harvest for the difficult times ahead is ensured by His sacrifice at Lughnasadh, and He is deeply mourned by the Goddess. He is then reborn at the next Yule, and the cycle repeats itself.

The Wheel of the Year is not simply a representation of fertility and reproduction, however. The concepts go beyond their basic initial appearance to symbolize the greater cycle of life in all living things; birth, coming of age, death, and eventually rebirth. This cycle can be viewed as an overall metaphor for all of our goals and accomplishments, as well as the “big picture.”

No matter what our personal beliefs and lifestyles entail, it is important to remember that the God and Goddess are loving and benevolent above all else. We will all be wiser and more at peace if we can learn to see beyond biological representations and take away a personal meaning from the cycles of our deities apart from the surface-level gender ideals.

Brightest Blessings,

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

Dear Friends,

While it is very easy to just go out and purchase a book of spells or find some for your use on the Internet, creating your own spells for magick working is a very easy thing to do that can add an enormous amount of power to your work. It is often quite intimidating for those that have never done it before and can take some practice, but in no time at all it is something that you can easily develop a talent for if you take a few simple things into consideration.

Spells are one of the central points in witchcraft. They encompass a variety of things including words, visualization, meditation, the use of physical objects and more. A key part in learning how to effectively create your own spells to use is to take the time to study each of these components. Learn how they work individually, and how to blend them together so that they create a working spell. By making yourself familiar with each of these components, it will be much easier for you to effectively create a spell that will work.

A common question that I hear from people that are seeking to create their own spells is do the words of the spell really have to rhyme? The reality is, a spell does not have to rhyme for it to be effective. You can have a non-rhyming spell that works just as good as a rhyming one. Many witches however, find that using a rhyming spell helps in their intentions, because the rhyme gives their conscious mind something to focus on while their subconscious mind performs the magick. Some just simply enjoy the way the words flow. If you are unsure of your rhyming abilities, feel free to create a spell that has no rhyming involved. Or, if you prefer to use spells with rhyming words, take the time to practice rhyming by seeing how many things you can get to rhyme in a day. Before you know it, you’ll be rhyming like a rap star and have no problem in getting the words of your spell to rhyme perfectly.

Words however, are only one part of most spells. The majority of spells you will want to perform will work better if you incorporate other components into them, such as the use of stones, candles, essential oils, herbs, or other tools that are used in magick. In order for you to use these components in your spells efficiently, you will of course need a solid base of knowledge on how each of these things work, and which are used for certain purposes. For instance, if you are creating a prosperity spell, you will need to know what candle colors work best for prosperity, which essential oils are related to prosperity, and so on and so forth.

The best way to start creating your own spells for magick working is to start simple and small. Begin with easy spells, such as a cleansing spell or a simple beauty spell. Take your time, and do not rush through creating the ritual. A good spell takes time and thought. Sure, you will have those moments where when you think of what your intentions are and what kind of spell you would like to write it immediately is laid out in your mind how the spell should go. But most spells will require time, research and knowledge in order to be created effectively, so it is important that you remain patient and dedicated.

Not only is spell creation essential to magick, but it’s fun too! Don’t allow yourself to become overwhelmed by creating a spell, just take your time and enjoy it. It is a skill that can take some time to learn, but once you do it will be very rewarding and well worth the time spent perfecting it.

Brightest Blessings,

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

Dear Friends,

Many witches that I know are hesitant in using poppets as a form of magick because of the belief that they are unethical. These mindset generally comes from the fact that they relate poppets to voodoo magick, and voodoo dolls are often considered to be harmful in nature.

The reality is, both voodoo dolls and poppets can be used in a completely benign manner and can be a very beneficial form of magick when used correctly. While it is true that a poppet can be used in a way which would be harmful to others, it is also true that you can use poppets in helpful magick, such as healing spells, harmless binding spells or spells that can help a person achieve something such as losing weight or quitting smoking.

Before making your poppet, ask yourself what you are wanting to achieve from the spell. Are you creating the poppet with pure and true intentions? Poppets are designed to be representations of people, so if you are creating a poppet with a specific person in mind, you want to make absolutely sure that the poppet you create will in no way harm the individual. In my opinion, the moral thing to do is ask the person you are creating the poppet for if you have their permission to do so. I myself do not advocate creating a poppet of someone without their knowledge and permission, as I feel it is an unethical thing to do. Depending on the circumstance however, you may have to make this choice for yourself and determine whether creating the poppet without the persons knowledge is something you feel is acceptable and necessary.

