The Real Witches’ Craft: Magical Techniques and Guidance for a Full Year of Practising the Craft. Kate West

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СКАЧАТЬ many blends of incense around or you can make up your own. If you choose to do the latter it is as well to test anything you create before you actually intend to use it, as you do not want to fill your home with an evil-smelling fog, even if it is effective!

      

      Again, alcohol has been used for thousands of years, but there is a very fine line between the amount which will help to release the spirit and the amount which can interfere with, rather than enhance, magical working.

      

      No responsible person would advise the use of any kind of drugs, whether legal or otherwise, to achieve a state of altered consciousness. Furthermore, it has been found that those who do use them in this way subsequently have enormous difficulty in being able to work without them. Having said that, there are many household herbs which can be made into teas which can help with accessing the subconscious mind, and which are very effective in psychic readings rather than in power raising.

      5 Dancing

      Again, dancing has a very long history as a way of achieving an altered state of mind. In group workings the circle dance is a very effective way of raising power, and the solitary Witch can dance magic into working. The most effective dances all include moving in a circular motion. To gain a brief taste for this, try spinning on the spot for just a minute: when you stop you should detect a change in your perceptions.

      6 Blood control and use of the cords

      Using cords to bind a person with the intention of reducing the flow of blood to achieve a state of altered consciousness is something which I do not recommend. Whilst it is possible for a skilled person to tie another in such a way as to achieve this, for the Solitary it is fraught with hideous potentialities, including the possibility of causing brain damage or even death. However, there are safer ways of controlling the flow of blood, such as those used in yoga to slow the heart rate.

      7 The scourge

      Regular rhythmic use of the scourge can induce a trance-like state, but it is not something that very many people feel comfortable with. Furthermore, it is virtually impossible to achieve on your own.

      8 The Great Rite

      The Great Rite is a part of Ritual which is usually carried out by a working partnership of Witches. The Rite involves a Priest and Priestess invoking the Goddess and the God into one another and then celebrating their union. It can take place symbolically; in which case the union will be performed with Chalice and Athame in a similar way to the Rite of Wine and Cakes; in token, where the Priest will overlay the Priestess but not penetrate her; or actual, in which the rite is consummated. Note that the Rite of Wine and Cakes, however, has neither the same intent nor effect as the Great Rite; they just appear similar.

      

      Outside of the Eight-fold Path, there are other ways of raising energy: limited fasting; drumming and clapping and other forms of music; working with strong feelings and emotions; giving energy form; grounding; and certain Rituals, such as Drawing down the Moon and the Charge of the Goddess.

      FASTING

      One method of enhancing your ability to raise power and to work magic which is not included in the Eight-fold Path is to limit the food and drink you put into your body, or partial fasting. Note that this is not the same as starving yourself! For the first 18 hours of the 24-hour period prior to your magical working you limit your food intake to fresh fruit only, taking no food at all for the final six hours before the working. For the whole of this 24-hour period you may drink as much water or plain herbal tea as you wish. Obviously, you should not do this if you have any kind of illness or have a hectic schedule, nor should you do this more than once a month. This cleansing regime will enhance your ability to raise power, and to focus and control it.

      MUSIC

      Another aid to raising power which is not actually mentioned in the Eight-fold Path is the use of music, although it is perhaps implied in the sections on chant, dance and calls. A timeless technique, music of one kind or another has a long history of being used to enhance magical working. This is especially true of drumming and other forms of percussion, including clapping, and of singing. You only have to go to a well-attended performance of vibrant music to be able to see the way that the atmosphere becomes charged. Performers will tell you that they can feel the energy of the audience rising when their music is appreciated, and that they in turn can use that energy to enhance their performance. Many Witches use music to enhance their working, either creating it themselves or sometimes using pre-recorded pieces. It is worth noting, though, that as many electronic items malfunction when taken into the Circle, the actual machinery is best situated outside of the Circle.

      

      Of all the above techniques, probably the most successful for actually raising power are the use of music, chants and dance, whilst limited fasting will enhance any kind of magical working.

      PRACTICAL WORK 1

       Experiment with several different kinds of recorded music to see which you find raises your energy levels. You might also like to try different volume levels (although try not to offend those you live with or near to!) and different levels of bass and treble. Most people find that repetitive music with a definite base beat works best, and often that instrumental is better than that with vocals, although there are some chants tapes and CDs where the vocals complement the Craft rather than distract the attention. You might also like to listen to regional, traditional and ethnic pieces, as these often have their roots in Goddess worship. If you can find pieces which build in pace and volume you may also find that these are more effective too. When you have found a few pieces of music then try playing them within the cast Circle to see which still feel strong.

      Take this a step further by clapping along to the rhythm, starting by a single clap to the beat and increasing this to two, three or four claps per beat. The idea is to increase the energy input progressively so that the power builds. If you have a drum you could also experiment using this. In most cases it is better to drum with the hands rather than using any kind of stick as the idea is to raise power, not to be as loud as you can.

       As with many of the exercises in this book, don’t expect instant results. Most things related to the Craft take time to learn and develop the necessary skills. Remember to write up your thoughts and feelings.

      PRACTICAL WORK 2

       Once you have found some music which appeals to you, try expressing yourself through dancing to it. Incorporate circular and spinning movements in your dance. Practise until you find a dance which you can feel building energy. Initially, do this without casting a Circle; that way, although you will detect the rising energy it will be able to dissipate quickly, rather than leaving you with unfocused power.

      Don’t worry if you feel self-conscious at first; most of us do, although you may find it easier if you can ensure that you will not be seen by others! When you feel ready, try this in the Circle at a time when you have a simple spell to perform and see if you can detect the difference in your magical power.

      PRACTICAL WORK 3

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