The Magic of Animals

By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide

In many modern Pagan traditions, animal symbolism -- and even actual animals -- are incorporated into magical belief and practice. Let's look at some of the ways people have welcomed animals into their magical practice throughout the ages, as well as specific animals and their folklore and legends.

1. Power Animals, Totem Animals and Spirit Animals¹

²Image © Steve Cole/Getty Images

The use of a totem animal is not part of traditional Wiccan practice. However, as Wicca and other modern Pagan practices evolve and blend together, many people who follow non-mainstream spiritual paths find themselves working with a mix of many different belief systems. A power animal is a spiritual guardian that some people connect with. However, much like other spiritual entities³, there's no rule or guideline that says you must have one.

2. Animal Familiars⁴

⁵Image © Caitlin Hyatt 2008

In some traditions of modern Wicca and Paganism, the concept of an animal familiar is incorporated into practice. Today, a familiar is often defined as an animal with whom we have a magical connection, but in truth, the concept is a bit more complex than this.

3. Using Animal Parts in Ritual⁶

⁷Image © Getty Images

Some Pagans use animal parts in ritual. While this may seem a bit unsavory to some folks, it's really not that uncommon. If your tradition doesn't forbid the use of animal parts, and the  parts are gathered humanely and ethically, then there's no reason you can't use them. Let's look at some of the different parts you might want to use. Let's talk about some of the different animal parts you might choose to incorporate into magical practice, and why you may decide to use them.

4. Serpent Magic⁸

⁹Image © altrendo nature/Getty Images

While a lot of people are afraid of snakes, it's important to remember that in many cultures, serpent mythology is strongly tied to the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Did you know that in the Ozarks, there is a connection between snakes and babies? Or that in Scotland, a snake emerging from its hole signified the beginning of Spring?

5. Ravens and Crows¹⁰

¹¹Image © John Foxx/Getty Images

The crow and raven appear in folklore going back to early times. Sometimes, they're seen as harbingers of doom, but more often than not, they are messengers -- what are they trying to tell us?

6. Owl Magic¹²

¹³Image © Getty Images

Owls appear in legends and myths going back to the ancient Greeks, who knew the wise old owl was the symbol of their goddess Athena. However, owls are often associated with prophecy and bad tidings. Read about some of the ways different cultures viewed owls in folklore and magic.

7. Black Cats¹⁴

¹⁵Image © Getty Images

Every year at Halloween, local news channels warn us to keep black cats inside just in case the local hooligans decide to get up to some nasty hijinks. But where did the fear of these beautiful animals come from? Anyone who lives with a cat knows how fortunate they are to have a cat in their life -- so why are they considered unlucky?

8. Spider Folklore¹⁶

¹⁷Image © Patti Wigington 2010

Depending on where you live, you probably see spiders starting to emerge from their hiding spots at some point in the summer. By fall, they tend to be fairly active because they’re seeking warmth – which is why you may find yourself suddenly face to face with an eight-legged visitor some night when you get up to use the bathroom. Don’t panic, though – most spiders are harmless, and people have learned to co-exist with them for thousands of years. Nearly all cultures have some sort of spider mythology, and folktales about these crawly creatures abound!

9. Rabbit Magic¹⁸

¹⁹Image © Getty Images

Spring equinox is a time for fertility and sowing seeds, and so nature's fertility goes a little crazy. The rabbit -- for good reason -- is often associated with fertility magic and sexual energy. Spring is a great time to focus on some of that rambctious energy -- let's look at how rabbit symbolism can be incorporated into magical workings.

10. Wolf Legends and Folklore²⁰

²¹Image © Getty Images

The wolf is associated with many different aspects throughout the ages. Often seen as terrifying, there are plenty of tales in which the wolf is shown as compassionate and nurturing. Let's look at some of the many wolf stories that have appeared around the world.

 

Weather Magic and Folklore

By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide

How do you know if snow is on its way?

Image (c) Patti Wigington 2008

In many magical traditions, weather magic is a popular focus of workings. The term “weather magic” can be used to mean anything from divination and forecasting to actual control of the weather itself. When you consider that many of today’s folk magic customs are rooted in our agricultural past, it makes sense that an ability to foretell or change weather patterns might be considered a valuable skill. After all, if your family’s livelihood and life depended on the success of your crops, weather magic would be a handy thing to know.

