Swati Prakash

Top Tarot Healing and Wiccan Expert

Tag: Wicca

  • Merry Beltane/ Blessed Samhain

    Merry Beltane/ Blessed Samhain

    Blessing be upon us and all our animal kin, on our beautiful planet Earth, from the Sun and the Moon above and our heart and Soul for our well deserved freedom and success this May!!

    Swati Prakash, http://www.askswati.com

    The Wheel of the Years

    In northern hemisphere we celebrate the start of Summer and in the Southern hemisphere the reverse applies and summer ends. These are the true Earth festivals that we all must celebrate. There are eight Sabbats per annum, reversed in the Southern hemisphere. These are illustrated below.

  • The Role of Animals in Ancient Human Religion – Part 1

    The Role of Animals in Ancient Human Religion – Part 1

    Classic religion and ancient traditions have asserted a reverence for some animals and nature throughout history but do we really respect them? Upon examination of the rich oral traditions and literature of religions, it appears that largely the purpose of animal based spiritual traditions is hunting, domestication, or some sort of ‘use’ of the animal’s energy for personal benefit through rites and rituals. This article examines various religions in the Matrix operating throughout the planet since time immemorial (my spirit guides insist that many religions are Satanic), although the first one examined here, being neo-paganism and Wicca are believed to be modern earth based and eco-friendly spiritual practices for veneration of nature based on ancient ones.

    ‘Honoured maiden huntress Artemis, Artemis…new moon come to us‘…so begins the slow popular ‘triple goddess’ chant used by Wiccan and Pagans in stone circles to ‘bring in’ the qualities of the deity into the ritual circle and infuse them with her powers. The moon has enchanted humankind since stoneage, used to mark the days, with the waxing and waning cycles that helped ancient humans keep track of the calender and the female periods. Wicca is a feminine system of worship as it is deeply connected with the three phases of the moon, new to waxing, full and waning. Artemis an ancient virgin goddess similar to Diana, Brigid, Astarte is linked with the copious new moon and new beginnings of the rise of fertility, brightness and power, while the second one in the middle is the full moon goddesses, the mother goddess Cerridwen, Isis, Demeter for blessing and fulfilment, the third, dark goddess of the waning moon connects with hidden energy, secrets, death and negativity for instance Hecate, Morrigan, Innana and the lowerworld mysteries.

    But what about the fact that Artemis, much like Diana is a goddess of the hunt, armed with weapons to kill and subdue other animals with her might, her masculine femininity, her independence, pride and ego. Ancient gods and goddesses though beautiful are also adorned with weapons that are deadly at times. Well meaning practitioners who are awakening may in reality be disenchanted by the hunting past of some of these ancient deities, originating at a time when consciousness was severly limited unfortunately and wars, hunting and crimes were commonplace, laws miserably poor and population ignorant. Deities invoked were aimed at blessing humans with powers of hunting, warfare and healing for human betterment, not necesarily for the betterment of nature. The healing and hunting powers being for humankind’s benefit, for the community at large to take energy they desire from nature.

    The ‘Wild Hunt‘ is a fascinating nonsensical subject among pagans and Wiccans who believe there was an ancient masculine deity, the Lord who went all around on a wild hunt at cold winter nights with his hounds, now possibly transformed into Santa Clause with his symbolic reindeers with a slight twist of imagination to divert attention from the original folk or faery lore of the Wild Hunt theme. Legends of Germanic lore also endorse the hunting of a victim female, or in other words rape through this ugly tale which is of course ‘traditional’ and charming and enacted in rituals in Wicca by educated people. People, who believe they are empowering women and by elevating feminine to goddesses that are often consorted by male gods in sexual themes of so called ’emanicipation’.

    Celtic Cerrunos the horned hunter sometimes equated with the ‘devil’ imagery as one major deity or the primary deity of the ‘horned one’ is not the only one of the Wild Hunt, with Gywnn App Nudd of faery divine king lore, Herne the Hunter as the Scandinavian leader of the Wild Hunt and Odin as the Anglo-Saxon Lord of the imaginary Wild Hunt. The tarot cards include The Devil as a masked horned God goat-headed figure symbolically controlling male and female ritually bonded people in ritual.

    Hunting deities are well endorsed by cave paintings of a horned male figurine of European origin reminiscent of a ‘prehistoric Shiva’ Harappan seal as lord of animals in worldwide traditions. Hunting is seen as not a crime as it should be, but a popular sport and a survival technique of ancestors. Several gods and goddesses from ancient folklores champion the neo-pagan revival including hunting deities such as Inuit Sedna who is the goddess of marine hunting, Devana of Slavic myths and Skadi of Norse legends. Noone would understand why some hunting deities of folklore are worshipped upon altars of pagans and Wiccans to connect with nature and champion the cause of the planet’s environment, seas, ice-caps, forests and it’s magical ‘healing’ rites of nature if they would also kill animals whether on land or in the seas.

    Ley lines of neolithic and ancient monuments of British culture, favoured by Wiccans and neo-pagans the world over have already been exposed in the past articles part 1 and part 2 of this blog as areas where animals have also been sacrificed or killed for feasting in celebration of the winter solstice. Such stone-site megalithic traditions continue undisturbed by tribals in eastern India and Indonesia involving domesticated animal’s sacrificed on specific stones in veneration of ancestors, stones erected to honour human tribal folk who died and their families attaining noble status materially through lavish sacrifice and feasting rituals in their name.

