With Blessings from My Ancestors

ד' בתשרי תשע"ב
Blodlessing 6

As I build my new website and prepare for Samhain, I have invoked the spirit of creativity and innovation which runs through my bloodline. Specifically, I have invoked the blessings of my ancestors Benjamin Franklin (the great statesman and founding father of our great nation) and Nobel prize winning author William Faulkner. May my ancestors smile upon my endeavor at WITCHCRAFTS Artisan Alchemy™.

BLESSED BE Witch's Blessing Artisan Alchemy Ritual Oil for Home Blessing, Joy, Happiness, Laughter, Well-Being, Peace, Harmony

ט׳ באב תשע"א
Lughnasadh 11

BLESSED BE, in perfect love and perfect trust.

Bless your home, family, friends and surroundings. Bring joy, happiness, laughter, well-being, peace and harmony into your life situation with this Old Ways witch-crafted BLESSED BE Witch's Blessing Artisan Alchemy™ ritual perfume oil. Tenderly and lovingly made with premium certified organic ingredients, BLESSED BE is generously scented with mystical Frankincense and Myrrh. Gemstone charged with spiritual Amethyst, this lovely perfume potion conjures manifest blessing through Gum Mastic, Larkspur flowers, Meadowsweet flowers, White Copal, Rose and traditional Celtic Woad. Luxury Woad Blue Midori ribbon and white Tulle add their magic to enchanting BLESSED BE.

3mls dancing and laughing with the Light, flowing with bestowing of blessing

BLESSED BE is also available as a set of pillar votives, as a 2x3" (see separate listing), 2x4", 2.5x6", 3x4", 3x6" and 3x9" pillar (convo me for custom listing) in the Candle Magic section of this shoppe.

Comes beautifully packaged.

HOLY SABBATH 10" Certified Kosher Soy Tapers, Unscented Pair w/ Star of David on Luxury Midori Ribbon for Shabbat Candelighting, Blessing

ט׳ באב תשע"א
Lughnasadh 11

With these candles
We ask of Goddess
The Goddess of our Mothers
of the Earth and of all Living Beings
To grant us good life and health
To all my dear ones
And to the whole world

With these candles
We ask of God
The God of our Fathers
whose Strength and Skill gird us
To grant us good life and health
To all my dear ones
And to the whole world

So mote it be, Amen.

[my rendition of the traditional Sephardic blessing recited before Shabbat ritual candlelighting]

Celebrate an extra special Holy Sabbath Day and give a gift of shalom with these lovely unscented 10" HOLY SABBATH white tapers handcrafted with premium certified kosher soy wax and pure cotton wick. Adorned with a silver pewter Star of David charm hung on luxury soft blue Midori organdy ribbon, these tapers measure approximately 1" diameter at the base.

Use these candles to bring blessing to those you love, into your own life, for peace, harmony, healing, goodwill and bounty.

Comes beautifully packaged.

Lughnasadh Blessing

א' באב תשע"א
Lughnasadh 3

To all my pagan customers - have an abundantly blessed and enchantingly magical Lughnasadh. May this sabbat be filled with all good!

BLUE LAGOON Soy Pillar Votives w/ 6 Grael Herbs for Renewal, Cleansing, Sweet Dreams, Water Magic, Peaceful Wellbeing, Blessing, Harmony

ח׳ בתמוז תשע"א
Faunus 10

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may Goddess hold you in the palm of Her hand.
[Olde Celtic Blessing]

Renew your world, draw out peaceful well being, conjure blessing, dream sweetly and make extraordinary magic with these simply exquisite teal BLUE LAGOON soy pillar votives.

Handcrafted with premium certified kosher soy wax and pure cotton wick, BLUE LAGOON votives are richly scented with an enchanting musky amber waterside woods blend exclusive to WITCHCRAFTS. Charged with hard to find hand-harvested Dittany of Crete, Heather Flowers, Blue Larkspur Flowers, Elfin Thyme, Elder Flowers and Catnip, each BLUE LAGOON votive is dusted with Mystic Blue fairy shimmer.

This listing is for a set of 3 straight pillar soy votives.

Each votive measures 2" tall.