Dowsing

Dowsing is the ability to find a water source in a previously unknown area via divination. In many parts of Europe professional dowsers were hired to locate new places to dig wells. This was typically done with the use of a forked stick, or sometimes a copper rod. The stick was held out in front of the dowser, who walked around until the stick or rod began to vibrate. The vibrations signaled the presence of water beneath the ground, and this was where villagers would dig their new well.

During the Middle Ages this was a popular technique for locating new springs to use as wells, but it later became associated with negative sorcery. By the seventeenth century, most dowsing had been outlawed because of its connection to the devil.

Harvest Predictions

In many rural and agricultural societies, fertility rituals¹ were conducted to ensure a strong and healthy harvest. For instance, the use of the Maypole during the Beltane season² often tied in to the fertility of the fields. In other cases, farmers used divination to determine whether the grain season would be successful – a few kernels of corn placed on a hot iron would pop and jump around. The behavior of the hot kernels indicated whether or not the price of grain would go up or down in the fall.

Weather Divination

How often have you heard the phrase, “Red sky at night, sailors’ delight, red sky in the morning, sailors take warning?” This saying actually originates in the Bible³, in the book of Matthew: He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, they say there will be fair weather for the sky is red. And in the morning, there will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and lowring.

While there is a scientific explanation for the accuracy of this expression – relating to weather patterns, dust particles in the atmosphere, and how they move across the sky – our ancestors simply knew that if the sky looked angry in the early hours of the day, they were probably in for inclement weather.

In the northern hemisphere, the celebration of Imbolc, or Candlemas⁴, coincides with Groundhog Day⁵. While the notion of holding a fat rodent up to see if he projects a shadow seems quirky and campy, it’s actually something similar to weather predictions done centuries ago in Europe. In England, there's an old folk tradition that if the weather is fine and clear on Candlemas, then cold and stormy weather will reign for the remaining weeks of winter. Scotland's Highlanders had a tradition of pounding the ground with a stick until the serpent emerged. The snake's behavior gave them a good idea of how much frost was left in the season.

Some weather prediction folklore related to animals. In Appalachia, there’s a legend that if the cows are laying down in their fields, it means rain is on the way, although this may well be something that mountain folks tell outsiders – most cows seek shelter under trees or in a barn when bad weather comes. However, there are also stories that if a rooster crows in the middle of the night, it is foretelling rain the next day, and that if dogs⁶ begin running in circles, poor weather is coming. It is also said that if birds build their nests⁷ closer to the ground than usual, a hard winter is on its way.

 

Protection Magic

By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide

Iron objects like horseshoes are known for their protective energy.

Image © Getty Images

Protection Magic

In many magical traditions, workings can be done to ensure protection of home, property, and people. There are a number of simple ways you can do protection workings.

• Make an Onion Braid protection charm¹ to hang in your home to protect those who live there.

• Find pieces of sharp iron, such as old nails or railroad spikes. Pound them into the ground around the perimeter of your property to keep harmful people out. Place an iron dagger beneath your pillow to prevent attack while you sleep.

• Use crystals or stones² with magical properties, such as Hematite to create a barrier around your home. Put a piece of Hematite at each outside corner of the house.

• Make a magical poppet³ to protect yourself or a loved on.

• Brew up some Protection Oil⁴, and anoint yourself with it. This will keep you safe from psychic or magical attacks.

• Plant herbs with protective properties⁵, such as violet, thistle, honeysuckle, or fennel around your home. When they bloom, harvest them and hang them up to dry. Use the dried herbs in protective sachets or incense.

• Hang an iron horseshoe, open end facing down, to keep evil spirits out of your home. A horseshoe found along the side of a road was particularly powerful, and was known to provide protection against disease.

• In western Scotland, it was once popular to make a small cross of rowan twigs and bind them together with red string. Hanging this in the window or over a door will keep negative influences from crossing the threshold.

 

Lavender Dream Pillow

At Litha, the herb gardens are in full bloom, and if you have lavender growing, you're probably blessed with all kinds of purple abundance right now! Lavender is associated with calming and peacefulness, so Midsummer is a perfect time to make yourself a lavender pillow, to help bring about relaxing dreams.

