Yule is a lovely and special time of year. It is at the time of the winter solstice, the longest night. Many of the Pagan persuasion celebrate it as a return of the light and the rebirth of the male principle. It is the Crones time of year, with the darkness harboring wisdom, a time of rest and of divination. Yule includes getting together with friends and family, celebrating, often with the giving of gifts. 

It is warmth and light, comradery and compassion, pine trees and candles. A time to snuggle in your pjs in front of a log fire. Whatever way you celebrate, remember the light is coming, even though it’s dark right now.

Originally the Witch’s Ball was used to ward off witch’s spells, bad luck and evil spirits. These were clear glass orbs and hung in windows or were buried in the garden so that the offending intruder would see the glamor of the ball, be entranced and then sucked in and caught. Then on the rising of the sun the next day the demons would be destroyed. 

Others say that the ball would simply deflect the evil spirits when they saw their own reflection in them thus keeping them away from the home. 

The Witch’s Ball we are familiar with came about in England in the 18th century. People still used them to ward off negative energies, demons and evil spirits and were also hung in windows but originally they were merely blown glass (which were up to 8” to 10” in diameter) used for packing to ensure the safety of other items such as vases or cups. Later people began using them as art and so began the modern tradition.

Today Witch’s Balls are made for a variety of reasons, calling in prosperity, health and communication to name a few. They are placed most commonly on the windowsil or altar. They can also be buried in the garden or front walkway to bring in prosperity, fertility and protection to the home.

Yule - A variation on the Witch’s Ball which in days of old were to ward off darkness, here it’ll be used for protection of wishes for the coming year

To begin…

Write down your wish/intention for the coming year and the returning of the sun, on a miniature scroll. Something that you would like to see grow under the light of the sun as it returns. This will be placed in the ball later so make sure it’s of an appropriate size to fit through the opening of the ball.

Ingredients:

Use a clear fillable ornament (Imagine it as an orb of protection. They can be found on amazon or in craft stores)

Hot glue gun or glue

Candle (red, gold, white, silver or green)

Lighter and safety measures

The following are suggestions of items that can be placed inside or outside of the orb (ornament) to help solidify your wish/intention. Feel free to add more if you feel pulled to do so. Add in anything that represents your wish/intention.

Ribbon; gold (sun & revitalization), red (good fortune & protection), white (purity of intent & light), green (prosperity) - an idea can be to glue the ribbon onto the outside of the ornament as a way to wrap and hold that intent into the ball

Herbs; nutmeg (wealth), Cinnamon sticks (fire, sun, attraction of romantic partner), Chamomile (sun, money, attraction, calm, joy), cardamom (harmony, sweetness, joy, luck), ginger (power, force, psychic abilities, balance, openness)

Oils; frankincense (attraction), fir (renewal), Pine (continuation of life), Lemon Balm (sun and energy, revitalizing), Myrrh (awakening & enlightening), clove (magical catalyser, manifestation, strength, luck), orange (love, passion, mind work, stability, grounding, vitality), peppermint (communication, harmony, beauty, knowledge, magical catalyser)

Plants; Pieces of…  fir & Juniper berries (rebirth & continuation of life), mistletoe (berries white for light, prosperity & fertility), holly (protection), basil (love, opportunity, success), bay leaf (wishing & dream magic)

Crystals; Green Calcite (rebirth, heart & grounding), Sunstone (shining light into the dark or shadow), Citrine (energy/recharging, rids negative energies and sun), Selenite (moon goddess Selene for increased psychic abilities on the longest night of the year, connecting to Divine), Cinnabar (prosperity), Bloodstone (prosperity, helps keep warmth in “weather controlling”, barrier remover)

Once you have decorated your ball with intention place the scroll into the orb and put the orb back together with its’ hanger, then seal it with the wax - red, gold, white, green, silver (think of your intention when choosing the color of your sealing wax)

As always follow your intuition in doing any part of this spell work.

DO NOT GET THE FLAME TOO CLOSE TO THE BALL ITSELF! Just let the wax drip onto it or use hot glue gun for the same purpose.

While you are sealing the orb and as you think on your intention say the following:

“In the dark of night we bring forth the light,

May this wish come true the whole year through”

So Mote It Be!

Fortune Pull Cake

Ingredients

Cake mix (or make from scratch)

Charms ( however many you want and/or need)

Frosting

All the pans, utensils, and other ingredients for making the cake

Ribbon

Small pieces of Paper (or very small note cards) Yule colors possibly

Glue and/or glue gun

• Start by attaching ribbons to the charms, one for each charm.

This is still a somewhat popular thing to do at weddings. A form of this where the charms were baked into the cake then eaten at Halloween was popular around the 1920’s to the 1950’s. But a little magic at Yule, plus some cake, won’t hurt. 

Ansuz

This is the god rune, the rune of Odin. This is knowledge and the knower, container and contained. Knowledge in all its forms is here, school tests, mentors, as well as divine inspiration. Creativity is here. 

In all this there is a sense of connection, with the divine, with an older person, or one who is more experienced. Connection is what this time, Yule, is all about. It’s relying and helping one another so that we may all prosper. Be free with your advice when it’s asked for and don’t let your pride or anxiety get in the way of asking for advice. This is how knowledge has been passed along for millennia. Let knowledge flow freely this holiday season, you never know, it might inspire someone.

Please rate us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you’ve found us.

https://otherworldlyoracle.com/crystals-yule-winter-solstice/ crystal correspondences for Yule

https://www.witchballs.com/witch-ball-folklore/ history of witch’s ball    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_ball

Yule and Christmas Magic by Arziana EverDark

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule

This episode History of Magic in Ancient China and we’ll throw in a couple witches

The Magic of Ancient China

Little is known of the early days of the Chinese, just stories that went from mouth to mouth. As it started around 2000 BC, and writing started there around 1400-1200 BC in the Shang Dynasty from what we can tell. What is left of the writing is turtle shells and bone fragments, generally used for divination by writing your question on one, throwing it in the fire, and then seeing where it cracks. The location of the cracks would tell you the answer to your question. 

Religion in the Shang Dynasty was centered around ancestor worship. Ancestors being good men that were deified. The greatest among these were the emperors and the greatest among them was Shangdi, The Highest Lord. Other great powers included the Sun, the Moon, and Earth itself. 

Wu, or what we might call shamanism, began somewhere in the Shang Dynasty (which ran from 1556 to 1046 BCE). These were both men and women that acted as intermediaries between the spirit world and the mundane world. They were spirit mediums, exorcists, fortune tellers, and healers. One of the functions of Wu was rain dances in drought. Sadly sometimes a Wu or a disabled person would be sacrificed to appease the god(s) during a drought.

In the later Zhou Dynasty ( 1045-246 BC) Wu referred to a woman shaman, or sorceress, and Xi referred to a male shaman, or sorcerer. Religion turned from the ancestor gods of the Shang to agricultural gods of nature for the Zhou. Here we had the balance between Earth(Di) and Heaven(Tian).