    Some Wiccan practitioners insist that they belong to strict lineages of men who imitate semi-satanic loosely occult inspired rituals of strict nudism, sexuality and imitation of bestiality dressing up in horned masks. They are clearly rebelling against the unjust murders of so called witches, male, female and children of the burning times of inquisions and witch hunts in the name of Jesus Christ when several innocents who were not even witches were terribly tortured into a false confession that they were guilty of working with the devil.

    Other Wiccan traditions are neo-Wiccan, having transmuted into simpler ones who insist they ‘Harm None’, focus on tarot card reading work and crystal, herbal or candle folk magic to bring back feminine spirituality and intuition, oblivious to the other stranger traditions in British and western Wicca.

    Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill, An it harm none do what ye will. (Doreen Valiente, 1964) – these words are not always followed as Wiccans are flexible in their opinions and not bound by any strict law. Yet, many neo-Wiccans are drawn like magnets to the Wiccan Rede believing that there will be love and compassion to learn from Wiccan faith.

    Those who adhere to the Rede might prefer to be vegan and work only with positive magic to heal other humans and wild animals and the planet too. However many Wiccans are solely omnivorous and most still invoke hunting deities, a practice that arguably takes away instantly from the concept of Harming None. The use of animal products in rituals and rites is still part of many groups, temples or covens, employing animal bones, horns, cornucopia, skulls and goat’s head even to this day, symbolically. Ugly rituals from the past included animal sacrifice and divination by entrails of murdered animals, a practice that is not followed by most Wiccans, except for those select practitioners who imitate the hideous times of the past ritually to maintain traditionality of occult.

    Some people, usually children enamoured by child-friendly Harry Potter magic that makes objects briefly fly into air by telekinesis, or young females inspired by the Charmed series of three ‘Wiccan’ sisters who fight against demons are shattered to learn that real witchcraft has no semblance to that kind of television and Hollywood magic. Ordinarily Wicca students are nothing like Hermione Granger and her witty spells from books, and teachers nothing like Dumbledore. What was possibly a simple global belief in power of herbs, thoughts, intentions, words and charms, followed by every culture all around the world, from China to India and Pakistan to Africa for cleansing, empowering, healing and blessing has been ceremonialised in occult forms developed by Aleister Crowley and other occult ceremonial magicians regarded as wizards and witches.

    Wiccan religion seems to imitate partially, malignant Christian rituals with chalices of wine and bread and lengthy sermonic invocations of flesh and body of the lamb of god a.k.a. Yeshua murdered in lieu of animals to take away sins. Except that instead of a lone deity of Israel, neo-pagan and Wiccan religion honours pantheistic ancient ones from around the pagan world, Celtic, Druid , Egyptian and Mesopotamian to name a few as Wican chalices are taken around the circle or coven of witches.

    The simple fact that killing of other species is considered ‘normal’ and part of nature and hunting venerated explains how mysterious otherworldly powers are abused by humans to create and manufacture religions meant to subjugate others around them whether in the name of God, Allah or any other divinity that attracts followers be it Diana, Cerrunos, Yahweh or any deity whatsoever, feminine or masculine. Perhaps the introduction of Jesus was meant to eradicate practices of animal sacrifice in a way in rituals, although Christians continue to consume animals and their secretions all over the world and associate Jesus with animal farming and fishing too which seems contradictory if he took away all sins. His killing is another form of ritual sacrifice murder, and the entire idea of sacrifice being a misplaced one based on a very wrong belief that someone must die in order for a deity to be pleased, for atonement of sins or in lieu for someone else who must be saved by offering another’s life in his or her place.

    We have all heard of African baby and child sacrifices as well as animal sacrifices in witchcraft, Haitian voudou, Santeneria and numerous other traditions and some Indian unholy rituals all heavily criticized as shameful ignorant malpractices. In countries such as India people would pay large sums of money to practitioners of tantric and aghoric belief systems who can make things ‘happen’ for them (including so called black-magic to harm someone) using disgusting and murderous practices at times, while those who insist that Wicca is based on ‘Harming None’ are seldom accepted as people devoid of consciousness still associate evil and superstitious rituals with magic.

    Those Wiccans who morally insist that Wicca should be a mature, nature loving spirituality of kindness and non-harming (ahimsa) for healing of the planet based on the Wiccan rede (Harming None principle) are at times rudely rebuked as ‘fluffy bunnies’ by nudist and Luciferian ceremonialists from Alexandrian, Gardenerian and other lineaged traditions of British Witchcraft who insist on the ‘old ways’ being superior. Connection with ancient stoneage and hunter-gatherer past still runs strong among most of them as the following documentary richly elucidates.

  • The East and West of Magick

    This lifetime I chose to be born in the ancient land of Vedic wisdom, India…the place where timeless spiritual truths still live on in the form of tradition and culture. Yet, I was born with witchcraft (and Wicca too) in my soul. It was 1989 when I conducted my first ritual at ten years of age, feeling the powers rise within me, casting a circle, calling the quarters, raising energy of the elements and conjuring a spell. At the turn of the millennium after I was formally initiated into Wicca and remembered my past lives, I started conducting Wiccan rituals for large and small groups in Mumbai while teaching tarot and then I began Magick, a small store at 16th road, Bandra west, Mumbai in 2008 that still continues there now being used as a temple of Global Wicca.

    .old magick

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    The best part about being a Wiccan in India was that India already is rich in ancient wisdom. Wicca found easy acceptance in the diverse cultural and religious medley of India because of the spiritual openness and pagan heritage of India. In-fact there are so many parallelisms between western pagan traditions and Indian paganism that India seemed to be the perfect place for me to have launched Global Wicca, a spiritual tradition that unites the western magickal concepts with eastern mysticism.

