Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

Candle magick is an important part of spellwork, but there are specific types of candles that can help you get in tune with yourself, or help others around you. Astral candles are used to represent people on our altar. Most of the time it is a representation of yourself, but you can also represent your family members or others that you want to bless with your magick. Astral candles are also used at Esbats to link your subconscious to the group’s subconscious. The altar represents the subconscious mind and when you are doing spellwork alone, the altar is your own subconscious mind. The altar of a coven is the group mind, so in order to link yourself with the group, an astral candle representing you is lit and placed on the altar. In coven work, astral candles are representing the fact that all members are there of their own free will and that they are all going to participate fully in the coming ritual.Making an astral candle for that altar is relatively simple. There are two colors for every astrological sign, a primary color and a secondary color. In the following list, the primary color is first for each sign.

Aries: white, pink
Taurus-red, yellow
Gemini-red, blue
Cancer-green, brown
Leo-red, green
Virgo-gold, black
Libra-black, blue
Scorpio-brown, black
Sagittarius-gold, red
Capricorn-red, brown
Aquarius-blue, green
Pisces-white, green
Obtain a large candle in your primary color, and a smaller candle for your secondary color. In the larger candle, use your athame or a consecrated toothpick to carve your name, birthdate, personal symbol or sign into the wax. You can carve all of these into the candle if it is large enough. Include any symbol or phrase that is personal to you. You can add your craft name, a glyph representing you and your astrological sign as well.

Once you’re done carving, light the smaller candle and drip the colored wax onto the larger candle. Its best to do this over a paper towel (it gets a bit messy!). Drip the wax in a pattern if you like, using spirals, stripes, dots or another pattern. Give the wax time to harden.

Now you are going to breathe your essence onto the candle. This joins your spirit to the candle and adds more of your personal energy. Hold the candle in the palm of your hands, with it rest on your side by side pinkies. Start blowing from the base to the wick. Turn the candle 1/3 of the way, and then blow from base to wick again. Repeat this one more time so there are 3 turns to the candle and 3 breaths. Remember, 3 is a sacred number.

Next, you’ll want to dress your candle in an appropriate oil. Occult shops sell oils specific for astrological signs, and you’ll want to purchase one for your sun sign. Dress your candle by oiling your palms and rubbing them together. Start from the middle of the candle the wick and rub the candle up to the wick 3 times. Then turn the candle so the base is at the bottom and rub from the middle to the base 3 times. Finally, dress the candle from wick to base three times.

This candle now has a psychic link to you so you’ll want to treat it very carefully. Make sure not to give it away, lose it or break it. In fact, its best to make it as close to the time you will use it as possible.

Astral candles have many uses. Once you make the basic candle described above, you can add to it for specific spell purposes. If you are performing a ritual in which you want to gain more psychic power, use purple candle drips onto of your astral colors. Use color correspondence charts to choose the right color for your specific working.

The candle should be burned for at least 15 minutes to be effective. It can also be used for many rituals until they are burned away. After the last use, don’t discard your candle but let it burn completely away. This will ensure that all of your energies are directed out into the universe to bring you your desire.
Brightest Blessing,

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

Dear Friends,

One of the most important things to do before starting any ritual or spellwork is to take a spiritual bath. When you think about ancient times, baths were only taken for special occasions. We in the modern world have been spoiled with the thought that a bath or shower is needed everyday. This century, in fact, is one of the first in which baths and showers have become prevalent. It is no wonder that we have lost the meaning and importance of this pre-ritual step.Since baths were not a regularity, they were taken with specific purposes and close attention to intention. When a witch of ancient times bathed, it was a ritual in and of itself. In a way, our daily shower or bath can become a mini-ritual. It marks the beginning of a new day and wipes our energetic slate clean for the coming tasks. When you take your daily shower, keep this in mind. You might want to invest in some herbal soaps and shampoos to emphasize this point. If you need to be energized, choose orange blossom or another citrus scent. Vanilla and lavender bring relaxation. Ylang ylang and other spicy scents can infuse you with power for the coming day. Refer to a herbal list of correspondences to bring meaning to this seemingly mundane task.