The later Zhou Dynasty is when the IChing was primarily used as a system of divination. The IChing is a collection of wisdom divided up into 64 hexagrams. They are called hexagrams because they are divided up into six lines, one stacked on top of the other in parallel. Originally the prediction and the resulting hexagram was found, but we’re not exactly sure how that was done then. Eventually yarrow stalks (or sticks) were used. 

One piece of magic cast was by the emperor Wang Mang in 23 CE, he was not emperor at the time though. He directed the power of the big dipper against his enemies using a device made for finding the position of it. 

Originally magic was done to bridge the gap between the spirit world and the mundane. But during the subsequent ages ( 403 BCE-220CE) magic proliferated and branched out from it’s original purpose. During this same period though, the Wu’s prestige went into decline. Instead fangshi or “Master of Recipes” were now becoming the new purveyor of magic and occult practices as well as the Daoist clergy. There is also some evidence that magic pervaded everyday life. 

Some Han emperors were particularly interested in magic and kept wu and Fangshi around. This is a boon for us as records kept help show the state of magic. One Han in particular, Liu Che ( after his death known as Wu Di, 140-87 BCE) kept fangshi and wu. One fangshi in particular, Li Shaoweng gained favor by conjuring up a deceased concubine of Wu Di, but was put to death later after it was found that he faked portents. 

At the end of Wu Di’s reign there was an outbreak of dark shamanic magic known as Gu. Some accounts have the Gu being made by putting a ton of animals in a jar and then waiting till there was only one left and that was the Gu. Ingesting a Gu could make it so that you die and would then serve the shaman. Other accounts of Gu say it’s a demonic affliction that attacks its victim, because of witchcraft. There’s also accounts of wooden effigies buried at the court that were meant to harm Wu Di.

Sometime after the Han Dynasty magic and religions not under the power of the state became seen as subversive and also seen as usurping the power of the emperor. These unsanctioned practices were labeled “abusive worship” and called the “way of the left”. This is one possibility for how we got the wording of the “Left Hand Path”. But in China “the way of the Left” was seen as unsanctioned magic and religion rather than what we think of as dark magic today here in the west. 

Daoist and Buddhist clergies also despised witchcraft that did not follow their own practices. Which is funny because they often practiced what they condemned in others. 

This is only the very beginning of magic in China. We may later go into later ages and explore how magic evolved.

Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester

Eleanor Cobham (c.1400- July, 07 1452) She was in 1425 a lady-in-waiting to Jacqueline d'Hainault; during this time she became the mistress to Humphrey Duke of Gloucester. It was in January of 1428 when she became the second wife to the Humphrey Duke of Gloucester when his marriage to Jacqueline was annulled. According to some accounts “Eleanor was beautiful, intelligent, and ambitious and Humphrey was cultivated, pleasure-loving, and famous”. Through various events over the next several years, she (in 1436) was pronounced as a duchess. By this point she held some influence in the court at La Plesaunce in Greenwich.

She was eventually accused of witchcraft by King Henry VI. King Henry believed that Eleanor had it out for him and was trying to assassinate him. This was based on a consultation she had held with astrologers telling her the king would get sick and die. News of this traveled to his ears and he had the astrologers questioned. Naturally they denied they had actually predicted this, rather it was Eleanor who had instigated the necromancy. She quickly escaped to Westminster Abbey before they were able to arrest her, by the courts of law she was unable to be tried while there. However, she was questioned by religious men and although she denied most charges she did confess to getting “potions” from Margery Jourdemayne. These had nothing to do with what she was being questioned for rather she claimed they were mixtures to help her conceive. She was eventually captured and sentenced to life imprisonment. In 1441 she was sentenced to do public atonement by having to walk to three churches during “market days” so as to publicly humiliate her as much as possible. Then she was forced to divorce her husband to strip her of any titles she had thus taking away any claims to inheritance she could’ve had and finally she was to be sentenced to prison. Over the years she was moved from one castle to the next until her demise at Beaumaris Castle in Anglesey on July 7, 1452.

Margery Jourdemayne

Not much is known about Margery but she was married to yeomen William Jourdemayne who was in fact a cowherd (a yeoman is a person who cultivates a small farm according to Merriam-Webster). The last name Jourdemayne is possibly from old French meaning day laborer, jour de main. What is unusual about her was that despite being a peasant she had connections to astrologers, clerics and courtiers. One of her ties was that of a ten year relationship with Eleanor Duchess of Gloucester. Some of the other significant ones were with John Hume, Thomas Southwell and Roger Bolingbroke (Eleanor’s personal clerk) who were all astrologers of the time. Two of these astrologers (Southwell and Bolingbroke) were the ones who helped Eleanor in the prediction of King Henry VI’s demise. They were later found guilty of sorcery and put to death. Bolingbroke was “hung, drawn and quartered at the Tower of London, Southwell did not suffer the same fate but nonetheless died in the Tower. The ‘Witch of Eye’ aka Margery Jourdemayne was burnt at the stake in Smithfield.

The Witch's Broom

The witch's broom nowadays is a tool for sweeping out bad energies during ritual or in the mundane world sweeping out dirt.

The first instance of a witch riding a broom in art is in the margin of a 1451 French manuscript called Le Champion des Dames by Martin Le Franc. 

The first person accused of riding a broom was actually a guy. Guillaume Edelin was an Augustinian priest that was accused after he rejected the churches warning that witches were running amok. He was tortured and subsequently confessed to making a pact with the Devil and riding on a broomstick.

During the middle ages there were also flying ointments made with psychoactive and often poisonous plants. To avoid getting poisoned, the ointments were applied to the skin of sensitive areas. 

Tarot

The Eight of Pentacles. Here we have financial success through hard work done. Well earned wealth attained through skill. This is a sign that you have honed in on what you are capable of and are applying it in your life. If you haven’t experienced this yet it is likely that you will soon. You can manifest this reality quite easily if you have confidence in yourself.

In terms of today’s episode, be sure you’re not being a show off about your success, be humble. All too often people can get jealous and thwart your efforts. Lay low and keep on doing what you’re doing because you’re on the right path. What is it that you are good at, in your life, that affects your monetary situation? How can you apply it in more ways to further that application and your prosperity? Delve into that area more to continue to receive what you deserve.  

Please rate us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you’ve found us.

https://xyuandbeyond.com/witch-trials-in-england/#:~:text=The%20most%20infamous%20witch%20trials,the%20area%20around%20Pendle%20Hill. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor,_Duchess_of_Gloucester

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margery_Jourdemayne

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_shamanism

https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/magic-magic-east-asia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_(shaman)#Wu_in_Shang_oracular_inscriptions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamans_in_Ming_China#:~:text=Shamanism%20(wushu%20%E5%B7%AB%E8%A1%93)%20in%20China,tellers%2C%20healers%2C%20and%20exorcists.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhou_dynasty

https://asiasociety.org/china-learning-initiatives/writing-and-technology-china#:~:text=The%20earliest%20writings%20in%20China,by%20the%20Shang%20royal%20house.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching

https://enchantedlivingmagazine.com/brooms-and-besoms-history-and-lore/

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/witch-symbols-broomstick-cauldron-history-meaning#slide-3

https://thevalemagazine.com/2022/10/28/witches-and-their-brooms-a-fascinating-history/

How to work magic into everyday life.

