Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

Once a year, normally in the fall, my circle and I have a fun coven project where we make witch bottles for protection. The purpose of a witch bottle is to create a bottled spell to ward off evil and protect the home.

Witch bottles originate from a British tradition that started in the 1500s. Witches of the British Isles used glass bottles filled with iron nails, human hair, bodily fluids, thorns, needles and pieces of wood. In ancient times, the bottles were buried underneath the fireplace. From a magickal point of view, the fireplace was a security risk as it had a straight connection to the sky above.

Today, we use witch bottles to capture any negative energies coming from outside toward ourselves and our families. You can also make a witch bottle charged with energy for your financial success, for creativity, for positive energy and for health. The possibilities are endless, they are basically spells in a bottle which means you can do anything with them you wish.

The main thing that makes all witch bottles alike is their structure. In my circle, we normally use small jelly jars, mayonnaise jars or mason jars. We fill them with objects that are specific to our purpose. We charge each item with the intended purpose before we place them in the bottle.

I always offer my circle members a variety of items to choose from. For our protection witch bottles, I have bent iron nails, thorns, razor blades, broken glass and small pieces of mirror. The purpose is to provide sharp and dangerous energy to ward off danger. Witch bottles are always more potent with some personal items such as hair, saliva, blood and other bodily fluids from the bottle maker.

For other types of witch bottles, you can include the items that you would normal use in a spell for that purpose. For example, if you want to make a witch bottle that brings love into your life, you can use scented oils, herbs associated with love, pieces of red, white and pink fabric, gemstones that bring loves etc.

Be creative with your witch bottles! You can include items that just “feel” right, even if they don’t have specific correspondences. I’ve had coven members include different colored sands, flowers, coins and sawdust while creating different types of witch bottles.

After constructing a witch bottle and charging it with your purpose, the next step is to bury the bottle. This is a way of activating the spell and returning the energy back to the earth in order for it to come to you. If you own your own home, you may be able to place the witch bottle in a traditional place, like under the fireplace, under the floor or in the walls. I usually recommend, for those that own their home, to bury the bottle in the backyard in a place where nobody will accidentally break it while gardening.

Burying a witch bottle can be more difficult if you live in an apartment, but not impossible! It’s not a good idea to bury the bottle in a shared yard, or somewhere that a neighbor can dig up the bottle and hurt them. The bottle doesn’t have to be near your home in order to work. You can make a trip to a forest or a swamp to bury your bottle. If you’d like to keep your bottle close to home, you can make a smaller bottle that can be buried in a large flowerpot near your door. If you’re living in the “broom closet,” or with a roommate the miniature bottle idea may work as well. Small witch bottles can be hid in a variety of ways and still provide the same protection.

The timing of the witch bottle preparation is important. Make sure to choose a date that is during the Waning phase of the Moon. You can do an informal ritual and perform visualization for the witch bottles purpose before making it.

Witch bottles are very powerful, since the energy of the spell is contained in an enclosed area. Make sure to protect your bottle after completing it, especially if you used any of your own hair or bodily fluids.

But if you need protection or want to bring something into your life, there’s no better way to go than the construction of a witch bottle.

Brightest Blessing,

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

Dear Friends,

I love the Internet. I really, really do. The free exchange of ideas, the interaction between people across the globe and the instant access to a variety of services is right up my alley. If you’ve visited my site, purchased my book or are a regular reader of my blog, I’m sure you love the Internet too. The Internet has changed the face of so many things in our existence, its no surprise that it is revolutionizing the Pagan world as well. For one, there are many networking opportunities that didn’t exist before the Internet. Pagans from across the globe can meet, exchange ideas and offer support.

However, of all the advantages that the Internet gives to Pagans, I’d say the invention of the cyber coven is probably the most profound. A cyber coven is a group of people, Wicca or Pagan, that interact primarily through the Internet. The cyber coven interacts through chat rooms, message boards and e-mail lists. Of course, this is the simple answer to a much more complex phenomenon.