A spiritual bath takes this process one step further. When you take a spiritual bath you are preparing your body, mind and spirit for the magickal work ahead. Fill your tub with warm water and use an herbal bath preparation of your choice. You can also use some herbal oil that is appropriate for the ritual you are going to be doing. Consecrate the bath as the water is running by using 3 pinches of sea salt. Take the first two fingers of your right hand if you are right handed and your left if you are left-handed. This is your power hand. Use the fingers of your power hand to swirl the water around 3 times and say the following blessing (of course you can use your own words as well):

O Water I charge thee, be Purified
By the powers of the Lady Goddess and Lord God
O Blessed Mother of all living things
Make this ritual bath Holy and purify it
I will take honor of thee
I come before thee in pureness
Of mind, body and soul
In They name I do ask
So Mote It Be

Trace a pentagram in the water as you end the blessing. If you are going to be honoring a specific God or Goddess during your working, name them in the blessing.

Use candles and incense in the bathroom to make your aura receptive to the ritual ahead. Make sure to turn off the bathroom lights and relax for no less than 9 minutes. While you relax focus on your wishes and pour water over your head and shoulders three times. After you are done with your bath, dry off and anoint yourself with appropriate oil on your chakra points.

Ritual baths are appropriate to do before any circle or ritual. If you are part of a coven, take your bath at home prior to arriving at the meeting place. You can also do a ritual bath after the Full Moon, on the night before a big event (a new job, promotion, wedding, celebration) and on Monday, which is sacred to the Moon. Spiritual baths can be used to banish any hostility you feel from others or any time you need to cleanse and purify your spirit. It’s a good practice to get into whenever you’re feeling a little low or energetically out of balance.

Enjoy your baths!
Love And Light,

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

Dear Friends,

A lot of people write me to ask about my name. Rose Ariadne is my magickal name, the special name I gave myself when I became a witch. I use it for all of my pagan purposes and it is as a part of me as my mundane name. Of course, I know plenty of people who choose not to have a magickal name. While I respect their choice I think there are important reasons for having a magickal name.Having a magickal name used to have a totally practical and life saving purpose. Witches took names to conceal their identities and protect themselves form the Inquisition. Eventually, this evolved in to developing an entire magickal personality for carrying out personal work.

Picking a magickal name is not something that you should rush into. The process takes time and should not be entered into lightly. You craft name will stick with you throughout your journey in this path. We are born with the mundane names that our parents gave us, but our craft names are ours to choose. When you bestow yourself with a new name, you are entering into a new phase of your life. You are being “birthed” as it were into Paganism.

However, choosing a craft name is not an absolute necessity. You can most definitely use your own name for your magickal purposes. I like the idea of the magickal name because it sets you apart from the other aspects of your life. Your practice of the craft is special and unique, and it deserves the special recognition that using a magickal name can bestow. It can be very rewarding to choose and take on a magickal personality. For me, my magickal name gave me an extra sense of confidence and belonging in this path. It gave me the extra “oomph” I thought I needed. While I realize this was completely a psychological trick, I still feel that magickal names are important. A lot of people enter the craft not sure if they really belong there. It is a foreign religion to most, and picking a magickal name can make it more familiar.

Magickal names can still be a form of protection. Since Wicca and Paganism are still, unfortunately, not accepted by the mainstream, choosing a magickal name can help you distance your public, mundane persona from your private religious life.

Most covens require that you choose a magickal name as part of your initiation into the circle. The coven members will refer to you as that name, and there may even been a special ceremony in which you formally take on your craft name. It can be part of your self-initiation into this path.

When choosing a name, try to pick something unique that fits you. There are many people (especially online) with the same magickal names. Try not to pick something too popular, or if you do, use it creatively. Never copy someone’s magickal name outright.

To start picking your craft name think of something that is specific and important to you. You can choose a gem, an elemental, a flower, an herb or an animal as the basis of your name. When you choose an item such as this, you are attaching yourself to qualities (both good and bad) of that object or animal. If you are particularly influenced by Amethyst and like its properties of calming, spirituality and strength then it will be a good match for you. You can also take inspiration from your totem animal or favorite herb. When you choose a magickal name, choose something that you would like to accomplish in your path. If you desire to learn to be more courageous and powerful, you may choose to incorporate the name of a powerful animal into your magickal name.

