101: The three parts of self

The Three Parts of Self

Middle Self:

The Self-conscious intellect is that part of our self where rational thought

and much of the personality reside. It can be referred to as normal waking

consciousness, the middle self, the very descriptive talking-head self, or just

Talking self, and it's power is an important part of what makes us human. It is the

man in the lovers card of the tarot.

Middle self thinks, decides, and judges. It is strong in the elements of Air

and Fire, Mind and Will. It controls conscious movement, but has little to do with

the moment-by-moment operation of the physical body: breathing, circulation,

nervous system, etc. It recognizes emotions sometimes, but it is not the source of

our deepest feelings.

Unfortunately, most people act as though the Middle Self is all we are, and

that is far from the truth.

Younger Self:

It is variously called the subconscious, the lower self, or the younger self.

This level is generally ignored by the conscious level, Middle self.

The younger self is a valuable ally to the conscious mind. It is in charge of

the physical body, emotion, memory, and sensation. All that you feel, remember, or

experience in your body comes from this deeper part of you; and if you think that's

not power, just recollect the last time you were in love or sexually aroused, and

just how little your brain was involved at that moment.

Younger Self is a powerful generator and channel of psychic energy, but it

often requires the guidance of the conscious self in order to use this energy

constructively. It is the bridge between middle self and higher self; it is the woman

on the lovers card of the tarot.

In many respects it is childlike, though in the Hawaiian Huna tradition it is

represented as an animal spirit, with a mammal's deep instincts, intuition, and

immediate awareness of the sensate world. In this model, the animal soul has

evolved to the point where it is ready to become part of the self of a sentient

creature-you-but It could not function in a complex human society without Middle

Self's think ability.

Higher Self:

There is yet a third aspect to the self, which Starhawk in The Spiral Dance

characterizes as:

“the higher self or God self, which does not easily correspond to any

psychological concept. The Higher Self is the Divine within, the ultimate and

original essence, the spirit that exists beyond time, space, and matter. It is our

deepest level of wisdom and compassion and is conceived of as both male and

female, two motes of consciousness united as one.”

“Two motes” because in Faery Wicca and Hawaiian Huna, the Higher Self

is thought of as a pair of spirits who guide and protect us, as well as taking raw

magickal energy and shaping it into manifested results. They speak to us through

the still, small voice within, our intuition and sense of right and wrong.

This is the part that many religions represent as an angel or deity “out

there”, rather than within-and-without. They might also depict it as the soul,

which is understood to be immortal but essentially passive. In our model, however,

it is the part of self that is our connection to divinity, and that can channel

immense power into creation and transformation when approached correctly.

101: Basic Spell Construction

Basic Spell Construction

Because of the very nature of Magick, each working should be highly individualized and personal. Even if following a traditional spell, it should be tailored to your specific needs to be most effective for you. Understanding the basics of Spell Construction will enable you to formulate your own specific, effective spells for any purpose you desire.

Preliminary planning is necessary. The very first step is to decide precisely what your desired end result is to be. Before you can start, you must decide where you are going. You must be very explicit.

It is important, also, that you choose your time carefully. You should take into consideration all Astrological implications, energy currents and Moon phases.

The Moon is the astronomical body closest to us and, therefore, has a profound influence upon us, it is very important to choose a time when the Moon is in an astrological sign which is appropriate for your working. For example: Aries/Action -- Enthusiasm, Taurus/Renewal -- Sensuality, Gemini/Communication -- Curiosity, Cancer/Emotion -- Nurturing, Leo/Vitality -- Determined, Virgo/Organizing -- Studious, Libra/Balance -- Cooperation, Scorpio/Sexual -- Philosophical, Capricorn/Authority -- Ambitious, Aquarius/Innovation -- Social, Pisces/Sensitivity -- Idealistic.

Bear in mind that magickal workings for gain, increase or bringing things to you, should be initiated when the Moon is Waxing (from Dark to Full); when the Moon is Waning (from Full to Dark), it is time for magickal workings of decrease or sending away.

The highest energy occurs at the Full Moon and, therefore, this is the most powerful time for magickal workings. The New Moon is the next most powerful time for Magick.

Whenever possible, follow Nature's own energy flows. There is a natural time for starting things (a planting time), for maturing things (a growing time), for reaping things (a harvest time) and, of course, a time for rest and planning.

Flowing with these currents will make your magickal work much easier.