BLUE LAGOON is also available as a 2x3" (see separate listing) pillar or as a 2x4", 2.5x6", 3x4", 3x6" and 3x9" pillar (convo me for custom listing). Matching ritual oil is available in the Potions / Oils / Brews section of the shoppe.

Comes beautifully packaged.

BLESSED BE Witch's Blessing Ritual Soy Spell Candle

א' בסיון תשע"א
Alban Heruin 3

BLESSED BE, in perfect love and perfect trust.

Bless your home, family, friends and surroundings. Bring joy, happiness, laughter, well-being, peace and harmony into your life situation with this Old Ways witch-crafted BLESSED BE Witch's Blessing candle. Tenderly and lovingly made with premium certified kosher soy wax and pure cotton wick, BLESSED BE is generously scented with mystical Frankincense and Myrrh. Gemstone charged with spiritual Amethyst, this lovely pillar conjures manifest blessing through Gum Mastic, Larkspur flowers, Meadowsweet flowers, White Copal, Rose, Woad and iridescent Moonbeam and Amethyst Fairy dust. Luxury Woad Blue Midori ribbon and white Tulle add their magic to enchanting BLESSED BE.

Candle measures 2x3".

Comes beautifully packaged.

BENDITH y SIDHEE - The Sidhe's Blessing Star Pillar Candle with Foxglove, Honey, Wine, Ginger

ו' בתשרי תשע"א
Blodlessing 7

Delightful. Magical. Otherworldly.

Pronounced Shee, the Sidhe are powerful Faerie beings known in Celtic folklore as the Good People who descended from the Tuatha de Danann. These magical beings live under mounds, fairy raths and cairns. They bless whom they will bless, heal whom they will heal, protect whom they will protect, and teach whom they will teach.



Attract, invoke, and bring into your world all the joyful blessings of the Sidhe with this BENDITH y SIDHE (literally "The Sidhe's Blessing") tapered 6-point star pillar candle made with premium certified kosher soy wax, magically charged with genuine Foxglove Flowers (Digitalis purpurea), wildcrafted Honey, certified kosher Red Wine, the essential oil of Ginger and a Peridot gemstone nugget - all high favorites of the Fae. Intensely scented with the fragrance of Foxglove Flowers, this purple-rose-pink pillar is dusted with antique rose glitter and adorned with a gold tone Crescent Moon Faery charm hung on gold and pink ribbon.

Measures 1.2 x 2.5 x 6.5 inches.

Comes beautifully packaged.

**Handcrafted scented Faerie Magic candle made with 100% all natural, pure premium, ecofriendly, certified kosher SOY wax itself made with 100% American farmer soybeans grown domestically in the USA without herbicides or pesticides!!! Candles burn longer, cooler and cleaner, burning without soot buildup.**

**Altar tile NOT INCLUDED.**

This magical candle may be purchased at WITCHCRAFTS by Liorah Lleucu.

Mother Of Manifest Blessing

ג' בתשרי תש"ע
Blodlessing 4

In follow-up to earlier entries (Times of Judgment And Blessing and She Who Named Him Adam), complementing the Fehu rune and the three Hebrew triplets inscribed on my Rosh Hashanah-Mabon ritual candle as previously described, I also inscribed the mother of manifestation rune, namely, Uruz (pronounced ooo-rooze, like the 'oo' as in boo!). Uruz, with the phonetic values of 'u' and 'v', means drizzle, rain and horns of blessing. It is a force which patterns and formulates reality, natural order and tradition.

It rained here today.

Related entries:

Runes 1-3: Transmission of a Sacred Secret
Rune 4: The Wholiness Code
Rune 5: Mysteries of the Staircase
Rune 6: The Ship of Safe Passage
Rune 7: The Ætheling
Rune 8: Communication
Rune 9: The Nature Of My Work
Runes 10-11: Wyrd Shema
Rune 12: The View From My Room
Rune 13: Thurisaz On The Falling Man
Rune 14: Power To Do It
Rune 15: Wyrd Preparation

Times Of Judgment And Blessing

כ'ג באלול תשס״ט
Belz 24

This year, astrological Mabon in my location falls on September 22, a day which actually begins the evening before on September 21 according to the Celtic reckoning of time. At Mabon, the sun enters Libra, the zodiac sign represented by the Scales of Justice. Just as the Jewish observance of Rosh Hashanah (September 19-20 this year) is a time of judgment, so too is the Celtic observance of Mabon a time of judgment.

