Beltane – Wiccans aren't Wicked

Beltane Ritual

Happy Beltane everyone! I hope everyone is excited that spring has finally truly started. I thought I would make a post about a ritual you can do during the sabbat if it calls upon you. I know this one is very woman based (although men can do it too as we all have both the feminine and masculine in us) so if this one isn’t your cup of tea check out this one instead. Anything in red were little adjustments I made. The original source is from https://www.learnreligions.com/honor-the-sacred-feminine-with-a-goddess-ritual-2561652 I hope you enjoy!

What you need

A white candle
An offering of something that is important to you
A bowl of water
A handful of small pebbles or stones

If your tradition calls for you to cast a circle, do so now.

Begin the Ritual

Begin by standing in the goddess position; this is a stance in which the feet are spread apart, about shoulder-width, and the arms raised up to the sky. Speak clearly, and say:

I am (your name), and I stand before you,
goddesses of the sky and earth and sea,
I honor you, for your blood runs through my veins,
one woman (or man), standing on the edge of the universe.
Tonight, I make an offering in Your names,
As my thanks for all you have given me.

Light the candle, and place your offering before it on the altar. The offering may be something tangible, such as bread or wine or flowers. It can also be something symbolic, such as a gift of your time or dedication. Whatever it is, it should be something from your heart. You may want to read up on Offerings to the Gods for some ideas.

Once you have made your offering, it is time to call upon the goddesses by name. Say:

I am (your name), and I stand before you,
Isis, Ishtar, Tiamat, Inanna, Shakti, Cybele (Or any other goddesses you worship instead).
Mothers of the ancient people,
guardians of those who walked the earth thousands of years ago,
I offer you this as a way of showing my gratitude.
Your strength has flowed within me,
your wisdom has given me knowledge,
your inspiration has given birth to harmony in my soul.

Now it is time to honor the many women may who have touched your life. For each one, place a pebble into the bowl of water. As you do so, say each woman’s name and how she has impacted you. You might say something like this:

I am (your name), and I stand before you,
to honor the sacred feminine that has touched my heart.
I honor Susan, who gave birth to me and raised me to be strong;
I honor Maggie, my grandmother, whose strength took her to the hospitals of war-torn France;
I honor Cathleen, my aunt, who lost her courageous battle with cancer;
I honor Jennifer, my sister, who has raised three children alone…

Continue until you have placed a pebble in the water for each of these women. Reserve one pebble for yourself. Finish by saying:

I am (your name), and I honor myself,
for my strength, my creativity, my knowledge, my inspiration,
and for all the other remarkable things that make me who I am.To wrap up this ritual think about all the things that make you love being a woman and if you’re a man think about all the things you admire about women. Meditate on the feminine energy of the universal energy source for a little while, do any divination, or magickal workings you wish to do, and then close out the circle.

That is it for today, I hope you enjoyed. What are you doing for Beltane? Let me know down below in the comments along with any other thoughts or questions you have. Also make sure you follow me here and on twitter so you get notifications when I post and when I upload videos. Until next time, Blessed Be!

Wicca and Sex

So in many traditional religions sex is viewed as meant for a husband and wife and anything else is considered a sin/wrongful. In Wicca we view sex a little differently. Most religions never really think about their God as a being that has sex but in Wicca some of our holidays are to celebrate just that, deities having sex. Wicca is a fertility religion. What do I mean by that? Well think about it this way, Wicca is thought of most often as a nature based religion. This is true of course. Nature though doesn’t just happen. Nature happens through reproduction. The plants reproduce, the animals, the insects, everything reproduces. And as we know to reproduce we must be fertile and for most living organisms it takes sex to reproduce.

All through Wicca you will find symbols about fertility. The wheel of the year is symbolic of the earth’s fertility. The wheel of the year also is a cycle about the God’s conception, and the goddess’ pregnancy. During Beltane we have the Maypole is a giant phallic symbol. The athame and wand are symbols for the male. The chalice, cauldron, and pentacle are symbols for the female.

There is also sex magick. During magick one raises energy and then releases it. Sex is a great way to build of the energy and the climax is a great way to release it. Couples who practice magick together and partake in this. Solitary Wiccans can do sex magick through masturbation.

So due to the fact that Wiccans see sex as a healthy, natural, and positive act we typically accept our sexuality as human nature. We have nothing against nudity (if anything we are for it considering many of us perform ritual and magick skyclad), and no where in the rede or any other such documents, does it say anything about sex before marriage. This is not to say all Wiccan’s are sexually active. Sex is an individual decision. Some have a lot of sex with numerous partners, some wait for a serious relationship, some wait for marriage, and some are celibate. It all depends on the person.

Also nowadays many wiccan’s are pretty liberal about sexual orientations and those that are homophobic are homophobic on their own accord and not because of religious scripture and belief.

