Swati Prakash

Top Tarot Healing and Wiccan Expert

Tag: witch

  • The Vegan Witch’s Cauldron: Beautiful Plants, Not Animal Parts

    The Vegan Witch’s Cauldron: Beautiful Plants, Not Animal Parts

    Blessings of the Hallowed Season of Samhain!

    Every Halloween, witches have been misrepresented in media, brewing dark potions with eyes of newt, tongues of dog, and dragon’s blood. From Shakespeare’s “bubble, bubble, toil and trouble” to TV shows like Charmed, magic was often imagined as something wicked — full of animal parts and sinister ingredients. While Veganism is about not exploiting non human animals, Wicca is meant to be a path of positive witchcraft which includes not harming anyone, and being against all evil overall to the best possible extent.

    Evidently, the truth about these ingredients used by witches in potions, is far gentler — and far greener.
    Real witchcraft has always been rooted in plants, not cruelty. And Halloween as it is called now, was originally Hallows Eve or Samhain, a sacred festival of celebrating the final harvest of the year with pumpkins, apples, candied fruits, and lights, just like Diwali in Hinduism is too a celebration of the harvest and a new year for pagans or plant farmers at the summer’s end, with presents, fruits, nuts and decorations of light. This is a global time for celebrating the bounty of Earth mother or Lakshmi, whether in the West or the East. The use of animal milk or dairy, animal gelatin sweets, animal body products for food or any other evil ingredients in food, worship, or magic is simply repugnant and unnecessary.

    The old “body part” names were never literal. They were secret herbal codes — poetic metaphors used by healers and wise women to protect their craft when magic was forbidden. What sounded eerie was simply earthly.

    The Secret Language of the Wise

    When you read that a witch added Eye of Newt to her potion, she was actually using mustard seeds — tiny and golden like a newt’s eye.
    Bat’s Wings? Those were holly leaves, protective and spiky like wings in flight.
    And Tongue of Dog was houndstongue, a soft-leaved herb used for grounding and courage.

    Even the “pigs’ feet” shown in Hollywood cauldrons of witchcraft in Charmed, could simply mean Pigweed (Amaranth), a nourishing plant used for health and strength and also for protection against evil.

    Ancient herbalists used these coded names both to guard their knowledge and to speak in symbols. Magic was never about harm — it was about understanding nature’s hidden language.

    Plant-Based Magic for the Modern Witch

    As vegan witches, we continue this tradition with compassion.
    Instead of animal-based products like honey, we can use Honeysuckle in spells for sweetness, attraction, and love — no bees exploited, and the symbolism remains pure.

    Dragon’s Blood isn’t blood at all, but a deep red tree resin used for protection and empowerment. I used to sell these in my store called Magick in Mumbai.

    Devil’s Claw sounds frightening but is simply a healing root used for releasing negativity.

    Every animal body part sounding name has a positive truth inside it — a lesson in transformation, the very heart of witchcraft.

    Decoding Shakespeare’s Potion

    In Macbeth, the witches chant:

    “Eye of newt and toe of frog,
    Wool of bat and tongue of dog…”

    To the uninitiated, it sounds like a horror scene — but to herbalists, it’s simply a recipe written in code:

    • Eye of Newt – Mustard Seed
    • Toe of Frog – Buttercup
    • Wool of Bat – Moss or Holly
    • Tongue of Dog – Houndstongue herb

    So if you use the right plant based ingredients, it is not an evil brew at all, but a poetic herbal spell for transformation, written in the language of nature.

    To be fair you could change the rhyme a bit. Why not ‘Double Double, Success Double, Take Away all Toil and Trouble‘? (As I wrote in my book Yes, You Are a Witch/ You Are the Magick). Sounds and feels way better than ‘bubble bubble toil and trouble’ anyday! A good witch will use magic for banishing misfortunes and replacing them with positive energy in our lives instead of brewing even more toil and trouble than what we already endure. And in order to handle enemity or evil beings, we do not send toil or trouble to them, but rather repel evil beings away. That truly is the path of real ‘wit’ and deep ‘wisdom’ which is real witchcraft – the craft of the wise.