Unity and multiplicity in balanced harmony. My handpoured autumn equinox apple candle is thickly scented with traditional Mabon essences including apple blossom, cinnamon and other woodsy Mabon spices. Inscribed with the Fehu rune (a directing expansive force with which to facilitate projection and distribution of magical power person to person among one's soul family) and three Hebrew triplets (for prosperity, success, healing, health, and protection from the evil eye), my Mabon-Rosh Hashanah ritual candle will be anointed with cinnamon bark oil and sprinkled with basil.

May the scales of justice this wholy season find us balanced and fit for abundant blessing. So mote it be, אמן.

Wytche Blessings Perfume Oil

ב' אייר תשס"ט
Annwn 3

In perfect love and perfect trust. Give wings to your spells and prayers, invoke the highest form of love, bring blessings down from the stars, and call up inspiration from the earth.

Wytche Blessings Perfume Oil is an intoxicating blend of frangipani, sandalwood and 3 types of wildharvested handpicked wildflowers from my yard, in a certified organic safflower oil base. Charged with a peridot gemstone, Wytche Blessings Perfume Oil was handcrafted during the planetary hour of Saturn (corresponding to reish, the magical letter of serenity) with the waxing crescent moon 5% full.

Naturally magical, powerfully enchanting, simply divine, the mother of all perfumes. A flower from the Pagoda tree (revered in India as the Tree of Life), frangipani epitomizes Sacred Perfection, its mesmerizing scent stimulates the unobstructed flow of benevolence, mercy and goodness into one's life, to shower blessings upon the soul. Peridot brings joy, health, wealth and happiness.

Empowering Consciousness Of The Divine

Djeichiro asked me on one of my blogs to expound on my previous entry, Traditional Blessings & Energy Transfer. So, here is a bit of expansion:

When we "bless Hashem" we are generating kavanah to incorporate the energy we derive from the food we eat (or power from some other act or observation) toward achieving God/Goddess-consciousness. There really is no distinction between the person saying the blessing and the "godly" aspect of his or her own essence.

Also, Hashem is not "a name" of the Divine, it is shorthand for experiential essential God/Goddess consciousness. Traditionally, people say "Adonai" in place of the tetragrammaton (as implied within a traditional blessing), but this too is not the Shem HaMeforash and is merely a code of consciousness, signifying the Shechinah and/or Malchut of Atzilut.

Traditional Blessings & Energy Transfer

כ"ט טבת ה'תשס"ז
27 Beith 2007

Sivan @ jewstalk3 (message 22522) wrote:

No rabbi would ever do anything so Popish as "blessing food." Even when we bentch we THANK Hashem for what we eat. No self respecting, Torah abiding Jew would ever ask Hashem to "Bless his food." If he is observant, he only eats what Hashem has already approved anyway!

I'm not sure where he gets the idea that blessings are "thanking Hashem". The "operative" word of a bracha (blessing) itself does not suggest a motive of acknowledgement.

When a traditional "blessing" is recited, the word employed is "baruch" (ברוך). "Baruch" is derived from the shoresh ברך which generally means "power growth", to "spur prosperity" and "blessing" [1]. In other words, within the context of reciting traditional brachot, we are asking Hashem to infuse us (bless us) with the power inherent in whatever we are partaking of or observing or deriving benefit from. The word "baruch" itself suggest thats we are asking Hashem to transfer the "growth energy" of what we are eating (for example) over to us. There is no word of "thanks" (toda, for example) in a blessing.

When we say a bracha traditionally, we are asking Hashem to empower an energy transfer from that partaken (or observed or enjoyed) to us.

Footnote:

[1] Etymological Dictionary Of Biblical Hebrew, R' Matityahu Clark (p. 31)

Consecrating My Athame

כ"ח טבת ה'תשס"ז

Tonight is the esbat of the Dark Moon. In contrast to Rosh Chodesh, which notes the first sliver of silvery light sighted each month, the Dark Moon is fully within the Shadow of Night. Light represents activity. Darkness represents rest. In other words, while Rosh Chodesh celebrates rebirth, the Dark Moon rests symbolically as a tzelem Elohim within the Dark Essence of Ein Sof.

