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Sophia ~ (book excerpt)
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Tag Archives: Goddess
Special Sale ~ The Spiritual Feminist
Just in time for Christmas! Note: This book was published by Moon Books, and I have no control over the sale and promotion… I do not know how long this special will last!
Special Price ~ The Spiritual Feminist (was $24.99, now $5.29…paperback!) The Spiritual Feminist empowers today’s woman through the Goddess ~
click HERE
“So many people throughout my life have told me who I am, what I must do, what I can’t do, what I have to complete, and what I will never be able to accomplish, and then I met the Goddess.” (From The Spiritual Feminist) …The Spiritual Feminist empowers today’s modern woman through the Goddess, connecting her to ancient matriarchal divinity and spiritual practices which invoke this energy.
Affirmations ~ Time for Reinforcement: Physically, Spiritually, Mentally
The following blog post is an excerpt from my book, The Spiritual Feminist. This book was a journey. It was not just a writing process; it was self-therapy, it was revolutionizing new thoughts, it was hindsight recorded for my daughters, it was a journey through my life at so many points…until I suddenly realized that it was a journey through life for so many women with so many common factors, questions, doubts, and fears.
I hope you enjoy; and I hope there’s something here worth taking with you ~
Affirmations:
The Physical Aspect
This is my body…No one shall touch this body without my express permission. No one shall impose upon my body a physical action, intention, criteria, procedure, or judgment, that I have not expressly approved. This is my body, created by the Mother Goddess in all the glory of her likeness. Whether this body be large or small, fit or weak; whether this body align with the cultural views and norms of my society or not: My body is beautiful and will be respected as such.
Questions for Introspection
The Physical
1. What is my best feature?
2. What are two things about my body I’d like to change?
3. What would I have to do to make these changes?
4. Realistically, would it be possible for me to do this, and if I could successfully make these changes, who would I be making them for?
5. Am I able to accept my physical body in it’s beautiful natural state; am I able to embrace myself as I am?
6. Is my body healthy?
7. If not, what are my health issues?
8. What do I need to do in order to correct these issues, or just generally improve my health, strength, and endurance?
9. List three things you know are not healthy for you but you do anyway.
10. List three things you do for yourself that contribute to your physcial well-being.
11. What do I love most about my body?
The Spiritual Aspect
I will connect with the universe through the Divine Feminine, and through that connection with my ancestors and the root of all that is me…For centuries the Divine Feminine has been ripped from the heart and soul of womanhood, shrouded in stories of evil encompassing snakes and apples, betrayal and guilt. Womanhood needs to wrestle its freedom from this lie, to regain its strength and equilibrium through the power of the Mother Goddess.
Through the youthful exuberance of the Maiden, the fertility of the Mother, and the wisdom of the Crone, we have to pass on to our daughters the beauty of the feminine mystique, impressing upon them the reverence and respect that is its due. While the world still revolves around the decisions of men, it is women who harvest its bounty through their children, their art, their writing, their dreams, and their strong sense of nurturing. It is woman who builds up; and through her spirituality and connection with the Goddess, woman can repair the damage of previous generations, building new futures and opportunities for her children.
With our strong and renewed sense of connection to the Feminine Divine, the most important thing we can do is to impart upon our fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons the strength, beauty, wisdom, and power of womanhood at its most pure. We can lead them back to the Goddess, who is, after all, their Mother too.
Questions for Introspection
The Spiritual
1. Do I feel a strong connection with Feminine Divinity?
2. How has the Goddess touched my life?
3. Do I feel free to embrace Goddess Spirituality openly?
4. If not, what are the obtacles to doing so?
5. Realistically, can these obstacles be overcome?
6. What do I do each day to connect with Spirit?
7. How has my connection to the Goddess and my spiritual practices enhanced my daily life?
8. List three things that you think impede your spiritual growth.
9. List three things that have inspired you during your life.
10. What do you love most about your spirituality right now?
11. Is there a woman you know who would benefit by learning about the Mother Goddess?
The Mental Aspect
I will not allow other people’s opinions to form the image I carry of myself…Whether these opinions are formed and passed on to me by friends, family, or foe. If these opinions are filled with negativity, if these opinions are laced with jealousy, spite, judgmental prejudice, ambiguity, cruelty, or ignorance, I will disregard these opinions. These opinions will be shed as a snake sheds its skin, leaving renewed vitality and beauty beneath, exposing my true nature, in tune with the Goddess and a healthy ego.