    Some other eerie sounding names of plants which are not animal body parts at all (and if people knew these they would stop killing innocent animals for cures and magical remedies or luck):

    • Rabbit’s Foot – Davillaya plant
    • Dragon’s Blood – Cinnabar tree sap
    • Wish bone – Turenia pansy
    • White Man’s Foot – Common Plantain
    • Graveyard Dust – Mullein
    • Lizard’s Leg – Ivy
    • Lamb’s Ear – Betony
    • Hens and Chicks – Sempervivum
    • Horse’s Tongue – Heart’s tongue fern
    • Sparrows’ tongue – Armstrong
    • Lion’s Tooth – Dandelion
    • Swine Snout – Dandelion leaves
    • Wolf’s Foot – Bugleweed
    • Dog’s Mouth – Snapdragon
    • Pig’s Ears – Round leaved navelwort
    • Bone of Ibis – Buckthorn
    • Elephant Ear – Purpurea
    • Ass’s Ear – Comfrey
    • Dragon’s Scale – Taro
    • Tear’s of Himadryas Babboon – Dill juice
    • Adder’s Tongue – Trout Lilly
    • Bear’s Foot – Lady’s Mantle
    • Bird’s Foot – Fenugreek
    • Crow’s Feather – Foam Flower
    • Tiger’s Claw/ Devil’s Claw – Martynya Annua
    • Wood Spider/ Devil’s Claw – Grapple plant
    • Cat’s Claw/ Hawk’s Claw – Unkaria Tomatosa
    • Gall of Goat – Honeysuckle
    • Cat’s Tail – Reed Mace
    • Crab Eye – Coral Bead Plant
    • Lady’s Finger – Okra

    As an easy guide also remember that blood in herbal magick simply means the sap of the tree, milk simply means plant secretion, foot or ear usualy stands for the leaves of the plants, guts for roots, hair for fine roots, eyes for the whole flower circles, tongue for petals, eggs for fruits, tears for seeds, flesh for stem or fruit flesh, toes for small leaves and wool for moss.

    The Witch’s True Magic

    Real witches — ancient or modern — are healers, herbalists, and guardians of life.
    Our cauldrons are filled not with suffering, but with seeds, roots, leaves, and blossoms for love, prosperity, protection, and health. We stir teas for wellbeing, create tinctures for healing, and burn incenses for meditation

    Magic isn’t about commanding dark forces or using demons for fulfilling sinful wishes at all. It’s about repelling dark forces away and keeping safe from them, as well as working in harmony with the living Earth in order to make our life positive in a real way, not just in thoughts but also in practicality. Witchcraft is practical magic of everyday life, with potions steeped with wisdom, stones for building positive realities, smoke of purification, candles of light, and of course positive intentions in words to energise our mind, body and spirit and protect our life, home and hearth.

    So next time someone criticizes witchcraft or magic, please guide them towards the truth and dispel myths to make the world a better place for all beings.

    Closing Blessing

    May your spells be kind, your herbs be green,
    Your cauldron bubble, with courage unseen,
    May you flourish and grow, in kindness and peace
    May your success and prosperity never cease
    May all evil beings leave you unharmed
    And may your life be magically charmed
    By earth and fire, wind and sea
    By the Spirit, Blessed Be!

    Rev. Swati Prakash, High Priestess

  • Hope for Little African ‘Witches’..and the TRUTH about Witchcraft

    Hope for Little African ‘Witches’..and the TRUTH about Witchcraft

    Many of you might be aware that in many countries, especially in Africa, women as well as kids have been branded ‘witches’ and abused or killed due to the misconception that they can curse or harm.

    This little boy of barely two years old for example was found roaming hungry and naked for eight months! The family abandoned him and left him to die because they thought he was a ‘witch’. Emaciated and riddled by worms he was surviving on scraps thrown by passersby. Thanks to the efforts of Anja Ringgren Lovén from Denmark, he was rescued and is now healthy and safe and is named ‘Hope’.

    The problem is not a belief in ‘witchcraft’ but a false belief in ‘evil witches’ and the tendency to discriminate against those accused of being so.

    Witchcraft is a much misunderstood word and is not at all related to cursing or evil. Due to widespread fears and ignorance many innocent women and kids have been hurt and killed in the pretext of witch-hunting for several centuries all over the world, be it medieval Europe or modern Africa and India. Today we all are realizing that everyone creates and manifests their own life and there is nothing supernatural or evil about ‘witchcraft’ which was simply a name for folk-remedies, herbal healing and ancient shamanism in the past.

    In the ancient world the words witch or wizard simply meant ‘wise men and women’ who could help people with their problems using spiritual advise. Whether in ancient India, rest of Asia,  Africa, Native America or ancient Europe, astrology spells and natural healing has been practiced as something positive and useful. The below video explains how the practice of blaming and killing people labelled as witches began in western Europe.

    The ideas of ‘evil witches’ sadly spread to the rest of the world, including Asia and Africa where harmless women and kids have suffered in modern times, wrongly accused for causing bad luck, disasters, and illnesses in families and communities.