Cyberspace is a virtual place that can act as a technological doorway to the astral plane. When the hardware and software combine together, and we add our activity, we create Cyberspace. It is like an astral temple that is created by our intention and applied action. When we enter cyberspace we are planted between the worlds, and can create sacred space that is just as powerful as a traditional circle.

The cyber coven offers a unique opportunity that is suited to a number of different types of people. Pagans who live some distance from one another can get the camaraderie, education and practice of working magick with others by using a cyber coven. Often times, there is only so much you can learn when you are performing a solitary spiritual practice. It helps to connect with others to increase your base of knowledge, get to know other people on this path and find support in similarly minded individuals.

Cyber covens also make a perfect fit for those who are already involved in technical fields. To these Pagans sitting at the keyboard is just as natural to them as sitting in a forest is to others. Technology has grown so much in the last 20 years that most people who use computers don’t know how they work. This makes using a computer in and of itself a magickal experience. The way a computer works is, by definition, occult. It is hidden and secret. Additionally, the way a computer works is magickal because it does things that were only dreamed of years ago. With their aid, we can impress our will upon the world and create dimensions within cyberspace.

Cyber witches see all of the tools of technology as sacred tools. They embrace transformation as a natural part of life, and see that cyber covens are the next step in the evolution of this spiritual path. In Paganism, nothing is set in stone’the faith, just like nature itself, is ever changing.

Cyber covens are not for everyone. If you need face-to-face communication in order to learn, you may find cyber coven life too distant and disconnected. You’ll also need to keep up to date on e-mails and read correspondence daily. However, if you like to mingle with people who have different points of view and can bring fresh perspective to your path, then a cyber coven is a perfect place. There are hundreds that have sprung up on the Internet over the last several years. Do some research, find one that fits and then get yourself comfortable in 21st century witchcraft.

Love And Light,

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

Dear Friends,

Kitchen Witchery…what is it? Does it even exist? These are some of the questions that have been in the minds of many Pagans throughout the years. Kitchen Witchery is a form of Witchcraft, but by no means a formal one. You won’t find Kitchen Witchcraft Covens, degrees, Priests or Priestesses. A Kitchen Witch may hold ritual, but doesn’t necessarily have to. She (or he, we must not be sexist here) will do small spells, or may do none at all.

Kitchen Witches, sometimes called Hearth Witches, run the spectrum of chaos magick to ceremonial magick. There is an infinite variety of practice when it comes to this type of Paganism. There isn’t a lot of information regarding Kitchen Witches, because this is the type of Paganism that has been passed down orally from mother to daughter through the centuries.

Many Pagans acknowledge this a valid and important tradition in Witchcraft.
However, a lot of them don’t try to understand what Kitchen Witch’s do. In my experience and opinion, a Kitchen Witch’s sacred space is the kitchen. Her magickal tools consist of the butcher knife, the flame of the stove, the tap water, the food from the earth, the aroma of the meal. These all come together, representing the four elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

Kitchen Witchery is all about taking care of the home, and not just the kitchen.
She sews, she plants herbs, she cares for her family’she is like a nicer, more Pagan version of Martha Stewart. The Kitchen Witch draws from the power of the Goddesses of the Ancient World, Hestia, Janus, Earache and Athena, just to name a few.

A Kitchen Witch is skilled at most of the following:

* Cooking
* Sewing or Weaving
* Herbalism
* Crafting (Hobby style crafts)
* Washing and cleansing
* Teaching
* Managing money
* Psychology (just ask any homemaker who had to deal with a stressed out spouse or a child)
* Time management
* Healing and First Aid
* Counseling
* Handyman and troubleshooter
* Veterinarian
* Helper to the Spouse (and their specialty)
Don’t let this description fool you though. Kitchen Witchcraft is more than just housework. This type of witchcraft is incredibly effective. A Kitchen Witch can make a dinner that enchants the family, make a doll that brings good luck, brew potions that change the world and teach her children to be beautiful on the outside and the inside. Just because her domain is the home, it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t know what is going on in the world around her. Her main motivation is to teach the next generation so they can improve that world through their positive energy.