House cleansing - saging/saining (Gaelic Polytheists) / censing 

This is done with sage, lavender, incense to rid the place of negative energies. 

How: There are many different ways. What I do…

Good to do when first moving into a new place and nice to do when you move out. 

• First, have some sort of sage ( or palo santo) or dried cleansing herb to light, usually lit in an abalone shell, censor, or fire safe dish. Have a feather available to waft the smoke as you move around the area.  Always practice fire safety!

Use this at every door and window as a way of protection. Visualize negative energy being transported out and it being a one way portal for that purpose. Move in a counterclockwise direction around the area (house, room or anything being cleansed). [If you are invoking positive energy after a cleansing I would move in a clockwise direction.]

• Open all closets, drawers, and any other things that can be opened. Sage all areas speaking aloud what you want removed [or want to invite in]

If the sage goes out on its own at any point during then some say the act is done and that’s all that was needed. OR that area is done. 

Another way to do the same thing is with similar intent which is to actually CLEAN everything you can or feel needs to be cleansed all the while keeping your intentions clear and saying what they are as you go. I have also read where people make sure to open all doors and windows to leave an easy space for the negative energies to escape. You could do this with just one entryway if preferred [like one window or one door. If you have a chimney then focus the energy out that route]. Afterwards some people like to leave salt in each opening in order to keep particularly bad energies away or out.

Cooking

Tea is a good example. 

Stirring deosil (attracting or increasing) or widdershins (banishing or decreasing) according to intention

Using certain herbs and ingredients

Office

Place pictures that suit the directions around your area if possible (that can be family who are strewn across the states or world or actual places you’ve been or want to go)

Bring a stone or amulet with you to represent pretty much any aspect you want (like a small jar or things to represent the elements, or a protection sachet to hold on your person, crystals are always good to have)

Daily ins and outs - what you do during the day to incorporate magic all day

Wardrobe/jewelry 

colors, gems, styles, patterns

Casting glamors into makeup

Chants/mantras

Chanting “Hocus Pocus Focus” to get the brain focused again

Affirmations, daily ones, writing on your mirror, writing one and keeping it with you throughout the day, example: “N. E. S. W. May this day be truly blessed”

Journaling 

Sometimes done with an Oracle/Tarot pull

sometimes done by art or collage work

Meditation/Grounding

Meditating on deity (either a specific God/dess or on the aspects you want to manifest that day)

Can use tools like scrying into a mirror, candle flame or crystal ball even, breath work by focusing on the in and out of your breathing (for example; counting each full breath (inhale plus exhale as 1) or count one on the inhale and 2 on the exhale, focus on different feelings in your body starting from the head down, breathing calmly all the while

Research

Daily looking into spells and religion 

Looking into individual aspects of magic such as an herb, stone, recipes and color of the day (pick one for each day not necessarily all of them at the same time)

Hygiene

 Positivity spell on toothbrush, drawing sigils with perfume or cologne 

 Hair styles, facial shaving, hair style shaving

Travel (vehicle)

Visualization of protection bubble, traffic patterns, parking spaces 

Sachets filled with protection herbs, sigils

Adding in nature

Spending time with houseplants is a possibility 

gardening 

Obviously going to a natural place 

going to specific places that represent a particular element you want to focus on (Air/cliffs, hills or windswept meadows, Fire/desert, campfire, anywhere to be in the sun, Water/waterfalls, rivers, lakes, beach, streams or rain, Earth/woods, caves, garden, Spirit/Portals, in between places, sunset, sunrise), 

Times of year are also good to incorporate (Air/Spring, Fire/summer, West/fall, North/winter, Spirit/equinoxes, solstices)

Miscellaneous

Body Art Piercings placement on the body for significance, tattoos designs and symbols such a sigils, Henna

How do you work with deities without it feeling religious?

Talking with them conversationally

Take the deities attributes and apply them into the things you do- cooking(use an herb associated or something that has a color that is its’ association), cleaning (use a feather envisioning Freya’s cloak for example)

Decorate your house with symbols and colors of the deity

Dreaming with the deity - make sachet with representative items close to the deity (herbs, stones, oils)

IChing

_________

___     ___

_________*

___     ___*

_________

_________

Here we have K’uei which is Opposition. When things naturally diverge it is hard to get enough together to make big changes, so at this time make little changes. Focus not on what has passed, nor what may come, but only the things that you have power over in the here and now. Opposition is not a bad thing, it’s part of what helps us keep our individuality when we talk to others. Things will not be peachy though. You may feel isolated and left alone, but your people are out there. Whether that’s a current friend or friends, or one(s) you haven’t met yet is hard to tell, regardless everything will come out well in the end.

This hexagram changes to Ta Ch’u, The Taming Power of the Great. Use Opposition as a time of inner reflection, because once the time of Opposition finishes, it will be time for big projects and great things. In this time you should reach deep for in being who you are you will find a lot of strength. It would be wise to turn that strength to serving others though. That is the only caveat to this outcome, don’t work for yourself on your big endeavor, serve others and you will find success.

Please rate us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you’ve found us.

History of Witch Trials in England

Starting in the 15th Century spanning until the 18th Century was when England’s Witch trials took place. Wherein the 17th Century was the high point of the histeria. This was at its peak during both the Civil War time period 1640’s, and the Puritan era 1650’s. Most who were executed were women, an estimated 90%. Over the centuries much of what is known about these times has long since been destroyed. It is believed that somewhere between 500 - 1000 people were put to death under the pretext of being a witch in England during this time. An interesting note is that Witchcraft wasn’t a capital offense in England until Pope Innocent VIII in 1484 who declared it as such. It was in 1562 that Queen Elizabeth passed a law called the Act Against Conjurations, Enchantments and Witchcrafts. Here a person who was convicted as a witch could be put to death if the crime was considered ‘harmful’ otherwise it was considered a smaller offense and would only mean imprisonment. 