    • Talk about the five elements of nature and you find the ‘panch-tawwas’ of Vayu-air, Agni-fire, Apas-water, Prithvi-earth and Akasha-spirit are all honored in every ritual or yagya/ yajna since Vedic India.
    • Talk about the goddess and god equality and India will teach you how the Goddess is the all powerful Shakti or energy, the ultimate creator who is worshiped in her numerous forms through so many festivals and rites.
    • Talk about the Wiccan Rede, ‘An Ye Harm None Do As Ye Will’ and Indians would say yes to Ahimsa, a virtue of non-violence that was promoted not only by Gandhi but also by several traditions including but not limited to the Jain saints of India.
    • Talk about the Law of Three and you will learn of Karma, the law of cause and effect as your energy comes back your way not only in this lifetime but through rebirths to help you learn and grow through experience.
    • Talk about the multiplicity of deity and you will get no better place than India to see gods and goddesses of all shapes, genders and forms in each street.
    • Talk about spells and magick and you will learn about mantras (spoken spells), yantras (tools and talismans) and tantras (the craft and yogas) to weave the enchantment together), crafting intentions with focused energy – witchcraft in other words.
    • Talk about crystals, herbs and gems and you will learn all about their planets, chakras and various correspondences from ancient Indian spirituality. Some of the best crystals, stones, herbs and incenses are sourced from India the world over.
    • Talk about astrology, divination, healing and you will learn this in every street and corner of India where its been practiced in so many ways as a well established profession whether as ancient Vedic astrology or other intuitive arts.
    • Tarot cards with the five suits of Europe may have originated in Italy in 15th century but Indian spiritual cards have been around since the 7th century in the form of Dasavtara taash depicting the ten suits of Vishnus ten reincarnations.
    • Animals and trees have been regarded as divine too, with each deity connected with their own animal familiar and trees as well as herbs being worshiped for their magickal and healing powers in each corner of India.
    • Speak of the power of lunar cycles and you will find that each lunar day from Amavasya (new moon) and each day or tithi of the waxing moon to Purnima (full moon) has been celebrated and observed as special and magickal in its own way.
    • Talk about celebrating the major and minor Sabbats and cycles of earth – and you will learn how they correspond closely with the ‘rutus’ (seasons) in the Indian calendar and the annual celebrations that mark each season
      • Just like Imbolc celebrates the goddess Bridget the maiden who brings in warmth after winter, Vasant panchmi celebrates Saraswati, the maiden who brings the light of awareness as spring begins to dawn.
      • Vernal or spring celebrations of Holi, Gudi padwa, Ugadi correspond with the Ostara spring equinox celebrations where color returns to earth after winter
      • Just as Beltane is the start of summer, Vaishakh celebrates agriculture and fertility with the festivals Vishu, Bihu and Akshaya Tritiya celebrating the solar power.
      • Midsummer solstice and Litha celebrate the peak of summer and faery frolic the outdoor processions of Rath yatra celebrates the procession of celestial deities and Nag Panchami celebrates the reptilian underworld.
      • As Lughnasad is the first harvest or loaf-mass/ lammas, Shravan celebrates the monsoon and the harvest festivals of Green Teej and Krishna Janmashmi or the birth of the dark half of the year when the wheel turns towards autumn.
      • The autumn equinox and Mabon time are the harvest festivities much like Onam and Ganesh Chaturthi when grain and harvest are celebrated.
      • As the summer ends and winter draws closer, the last harvest of Samhain corresponds with the festivals of Navratri, Diwali and Kaali Puja that celebrate the great goddess energy in the dark new year.
      • Winter celebrations such as Yule and mid-winter solstice or Christmas see parallels in Lohri, Pongal and Makar Sankranti when the rebirth of the sun is celebrated.

    So what is the difference between ancient Indian customs and that of the western Wiccan witches? If we observe the parallelisms we will find that we are more similar than different and that our differences are superficial while our similarities are deep rooted.

    Core philosophical beliefs and nature based celebration rituals of harvest and cultivation deeply unite both western and eastern pagan practices. Myths and mythologies involving various culture specific deities came much later, initially the ancient natural forces were honored and propitiated through all rites, rituals and festivals all over earth.

    All over earth our rites, rituals, customs all have evolved to reflect the cultural shades of our land.Our unique herbs, trees and folklore in each country has led to a unique magickal heritage of each country . Communities within each land have their own customs and traditions. Yet the base of all magickal traditions – both in the east and the west is One. It is nature that has shaped our magickal beliefs and traditions all over earth and the oldest spirituality in each part of the world is simply – nature.

    The western propaganda against the word ‘witch’, ‘withcraft’ and ‘paganism’ had spread even to the east over the last few centuries. It is only in the west that ancient and timeless wisdom, natural celebrations, herbal and stone magick, meditation, goddess worship, paganism, idol worship and mantras/ spells were all connected with evil thanks to the fears spread to promote religious conversions from pagan to non-pagan beliefs. In the eastern world ancient magick is a living continuing tradition since thousands of years, having survived the conversion attempts of western religions. Yet we have seen instances of witch-hunting and prosecution of women and children ‘blamed’ or ‘accused’ of witchcraft even in Asia and Africa…even in the ancient magickal land of India, all thanks to the misunderstandings seeping in from all around.

