Silver Chalice Wicca E-Zine #9

Yule Tide
and
Thought and Magick

December 2008 / January 2009

Editor's Note

It's hard to believe we're in the countdown to Yule. Seems like the whole year has been dragging behind by a month. Spring, summer, autumn all came in late.

To prove how out-of-sync I feel, I'm embarrassed to admit I actually called up someone to ask about plans for the major Wiccan Sabbat, Samhain … in the middle of November!

Things just seem to be slipping away without my notice. Some people tell me it's related to aging. I prefer to point to global warming. How can anyone keep track with roses blooming in November!

Luckily, unlike the Sun and Moon, I have a calendar to remind me what's when, so this issue is on schedule with an article about Yule.

The focus last year, you may recall, was on a pre-Yule celebration of the Sacred Dark.

Yule always seems to me to be a trinity of events: the Sacred Dark, the New Birth, and the Renewing Light. I tend to celebrate it with honour to the Triple Goddess, singing certain songs before, during, and after the Solstice day.

This year's article focuses on the moment of Rebirth, the shift in awareness as new possibilities arise.

In keeping with this idea, the Book Review looks at Ask And It Is Given, by Abraham via Esther and Jerry Hicks. This book is a treasure chest of tools that assist you in that all-important shift of awareness that precedes any magickal manifestation.

There's a special bonus article this month, too. Thought and Magick examines the nature of Thought, and the natural existence of magick that derives from it.

Ask The Priestess looks at Christians and Wiccans, since this is a time of year when Christianity really seems to peak. In particular, whether God gets mad when we do magick.

I hope this issue of the Silver Chalice inspires you to live the Yule season with awareness and gratitude, as writing the articles has inspired me.

I wish you the best of the season!

With Blessings,

Yule Books   Yule Music   Yule Candles and Incense   Wiccan Music

Table of Contents

What's New on the Site	-- Benefits of Mandalas & Digital Tutorial
Recommended Resources	-- Feed Your Spirit This Yule
Book Review	-- Ask And It Is Given, by Abraham-Hicks
Bonus Article	-- Thought and Magick
Sabbats & Esbats & Other Wiccan Rituals	-- Yule Tide: Journey to the Heart
Ask The Priestess	-- Does Doing Magick Mean You'll Burn in Hell?
Fave Quotes	-- Thought and Awareness
Energy Field Barometer	-- Purpose, Productivity, and Anxiety
Word on the Street

What's New On The Site

Busily developing the online Mandala Course, there's not been much time for new content.

But I have put together a new section to answer all those questions about how to make digital mandalas on the computer.

Digital Mandala Tutorial heads this new section, which offers free mandala templates to download as well as step-by-step instructions.

The last page in this tutorial addresses mandala design tips, specifically for digital mandalas.

And since I've been so focused on mandalas lately (a habit my Goddess-child and I are thoroughly enjoying), there's also a new page on the Benefits of Creating Mandalas.

This article focuses more on the hand-drawn mandalas, which are more a spiritual-practice than computer mandalas.

Recommended Resources

Why not give yourself a present this Yule -- or better still, a present for both you and Mother Earth? A gift that helps you in your Yule Tide journey to the altar of your heart!

Give yourself the gift of creativity, relaxation, fun, and spiritual re-connection . . . drawing mandalas.

You can always draw them simply, with a free mandala template you can download from this page at the bottom.

If you want more than that . . .

• Ideas,

• Tips and instructions,

• Spiritual mandala templates,

• Guidelines for symmetrical mandalas,

• Etc.

. . .then come check out this great resource. The Personal Mandala Starter Kit is a gift to your inner self and the Goddess, because it assists you on your journey to your spirit, your Higher/Deep Self.

P.S. The most important thing you can do for yourself and the world is taking care of your spiritual hunger. Feed yourself this Yule, and you'll feed All That Is.

With Blessings,

erin

Book Review

Ask And It Is Given, by Abraham-Hicks

Ask And It Is Given is one of the most powerful resource books I've ever found on manifesting what you want in your life, and keeping away what you don't want. One of the top 10 books everyone should read for a happy successful life.

When Ask And It Is Given was recommended to me, my first thought was . . . Do I really need one more book on positive thinking and manifestation?