The witch trials in Bailiwick of Guernsey & Bailiwick of Jersey- British Isles

The witch Trials of Guernsey and Jersey took place between 1562 and 1661

During a period of that time in the Isles there was a high Catholic presence in part due to Mary I. She prosecuted those with opposing religious views, most often Protestants. Although Protestants did also persecute some accused witches it was by and large the Catholic influence that did the most damage. In the early stages of these trials they were not arrested for being witches. One such person was Perotine Massey who was the wife of a Calvinist minister. She, along with three others were originally arrested for theft which they were found not guilty of. However, due to her husband’s status of being a Calvinist, she was burned at the stake while giving birth. It was a baby boy born in the flames. These three have since been named as the Guernsey Martyrs. Not too many years after that the witch trials began. Ann of St Brelade in 1562 was the first witch to be tried in the Jersey British Isles. Through the course of these trials people were burned, strangled, tortured, hanged, flogged or  banished. One person who was banished for the accusation of witchcraft for some unknown reason returned later only to be arrested and charged again. She, Paquette Le Vesconte ultimately confessed to many crimes and murders while in service to the Devil. Another person arrested for witchcraft, Elizabeth Grandin, was released but only warned off the island. In yet another instance Marie de Callais was convicted of witchcraft and burnt at the stake in 1617, however two of her family members were ‘merely banished’. Not everyone received a trial, some were put to death by common people who were just plain superstitious and afraid. One example is Elizabeth Gavey who was found dead on March 28th 1765. The last of the witch trials in Jersey was in 1736 ending with John Jarvis. It is reported that at least 66 people had been accused on the island before it was all said and done with.

Here are some others who were condemned as witches; 

Thomas Tougis:                                     burned

Jouane Tougis: burned

Michelle Chivret (wife of Pierre Osmont): burned

Peronelle Chevallier: strangled and burned in 1597

Mary Blanche: died 1622

Marie Esnouf:             executed in 1648

Jean Morant

Symon Vaudin

Marie Tougis: (seemingly not related to the other Tougis family)

Magic in Egypt

Egypt was a country steeped in magic. It was part of spirituality, medicine, and even everyday life.The main Egyptian civilization ran from 3000 to 550BC.

Heka was the deity known to be the one that gave the gods their power and lent his power so that balance, harmony, and every other part of life was possible. Heka was magic, but also the practice of magic. Heka was in everything so that every act of magic Heka was a part of it. Maybe because of the prevalence of Heka there were no temples, no cults, and no formal worship. Heka’s hieroglyph was used interchangeably with god and power. Heka was also considered to be the power to manifest; the cause, the action, and the effect. He is sometimes said to be the son of Sekhmet the lion headed goddess of vengeance. Everyone had heka, the gods had the most, and the pharaoh had a lot, the rest of people had differing amounts. 

Most Egyptian magic was geared towards protection, whether from spirits, foreign demons, sorcerers/sorceresses, or an angry god/dess. These were thought to cause problems: mainly illness, accidents, poverty, and infertility. The best way to drive off these were to stomp, shout, and make loud noises with drums, rattles, and tambourines. The most vulnerable were women who were pregnant, about to give birth, or children themselves ( susceptible to all kinds of ailments).  Wands made from the ivory of hippopotamus tusks were carved with scary looking figures and were used in protective rituals for pregnant women, possibly using the wand to draw a protective circle around said women. 

Spells were usually divided into two parts: a chant or words to be said and then the things to do. Spells could include music and dance and/or things such as pointing and stamping. For the magic to work all the words, especially the names, had to be said the right way. That's because, in Egypt, one had a public name and then one had a secret name known only to the person and the gods. If one knew the secret name of someone then they had power over them. A spell could also be used to activate things like an amulet, a figurine, or a potion. Potions could contain odd or bizarre ingredients like the blood of a black dog or the milk of a woman who had borne a male child. 

Protective amulets were a big thing in Egypt and were worn by pretty much everybody. They could take the form of deities, animals, or use royal names and/or symbols. Other things like long life, prosperity, and good health were also featured in amulets.

Priests kept the status quo. Keeping the temples clean and pure, and also teaching the masses about the particular god/dess that the priest followed and how that god/dess fit into everyday life. 

Magic was used alongside the practical measures of medicine, rather than instead of it. There were also a couple of different physicians, the swnw which was a general practitioner and the sau which focused on magic. It was important that the physicians be trained as they were dealing with chaotic energies and forces that could be unpredictable. Many beings could be the cause and I’m sure each one had its own way to be dealt with. Like demons were thought to be attracted to nasty things, so a pile of shit might be brought in to lure the demon away or a jar of honey to drive it out. 

Most Egyptian magic was made to heal, but curses were used, mainly by the state against enemies. A clay pot might be inscribed with the enemies name and then it would be burned, broken, or buried in a cemetery. The thinking being that that would affect the enemy and cause them to be weaker or destroy them outright. Also the forces arrayed against the divine order would be cursed, like Apophis who was at war with the creator god. His images would be written on papyrus or modeled in wax then stomped, spat on, and otherwise destroyed. 

There was even magic for the dead in the form of the Book of the Dead. inside it was a kind of a roadmap to the land of the dead. What animals to turn into if you encountered certain spirits, how to answer the god’s questions, and words and gestures to perform to deal with certain demons.

As you can see magic was a part of life every day, almost every moment, in Egypt. 

By Juliana Horatia Ewing

 The Spring's bright tints no more are seen,

    And Summer's ample robe of green

    Is russet-gold and brown;

    When flowers fall to every breeze

    And, shed reluctant from the trees,

    The leaves drop down.

    A sadness steals about the heart,

    --And is it thus from youth we part,

    And life's redundant prime?

    Must friends like flowers fade away,

    And life like Nature know decay,

    And bow to time?

    And yet such sadness meets rebuke,

    From every copse in every nook

    Where Autumn's colours glow;

    How bright the sky! How full the sheaves!

    What mellow glories gild the leaves

    Before they go.

    Then let us sing the jocund praise,

    In this bright air, of these bright days,

    When years our friendships crown;

    The love that's loveliest when 'tis old--

    When tender tints have turned to gold

    And leaves drop down.

Tarot

Today the Six of Swords. Here we have a woman in a boat pushing herself away from the shore leaving someone behind but also has a babe in the boat with her. The question is, has the one woman taken the babe or is she rescuing it? There are alligators swimming towards the boat. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices or hard forward thinking decisions and leave things behind, moving into the unknown. This can be scary and somewhat dangerous. We have to be vulnerable. But here we have faced the hardest part and are prepared for what is coming our way. We know there are difficult choices to be made ahead but they will lead to new beginnings. The circumstances for the journey may be questionable but the journey will occur never-the-less. What are your motivations for your actions? How are your emotions determining your choices? Will these things be harmful to others? First think about what the right thing to do is and then move forward with it despite how difficult that may be. 

 historic-uk.com

En.wikipedia.org Channel Islands Witch Trials

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1019/magic-in-ancient-egypt/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/magic_01.shtml

S2 E7 Covens & Mentors

Current Covens

Witches of Lane County (eclectic Eugenian coven 3/26/21 when posted)

Iridescence Coven (online Discord)

1. What should a coven strive to be?

1. Family/support system

1. Where to find your coven

1. Pagan pride days

1. How to know if the coven is for you

1. Intuition

1. Where did you study and for how long

1. How do you vet a coven?
   1. Ask about dues. Where do the finances go

1. How to find a mentor/teacher

i .Same principles as finding a coven

ii.Group vs. one on one

1. How do you find a student
   1. Word of mouth

1. How to vet a student

1. What levels of study have they done

Samhain Magic Special

Samhain is a special part of the year for us. It celebrates the last harvest, the thinning of the veil between worlds, the dead, and, for some, the start of a new year. 