Consequently, with the Light resting within the completely Dark Essence of Ein Sof, the Dark Moon esbat represents a shabbat of the moon. The moon generally corresponds to soul power of Emet (אמת truth) and to the sefirah Yesod (יסוד foundation). Thus, this esbat of Tevet, my athame will be infused with the Essential Foundation of Truth and the power of shabbat consciousness.

The esbat nocturnal ritual (performed surrounding midnight):

Complete steps 1, and 3 as found in Jewitch Shabbat Ritual.

Set up altar to basically include a central black taper candle standing upon a pentagram tile, a red pomegranate votive candle, and an incense blend [2] prepared with a teardrop within cauldron censer.

Light black taper (projective energy), saying:

Beruchah at Shechinah HaShem Chai, malchat shel Shabbat v'Esbat b'laylah, who transforms darkness into brilliance.

Use flame from the taper to light pomegranate votive (receptive energy) candle, saying:

Beruchah at Shechinah HaShem Chai, ruach shel Shabbat v'Esbat b'laylah, move through the Shadow of Night and be One with the Light.

Use flame from the taper to light the incense, saying:

Blessed are You Shechinah Acknowledger of Life, ruler of the universe, who has gifted me with a portion of Truth.

Beruchah at Shechinah HaShem Chai, malkat ha'olam, she'natnah li chemdat emet.

Wipe down both sides of the blade of the athame with a magnet.

Rinse with consecrated water [1]. Don't wipe dry.

Pass athame through incense smoke, saying:

ישמך אלהים השם חיי כאמת וחנה
Y'simech Elohim HaShem Chai k'Emet v'Chanah.

May the Goddess who acknowledges life make you as truth and favor.

Go outside and under the Dark Moon, cast the circle (step 7 here) using the index and middle fingers of the right hand.

Hold athame straight up with both hands directly over the crown of the head, saying:

With the Dance of Holy Darkness, I dedicate, consecrate, awaken, charge and infuse you.

Encircling the tip deosil overhead 8 times, saying each time:

ברוך שם כבוד מלכותה לעולם ועד
Baruch shem kevod malchutah le'olam va'ed.

Blessed is the Glorious Name, Her Kingdom stands forever and ever.

Following the eighth blessing, bring the athame parallel to the heart, point up, saying:

אמן
Amen.

Turning athame, point down, saying:

So mote it be.

Draw a pentagram invoking earth into the soil. Wipe off any dirt from the tip of the blade with the middle fingers, using the left middle finger for one side and the right middle finger for the other.

Kiss both sides of the blade near the middle and the hilt.

Bring the athame inside and place on the altar, saying:

With the Divine Shadow be embraced. So mote it be.

Allow candles and incense to burn themselves out. Leave up circle of protection. Wrap athame in black cloth and store with altar tools after the flames and incense have become dark.

Footnotes:

[1] Banished of negativity and blessed.

[2] Dragon's blood, frankincence, myrrh, pinch of salt, drop of vanilla oil, drop of olive oil, drop of red wine.

Requesting Hebrew Blessing Help

I have created a unique shabbat ritual and have written some blessings for it in English. I need help to write them correctly in Hebrew. Could someone write these in grammatically correct Hebrew for me and provide a correct Hebrew transliteration (so that I pronounce the Hebrew blessing corresponding to the English blessing correctly)? Thank you in advance for your help.

These are the most important blessings I'd like to be able to say in Hebrew as well in in English:

Blessed is this Unity. Her Glorious Name is One.

Blessed is She, the Eternal Flame and the Essence of Truth.

Blessed are You Shabbat, Goddess of all life, Who transforms darkness into light.

Blessed is She, Mistress of the mysteries of spices and perfumes, the One over Death, and She who loves me.

Blessed are You Shechinah, Goddess of all life, Who guides me to wise understanding, proper compassion and right action.

Blessed are You Shechinah, Who nourishes me with all goodness.

Blessed is She who bestows Wisdom.

Blessed is She who sustains Life.

Shechinah, fierce and intense, gentle and mild, blessed are You, and I am Your beloved child.