To make your lavender sweet dreams pillow, you'll need the following:

• Fabric in pattern of your choice
• Cotton, Polyfill, or other stuffing material
• Dried lavender
• Needle, thread, scissors

To assemble the pillow, place the fabric with the right sides together. Cut out the shape you'd like your pillow to be -- square, circle, whatever. Pin the material together, and sew most of the way around the edges. Be sure to leave a gap where you can stuff the pillow.

 

Turn the material right side out, and fill with cotton or Polyfill. Add a handful of dried lavender, and stitch the opening closed. As you sew, you may wish to offer a blessing by chanting:

When at night I go to sleep,
sweet dreams will come to me.
Lavender scent bring peaceful rest.
As I will so it shall be.

Tip: If you're making this pillow as a project for a child, you can use felt and cut out shapes of the child's favorite things. Appliqué them on the pillow. Ask your child what sorts of things he or she would like to dream about, and use these shapes as a guideline. The one in the photo includes a witch, a cat, the child's first initial, and an ice cream cone.

 

Could You Be Cursed or Hexed?

 

Many people involved in Pagan and Wiccan spirituality find themselves, at some point, worrying about magical attack. What if someone casts a spell on me? How will I know? What do I do? More importantly, how do I protect myself so that it doesn’t happen in the first place?

Well, first of all, relax. Chances are really good that you're not going to be the victim of a magical attack at all. Here's why: it takes a certain amount of skill and effort to magically attack someone with a curse or hex, and honestly, many people aren't interested in putting forth that much work, and of those, many do not have the skill level required for a magical strike. In other words, not everyone who talks the talk can walk the walk. That having been said, if someone is willing to put forth the effort and they have the ability to craft an effective spell, it's possible you could be the victim of a deliberate, concentrated attack.

Be aware, also, that in most cases, someone who tells you they've hexed, cursed, or otherwise put a spell on you is the one least likely to be able to do so.

 

What is a magical attack? It's a curse or a hex, that's designed to make things go badly for you. If there are other circumstances in place, it's probably not a magical attack. Maybe you're just having a run of bad luck. Sometimes, it's just a matter of changing your lifestyle, or looking at mundane causes. Let's take a look at how to tell if you're under a magical attack. Ask yourself these questions:

• Is there someone in your life that you have angered or offended in some way?
• Is that person someone who has the magical knowledge to place a harmful spell on you?
• Is a hex or curse the only possible explanation for what is happening to you?

If the answer to all three is "yes", then it's possible you've been cursed or hexed. If that's the case, then you need to take protective measures.

Many people also choose to use divination as a way of determining whether they're the victim of a hex or a curse, but if you do this, bear in mind that your own fears and worries may effect the outcome. It's better to have the divination done by an objective party who isn't aware of your concerns. Ask a trusted friend to do the divination, and see if they come to the same conclusions that you have.

 

If you feel you've genuinely been the victim of a magical attack, the first thing to do is protect yourself from further mischief. Once you've done that, you need to get started on removal of the curse or hex. There are several methods of doing this. Some examples that may be used successfully include:

• Create a "magic mirror" spell which bounces the hex or curse back to its sender*
• Create a doll or poppet to take the damage in your place
• Perform a working that will remove negative influences from your life
• Use meditation, Reiki, chakra healing, or other energy work to lift the spell

For general protection, most people use a simple shielding method. This is a psychic shell that one draws around themselves. You can do this either by casting a circle of protection and recharging it periodically, or you can charge an amulet or talisman with protective properties. This will be an effective way of protecting you in the majority of magical attacks.

Property and vehicles can be protected as well. You can place a magical barrier or ward around your yard, keep a protective amulet or talisman in your car, or even set up a shield around your desk at work.

 

If you're going to put together a working for magical protection, you may want to use some of these correspondences.