The last harvest is self explanatory, this is when the last things grown for the year are harvested. Mainly gourds and apples here in North America. 

The thinning of the veil is less explanatory. This is when the fairy worlds and the world of the dead are easiest to contact because the barrier separating us is thinned.

Honoring the dead is also a major part of this holiday, your ancestors, yes, but most especially the beloved dead that passed in the year before.

The start of a new year is only followed by some of us pagans. For those of us that celebrate Samhain as such it is a time of rest and small growth. It is a gestational beginning, a time for thoughts and ideas, not yet time for action.

If you’d like a more in-depth look, season 1 episode 9 is our Samhain episode.

Embracing Your Inner Witch

(Candle Magic)

Ingredients;

1 candle (silver, gold, or white - choose the color that most represents your gender)

1 mirror (preferably one you can set up on its own)

An Athame (or other tool) for carving into the candle

All tools: Athame, Wand, Cauldron, Stone, broom

1 Lighter

Create a Sigil before doing spell: the sigil should be your magical witch name or if you don’t have one use the name you are most comfortable with (first, middle) [ We have how to create a Sigil in season1 episode12 Powered By Magic podcast or notes through Wordpress https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/119952024 ]

When: On Samhain if possible

Where: A quiet place where you won’t be disturbed, graveyard if possible, or outside depending on what’s available to you and weather

Have your tools and ingredients ready on the altar. (Always have safety measures in place for any flame you have). Begin by cleansing yourself, then the place where you will cast your circle. Next cast your circle [You can find how to do this through Wordpress https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/119952024 or listen to our Powered By Magic podcast season1 episode3]. Now invite the quarters/elementals in and then the God and Goddess asking for their assistance in empowering your inner witch. Take your candle and visualize your magical self as you feel it when you first chose your name or how your name makes you feel now. Use your athame now to carve your sigil into your candle and any words or symbols that feel empowering to you. Then chant and churn above the unlit candle:

By Sacred flame bring me my might,

By Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth

By the (God, Goddess, or gender OR deity) may I burn ever bright

That I may be what I’ve been from birth

I am a witch, I know my worth!

So mote it be!

Once a cone of power (you can find how to do this in Season1 episode7 Powered By Magic podcast or in our Wordpress https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/119952024 blog)  is raised, pour all the energy into the candle and light it. Set in a safe place with the mirror behind it and gaze into the flame and mirror with slightly blurred vision. Allow yourself to let in whatever messages come (from ancestors who have gone before you, God/ Goddess etc, or deity). Journal them down. 

Offer your thanks to the God/Goddess etc and all of the elementals. Finally open the circle. 

How to Make an Ancestral Altar

Ingredients:

A place to put the altar that won’t get disturbed.

An altar cloth (preferably from natural materials or that has family significance)

Candle (Any candle is fine, though a color one of your ancestors liked would be good, also represents fire)

Something to represent all the elements( feather for air, salt for earth, water for water)

A place for offerings

A picture of several of ancestors or things to represent your ancestors 

Natural decoration corresponding to the time of year

Find and clean an undisturbed place in your home and put down the altar cloth. Note the cardinal directions and set the earth representation in the north, air in the east, fire in the south, and water in the west. You may arrange the altar any way you wish, but putting the offering plate in the middle would be good( just not required). You can use the photos and natural things pertaining to the season to decorate. Take time regularly to spend at the altar, leave offerings (things your ancestors liked for one or food), and talk to or meditate on your ancestors.

Please rate us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you’ve found us.

Your ratings, reviews and feedback are VITAL to our success!

Mesopotamian Magic

Ancient Mesopotamia was a place of ancient culture. They developed domestication, animal herding and agriculture somewhere around 8000 BC. The civilization itself lasted from 3000 BC to almost 500 BC. On top of being a powerhouse of civilization it was also a place of magic, witches, sorcerers, exorcists, and diviners. There were many types as you can see. Often a witch or sorcerer would specialize in one thing. Keep in mind that science, medicine, and magic were still considered to be one and the same, so your doctor might try to placate an angry god as well as give you herbs for sickness.

The Mesopotamians wrote a ton, leaving us with the likes of the Epic of Gilgamesh, culture and society texts, as well as almost 30% of those texts being about magic (this would have included occult stuff as well as things explaining magic and how it was done). 

One such text is called Maqlú. Written on nine tablets it’s name means ‘burning’. It was done somewhere around 700 BC. Nearly 100 incantations are written on the first eight tablets while the last gives directions for a ritual to help an exorcist and their patient. This ceremony includes the burning of a figurine representing a witch to dispel the effects of the magic of that witch.

Rather than witch trials and hunts, it was customary to create one or two (man and a woman just in case) to represent the witch thought to have cursed or bound the patient. It was believed that witches tricked the Gods or Goddesses, posing it as a genuine need. The ceremony to reverse that magic was to show the Gods that they’d been tricked and then it was believed that the bad magic would be cast back to the one who did it in the first place. It was not customary to find out or directly represent the witch (even if the source was suspected) as it was thought that being an innocent unaware was ideal. It was also not customary to accuse someone of witchcraft, as the penalty for failing to prove someone a practitioner of black magic was the same penalty as practicing black magic yourself, death.

There was also the reading of celestial omens, these mostly pertained to the King and the kingdom. One text called the Enuma Anu Enlil, has around 7000 omens written in the text.

One of the specialist diviners of ancient Mesopotamia were the bārû. They read the liver of a sacrificed animal to make predictions.

All in all the records show that magic, Gods, and Goddesses were a part of everyday life in ancient Mesopotamia.

Mary’s History

Mary Towne Eastey (bap. 08/24/1634 - 09/22/1692)

Her maiden name was Mary Towne, the daughter of Joanna Towne and William Towne. She was born in Yarmouth, England. Mary and her family arrived in America somewhere between 1638 and 1640. Landing first in Northfields (part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony) and later in 1651 moved to Topsfield, Ma. Fifteen years later she married Isaac Eastey in Topsfield, Ma. Isaac had bought a piece of property which later became one of the largest of the town’s farms. He was a farmer and a barrel maker. They had eleven children together.  She had eight brothers and three sisters, two of which were also condemned as witches in the Salem witch trials. One was Rebecca Nurse and the other Sarah Cloyce. 

Mary’s widowed mother had been accused for the use of witchcraft, however, she never went to trial for the crime. But it was later said that witchcraft was passed down through the family, “mother to daughter”. The rumors began with the Gould family after Joanna (Mary’s mother) came to the defense of a local minister who had been accused of excessiveness, which angered the Gould family. The Gould family were close friends with the Putnam family who became the main accusers in Mary Easty’s trial. There were other noted disagreements between the two families, to put it mildly.