There is another thing that you must also consider when making a poppet to determine if it is the correct choice. Because poppets are very strong forms of magick and a representation of the person you are designing the poppet for, you must be able to make sure that the poppet will remain completely safe. If you cannot guarantee that the poppet will remain safe, or you are unwilling to take the steps necessary to make sure the poppet will stay unharmed, you should not make the poppet. As a representation of the person you are doing the magick for, you must make sure that nothing unplanned happens to the doll, as it could result in harm to the person it represents.

Poppets are only meant to be used until the magick you have created with them manifests itself. At that point, the poppet needs to be properly dismantled to stop the spell. This is another reason why you must be committed to keeping the poppet safe, because this part of the process is essential. As a representation of a person, the poppet cannot be left together once the magick has been completed or the spell may continue to work even after it should be stopped. For instance, if you have created a poppet as a spell to help someone lose weight, once that weight has been lost the poppet needs to be dismantled otherwise the person may continue to keep losing weight which could pose a health risk.

Poppets are ethically safe to used if used correctly, but they are a form of magick that should be taken very seriously. If you are uncomfortable with the thought of using a poppet for magick, then by all means use a different method. However, if you have never used a poppet out of fear that it may be ethically wrong, rest assured that as long as you do it properly, there is nothing wrong with it. It can be a powerful source of magick that is very effective, as long as you use them as you would any type of magick, with a pure heart that seeks to harm none.

Brightest Blessings,

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

Dear Friends,

A common complaint that I hear among many witches is that their spells are failing to be successful and they feel like everything they do is rejected. It can be a very difficult thing to deal with, and often may make you feel like you are a failure at performing a decent spell.

Dealing with rejection is never easy. But the fact of the matter is, there are some times when your spell is going to be “rejected” and fail to work. In some cases, it very well may be a failure on your part. Perhaps your mind wasn’t truly focused. Maybe you rushed through the spell, or your intentions and wishes were too vague. Magick is not an exact science by any means, but there are some important factors which must be met in order for your spell to work properly, if it is meant to work at all.

You see, that is another reason why your spell may be rejected. There are sometimes when we perform a spell with the wrong intentions. Remember, when we work a spell we are invoking the powers of the universe to provide for us what we are asking. There are some times when those powers are simply going to refuse what we ask. These powers are just as mysterious as they are complex, so there is no understanding why some spells, even if they are harmful, are allowed to work while others that may be purely benign will not. It is just the way things work and something that we as witches must accept.

Even so, not having our requests met can be a difficult pill to swallow. In fact, I know many novice witches that at first completely turned away from the path they were following because none of the spells they were performing would work. In some cases, these “witches” were merely playing at being a witch and they were not serious about what they were trying to do. They immediately then viewed witchcraft as a hoax, because none of their work ever bore any fruit. In other cases however, the young witch was serious about following such a path, but had yet to learn to truly focus their intent and energies into what they wanted.

When it comes to magick, you cannot do anything half-way. Magick is not a game, and is not something to take lightly. The works that you perform can have serious consequences. If you are not fully aware of these consequences, those powers that you are attempting to invoke can see right through your exterior to your mind and heart, and may prevent your works from taking place. Other times, they may grant your request to teach you a lesson which is why it is so important that you be serious in what you do.

If you’ve been working with magick for some time now, it may be disheartening to not have your spells work successfully for you, but that does not mean you should give up hope. I have known many witches in the past that spent years learning their craft before they were able to perform a spell that worked successfully. Others have a knack at tapping into their magickal talents, and were able to start working right away.

Rejection happens. Failure happens. But as long as you learn from your mistakes, and evaluate each situation for what it is, you will soon discover that everything happens for a reason. It can definitely be emotionally trying and sometimes a real blow to the ego, but once you can learn to accept that it is a part of life and most certainly a part of magick, you will learn to read each situation for what it is which will help you to determine which way you need to go in the future.

Brightest Blessings,

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