Questions for Introspection
The Mental
1. Do I expect too much of myself?
2. Do I feel like I have to be responsible for everyone?
3. Is there a lot of stress in your life right now?
4. If so, what are the main causes of this stress?
5. Realistically, can the circumstances or people causing this stress be resolved or dismissed from your life?
6. If so, what steps must you take to correct the issue?
7. Do you give yourself time to daydream?
8. When you are sad, what makes you happy?
9. What makes you laugh?
10. What makes you cry?
11. What are you afraid of?
12. Do you have someone in your life with whom you can share your deepest thoughts?
The Source for this blogpost is ~
THE SPIRITUAL FEMINIST
order your copy HERE
Updates from THE WITCH’S CORNER!
The following are new products that can be found at
my website ~
Amethyst Pendants: Click HERE
Zen Gardens: Click HERE
Magickal Bath Salts: Click HERE
Money Wash: Click HERE
New services offered at THE WITCH’S CORNER ~
Spell Consultations
Do you want to cast a spell, but you’re not sure how? Do you want to cast a spell, but you’re not sure which herbs, candles, oils, etc. to use? You don’t know how to dress a candle? You don’t know how to cast a circle? You don’t have anyone around you to ask?Is there some specific magickal working you need information, advice, or help with? I offer 30 minute spell consultations to give you the information you need to successfully cast spells.
click HERE
Featured Tarot Reading for April ~
Desires & Fears
1. this is where you came from
2. this is where you are going
3. this is what is difficult for you
4. this is what makes sense
5. this is your ultimate goal
Audio Reading
Desires & Fears
$15.00
$15.00
click HERE
THANK YOU so much for visiting my blog today! I hope you take away something special from your visit. This is my “sacred space”, so to speak, my private journal; my therapist; and my joy. It’s taken years to build, and it is as treasured as if it were a tattered leather-bound keepsake full of secrets and revelations.
Blessings, Amythyst
“The Spiritual Feminist”– Cover & Release Date!!!
Big BOOK NEWS!!!….Here’s the cover for my next book, “The Spiritual Feminist”!!! I love it!! Thank you to all the talented editors & artists at Moon Books! (You guys are awesome!)
The artist who did the Apple Heart sculpture for the cover is my daughter Anne! This piece is inspired by the Adam & Eve myth and is part of her Broken Hearts collection. I’m just thrilled to death that her art made the cover! It feels like an amazing and unique mother/daughter collaboration.
Ladies!!!…This Book Is For You!
RELEASE DATE: April 24, 2015
A Review:
“Part devotional, part grimoire and part empowerment manual, The Spiritual Feminist offers readers her-stories, anecdotes and correspondences for dozens of goddesses. A wise, accessible and often irreverent guide, author Amythyst Raine-Hatayama reveals the Goddess in us all, showing women of all ages how to honor, embody and invoke Her many facets. Once I began reading The Spiritual Feminist, I couldn’t stop. The feeling of understanding, and being understood, forged an intimate connection to the Goddess—riveting me to the page—stirring spiritual yearnings and opening new ways of seeing Her…almost as if for the first time.”
~Janet Boyer, Amazon.com Hall of Fame Reviewer, PaganSquare Sacred Symbols blogger and author of Back in Time Tarot, Naked Tarot, 365 Tarot: Daily Meditations and other titles
The Witch’s Desk: Women Learning to Trust Women
I watched a wonderful DVD series this week highlighting the birth of feminine spirituality. It was full of all the inspiring women of the time– Starhawk, Jean Bolyn, Merlin Stone, Shekinah Mountainwater, as well as a score of other eloquent and beautiful Ladies (authors, activists, film producers, artists, etc.). The main concept that struck me was the idea that the emergence of the patriarchal system, along with the fall of the goddess, all contributed to the erosion of feminine spirituality, the end of matriarchy, and its biggest impact was on women’s relationships with other women. We lost the “Sisterhood”. We became suspicious of each other. Something was stolen from us, something almost intangible, something undefinable. The unity was gone, the respect was gone, the connection was warped and broken.
With the advent of the snake and the apple story, the whole women-are-responsible-for-the-downfall-of-civilization phenomena, respect and power, camaraderie and trust, were all lost for the women of the world. The new patriarchal culture threw a dark shadow on womanhood, and it was contagious, contagious even to us, to women. My mother and I talked about this once, how women behave towards other women, the back-stabbing, the bitchiness, the suspicion. It was an accurate observation, and it left us to ponder.
Can it be repaired? And if so, what can be done to fix it?