    What people of India and the rest of the world have to understand is that magick is an integral power in every being of nature including humans and that it is nothing to be feared of. Calling it superstitious, irrational or evil is akin to dishonoring our deep rooted magickal heritage and the spiritual work of our thousands of gurus since ancient times. No matter what the dictionaries, bibles and wikipedias of the world might say regarding witchcraft, Wicca and magick, let us remember that these are not to be seen with the tainted shades of religious discrimination.

    If we focus on the ancient teaching from both the east and the west we will find ample guidance in favor of learning and practical magick and spirituality in everyday life. I may have been a western western witch in my past life but in this life being born Indian, I have learn to expand my consciousness greatly and to see paganism, witchcraft as well as Wicca in a new global light that unites the east and the west. There is no point arguing about whether eastern or western paganism is superior. We know that we are all one and what we all must strive towards is to let go of all our misunderstandings and accept the magick in everyone and everything.

    (*)

    Swati Prakash is the founder of Global Wicca and the author of The Global Wicca Revolution which is now amazon fulfilled all over India.

    global wicca revolution cover front

     

     

     

  • How to Be a Witch and/ or Wiccan

    How to Be a Witch and/ or Wiccan

    A lot of times I have heard people ask – ‘I want to be a witch, can you teach me?’, or ‘I want to be a Wiccan, can you initiate me?’

    So allow me to clarify what being a witch and being a Wiccan really are all about and how to be a witch and/ or Wiccan.

    Witch: The meaning of the word is wise-one. In the ancient times those people who were knowledgable about healing, herbalism, native medicine and those who could guide people with their common problems, through psychic predictions such as clairvoyant visions, or through various herbs and folk magic spells were regarded as witches. They occupied positions of respect. All over the world, whether the west or the east we had plenty of witches. What did they do to ‘become’ witches. Did they take classes, pass tests or get initiated into secret naked covens of 13? Or did they have an innate wisdom that they honoured and honed, learning through nature, through their grandparents and their own intuitive inner self?

    Wiccan: The meaning of the word is someone who believes in the Wiccan Rede which means Harming None while doing as you Will. In doing so Wiccans become people who believe in recognising divinity in everyone and everything, being kind to nature, being tolerant with regard to specific beliefs, sexuality, personal choices as long as you harm none, believing in equality of gender, believing in animal-rights, sacredness of trees and forests, water and earth. All these directly flow from the principle of the Wiccan Rede. Wicca is not one of the religions typified by conversion process to be part of it. It is a natural spirituality, also called paganism or neo-paganism (being a new age revival of the ancient ways). What do you have to do to believe in the Wiccan Rede? Does it take an initiation ceremony to believe in something? Or is it something to be done within you, through your own mind?

    Being a witch and being a Wiccan is all about your inner self, your inner choices and beliefs in your divine power, in the divinity of nature, in the sacredness of life, death and the magick of the universe which is constantly unfolding everywhere. There is magick in each moment – the way we are built, the way each cell and molecule of the world is built, the way planets revolve and rotate, the way seasons change, from the smallest to the largest thing in the world, magick is our infinite reality. To be consciosuly aware of this truth, and to use this knowledge wisely for the benefit of ourself and our world, that’s what being a witch and Wiccan is all about.

    Initiation: This simply means getting accepted in a specific spiritual tradition or system, usually lineaged from a founder to a chain of initiates. A tradition means a body of knowledge that is carried forward even if the teacher is no more. The teachings are passed on from teacher to student and the student then becomes a teacher and passes it to other students and so on. This is true of several systems of ancient spirituality and it was the norm in Wiccan spirituality in the beginning till recent times. In Wicca so far, you would get initiated if you get specific skills and training with the aim of being part of an existing Wiccan tradition. However with the advent of technology, books, internet and multiple ways of disseminating information traditional initiation is no longer mandatory.

    Is Initiation for you? Will the students of the original teacher pass on the right knowledge through the chain or will it become chinese whispers? If the original teachers or founders of those traditions that are lineaged were to be alive today, will they remain stuck at their old teachings and beliefs, or would they have transformed and updated their knowledge and practice from the time when they developed it? Are the initiates as good as the original master, or are they a bunch of egotists who are more interested in showing off their lineage and playing power games?

    Thankfully today through books authored directly by the founders of the tradition it is possible to get accurate knowledge straight from the horses mouth. Yet if the authors are deceased its perhaps better to look for new authors too and be updated with the latest discoveries and inventions in the world. Whenever possible look for living masters who teach you directly instead of learning indirectly through a lineage of initiates. That is my advise and my preference as the Founder of Global Wicca.

    Training: Classes, certifications, courses, degree training, all are surely there for those who wish to gain more specific skills either for personal use or for helping others professionally. But to be a witch and to be Wiccan, both are about an inner awareness, an enlightenment you gain yourself through meditation and inner spiritual work. You can learn to be a better witch through teachers and guides who add to your knowledge, who provide you opportunities to practice and hone your skills.

    There is a vast universe within you and your inner self is the best teacher, the best master. Look for those outer teachers and guides who help you get in touch with the inner self instead of leading you to follow them rigidly.

    Also remain focused once you find the right path without wandering around collecting information, collecting certificates, collecting initiations, collecting degrees – do not be a mindless spiritual consumer. If you were doing that then there was something missing within you.

    Be on the right path and stay on the right path that goes straight within.

    All the best

    (*)

    Swati Prakash

     

     

  • The Power of Three

    My breath is the Air, my will is the Fire

    Love is the Water that calms my desire

    Earth is my creation, a manifestation

    Of Spirit in me, and So Mote It Be!