And of course there is unhealthy sex that is not encouraged in Wicca such as:

Imbalance of power (this does not include consensual BDSM). No wiccan coven should ever demand sex from you. As well as child/adult, teacher/student, boss/employee, etc
When sex isn’t about a personal intimate connection with someone but rather about manipulation, used to fill a void left by someone else, when it becomes an obsession/compulsion, or a cry for help. If you’re using sex like a drug it is not healthy.
Non-consensual sex is obviously unethical as it is about manipulation, violence, and control.
Or when someone is being irresponsible with sex. They could be opening themselves up to disease or risking giving someone else a disease, or not properly protecting oneself from unwanted children. As that is not balanced or responsible.

All and all though Wicca is pretty open minded about sex so it is up to you to decide what is best for yourself.

Thank you so much for reading. If you have any thoughts or questions please leave them in the comments. Also, make sure you subscribe to my blog and my twitter so you get notifications on when I post. Until next time, Merry Meet and Blessed Be.

Weekly Tarot Reading: Beltane reading

Hi everyone! Today I did a reading for Beltane since it is coming up tomorrow and the day after. I thought it might be fun to give you something to use in any rituals and divination you may be doing for the Sabbat.

mayqueen — Position 1: Safety. Emotional security. What you need to feel safe. Where are you secure in yourself? A seemingly negative card describes a situation that needs your focused attention. Work with the energy of that card to produce feelings of safety.
Position 2: Abundance. Feelings of plenty. Abundance may encompass monetary prosperity, but it also describes the emotional breadth of your life that is full and sweet. A challenging card directs you to constricted energy flow; by releasing the block of a challenging card, emotional abundance will follow.
Position 3: Regeneration. Exploring the possibilities. The bold action needed to grow and flourish. A challenging card will show you the block that keeps you from your heart’s desire.
Position 4: Love. Emotions and relationships. All forms of love, from friendship to sexual passion. Only you know your heart. Look at the suit of the card: what does it tell you about your life right now? (Wands = passion or anger; Cups = love or friendship; Swords = loving the intellect, heartache, or painful decisions; Pentacles = sensuality, the body, or the value you place on love; Court Cards = personal characteristics in your relationships; Major Arcana cards = the big picture, karma, or the spiritual aspects of your relationships.)
Position 5: The Future. The present conceivable outcome based on the flow of cards one through four. What story do the cards tell? The lessons to be learned and the potential for growth. How does position three, regeneration, relate to the future?

So after doing this reading I have found that this Beltane I need to focus still on my transition from school to work and self reflecting about my romantic relationship. I’ll break it down and show you how I came to this conclusion.

31519629_1674913102597312_6690736247398203392_n — The cards I drew.

Emotional Security: King of Swords Reversed

Firstly, swords connects back to intellect. Also the king card refers to a completion point, a cycle being complete, and to either consolidate your current position or to begin a new cycle. Due to the fact that this card is reversed I seems to be suggesting I need to focus on starting my new journey. I’m caught up in the idea of school even though its done. In order to feel secure I need to embrace the new change which is work.

What am I abundant in: The Fool Reversed

This card when in reverse means that one is living in the moment and not planning for their future. Anything that may sound too good to be true may indeed be too good to be true. I think it relates to me because I have been depending on the idea of getting hired out of practicum, and not thinking about the possibility that I don’t. I think this is suggesting that to make a back of plan or I will lack abundance.

Exploring Possibilities: Ten of Swords

As we said before swords talks about intellect. The number 10 though talks about the ending and the beginning. It is a point of transition. Also to put your best effort in and to not be okay with just being average. I think this cards for me means that it is time to explore possibilities and move on to the next stage (work and not school). But that if I am going to commit to this change that I can’t settle for mediocrity. I need to try my best and be great at what I do.

Love and Relationships: Judgement

This card says that this a the time to reflect and evaluate ourselves and our actions. It is a period of awakening and that you are coming close to a significant point in your life where you must start to evaluate yourself. I think for me this means I’m going to have a big decision to make in my love life soon and I need to evaluate how I feel in the relationship.

The Future: The Hermit

This cards talks about seeking knowledge from within. It also is about contemplating the need to be alone. You are making an effort to take actions that are authentic and true to you. You’re searching your inner soul for guidance on what is right and what your next steps should be. For me I think it means that in the near future it is going to be important to do some inner reflection. The spread says to relate this card back to the 3rd card about regeneration but my intuition is telling me to relate this card to the 4th card instead. I think a decision is coming in my love life where I’m going to need to think about whats best for me.

So that’s this weeks reading. I hope you get good use out of this spread this Beltane. Feel free to let me know if you think I missed anything or to leave any thoughts or questions in the comments. Thanks for reading and make sure to subscribe so you can get notifications whenever I post. Merry Meet and Blessed Be.

Wheel of the Year: Beltane

Hi guys! Beltane is coming up so it’s time to continue our talk about the sabbats!

