The Green Wiccan Magical Spell Book: A compendium of magical knowledge

Introduction

For years, loyal readers of my monthly spell advice and witchy teachings column in the magazine Spirit & Destiny have been asking for a book of spells. I try my best to answer everyone’s emails, but do not always have time, so I realized that a book would allow everyone to look up magic whenever they like. But to be honest, I didn’t want to compile a list of spells. Many such books already exist and I always feel they are lacking so much—spells do not work well if you don’t know about their magical background and how to perform them. So this is the beginners’ book I much preferred to write. It includes spells, but also has plenty of other information, to give a well-rounded introduction to Green Wicca, a modern tradition of Wicca, working in harmony with Mother Nature.

This was an interesting book to write, as I tried to pin down the most important teachings that I have focused on in my training coven’s 15 years of existence, and then arrange them to fit into one book. It was hard to decide what to include and what to leave out, especially in Part One, Magical Theory and Practice. Part Two, Spells, was easier—thanks to my coven friends often asking for spells, and the feedback from readers of my Spirit & Destiny column, I knew which spells were the most successful for each topic, and selected those, together with a few brand new spells written especially for this book.

The little stars at the beginning of a spell ✪ signify its difficulty level. One star is for an easy spell that anyone can do; it doesn’t require much concentration or experience, or any complicated ingredients. Two stars indicate a spell that may take some preparation; not an overly complicated spell, but it may not be suitable as a first spell, and could require some expensive or not-readily-available ingredients. Three stars mark a spell that is a bit more complicated and may suit a witch with some experience; it may use ingredients that are difficult to get. This doesn’t mean you can’t do a three-star spell if you are a beginner, but one- or two-star spells are more likely to work for you.

An interest in Tarot cards and doing guided meditations with friends started me on my occult journey, and I quickly became interested in Wicca as a religion and the practice of witchcraft.

Over the years, my practice has changed, going from eclectic Wicca through traditional Alexandrian Wicca and Celtic Wicca, back to a more hedgewitchery type of witchcraft. The great thing about this religion, and magic in general, is that it is so adaptable; it can change with your views, your experience, the time and money you have to devote to it, and anything else that influences your life. There are guidelines to morals and practice, of course, and some things work better for some people than others, but it is a wonderfully changeable religion, which I hope is reflected in this book.

ALL SORTS OF ALTARS

A great example of the adaptability of Wicca to different situations is the altar. Some of my friends are in the enviable position of having a ritual room with a permanent altar, completely dedicated to magic, but that is not necessary. I have a cabinet in the living room that I use as an altar and also to keep my witchy books, crystals, and other magical tools. Other coven members drape an embroidered altar cloth over the dining-room table, or use a windowsill, or improvize with a tree trunk in the woods at the back of the house. If you have it, use it; if you don’t have it, don’t worry about it.

I leave you with this blessing, and hope you enjoy the book:

May the sun high in the air

Give you the strength to dare

May the oceans of your soul

Be healed and make you whole.

This circle is open, and yet it is unbroken.

Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!

PART ONE

Magical

Theory and

Practice

Before you start performing magic, it will help to have some background on the basic building blocks of witchcraft—the history of witchcraft, and the different traditions within the religion of Wicca.

If what I have written about the history and current state of witchcraft in Chapter 1 interests you, I urge you to look at the resources page at the back of the book for further reading.

Chapter 2, Magical Tips and Tricks, will get you started on practicing magic and, I hope, help you realize that you do not need to be a Grand Wizard with tons of experience and expensive herbs and crystals, or have extraordinary psychic powers, to practice magic. All you need is an interest, an open mind, and the willingness to learn.

CHAPTER 1

Background

to Magic

To be able to perform magic successfully, it is vital to understand how and why it works—and why it may not work!—and when to tread carefully, so that you don’t endanger yourself or others. Staying within the moral boundaries of spellcraft is essential.

This chapter will explain the theory and ethics of magic, why and how magic works, and the different witchy and Pagan traditions.

herbs

cauldron

broom

athame

witch’s hat

rituals

Witch’s pyramid

A four-sided pyramid symbolizes the Wiccan code and guides

witches in their magical practice. The sides represent knowledge,

willpower, daring, and silence.

To know—intuition is important but so is research. Books and the internet are there for you to use, and talking to experienced witches is enormously helpful. At first, reading and hearing different opinions may be confusing, but from all that knowledge, you can crystallize your own beliefs and refine your practice.

To will—you need strong will, both to gather the magical energy necessary to make spells successful, and sometimes to defend your beliefs. Positive thinking is a big part of magic. If you don’t have the self-confidence to believe in it, your magic is unlikely to work. Witches have been known to be quite stubborn!