    According to Safechildafrica.com, a charity that helps African kids accused as ‘witches’, ‘It is thought that the child has been put under a spell and given the power to wreak havoc. This is a belief that cuts across all tiers of society. Some churches and Nigerian movies also play a major role in spreading this belief. And there are many so-called pastors who brand children as witches and then charge extortionate fees to ‘exorcise’ them.’

    On one hand in many countries witchcraft is today being as a religious and spiritual path based on positive thinking and nature based healing, especially as Wicca which is a modern religion based on witchcraft that Harms None. Yet, on the other hand media including Hollywood as well as common news media has still been wrongly depicting witches as well as Wiccan rituals as evil, adding to the confusions and misunderstandings all over the world.

    Some people being influenced by such media hype, have been trying to make a quick buck or gain popularity by projecting themselves falsely as professional ‘witches’ who can be paid to ‘cast a spell ON’ or ‘curse someone’, or to ‘enchant someone’…both being things that are not wisdom magick and hence not real or actual witchcraft.

    While we must rescue and help little kids such as ‘Hope’ above, we also have to deal with the bigger picture – about eradicating false fears regarding witchcraft and helping people gain more spiritual awareness about positive thinking, meditation and real spiritual healing as the real ways to magically improve our life. By creating positive awareness we can save more lives and improve the way women and kids are treated in the world today.

    Meanwhile you can contribute to these charities that help African kids accused of witchcraft today and save some precious little lives:

    http://www.dinnoedhjaelp.dk/

    http://www.safechildafrica.org/

    REMEMBER THAT TODAY:

    • Real witchcraft is based on inner wisdom or spiritual awareness 
    • Real witchcraft is no longer about cursing or harming anyone
    • Real witchcraft is no longer about attracting a man or woman to you
    • Real witchcraft is about nature based healing and natural spirituality
    • Real witchcraft is not about casting spells upon others or on behalf of others
    • Everything is self-created, stop blaming others for cursing you
    • Real witchcraft is about YOUR inner spiritual power used for improving YOUR life YOURSELF
    • Real witchcraft is not a special supernatural power found in some people
    • We all have this NATURAL inner power to create our own life!!
    • Yes, YOU ARE A WITCH! and its a good thing to be!

    swati

    Swati Prakash is a spiritual author and the founder of Global Wicca.

  • 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 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

  • Beware, Be Aware!

    Beware, Be Aware!

    There is a popular misconception that anyone with any psychic power is highly divine, spiritual or positive.
    Psychic powers belong to 6th chakra or third eye. Spirituality to 7th chakra or crown.
    Not all psychics are spiritually exalted.
    So just because someone is precognitive, magical or powerful kindly do not touch their feet or worship them yet.
    Even if they are spiritually enlightened I doubt they would want you to touch their feet.
    Know that a LOT of psychics have been observed to be definitely negative, manipulative, unethical or even creepy.

    Another popular misconception is to regard every witch as Wiccan, and every Wiccan as a Wiccan priest or expert healer.
    Being a witch is not equal to being Wiccan.
    Wiccans are nature worshippers, followers of Harm None…. the Wiccan Rede…
    Some people freely call themselves Wiccan while actually being depressed, harmful or negative magicians. They do not belong to the Wiccan faith.

    Secondly being a Wiccan implies adherence to Wiccan faith. Just like every Hindu is not a pundit, every Christian is not priest, every Wiccan is not an expert healer. Only initiated clergy are, and in that too there are hierarchies and skill levels. Just saying Blessed Be and Merry Meet or Harm None or Goddess Bless does not qualify.

    Now coming to the general topic of psychics and magical folk…you need to be aware of who you are dealing with.
    The enlightenment level, the spiritual awareness, the energy of your healer, guru, teacher, guide is important here.
    A lot of fortune tellers may be novices, a lot of people with psychic powers may be demonic or satanic or in other ways negative magicians for all you know. Do your research well before submitting your problems to their counsel. Do not be hypnotised, fooled, misled or pushed to the dark side just because someone bedazzles you with cryptic messages or clever tricks.

    Occult power has nothing to do with spiritual energy.

    Seek the counsel and company of those with true wisdom and genuine spiritual awareness.

    And this often means being aware yourself. Learn the ways of the wise.

    Be Aware.

