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Silver Chalice Wicca 'Zine #38 * The Intention Experiment — Wicca and the Dark Arts
July 31, 2014

Silver Chalice Wicca 'Zine #38

The Intention Experiment
and
Wicca & the Dark Arts

August / September 2014

Editor's Note

Merry Meet! Welcome to the Silver Chalice Wicca 'Zine!

To start off this Summer issue, I'd like to share a little story with you about the Divine wanting us to enjoy life. It's a bit late, since it's Lammas now, but still pertinent since Lammas is also a festival of enjoying this season. And anyway, the same thing will probably happen this Sabbat.

On my bedroom altar is a Chalice with inspiration cards in it — you know, those little cards that you choose among at random to get a message for the day (or the situation)? These ones have been my fave for years: the Heart Cards.

Anyway, it was Midsummer morning, and I was up at 5 AM to greet the Sun's dawning. And then, the plan was, I was off to my office to immerse myself yet again in writing/editing the Wicca Course lessons. It had been going well up until the last few days, swiftly moving them one by one into the FINISHED folder. (How thrilling that was, let me tell you!) But now I'm getting into the ones that are less complete and the pace is slowing down.

So I thought — as I often do — I don't have time to spare for observing the Sabbat in more than a minimal way.

As I passed my altar, though, the cards caught my eye and on impulse I pulled one. And what does it tell me?

Heart Cards sample © Wicca-Spirituality.com
"Take time to be still... how else can you receive?"

Well, that was on the nose!

So I took the Divine's advice (always a wise idea ), and spent the day doing Sabbaty things.

And you know what happened? Not only did I feel good about myself and aligned with my spiritual values, not only did I really enjoy the Sabbat, but I ended up "catching" some great insights for the Midsummer lesson AND writing an abundance spell for another lesson! All with no slogging at all... effortless, fun, and exciting.

Why am I telling you this story? Maybe so I can really take the lesson in.

And also because I know it's not just me. It's so common, these days, for people to feel too busy to enjoy life, to take time off for spiritual celebrations, to meditate every day, etc.

But more and more, what I'm discovering is that when I make the time for these things, I don't fall behind.

Instead, when I get back to work, it goes more smoothly and swiftly, and I truly believe that I make up any "lost" time. Not to mention, the quality of my work leaps skyward! (I'm really excited about the new stuff I change for the Course!)

I don't get the same result, mind you, when I take a day off for a movie-marathon, say, but when I use the time for spiritual practices and inspirational nourishment (like reading the book reviewed below or watching Wayne Dyer videos or science and nature shows), I always seem to end up more ahead than behind.

One thing I've been writing about in the Midsummer lesson is that the Universe figures out what we want it to provide, based on what we're already doing with our time — whatever we spend our time on is what it thinks we want more of. So if we want more spirit, more fun, more creativity, more whatever… we need to first give it to ourselves. Then the Universe will catch on, and give us even more opportunities for it.

Even though I was writing about it and I knew about it, I didn't fully get it, obviously. (That's one of the things about "catching" or channelling information: it's often a lesson for myself as much as for my students. )

I got the point, a lot more, on Midsummer.

Now I hope to inspire you to do more of what makes you enjoy your life and feel like you're really living it. That's one of the energies or powers of Midsummer: really enjoying life's sweetness.

So I'd like to invite you to take some time and enjoy the Summer while it's here — it'll be gone all too quickly! Don't listen to that nagging little ego-voice telling you how important everything is and how you can't possibly afford to pause.

Give yourself the gift of soul-stimulating and heart-nourishing activities... especially if you "don't have time."

Hope you enjoy the fullness of the Summer!

With Bright Blessings,

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Table of Contents

Book Review The Intention Experiment

Website Highlights Wicca and Enlightenment / Endarkenment

Ask The Priestess Wicca & the Dark Arts

Fave Quotes Intuition

Energy Field Barometer What Are You Really Fed Up With?

Word on the Street One Of The Few Excellent Pagan Sites

Silver Chalice Details

Book Review

The Intention Experiment

Did you ever wonder: if the Law of Attraction, power of Intention, Wiccan magick, and healing prayer really work, why is there no scientific evidence of it?
Well, The Intention Experiment is good news for that stubbornly rational part of your brain that doubts your power to influence the world through your thoughts.
The Intention Experiment is the follow-up to Lynne McTaggart's revolutionary book, The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe. Written as an exciting quest for answers, The Field revealed the science of an Energy Field connecting everything in the universe... a field which finally explains phenomena that scientific sceptics have denounced for generations:

energy healing,

alternative medicine,

psychic perception, and more.

Chronicling cutting-edge scientific research at some of the most prestigious labs in the world, McTaggart sets out to determine whether setting an intention for a specific result can be a quantifiable cause of change.
Of course, she finds that it can, and this book is the most comprehensive collection of hard data on intention.
And although it's gratifying to have proof at last, that's not even the best part of this book . . .
Continue...

Website Highlights

Spotlighting some of the Wicca Spirituality articles you may not have seen yet!

