"Do I dare
                                        Disturb the universe?"
                                                 - T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

MAGICK
    Magick is real. It affects reality. It's serious business, something that should never be taken lightly or fooled around with until you know what you are doing. Magick is a tool, a double-edged sword. Magick disturbs the universe, so save it for the big stuff.
    Like anything else, you'll get as much from magick as you put into it. It takes a lot of time and study to become an adept. Be realistic in your expectations. Magick is not the answer to everything, so recognize situations that are better dealt with by law enforcement, doctors, or other professionals. Be reasonable. If someone is spouting blood, apply a tourniquet and call for help before you even think of doing a stop-bleeding spell.
    Magick is natural, not supernatural. Physicists have discovered that particles under study alter their movements, that you can change a thing merely by concentrating on it. That's how magick works. Learning to successfully cast spells is the least of it. Your ultimate goal should be to experience life itself as a magickal thing. The Buddha taught that all life is suffering, but witches beg to differ.
    Magick is very powerful, but to look to it for power over others is to miss the point entirely. Magick isn't for compelling love or obedience, it isn't for destroying your enemies. Magick is about empowerment. This is why I teach people how to cast spells rather than doing spells for them. Magick is for transformation, healing, and betterment. It's for self-improvement and self-determination. Power over yourself and your own life is real power. Use magick to change your life. Battle your demons with it: fears, addictions, diseases, negative patterns.
    Magick is limitless in its forms. Some types of magick include: knot magick, kitchen magick, garden magick, weather magick, chaos magick, hand magick, candle magick, chant magick, Goddess magick, lunar magick, solar magick, crystal magick, dragon magick, sea spells, fire spells, necromancy . . . there are as many kinds as a witch can imagine.
    Knowledge is power, so magickal power accrues with study, experience, practice and inner work. Never try to prove your powers to anyone else. Don't get bogged down in ridiculous 'power contests' with other practitioners. The only one you have anything to prove to is yourself.

INNER WORK
    You would not be reading this were you not already a Seeker, trying to find your Way. Your search (and the inner work it involves) are what matter, not if your Path leads finally to Wicca or somewhere else. Walk in the light and you will never go astray.
    The journey to magick starts with an inner voyage, the journey to Self. It begins with the hand mirror of Venus:  f  This symbol does not represent
vanity. It means Know Thyself. That is the same lesson which was taught at
Delphi: KNOW THYSELF.
    You have been living with yourself all your life, and probably assume that you do know yourself. But unless you are already an adept, you have not yet learned that there are two ways of Knowing, two ways of experiencing the world. Magick will open your eyes, your mind and your Self to the Other way of knowing. Reality is like an onion, composed of layers. Ordinary life takes place on its surface, or perhaps a little deeper for those with inborn psychic gifts. Magick will take you further, teach you how to penetrate the veils and layers of reality. Magick deals in ultimate truths.
    This journey, should you decide to undertake it, is a never-ending one.  We all have things we can still learn about ourselves and about magick, no matter how long we have been studying.

ASTROLOGY: As above, so below
    Most witches believe in astrology. We know that the position of the planets at the time of your birth influences who you will be and what your life will be like. This is not the sole determining factor, since forces like free will, genetics, chance and synchronicity are also in play, but the art and science of astrology is well worth study by witches and those who
would be witches.
    Having your birth chart done, or doing it yourself with the aid of a book, will help you to learn more about yourself. A good astrology book makes you feel like someone has been reading your diary, or peering through the windows of your soul.

THE ELEMENTS
    Most of us feel more affinity for certain elements over others, and this influences our style of practicing magick. Many things determine this affinity including astrology, life events, and geography.
    Examine your life to determine your elements. I am a double Taurus who collects rocks and studies herbalism. I keep crystals and other stones on my altar, and almost always use plants in my spells. Earth is clearly my element, in accord with both my Sun and Moon signs. Yet most of my spells are Fire spells. Why? Perhaps because I almost died in a fire as a young woman.
    I practiced solar magick in Cairo and Los Angeles, but do not in New York. If I lived at the beach, I expect I'd be into sea spells and lunar magick. Everything is connected. Everything influences everything else.
    Do you go scuba diving, bungee jumping or mountain climbing? Has your house got a fireplace, fish tank or wind chimes? Do you garden, fly kites, make pottery or walk in the rain? What do you collect? What do you fear? Examine your preferences and activities to determine your elements.