    Blessed be
    Swati Prakash
    http://www.globalwicca.com

  • Yes, You Are a Witch

    Yes, You Are a Witch

    You can live your life without a lie
    You can change your world with the blink of an eye
    You can cast a spell and get your wish
    You have the power, yes – you are a witch
    You can travel to lands that were yet unknown
    You can talk to trees, and birds, and stones
    You are wise and kind, yet strong and firm
    You share insights, you teach and learn
    You can laugh like a child, dance like the breeze
    You can close your eyes and be, just be
    You can love and care, you spread delight
    Your mind is sharp, your heart is light
    You have aeons of knowledge, endless energy
    You live in harmony, a natural synergy
    You and the universe are forever one
    When you make an intention, just consider it done
    You see the unseen, you know the unknown
    You are at peace in the crowd, you can be on your own
    You crave for nothing, you have it all
    You are content with everything, big or small
    You are a gift to this world, you spread your light
    Yes you are a witch, in every right
    So know yourself and see your face
    Accept this truth with loving grace
    Be yourself, reveal your power
    The world needs you this very hour
    Heal and guide, help every soul
    You have received this holy role
    Attain your noble destiny
    Yes, you are a witch, so mote it be!

    Swati Prakash
    Www.swatiprakash.com

  • Your Magickal Body, Mind and Spirit…

    Your Magickal Body, Mind and Spirit…

    Is our body a prison for our soul who craves for freedom and liberation?

    Is the mind a hindrance to spirituality of ‘no-mind’ consciousness?

    Should we let go of our physical selves to attain spiritual growth?

    Is our physical existence on the planet a burden for the earth to bear?

    Is sexuality something we should reject to attain spiritual growth?

    Is vegetarian diet more spiritually positive or ‘sattvik’ than a non veg diet?

    Are we guilty of harming someone if we consume other organisms for physical sustenance?

    Moral dilemmas of body versus spirit and the physical versus spiritual have been commonly experienced by many of us at some point of our life. Religions and spiritual traditions often preach specific ways of living all different from each other. While it is good to respect every religion and their unique belief systems, it is even better to look within and find what is right for us at any point of time on our spiritual journey.

    Many of you might have learnt that physical body is like a cage and we are here to attain freedom or liberation from physical existence, reincarnation and karmic cycles of life and death. Life is all about suffering according to those who believe in somehow escaping this physical world for a better ‘spiritual’ reality. In truth we need to be happy to be alive, there are plenty of things to be grateful for and to enjoy in our physical existence and it is perfectly alright to take incarnation. We are all seeing, breathing, experiencing on behalf of the divine self. Every experience of life is dedicated to the divine self which is our real truth. The divine wishes to have a physical experience through us and therefore our physical life is as much divine as our spiritual existence and as much worthy of celebration provided we are aware that every physical person or thing is all an aspect of our divine self being manifest on earth.

    We are spirits who have taken a physical form. Our spiritual body has condensed into a physical form through the power of our thoughts, emotions and actions all collectively being our karma. Through positive thoughts, emotions and behaviors we create a positive physical experience for ourselves. There is absolutely no need to fear physical experience or try to escape it. The purpose of spiritual growth is to manifest our divine perfection on this earth. It’s a magical truth – As Above So Below! It is tempting to escape physical life and dissolve into a spiritual vacuum of ‘liberation’, it is more meaningful however, to project from our divine spiritual state into the worldly plane to heal, improve and perfect our reality until we mirror our divine perfection into our outer world. No matter how perfect and wonderful our inner truth is, it stays neglected just keep it within ourselves and do not allow it to seep into the outer world and create beauty, love and happiness all around. So if you are closing your eyes to meditate please do open them and radiate the power and peace around yourself as well.  That indeed is the way of the wise witch/ wizard.

    Meditation is all about going within our-self, from outer to inner reality, from mind to ‘no mind’ state. For a witch or wizard the mind is not something you wish to shut down and leave for a higher ‘no mind’ experience for good. The no mind state of meditation helps you be aware and detached so that you can experience your true self. You can then once again travel into the mental plane so as to create and manifest the universe with the power of your mind and thoughts. The spirit within will give energy to your thoughts, your will, your emotions and your behaviors so that you live a truly spiritual life while remaining in physical form.

    In the first stage of your spiritual evolution you will go within, learn the inner truth, meditate and witness your inner divine self. This part of your spiritual journey entails that you detach from the outer physical experiences, mental thoughts, emotions, feelings or desires so that you can be truly still. Asceticism or monkhood with various austerities and self discipline is preferable for this part of your journey. Without this you will continue to be engaged with the outer world and will find no time to go within. You must in this first stage of your spiritual journey be prepared to be ‘the hermit’. You are learning about your own inner self that was neglected during all the centuries of materialism. You are getting enlightened. This is the Meditative part of your journey when you go from outside to inside.

