Rituals – The Craft of Conscious Magic

There are a wide variety of rituals of magic, but rituals within the context of witchcraft are one step above a simple spiritual practice that we might create every day, and they usually require a more structured plan and being conscious of our magic.

Rituals are widely used to raise, hold, transmute, or release energy. I believe that the most important part of a magical ritual is the intention and emotions in which the ritual is being performed.

Magic

Magic is that invisible force of energy that you can direct with your will that essentially is neutral. Magic is the power that lives within us all to create miracles and changes that will benefit the magician.

The purposes of Magic have been vast over the centuries, but normally it is used to:

· promote knowledge, health, wealth, power, or love

· to ward off illness or danger, or to protect

· to guarantee efficiency or success in an endeavour

· to cause harm or to stop an enemy

· to reveal the truth and/or to promote spiritual transformation

Are you doing White Magic or Black Magic?

What determines the difference between white and black magic is the energy of the magician. There are no different types of magic. In my opinion, magic just is.

Magic is created every day in different degrees, many times we send good wishes out, and other times we send curses.

The result of the magic created will vary on the values of the magician. I find that all white magicians follow the rule of ‘’Not interfering with someone’s will’’. That means that if you need to mention anyone’s name or any organisation, I invite you to rethink your spell. You want to avoid casting a spell to attract a specific person or a specific job. Just remember that negative energies coming back at you will only bother you if you are not in a space of love.

Don’t worry if you make a small mistake. The craft of conscious magic is a beautiful practice and a playground of opportunities to learn from.

The Pentagram

I want to talk about the pentagram because its symbolism is very significant in the world of magic. That is because symbols help focus the energy we are working with and at the same time, they encapsulate concentrated power.

Just think of a word as powerful as ‘’POWER’’. Although the word is just a series of symbols (letters), our brain has recognised the word and has given it meaning which is tied to a certain energy and emotion.

The pentagram is a known symbol of protection. And protection is POWER. Its five points represent the five elements of life: Air (element of the East), Earth (element of the North), Fire (element of the South), Water (element of the West) and Spirit. In the Wiccan tradition, these five elements are considered to be elemental guardians invoked for protection.

Drawing a pentagram in the space before you start a ritual or above your head will complement any other protection you might have. Imagining you are in the middle of a pyramid of pentagrams is a beautiful and effective protection practice.

Working with the Magical Powers of the Five Elements

The Element of Air

Communication – Reason – Memory

We honour this element by decorating with musical instruments, swords or athames, wind chimes, feathers or depictions of deities associated with this element like Athena Goddess of Wisdom or Hermes God of Communication. We burn incense in this quarter of the sacred circle as this is a great way to visualise the flowing nature of this element.

When we invoke Air, we are merely invoking an element external to ourselves, but one that resides within us. It is important, therefore, to work towards building a relationship with air at a physical, as well as a symbolic level.

You can best work with Air by practicing meditation and doing breathwork, playing some music, delighting yourself with the sweet scent of a flower, or taking a walk on a windy day.

Air Energy represents reasoning, textual knowledge, communication, movement, the law, and language.

Ritual Welcome to Air

‘‘In the East, the element of Air; communication, reason, and memory, our first breath, and our last, you are honoured in this circle. Be present at our rite and bring to this circle your gifts of clarity, teaching, and understanding.’’

Then light a yellow candle and say:

‘‘Hail and Welcome’’

The Element of Fire

Inspiration – Passion – Courage

In a ritual, the fire quarter is often decorated in red, with candles, lamps, carved dragons, staffs, or wands and incense. The deities associated with fire are Brigit, the Celtic fire Goddess and Belenos, the God of the Sun.

Fire equally creates and destroys. It will bring about new sparks of life or destroy old energy. In the Tarot, Fire energy is associated with the Wand, a symbol of creativity, willpower, movement, invention, and empowerment.

To summon our Inner Fire, we need to connect within and understand it in all its aspects, the good ones, and the not-so-good ones.

Ritual Welcome to Fire

‘‘In the South, the element of Fire; inspiration, passion and courage, the spark that ignites our existence, you are honoured in this circle. Be present at our rite and bring to this circle your gifts of willpower, daring, and creativity.’’