1. We come towards each other already suspicious, suspicious of motives, intentions, sincerity…
and this crap involves all aspects of life– beginning with men (husbands, boyfriends, significant others). Why? Why don’t we trust other women in our lives with our partners, even when we have no legitimate reason not to? Is it just a hormonal mating Neanderthal thing? I hope not. I’d like to think that we’ve evolved past this. Maybe it’s our own insecurity– Are we attractive enough, are we too fat, are we too thin, are we satisfying sexual partners, are we successful enough, are we accomplished enough? Is this other woman prettier, is she younger, is she more accomplished, more successful, more desirable?
We have to work at building and maintaining a healthy ego. We have to learn to appreciate ourselves, to meet our full potential, to find the joy in life. We have to learn to be all that we were meant to be; and we have to learn to be proud of this. We have to learn to relish pride in ourselves. This isn’t being egotistical; it’s being healthy, it’s being honest, it’s being strong.
2. We’ve got backstabbing down to a fine art…
There is nothing worse than a hen-party that takes on a very dark energy when the hens start pecking at a missing sister. Why do we do this? And it gains momentum, it really does, as each woman in turn comes up with a negative observation, a piece of gossip, something that they would never dream of saying to the victim’s face. Why?…enjoyment, in some weird and twisted way?…a primeval instinct to travel in packs, and to gang up on a member who doesn’t fit into all the correct forms, all the politically/socially correct boxes and niches? Or is it a power play, since we still obviously possess pack mentality, and there has to be an Alpha female, so we’ll spar and battle until only one is left standing?
3. There is no sense of “Sisterhood”, no sense of loyalty, real loyalty, the old-fashioned kind..
“I’ll be your friend till the end.”…what a beautiful sentiment, but I don’t believe a word of it. It’s more like…”I’ll be your friend until you don’t conform to my idea of what you should be; I’ll be your friend until someone else comes along that I’m more infatuated with, I’m more in-tune with; until someone else comes along that satisfies me emotionally in the friend department, someone who agrees with me, someone who will follow me. I’ll be your friend, until I don’t feel like it anymore.
I wrote a blog post a few years ago, in which I describe my idea of a friend and ‘sister’…
“A Sister, should be a Sister, should be a Sister…*Forever*. It’s not a ‘when-I-feel-like-it’ thing; it should not rely on the conditions of outside influences, human frailties, insecurities, or pettiness. A Sister is someone you grow old with; and on your way to this destination, you pass all the other stages of life– bumpy, smooth, unpleasant, and joyous– and you know, without a crumb of a doubt, that your Sister will travel this road with you, shoulder to shoulder, to the end and beyond.”
4. There is no common spiritual ground (the goddess) in today’s culture, patriarchy dominates the scene…
I know that I’ve personally lost friends because of my spiritual path– from Jehovah’s Witnesses, to Christian Fundamentalist, to just plain Christians in the mainstream. If we don’t travel the same spiritual path, apparently, we cannot travel together at all. Why? It’s joyous to share a friendship with someone who views life and spirituality in the same way, but that doesn’t mean we can’t embrace friends who forge different trails. There can always be a general meeting place in the center of the forest, a sunny clearing where we can all lay aside our differences to gather together and share life’s experiences, and plans, and disappointments, and victories.
This is the hard part of this essay. I feel that the reader will expect me to end with some magickal solution to this problem, some instant fix, and I don’t think this is possible. In that case, it makes this blog post more of an observation, which leaves more questions here, at the end, than it did to start with. But I believe we have to look back, far into the past, when the Goddess ruled the earth and woman’s power was respected. We have to look back, far into the past, when society viewed woman, in all stages of her life, with reverence and awe. We have to look back, far into the past, to an ancient time, when women had respect for themselves…and respect for their sisters.
Which Goddess Guides You?
Do you have a particular Goddess who is your patroness? How did you choose Her, or did She choose you? Have you had a spiritual experience through this Goddess? What do you do to honor this Feminine Divinity?
…I’m working on my 5th book, which deals with spiritual feminism and matriarchal spirituality. I’d like to include in this book women’s personal experiences with the goddess. The material received may be included (anonymously, of course) in this book. If you’d like to relate your experiences, you can leave a message here, or if it’s too personal, you can send me a private email at:
witch_of_endore@yahoo.com
Blessed Be
I Can Do This
“I Can Do This” has become my daily affirmation, my mantra. In the face of life-changing circumstances, a shift in finances, and finding myself on my own and independent for the first time in my life, I discovered that I had to remind myself of my ability to survive and thrive. This does not mean that everything will always be easy, that there will never be any struggles, but at the end of the day, when all is said and done, I say with unabashed enthusiasm, delight, and surprise, “I Can Do This!”
Draw strength, encouragment, and power through all three apsects of the Goddess:
From the Maiden:
physical strength and good health to put into action the energy needed to reach your goals and to successfully acomplish and complete daily responsibilities.