    The world is within, it appears to be out

    All that I need is within me throughout

    My words of power are all invocations

    Of the universe that’s we, and So Mote It Be!

    All of us are many and yet we are One

    By the power of One, this great work is done

    The one manifests as the power of three

    Of Me, He and She, and So Mote It Be!

    Blessed be

    (*)triquetraSwati Prakash

    www.swatiprakash.com

  • The De-Occultation of Witchcraft, Wicca and Paganism

    The De-Occultation of Witchcraft, Wicca and Paganism

    Secret societies, underground witch-cult, hidden worship of pagan deities, clandestine initiations, ritual sex, skyclad covens, dark-magick, mystery religion, OCCULT – are these what you have been hearing all this while whenever you tried researching witchcraft and even Wicca?

    Is witchcraft something that is learnt only through initiation in a coven?

    Is the witch-power transferred only through either blood-lineage or coven-initiation?

    Is Wicca a kind of occult ceremonialism?

    Do you have to go through some secret ceremony to ‘become’ a witch?

    Is Wicca just another word for the witch-cult?

    These were questions that I have dealt with in my books but I still see a lot of darkness and ignorance being spread by certain ‘Wiccan’ traditions (also termed ‘fundamentalist’ Wiccans) who keep promoting Wicca as a secret, mystery cult that requires certain specific lineages and initiations by those who claim to have those lineages.

    In the past people had several misconceptions regarding witchcraft and Wicca. These were owing to the fact that there was no open practice of paganism, witchcraft and magick in the western world not so long ago. The western world had been quite totally Christianised and any kind of belief that was not part of the widely approved Christian teachings would be classified as witchcraft and paganism and connected falsely to satan or devil worship. The only reason this was done was to establish a superiority of Christianity over any other faith, especially older faiths. The west, just like the east, had ancient pagan faiths such as the Celtic, Norse, Greek, Roman and other beliefs, deities, magical practices and folk-magic of the old-times. However these ancient faiths were so majorly suppressed and people so heavily converted that there remained hardly any who have a direct awareness of their ancient pagan ancestry.

    Then came a host of secret societies who attempted to revive the ancient mysteries. These were perhaps inspired by travels of these occultists to the magickal eastern world that was still consisting of ancient pagan faiths and had not yet succumbed to conversions. Most of the occult practitioners of the west has some or the other inspiration from the eastern mystics for magic and paganism has been in a constant flow in eastern countries unlike the broken cords of the western paganism. At the same time in trying to somehow assemble the pieces of the pagan puzzle together, western occultists dabbled in various sources…  Egyptian, Greek, Mesopotamian, Arthurian, Hindu, Jewish and many more mystical ideas all intermixed with the prevalent Christian views. Their fear of being exposed while they formulated and crafted their ceremonial cults led to the creation of obscure, underground movements that spread in esoteric circles into which entry was barred to but a few, especially in the inner circles.

    Witchcraft is different. Witchcraft is nothing but the crafting our our life with spiritual wisdom. It can be as simple as basic folk magic practiced all over the world and not just the west. Its existed for centuries of human history much before such secret cults were formed in the west. Witchcraft is also be the timeless practice of spiritual realisation and higher mind-power such as practiced by meditators and preached by self-help gurus of today. There have been witches and wizards, shamans and druids, babas and yogis all over the world who have had magical powers since ancient times. These magical powers were not always passed genetially through the bloodline, neither were they conveyed through any special ceremonies in covens. Initiations if any were presented to students by teachers as a transfer of blessing of the master, whether in group or individualy, but in no way was initiation the only way of ‘becoming’ a witch or magical practioner. One could gain the power on one’s own through inner work. In many cases one’s self discovery was a part of several lifetimes of inner work carried forward from past to present and future lifetimes and soul’s often remembered their previous learnings and awakened their powers with or without any formal lessons or initiations conveyed externally. This is true today as well, and will always be.

    Wicca is an evolving and growing faith or religion which is spiritually open minded and based on the Wiccan Rede or guidance of harming none. It may involve witchcraft especially as Wiccan traditions have temples where trained healers help people through counseling and healing spells, rituals or therapies. Wiccan healers are highly studied in various healing modalities and therefore called witches. But not all Wiccans choose to become professional healers or witches. It is completely possible for you to accept Wicca merely as a faith by aligning with its philosophy without getting too deep into the witchcraft part of it.

    Some people who are stuck in the secret-society times and cling on to their deeply ingrained versions of the history and origins of Wicca, imagine that one has to be ‘properly’ initiated in a coven to become a witch, to belong to a hereditary or initiatory lineage by a specific British person who claimed to have such a lineage from some obsure source. Their insistence that such and such lineage is the be all and end of of witchcraft, and that British witchcraft or traditional witchcraft or the ‘craft’ is how Wicca began and will therefore will have to end is being totally ignored today.