Then light a red candle and say:

‘‘Hail and Welcome’’

The Element of Water

Intuition – Dreams – Emotions

In rituals, the water quarter is often decorated in blue, with glass pebbles, and depictions of sea creatures like mermaids, or shells. The deities associated with this element are Rhiannon, the Welsh Goddess of Rebirth, and Yemayá, the Santerían Goddess of the Sea.

To connect with the element of water, set aside some time to find out more about your experiences with water and its physical impact on your daily life, e.g., showering, and washing dishes. What do they all have in common?

The spiritual significance of water is balance, flow, healing, love and the emotions, mystery, birth, and woman cycles. Its physical gifts are cleansing, life-giving moisture, cooling, and quenching, plus the blood and fluids of our body.

Ritual Welcome to Water

‘‘In the West, the element of Water; intuition dreams and emotions, seas, rain, rivers and the primordial waters of birth, you are honoured in this circle. Be present at our rite and bring to this circle your gifts of love, balance, and healing.’’

Then light a blue candle and say:

‘‘Hail and Welcome’’

The Element of Earth

Stability – Fertility – Practicality

The Earth Elemental is typically known as Gaia, the ultimate feminine energy. But we can also honour Earth through Deities like Demeter, the harvest Goddess, the Green Man, or Pan. Earth energy in the Tarot is associated with coins or pentacles.

Earth is the bringer of life in our physical universe, and the essence of this element shines through in the perfection of nature. Earth energy is as much of the mountain ranges, the canyons, the earthquakes and erupting volcanoes as the beautiful fruits and vegetables available for us to live off.

The element of Earth - stability - fertility - practicality

Working with Earth is about understanding all the physical matters and the importance of the ‘matter’ that you create in your daily life.

Earth Energy represents manifestation, fruition, fertility, power, embodiment, and solidity. This elemental is full of endurance and strength.

Ritual Welcome to Earth

‘‘In the North, the element of Earth; fertility, durability and practicality, rocks, crystals soil, bones, and body, you are honoured in this circle. Be present at our rite and bring to this circle your gifts of shelter, protection, and manifestation.’’

Then light a green candle and say:

‘‘Hail and Welcome’’

The Element of Spirit

Connection – Magic – Transformation

Spirit is known to be the bridge between the Physical Realm and the Spiritual Realm. It is also called Ether. This elemental calls for imagination, beliefs, creativity, and a willingness to set aside preconceived ideas. Spirit is the mix between uniqueness and independence, as well as interconnection. It is often expressed as transformation as well as love and gratitude.

To work with the amazing essence of Spirit, you can call upon Archangels as well as different Gods and Goddesses.

Ritual Welcome to Spirit

‘‘In the centre, the element of Spirit; connection and magic, weaver of the cosmos, you are honoured in this circle. Be present at our rite and bring to this circle your gifts of transformation.’’

Then light a white candle and say:

‘‘Hail and Welcome’’

‘’Just like planting during the wrong season won’t bear you the fruit you require, creating a spell with the wrong correspondence won’t yield the best result.’’

Magical Days to Implement your Rituals

We exist within many cycles, and it is important to honour the cycles we are in so we can build up a framework for our magical work.

There are many factors that impact the environment of spellwork. We are only going to focus on some basic ones that will give you results without being overwhelming.

Remember that the magic intent is the most important part of any spell and ritual. Magic tools, gestures, and garments enhance the work but do not generate the magic. They merely assist the magician to focus and clarify the intent.

In early times, people believed that the deities who resided in each of the known bodies in our solar plexus presided over the days of the week. Astrologists still link the seven planets visible to the naked eye with the days of the week.

You can invoke the energy of a particular celestial body to aid your magic work by performing spells and rituals on the day that corresponds to the planet.

🌕 Monday ruled by the Moon

Ritual Theme: Home, family, and domestic issues

Color: White or Silver

♂️ Tuesday ruled by Mars

Ritual Theme: Activity, movement, and assertiveness

Color: Red

☿ Wednesday ruled by Mercury

Ritual Theme: Communication and mental clarity

Color: Orange

♃ Thursday ruled by Jupiter

Ritual Theme: Expansion, long-distance travel, high knowledge, and good fortune

Color: Purple