I'd also like to be able to say this in Hebrew if anyone can help me out:

I conjure you, O Circle, to establish in this place sacred ground, with the Brilliance of the Shechinah surround, Her Power within it found.

No place or time or barrier may there be, between Her, my word and me.

... and these things too (if anyone is so inclined to do this great mitzvah for me), it would be excellent!

Open my eyes to see, my mind to understand and my perception to clarity.

Open my lips to speak the truth.

Open my heart to beat with compassion.

Open the strength of my hands to do rightly.

Open my lifeforce to flow with the Source of Peace.

Open me to be a revealed blessing.

Open the path to all good and guard my way upon it.

I realize this is alot, but it would really mean a great deal to me to be able to say these blessings/lines in Hebrew too.

Kabbalistic Mysteries Of The Incense 1

In a previous post describing a ritual I've written for Shabbat, incorporating into it elements of witchcraft, the blessing over incense is:

Blessed is She, Mistress of the mysteries of spices and perfumes, the One over Death, and She who loves me.

Ritually, the smoke of incense represents the element of air. Unlike the other elements, in both Celtic witchcraft and Zohar (an ancient kabbalistic text of the Jewish mystical-magickal tradition), the element of air corresponds to the eastern quarter-watchtower. Among the kabbalistic sefirotic correspondences, the east likewise corresponds to the sefirah Tiferet located along the central (air) axis of the sefirotic array.

If we look at the 3-letter root TVL (תבל) for the Hebrew word for "spice", tevel (e.g., incense spices used during Temple service), we see a connection to both the transcendent feminine sefirah Binah (Understanding, the Higher Shechinah) operating above the 7 lower sefirot of normal consciousness and the most immanent feminine sefirah Malchut (Kingdom, the Lower Shechinah) operating within the domain of the 7 lower sefirot of normal consciousness.

From a Hebrew Lesson in the root T-V-L:

Then there is the fact that two distinct words use the three letters of our root ת-ב-ל (tav, vet, lamed). We have תבל (tevel, accent on the first syllable), a masculine noun meaning "spice," and תבל (tevel, accent on the second syllable), a feminine noun meaning "the world." The first meaning probably derives from an older, primary root, ב-ל-ל (bet, lamed, lamed), meaning "to mix." When you add spices to food you are creating a savory mixture; alternatively, many spices added to foods are in fact mixtures of different spices. As to the second use, the word (tevel), world, comes from the root י-ב-ל (yod, vet, lamed), to be fruitful, that also gives us the noun יבול(yevul), "produce."

Linguistically, first we can see that the feminine form of tevel pertaining to the "world" corresponds to Malchut (the Kingdom of the world - in other words, the physical world of action). Second, we can see that the primary root י-ב-ל of tevel is also the root of the word yovel, meaning (the) redemptive Jubilee (of the 50th year) . Sha'are Orah (Gates Of Light, R' Yosef Gikatilla) teaches us that yovel יובל corresponds to both the sefirah Binah and to redemptive mystical consciousness - in other words to Goddess/God-consciousness.

Thus, we can see that ritual incense "spices" (using the masculine emphasis) serves to connect the Higher Shechinah (Binah) with the Lower Shechinah (Malchut) through Tiferet, the sefirah "focused" in the east but which is kabbalistically symbolic of all 6 spacial directions in the physical world - north, south, east, west, up and down.

Taken together, the sefirotic correspondences are:

the elemental spices of the incense itself -> Malchut
the smoke - Tiferet
the smell of the incense as it burns - Binah



Note: Din is also called Gevurah and Shechinah is also called Malchut.

Jewitch Shabbat Ritual

Here is the first formal Friday evening shabbat ritual I have written for the solitary Jewitch. It may tweaked and refined as time goes by. This is the basic format from which I will build:

1. Take a bath or shower. Visualize washing away physical, emotional and spiritual impurity, letting all negativity flow down the drain with the water. Dress in ritual attire. Put on Jewitch pentacle (pentacle + magen David), saying:

Blessed is this Unity. Her Glorious Name is One. So mote it be.

2. "Sweep" (counterclockwise-"widdershins" and out) ritual space with besom. Visualize removing all negative energy from it, saying:

From this place, I banish all negativity and evil. So mote it be.