MYTHOLOGY
    The Goddess is the Universe, not something separate from or superior to it. She is self-created and self-renewing. We are just one product of Her great creative nature. Her variety is infinite, as evinced by snowflakes and fingerprints. She is the yin and yang of being, composed of both female (Goddess) and male (god) energy. As pagans we worship Her by many names: Ishtar, Isis, Shakti, Asherah, Xochiquetzal, Brigit, Pelé, Copper Woman, Lupa, Luna . . . ad infinitum. We also recognize the Old Gods and worship them if we feel moved to do so: Pan, Osiris, Tammuz, Jove, Quetzalcoatl, Cernunnos, Mithras, etc.
    Time spent studying mythology is time well invested. Arthur Cotterell, in his preface to The Encyclopedia of Mythology , points out how mythology deals with fundamental human issues:
          the power of love; its attendant anxiety and jealousy
          the conflict between the generations, between old and new
          the violence of men
          the mystery of death
          the mischief of trouble makers
          the sadness of illness and accidental injury
          the possibility of an afterlife or reincarnation
          the effect of enchantment on mind and body
          the challenge of the unknown
          the sadness of betrayal and treachery
          the cycle of fertility in humans, plants and animals
          the horror of madness
          luck and fate
          the nature of the Universe
          the creation of the world
          the relationship between humans and the godhead
    As you become familiar with the God/desses of the world you will feel yourself drawn to particular deities or cultures. You could also find that you feel affinity for a certain type of deity: sea goddesses, vegetation gods, Earth Mothers, Sky Fathers, culture hero/ines, or whatever. This is another way to learn about yourself.
    I am an American of Western European ancestry to whom all myths are interesting, yet it is to Egyptian mythology that I am most drawn. This tells me something about myself. It informs these pages and the way I practice magick. It helps me to understand why all the roads of my life led to Egypt.

PAST LIVES
    Old Souls are people who have lived before, often many times. Finding out if you are an Old Soul, and who you were in past lives, is fascinating. An attraction to witchcraft or magick in this lifetime may mean you were previously a priest/ess, mage, witch or shaman.
    There are psychologists who hypnotize people and regress them to reveal past lives, but I have not tried this and so cannot express an opinion about it. I have met people who claim to be able to read your past lives in your aura, but again I have no personal experience with this. I am not sure if either of these methods work, but if they do they would give instant gratification. What I am sure of is that there are a lot of charlatans out there who will happily separate you from your money by trying to convince you that you used to be Cleopatra or Merlin.
    Your birth chart can help you determine whether you have lived before. A lack of karma in your natal chart indicates that you may be a New Soul, joining us on the Wheel for the first time. A heavy accumulation of karma is one sign of an Old Soul. Different aspects also give clues. The aspect of Saturn trine Neptune, for example, indicates you are a Seeker far along the Path. It means you probably practiced high magick in a past life, and have the potential to be an adept in this lifetime. This aspect also shows an affinity for earth magick.
    Eastern religions teach that enlightenment means escape from the Wheel, freedom from the cycle of reincarnation, but Wicca does not agree with that. Witches welcome return because we find life joyful.

DREAM WORK
    A past life dream is more like reality than a dream. If you have ever had one, you know exactly what I mean. In an ancient dream you smell people's bodies, feel the heat of the torches, experience the fear or joy of the priestess . . .  you wake up out of breath, with your heart pounding. You were actually there. You know your dream for what it was.
    Dreams can reveal many things besides past lives, things such as directions, future events and unresolved personal issues. The Universe sometimes communicates with us through dreams.
    Dream work is done by keeping a notebook near your bed, a book in which you write down your dreams as soon as you wake up. You could write down every dream, or just those that seem meaningful. Reviewing the dreams as they accumulate may reveal patterns and issues. This also gives validity to premonitions and predictions.

CONFRONTING YOUR DARK SIDE
    We all have a dark side, and must confront it before we can trust ourselves with magick. This requires absolute honesty with yourself. You have to find a way to deal with your demons; demons being negative things like aggression, jealousy, addictions, envy, depression. The solution is different for each of us. My own dark side is darker than most, but I work it out in my poetry.
    Magick has its dark side as well, the black arts. They can be seductive, but you will ultimately destroy yourself if you choose the left hand path. Protect yourself from this. Never participate in Satanism, black magick, demonology, blood sacrifice, or anything else that is negative. Avoid books by Aleister Crowley and those who follow his twisted path. Develop your psychic radar so that alarm bells go off whenever evil comes near you.

