(Special) Fun and games.

Time to have some fun this spring.
Today we'll be covering some fun little games to entertain you on those long warm days.

Ok, we'll start with energy ball. I bet you're getting the image of dragon ball z style glowing and AAAAARRRR ing. But no, this is a chilled out and fun game that's sort of like playing catch with water balloons.
You rub your hands together and concentrate on throwing a ball of energy to between them. One you've created it you  can throw it to someone, or at them. They'll get an instant feeling of cold water exploding over them. It's a fun and harmless game to play for people aged 2-99.

As its spring and all those flowers, birds and animals are out it's a great time to go spotting. Just go for a walk and see how much you can see. Feed the birds (seed not bread, it's better for them) and the squirrels. It's highly liberating feeding a wild bird directly from your hand.

It's also a great time of year to put together new robes, find a wand, paint, draw, make music, take pictures. In fact anything creative. It's a time of life and freedom so go out and use this time wisely.

Also a great time to get the whole town together. Get the maypole out and dance like it's 1699. Share food and drinks. A barbecue is great and fresh fruits are abundant. Socialise and  get some sunshine.

Plant some new flowers and watch them grow. Caring for something outside of yourself can be highly fulfilling. Plus flowers always small nicer alive than cut.

For all of you out there who prefer the ''creepier'' side of life as we move towards Beltane spirits get a lot more active, so it's a perfect time for a ghost hunt. But remember, be legal, respectful and safe. No bringing things home.

It's a nice time to make wishes in the evening too. You'll need paper, pencils, a fireproof bowl or fire pit, kindling and a match or two. Write your wishes on the paper, fold them up then place them in the fire, careful not to burn yourself. As the sparks rise see your wish rising, and hope for it to be granted.

Be romantic, be spontaneous, be a child at heart, eyes open to the wonder of the world, and most of all, be safe.

Spells, rituals and rights.

Yes we're finally here, the fun stuff. But first a not so fun tip.

Choose your gods well. If you are doing a fertility ritual no NOT use a god of death. You and I both know where that will end. People have done it and suffered the consequences.

You don't have to use a specific name so stick to 'god' and 'goddess' if you're unsure. Please.

Next, always cast a circle, even for the 'smallest' spell.

To bring new opportunities your way

You'll need:

Everything for your circle,

I piece of cotton large enough to make a small pouch in white,

white string,

a small piece of paper,

a pen,

a single hair from your head.

This is best done under a new moon and is the quickest spell I know. Have what sort of opportunities you want to attract in your mind before you begin.

Open your circle and get ready to begin. Write what sort of thing you want on the paper, such as “job opportunities” and place in the cotton. Pull the hair and place it on top. Close up the cotton around the paper and hair and tie with the string. All the time thinking of your objective.

Close your circle and carry around the pouch until you feel the benefits. Then bury.

To dispel negativity

You will need:

A feather for each negative action or feeling,

string,

a safe place to work as far from your home as possible.

Open your circle and bind the feathers together, imagining that you are tying each negative feeling to a feather. Next place the feathers down and ask that these negative emotions be carried away from you on the wind. Wait until the first breeze moves the feathers, then politely and gratefully close your circle.

To bring good dreams

You will need:

A handful of lavender (dried or fresh),

A small piece of rose quartz,

A few drops of jasmine oil,

A small blue pouch.

Open your circle and ask for what sort of dreams you wish to bring. Place your ingredients inside the pouch and tie shut. Close your circle and place the pouch under your pillow. When all energy has run out of it or become stale, take out the quartz and purify, then bury the rest.

A ritual for home spiritual spring cleaning

You will need:

Salt and lots of it,

A vacuum cleaner,

Yes that's it. Pick a day when it's warm enough to keep all the doors and windows open. Spread the salt around the whole house and leave for at least an hour with the air circulating around the building. Then vacuum up the salt starting from the center of the house and working towards the edges (and top down) then empty it. This is best just before the bin collection day.

Basic fertility spell

Note: If you do not have the finances or stability to have a baby, don't even try. (I know, common sense, but still)

You will need:

Symbols or items to represent the male and female aspects,

Red ribbon,

A small plant,

A dish of water.

Open your circle. Bring your symbols together and tie them loosely with the ribbon, before placing them in the dish of water. Ask for increased fertility politely before adding half of the water to the plant. Drink the other half yourself (or share with a partner, whoever the spell is to benefit). Close your circle. Remember to care for the plant afterwards.

Healing a broken heart spell

You will need:

Something of the lost partner (not alcohol or anything that would explode or give off toxins in a fire.),

A candle,

Fireproof dish (big enough for the item),

A bucket of water or sand,

And indulgent ice cream.

Open the circle. Light the candle and if you are truly ready to left go and begin healing, set the item alight in the fireproof dish. As it burns imagine them drifting away to a new life and the warmth of the fire filling your heart. Cry if you need to and let go of all pent up emotion. When the fire has burnt itself out breath deeply and feel the air lighten you and bring you renewed confidence and freedom. Close your circle. Then you can feast on your ice cream. (Anything with dark chocolate in is best.)