Start brainstorming names based on these tips. Come up with a list of possibilities for your magickal name, and then set that list aside for a few days. If there is a name that keeps coming back to you, then you may have found your fit. You can also use a meditation, pendulum, or tarot reading to help guide you to your magickal name.

Remember, above all, that this process can take a while to complete. Give yourself some time to think about and select a name. you’ll be happy you did.
Brightest Blessing,

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

Dear Friends,

In Wicca we honor the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. These elements are as sacred to us as our deities and serve many purposes in our magickal workings. During spellwork, we call upon the spirits that guide the elements, and ask for the qualities of the elements. Sometimes when we accidentally call upon the elements themselves, the power is too great to handle. Make sure to focus only on the attributes of the element. This is an effective way of using the power without letting an element railroad over you and your workings.During a ritual, each elemental guardian is called. However, depending on the type of ritual, certain elements may be used more than others in the working of the magick. How do you know which element to rely on and when? The following correspondences can help you determine how to use the elements and for what purposes. Please keep in mind that these lists are by no means complete, but they will give you a framework for understanding the power of the elements.

The Earth is the first element that you invite in the start of a ritual. The direction of Earth is North, and it is associated with the zodiac signs of Virgo, Taurus and Capricorn. If you have a prominence of these signs, you will feel most complete when you call upon the qualities of Earth. The Earth’s season is winter and the time is midnight. Earth tools include the pentacle, the staff and salt. You can add Earth power to your workings by placing the gems agate, amber, jet, bloodstone, geode, hematite, tiger’s eye and obsidian on your altar. You can also use the colors green, black, brown, grey and white to call upon the qualities of Earth. And just what are the qualities of Earth? Earth rules the body and brings growth, sustenance and healing. It is also associated with material gain, money, business and all finances. Earth represents structures, laws, metal, bones, mountains, fields, rocks, groves and chasms. Earth is stability, nurturing, old age and wisdom.

The element of Air is associated with the East and the astrological signs of Gemini, Aquarius and Libra. The time of Air is twilight and the season is spring. You can bring the influence of the element of air into your ritual by using bells, a wand, a sword and a censor. You can also place yellow topaz, amber, quartz and fluorite on your altar space. The qualities of air are emphasize through the use of the following colors: black, yellow, gold, crimson, pink, light blue and all pastel colors. Air rules the mind and all mental, intuitive and psychic work. It also represents hills, plains, windy beaches, high mountain peaks, wind and breath. Bringing the qualities of air into a ritual will allow creativity and ideas to flow.

Fire resides in the south and rules the signs of Leo, Sagittarius and Aries. The time of day for Fire is noon and the season in summer. The qualities of fire can be brought into spellwork through the use of red, orange, crimson, yellow and white’the colors of flame. The tools of Fire are incense, candles and the athame. By placing the stones fire opal, agate, bloodstone, carnelian, sunstone or dark amber on your altar, you can bring the qualities of Fire. Fire rules energy and strong passions. It is representative of life and your will to live. Fire stands for the process of destruction but also purification. Its power is seem in bonfires, hearthfires, candleflames, the sun, the desert and volcanoes. When you call upon the qualities of Fire, you bring hope, youth and courage into your circle.

The final element that we honor is Water. Water’s place is in the West of your circle. It rules Scorpio, Cancer and Pisces. Its time is dawn and its season is fall. Water is honored on your altar with the use of the chalice, cauldron or cup. You can also use a rain stick for this purpose. To draw the power of Water into your space, use the colors blue, blue-green, green, indigo and black in your altar decorations. The gems aquamarine, blue topaz, chalcedony, aventurine, moonstone, amethyst, turquoise and lapis also honor Water. This element is appropriate in sepllwork that requires intuition or intense emotional feelings. Water brings love, courage and charity. It represents the sea, rivers, springs, wells and all things that hold and bring water.

Use these correspondences to guide you in your ritual planning. When you need the qualities of a certain element, attract it by using its tools, colors, gems, etc. This will help attract the guardians of these elements and lend power to your work.
Love And Light,

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