From the Mother:
Substance and solidity, both physical and mental; patience and fortitude, all of which are needed to break new ground and create your own unique path in the world.
From the Crone:
wisdom gleaned from the world and it’s creatures; empathy and second sight to see what’s coming in advance and plan ahead; a sense of calm, in order to meet lifes challenges on a basic level without feeling flustered or threatened.
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/thegoddess.htm
http://thegoddessgrove.weebly.com/
New Video: The Goddess
Tuesday: Magick & Musings
I’ve been busy updating my website, particularly the Enchanted Jewelry page– make that ‘pages’ now. Enchanted Jewelry has grown to the point that the main page is very full and some people might find it hard to load on their computer. Don’t worry, the main page is still there, intact, but I’ve added individual pages that carry specific items:
There’s also been another change at my online shops this summer:
I will no longer be selling my merchandise internationally. Thank you to all my international customers for your support and enthusiasm. I’ve shipped items to Europe, Great Britain, Australia, Africa, and New Zealand, and it was always thrilling to know that my creations were going round the world.
I’ve stopped international sales just because, as a small cottage industry, I can’t afford the exhorbitant cost of international postage, and passing this cost on to my customers just didn’t seem fair.
The newest item up is Alpaca Silver Bracelets, enchanted, bedazzled, and loaded with magickal energy, ready to go:
You’ll find an assortment of these bracelets in a variety of colors and a slew of spells & enchantements.
Tuesday Magick
Planet: Mars
Color: orange
Herbs: allspice, basil, blood root, cactus, chili pepper, dragon’s blood,
garlic, ginger, holly, horseradish, mustard, nettle, onion, pepper, pine, radish, snapdragon, thistle, tobacco, wormwood
Stones: bloodstone, garnet, jasper (red), ruby, tourmaline (red
Element: Fire
Energies: defensive magick, regaining lost territory, assertion, resolving disagreement, successfully handling disruption, goals
© The Book of Magick
Amythyst Raine 2011
Today’s Goddess
Minerva
She is the virgin goddess of wisdom, knowledge and commerce. Minvera is the ultimate original feminist, dependent on no one but herself. She never took a mate, but followed her path in the solitary shadows, and it’s in this manner that we often discover ourselves and our full potential. She is a healing goddess, the patroness of doctors and nurses. As an inventor and alchemist, Minerva is attributed with the creation of numbers, muscial instruments, medicines, and machinery.
Today’s Tarot Card
Six of Wands
The six of wands is a card that smacks of victory, the victorious, acclaim, admiration and adulation, achievement, and full-blown in-your-face success. At its best it tells me that the querent has risen to the challenge of meeting goals and ambitions. At its worst—reversed, the six of wands warns me of an expanded ego, pompousness, conceit, and sometimes an obstinate nature. The reversed six of wands shows failure, blocked paths to success, apathy, and a lack of motivation.
Sometimes the character on this card may view himself or herself in any of these positive/negative lights, or this may be how he/she is viewed by others.
When this card pops up in a reading, it may foretell of great potential in a querent and in their life, or a total lack of talent/drive/ambition needed to complete a project-in-progress. The most positive thing about a reversed minor Arcana card is that it can be turned around—it will be totally up to the querent.
© Tarot: A Witch’s Journey
Amythyst Raine 2010
Today’s Spell
Quitting Powder
(Also known as Boss Fix Powder)
This Hoodoo formula could be called “Love Fix Powder”. It allegedly forces someone to quit bothering you and leave you alone, halting unwanted romantic and sexual advances. As a bonus, it may also be used to stop any attempts at placing a hex on you.
1. Blend and powder the following ingredients:
ground cinnamon
ground nutmeg
powdered newsprint– Preferably from the target’s favorite publication or even a newspaper that has been in their possession
tobacco taken from a cigarette– ideally obtained from that person, but their favorite brand would be a good second choice.
2. Use the resulting powder in any of the following ways:
Sprinkle it where your target is sure to sit on it or step over it.
Sprinkle it to create a boundary of safety for yourself.
Carry it in a mojo bag as a protective talisman.
You’ll find plenty of free spells at my website to fit a wide array of situations and circumstances to meet your needs:
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/spellspotions.htm
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/spellspotions2.htm
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/spellspotions3.htm
From Hedgewytch Hollow: Storm Clouds, Spells, n’ More
On one evening, my husband called me out of the house and pointed to the sky. He said, “Look up.” And this is what I saw– a huge long cloud bank moving in. It looked ominous– the whole thing, which you don’t see here– like some big monster sneaking in the backdoor. It was really awesome.