    The second stage of your spiritual journey begins after you attain this unity with your inner divine self. From here on you will think divine thoughts, feel divine emotions, your will be one with the divine  will, you are a living incarnate divine being teaching, sharing and enlightening others and at the same time healing, creating and manifesting divinity on earth. This is the Magickal part when you go from inside to outside.

    As With-in so With-out… As Above so Below!

    Your physical existence is no longer a burden for earth or your-self.

    You can be not only aware but also alive fully as a divine being while remaining in physical form on earth, living, breathing and creating the divine will in every moment.

    Every experience you have then has a divine meaning to it. You will find meaning in every small flutter of a wing, tweeting of a bird, rustle of a leaf – which is the essence of divination. Messages are found in everything around, not just in the stars, cards or teacups.

    Your words are all powerful tools of manifestation, so are your thoughts, emotions and desires. You will choose them all wisely. You are no longer a passive experience gatherer but an active divine creator. You are a healer – your mind directly affects your physical body and all your situations. You can do magick and spells with every breath, every thought, every word and every object.

    Your sexuality is nothing to fear. No longer does it take you away from your spiritual path, because you are now allowing your spirit to act and interact with the universe, not just going within but also experiencing the universe as a divine manifestation of the spirit within. As your sexuality is divine you are much more responsible with your sexual self and less interested in polygamous or meaningless relationships and prefer to have a healthy and committed monogamous romance with someone who is compatible energetically. Homosexual or heterosexual, transsexual or transgender, in any way you express your sexuality there is no sin as long as you Harm None including yourself. You may also choose to have one or two healthy off-springs so that you can provide them due attention and love, including adopted children who are treated at par with your biological children. You will love to include animals, plants and crystals in your family and treat them with as much love as your other family members.  

    You may no longer feel guilty of consuming food as long as you are aware of the sacredness in every object you are consuming. You will see and sense the life force flowing through everything. You soon realize that everything you consume is meaningful and is affecting you and your life. Just like you add ingredients and herbs to your spell for specific effects, your foods also create a constant change, known or unknown to you. While some induce consciousness, some attract abundance and health, others induce lethargy, dullness and harmful addictions. To love yourself in totality and to create health and beauty is a noble and positive purpose fulfilled by what we eat among all other things we do.

    There is absolutely no need to feel very guilty if you are non-vegetarian for there are plenty of animals who are purely non-vegetarian such as cats, big or small and it is absolutely a part of nature’s plan to have this type of a healthy balance between herbivores and carnivores. As regards ‘harm’, both plants and animals have feelings and sensations and if killing an animal is an act of harm so is killing or mutilating a plant. However the meaning of harm is better understood with the idea of ‘intention’. As long as your intention was not to cause harm to the plant or animal that you were consuming it is not really a harmful act as far as karma is concerned.

    Eating is less about taste and more about whether the food is healthy or unhealthy. To be really healthy food must be cooked as little as possible or preferably eaten raw. Naturally ripe fruits are the best choice while non-vegetarian items being less healthy and difficult to consume as raw could come last on your list. After all most of us as modern humans no longer have those sharp canine teeth or wild hunting instincts as some other creatures of nature do.

    Perhaps consuming of ripe fruits is the best of all food habits compared with having leaves, stems, roots or animal meats. Plants give us the fruits naturally as they fall when ripe and this includes many vegetables which are technically fruits. As we consume the ripened pulp we can scatter the seeds or plant them into earth thereby helping propagate the plant. In case your land is not as fertile or wintry and consuming of only fruits and fruity vegetables is not quite easy for everyone, other herbs, plants and animal meats would be the alternative as long as they are fresh and grown, treated and cooked in a healthy manner.

    However if you regularly meditate you might find that sattvik foods appeal to you – and you will understand the meaning of sattvik as healthy foods which are natural, pure and fresh organic food items consumed with awareness of their meaning and impact. Adding of too much salts, sugars, flavors, spices is rather unnecessary in a sattvik diet as you will begin to enjoy the original and natural flavors. Spiritual beings are much more sensitive and feel taste much more strongly than those who are engrossed in material existence. The less you think and the more you spend time in inner silence, the more satisfied you will be with your natural and raw fruity diet. You will enjoy raw and fresh food which is coarse or whole and not finely chopped, ground, juiced or mashed. You may add mild salt or sugar and healthy herbs such as sage and rosemary in your food which could be lightly steamed or saute at the most so that the vitamins and minerals in them are not lost due to boiling or cooking. Plenty of plain water will replace your needs for alcohol, caffeine or carbonated beverages.

    Life is your ritual. Food is your offering. Your body your temple….You are a Divine God(dess).

    Live consciously.

