Circle Talk 4 Witches

2.10 Spellwork to Make Magic Happen

For our belated August cross-quarter episode we are continuing to explore different ways of doing “magic”. In this episode we discussed various means of creating and implementing your own spells. 

There are several external resources referenced, especially an article by Jenya T. Beachy, originally published in the author’s patheos blog “Dirt Hearth Witch” in 2015: Making It So: Seven Steps to Effective Spells.

Other references include:

The Witch’s Path: Advancing your Craft at Every Level by Thorn Mooney

Website: Astrology.com/tr

Six Ways: Approaches & Entries for Practical Magic by Aidan Wachter

2.09 Ethics

We're back! For our return we discuss the ethics of Alexandrian Witchcraft and witchcraft in general. Not only do we take on the question of “The Rule of Three” and “Harm None” but we also discuss subjective and objective ethical questions and whether there are any universal ethical considerations in Alexandrian Witchcraft. The discussion is more interesting than the description, so check it out!

2.08 Wicca as a Living Tradition

In this month’s episode we discuss the idea of Traditional Wicca as a “Living Tradition,” one that is continually evolving through time and practices while still remaining true to its core as an Initiatory, ritual-based practice. Our views on this are in contrast to some other Initiates, an expected and welcome consequence of coven autonomy. Room for differences is one of the things that makes Alexandrian Witchcraft so fantastic and vibrant.

 

References:

Witches' Way: Principles, Ritual and Beliefs of Modern Witchcraft - Stewart and Janet Farrar

Wicca Covens - Judy Harrow

2.07 Great Rite

Join us as we continue our exploration of magic and ritual associated with the sabbats. In this episode we discuss the Great Rite, both symbolic and literal. We consider conventional and stereotypical understandings of this Rite and attempt to explain how the energy of the Great Rite is for everyone and how its meaning goes far beyond the obvious.

 

Resources:

Witch's Bible: A Complete Witch's Handbook

Transformative Witchcraft by Jason Mankey

High Magic's Aid by Gerald Gardner

All Acts of Love & Pleasure: Inclusive Wicca by Yvonne Aburrow

Fertility and the Pagan Revival - Jack Chanek

2.06 Egregores

Episode 26 is a continuation of our discussion that started in episode 24. We dive into the idea of a coven “setting” and why that is important, before launching into exploring egregore in Wicca: what is it? Is there more than one egregore? Can egregores be changed? Why do they matter, anyway? To find out, break out the Brasso, slice up the tomato bread, and dig into our newest episode…

Meditation and the Equinox

Hail, and welcome, everyone, to episode 25 - “Equini” (even though we know it’s ‘equinoxes’ 😛) Sabbat Special and Meditation. In this episode, we discuss the practices of meditation and how they relate to the equinoxes. How do we practise meditation? It is just as simple as sitting still in the lotus position? Are there other ways to practise meditation? How does a regular meditation practice benefit a coven? Listen in as we discuss a variety of techniques that we use personally and in our coven work.

 

References, Notes, and Links:

Jason Miller’s books

Qabalah for Wiccans, by Jack Chanek

Lemon Visualisation

Keys to Perception, by Ivo Dominguez

Trance-Portation, by Diana Paxson

Wiccan Life podcasts by Lusete (for guided visualisations)

2.04 Ritual Triggers & Beyond the Robes

In this episode we begin to discuss practices in our circles including effective ritual triggers and skyclad practice. We ran out of time in our discussion so look forward to part two where we'll discuss how different practices impact the coven egregore. 

2.03 Imbolc/Lammas Magic: Purification

Circle Talk continues to circle back through the sabbats, this time revisiting Imbolc/Candlemas/Lammas and their associations with rites and practices of purification (ironically along with a lot of very impure language from Gi).

Join us for conversations on smoke cleansing, fire cleansing, water cleansing, broom tips, and lots of laughs! 

Blessed sabbat!

2.02 Books!

Welcome to our second episode of season 2! In this episode we finally talk about books!... Well, actually we've been doing that all along, haven't we? 

In any event, this is an attempt at giving a more organized list. We discuss recommended reading lists for Seekers, our coven members, and from what we're enjoying now. Before you listen you may want to be ready to make a list for your library or favorite bookstore!