Beltane is celebrated April 30th and/or May 1st. It is also known as may day. The God is officially matured. At this time we are celebrating the union of the god and goddess and between man and woman. Now is a popular time for handfasting (wiccan marriages). At this time we celebrate fertility because now is the time animals are mating and for new beginnings. We also celebrate our sexuality at this time.

To celebrate we celebrate by braiding our hair, dancing around the may pole, and having bonfires. And like all our holidays we take a walk to see how nature is changing throughout the year. This holiday is great for celebrating with a group of people. In some cities you may find public Beltane celebrations that you can go to. I’d highly suggest checking it out. I hope to have the opportunity to someday. On Beltane it is thought that the veil between our realm and the fae realm are thin so now is your best chance of seeing fairies. You can encourage them to come by making them a little home outside and leaving out honey and milk.

Goddesses that are usually celebrated around this time are but not limited to: Artemis (Greek), Demeter (Greek), Flora (Roman), Hera (Greek), Persephone (Greek), Sheela-na-Gig (Celtic), Xochiquetzal (Aztec)

Gods that are usually celebrated around this time are but not limited to: Bes (Egyptian), Bacchus (Roman)/Dionysus (Greek), Cernunnos (Celtic), Kokopelli (Hopi), Pan (Greek), Priapus (Greek)

As always on the Sabbat it is customary to preform a ritual to honour the God and the Goddess. Now is also a good time to do divination on what the spring holds for you. Also if you like to do magick on the sabbat now is a great time for fertility and sex magick.

Thanks for reading! Please leave in the comments how you’ll be celebrating this years Beltane. Also if you’d like to see a Beltane ritual I have done and really enjoyed check out this post Wiccan Rituals (Beltane ritual included). Lastly, make sure you subscribe so you get notifications when I post. Merry Meet and Blessed Be!

Wiccan Rituals (Beltane ritual included)

Rituals are very misunderstood as a whole. A lot of people associate rituals with sacrifices and stuff like that. Every religion has rituals though and, unless you’re in some horrible cult, has nothing to do with sacrifices. Some religious rituals are things such as weddings, funerals, baptism, communion, bar mitzvah, circumcision, baby showers, and stuff like that.

If a Wiccan practices in a coven (a group of wiccans/witches) they tend to have specific rituals they do throughout the year that are tradition. Some bigger ones like initiation which is like a baptism (it is your dedication to the gods/goddesses) and handfasting (which is a pagan marriage and typically not legally binding).

But there are a lot of Wiccans who practice on their own and like I’ve said before we don’t have a church equivalent to go to so we typically worship on our own at our altars. One of our favourite ways to worship is to do a ritual. We tend to do rituals for different esbats (phases of the moon) and sabbats(holidays) but you can do them whenever you want. Rituals can be as simplistic or as complex as you want. I personally like simple rituals so I will write up an example of my favourite ritual I have done.

Wish Box Beltane Ritual:

Firstly you need a small wooden box, some paper, a pen, and anything you want to use to decorate your wooden box. If you have a cauldron use that but I don’t so I used a metal bucket with a small t-light candle in it. You also need herbs that correspond with what results you want.

I did this in my bathtub but you can do this at your altar or anywhere really. So to start you can by casting a circle if you’d like. You can mediate or do anything to prepare but once you are ready and your candles are lit you can call for your gods and goddesses. Because this was for Beltane I do this ritual for Pan and Demeter. You can also call any elements or other spirits now too. An example of calling them is to say something like “May Demeter, Pan, fire and earth elements assist me in this ritual”.

Next I put herbs in the fire (which is in your cauldron or bucket) and spoke while doing so.

Basil: may my life always be balanced

Cinnamon: may my business blossom and money come my way

Peppermint: may positive changes and restful sleep become part of my life

Thyme: may renewed energy and health come into my life

Savory: may creativity flow through me

Cumin: may peace and harmony be welcome in my life

Salt: may my soul, mind, and body be cleansed.

Then I took my wishes that I wanted to happen fast and wrote them on paper and burned them. As they were burning I said “with harm to none may these wishes come quickly to those who write them. By power of three, so mote it be” I then took my wishes I wanted to be long lasting and put it in the box I decorated and I put a sprig of babies breath in it and before I closed it said

“May the words contained come to pass, and celestial bodies lend their hand. By moon, stars, and sun as well, may wish be granted as spelled. Unless removed, the wish shall hold, and with harm to none, my request is done”.

I thanked the gods for what they do and for helping my ritual. For example

” I give thanks to Demeter for the earth, agriculture, and fertility. I give thanks to Pan for agriculture and spring fertility. I thank you both and earth and fire for assisting me in this ritual. May any spirits that assisted be released”

Lastly I put out the fire with some bath water and this is when you can end the sacred circle.

You can find rituals online or you can make them up yourself. One of the great things I’ve learned about rituals is no matter how badly you screw it up (I set the smoke detector off once) the gods and goddesses still appreciate the work you put into it.

So that’s a little bit about rituals. As always I encourage you to comment with any thoughts or questions you may have. Merry Meet and Blessed Be!