As it turns out, yes! Yes, I really did.

. . .   Read the Article

Bonus Article

Thought and Magick

What does the power of Thought have to do with magick and psychic phenomena?

As we get clearer on the building-blocks of the universe, they are more and more linked.

When we thought the universe was a vast mechanism, who could believe that we might affect it... even less that THOUGHT could affect anything.

But today we know that the universe is not mechanical. As Sir James Jeans writes in The Mysterious Universe, "the universe begins to look more like a great thought than a great machine."

Think about thinking. How does thinking happen? Where do thoughts come from? When you are lost in thought, where are you? What IS a thought, anyway? . . .

. . .   Read The Whole Article

Sabbats & Esbats & Other Wiccan Rituals

Yule Tide: Journey to the Heart

The next Sabbat in the Wiccan calendar is Yule.

Yule is a rebirth. Not a flashy, fireworks-type rebirth. It's the quiet kind, an inner shift.

It's that shift where the Earth chooses to look toward the Light . . . and looking, begins to move there.

On this date, the nights are at their longest, and the days are as short as they will get. From here on in, the Light begins returning.

It's easy to see how this is a perfect metaphor for the birth of Christ and other saviours known throughout history as the "Light of the World," and the "Light and Life." This is why Christmas Eve is celebrated on the magickal third day after the Winter Solstice.

This metaphor deepens as we discover the essence of Yule: the Journey to the Heart.

. . .   Read the Whole Article

Ask The Priestess

God And Magick

Dear Priestess,

I have been a Christian for awhile now. But, I don't know now. I think about the stuff that could be out there and it makes me question it all.

I have always been interested in magic. I love watching the shows like: Charmed, Buffy [the Vampire Slayer], and Harry Potter. They are my favorites. They give me hope that there is good magic out there.

I have questions. Like do Wiccans believe in Jesus. What do Wiccans believe in? Do they believe in Heaven & Hell?

I am afraid. What if everything is true. The bible and everything? And I am busy being a Witch, and Jesus comes, takes us. And I go to hell and burn for eternity.

SC in USA

Dear SC,

I can understand your questioning these things. I was once Christian myself, and it took a while to figure things out for myself.

Did you know there are even Christian Witches? So the two paths aren't completely incompatible. Most Witches don't mind Christians (although we could really do without being demonized by them!). We respect other spiritualities as valid and honourable.

To answer some of your questions, Wicca only works with good magick. There are some people who practice a different form of Witchcraft, and do magick which might harm others, but not Wiccans. That's against our fundamental beliefs, which state "Do what you will, and harm none."

Besides, doing harmful magick hurts the Witch more than anyone else. So it's not something Wiccans enforce: we can't make anyone not do harmful magick. We just know better! ; )

So yes, there's absolutely tons of good magick going on. People helping to heal the Earth and each other, people working for peace and joy on the planet, people working for the well-being of all.

I think this question really asks, Is it okay with God to do magick? Isn't it trying to take God's power into our own hands?

This question can only be answered by each person. It really depends on Who you think God could be.

If God was a jealous God, as the Old Testament claims (and maybe He was, back then), that God certainly didn't want anyone to have power but himself.

I believe the kind of pettiness described in the OT couldn't really be the true form of Divinity! Why would the Absolute have any need to be jealous and controlling, let alone send his people constantly to slaughter peaceful folk who just happened to see a different face of the Divine?

Jesus, who presumably knows God better than anyone, always speaks of God as a loving and forgiving father. The New Testament a very different face of Divinity than the OT!

Jesus also said so many things about us all having the power to work miracles. How many times and ways did He try to get us to understand: everything He can do, we can do even more!

If Jesus raised the dead today, they'd accuse Him of Witchcraft, rather than working Divine miracles. Yet He told us we are meant to do this too.

Everyone has the power, I believe, and the power can be used to do good or to do harm. Doing harm is never really safe, or helpful.

But doing good by using the natural talents the Divine gave us... I really feel strongly that we are given some of God's gift of creation so that we can help Creation.

What do you feel to be true?

The rest of this question, regarding Jesus and whether Wiccans believe in Hell, will be addressed in the next issue of the Silver Chalice. Please join us then.