The Kitchen Witch is the Creator Goddess of the Home. Everyday she participates in creation, from dinner, to small repairs around the house, to kissing boo boos and encouraging family members to do their best.

However, Kitchen Witchery is a dying art, I’m afraid to say. Our Western world is changing. The standard of living has gone so far up, that most families require two incomes to stay afloat. Many people wish they could be at home with their children, but they have to work in order to get the money they need to live.

How can Kitchen Witchery stay alive? The other members of the family can pitch in as much as possible. Create together as a family and make the home a good place to be. The Kitchen Witch can start teaching the children the principles of a magickal home so they can pitch in and also learn the skills needed for their future.

Kitchen Witchcraft doesn’t have to die away in light of the new way of doing things, but it must be adapted. I encourage you to find ways to bring a little Creator God or Goddess into your life at home.

Brightest Blessing,

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

Dear Friends,

In this message, I’d like to talk more about Pagan PR, and tips for anyone who feels the need to educate others about our faith. I think that some people in the Pagan community have actually done more harm than good when it comes to representing themselves as Pagan (a few episodes of the show “Wifeswap” come to mind). It’s my goal with this short series to get people to think before they act, and understand that their approach to non-Pagans has an effect on us all.

Next on my list is the use of magickal names in public forums (whether it be newspapers, lectures or interviews). I love my magickal name, but it’s my magickal name. It doesn’t represent who I am entirely as a person.
The rest of the world won’t be so accepting of your message already, and you are definitely going to set yourself apart when you introduce yourself as Zeus Dragonslayer. Of course, no Wiccan in their right mind would ever go by that particular name, but that’s what our magickal names sound like to non-Pagans. If you are in anyway a public spokesperson for Paganism, then use a normal sounding name. If you need to, use your mundane first name and omit your last name for safety reasons. You’ll get a lot more respect than you would if you introduced yourself as Moonbeam.

Another important point to remember is to start off your conversation with something other than “This isn’t Satanism.” How many other religions do that? That statement tells the listener or reader nothing about your real spiritual path. Make it your goal to fill their minds with the things that Paganism actually is, rather than the things it isn’t. By stating the facts about it, you are negating the stereotypes without having to address them. Use positive statements and this will reinforce to the audience (whomever it might be) why this is a beautiful spiritual path.

If you don’t have a title, don’t make one up. Don’t claim to be a High Priestess to give yourself more credibility if you aren’t one at all. If you are a High Priestess or member of some type of Pagan clergy, give proof of it. It legitimizes Paganism for the audience and gives you the credibility that you want. Lying about things like this only perpetuates stereotypes about witchcraft.

It follows that if you don’t know something, don’t lie. Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.” Remember, we are all learning on this path. Other religions focus on knowing everything to a “T” but Pagans remember that life is a process and learning is forever. Instead of trying to make up an answer, be willing to tell the truth even if that means having to experience a little humility. You can point the inquirer toward a source that can answer their question, or better yet, you can discover the answer together.

It’s helpful to network with other Pagans who are representatives of the faith. You can trade tips and share experiences. After all, in some cases it is an “us” against “them” situation. Pagans can band together to present a united view of the faith, while still maintaining the individuality that each person’s path has.

Above all, do good things on a daily basis. This is not important for PR as much as it is for your soul and spirituality. As an added benefit, you are becoming a living example of the beauty and goodness that comes from this spiritual path. Society judges people on their words and actions. If your actions are not in line with the words that you speak, your words have no value. The best thing you can do to show others exemplify Paganism is to live a well-rounded and positive life.

Love And Light,

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