Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

The Green Man is what a lot of Pagans use to associate with the Great God. Maybe you’ve seen his face displayed in garden decorations, or in artwork. He is generally portrayed with a human face, surrounded by leaves or grapes. He sometimes has the ears of a goat, much like Pan. Who is this mysterious face in the foliage?

The Green Man is the personification of the spirit of nature in vegetation form. He is the living heartbeat in every cell of a plant, shrub or tree. He is the divine essence of all seasons. The Green man is the great nature God, a Pan or Cernunnos of the vegetation. He is the essence of the trees and flowers that surround us. He is the health that we gain from eating natural foods, like plants and fruit. He represents the ongoing cycle of the year, which emulates the infinite wheel of life. The Druids, who were focus on vegetation and nature, received prophetic messages and inspiration from the Green Man.

He is worshipped throughout regions covered with trees and wooded areas, such as England, Holland, Germany, France and Italy. He is also known in India and Malaysia. In fact, in England his image appears in the Exeter cathedral. The oak-woods that surround the cathedral seem the perfect setting for this God of the Trees.

The Green Man, as I mentioned, is a form of Pan – the Horned God. The main difference is the lack of animal sexuality in the Green Man (Pan was quite the ladies’ man, er, goat). The Green Man does, however, represent fertility, regeneration and different seasonal phases (just like those that are reflected in nature). His leafy God-form was embraced by Christianity, and is displayed in many churches, but Pan was proclaimed to be the Devil himself. The forces of nature always find a way to come to the surface. Even though Pan was buried by religious misunderstanding, his masculine energy was channeled through the Green Man.

His image also represents a great solar God, he rises in the spring, blooms in the summer, fades during the fall and dies in wintertime. He is reborn each spring. The Green Man in the great fertilizing force of his female counterpart, Mother Earth. Their union results in a lush landscape of color flowers, rich foliage and abundant crops. He is long-lasting youthfulness and bears much fruit.

As more men today turn to naturally divine concepts of Deity, the Green Man and all that he represents is becoming more and more important. They accept him as a figurehead for masculinity that is both powerful and in balance in nature. Male, outward energy does not have to be destructive energy. The Green Man shows us this through his strength, boldness and independence. Men can draw power from this archetype.

Nature is vital to us, and as such the Green Man is vital and important. Science has proven that without Nature, we cannot be completely human. Evidence shows that when we are deprived from natural surroundings (like while in a submarine for an extended period of time) we get highly stressed and it may drive us crazy. It is essential for us to have natural minerals in our environment surrounding us. Nature is a life force, and the Green Man’s face in the leaves reminds us that we belong within it. Honor the Green Man by keeping natural objects in your home. Use plants, flowers and wooden items to remind you of your deep connection with Nature and with this Deity. Perform a special ceremony in the Spring to him and fill your altar with green, with leaves and with grapes. Thank him for Nature’s bounty and welcome him back to this plane.

Love And Light,

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

Dear Friends,

I’ve discussed the elements previously in these messages, but the elementals are a different manner. Elementals are mystical creatures that live within the spirit realm of the elements. They are related to nature spirits, the spirits that govern all nature. These spirits are the forces of life that can be summoned upon to assist in the working of magick. Its important to understand who they are and what they represent.

After your circle is cast and the elements are invited in, you can ask specific elementals to enter to help with your rite or ritual. They can be invited to participate based on their appropriateness for your spell. Special care must be taken when calling upon elementals, believe me! They are not always as helpful as they should be and tend toward the mischievous.

Gnomes are the beings associated with the element of Earth. Gnomes possess a vibratory rate that makes them invisible to us humans, however the gnomes are still vibrationally close enough for us to interact with them. Their actions are present in the mineral deposits, erosion or rocks and the formation of crystals.