The Trial

Mary Towne Easty’s  trial began on 04/22/1692, after one of her accusers claimed that Mary had control of her. She mimicked Mary’s movements (while in trial) when Mary put her hands together, further saying that until she unclasped her hands she (Mercy) could not undo her own and claimed that when Mary tilted her head she was trying to break the girl's neck. Mary was also accused of having sent her specter to Mercy Lewis’ bed (her main accuser) and had been fondled by the ghost. 

John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin were the magistrates in her trial. John had some doubts about these condemnations and questioned whether or not the girls felt sure they were charging the right person. You see, Mary was seen as pious and was well respected in the Salem community. When Mary was asked about these accusations she responded with, “Sir, I never complyd with Satan but prayed against him all my dayes, I have no compliance with Satan, in this… I will say it, if it is my last time, I am clear of this sin.” It is unknown as to the why, but Mary Easty was allowed to go home on May 18th, two months later. However, she was arrested again on May 20th after Mercy Lewis once again claimed Mary’s ghost was plaguing her. Other girls backed Lewis’ claim. Easty was imprisoned for the second time at which point Lewis said the hauntings had ceased. After being in chains for several months thereafter she was hanged on 09/22/1692. Her final condemnation occurred on 09/09/1692.

Robert Calef, author of More Wonders of the Invisible World, remarked that Mary Easty’s final words were “as serious, religious, distinct, and affectionate as could be expressed, drawing tears from the eyes of almost all present.”

Later she and seven others were dismissed from being the “eight firebrands from Hell” by Cotton Mather. Some of Mary’s last words were that of wishing for the witch trials to come to an end. 

Her sister Rebecca Nurse also was hanged, on 07/19/1692,  unlike Sarah Cloyce who was later released in 01/1693. Calef also quoted Mary’s document to the judge as saying, “I petition your honours not for my own life for I know I must die and my appointed time is set but the Lord he knows it is that no more innocent blood be shed…. The Lord above that is the searcher of all hearts knows that as I shall answer at the Tribunal seat I never knew the least thing of witchcraft”.

Later in November, Mary Herrick (not one of any of the people who testified or made accusations against her) said that she was visited by Mary’s ghost who said she was wrongfully hanged and was innocent of her charges. She spoke with Reverend John Hale about this matter. Herrick said she came to right the wrong on Mary’s behalf. Mary Towne Easty’s family received 20 pounds in compensation for her wrongful death in 1711.

Magic wands

Wands as magic tools, whether in fiction or real life have been around for a long time. Wands in modern times are used by occult and magic practitioners, The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Thelema, and Wicca. They are used to collect direct, and release personal energy in spells and rituals, in a gentler way than an athame (a ritual dagger). They are associated with fire and summer in tarot cards, but some associate wands with air in ritual. Often, but not always wands are made from wood, but you can find rock(like selenite wands), bone, metal, or clay. Now a little history looks to be in order.

The Red Lady of Paviland, originally thought to be a woman but was later found to be a young man, was buried some 30,000 years ago with a wand among other things.

In the Middle Kingdoms of Egypt hippopotamus tusks, that are naturally curved and then split in half after being taken from the hippopotamus, were used in birthing ceremonies. This may have been to appeal to the hippopotamus Goddess of childbirth Tawaret. 

Wands also appeared in the stories Homer, the Greek writer. Three God/esses used them. Hermes with the caduceus, which put people to sleep or woke them up; Athena which was used on Odysseus, to make him old then young again; and Circe to turn Odysseus’ men into pigs.

In the 1st century A.D. a wand was a well known symbol of magic in Rome.

Even Jesus Christ was depicted using a magic wand, on several sarcophagi in the 3rd and 4th centuries. 

Wands were brought into ‘everyday’ magic via the Latin grimoire The Oathbound Book of Honorius during the 13th-century. Later in the 16th century wands were used in The Key of Solomon, which was very popular with occultists for a long time. 

The mid 1800s saw the writing of Philosophie Occulte, by Elphas Levi which inspired the founders of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn to use the wand as one of their main tools in ritual.

An 1888 English translation of The Key of Solomon inspired Gerald Gardener, the creator of Wicca, to use the wand and other tools.

In modern times wands are used in British governmental ceremonies to represent the power of their office and of course in magical rituals both religious and otherwise.

Tarot

The Ten of Wands. This card is speaking to the weight of the world being on our shoulders during this bountiful phase. It may seem like we have to be the ones to keep everything in balance. We’ve worked so hard to create the realm we choose to live in and it’s difficult to see any one thing fall away. So we manage, we micromanage, until we’ve worn ourselves out. Does the burden rest solely on us? 

Everything has to be in its specific place in order for things to run smoothly, or so we think. It is true, of course, to a certain degree. However, leaving room for spontaneity and creative forces is equally important and there’s little chance of doing that if it's under constant scrutiny. What we’ve created will still flourish if we relinquish some of our control. Releasing and trusting in the process will be helpful at this time of abundance. Look at how you might be over-seeing things too closely. In what way can you open yourself up to receiving assistance and allowing others to partake in your venture? How might this be helpful?

Please rate us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you’ve found us. Also come join us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. We’d love to have you!

EVERY "like" "rating" and "follow" make a huge difference!

En.wikipedia.org Mary Easty

:/https/historyofmassachusetts.org/mary-easty-salem/

https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/mesopotamian-witchcraft-0011494

http://www.essential-humanities.net/history-overview/world-history-timeline/

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/magic/hd_magic.htm

https://www.asor.org/anetoday/2014/09/witchcraft-in-ancient-mesopotamia/

https://thecreativecottage.net/make-a-magic-wand-from-wood/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wand

Today’s episode, Becoming a Witch

How do you become a witch

          Finding/being called by a deity

          Research, leaving offerings, beginning a relationship with the deity, synchronicities (use your intuition and common sense), dreams, visions

          Past life connections through research but also just having it come to you

Research resources  

          Scott Cuningham [The Truth About Witchcraft Today], Ravenwolf [To Ride A Silver Broomstick], Starhawk [The Spiral Dance - more advanced], Conway, Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft

          Patheos.com, Learnreligions.com

          Intuition  

          Flashes of understanding, Becoming more aware of intuition, discernment comes with practice and time, 

          Follow what feels right. One step at a time will lead you to discovering you’re a witch and what type of witch you are. Following your passions often coincides with your intuition. Examples; pulled to a spiritual shop, seeing a crystal that looks particularly pretty, feeling drawn to herbs 

How can I trust my intuition as a person who struggles from anxiety

          intuition is calm and not mean or fearful

Working with energy        

          energy (Season 1 Episode 3 Energy Work, Circle Casting, and the Moon), helps with all magical work - spells, circle, phases, cleansing

         Centering/meditation - being able bring state of mind in

mental/physical focus - part of centering feeling it in your body

        Dowsing rods - directing energy, practice

         Creating and manipulating energy balls

         Reiterate meditation

        Grounding

        Visualization 

Study/practice spells (See season 1 Episode 11 Spell Timing and Stone Magic)

         Start off by imitating others, find what works for you and go from there; Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells by Judika Illes, Element Encyclopedia of 1,000 Spells by Judika Illes, 

         After learning energy, basic learnings (elements, stones, candles, herbs, colors, combinations - e.g. sachets, moon, sun, etc), start small, intuit what type of magic you resonate with, practice small- work up 

          Meditating, visualizing, no distractions, inner calm

Learning tools, connections, tarot is helpful with this in some ways

          Finding safe space

          Casting (circle, energies) (See Season 1 Episode 3)

Find a mentor is optional, also finding a coven, we will cover these in later episodes.