Remember to plan your project for a time of uninterrupted privacy. It is important that you have no distractions. Generally speaking, it is best to work as late at night as possible. A time when there is less frantic energy is most appropriate. You might consider Midnight or later.

In choosing a place to do your magickal working pay particular attention to your needs, for you must be comfortable. Your place should be private, quiet and secure. If at all possible, set aside a special place for this purpose only. An unused room, a special corner of your bedroom, a quiet, secluded spot in your garden. A place that is yours. A place that you can come to whenever need arises and that is as free from intrusion of others as possible.

Prior to the night of your magickal working, gather together the things that you will need. All of the things used are tools. They have no inherent magick. They are to help you create a mood. If correctly made and used, they will trigger primitive responses from deep within you. They should be chosen with care. Consider the purpose of your ritual and choose your tools accordingly. If your magick is to be sexual, your candles, oils, incenses and so forth should bring forth a sexual response. If the desired result of your Magick is tranquility, then the tools should make you feel calm, peaceful and serene. Any candles you might use should not have commercially added fragrances as these may not be appropriate for your working.

Prior to your ritual, prepare yourself and your equipment by any means necessary to clean and purify. Historically, people have fasted, followed meticulous and detailed bathing practices, practiced chastity and used many other methods.

Most often a ritual bath is the preferred method. A bath frequently utilizing candlelight, fragrant herbs, bath salts or sensuous oils. A sumptuous hot bath, special bathing preparations and appropriate lighting, combined, can create the soothing effect which will help in the very important step of relaxing and clearing the mind completely of all mundane thoughts and experiences of the day. Your ritual bath should, also, begin to set the specific vibrations conducive to your purpose into motion. You must not only cleanse and purify but must also begin to create the type of energy necessary. Once your purification process has been accomplished, you are now ready to begin. Proceed to the special place you have previously chosen in which to perform your magick. If at all possible, you should make use of the primitive responses set into motion by a well chosen piece of music. Your music should start slowly and build to a rousing climax.

As you use your oils, light your candle or incense (or utilize any other tool you have chosen), you should begin to further intensify the energy that you have set into motion around you. A high degree of intensity is vitally important.

The Altered State of Consciousness that you must reach is not a meditative state. Anything that interferes with your ability to concentrate upon, reach and control the high energy state necessary to perform magick should be avoided, such as screaming children, a sink full of dirty dishes, use of alcohol or drugs, etc.

Do not scatter your energy by attempting to do more than one magickal working at a time.

Remember that Magick is the manipulation of energy, a thought is a form of energy and a visualization is an even stronger form of energy. Your visualization can be a method used to intensify further and direct your will. Your visualization can be the method by which you control the magickal energy you have produced. You must know what you want. You must see it. You must feel the high energy flow. You must direct it.

One of the most important elements in the practice of any form of Magick is the Universal Law of Cause and Effect. This means that whatever you do (or don't do) you cause something to happen.

The most important consideration is the Universal Law of Retribution. This means that no matter what you do, it comes back to you in like kind.

It is the nature of things that as you send something out it gains momentum, so that, by the time it comes back to you, it is three times stronger. If you do something nice for someone, someone will do something nicer for you.

"As you weave and

spin your spell,

Three fold return

the tale will tell."

101: What is Magic??

What Is Magick

David Rankine

© copyright 1999, 2000, 2001 David Rankine

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What is magick? Forget all the fallacies and stereotypical pre-conceptions

taught to you out of fear and ignorance and approach this question with an

open mind. You will probably find it is not what you have been taught to

think. Magick has been defined as "The art and science of causing change to

occur in conformity with will *1" which could be put more simply as making

desired change happen; or as "energy tending to change"; a definition I use

is "magick is conscious evolution through directing energy". This does not

really explain magick though, so I will try to elaborate on these phrases

without jargon.

An aim of magick is to train the mind by harnessing and making more

consciously accessible such higher faculties as intuition, inspiration and

the creative imagination, and by drawing on the power of the unconscious -

to try and use more than the 10% of our brain's capacity that we do.

Magick assumes belief in, or rather experience of, subtle energies. We can

only see about one seventieth of the light spectrum, yet what we cannot see

still affects us - such as x-rays and ultraviolet light. Similarly, magick

is about focusing more subtle, non-physical energies, and directing them to

create change. To go about this requires experience, and training to improve

the power of the mind, and specifically, the will.

Acts such as meditation, breath control, voice work, body work,

visualization, drama, ritual, and others, are all designed to improve our

body and mind, to better sharpen us and balance us, and to enable us to

perceive and wield more subtle energies.