I took ths photo while standing in the backyard, looking south. This would have been right in the direction of town where my daughter’s apartment is located. And it wasn’t too much later that a funnel cloud was spotted right over the hospital, only blocks from where she lives. We were on the phone together by that time, comparing notes and watching the sky ‘together’, so to speak.
I took this photo after the storm. What was left when the thunder and lightening and wind had passed were tremendous cloud formations. I know that there is a technical name for these clouds, but my grandmother always called them ‘booby clouds’ (for obvious reasons), and she said that they go with ‘bad weather’, so beware when you see them. But aren’t they gorgeous!
It’s been a strange year, with strange weather everywhere. It started for us in May, when the temperature stayed, more often than not, in the thirties– with a couple days that went the other way and broke heat records, reaching 100 degrees and over. I consider myself lucky if we pull through a storm and I don’t have any water in the basement, and we didn’t this time, so I won’t complain– I’ll just enjoy the show.
I have some new spells up at ‘Enchanted Jewelry’. Although these pieces have been enchanted and are ready to spread their magick just as is, I think it enhances the magick if the person who is going to wear this jewelry adds their own energies to the spell; so I often post things that they can do when they wear the piece for the first time. However, the candle magicks and mojo bags that I’ve suggested to be used with the jewelry can also be used on they’re own. And I’m posting them here.
Eventually I’ll get all the little spells and ‘suggestions’ that I send off with my jewelry typed up this way and posted; but I have so much going on, I won’t be doing it all in one sitting.
To Aide in Spiritual Journeys
Happy Hearth Spell
To Ward Off Troublemakers
Book Updates: I’ve completed “The Gray Witch’s Grimoire” (working title) and recently sent it off to the publisher for consideration. I was working on another book, “The Book of Magick” (also working title), simultaneously, and I finished this book just a couple weeks after sending the first one off. Then I sat down with both manuscripts to re-read and tinker, and it suddenly dawned on me…I think these books could be merged into one nice hefty volume. I contacted the editor with the outline for the second book and my suggestion, and she agreed, so I shipped this manuscript off too. In the meantime, I was going to give myself a break from any ‘big’ writing projects. It gets pretty intense sometimes. I’ll find myself writing from very early morning till noon and suddenly realize that I haven’t eaten anything, so I thought, ‘it’s time for a break’. But things don’t always work out the way we planned, and when I sat down to my typewriter, ideas started rolling and so did my fingers to the keys…I’ve started a fourth book that just came to me out of the blue and seems to be writing itself. I’m going to keep the topic and the title for this one a secret until it’s finished. Everyone loves a surprise! 🙂
This is ‘Baby’. She says,“I don’t want you to talk to me right now.” You know when she wants to be left alone by her ears– she lays them back and gets a snotty look on her face.
I had started a little website ages ago and then kind of forgot about it: The Goddess Grove
This website is for women, though men can certainly sneak in and take a peek, but it’s basically a woman’s site. If anyone thinks this is sexist, well, yep– it is, and that’s the way the old ball rolls. You won’t be hearing any apologies here. Women like to get together, plain and simple. We have lots of things to talk about– spirituality, periods, pregnancy, husbands, relationships, babies, parents, breast cancer, pap smears, boyfriends, education, magick, the goddess, and lots and lots of other issues to examine. We also have about two thousand years of religious sexism and persecution to work through– so we have hen parties, we huddle together…laugh, cry, cuss, and shoot the breeze.
It’s fun to be a woman. 🙂
I was working this morning on the links page– and this is the page you’ll be taken to if you click on the link above. I want to add links to this site that will help women deal with everyday mundane issues: both social issues and health issues. I feel that The Goddess Grove could be built to be a very inspirational and useful site for women. This site is a shoot-off from a similar page that I had on Myspace, with over 900 women on the friends list. When Myspace evolved, I deleted the page. It takes a lot of work to build something like this back up, but I’m just going to have to make the time to do it.
From Hedgewytch Hollow: Full Moon Ritual
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Mother Goddess
Hail Mother Goddess, full of grace;
Your consort is with You.
Blessed art thou among humanity.
And blessed is your creation–
Mother Earth and Father Sky,
And all that dwell within.
Mother Goddess, creatrix of the world,
Be with us now and throughout all incarnations.
Be with us now and throughout all incarnations.
