Ethically in Order - Starting the New Year Off Right

ד׳ בחשון תשע"ב
Phasma Priscus 7

Starting the New Year off right - In honor of the Ancestors, to bring merit to the world in the name of my Ancestors, entirely of my own volition, several months ago I decided that my New Year's resolution would be to bring my Etsy shoppe into full compliance with all Etsy policies and to make sure both my shoppe sites fulfilled all ethical obligations of my spiritual Tradition. It took me over a week to tweak all 600+ listings, but I did it! Be blessed my Ancestors and shoppe patrons, I started off both the Celtic and Jewish New Years with my shoppes ethically in order! There is no better positive action and positive result with which to start the New Year than this - bringing honor to and spiritual pleasure to the souls of the Ancestors!

May those who purchase from Witchcrafts Artisan Alchemy™ receive karmic benefit and be blessed through the practice of ethical Witchcraft through the magical offerings obtained through my shoppes.

Ethical Witchcraft / Traditional Herbalism

ה׳ בתשרי תשע"ב
Blodlessing 7

The artisan candles, specialty potions, wortcunning remedies, cauldron brews and other concoctions skillfully crafted at Witchcrafts Artisan Alchemy™ are designed with herbs, resins, curios and focused magical intent in the full spirit of Old World Tradition. Not taken lightly, but with commitment, honor, a spirit open to life, a mind open to learning, and an eye open to the threads and patterns weaving throughout the Cosmos, the Work practiced at Witchcrafts Artisan Alchemy™ is guided by the thirteen ethical Laws of the Traditional Herbalist.


Eihwaz - the rune of trustworthiness.

1. Be aware of all four elements. Each facet of the Work requires a balance of the four.
2. Be aware, "as above, so below." As one sows, so shall one reap.
3. Any remedy of the Traditional Herbalist must be in balance - air, earth, fire and water.
4. Work only for good: to restore health, well-being, peace, balance.
5. The poisons of the Traditional Herbalist are to be used only to dispel or suffocate that which causes harm to a fellow creature.
6. No concoction of the Traditional Herbalist is made to be used to impair or injure anyone or anything.
7. The Traditional Herbalist works with the Cosmos, in sympathetic energetic harmony.
   
8. The Traditional Herbalist practices conservation, never taking more than is needed, or taking without leaving behind a gift or blessing.
   
9. The Traditional Herbalist will do no harm, stirring the cauldron of Creation only for good.
10. The Traditional Herbalist practices the Craft with Awareness, living life daily with magical Awareness and wonder. Practicing Awareness is cultivated as a way of life.
    
11. The Traditional Herbalist follows the natural cycles of the Moon, the Earth, the Stars, and the patterns of the Cosmos.
12. The Traditional Herbalist knows from Doing, and is a practitioner of Action, understanding that all Action influences everything else.
13. The Traditional Herbalist learns from her/his Craft, understanding that the Act of Doing brings about Greater Knowledge.

At Witchcrafts Artisan Alchemy™ I strive to practice the Craft with integrity and to pass the energy of this integrity on to you, my clients, through the lovely offerings you purchase from my shoppe. May you who choose to purchase from Witchcrafts Artisan Alchemy™ be blessed through the practice of ethical Witchcraft ~ Liorah Lleucu.

New Additions To My Bookshelf

Evolutionary Witchraft, T. Thorn Coyle

"We need to connect, to find the sacred in our lives right now, rather than on some future day of transcendence and redemption. In a time of global and environmental crises, a religion that firmly connects us to the earth is not only appealing, but crucial. In Evolutionary Witchcraft (Tarcher - Penguin softcover/October 1, 2004), Coyle invites us to uncover the dignity of our souls, to connect with both the natural world and realms unseen to wholly embrace ourselves and see what emerges from that crucible of contradictions: strength, compassion, generosity, joy, darkness, and light. It calls us to our wild, magical core-the source to transform our selves and the world."

Wonder Of Witchcraft, Sage Weston

"The study and practice of witchcraft or 'wise-craft' goes back to the dawn of time. The wisewomen - and men - of days gone by understood the four elements that made up the world - those of earth, air, fire and water - and respected their powers. They learnt a little about the movement of the stars, the effects of solar and lunar tides, prompting tides of group thought - the impulse that ran through the mass subconscious. Sage Weston traces the origins of the Old Religion and its importance and relevance to life in today’s fast-moving, noisy, crowded society. The importance of finding one’s own quiet space is discussed, as are the seasonal and cosmic rhythms - the natural time and tides so vital to the modern witches and their ancestors alike. The uses of meditation and dreams, the Hidden Path, magical names, linking with the elements and linking witchcraft with everyday life - really living it - are all covered here."

Witchcrafting, Phyllis Curott

"Far from being just another mechanical spell book, Witch Crafting is the first book to offer readers not only the how-to of Witchcraft, but also the why-to, explaining the profound spiritual tenets behind Wiccan techniques. Filled with both traditional and innovative shamanic practices, Phyllis also provides an empowering new definition of magic and reexamines the ethics under which Witchcraft is practiced, offering a groundbreaking alternative to the Threefold Law."

The Golem Watcher, A Wizard's Familiar

Researching defensive magick, I came across this about "familiars" in Mastering Witchcraft (Paul Huson) which sounds amazing like the magical golem of Jewish tradition.

There are several types of familiars, or magistelli, to give them their more correct title. Basically, there are three types of magistellus.

The third type, and to the individual witch (or wizard), most important type of magistellus is that of the magical servant. This may be a demonic entity who has been "bound" to some magical instrument such as a show stone or mirror, permanently or temporaily. It may also be an elemental creature formed by the combination of your witch (or wizard) power and some natural phenomenon. This type of magistellus becomes the protective spirit or Watcher, a magical guardian of the home. They take time to formulate, but really can prove to be of tremendous value. For unlike the general Earth spells which are effective to guard your home from general bad vibrations, to guard against out-and-out magical attack, a magistellus is ideal; it possesses a definite will of its own, the entire aim of which is to protect the house and those that dwell in it from all offensive sorcery. As such, it is really a magical type of vigilant robot, programmed solely to watch over the safety of the home. A sorcerer's watchdog, in fact.

Interestingly, in Jewish tradition, the term golem (a creature created "artifically" by magical means) is also used to describe newbies to the tradition and Torah study. In other words, ba'alei teshuvah and converts are often used as golems, magistelli and familiars are used. They are "simple" people, in terms of Torah scholarship and are eagerly looking for acceptance into a community. Consequently, they can easily be used as watchdogs and to "bide the issue" as discussed in a previous entry regarding lost curses.

In my own way of thinking, a wizard or witch ought to be willing to take full responsibility for his or her magic. If he or she isn't willing to do this, then something is terribly wrong with the kavanah and/or magic of the wizard or witch, and clearly he or she suspects that the magic may have a cost that he or she is unwilling to pay.