    People now realise that most of the covens that practice such ‘traditional’ witchcraft are not practicing the original witchcraft of really ancient origin, but something that was put together or assembled from various sources by British occultists. These occultists were  indeed inspired by Margaret Murray’s witch cult hypothesis claiming that witchcraft is a religion of the horned god and moon goddess, carried out in secrecy in the western world through covens. Occultists who claimed to be initiates of such covens attempted an amalgamation of pagan mythologies with ceremonial magic which was in vogue then, and created their book of shadows full of rituals that were a mix-and match of several things. Many of these occultists were also perhaps high on substance abuse and indulged in a few ‘demonic’ practices to come up with rather kinky rituals involving harmful kinds of magical spells, sexual orgies, whipping initiates on the bottom, spewing ritual curses against those who angered them, offering animal sacrifices, harmful use of vodou dolls and secret skyclad or naked gatherings under the full moon. In the eastern world of magic too, there have been plenty of negative practitioners who focused on the left-hand path including harmful aghora to create fear of their power, sexual tantra to control women, rituals to curse and harm others and manipulative vashikarans that are equally abhorable. Practitioners of both eastern and western occultism who induldged in harmful rituals did not have especially pleasant, peaceful or happy lives of course, and had distrubed families, physical and mental health problems and complicated relationship or sexual lives as well as financial and legal difficulties to handle all the time. They clinged on to their covens and expanded their following to satisfy their shallow egos and to add something ‘special’ to their inner void. Some even took some sort of unusual prominence and a weird kind of respect in the world in which they would otherwise not be accepted very well if not for their interest value. Now to link Wicca exclusively to those kind of western occultists and claim that the real Wicca is what these people claim to be as their version of the rebirth of the ancient religion or craft is an absolutely outdated way of thinking.

    Today witchcraft is not regarded as harmful sorcery but as a magical path of wisdom which is simple and meditative, using ordinary herbs, natural stones and crystals, positive thoughts and visualisations for healing and self help.

    Today most people treat Wicca as something different from witchcraft in general as a spiritual path based on ‘An Ye Harm None, Do As Ye Will’ – the Wiccan Rede that is the main guiding philosophy making it one of the most positive of all faiths.

    Today Wiccan witchcraft is not a cult, and not normally consisting of secret activities practiced in closed covens, but a spirituality which is an acceptable religion for the masses to easily follow.

    Today there is not usually a need to get initiated in covens through any lineages, in order to ‘become’ a Wiccan, leave alone to become a witch. Thanks to the wide spread of knowledge and open spirituality through books, internet and the numerous teachers and institutes of spirituality in the new-age wave, we have a lot of people realising their inner-witch and also choosing Wicca as a faith on their own.

    Instead of secret covens of those specific lineaged traditions who claimed to be the only type of Wicca, we now have many modern traditions that are promoting a positive and open form of Wicca to the masses without trying to control or dominate the Wiccan scene by proving their ‘legitimacy’ or superiority over other traditions or ideologies.

    A lot of darkness and negativity has been lifted away from the entire gamut of Wicca, witchcraft and magick.

    Today these paths have much more light and love, being free of rigid notions or narrow minded secret practices, free of harmful content and gimmicks, and welcoming to one and all regardless of your faith, your lineage or the lack of it, your ancestry or ethenicity.

    Today while Wiccans worship pagan deities, they also realise that all deities represent their inner powers and instead of focusing on external idolatory or entity invocations, they focus on self-awareness and inner work.

    Instead of focusing on ceremonialism and ritualism based on specific chants and rote-learned motions, Wiccans in the modern world focus on energy work, meditative spellcasting, inner healing and self-transformation with the aim of being happier, more positive people.

    Today Wicca is indeed transforming the world for the better through an eco-consciousness, an awakeneing of nature loving spirituality and kindness towards all on earth. Wiccans are seen openly performing earth healing rituals that are fun and relaxing, and easy to participate in. There is a lot to learn, and even children can feel safe in these modern Wiccan events and gatherings where there are enlightened and loving souls who participate joyfully without any of the obsure mumbo-jumbo to puzzle, riddle and confuse the masses.

    Indeed these are good times for spiritual seekers of the new Wiccan paths, and things are only getting better each day.

    I hope that you will have the discretion to choose those teachers and guides who are truly helpful in your spiritual growth and will have the wisdom to understand that all teachers are ultimately here to guide you back to your inner-self.

    Blessed Be

    (*)

    Swati Prakash

    www.globalwicca.com

  • Beware of Spiritual Couching!

    Beware of Spiritual Couching!

    A few years ago someone I knew was promoting himself as a spiritual coach. Inadvertently the word that he typed on his profile was ‘spiritual couching’ instead of spiritual coaching. Its funny how these ‘Freudian slips’ can be very revealing. Something deep from our unconscious knows how to communicate and express itself through meaningful coincidences even through mistypes and miscommunication.

    Yes, we all need to reflect on this – all thanks to my acquaintance who made this slip and taught us a valuable lesson. Are we in the danger of becoming ‘spiritual couches’ who are passive livers than active spiritualists? Do we misunderstand and misinterpret much of our ‘spiritual’ new age gurus’ teachings are many of these teachings true in the first place? Read on to know what all ‘is’ and is not being spiritual in this ‘new age’ world.

    Myth: Being Effortless = Being Lazy. 

    Truth: Relax, receive and effortlessly attract, these new age principles do not mean we should be ‘couch potatoes’ just sitting and waiting for the apple to drop right into our mouth. Yes we receive the fruits of our karma effortlessly when the time is ‘ripe’ but hey – don’t forget to sow the seeds and water them. When the fruit is ripe it will fall down on its own, for sure. But go and prepare your soil first, get your tools out, dig and delve, sow and grow, nourish, be patient – it takes effort. Some karma is required for us so invest into your life and surely the returns will flow back to you. All the ‘effortless’ things you have received in the present life are your past life fruits ripening up now. Being ready to receive has helped. New age spirituality helps you be more ‘ready’ and receive your fruits, but do not mistake this receptivity state for being lazy and dull.

    Myth: The Universe is Within = We should be self centered/ selfish.

