Alexander - The Everything Wicca and Witchcraft Book: Rituals, spells, and sacred objects for everyday magick

THE

WICCA &

WITCHCRAFT

BOOK

2ND EDITION

Rituals, spells, and sacred objects
for everyday magick

Skye Alexander

Dear Reader,

What come s to mind when you hear the word witch? A cackling old hag with a long nose, warts, and a pointy black hat? An evil sorceress stirring a strange brew in a cauldron? Those negative stereotypes are rapidly being replaced with more accurate images as Wicca and witchcraft come out of the broom closet. Todays witches are doctors, computer programmers, teachers, landscapers, and flight attendants. The person who cuts your hair or repairs your car might be a witch. Wicca, in fact, is one of the fastest-growing religions in the Western world.

Thats all fine and well, but what can Wicca and witchcraft do for you? First, lets consider what it wont do. It wont solve all your problems overnight; it wont give you perfect hair; it wont do your housework. But it will provide a framework for living the life you really want and the tools to achieve your fondest dreams. It will open new horizons for you, bring you myriad opportunities, and change your life in incredible ways. It will show you how to control your own destiny.

Maybe youd like to learn to do magick spells. Maybe youre seeking a community of people who share your reverence for the earth and all life. Maybe you want to connect with a deeper par t of yourself and with the divine forces in the universe. If so, Wicca and witchcraft can guide you to become what you already are in your hear t and soula powerful, magickal, spiritual person. This book can lead you as you take the first steps. Blessed be.

Skye Alexander

These handy, accessible books give you all you need to tackle a difficult project, gain a new hobby, comprehend a fascinating topic, prepare for an exam, or even brush up on something you learned back in school but have since forgotten.

You can choose to read an Everything book from cover to cover or just pick out the information you want from our four useful boxes: e-questions, e-facts, e-alerts, e-ssentials. We give you everything you need to know on the subject, but throw in a lot of fun stuff along the way, too.

We now have more than 400 Everything books in print, spanning such wide-ranging categories as weddings, pregnancy, cooking, music instruction, foreign language, crafts, pets, New Age, and so much more. When youre done reading them all, you can finally say you know Everything!

DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION Paula Munier

MANAGING EDITOR, EVERYTHING SERIES Lisa Laing

COPY CHIEF Casey Ebert

ACQUISITIONS EDITOR Lisa Laing

DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Brett Palana-Shanahan

Visit the entire Everythingseries atwww.everything.com

Dedication
To the Kerrville Cowgirls

Id like to thank Paula Munier, Lisa Laing, Brett Palana-Shanahan, and Casey Ebert at Adams Media.

. They give you the tools to create your own reality.

. They allow you to take greater control over your life.

. They provide a framework for living in harmony with nature and the cosmos.

. They strengthen your mental skills.

. They can enhance your relationships with other people.

. They broaden your perspective of the universe.

. They put you in touch with the nonphysical realms of existence.

. They heighten your intuition.

. They can improve your health.

. They connect you with a network of like-minded people worldwide.

LATELY, YOU MIGHT have noticed that the words Witch, Witchcraft, and Wicca pop up everywhereon television and radio programs, in movies, at bookstores, in magazines, on the Internet, and even in casual conversations. These terms are not new, but they have finally lost their negative connotations. TV witches are no longer portrayed as ugly, evil cronesno more warts, wrinkles, and pointy black hats. Instead, the characters and people presented could live next doorand some probably do!

Surprised? Dont be. Wicca is among the fastest-growing religious systems in the United States; it is even recognized by the U.S. military. Similarly, witchcraft is a rapidly growing practice/methodology in which magick (manipulating energies) plays a key role.

Notice the important difference between Wicca and witchcraft: although the two are related, and share similar practices, the beliefs behind them are often different. To keep it simple, remember that Wicca is a religion, like Christianity, while witchcraft is a methodology. Wiccans generally practice witchcraft, but witches may not necessarily share Wiccan beliefs and therefore would not consider themselves Wiccan.

Confused? Thats okay; sometimes even those who have been practicing magick for decades still have to pause and consider how to define themselves in easily understood terms. The Everything Wicca & Witchcraft Book is one such pause for explanation and definition.

This books goal is to provide you with a plethora of useful information. It is, in fact, a guide that will cover everything you need to know in order to better understand both Wicca and witchcraft, and even learn some magick to practice yourself. Here youll discover where these two systems fit into the broad-based Neo-Pagan community, and youll get an overview of their origins. Youll also find out how each system is practiced and who, exactly, is shaping this swelling spiritual wave.

Are you curious about elemental and planetary correspondences for plants and animals, or how to effectively construct a ritual in a truly magickal way? Would you like to know whether witches are psychic, what kinds of ethics Wiccans hold dear, what divinatory tools magickal folk prefer (and why), or if any of the superstitions about witches are true? The answers are all here!

In this book, as in most others on this topic, you will read about the many personalities (mentioned or quoted directly) who have contributed in one way or another to what Wicca and witchcraft are today. Who are these people, what walks of life do they come from, and why are they important to the Craft? To fully understand Wicca and witchcraft, you will need to get a good feel for the real people leading these movements.

As you read, keep in mind that Wicca and witchcraft are composed of many vision-based faiths and practices, shaped intimately by the individuals walking their chosen paths. This means that no book can be the final authority on Wicca and witchcraft. The information provided here is generalizeda picture painted with a broad brush, if you will, of whats common and popular in Wicca and witchcraft. Its quite possible that you could meet a witch or Wiccan who does things differently than whats portrayed in these pages. Theres a lot of room for improvising, borrowing from other cultures and paths, and personalizing these practices. In fact, the ability to transform and adapt with the earth, society, and each persons individuality is among the cornerstones of eclectic witchery and Wicca, as well as of many Neo-Pagan traditions.