In legend, Gnomes were the protectors of secret treasures that were concealed in vast caverns beneath the earth. They are not naturally inclined to help humans, but if a person wins their confidence they can be powerful allies. It is dangerous to deceive the gnomes or misuse their aid. Gnomes can bestow confidence, steadfastness and endurance. They can also bring about gloom and despair.

Gnomes are the most substantial of all of the elementals because they live in the earth. They dwell in holes, mines and caverns. They are close to humans in personality, with all of our good and bad points reflected in their behavior. Its best to call upon gnomes to help with money issues, stability and growth.

The Sylphs are the Air elementals. Evidence of them can be seen in the gathering clouds, the formation of delicate snowflakes and the growth of all plants. They are spirits of the wind, and appear in many of the Greek myths. Sylphs are the highest vibration of all of the elementals and pass very easily between the dimensions.

Traditionally, Sylphs reside on mountaintops. They are associated with the activity of the mind. Their influence can inspire humans, and it is said that they often gather around artistic types to give knowledge and guidance. They appear to us as fairies and are clever and intelligent. Sylphs are also aloof and detached. They look at us with distanced admiration.

Undines are associated with the element of Water. In ancient legends, they appeared as water nymphs and mermaids. Their domain is in springs, streams and wells, as well as any body of water. Undines have a powerful effect over our emotional well being. The Undines play an important part in the vitality of all liquids’they influence plant growth, animal life and humans as well.

Undines are sensual and graceful in their movements and have very strong emotions. Of all of the elementals, Undines are the most secretive and seductive. They are most helpful in dealing with emotional issues, particularly those involved with love, friendship and desire.

Finally, we come to the Fire elemental’the salamander. Salamanders were the first elementals to befriend humans and they taught our ancestors how to make fire. They move about most freely at night, and appear as balls of light drifting over the water.

Salamanders are linked to the activity of our bodies, and help to regulate our body temperatures. They also influence our temperament, and result in a person being called “hot-headed.” Most often they appear to us as small lizard-like flames.

They are quick in movement, explosive and very bright. They are also unstable emotionally, and more concerned with will and passion than subjective feelings. As a result, they can be forceful and highly opinionated. Salamanders are helpful in situations that require the exercise of willpower, conflicts and courage. Keep in mind that you should use salamanders at your own risk!

Brightest Blessing,

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

Dear Friends,

There is an important issue that I want to address is today’s message. This is a result of being asked, by countless newbies to the faith and more experienced practitioners alike, about the deities. Most commonly when I am asked about the Gods and Goddesses the question takes something similar to the following:

Which God should I call upon for my job spell?

Is there a Goddess I should use to make this love spell work better?

Which Deity do I contact when I want to read tarot cards?

The list of questions like this goes on and on. I don’t mean to be harsh or rude. But I find it interesting and a little sad that the great Deities have been reduced to supplies for a spell that are just picked up like one would choose a candle or herb. The presence of correspondence charts for Deities online does make the situation any better. It allows newcomers and misinformed Pagans to use the Deities as a magickal automat for power.

Let me get something clear to begin with. The Deities are not spell supplies. They have incredible power and should be treated with the respect that that garners. Think about it this way, if someone you didn’t know at all came up to you and asked you for help, how would you respond? How would you feel if they are just talking to you because they heard you were good at helping out with certain problems? You’d probably be less that enthusiastic about granting their request.

The same goes for the Gods and Goddesses. You need to develop a relationship with the Deities that you will work with. Honor them with special rituals. Get to understand their complete natures, not just the specific aspects that you want to work with.

For example, Artemis is a powerful goddess associated with female power and wisdom. However, like all Deities, she has a bit of dark side. She can be quite cold and cruel to those who disrespect her. Calling upon the power of Artemis, without knowing her completely, can result in calling upon either one of her sides without knowing it.

There are a lot of Gods and Goddesses that can help you on your path. If you subscribe to a certain branch of Paganism, you will most likely have a patron God and Goddess. However, if you are taking an eclectic approach you have a few options.