Please rate us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you’ve found us. Also come join us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. We’d love to have you!

Demeter

Title

• Greek Goddess of the harvest and agriculture

Description 

• Usually a lovely looking middle-aged woman with a veil on her head often holding wheat or her horn of plenty

Duties

• Presides over crops, grains, food, the fertility of the Earth, harvesters of the crops,  

Lineage

• Cronus and Rhea are her parents

Stories

• While she was searching for Pershephone, which is a whole other story, she came upon the kingdom of Eleusis in Attica. There she turned herself into an old woman and asked Celeus, the king, for shelter. He took her in and she nursed his sons, Demophon and Triptolemus by Metanira. In return Demeter thought to turn Demophon immortal. She covered him in ambrosia and put him in the fire to burn away his mortality, but Metanira walked in and freaked out, and so Demeter abandoned that idea. Instead she taught Triptolemus the secrets of agriculture, and in turn, he taught any and all that wanted to know about planting, growing, and harvesting grain. Thus humanity learned agriculture.

Interesting Facts

• Has lots of names associated with her, but two main ones are Sito and Thesmophoros.

Symbols

• Cornucopia, wheat, bread, torch, and poppy

Mabon History

Mabon is the time of year like Ostara (March 21st or thereabouts) when the sun and moon are equal in the sky. The Sun hits the equator at just the right angle in order for this to happen. Light and dark rule the skies together in harmony and balance. This is true for both hemispheres. The Latin word equinox means “equal night”. From here on out, in the Northern Hemisphere, the days will be getting darker and the second portion of the harvest season has begun (the 1st portion being Lughnasdha August 1st). 

This holiday celebrates the dying of the sun god and his time of entering the Underworld to gather up the souls of the dead to be brought forth on Samhain. Some believe it is when the sun god is defeated by the god of darkness and therefore darkness takes hold and rules the later half of the year thus creating longer nights. Another belief is that Mabon is Modron’s son, the great Earth goddess, and was kidnapped after his being born leaving the world in darkness. For this reason it is associated with life, death and rebirth. 

The autumn equinox has been celebrated around the world over the ages. The Welsh and Druids are believed to have honored the sun god Mabon at this time. In Britain, Mabon celebrates the god Herne who is known as the great Hunter and it is often the beginning of deer hunting season in several places worldwide, potentially for this reason (in its beginnings anyway). Greeks, Bavarians (Germans), Native Americans, Chinese and more have celebrated this holiday over the ages as well. The Christian peasants in the Medieval times celebrated the Archangel Michael (Michaelmas or Feast of St. Michael) on September 29th as a part of this time of year. Here goose and St. Michael’s bannocks were used as part of the traditional celebration.

It is the time when people discovered how their harvests for the year had fared and it was a time of giving thanks for that harvest. People of the villages would come together to celebrate the harvest, enjoying the fruits of their labor. Traditional items shared or represented would be apples, squashes, gourds, sickles, wine, seeds, nuts, and pumpkins for example. Baskets were woven to symbolize abundance and were often filled with these items. The cattle were brought down from the summer pastures for the winter season and safety.

In American history the holiday was moved several times by a couple of presidents and then later Congress. It began with Lincoln in 1863, proclaiming it as a holiday of giving thanks, it was celebrated Oct 3rd, which still made sense in the pagan sense of the tradition. Then it was moved by Roosevelt in 1939 to the 2nd to last Thursday in November in order to boost pre-holiday sales during the Great Depression. Finally Congress moved it to the 4th Thursday in November and declared it to be so every year from that point forward. 

Modern Day

Mabon is a celebration of the second harvest and the autumnal equinox, also known as the Witches Thanksgiving. Mabon, as far as the name goes, is fairly modern. It was coined by the New Reformed Orthodox Order of the Golden Dawn founder, Aiden Kelly around 1970. It is named after Mabon ap Modron, a Welsh mythological figure.

It is now a celebration of thanks, balance, warmth in the face of coming cold, helping others, and shedding what is no longer needed. Corn dollies are one staple of the holiday as well as decorating the altar with fall colors and produce appropriate to the season; apples are a big one as well as pomegranates. 

Activities include feasts with friends and family; spells for banishing, balance, and/or gratitude; crafts like making corn dollies; decorating; and going outside and appreciating nature.

Here are a few Autumnal Equinox celebrations from around the world:

• Ohigan, Higan, or Higan-e, is the Japanese holiday to remember the dead. It’s on the equinox because the sun sets directly in the west and, at least in Buddhist thought, the west is where the land of the dead is. On this day families will go out and clean or tidy up the gravestones of the family and then leave fresh flowers.

Tarot

The Queen of Swords. She is compassionate in how she doles out her wisdom. Being self aware raises her confidence in such a way as to overcome any insecurities she may have once had. She has no need to make showy gestures of grandeur because she knows and relies on herself almost entirely and doesn’t feel the need to prove herself to anyone. Because of this she is able to be compassionate with others in a sympathetic manner. Her wisdom gives solace to those in need and to others she can be supportive by offering optimism. 

She is encouraging us today to believe in ourselves. The feminine power is waxing at this time of year and although there is a kind of sadness at this point there is also strength. Now is a great time to connect on a deeper level with your feminine side. Pull on the wisdom of it and connect with yourself in a more intimate way. How confident do you feel in yourself? What do you need to do to become more self-empowered? What might you have to offer others who come to you for support? Here is an opportunity to test yourself and your abilities. It’s a perfect time to tap into your higher self, trusting in what you know and feel.

Share your experiences with those looking for advice. 

https://www.learnreligions.com/mabon-history-the-second-harvest-2562060

Mabon Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, July 23, 2019

https://witchcraftedlife.com/15-free-and-low-cost-ways-to-celebrate-mabon-fall-equinox/

https://eclecticwitchcraft.com/mabon/

https://spacetourismguide.com/september-equinox-celebrations/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demeter

History and Meaning of a Witches Hat

There are a couple possibilities as to where the witches hat came from. One is the sad practice in 1215 in forcing Jewish men to wear a conical hat to show their outsider status at the time. But as the witches hat is a British and American association, and Britain decided to use a badge instead of a hat to identify Jewish people, so this is a less likely possibility. What is more probable is the associations with Quakers in 1600’s England. 