Blessed Be
© Amythyst Raine 2011
This Sunday’s Radio Show…
Mama Fortuna has changed the schedule for my appearance on her radio program, Temple of Fortuna… It will be this Sunday, *June 20*, and here’s the link:
This show is for global Pagans who want to attend an audio version of our Pagan worship services from the privacy of their own homes. We will honor the Goddess Fortuna.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mama-fortuna/2010/06/20/day-of-fors-fortuna-summer-solstice
This show is for global Pagans who want to attend an audio version of our Pagan worship services from the privacy of their own homes. We will honor the Goddess Fortuna.
A sermon “Day of Fors Fortuna + Summer Solstice” and blessing of three trees will be performed by ordained Pagan clergy member, Mama Fortuna. Music by Todd Alan. Guest Priestess Lady Amythyst Raine will speak.
Welcome to My Wytchy Realm
The following is an overview of my website:
The Witch’s Corner
Follow the url to enter this magickal realm:
The Triple Goddess
The Maiden
The maiden is overflowing with all of the possibilities of the future. Within her are the seeds of what will be. She is the fresh dawn of a new day. She is strength and tenacity and power. She is unbridled enthusiasm and wonder and hope.
The Mother
The mother is ripe fruit hanging pregnant from the vine. She is the foundation, the nurturer, the protectress. She is fortified with strength and placid with the calmness of a sunny day. She is who we turn to for stability and reassurance.
The Crone
It is the crone we seek in the darkening twilight. We find comfort in her quiet presence and yet we are challenged by her intuitive knowledge and aware of the darkshadows she casts…forcing us to seek the light and answers.
© Amythyst Raine 2007
Reconnect with the Goddess:
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/thegoddess.htm
Divination
Divination brings to mind the stereotype of the gypsy woman ensconced in her tent, peering intently into her crystal ball—and that may very well be an accurate picture somewhere in the world. I grew up in my grandmother’s house, surrounded by books on astrology, numerology, handwriting analysis, dream interpretation, etc. The world of divination is a natural one for me.
But divination in this modern time of neo-paganism has come a long way baby.
Tarot cards of all kinds abound and fill the shelves at not only new-age and metaphysical shops, but also at the mainstream bookstores such as Borders, Barnes & Noble, Hastings, etc.
Crystals, crystal balls, runes, quija boards are as popular now as they were in times past—more so, perhaps. I like to think of this day and age as the “New Renaissance” for the occult world.
© Amythyst Raine 2007
At the url below you will find information on all forms of divination with links to pertinent sites, tales of my own personal psychic experiences, interviews with Allison Dubois and Patricia Arquette—the actress who plays Allison in the television show “Medium”, and more:
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/divination.htm
Spells & Potions
This is the “meat” of witchcraft, the most fascinating (and sometimes fear inducing) aspect of The Craft for many people. To most of the mundane world the idea that anyone would have the power and the ability to create change using occult means is awe inspiring and often intimidating. The Christian influence in our culture and on our society has taken such natural power away from the multitudes, deeming it “evil”, “sinful”, and even dangerous.
To those of us practiced and gifted in the use of “the black arts”, it carries none of those negative labels. It is awe inspiring, but in an uplifting and promising way. It empowers those who cultivate its secrets and those who learn to use it wisely. It opens doors of dimensions undreamed of; it embraces the forces of nature in all her glory; it wreaks of a time before recorded history…it calls to those of us with the spirit of the Olde Ones, those of us who wish to practice the Olde Religion, those of us who wish to return to these ancient times and reclaim that which is our birthright.
© Amythyst Raine 2007
Follow the url to my online Book of Shadows:
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/spellspotions.htm
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/spellspotions2.htm
Herbs
This is the magickal medicine cabinet of the witch, and especially the Green Witch. Those who practice the olde ways have known since time immemorial of the powers contained in the molecules of “the green”. Herbs have been used since ancient times—and still are used today—for their medicinal and healing powers. But the Witch knows that these gentle and lovely plants contain other powers as well…magickal powers to be used and tapped into for spells and potions and rituals and cleansing.
© Amythyst Raine
Follow the url for a list of herbs and their magickal uses:
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/magickalherbs.htm
The Elements
(Earth, Air, Fire, Water)
FOR ME: Water is the mist of yesterday and today and tomorrow all wrapped up into one magical moment. Water is dreams and visions and questing endlessly to know the unknown. It is divination– searching for answers and listening to the universe for its response. It is the mystical and the elusive…it slips through your fingers leaving you wet and cold and shivering, knowing that you have been touched by the Divine.
FOR ME: Air is the soft breeze on your face that makes you feel touched and not touched. It is thought brought alive and moved through space and time by the Divine. Air is the part of your mind that is clear and sharp and focused and ever changing, never still and never content, but always swept up within another breeze and moved along on the current of time.