To dare—especially in the beginning, you will need to take risks and try spells without knowing how successful they are going to be. You will need to look inward to learn about yourself, and you may make some uncomfortable discoveries, but the process will help you to grow. You should always try to be as safe as possible, but without risk, there is no reward. Dare to question what you think you know, and dare to practice what you learn from this book!

To be silent—years ago, secrecy was more important than it is now for anyone practicing witchcraft, and Wicca still has some secret traditions, especially surrounding initiations. This side of the pyramid also reminds us not to be prideful or boast when our spells work. Sometimes, silent magic is most powerful, and can help us to focus our energy.

Magical ethics

Wiccans have often been accused of immorality because we don’t believe that our bodies, or the Earth, are evil or sinful, as preached by most of the world’s major religions. A line from the inspirational poem Charge of the Goddess—All acts of love and pleasure are my rituals—may seem to endorse that idea, but it doesn’t actually mean that we have orgies. Wicca has values and ethics. Its two main guidelines for both performing magic and living spiritually are:

AND IT HARM NONE,

DO WHAT THOU WILT

At first glance, this seems fairly easy, but it can be a little more complicated than making sure the herb you are going to use isn’t poisonous. And it harm none refers not only to other people, but also to yourself, animals, plants, and the Earth. All are connected spiritually, ecologically, and physically, and we must carefully weigh our actions against their consequences, being guided by an awareness of the impact of our deeds.

The concept of black versus white magic comes from this principle. Basically, anything that goes against another person’s free will, or is harmful, is considered black magic; beneficial spells are white magic. However, there is some controversy about this interpretation, since it isn’t really the magic that is black or white, but the intent of the witch performing it.

LEST IN THY SELF-DEFENSE IT BE, EVER MIND THE RULE OF THREE

This one is a little easier. Think of karma, or reaping what you sow. Wiccans believe that what you do comes back to you threefold, so if you send out bad energy in the form of a spell or action, not only does it backfire on you, but you suffer three times the consequence! And if you have been deliberately harmed, the perpetrator will suffer the consequences sooner or later.

Why and how magic works

HIDDEN REASONS

Remember the line Sometimes I thank the Lord for unanswered prayers (from a Garth Brooks’ song). Maybe your herbal spell or ritual isn’t working, not because you did something wrong, but because it is not right for you—for example, it may not be the right time for you to move house or start a new relationship.

Magic has no certainties or guarantees; even an experienced witch won’t be 100 percent successful. What it does do, though, is change probability. For example, if you do a spell to win the lottery, even if your chances double, they are still tiny (which is why you won’t find any such spells in this book). But if you are one of three people up for promotion, doubling your chances with a spell will significantly increase your prospects of getting the job. Magic uses the energy of the universe. The herbs, colors, crystals, and other paraphernalia help because they have their own magical energies, but you are the main part.

So if a spell does not work, have a close look at all aspects of it: did you do it for the right reasons or were you selfish? Was the herb you used healthy and potent, or was it moldy, or weak in magical energy because it grew near a highway and was poisoned by fumes? Maybe you need to change the colors of the candles, or add to the spell by asking the blessing of a patron deity, such as Eros for love, Brigit for motherhood, or Ceres for wisdom. Did you try to do several spells at once, spreading your own energy too thinly? Also, think whether the spell may have worked without you realizing it, because you were closed to the possibility that the milkman could be your new lover, for instance; or perhaps it is taking some time to manifest itself; for example, it may be that your bosses are quietly earmarking you for promotion.

Sun and Moon

The sun and the moon have been worshipped since the first members of the human race set foot on this Earth. They are equal opposites, neither more important than the other, balancing each other perfectly. The Moon Goddess and the Sun God are the archetypal female and male energies. So, while some specific deities represent them, the term Moon Goddess is often used to mean all female deities, and Sun God all male deities.

The Moon Goddess is symbolized by a triple moon (waxing for the Maiden Goddess, full for the Mother Goddess, and waning for the Crone), and is seen as caring and cleansing; thus you might ask the Moon Goddess for guidance if you cannot see through a haze of emotions or other obstacles in your path. Think of the way the moon illuminates even the darkest night.

The Sun God is usually symbolized by a sun, or a simple yellow or orange circle. He is seen as invigorating and energy giving, so you might ask for his blessing when your mood is downbeat, or you need extra energy to carry you through a difficult day, or to finish a project at work.

FOLLOW THE SUN

To draw in the Sun God's energy,