In the same way, an individual is as strong as their will, and the more

balanced and integrated a person is, the stronger their will (note, this is

probably one of the main reasons why so many magicians have experience of

counselling and/or psychology, recognising the help these processes can

give, both through training and experiencing them. This also acts as a

removal of farcical social stigma often attached to these processes).

Practising magick tends to act as a deconditioning mechanism and can be a

subtle process, the longer you practice, the more you change and the

unnecessary inhibitions, stigmas, guilts and sin complexes that society

builds in are removed. This has the effect of releasing their energy into

the psyche, where it can strengthen the individual.

The more physical side, such as yoga, bodywork, dance and massage, also

removes the tension held in the body as body armour, and releases this and

removes energy blockages which impair full efficiency and may result in

illness.

Possibly the major difference between magick and many of the religious paths

to spiritual growth is that magick is more dynamic, and places the emphasis

on you to work for change - there are no gurus in magick, rather there are

fellow students with different perspectives and experiences - we learn from

each other, as in other areas of life.

Magick tends to work a lot with symbols, as these are the language of the

unconscious, and this is an area of tremendous power to tap. Symbols have

many functions, and one of these, released through magick, can be the

ability to confound the ego and the censor mechanisms, and enabling us to

perceive more subtle truths, or experience direct revelations. Although we

may not be able to fully explain how symbols work, we know from experience

that certain symbols seem harmonious with certain types of energy.

For example a magician may tell you that if you want to attract love you

should wear green, and rose perfume, perhaps wear copper, like a bracelet or

necklace, etc. These are all things attributed with Venus, who is associated

with love, and so the principal is one of contagion - sympathetic magick, or

making something happen by working with items linked to it. This is one of

the oldest and most commonly practised forms of magick. Working with the

symbols of a type of energy does seem to attract that energy.

A cautionary word here, magick is often seen as a way to hidden powers, and

entered for the wrong reason, the "I want sex, power and lots of money"

syndrome. Now there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves, but

when you do magick you will discover that you tend to get what you need

rather than necessarily what you want.

When you do magick you generally use techniques to alter your state of

consciousness and raise energy, and then direct that energy to create a

desired result. The channel that energy takes as directed by your altered

state of consciousness is not necessarily the path you might expect in your

normal everyday state. Magick does bring you power, yes, but it is power

over yourself, not other people. It is the power that is important, to grow

and to create positive change.

This does not mean there is anything wrong with using magick to gain more

physical things, there is nothing wrong with doing a ritual or spell to get

a job, whereas trying to make a specific individual go to bed with you would

be wrong. Magick is very much about intent, and if your intent is to get

work, you are not imposing on people, whereas if you were trying to make

somebody do something that they would not naturally do, you are imposing on

their will.

If you did a ritual to attract love without specifying a person, but opening

yourself to the opportunity to meet someone where love may arise, and to

feel more attractive and better about yourself, you are not imposing, you

are trying to create positive change.

Magick is a commitment to yourself, and it requires determination,

perseverance, strength, openness to change and absence of rigidity, a love

of life (including yourself), and a desire to grow and fulfil your

potential. It may be that you already have all these qualities and do this

already without calling it magick - magick is not about labels, and those

who think and talk as if it is unfortunately put some people off. Magick is

learning about the natural flows of energy in the universe, and working in

harmony with them to effect positive change, both in yourself and in your

environment.

Some people ask why magick is spelt with a 'k' on the end. This is to

distinguish it from magic, associated in the popular mind with illusionism

and prestidigitation, stage magic. Magick is not about illusion, it is about

creating real change, and the 'k' signifies this. K is the eleventh letter

of the alphabet, i.e. the one beyond ten. Symbolically this is very

powerful, as we work in base ten, and eleven represents the unseen, or

hidden energies - the subtle energies of magick, eleven is considered to be

the number of magick.

Magickal training and experience bring forth the energies of the

unconscious, and so it is no surprise to see that symbols become more

important as you develop, providing not only the language of dream and the

unconscious, but also helping create a more flexible perception grid of the

universe. To grow spiritually, it is vital that you remain flexible and do

not become dogmatic, rather that you are open to experience and willing to

question your ideas and beliefs as a result of those experiences.