    Truth: The definition of within needs to change. Who are you? Know thyself. The Universe is within means expand your consciousness – you are not just your limited lower self, your body, your material possessions, your limited mind. Make your mind more unlimited and see how everything in the universe is part of your Self. The universe is within this greater ‘Self’ not in your narrow and contrived notions of your selfishness. To be selfish is to love only your limited self or your lower self. To be self loving is quite a different approach. It means to love everything and everyone including yourself. It means being aware that love is not something very limited that can be either given to yourself or to others, but an endless energy flowing to all in ever increasing amounts. Be generous and expand yourself- reach out and love everything and everyone as part of you.

    Myth: The Secret and Law of Attraction = Pursue Material Goals All The Time

    Truth: So you have read all these new age books and they seem to tell you that the universe exists to serve your lower needs of food, sex, shopping, diamonds, fashion and beauty? Just tell me one thing. Do you ever meditate and is there any substitute to your inner peace? Can any amount of food, sex, glamour and money buy you peace? No, you do not exist merely to accumulate and gather material comforts. Having money and things is simply not a state of true abundance. Being spiritual is all about being aware of your spirit nature, your real self, at all times. There will actually come a point when you will no longer ‘hunger’ for anything, ‘crave’ for anything, be ‘needy’ for anything. Being content is possible – make that you.

    Myth: Being Positive = Thinking Positive (Doing good is secondary)

    Truth: There is so much hype created around positive thinking that the worst of criminals have been projecting themselves as spiritual people. Some ‘spiritual’ people actually believed that they could get away with anything and everything by just thinking positive and imagining all kind of good things happening to them right now even while indulging in negative activities on the side. The truth is you simply cannot delete or cancel out your negativity just through superficial thoughts. Being positive right now is a great thing and this includes positive actions. You need to transform all over – mind, body and soul. You need to start doing only positive things else it will be very difficult for your inner or unconscious mind to believe that you are a good person and you deserve good. Our unconscious mind is way beyond our conscious thoughts and affirmations. We have to change the way we live into something phenomenally positive in order to be truly positive.

    Myth: Joy and Bliss = Drunkenness

    Truth: Being in a state of spiritual bliss is very different from the ‘trance’ you induce through drunken dancing, substance abuse and lewd sexual performances. ‘New-agers’ reveling in pagan rituals that focus on excessive enjoyment do feel great for the short run but the effects wear off. A real ritual should empower you and shift your consciousness so deeply that you never need any drugs, alcohol and sexuality to stimulate yourself ‘spiritually’. Real paganism is about being in tune with nature through our inner meditative state, not just an external but an inner connection that is expressed outwards in such beautiful ways that even a child can feel safe in your rituals. Truly children require no drugs to dance, play and be merry – so why should we? Be in tune with you inner child and give yourself only those things you know are good for the child within. Be in a natural state of deep inner bliss.

    There are many more such insights I would love to share with you in my next book – stay tuned into my author page on amazon http://www.amazon.com/Swati-Prakash/e/B00V54BBHQ

    Blessed Be!

    Swati Prakash

    karma

  • The Man With the Beard

    In India it is almost impossible to not come across a man with a long beard, giving wisdom eloquently to thousands of enchanted people. Swamis, Sadhus, Babas, Sri Sri’s, Oshos, Sadgurus,…there is no dearth of men with long beards and saintly robes preaching, teaching and guiding others spiritually. Yes, there are a few who are not usually bearded – Yogananda, Ramakrishna, even Buddha probably considered shaving to be of at least some importance in addition to meditation.

    In the West there were and still are (a few) wise men or wizards, druids, shamans (from before the Pope and his team took over) symbolized by Merlin, Gandalf the Gray, or even the Hermit card of Tarot. All pointing to the higher self, respected, revered, held in awe and fascination, so much so that we call clever computer programs wizards that help us get things done so easily. Truly it has always been a compliment to be a wiz, hasn’t it?

    The Hermit of Rider Waite Smith Tarot cardsThe Hermit of Rider Waite Smith Tarot cards

    But where are the women? Not just the few scanty Matas and Ammas (and just why does a woman need to be a motherly figure to get some respect here) but all those numerous women who are wise and enlightened…why just a few in the limelight amidst so many men with beards? Why are they hiding under the veil of mystery just like the High Priestess – sworn to secrecy to practice in mystery covens or solitary, but not proud and open on every street and corner.

    The High Priestess - Rider Waite Smith Tarot cards
    The High Priestess – Rider Waite Smith Tarot cards

    Perhaps they all off on their broomsticks to Discworld (of Terry Pratchett) where it is completely normal to be a witch (a wise woman). Are they all still burning at stake, trapped in the cage of the past memories left by Christian inquisitors who made the word witch such an abomination that till date people are afraid to say – Yes, I am A Witch! Confused about whether witchcraft is purely evil or somewhat evil? Worried about whether half the witches are bad ones and not sure which half? Worried that they will put up a curse on you should you refuse to keep them happy? How many people have been brainwashed by Roald Dahl’s The Witches, Hansel and Gretel and other such innocent looking fairy tales passed on over generations to impress upon young minds that a witch can be really a dreadful thing to come by.