    Blessed Be

    (*)

  • WICCA: The Most Positive and Rational Religion Today

    WICCA: The Most Positive and Rational Religion Today

    Most of us are born into a religion of some sort.

    We grow up learning the faith that our fathers and forefathers followed – sadly without being offered much of a choice. Having no choice over your faith is a dangerous thing. Faiths evolve with time. Today we are much wiser than we were yesterday. Faiths must be allowed to transform.

    – Some faiths may have so far made people believe in an image or idea of God as an outside force controlling your life. This is now changing.

    – Some faiths may have been unscientific – they opposed any latest discovery – insisted that the stories of world creation and genesis as written in their texts is the final and literal truth. They promoted blind and sometimes wildly hilarious beliefs (or in other words – superstitions) about immaculate conceptions or woman born out of a male rib. They basically disregarded nature and natural laws entirely, holding divine to be something above nature and beyond laws of nature. What could be further from the scientific truth! Today we see that science is being respected and no longer taken as enemy of faith.

    – Some faiths made people follow and worship a leader whose history can not be traced clearly and who could be just another mythical being, just a parallel to an ancient god who had a similar cycle…of birth, death, transformation like The Sun gods…yet promoted as a factual person by the faith leaders and textbook writers of that faith. They insisted the book is historical – it may not have been entirely so. People followed all over the world – what may be just another version or parallel of the natural or pagan gods of ancient folklores all over the world. We are now opening to that possibility.

    – Some faiths make you believe that sexuality is sinful and virginity is divine. No longer does the modern human need such dogma.

    – Some faiths blatantly discriminated against women – gave them no opportunity to hold religious leadership in their institutions. Their role in the religions they followed was subservient to that of the male clergy. Only a male held the highest ran. No reason why – but it was the tradition in these medieval faiths. Change is the need of the hour.

    – Some faiths were downright oppressive to women, not even having them choose what to wear. For instance an athlete who had to wear shorts was made to feel ashamed just because she is a female and has to hide or cover her body in their religion. Women still chose to follow such faiths – mentally brainwashed for centuries. This cannot go on forever. One day women are sure to come out of their self imposed chains. It could be now.

    – Some faiths may have promoted – directly or indirecly – anger and violence against those who are not part of your religion – by way of inquisitions, mass witch hunting, stripping, abuse, burning or drowning of those who refused to follow the male dominated faith. These burnt and murdered people may have done no harm, yet accused wrongly of conspiring with the devil. Ironically the devil was never even worshiped by pagans, witches or people of the old faiths. Pagans believed in personified images of nature – both the yin and the yang, dark and light, male and female depictions of nature as coexisting without any contradictions. Mass murders in the name of faith were still done and misinformation was spread widely putting witches into disrepute in the dark dark ages of untruth – Who was the real ‘devil’ here is anyone’s guess.

    – Some faiths may have preached intolerance, hate or destruction against those who are non-followers, eg , religious wars or crusades to convert people, destruction of ancient pagan temples and relics and building of churches an mosques in their place – stealing the sacred places of ancient power – especially where ley-lines or energy grids of earth converged. Placing saints and angels in place of ancient pagan gods and goddess of similar names and magical powers. Borrowing ancient nature based customs and disguising them as the festivals of their faith – trees and eggs decorated meaninglessly without any reference to ancient spirituality anymore being one of the proofs today of the hidden undercurrents of paganism oppressed but not discarded to make the medieval faith more palatable to the ancient folks who were converted to the medieval monotheistic faith.

    – IRONICALLY – these faiths were the first ones to spread malicious stories about witches being bad ugly women with warts eating children up!

    This is something that had absolutely no rational basis but was just negative fairy tale imagery being taught to children….. why? – to make them closed or blocked to their rational wisdom and the natural magickal witch/ wiz power that is within them – but sadly inactive for life. So that kids so far remained dull in their intuition and grew up to be mere followers of medieval oppressive faiths with no imagination or magickal power.

    The dark ages of ignorance are hereby over.

    Now it is my duty and privilege to inform you about WICCA

    – A modern religion that believes that we are the creators of our destiny – through our karma (physical or mental action)  we create our futures. We are magickal in every way and no outside force is controlling us (at least not without our latent approval). We have complete indisputable power over our life. We are Witches or Wizards – wise folk who know how to follow the right karma and create the right destiny as per the laws of nature and the code of ethics (harm none – for what you do comes back to you).