Magick can be a painful process. It is not easy to maintain the discipline

and honest self-critical approach all the time. It can also be hard work

dealing with the energy released without being knocked off balance

sometimes. The important thing in these cases is to remain honest and keep

at it. Nobody said magick was easy! It takes a lot of practice and hard work

and pain, but the rewards are spiritual and mental growth, the joy of life

and the beauty of unconditional love. Beyond the limits there are no limits!

101: Things to keep in mind

1. There are no rules, merely helpful hints

2. Visualization is the key.

3. What you send out comes back.

4. To know, to Will, To Dare, To keep Silent

5. Cleansliness, Timing, Feeling

6. Tools are not require, but useful in focus. The tools are symbols, a representation of your intent

7. Be familare with raising, sending, manipulating, and grounding energy. Balance yourself.

8. Clear the mind, then focus, then release

9. Do not worry nor speak of the magic. Thus will interfere with the works.

10. Belief gives power. Doubt hinders.

11. Words, chants, and symbols are almost always useless unless you understand the meaning.

12. Anything is possible

13. To aquire power, one must first aquire knowledge. You must study, discipline and practice. Without these power is either illusion or borrowed.

14. The power and energy in magic comes from three sources: energy from the self; energy from the earth and elementals, and energy from the divine.

15. Mindset, enviroment are very important in ritual. Such creates an atmostphere of magic, a trigger for the senses to create magic

7 steps for successful spell casting

Seven Steps in Successful Spell Casting from "A Witches Book of Shadows"

1) Self confidence or the belief in the self. If a person believes greatness will be accomplished by the self, that person will be great at accomplishing the Will of the self.

2) Imagination. If a person can imagine the results clearly accomplishing those results becomes a much easier task. If a person can not or will not allow for imagining a possible change I must ask how thechange will ever be pursued?

3) Visualizing the transition or possible transitions from the now to the future with respect to the desired change allows a person to clearly define that possible outcome. At times achange which is believed to be good may not indeed not be the desired changed. By visualizing the results a person is capable of determining exactly what the desired result would be.

4) Desire for the change greatly enriches the ability to seek the change. If desire is not present, why even bother with the effort to affect change?

5) Preparation is a definite must! I believe a person hasno business approaching a situation without knowing all there is to know about the situation. When is preparation the actual needs to affect the change should be determined, symbolized, and during the working of the magick the symbolic representations of the elements to be changed should be manipulated in ways to represent the change. This allows the mind to "see" the changes taking place. By seeing the changes in the mind the changes are accepted as already having taken place. This helps prevent post ritual reversal of the spell.

6) Mood is very important, believe it or not. A sour mood will yield sour results. A positive mood will yield positive results. *Like attacts like*

7) The environment is also highly important, but mostly because it yields energies to the the mood. However...if a person is in an unfamilar environment, there may be resident energies which will affect the outcome of the work. This is not highly recommended. It is always a good idea to be in a familar and consecrated environment when working with magick.

FOR KEEPING A SPELL FROM BACKFIRING

If a Witch is sick and needs to cast a spell, he/she can bind it.

This will keep the spell from backfiring and causing harm to anyone else, most importantly to his/herself. The Witch must procure a thread with a color as dark as the nightly sky. Light an incense of sandalwood and Lavender, and as the incense fills the air, he/she must make three knots on the ribbon as he/she intones the words that follow:

"By the Karmic Power of Three

This spell tied and knotted be

To cause no harm nor return to me

As I will it, so must it be"

The ribbon must be carried when casting the spell as a talisman to keep it from backfiring.

101: Why use circles?

Circles, why use them?

Mel White

They say that the longest journey begins with a single step. So, too, the exploration of Magickal studies begins with a single step. Though the first step in a physical journey is often self-evident, the First Step on a Magickal journey is often not quite so clear. While formally organized groups often have a path of lessons to instruct newcomers, the solitary or isolated student is often left standing in perplexity on this broad plain of knowledge, wondering just where in the heck to begin. And wondering, too, if it's "okay" to start just anywhere.

While it's true that studies can begin in any direction that attracts you, the necessary first step must be learning to make psychic shields. There are "Things of the Dark" out there. There are any number of explanations for what these things might be -- ghosts, demons, or simply uncontrolled urges of the subconscious mind. In truth, it doesn't matter what they are. What does matter is that their effect is very real and unless they are put under your control, they will drag you over the borders of sanity into psychosis. You are most vulnerable to them while you're in an "open" trance or meditative state. That's why the wise practitioner always begins by taking steps to define exactly what will be permitted through the portals of their "psychic shields" -- no matter how simple the ritual. And this, in a nutshell, is what "protective magic" is about.