PATHWORKING
     You can learn witchcraft on your own, from books and web sites. It isn't necessary to have a teacher, but you can look for one if you prefer.  You can practice entirely alone, as I do, or you could seek out others to work with. The choice to follow a solitary path, or to join or form a circle or coven, is yours. Follow your heart in such matters and never allow others to impose these choices on you.
    It is said, however, that when you are ready a coven or teacher will come.

THE LAW
    You should carefully examine any spell or magickal work before you perform it to be sure that it is in accord with the Law. If you do harm inadvertently, try to right it. Many witches work a phrase into their spells that prevents accidental harm, something like, ìAnd let no harm be done by this.î
    Witches recognize magick as a gift of the Goddess. We never accept money for casting spells or the help we give. There is, however, no requirement we help everyone who comes to us for it. Follow your own inclinations in this.

DIVINATION
    Every witch needs to learn some method of divination, be it runes, Tarot, scrying, I Ching, or whatever. Divination is a way for the Universe to speak to and through us.

ALTAR
    An altar is a place for worship and casting spells. Erect one if you can. It could be a formal altar with an embroidered cloth, or it could be a table, bookshelf, desktop, slab of rock . . . any place you have available to you for this purpose. Usual altar furnishings include:
               candles
               tools
               statues or other representations of deities
               incense
               crystals
               offerings, such as fruit and flowers
    As with all else, it's your altar and you can put whatever you like on it. Pay homage to a particular god, Goddess or pantheon. Decorate it for the seasons, the Sabbats, the full moon - whatever feels right and looks good to you.

NAME
    Many witches elect to assume a Craft name. This is optional, entirely up to you unless you join a tradition in which a new name is required. Your name, if you choose one, should say something about you. God/dess, plant and animal names seem to be popular, especially variations on wolf, dragon and raven. Names that include the Moon, a color or stone are also often seen. Some witches start with a single name then add additional ones to it as they progress in the Craft. In some traditions each witch also has a secret name, one that is known only to family or fellow coven members.
    This is a free planet and you can call yourself anything you like, but young witches who assume titles like Lord, Lady or Sir may find themselves catching flack for this from older witches who think such titles should be earned or awarded.

INITIATION
    Witch. What a powerful word it is. It attracts, it repels, it frightens, it fascinates. It offers hope to those who do not know where else to turn. No one should ever assume this title lightly. To call yourself a witch is to appoint yourself a Priest/ess of the Goddess. It is a binding contract to serve the Life Force.
    I think that you are entitled to call yourself a witch from the day you feel entitled to do so. Some people, however, feel the need for a ceremony to mark this transition in their life. A ceremony that says "Today I am a witch."
    Covens often do initiation ceremonies for new members. Solitary witches can hold Self-Initiation Ceremonies of their own devising. If you feel the need for a ceremony, have one. If not, just look yourself in the eye in a mirror and say it out loud: "Witch."

NATURAL WITCHES
    A natural witch is a born witch, someone who requires no initiation. This may be someone who is a hereditary witch, or who was a witch, priest/ess or adept in a previous life.
    Look for clues in your life, your family history, your birth chart and your dreams to discover if you are a natural witch. Did you ever wish something and have it come true, to your horror or surprise? Did you suspect you caused this, intentionally or otherwise? Perhaps you did. Were you a Pagan sort of child? Have you dreamt ancient dreams? Do you seem to have a natural affinity for magick? Have you got psychic gifts? Do inexplicable things happen to or around you? All of these are indications.
    If you suspect you're a natural witch, you probably are. There are more people alive on the planet right now than have lived in all of human history, so it makes sense that many of us are Old Souls. Recycling is pleasing to the Goddess.

HEREDITARY WITCHES
    Like blue eyes and diabetes, witchcraft can also be inherited. It skips a generation, according to some traditions. I get letters that start "We found a handwritten book in the attic . . .", and others from witches who have discovered ancestors who were accused or admitted witches.
    Many witches were taught Craft skills by their grandmothers, even if no one ever used the word witchcraft. I think this would make an excellent subject for investigation by a scientist witch.