FOR ME: Earth is all the treasures buried deep within the soul. It is the material things you long for and were told you shouldn’t have. It is the security of that which is solid and immovable, and it is “manifestation” into the real world of touch and taste and smell and sight.
FOR ME: Fire is that physical passion so burning that it can consume. It is enthusiasm so powerful that it is what drives you to succeed. Fire is that fiery will that doesn’t allow you to give up in the face of adversity. It is what draws lovers together across insurmountable odds and provokes the passion that fights endlessly for justice.
Earth, Air, Fire, and Water…the four elements from which we can draw power to create magick.
© Amythyst Raine 2006
Follow the url for more information on The Elements, including an extensive list of correspondences and a Quarter Call:
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/theelements.htm
Wheel of the Year
(Pagan Holidays)
The Christian “holidays” all have Pagan roots. This is a fact that was constantly brought up to me years ago by a lady who was my friend and a Jehovah’s Witness. It was her oft repeated reason to me why she didn’t celebrate any of the modern Christianized holidays now.
I am surprised by the number of people who do not know this, and even more surprised at how many refuse to believe it. It just goes to show how completely saturating cultural training can be.
I find the history of our Pagan holidays fascinating and joyful and uplifting. I and my family embrace and celebrate them.
© Amythyst Raine 2007
Follow the url for more information on the Pagan roots of our modern holidays, pagan lore, and rituals for celebration.
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/wheeloftheyear.htm
Chakras
The word chakra is Sanskrit for wheel or disk and signifies one of seven basic energy centers in the body. Each of these centers correlates to major nerve ganglia branching forth from the spinal column. In addition the chakras also correlate to levels of consciousness, archetypal elements, developmental stages of life, colors, sounds, body functions, and much, much more.
This definition of chakras is taken from:
http://www.sacredcenters.com/chakras.html
Follow the url for more information on the chakras, extensive correspondences related to the seven chakras, and a link to Ambika Wauters website, “The Institute of Life Energy Medicine”:
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/chakras.htm
Rituals
Rituals put a stamp on the passage of time and the progression of our life stages, from a Wiccaning (baby naming) to a death and remembrance ritual, and all those celebrations and milestones in-between. Rituals validate our existence in some implausible elusive way. They bring family and friends together, open doors to the future, and create memories for generations to come.
© Amythyst Raine 2007
Follow the url and you will find rituals for all of life’s passages and links to sites where you can purchase ritual items and clothing:
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/rituals.htm
Ghosts/Ghost Hunting
Growing up in my grandmother’s house prepared me for the paranormal occurrences that I would experience in this, my own house. My grandmother’s house was very active and anyone with an ounce of sensitivity to such things was always very aware of it…the feeling of being “watched” when no one else was near you, the hair suddenly standing up on the back of your neck and the sensation that “someone” was standing behind you, unintelligible whisperings in the dark of the night, a blanket being pulled from you by something you couldn’t see, lights going off and on with no explanation—and stove burners doing the same unnerving thing, objects occasionally moving, etc.
Growing up with these occurrences, I thought it was natural—wasn’t everyone’s house like this?
Apparently not, I was to learn as I became older. That enlightenment helped me to appreciate, study, and cope with paranormal activities on a very basic level. It also taught me to conquer any fear.
But witchcraft taught me how to tame these ethereal spirits, how to control them instead of allowing them to control me. Witchcraft taught me it was possible to have dominion over the spirit world.
© Amythyst Raine 2007
Follow the url and enter the paranormal world of ghosts and ghost hunting. You will find a slideshow on ghosts created by me, a list of haunted cemeteries, information on poltergiests, the Bell Witch, TAPS, the “Hauntings Website”; and a section called “Our House”, which reviews our own paranoral occurances that my family and I have experienced.
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/ghostsghosthunting.htm
My Path
I am a solitary eclectic witch. My path consists of hoodoo, Wicca, and green witchcraft. I am neither a “white” nor a “black” witch; I prefer to see myself in shades of gray— nothing else on this earth is completely clear cut, the practice of The Craft isn’t either.
I am a hereditary witch, taking after the traditions of my mother, my sister, and cousins. I am now watching my own daughters grow in this path. I was raised by my grandmother, a woman steeped in the study of the occult, yet probably not realizing the title many in this world would have attributed to her.
I am a legally ordained member of the clergy, yet I avoid the usual titles which smack too closely of Christianity for my taste. I prefer the simple, yet deeply meaningful title of “Lady”.