There are a number of ways to do this. The most common is to begin by drawing a circle (around a group or yourself) and invoking the one or more protective powers. Generally, this is done by candlelight, in front of an altar that holds certain magical objects. The circle may be further "secured" and "cleared" by using salt, salt water, rum, incense, or some other method. You may be wearing a special robe and will have taken a bath (or performed a cleansing ritual) earlier. The powers that protect you will be called on and then you will begin your ritual.

Is it psychological? Absolutely! Is there a reason why protection rituals always take this form? Positively! Let's take a step back and see what you're actually doing and how the process works -- from a psychological standpoint -- and how to use this knowledge to help you refine your circles to enhance your rituals.

Psychologists and psychics alike view the mind's structure as a three-part entity: The Ego (that which you think of as yourself), the Superego (the "higher self") and the Id (the child within). The Id is, in a sense, a computer. Like most computers, it operates on the GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out) principle. There's an old superstition: "As you name something, so will it become." Tell yourself that you're very unlucky and your Id will obligingly give you bad days by enhancing any negatives in your environment. Tell yourself that you are clumsy, and your Id-computer will obligingly arrange for you to break a leg while stepping off the sidewalk. The bad news is that the Id can't make a judgement as to whether or not this is a good idea. It only knows that it's received these "instructions" and must carry them out. The good news is that you can actually program/reprogram this portion of your mind.

You begin programming this Internal Servant of yours by first drawing its attention to what you want done and then explaining what you need done in a simple and clear manner. Repeating the instructions in a chant help fix the goals for the Id -- rhymed chants seem to be easier for it to process. Each time you perform the ritual and repeat the chant, the programming is strengthened. Never mind that your ego and superego understand that you're going to program the child-like Id. It works just the same.

To direct the Id's attention to the process, you first have to impress it. Using special tools and clothing alert it that something unusual is going on and that it must pay attention. Acquiring hard-to-obtain items, drawing symbols, performing a symbolic sacrifice (donating money, say, to a good cause) are all ways of reinforcing the Id's impression that this ceremony is very special and that the result will be very powerful. Organized, meaningful symbols, speak to your subconscious mind in ways it understands, reinforcing the goals you have set.

Drawing the circle itself establishes boundaries within your environment ("The rest of the world can do what it likes Out There. All within this circle is in my control!"). Purifying the circle and consecrating it (sprinkling water which has been blessed and salt added) further enforce your territory, defining the borders where you are "safe". Nothing can enter this area except what you invite inside. You further tighten these borders by calling on certain Powers.

You can call on any powers you like. Some use traditional Christian images. Others call up deities from the religion they are most comfortable with. And many people use the thought/image of a beam of light that represents either God/Goddess (whichever one they like) or the power of light and life and goodness in the Universe.

The number of powers called as guardians varies. You may choose to invoke one powerful being to protect your circle. Or you might call on the Universal Being/Light and four guardians (one for each quarter of the compass). A third approach is to use a guardian for the four quarters of the compass and no higher being. There is no "absolutely correct" system; the correct system is the one that you are comfortable with.

Take time to choose the guardians of your circle carefully. You should select guardians (gods or animals or some form of life) which have a deeper meaning to you and whose qualities are in harmony with your goals. For the new student, it's best to have all your Powers and Guardians from the same belief system/religion/mythic universe so that the symbols will be consistent and not confuse the Id.

You can use people -- saints, movie actors, figures from favorite books as guardians. Do, however, pick someone who's dead or non-existent. The dead can't argue with your interpretation of them, whereas the living may be highly offended to be approached as gods/guardians.

As your studies continue, you will find that your totems or guardians change. This is to be expected; as you explore new realms in your studies, you may find you need guardians who deal with very specific areas to strengthen and guide you in these new fields.

But don't make the mistake of assuming that you'll become so powerful that you will never need the protection of the psychic shielding circle in some form. And don't assume that you will not need a circle for "positive" magicks such as healing. Open is open -- and open is vulnerable. And circles strengthen and protect you by defining what psychological influences will be allowed to work with you.

101: Types of Magic

Types of Magic

Anthropologists often distinguish between two forms of magick, the sympathetic and the contiguous. Sympathetic magick works on the principle that like produces like. Contiguous magick operates on the belief that things that have been in contact will continue to act on each other after the physical contact has ceased. There is also a common distinction made between black magick and white magick. White magick is characterized by rites and spells designed to produce beneficial effects for the community or individual, particularly in those cases where an illness is considered to be the result of evil demons or of black magick. What follows is a brief, nowhere complete list of some of the more popular magickal beliefs.