Do you have a question you'd like answered? Email the Priestess and your question could be answered in a future issue.

(Note: questions may be edited for brevity or clarity. No real names will be disclosed. For reasons of legality, all questions become the property of Wicca-Spirituality.com.)

The Universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.

~ Eden Phillpotts

It’s the vanity of the ego that claims thoughts as “mine.” Genius, on the other hand, commonly attributes the source of creative leaps of awareness to that basis of all consciousness -- which has traditionally been called divinity.

~ David R. Hawkins, MD, Power vs Force

Psychotherapy is not to help the patient get his negative emotions out, but to help him turn them into positive ones.

~ Dr John Diamond, Your Body Doesn't Lie

To develop a positive use of imagination, the mind has to be given direction. If I want to invent something, I have to put my desires and imagination into focus and give them a boost from my emotions. Then I can be creative and bring my dream into fruition.

~ Swami Radha, Realities of the Dreaming Mind

Overall, the energy seems to be lightening a little from the despair of late spring and the intensity of last summer.

(Thanks to everyone who contributed to this reading!)

Anxiety And Easing It

If you receive our blog, you'll have read about an anxiety attack on Nov 17. It seems that many people -- even ones I didn't know were sensitive to fields -- woke up in the morning feeling anxious and stressed.

Naturally we all attributed this to things going on in our individual lives. But once we realised that many people had the same experience, it became clear that it was an energy field at work. That realisation alone helped dissipate the feeling.

A more general anxiety had been lingering for some people before this, accompanied by trouble sleeping. It seems to me that Nov 17 may have brought it to a head, and then eased.

What I've noticed in particular is that stressful events will happen, and we may slip into anxiety, but we have the choice to step outside the anxiety quite easily. This is a major shift since the spring, when the anxiety was overwhelming for most of us, and not easily alleviated.

Sleeps and Dreams

Some people are reporting sleep disturbances that are getting more intense as the month goes on, accompanied by "incredible dreaming."

This may be separate from the anxiety issue, as not all those with anxiety are experiencing this.

Productivity

There's also been a focus, especially in the first half of November, on clearing things up that have been hanging, bringing them to completion.

It seems that procrastination is becoming less possible. As my Air Guru puts it, "Patterns that have been prevalent for years (or months) are growing horns!"

You may have stumbled a little… feeling dragged down by ongoing tasks now and then. Some things seem like they'll never get done!

After a brief restlessness over this, the energy settled back into productivity.

Realigning with your Purpose

At midmonth you may have found yourself questioning your purpose and what you're doing with your life. You may have shelved your dreams, told yourself all the good logical reasons you should give up on them. But then your heart began to speak up for itself.

This is always a beneficial occurrence! Remember that your dreams are vitally important... that they are in fact the Divine's dreams that you are meant to carry out.

Luckily the Call has been very strong, and you may find yourself on track again, unable to dismiss the longings of your deepest heart.

Surprise!

Spontaneous things seem to be happening, especially toward the end of November.

Surprises, generally pleasant if somewhat challenging, seem to be the order. And synchronicity is certainly in evidence.

This seems linked with clearing up that unfinished business. The surprises generally make some movement toward completing desires that have been unfulfilled.

I wonder if the planet as a whole isn't tidying up loose ends, in preparation for 2012?

Overall, it seems that we are in process of clearing out the dusty corners of our lives, and our minds.

Let's see what the next couple months bring. Keep alert!

Notice or suspect an energy field going around? Can you confirm this reading, or shed more light on it?

I'd love to hear what's happening for you! Please let me know.

What to do about being caught in an unpleasant energy field? Click here for tips.

Word on the Street

What People Are Saying About Wicca-Spirituality.com:

For a couple of weeks now, I've been moved to write to you regarding the Wicca Spirituality website. It has blessed my life beyond measure, and I know that the Goddess Herself led me to this place. Being completely new to Wicca but a rather longtime mystic wannabe, your site was an answer to the longings of my heart.!!! ...

Certainly the magick and ritual of Wicca called to me, but when I found your site, I realized that I had truly come home. So, thank you, Erin. I am truly in your debt.

May the Goddess bless you abundantly. Blessed be!

-- S.C. in USA

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