Magical Herbs

• Acacia: protects against psychic attack
• Agrimony: useful for returning harmful energy to its original source
• Basil: warns off negative magic
• Black thorn: reverses a spell
• Cayenne: returns negative energy to its source
• Coffee: neutralizes harmful magic
• Dragon's Blood resin: protection
• Hyssop: purification and defensive magic
• Mugwort: protects against astral attack, or psychic attack in dreams
• Patchouli: returns harmful magic
• Solomon's Seal: protects against negative energy
• St. John's Wort: purifies and protects against psychic attack
• Vetivert: use to break a hex or curse
• Wormwood: use in uncrossing rituals, to remove hexes or curses upon you
• Yarrow: psychic protection
• Yucca: prevents attack via sympathetic magic

Crystals and Gemstones

• Amber: protects against psychic attack
• Amethyst: protects from negative energy
• Black onyx: protects against harmful magic
• Fire agate: for protection of the aura
• Hematite: use for protection of home and property, as well as to fend off psychic attack
• Malachite: repels hostile magical attacks
• Obsidian: provides protective energies
• Quartz: use to protect yourself from hexes or curses
• Ruby: use to defend against magical attacks related to emotions
• Selenite: for shielding against negative outside influences

How To Write Your Own Spell

By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide

While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with using other peoples’ spells -- and in fact there is an entire industry devoted to publishing books full of them -- there are times when you may wish to use your own. It may be that you can’t find what you’re looking for in a book, or you might just feel a need to use original material. Whatever your reasons, it’s not as hard as you may think to write your own spells if you follow this very simple formula.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: Varied

Here's How:

1. Figure out the goal or intent of the working. What is it you wish to accomplish? Are you looking for prosperity? Hoping to get a better job? Trying to bring love into your life? What is the specific aim of the spell? Whatever it may be, make sure you're clear on what it is you want -- "I will get that promotion at work!"

2. Determine what material components you’ll need to achieve the goal. Will the working require herbs¹, candles², stones³? Try to think outside the box when you’re composing a spell -- remember that magic relies heavily on symbolism. There’s nothing wrong with using unusual ingredients in a working -- Hot Wheels cars, chess pieces, bits of hardware, sunglasses and even old DVDs are all fair game.

3. Decide if timing is important. In some traditions, moon phase⁴ is crucial, while in others it’s not significant. Generally, positive magic, or workings that draw things to you, is performed during the waxing moon. Negative or destructive magic is done during the waning phase. It may be that you feel a certain day of the week⁵ is best for the working, or even a certain hour of the day. Don’t feel obligated to drown yourself in the details, though. If you’re a person who feels confident doing magic on the fly without worrying about timing, then go for it.

   • In many traditions of Paganism and Wicca, days of the week are very important aspects of effective spellcasting. For example, spells to do with abundance or prosperity could be done on Thursday, because it is associated with riches and desire. When casting a spell concerning business or communication, one might prefer to work on a Wednesday due to its associations.
     
     While not all traditions follow this rule, when you're doing any sort of magical working, always be sure to document the day of the week you're performing the spell. You might be surprised later on to see some connections!
     
     

     Sunday

     Color: Yellow & gold
     Planet: Sun
     Metal: Gold
     Deities: Brighid¹, Helios, Ra
     Gemstones: Quartz crystal, diamond, amber, carnelian
     Herbs & Plants:Marigold, sunflower, cinnamon
     Associations: Agriculture, beauty, hope, victory, self-expression and creativity

     Monday

     Color: Silver, white, light blue
     Planet: Moon
     Metal: Silver
     Deities: Thoth, Selene
     Gemstones: Pearl, opal, moonstone
     Herbs & Plants: Wintergreen and other mints, catnip, comfrey, sage, chamomile
     Associations: Childbearing and family life, purity and virginity, healing, wisdom, intuition²
     
     

     Tuesday

     Color: Red and orange
     Planet: Mars
     Metal: Iron
     Deities: Lilith, Mars, Aries, the Morrighan
     Gemstones: Garnets, ruby
     Herbs & Plants: Thistles, holly, coneflower, cactus
     Associations: War and conflict, enemies, initiation³, marriage and protection
     
     

     Wednesday

     Color: Purple
     Planet: Mercury
     Metal: Mercury (Quicksilver)
     Deities: Odin, Hermes, Mercury, Athena, Lugh
     Gemstones: Adventurine, agate
     Herbs & Plants: Aspen trees, lilies, lavender, ferns
     Associations: Business and job-related issues, communication, loss and debt, traveling and journeys
     