    – A rational and scientific religion – that believes in nature – visible, observable natural phenomena (even the hidden parts of nature are valid scientific phenomena and can be energetically explained and observed in Wicca as vibrations that are sometimes not discernible to the five limited human senses but can be read by the extended sensory perceptions of E.S.P. or intuition AND by higher level science which is being developed today). Celebrating equinoxes and solstices and moon phases as cycles of nature – with symbolic references to myths and mythologies, instead of celebration based of assumed life, death and struggles of some person questionable as true history. Celebrating harvests and seasonal changes in nature. Knowing that all myths and mythologies, all gods and goddess are essentially symbolic in depicting natural cycles. That basis of all faiths is ultimately nature and its personification in the form of deities all over the world today and throughout history – this is a fact.

    – Wicca is one religion in which you are not asked to blindly follow any book or sacred text or any idea of a historical or mythical person. You are not even asked to follow a past leader of Wiccan faith – without properly reasoning, questioning and understanding everything you choose to believe in.

    – A faith that celebrates our bodies, our physicality, our sexuality as equally sacred as our spirit. After all through physical existence the spirit rejoices and experiences life.

    – A religion where a woman can hold the HIGHEST position in the religious institutions. Have you ever seen a High Priestess in the popular medieval religions that have so far had maximum following all over the world? Perhaps not. Here in Wicca a woman is given that respect – owing to her wisdom, the way she can guide, teach, help others in their spiritual understanding and their daily lives – as an Oracle, a teacher of the mysteries, a channel. A man can be a High Priest in Wicca too. Both genders can share the highest honor and head Wiccan temples or institutions.

    – A religion in which female versions of higher self or goddess forms are equally sacred as male versions of god. There are no special do’s and don’ts exclusively for women and they are allowed respect as human beings – no matter what they wear – without taboos. In Wicca a woman will be respected even naked – as a sacred goddess and not made to feel ashamed. After all no other specie in the world is ashamed of the body or regards body as just a sexual object. Those who harm, abuse, rape women are the ones who are wrong – not the woman who has as much right as a man to dress as she pleases.

    – Wicca is a faith in which you are first taught to take the Wiccan Oath – follow the Rede or code of ethics – “harm none – do as ye will”. Have you ever seen such a positive and straightforward guideline of conduct preached in any other religion – possibly not. They may have an incomplete list of sorts – …Do not lie, Do not commit adultery and so on…but not the simple fact – harm none…which covers everything. Basically this is the only faith that tells you to uphold only the purest intentions – not just through physical acts but mentally also – you are taught to not wish anyone ill. This is a magickal religion that recognized that karma is also inner or mental and not just a physical one. Where else can you find this level of ETHICS except in Wiccan faith!

    – The Wiccan faith is not against any other faith. We are just happy to be. Every faith has the right to exist – but everyone MUST have the right to choose their faith. Imagine people not having the right to choose what they believe – having no control over their own minds. Wicca does not and shall not promote mind-control. People must awaken and be self-realized and self-enlightened. That is why in Wicca we have meditation and spells – not just blind prayers made to some external power believed to be able to help you. We know ourselves as the universe. We are creators. We manifest ourselves – our inner power creates outer world. We believe in Magick.

    We can see that right now people are all awakening, arising and opening their eyes…to the Divine Truth within themselves. And that is why the time for Wicca is NOW!

    You have and deserve to have a choice of what to believe in.

    If you are an enlightened master, you have found the faith that resonates with you – Wicca is yours.

    As enlightenment spreads more and more people are accepting the faith of Wicca – where all paths and religions melt and fuse as one and where all universal faiths are converging today as one global, rational, honest and truly spiritual sacred system, with harm to none – SO MOTE IT BE!

    www.globalwicca.com

    Please spread this message and enlighten the world!

    Rev. Swati Prakash

    High Priestess and Tradition Head

    (You are free to distribute this article or this link in its entirety in the correct context without mutilating it and without cutting away the reference to the author and website)

  • A Witch’s Spell by Swati Prakash

    Clear your mind and think good thoughts,

    Say affirmations, pray a lot,

    Practice kindness and compassion,

    Live your life with utter passion,

    Good intentions guide you through,

    And what you believe will come true,

    But you will Manifest for sure

    When you open up your Psychic Door,

    And use the Witch’s Power to,

    Deliver what is best for you,

    So light a Candle, chant the Words,

    Cast the Runes and mix the Herbs,

    Brew the Potion with emotion,

    Close your eyes and visualise,

    Feel the power, free desire,

    Earth and Water, Wind and Fire,

    Sweep the Broom and wave your Wand,

    And manifest the good you want

    Thank the Goddess and the God

    Learn the secrets of the Craft

    For words, thoughts, actions, all work well

    But nothing beats a Witch’s Spell

    – Swati Prakash (http://blog.swatiprakash.com)