Quakers, or the Society of Friends, believed that women were equal to men, that God was experienced directly, and that people weren’t inherently sinful. This was seen as a threat to the Church of England at the time in part because women were allowed to have a voice. The beliefs about the Quakers ranged from that they were heretical and thus evil, to horny… especially the women. Quakers were fashionable for their time, and guess what was fashionable? If you guessed tall, black, conical hats you would be correct.

This was a time where witches were also coming into awareness and not in a good way. I’m sure there were more than a few Quaker women accused of witchcraft during the trials of this time.

From there we don’t see a witch in her recognizable hat until around 1720. At which time superstition and magic were shifting into the background, the scientific revolution was almost at hand. The popular depiction of a witch in England spread. 

In the Wizard of Oz the Wicked Witch of the West had the, by now, iconic black pointed hat with the large brim. This was the first time that witches were depicted as green in popular media. 

There are a lot of examples of conical hats in history. But to us the witches hat is special, for obvious reasons. So wear your hat with pride, it’s an important symbol of power, wisdom, and rebellion.

Persecuted as a Witch

Merga Bien Born in the 1560’s and died 1603. She was accused of being a witch in Fulda Germany. She was tried as one of the first witches in these trials which took place from 1603-1606. She had married three times and she became the heiress of her first two husbands, leaving her quite well to do. This came into play later during the trials. When she married Blasius Bien (1588) she moved away from Fulda but later returned. Her return was due to troubles with her husband’s employer wherein she had spoken out against them, which was utterly unacceptable of the times.

In March of 1603 the first arrests were being made. Not long after Merga was arrested on June 19th. Regardless of the plea made by her husband in the court of Speyer, she was jailed despite being pregnant.

In the course of the trial she was accused of having relations with the devil in order to become pregnant since she and her current husband, Blasius, had been barren for fourteen years. They had no previous children. Further it was contrived that she murdered her second husband along with her children and a family member from her third husband’s employer. She was forced to confess to all of these crimes. Having been judged as guilty she was then burned alive, in Fulda, at the stake in the autumn of 1603.

These trials began as a result of prince-abbot Balthasar von Dernbach of the Fulda monastery who was a devout Catholic and follower of Counter-Reformation. He had been exiled in 1576 for his beliefs by the Lutherans but returned in 1602 and regained control over perceived religious liberalism. He re-implemented his policies and began the witch hunt and searches for other undesirables. By his side in these trials and as accuser, was Balthasar Nuss whom he met during his exile. Later Nuss admitted to having accused 205 (although was said to have actually accused 239) people, for which he was imprisoned 13 years and beheaded in 1618. These trials came to an end a year after Balthasar von Dernbach died on March 15, 1605. The trials had lasted three years and was one the four largest witch trials in Germany killing approximately 250 persons.

Woman of the trials burned alive at the stake

• In Autumn 1603 1 known victim

In the Middle Paleolithic (neanderthal) there is a controversy as to the existence of our religious beginnings in that time (300,000-50,000).

Upper Paleolithic religious beliefs, around 50,000 yrs ago, has via discovered complex body art, been possibly connected to shamanic religions. Dating back to possibly 30,000BCE the discovery of a figurine now known as the Venus of Willendorf, named after the area in Austria she was found, is one such piece. She is to this day seen on many altars.  

There is evidence that animism is one of the oldest held beliefs followed by belief in an afterlife, then shamanism and ancestor worship. Modern day hunter-gatherers’, and possibly our Paleolithic ancestors', religions are naturally unique compared to each other, but especially when compared to larger “world” religions. Religion is not really a separate topic in most hunter-gatherer societies today, rather their beliefs are woven throughout their daily life. Some similarities between hunter-gatherer groups are sacred healing dances, rituals marking life events, plus gods and spirits that are typically not all knowing and may or may not really care about human rules and their day to day life.

Shamanism is defined as: “a religion practiced by indigenous peoples of far northern Europe and Siberia that is characterized by belief in an unseen world of gods, demons, and ancestral spirits responsive only to shamans.” by Meriam-Webster dictionary. 

Around 12,000BC there was a shift in society's structure,  which were the early signs of hierarchical groups. This is a time when worship grew to include both one person’s ancestors and tribal ancestors alike. Stonehenge is one such example of the changes from more individualized to group oriented practices.

In Galilee, in 2008, a 12,000 year old skeleton of a woman was found. She was approximately 45 when she died and had problems with her spine that would have caused her to probably drag her feet. But what was interesting is that she was found relatively intact ( the culture from that time and place was known to mess with skeletons) and with bones from several animals with her including leopard, eagle, boar, aurochs, and around fifty turtle shells. All of that together has the scientists surmising that she was a shaman of some sort. I think that’s pretty awesome.

Religion (or latin religionem ‘to show respect for what is sacred) “is an organized system of beliefs and practices revolving around, or leading to, a transcendent spiritual experience.” World History Encyclopedia. “Religion” was not different from mythology until more recent times. It was based on the world around them existing in a Universe filled with higher supernatural beings that had created all that was, including the cosmos. 

Tarot

The Four and Seven of Swords. These two jumped out at me. In this deck the four shows a hedgehog held up in its’ hole under the snowy ground. The seven shows a panther lying facing us, with other ones in the background facing each other. 

They both speak about survival and solitude but from different perspectives. One speaks to retreating and the other meeting things semi head on. Both serve their purposes. 

The Four takes refuge inwardly in the Self, away from others and seeks silence to still the mind. The Seven looks outwardly for places to hide in plain sight while re-acclimating itself. Both are looking to their surroundings and any threats. 

How do you protect yourself? Considered, in what way do you function best? Introvert or extrovert? The introvert will regain itself once it has had time away not having to deal with others and their energies. The extrovert will be out in the open using the energy around them in order to recharge. Once both collect themselves they can integrate back in with everyone else. These coping mechanisms are vital for each individual’s survival. Watching ourselves, collecting insights about ourselves is what we must do everyday. The more we know the better we can prepare to face the world around us. If someone attacks with unfounded volatility, what will you do? Escape or charge? Fight or flight. Who are you?

As witches we are bound to ask ourselves the hard questions about who we are and how we will grow. This isn’t exclusive to Witchery but lets face it, witches are the topic at hand.

The Guardian of the Night Tarot by MJ Cullinane

Please rate us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you’ve found us. Also come join us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. We’d love to have you!

https://pluralism.org/ancient-roots-historical-challenges

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4958132/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistoric_religion

https://www.themarysue.com/the-history-of-the-witch-hat/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_hat

https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/8233627

• Stadtarchiv Fulda: Bestand XVI B 1/2 : Kurtzer Sumarischer Bericht 1618 (Kopie)