3. Perform ritual bath. Add herbs and oil of choice [1] to ritual bowl containing warm water.

Relax. Breathe. Stand facing north (Gevurah, fire) in front of bath bowl. Purify and consecrate the water mixture, placing tip of athame into the water, saying:

Out from you I cast all that is impure and unclean. Blessed are you, with the heart of the Shechinah. You are Holy. So mote it be.

Lay athame upon empty altar "place" (where altar will be or is permanently located). Face north/ritual bath bowl. Hold palms facing upward, saying:

Shechinah, fierce and intense, gentle and mild, blessed are You, and I am Your beloved child.

Dip finger of choice [2] in bath, close eyes. Anoint eyelids by drawing a small pentagram (invoking air [3]) on each with your finger, saying:

Open my eyes to see, my mind to understand and my perception to clarity.

Open your eyes. Dip finger of choice in bath, anointing lips in same fashion, saying:

Open my lips to speak the truth.

Similarly, anoint your breast, saying:

Open my heart to beat with compassion.

Similarly, anoint the palms of your hands, saying:

Open the strength of my hands to do rightly.

Similarly, anoint your loins, saying:

Open my lifeforce to flow with the Source of Peace.

Similarly, anoint your knees, saying:

Open me to be a revealed blessing.

Similarly, anoint the tops of both feet, saying:

Open the path to all good and guard my way upon it.

4. Cleanse the ritual space.

Sprinkle salt-herb water from ritual bowl, starting from the north and turning clockwise ("deosil", pronounced "jess-el", also called "sunwise" and the "holy round"); i.e. north to east to south to west. Repeat by carrying a representative of each of the four elements [4, 5], working with one element at a time.

5. Set up your altar.

Faced north, located on the eastern side of the room/space. Sprinkle salt-herb water over altar area. Set up table or other surface. Cover with black altar cloth. Individualize set up of altar space. Place candle trays upon the altar cloth now if you are going to use them. Place "circle" quarter candle (black anointed and consecrated tea candles in clear crystal circle holders) on each side of the altar north to east to south to west.

Generally, and in this order [3], place fire element (main illuminator black candle anointed, consecrated and inscribed using athame) and athame on the northern side of the altar. Place air element (incense in cauldron censor) and witch's wand (symbolizes "order from chaos") on the eastern side. Place water element (bowl of water) and chalice/kiddush cup on the southern side. Place earth element (stone or piece of wood) and pentacle on the western side.

Place besom on eastern corner (on or near the altar). Place other objects pertaining to your ritual intent upon the altar if desired [6]. Note, the only steel or iron item upon your altar should be your athame.

6. Call the quarters or watchtowers.

Pick up athame. With projecting hand (right), hold it point up parallel to your heart. Face north, raise up athame, drawing a pentagram in space with your athame in the manner invoking fire [3], saying:

Blessed is She, the Eternal Flame and the Essence of Truth.

Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the north, element of the fire, I, (your name), do summon, stir and call you forth to witness this rite, and to protect this sacred space and time. Welcome to my circle. Stand in strength. Blessed be in joy, love and light. So mote it be.

Point athame into (toward) the earth, walk/turn the circle clockwise (deosil), then return athame to the altar. Face the east, light incense, raising it and drawing a pentagram in space in the manner invoking air [3], saying:

Blessed is She, Mistress of the mysteries of spices and perfumes, the One over Death, and She who loves me.

Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the east, element of the air. I, (your name), do summon, stir and call you forth to witness this rite, and to protect this sacred space and time. Welcome to my circle. Stand in strength. Blessed be in joy, love and light. So mote it be. [7]

Holding censor, turning a complete circle (or walk the circle) deosil, reface the altar. Return censor to the eastern quarter of the altar. Pick up water bowl on the southern quarter.

Repeat with south-water, west-earth.

Blessing over water element:

Blessed is She who bestows Wisdom.

Blessing over earth element:

Blessed is She who sustains Life.

7. Cast your circle, pick up athame, extend it outward and down toward the earth, walking deosil starting from the north, saying:

I conjure you, O Circle, to establish in this place sacred ground, with the Brilliance of the Shechinah surround, Her Power within it found.