This one will probably be constantly updated so check back :)

Altars (How to be an OCD Witch)

Your altar will often be your focal point for any working you do. It holds your tools, your statues if you have them and is the focus of magic. Altars can be made from anything. Some people build purpose built ones from wood and stone, or use outside influences to place things on top. Some covens may be very lucky and have a stone table in their working area to use. Others of us buy tables, wooden blocks and stone tables to place all our stuff on. In Solitary Witch, by Silver Ravenwolf (this is an example of a fluffy bunny book. She's great for base spells and base ideas, but she tends to be wishy washy, flouncy and wordy to me and Myotishia) she references ideas for the practitioner that has pushy parents or live with people that do not understand. She even mentions using a skateboard. But I would advise against that.

Altars are referenced to represent the womb of a woman, the circle of creation with everything it needs all in one place. The staples of a good Altar differ between practitioners. You could ask a hundred and hear different things. The rule of thumb is:-

Have something to represent the male (Wands are good, stag horns, anything phallic, use your creativity and daggers too)

Have something for the woman (the chalice is common. This can be as ornate or simple as you wish. Or a bowl, something to hold water. A chalice is useful to hold the wine (or non-alcohol beverage for those that are not old enough or have an aversion to drink.))

A representation of the four elements (refer back to see what we suggest or think of your own)

Wine and cakes (use our recipes or make your own)

Working tools (if you need a pestle and mortar, bring one)

A pentacle (ornate or as simple as you wish, one is plenty. You don't need it, but it is commonly used)

Candles (witches need light dammit)

This list can change depending what you are doing and when you are doing it. Sometimes you will have other items added because of the time of year. Pick and choose or add your own. It is your altar.

We have a chopping board as our altar when we use it. But because of our situation we tend to be 'spontaneous witches'. Myotishia just did one, no altar. Our last altar was the roots of a gorgeous big tree that shared in our cakes and wine. It all depends. Do try to have a cloth though if you use an altar that doubles as furniture or is expensive, candle wax is a paaaain! We got some on the floor...damn thing won't go (sigh).

Overall an altar is like a Pagan, all over the darn place. Messy or clean, compact or huge, it's yours. Personally, the world is my altar (stands skyclad in silhouette).

The all important circle.

I find the word circle to be a little misleading as it presents the idea of something 2D. The circle is like a protective bubble you create around your work area. This can be created and affected in multiple ways.

Firstly you should decide beforehand which deities you are going to be working with during this session. For beginners I would stick with the Goddess and the God. Simple. You don't even have to assign them a name. You could list names that they fall under, or if you have chosen your pantheon you could name your Goddess and God by the name that they go under in the pantheon. HOWEVER: make sure you say it correctly. Saying the wrong name is like saying the wrong name during sex. Awkward!

Then choose your space. Always have plenty of room for a make-shift Altar (section to come soon) and if you have yourself a group of people, make enough room so they have at least an arm distance between. Circles are your protection, so everyone needs to be inside the circle when it is cast.

You need to have 4 large candles, you can either have them on the floor, or have four people holding them depending on how you are doing this. You then need to have 4 representations of the elements. A candle for fire, a bowl of water (you can guess that one), jar of dirt and a feather for air. The consensus is that when you start to open the circle you 'call the quarters'. You call the energies from the four elements to your circle to keep watch. You can keep them nameless, or again name them if you know your pantheon. Now at this point you should consecrate any tools you plan to use, ready for the ritual. Also bless the wine and cakes to eat later. I would talk about sayings and things that should be recited, but personally myself and Myo never do say anything verbally. We like the quiet version of proceedings. Since we never say anything it's better if you make up your own words, or researching some from other books. I would suggest Kate West again, as she does simple sayings. I personally don't want to make a big song and dance, anything too wordy loses points with me, but it's up to you.

Now, this is how the elements are placed and how you should call them.

Air = East

Fire = South

Water = West

Earth = North.

You should always invoke a circle sunwise, deosil or clockwise. That is how the world runs and how things are bought to life. You should never attempt to open a circle the wrong way, that can just bring about bad things. As you open the circle imagine a light starting in the center, casting down a veil of protection. My colour is purple, it looks like a bubble when done. Imagine things bouncing off as you make it. You can practice at home by making a safe bubble for yourself by just visualising it.

You open the circle, you can sprinkle water if you wish to make a marking that will disappear when dry. Do your workings, then close.

Closing the circle is a must, no matter how urgent you are. Leaving an open circle means you have kept various deities stuck in your circle, after they have helped you, how rude! Circles can also decay and send out bad luck and all sorts. To close you can go widdershins, or anti-clockwise. Just keep any items that have been used to banish something away from the closing, because that would reverse the effect. You also close the quarters after eating the wine and cakes and leaving some for the leaving deities. Pack up and leave the area as you found it.

Simple eh?

Cleansing, mind, body and spirit.