Low Magick, also known as Sympathetic or Folk magick seems a slightly condescending term, but it is used to separate it from the structured, religious-philosophical approach of "High Magick."

Low Magick is more properly called Sympathetic Magick, because it operates by an object or device being in sympathy with the person at whom the magick force is directed, through a physical, psychic or symbolic link. It is magick of the mind, an invocation of minor spirits or elementals to carry out an action. Vodoun and other types of Voodoo magick in South America and the Caribbean, as well as New Age candle-magick, love spells, runes etc, are all forms of Sympathetic Magick.

Low Magick can be divided into two categories, Homeopathic and Contagious

Homeopathic Magick, as used in homeopathic ritual, produces like for like. For example, a pin stuck into a symbolic representation of a person causes pain. This is an extreme example, as more commonly, other symbolic methods are used, such as to bring loved ones together, or for healing or binding.

Contagious Magick works on the principle that things that were previously in contact or joined still carry influence over each other. For example, blood, hair or nail clippings can be used to curse, bless, heal or communicate with the spirit of another.

High Magick

High Magick is a highly ritualized invocation of spiritual powers and is part of a greater philosophy and belief system, including rituals of the Kabala or the Hermetic Orders. High Magick invokes spiritual energy, channeled for healing, protection, binding, curses or vengeance.

Kabbalistic

Two common works of Hebrew literature are the Torah, otherwise known as the Pentateuch - the first five books in the Christian Bible and the Talmud, a collection of commentaries and thoughts of highly-regarded Hebrew scholars, priests, and rabbis. However, a much less known work is the Kabbalah, upon which are based the mystical foundations of the religion.

Kabbalism is based on the belief that creation of all that exists occurred through emanation from God and that there exists a hidden meaning in the placement and numeric values of the letters in the Torah.

African

The leading modern African religions of the western hemisphere are descended from one of two tribal cultures: the people of Ifà, from which Santeria is derived, and those of the Congo, which has Voudon and Palo as its modern descendants. These beliefs are completely different and in some cases diametrically opposed, and yet, their similarity of perspective is striking. Therefore, these very different religions can be grouped together.

Most magickal effects in these beliefs are gained through supplication to higher powers. These powers can be in the form of deities, administrators in the tradition of the Saints of Christian thought or the Archangels of the Hebrews. Spirits of dead ancestors rank high in importance and are often asked for advice or guidance. Usually, some sort of sacrifice or offering is required in such instances and plays an important role in the outcome.

Wicca

Early English (Saxon) term for witch, derived from a German root word meaning "to twist or to bend." Also used to denote the witch religion, a neo-pagan, nature-oriented, religious practice having its roots in pre-Christian western Europe and undergoing a 20th century revival, especially in the United States and Great Britain. It is a relatively modern religion, which claims its roots in various forms of the Old Religions of Europe, but incorporates some of the myths and practices of the Christian Church. It owes its beginnings to Gerald Gardner, who announced to the world that he was a witch in 1957, shortly after England repealed its laws against witchcraft. The religion is earth-based and magickal and Wiccans typically worship both a God and Goddess.

Shamanism

A shaman is an individual who willfully and purposefully enters an altered state of consciousness to gain access to some hidden reality with the usual intent of performing some magickal work or attaining uncommon knowledge. Almost always, there is identification with a specific animal, called a "totem animal" or "spirit animal." These animals act as guides in the other reality and aid the visiting shaman in avoiding dangers. It is believed that shamans originally acted as healers for tribes or groups as the word "medicine" in most shamanic traditions is interchangeable with "magick."

Witchcraft

Witchcraft, or Traditional Witchcraft has long defied denfinition and rightfully so. Traditional Witchcraft is not as much a belief system as it is a system of willful and procedural actions. The rede of the true "witch" could be summarily stated as "whatever works". Magick exists without witches. Witches become adept at the manipulation and harnessing of existing natural and supernatural forces and the laws of nature to achieve their desired results. Hence, there can be good and bad witches depending on their intents. All forms of magick and magickal thought can and should be at the disposal of a true witch, with only the individual witch's ethics limiting their uses. True witchcraft holds no allegiances to any particular affiliation, but rather, stands alone.