No place or time or barrier may there be, between Her, my word and me. So mote it be.

Baruch shem kevod malchutah leolam va'ed, amen.

ברוך שם כבוד מלכותה לעולם ועד, אמן
Translation: Blessed is the Glorious Name, Her Kingdom stands forever and ever, amen.

8. Light the illuminator-shabbat candle(s), (covering eyes) saying:

Blessed are You Shabbat, Goddess of all life, Who transforms darkness into light.

Uncover eyes and circle flame 3 times with hands (starting and ending over your heart), each time drawing light toward you.

9. Pour and bless wine, saying:

Blessed are You Shechinah, Goddess of all life, Who guides me to wise understanding, proper compassion and right action.

Take a drink.

10. Blessing over bread:

Blessed are You Shechinah, Who nourishes me with all goodness.

Take a bite.

11. Perform other specific observances, shabbat spellwork, meditative study, etc.

12. Release quarters and open circle [8] following havdalah.


Footnotes:

[1] Dragon's blood, frankincence, myrrh, pinch of salt, drop of vanilla oil, drop of olive oil, drop of red wine (may vary according to intent of ritualwork). Ritual bath general reference: The Craft (Dorothy Morrison).

[2] See Ari's chiromancy correspondences.

[3] Pentagram invocations and banishings according to correspondences of the Zohar (hat-tip to Jack Nathanson for Zohar reference).




[4] Examples of elemental representatives: earth (stone, small piece of wood, bowl of salt, pentacle), fire (small lit candle, athame), air (lit incense stick or feather, wand), water (bowl of water, seashell, chalice).

[5] Elemental correspondences according to the Zohar: north-fire, east-air, south-water, west-earth.

[6] Book of Shadows (BOS), cauldron, tarot cards, dream journal, ritual jewelry, cakes/cookies/challah, kosher wine or grapejuice.

[7] "Hail, Guardians ... so mote it be" - standard quarter call revised from Solitary Witch (Silver RavenWolf).

[8] Walking and moving widdershins (counterclockwise), using pentagram "banishing" formations at the quarters to return the energies from whence they came.

Sacred Ritual Seals

אתהפכא חשוכא לנהורא
Selah.

To seal a spell [1], witches say "so mote it be," meaning "it is so." In a similar manner, Jews seal prayer spells with the words amen (אמן) or selah (סלה). In the Temple, in place of amen, the words [2] are said:

Blessed be His Glorious Majesty forever and ever.
ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד

The witch's "so mote it be" and "amen" mean the same thing. This seal reinforces Divine Will with the soul power of emunah (interincluded within all levels of one's soul) and kavanah to make the prayer spell manifest. It is a formula of confirmation and agreement. By pronouncing "so mote it be" and "amen" one becomes bound to that uttered. One doesn't say either "so mote it be" or "amen" in vain or with evil intent. It is a serious utterance of creation-making for which one is held accountable.

Selah is an untranslatable term found 71 times in Tehillim (Psalms) and 3 times in Habakkuk [3]. Interpreted as a musical or liturgical sign, it implies raising, lifting, extolling, exalting (the voice of the singers) and in medieval Hebrew texts, it means "forever".

Consequently, we can see that selah "seals" a prayer spell, by raising it up into the Presence of the Divine. Amen and the the witch's blessing seals a prayer spell, by bringing down the Divine Presence and becoming personally bound to it and to the Divine Will by confirming the contract contained within the prayer spell. The Inner Temple blessing is reserved for the Most Holy of prayer spells in the Most Holy of spacetime. It should only be uttered in complete kedushah with the purest kavanah. It contains hashra'ah of Divine Essence, as does the form of the Temple blessing which alludes to the Kingdom of the Divine Feminine:

ברוך שם כבוד מלכותה לעולם ועד, אמן
Blessed is the Glorious Name, Her Kingdom stands forever and ever.

Amen. So mote it be.

Footnotes:

[1] Power Spellcraft For Life, Arin Murphy-Hiscock

[2] Encyclopedia Of Jewish Concepts, Philip Birnbaum (pp. 46-7, 438-439)

[3] Habakkuk 3:3, 3:9 and 3:13