First, before you make any choices for your Deities, you’ll need to get to know the mythologies of different Ancient cultures. There are many to choose from. The Greeks, the Romans, the Egyptians, the Celts, the Nordics, the Sumerians the Native Americans’the list goes on and on. If you are attracted to one mythology from the get go, start studying more about it and get to know what the stories and legends are. You may find yourself attaching your walk on this path to one specific pantheon of Deities. This means you will worship only the Deities from one culture.

Pick a pantheon that you fill comfortable with. If you can’t make a choice on an entire pantheon yet, then choose a God or Goddess to work with for an extended period of time, not just for the duration of one spell. Think about your life and what you want to achieve in the next six months to a year. If you are concerned with matters of the heart, you might choose to develop a relationship with Venus over this period of time. If you want to focus on making your mind stronger, choose Mercury or another “mental” God.

Start by getting to know the Deity. Read all that you can, and then perform a special ceremony introducing yourself to the God or Goddess. Invite them into your life and let them know you are ready to learn. Decorate your altar with their images and items that please your chosen Deity. Make him or her welcome.

From that point on, you can begin to perform rituals that specifically ask for that God or Goddesses help. Learn from the Deity and pay attention to messages that you receive. As you develop a relationship with one Deity, you can start to expand your worship to others. This pleases the Gods and Goddesses and will help you in your magickal workings.

Love And Light,

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

Dear Friends,

Tarot cards are a powerful divinatory tool, but they are often misunderstood. In my experience with teaching tarot, working with decks and reading for others, I’ve encountered many common questions. In the following message, I will dispel these rumors and misunderstandings.

The question of fate versus free will comes up more often than any other question. Often times my students and people I read for wonder if a card in the future position is absolute gospel. I believe it is not. If you have the Tower card, a sign of impending doom, in a future position this does not mean that your house will burn down tomorrow. The cards in the future positions simply indicate future influences. The influence can be altered. Even with knowledge of the future we can alter it. The knowledge of the coming Tower card influence can allow you to adapt to it and be bettered prepared for the coming trouble.

The Death and Devil cards are also points of worry for those new to the tarot. This has caused the tarot and tarot reading to be associated with Satan worship for those who don’t understand the purpose of the cards. First off, getting the Death card in a reading does not mean you will die and the Devil card doesn’t lead to any type of dealings with Satan. These cards, just like the rest, are symbols for influences in your life. The Death card points to immediate ending of a relationship, trend or habit in your life. It actually can be a time of change and a great opportunity for growth. The Devil card indicates immediate negatives in life that the querent is unwilling to face. It can point to getting obsessed with something in your life, or ill health.
Reversed cards are also misunderstood. When a tarot reader lays out the cards for a reading, there may be some cards that appear backwards in relationship to the others. It is a personal matter for the tarot reader to choose whether or not they read meaning in reversed cards. Personally, I don’t give a lot of credence to reversed cards. Each of the tarot cards has a message, and if I were delivering a message to you, my words would still be the same if I were standing on my head!

I also get questions about the quantity of cards used in a tarot reading. I normally use three to five, and some people think if three is good, then ten or twenty is better. Actually, I have not found that to be the case, especially for new readers. If you are using too many cards in a spread when you first begin, it will confuse you and you will lose the message of the reading. Once you get more experienced, using a small number of cards will also help the reading be much more focused and tight on one to two subjects.

The layout of the tarot spread is sometimes a point of contention between readers and students alike. There is no right way to read the tarot cards. They don’t become more powerful or easy to interpret depending on how they are laid out. The layout is completely up to the reader. If you are studying the tarot, you will find a layout that speaks to you the most. There are plenty to choose from and I recommend that you experiment until you find one that eases your readings and interpretation. If you are receiving a reading don’t be concerned with the layout that your reader uses. I hope this has dismissed some of the common misconceptions regarding the tarot. It is one of the most powerful tools in magickal arsenal, and I hope you’ll consider using it as part of your walk on this path.

Brightest Blessing,

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