    Articles of witchcraft have been totally muddled up with all kinds of nonsense even till date – no matter how much we tell these journalists to pay attention to real facts and not fiction. References to movies and television shows such as The Craft, Bewitched, Charmed… that make a mockery of witchcraft, images of brooms and cauldrons of green slime, focus on hexing and love spells, newspaper headlines that begin with the word Devil, features that focus on myths and burning times as if the Christian views of witches are the most important thing about witchcraft, stories that almost always present counter-views by some ill informed rationalist or ‘expert’ who has no idea what witchcraft truly is with focus on how women are hunted and killed on accusations of ‘witchcraft’ when the fact is that it is merely a wrong or inappropriate use of the word witchcraft which as NOTHING to do with those ‘accusations of cursing’, and right on top Halloween cartoons designed to mock at witches used to embellish the story and make it more colourful (Phew! but I am not going to shorten this sentence)….truly journalists can do much better than all this.

    Yes, I would love to see more real witches and real witchcraft featured in the media – stories that say the truth, not some conditioned misconceptions but the real truth – that witches are nothing but the wise people who practice folk medicine, give intuitive or spiritual advise and were generally respected long before the meaning of the word witch was distorted to wicked from wit or wisdom which is and will always be what witches are all about. Why else are there so many places and plants, as well as people with the words such as wych, wich or witch in their names all over the western world, if not for the fact that these words were never meant to refer to evil but only to folk or pagan magic which has been practiced all over the world as a natural way of life – you may introspect and find the answer for yourself.

    So the next time you hear someone say ‘wise wizard’ and ‘wicked witches’, do give them the facts without any hesitation.

    My book Yes, You Are a Witch! has more information. You can get it on kindle or as a paperback – just search on amazon.

    yes you are a witch cover - frontglobal wicca revolution cover front

    And….for the sake of the Goddess, do not forget, witchcraft (not necessarily religious but a spiritual practice) is not exactly the same as Wicca (a specific religion or spirituality). More about Wicca in The Global Wicca Revolution 

    Happy witching!

    (*)

    Swati Prakash

    www.swatiprakash.com

    meaningofwitch

    Get more information and useful quotes, free pdfs, courses and newsletter on www.globalwicca.com

  • Reach your Inner Core

    Reach your Inner Core

    Earthquakes are felt on the surface, there is peace at the core.

    In the circle of life, we experience ups and downs, highs and lows, trials and tribulations – only if we are superficial.

    Going within in the first step to experiencing peace. At first it is challenging, there are many distractions in the outer world of superficiality. Only the one who meditates goes within. That is how it all begins – the journey of magick – to find your power of spiritual consciousness. You see the suffering all around. You feel for the world, not just yourself. You seek healing and love. You have made an intention. You are ready for transformation.

    At a deeper level we are not only aware of the superficiality, there is also a temptation to return to the outer world and engage in the same cycles of unconscious karma. Only the one who persists goes truly within. You hear the voices of chatter – the hollow sounds of laughter and cries of ignorance. You see the sights that excite and depress. You are tempted to engross in them – to be a victim once again – to blame, curse, suffer. You meet your inner devil luring you away from yourself. You choose to love yourself. That is how it continues, the path of magick -through dedication. You stay on the path – the straight path that goes within. Through sattva or the middle pillar of the tree of life you travel within. Through your chakras from earth to crown you journey on. Towards your center..you focus…focus and focus …shedding all the layers one by one…from one initiation to the other…going on deeper and deeper within. Letting go of your personalities and facades…leaving behind all your shadows to meet your inner light of truth.

    At the innermost and deepest level, we are aware of the outer superficiality, but established in our innermost core. Unfazed by the highs and lows of the outer world, we have found a perfect grounding in our spirit, the inner self. We are at the apex of our being …which is the axle of the wheel. We turn the wheel through inner magick…no longer trapped in the automatic and semi-automatic, unconscious and subconscious cycles of destiny or fate. We have arrived, only to return again – but when we return we are not the same – something has changed forever. The gold that can no longer be corrupted. This is alchemy.

    The lotus blooms in the muddy waters, untouched and unpolluted, only to spread love and light.

    As we change the world changes too.

    You create and dream…the world is shaped around your consciousness. As you row your boat gently down the stream

    …the wheel turns, merrily this time….

    Blessed Be!

    (*)

    http://www.swatiprakash.com

    RWS_Tarot_10_Wheel_of_Fortune

    Illustration: The wheel of fortune – Rider Waite Smith tarot

  • Ban or Banish…How should we handle negative things

    Ban or Banish…How should we handle negative things

    Defining negative as something that is clearly harmful for self or others..

    Is a banning beef justified?
    Is banning BBC from airing interviews of rapists justified?
    Are such bans helpful, effective or sufficient?
    Or do they make people feel powerless, as if their rights are taken away?

    What I have observed is that more and more of people have been unhappy, angry, frustrated or sad at the state of our world.
    The problem is that whatever you feel unhappy about can gain as much power as what you love.
    Hate and love are equally strong emotions, and infact two sides of a coin.
    The more you think, feel and talk about your hates, the more you attract more of what you hate.
    The more you feel and visualise what you love, the more of it you get.

    With rights come responsibility.
    Are we willing to use our power wisely without harming anyone?
    Ideally we should stop killing animals or felling trees or taking life to satisfy our greed, even if these things are not banned.
    And ideally we should speak about, publicise, promote, enjoy circulating positive, wise, useful events, people, news and energy much much more often, while banishing things that promote fear or harm, from deep within us.

    Banishing evil is an inside job..it needs to be done within our psyche.
    Learn how to banish negativity in course 6 of http://www.globalwicca.com in the free fundamental training online.
    Yes, its free, because its necessary.
    Spread the light and love.

    Blessed be
    (*)
    http://www.swatiprakash.com