The Craft: A Witch's Book of Shadows

by Dorothy Morrison, Raymond Buckland (Foreword by)

Overview

Celebrate the changing of the seasons and the beauty and power of the Moon, the Stars, and the Sun. Written by a Witch who has spent many years teaching the Craft of Wicca to newcomers, this introductory guide presents everything you need to know for successful witchery, including:

• An essential set of instructions and guidelines for beginning the practice of the Ancient arts
• An overview of Wiccan beliefs, laws, rules, and principles
• Directions for creating and using basic tools of the Craft—athame, wand, cup, pentacle, cauldron, broom, black mirror, and meditation
• Easy-to-follow instructions for altar setup, circle-casting, building power, Deity invocation, and more
• An assortment of miscellaneous spells, chants, and invocations for a variety of purposes

Walk the path of the Witch-live in harmony and balance, and discover the sacred within the natural world with The Craft.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781567184464
Publisher:	Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd.
Publication date:	06/01/2001
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	7.80(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Originally from Texas, Dorothy Morrison now lives the magical life in Maine with her family. Dorothy is a member of the Pagan Poet's Society and a charter member of M.A.G.I.C., a magical writer's and artist's organization. Dorothy is a Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, and has been an avid practitioner of the ancient arts for more than twenty years. She founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986, and spent many years teaching the Craft of Wicca to students both in the United States and in Australia.

A former state championship archer and bow hunter, Dorothy's current interests include Tarot work, magical herbalism, stonework, and computer networking.

Dorothy's work has been published in many journals and magazines, including Circle Network News, SageWoman, and Crone Chronicles. She is the author of the acclaimed Everyday Magic, Magical Needlework, In Praise of the Crone, Yule, Bud, Blossom & Leaf: The Magical Herb Gardener's Handbook, The Craft, and The Craft Companion, among other works.

Read an Excerpt

In the following excerpt, author Dorothy Morrison sheds light on the Moon/Goddess connection.

Because its energy is feminine in quality, the Goddess is often symbolized by the phases of the Moon. Each phase vibrates differently and corresponds to a specific Goddess personality, as well as to a variety of magical purposes.

Waxing Moon/Light Maiden: When the Moon grows from light to full, we use its energies for anything that requires increase, growth, or enhancement. It's a good time to work magic involving inspiration, new love and friendships, financial prosperity, healing, increasing physical stamina, and garden planting.

Full Moon/Mother: The Moon's energy is at its most potent when it reaches this stage. And while we can use it to boost any effort, it's of real benefit to especially complicated workings or difficult situations.

Waning Moon/Dark Maiden: When the Moon shrinks from full to dark, we use its vibration for anything that we want to diminish or eliminate. This energy works well for efforts that involve dieting, breaking bad habits, and eliminating stress or depression.

Dark Moon/Crone: Some practitioners use this phase to rest, regenerate, and regroup. Others use its energies for psychic work, divination, and delving into past life memories.

Table of Contents

Contents

Acknowledgments xiii

Foreword xv

A Note to the Reader xvii

Part One: Basic Witchery
Walking the Path 3
Working with Major Power Sources 13
Boosting the Magic 29

Part Two: Tools of the Trade
Magical Tools 55
The Wand 57
The Cup 69
The Athame 75
The Pentacle 83
Other Tools and Ritual Accoutrements 91
The Ultimate Magical Tool 97

Part Three: Circle Magic
The Circle 109

Part Four: We're Having a Party
The Celebrations 129
The Esbats 131
The Sabbats 153

Afterword 177

Appendix A: Common Dream Symbols 179

Appendix B: The Magical Uses of Herbs, Plants, Flowers, and Trees 185

Appendix C: The Magical Uses of Stones 189

Appendix D: Deity Associations 193

Appendix E: The Book of Law 197

Appendix F: Mail Order Supply Stores 205

Suggested Reading List 207

Index 211