    To register for courses or order your readings and spells visit www.tarotindia.com

     

     

  • A New Birth: (going from Muggle to Witch)

    A New Birth: (going from Muggle to Witch)

    Your ego believes that you are just the way you are and will always be the same person.
    Your ego makes you think you have just this one life to live fully and enjoy.
    And you fill up this life with all kinds of things, to satisfy all your desires…
    Running the rat race all the time
    You fill your days with meetings and appointments, and tasks to do,
    You fill your home with things to look at and feel proud of your gadgets…
    You do all this everyday…. and sometimes you take a holiday
    Once, twice or thrice a year, you will relax
    You join a meditation program or yoga class to find some peace
    You join clubs, associations, even spiritual ones, to find friends, and possible lovers,
    And once a year on your Birthday you cut a cake and call friends over…
    That’s celebration!
    of the muggle life…

    But for a Witch life is different!

    To be a Witch is to really LIVE
    For you cannot live till you know the meaning of life
    You see the purpose, the higher truth
    In all things, in all people, and in all of nature
    You connect with the sky and the earth
    You see the universe as your own expansion
    You cast a spell and see your own manifestation
    You see that nothing, absolutely nothing is beyond you
    You know that you can change and shape-shift into anything you want, you are flexible and mutable
    You see how everything is fine tuned into each other
    How the universe rearranges itself for you
    You make things happen… you really do
    When you are a witch you wizen up
    You have friends who truly care for you and not just show they do
    You know how to use your intuition
    You know there is always one kind of decision: the right decision
    And you are always in perfect balance
    Even when you think you are not
    For everything is so meaningful, even your temporary going out of balance has a meaning
    Your dreams are meaningful and you know how to interpret them
    You can read the future, not just in the cards, or stars, or teacups, but in your own reflection which is everywhere
    You see the Divine in everything, especially yourself
    You love being alone, you are never tired or bored of your own company
    You do not need a lover to complete you
    You study the properties of herbs, stones and oils and you know how to use them for the creation of everyday miracles
    Even the color of your curtains is wisely chosen, for its potential energetic impact
    You are NEVER superstitious, you only believe in that you KNOW to be true and scientific
    You know that science is not only things that you know but also things that you are constantly discovering, and spirituality is one of them
    You train your third eye, your second sight and your sixth sense as much as you can all the time, for you know that is the way you can observe the hidden realms
    You do not rely only on gadgets and machines; you try to use your entire brain
    You are really organized, efficient and you have fun doing your work impeccably
    You channel the energy of Love and Light
    You can guide, heal, inspire and lead
    You know how to stay away from trouble and negativity, not only that created by others but that created by yourself
    You can banish all evil, especially the ones lurking behind your own shadow of subconscious
    You can purify yourself and your intentions
    You can create and maintain goodness, first and foremost in your heart
    You are a person of integrity and you know that you always have a CHOICE
    You make the choice of that which is best for not only you but also for the Universe as a whole
    You realize that what is best for the universe as a whole will be best for you
    You include plants, animals, the natural elements, sun, moon and stars in your worship as you regard everything in nature as equally worship-able
    You have no problem worshipping the universal self as the ‘Goddess’ instead of always referring to it as the ‘God’
    You are aware that nature is the true expression of god and you have no shame in being your raw, natural self
    You love your body, your mind, your spirit
    You see no sin in lovemaking
    You smile a lot and you cry too, you explode with anger sometimes, but it is all because you are true to yourself
    You do not feel guilty in asking for the universe for what you want, because you know you deserve it
    You have self worth, self esteem and self love
    You forgive easily and fully, but you do not forget the lesson learnt
    You are honest in your dealings; you always settle your accounts
    You are original and creative in your ideas and work
    You say no when you know you should
    You are not desperate for anything, you know that time is your creation,
    You know you have infinite births and deaths and rebirths
    You are unafraid of anything, death being the least of them
    You do not play robot to anyone
    You are not a slave to any person, idea or belief system
    You are free, as you truly should be
    And your birthday is yet another day to celebrate, as you know you are born each day, by the power of your consciousness
    You hear the music of the spheres and you feel amazed by the synchronicities of life
    Your life is blessed with the awareness of who you are
    For you are a Witch and it is indeed a SUPER thing to be!

    CONGRATULATIONS on being one, and in case you feel you aren’t one yet, trust me you are not very far!

    Blessed Be!
    Swati Praksh (Astra Wishkap)
    http://www.swatiprakash.com

    Head Priestess – Earth Healing Temple
    GLOBAL WICCA TRADITION
    http://www.globalwicca.com
    Visit the above link regularly for courses and programs!