Before any working you do you need to be clean. It's a matter of respect and hygiene. I don't need to tell you the basics of having a bath/shower but you can always go the extra mile before working.

If you have a bath:

Run a nice, deep, hot bath. Add three drops of lavender oil to the water, put on some soft music and light a few candles. Wash your hair first then get an all natural washing product (soap or gel) and wash from head to toe well. After that, rinse off and relax in the water, closing your eyes and listening to the sounds of the water mixing with the music. Breath deeply and meditate on what you plan to do later. When you feel fully relaxed and clean, rinse with a little fresh water and drain the tub. Air dry if it's warm enough, if not, wrap yourself in a nice warm towel.

If you have a shower:

To relax is a tad more difficult but not impossible. Turn on the shower to warm and pop on the radiator or whatever heating you have for the bathroom. Once the room is warm get undressed and head into the shower. Wash your hair with a pleasantly scented shampoo and conditioner before washing from head to toe, once again with an all natural washing product. After that stand under the water, taking deep breaths, close your eyes and feel the mix of water and air on your skin. Meditate on what you plan to do, until you feel clean and energised, before walking out of the shower and air drying. Then switch the shower off.

recipe corner.

Yes guys and girls all pagans should at least know how to make beans on toast. I've never met a pagan who can't cook for themselves, and here's a few fun and easy recipes to start you off ^_^

Bread

500g strong white flour , plus extra for dusting
1 pinch of salt (honestly I'm not a fan of using salt in my cooking, but for bread I allow a pinch)
7g sachet fast-action yeast
3 tbsp olive oil
300ml warm water (not hot)
Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the yeast to the warm water and stir gently before adding to the mix. Then ad the oil and mix into a dough. Kneed then leave to sit in a warm space, covered, for ten minutes. Place on an oiled tray and bake at 200°C for 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. 

Biscuits

You'll need them. They're great for use instead of cake as they're a heck of a lot easier to store and carry. They taste great and you can cut them into any shape you like.

3oz granulated sugar,
6oz butter,
7oz plain flour,

Crumble sugar and butter together then fold in the flour into a dough. (add water if it doesn't hold) then roll out and cut before placing on a greased tray and cook on 150°C until golden brown. Don't cook too long as they can swiftly turn into rocks. If you like crunchy biscuits leave to cool. Otherwise, eat warm.

You can add a fourth ingredient if you wish, this will often symbolise the dark of the moon and I always add this out of respect. You could add honey, chocolate, cocoa, cinnamon or fruit. In fact anything you like, you're the one baking.

Cough relief steam

We all get those colds, those sniffles and coughs. Nothing can really stop them in the long run, but there are ways to sooth the cough.

1 bowl of boiling water,
1 towel,
3 drops of eucalyptus oil,
2 tbsp of honey,
2 tsp of salt,
1 teabag,

Place the ingredients with the boiling water in the bowl, pop the towel over your head, close your eyes and relax letting the steam soothe that cough away.
(Jenjen recommends a good cup of tea afterwards ^_^ Just use a new teabag.)

Oils

There are many uses for oils, from helping you sleep, to anointing yourself. Always use a good quality base oil such as extra virgin olive oil, as many essential oils are not safe to put onto skin neat.

Lavender- Sleep and healing.
Jasmine- said to be the scent of the goddess.
Citrus- aids alertness and concentration.
Peppermint- healing of the stomach.

These are just a small handful to start you off. Please research the oils fully before using.

Your kitchen
No I don't mean remodelling. Here's a few things you should always have in your kitchen so you'll never be caught short. 

Flour (this one is obvious, it has so many uses that of course you need it.)
Salt (once again, so many uses and not all for cookery.)
Ground ginger (perfect for when you're having stomach troubles)
honey (antiseptic, soothing and amazing on toast.)
Eggs (a main part of any cake)
Oats (if all else fails, porridge will do)
Milk (Got to have that calcium.)
Fruit (fresh or tinned)
Veg (whatever you like)
Meat (for feasts or sandwiches, gotta have that protein)
  

The poor pagan (or “how to make the most of the free things.”)

Remember, not all pagans are wealthy coven owners and most of us have very little money to pump into crystal wands and silk robes. Paganism is earth based and so many of our tools can be picked up for free. I found my wand, naturally fallen from a tree on a walk. Most of your corner symbols will be found naturally and even your light source can be natural, remember you don't have to work at night. I find working in the day can be very fulfilling if you can find a quiet enough space.

Sadly not everything is free but they can be cheaper than average. Medieval fairs can be a great source of supplies as many pagan sellers take the opportunity to sell in front of mainstream markets, ad because many items are one offs they can be at highly discounted prices.

Making your own bread and cakes can also be very satisfying and much healthier than store bought things as at home we do not use additives.

You can make many of the tools you can use such as a scrying mirror. This can be made with a photo frame and black paint to create a black mirror. Remember, just because something's black, doesn't mean it's evil.

Small crystals can be found very cheaply all over the place, even in jewellery as they've become very popular.

And remember, your kitchen cupboards are a wonderful source of ingredients (well duh huh?).