© Amythyst Raine
Follow the url to learn more about my path, with links to sites on hoodoo, wicca, and green witchcraft. You will also find a “code of ethics”, “rules of conduct”, my explanation of the “kitchen witch”, and my feelings on “Hexing and Cursing”:
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/mypath.htm
Photogallery
I’ve opened a window on this page, a window into my private world. I have tried to post images on here that I haven’t posted anywhere else, they are exclusive. I haven’t decided yet whether to continue the Photogallery or relegate it to an archive, but my camera is always ready, and life somehow or other always has something interesting to show me.
© Amythyst Raine 2007
Follow the url and you will find a slide show, as well as personal photos of my home, gardens, family, & ’stuff’.
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/photogallery.htm
Monthly Newsletters
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/monthlynewsletters.htm
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/newsletterarchives1.htm
Follow my raven to the Magick Forest where you can view/sign the guestbook, subscribe to the site, and find links to unimaginable places and incredible people.
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/themagicforestllinks.htm
The Triple Goddess
Triple Goddess
The Crone…
I don’t know if it’s this time of year or this phase of life I’m in now, but I feel a tremendous magnetic pull to The Crone. I relish her– I revel in the beauty of her darkness and the depth of her knowledge and all the life tasted that she represents to me. She is a milestone, a goal, an accomplishment.
She brings to me a sense of peace, as I hope she does to all of you.
The Mother…
It is the Mother aspect of the Goddess that seems to encompass most of our lives– we are the nurturers. Whether we are women who have given birth to our own children, or find ourselves entrusted with the care of other women’s children. And it is not only the children of the world we nurture, but the animals, the earth itself, and the men in our lives. We nurture growth in all things, including new ideas and ventures, in the arts and literature, in all things worthwhile that need careful care and a magic touch. Within that magic touch is the promise of creation and growth.
The Maiden…
It has been my experience that the older a woman gets, the farther away the Maiden feels. It is probably a natural progression. And yet, even women entering the more mature phases of life need the vital life force of this aspect of the Goddess. She is what propels us forward with strength and tenacity and the self-confidence to discover our inner selves and our hidden strengths.
Blessings,
Lady Amythyst Raine
An Empowering Spell for Women
This spell is from: "Dancing the Goddess Incarnate", co-written by Dorothy Morrison and Kristen Madden
1 purple, red, orange, yellow candle;
2 tsp each of dried thyme, lavender, cinnamon;
1 small piece of black onyx/black tourmaline, blue goldstone (also known as blue sunstone);
1 hat (something that appeals to you, but the sassier, the better),
paper,
pen,
charcoal block,
fireproof dish filled with sand / censer,
music CD to set the mood (something with an upbeat nature)
Vigorous purple, I command your power
To rid me of all that’s severe and dour.
1 purple, red, orange, yellow candle;
2 tsp each of dried thyme, lavender, cinnamon;
1 small piece of black onyx/black tourmaline, blue goldstone (also known as blue sunstone);
1 hat (something that appeals to you, but the sassier, the better),
paper,
pen,
charcoal block,
fireproof dish filled with sand / censer,
music CD to set the mood (something with an upbeat nature)
Light the charcoal in the censer and put it in the center of your workspace. Place the purple candle behind it, the red in front of it, the orange to its right and the yellow to its left to represent the crossroads.
Light the purple candle and say:
Vigorous purple, I command your power
To rid me of all that’s severe and dour.
Light the red:
Red of passions burning high
Bring sass and attitude on the fly.
Light the orange:
Magnetic orange, I conjure thee
To attract playful energies now to me.
Light the yellow:
And successful yellow, as you burn
Bring the victories for which I yearn.
Place half of the herbs on the charcoal, saying:
Thyme for courage and lavender to free
And cinnamon to successfully
Remove unwarranted fears from me
As I will, so mote it be!
Write down all your fears. Doesn’t matter how silly you think they are. It’s important to list everything. When you are finished, toss the paper on the charcoal block and burn it to ash, saying:
By fire and herb with flaming flash
There’s nothing left but smoke and ash.
Your life is gone and I am free
Of all you did to bother me.
Add the rest of the herbs to the charcoal then smudge the hat in the smoke while saying:
Attitude come now to stay
Within this hat where you can play
And be my classy, brassy friend.
Your courage, too, I ask you lend
So I can tell the stern and dour
Who frown on me as I’m empowered
With your lovely gift of sass:
"You can all just kiss my ass!"
Put on the hat and feel its power. Let it infuse every cell of your being. Enjoy the music and dance. Be sassy. Be brassy. Dance with complete abandon until you’re out of breath and can’t dance any more. Then put the hat in front of the candles until they burn out.
When the ashes are cool, scatter them on the winds. Wear the hat as often as possible – and without worry of what others will think – but especially when you feel the need for an extra shot of sass.