List of books we mentioned:

On Alexandrian Wicca and/or Alex Sanders

A Coin for the Ferryman by Jimahl di Fiosa

A Witches' Bible: The Complete Witches' Handbook by Janet & Stewart Farrar

Eight Sabbats for Witches by Janet & Stewart Farrar

King of the Witches: The World of Alex Sanders - by June Johns

What Witches Do by Janet & Stewart Farrar

 

On BTW

High Magic’s Aid - Gerald Gardner

Principles of Wicca - Vivianne Crowley

Traditional Wicca: A Seeker’s Guide - Thorn Mooney

Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice - Thea Sabin

Wicca. The Old Religion in the New Millennnium by Vivianne Crowley

 

On History

Blood and Mistletoe: The History of the Druids in Britain by Ronald Hutton 

Circle of Fire - David Rankine & Sorita D’Este

Fifty Years Of Wicca by Frederic Lamond

In Search of the New Forest Coven - Philip Heselton

Wicca Magickal Beginnings: A Study of the Possible Origins of the Rituals and Practices Found in this Modern Tradition of Pagan Witchcraft and Magick - David Rankine & Sorita D’Este

Trials of the Moon: Reopening the Case for Historical Witchcraft. A critique of Ronald Hutton's The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft by Ben Whitmore

The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft by Ronald Hutton 

 

On Coven Work

Coven Craft by Amber K

A Teaching Handbook for Wiccans and Pagans: Practical Guidance for Sharing Your Path by Thea Sabin  

Wicca Covens by Judy Harrow

 

On Life & Supporting Others

As the Last Leaf Falls - Kristoffer Hughes

Do I Have to Wear Black - Mortellus

Pagan Book of Living and Dying by Starhawk

 

Skills & New Practices

Crafting a Daily Practice: Revised - T. Thorn Coyle

Keys to Perception by Ivo Dominguez Jr.

Consorting with Spirits Your Guide to Working with Invisible Allies - Jason Miller

Lifting the Veil: A Witches' Guide to Trance-Prophesy, Drawing Down the Moon, and Ecstatic Ritual by Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone

Magical Power For Beginners: How to Raise & Send Energy for Spells That Work by Deborah Lipp

Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Tarot Journey to Self-Awareness by Rachel Pollack 

Tarot for Real Life: Use the Cards to Find Answers to Everyday Questions by Jack Chanek

The Poison Path Herbal: Baneful Herbs, Medicinal Nightshades, and Ritual Entheogens - Coby Michael

Trance-Portation: Learning to Navigate the Inner World by Diana L. Paxson

 

Qabalah

(The) Mystical Qabalah by Dion Fortune

Qabalah for Wiccans: Ceremonial Magic on the Pagan Path by Jack Chanek 

 

On Ritual Practices

Elements of Ritual - Deb Lipp

All Acts of Love and Pleasure: Inclusive Wicca by Yvonne Aburrow 

Inner Mysteries: Progressive Witchcraft and Connection to the Divine by Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone 

The Witch Compass: Working with the Winds in Traditional Witchcraft by Ian Chambers and Griffin Ced

 

Other

Loki and Sigyn: Lessons on Chaos, Laughter & Loyalty from the Norse Gods by Lea Svendsen

Merry Meet Again: Lessons, Life & Love on the Path of a Wiccan High Priestess – by Deborah Lipp 

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

 

Fiction

Hogfather by Terry Pratchett

Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah Mass Market Paperback by Richard Bach

The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden by Catherynne M. Valente

The Saxon tales by Bernard Cornwell

The Tiffany Aching discworld books by Terry Pratchett

The Witches discworld books by Terry Pratchett

 

Library Apps

Libby App

Hoopla App

2.01 Solstice Special: Trance Induction

Happy solstice (whichever one you happen to be celebrating!) and welcome, everyone, to Season 2 of Circle Talk for Witches. After our hiatus, we bring you our first sabbat special of the season: Solstice Magic - Trance Induction.

 

Last season these specials focussed on what we do for the sabbats in the northern and southern hemispheres. For season two, we want to focus on different types and ways of magic. 

 

The bad news? The audio for this one is a little choppy due to a bad connection somewhere that we didn’t notice at the time. The good news, though, is that our NEXT episode - and the first full episode for this season - is sounding much better already, with the gods of the internet smiling on us once more.

 

Happy Solstice from all of us!

 

References, Notes, and Links:

Gardner, G (1954). Witchcraft Today.