     

     Thursday

     Color: Royal blues, greens
     Planet: Jupiter
     Metal: Tin
     Deities: Thor, Zeus, Jupiter, Juno
     Gemstones: Turquoise, amethyst, lapis lazuli
     Herbs & Plants: Honeysuckle, oak trees, cinquefoil
     Associations: Honor and family loyalty, harvests, clothing and riches, fealty
     
     

     Friday

     Color: Pink, aqua/blue-green
     Planet: Venus
     Metal: Copper
     Deities: Freya, Venus, Aphrodite
     Gemstones: Coral, emerald, rose quartz
     Herbs & Plants: Strawberries, apple blossoms, feverfew
     Associations: Family life and fertility, sexuality, harmony, friendship, growth
     
     

     Saturday

     Color: Black, dark purple
     Planet: Saturn
     Metal: Lead
     Deities: Saturn, Hecate
     Gemstones: Apache tear, obsidian, hematite
     Herbs & Plants: Thyme, mullein, cypress
     Associations: Agriculture and creativity, fortune and hope, protection and banishment of negativity
     
     

4. Figure out what wording or incantation -- if any -- will be verbalized during the working. Are you going to chant something formal and powerful, calling upon the gods for assistance? Will you simply mutter a poetic couplet under your breath? Or is it the sort of working where you can simply ponder the Universe in silence?

5. Put all of the above together into a workable form, and then, in the immortal words of the Nike commercial, Just Do It.

Tips:

1. Despite this being a very bare-bones and simple way of looking at spell construction, it does work effectively. You may wish to keep a magical journal or make notes in your Book of Shadows⁷ during the spell construction phase, and then keep track of results as they begin to manifest.

2. If a working hasn't begun to manifest within a few weeks -- some traditions say within 28 days, a lunar month -- you may want to stop and revisit the working. Figure out what variables may need to be changed.

3. The Universe has a quirky sense of humor, so make sure anything you cast a spell for is worded correctly. In other words, be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it!

4. Remember that magic is a tool and a skill set, but some common sense should prevail as well. You can cast all day to get yourself a job, but your chances of success are greatly reduced if you haven't pounded the pavement and sent out copies of your resume!

What You Need

• Intent
• Supplies
• Your Book of Shadows, if you use one

Lunar Folklore

Myths and Legends of the Moon

By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide

Image © Getty Images

The moon is, in terms of distance, the closest heavenly body to earth. We can see it in the sky for three weeks out of four, and people have, for thousands of years, used its light to guide them in the dark. In addition to the personification of the moon as deity¹, there are all kinds of fascinating legends and myths associated with the moon and its cycles.

• The word lunatic comes from the Latin luna, because it was believed that people were more likely to exhibit aberrant behavior during a full moon. Although studies have been done showing that emergency room visits and accidents are increased during the full moon period, there has yet to be conclusive evidence for causation.

• The moon seems to have an effect on animals as well as people. A Florida expert on animal behavior reports that hamsters spin in their wheels far more aggressively during the moon's full phase. Deer and other herbivores in the wild tend to ovulate at the full moon, and in Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the full moon is mating time for coral.

• The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, was inspired by the strange -- and yet very true -- case of Charles Hyde, a London man who committed a series of crimes at the time of the full moon.

• There is a British legend that if Christmas fell on the day of a dark Moon, the following year's harvest would be a bountiful one. Some parts of the British Isles believed that a waxing moon on Christmas meant a good crop the next fall, but a waning moon indicated a bad one would come.

• In some countries, a halo around the moon means bad weather is coming.

• The first time you see a crescent moon for the month, take all your spare coins out of your pocket, and put them in the other pocket. This will ensure good luck for the next month.

• Some people believe that the fifth day after a full moon is the perfect time to try to conceive a child.

• In some Chinese religions, offerings are made to the ancestors on the night of a full moon.

• In some Native American legends, the moon is held captive by a hostile tribe. A pair of antelope hope to rescue the moon and take it the village of a good tribe, but Coyote, the trickster, interferes. The antelope chase Coyote, who tosses the moon into a river each night, just out of reach of the antelope.

• The night of the full moon is believed to be a good time for divination and scrying².