Spiritual Enlightenment & Wicca

What is spiritual enlightenment? Enlightenment is both a symbolic and a semi-literal term for the liberation of consciousness.
To talk about this liberation, we must first discuss the prison that people ordinarily live within. This prison is so ordinary, we don't even notice it. Like in the movie, The Matrix - we're so involved in living our lives that we don't realize it's all an illusion.
Spiritual enlightenment is your path out of this illusion.
Continue...

Humanity's Spiritual Rebirth . . .  At Last!

A Spiritual Rebirth is at hand. It is the re-awakening of the Great Goddess in the world, and within each of us. We are walking through the gateway to a new level of human evolution. ...
As you elevate your consciousness and evolve as a spiritual being, the Spiritual Rebirth gains Power. As you awaken the Goddess Within, the energy field of the entire planet is raised higher.
Continue...

What Is The Witch's Definition  Of Enlightenment?

It's tricky to frame a definition of enlightenment. It doesn't sit still waiting for a label to be pasted on it. That is to say, enlightenment looks different depending on where you are when you ask the question.
S0, is there an authoritative definition of such as spiritual state? Or is enlightenment different for everyone?
And what does enlightenment mean to a Witch?

Continue...

Are You A Sacred Chalice?

As you've seen in the previous article, the Sacred Chalice has four necessary qualities.
The presence or absence of these qualities determines to what degree you are able to be a conduit for Divine Energy. This is a direct indication of the kind of power you have to work magick, be happy, and connect with your Source.
So, which kind of Chalice are you?
Continue...

What On Earth Is Endarkenment?

Spiritual enlightenment is the attainment of Divine Light. Spiritual endarkenment is the experience of the Sacred Dark.
While at first glance, endarkenment may seem to be in polar opposition to enlightenment, this is illusion.
Continue...

Ask The Priestess:

Wicca & the Dark Arts

Dear Priestess,
When I was beginning my Wicca research, I was reaching out on a few websites for networking Wicca/Pagans together and I was shocked at how many practice the dark arts. I don't even understand how the dark arts became part of Wicca!! It is completely contradictory to what I've learned . . . am I wrong?? Why are the dark arts so prevalent and how do I find others like myself who only want to follow the light and love of the universe?
P.S. I just realized that my view of the dark arts also stems from Christian influences LOL guh! That is what created the opinion of dark and light, good and evil, the dichotomy of opposing forces. Ok, now I guess I need come to learn how to eliminate that.
— T.H.

Dear T.H.,
You're absolutely right! By its own — and only — law, Wicca is completely contrary to anything that harms. But obviously not everyone agrees.
I totally with you about aligning with the light and the love — the underlying Truth of the universe. That's the reason I started Wicca Spirituality. I wanted a Wicca that went deeper than just spells and secrets and material-world concerns. Surely, I felt, there must be a way for Wicca to liberate us from illusion and bondage the way Eastern religions have learnt to... while maintaining that heart-connection and love for the Earth that the Eastern ways generally lack.
When I first started Wicca Spirituality, I was nervous — maybe I was the only one in the world who wanted this. LOL
Of course, I found that there are thousands, maybe millions, of Wiccans who want what you and I want: a Wicca that connects us directly and intimately with the ultimate Divine Source. And this community is growing, day by day!
Yet there are still a large percentage who haven't become aware of the deeper issues of spirituality and magick. Just as the majority of the world still lives on the level of the ego's concerns: survival, comfort, status, domination.
I think the dark is so common in Wicca right now because the world is currently steeped in "darkness," in the absence of divine energy. That's going to show up everywhere, in religion as well as "entertainment" and science and relationships and business….
It's not about Wicca per se: it's everywhere, so of course Wicca's going to have its quota.
In fact, it's my belief that Wicca has a lower "darkness" rating than just about anything out there, per capita, other than those mystic traditions that truly erase ego and surrender to spirit. I'd love to have stats to back it up, but that's what I sense is true.
And, I humbly hope that my work can help increase that ratio.
As for how to find others, well, you're already on the right track. Through this website and the Wicca Spirituality Community on Facebook and Twitter, you’ll have some connections with like-minded people.
And as you keep your attention and intention on this kind of Wiccan practice, you're automatically sending energy out into the world, which can draw to you the kind of people you want to connect with. (I'd bet that's how you came to Wicca Spirituality in the first place! )

Regarding the use of the words "dark," "black magic" etc. I agree the semantics are tricky. I still find myself using them sometimes, because they've taken on meanings that are hard to express in other ways... we simply don't have a vocabulary for these things yet, that are aligned with the New Paradigm. But like you, I'm working on weeding out the Christian influence.

Thanks for asking. Bright Blessings to you!
* * *

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.)

Fave Quotes

I shall not commit the fashionable stupidity of regarding everything I cannot explain as a fraud.
~ C.G.Jung

For far too long we have been seduced into walking a path that did not lead us to ourselves. For far too long we have said “yes” when we wanted to say “no.” And for far too long we have said “no,” when we desperately wanted to say “yes”. . . . When we don't listen to our intuition, we abandon our souls. And we abandon our souls because we are afraid if we don't, others will abandon us.
~ Terry Tempest

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
~ Albert Einstein

Intuition does not come to an unprepared mind.
~ Albert Einstein

Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
~ Steve Jobs

Intuition is a spiritual faculty and does not explain, but simply points the way.
~ Florence Scovel Shinn

I feel there are two people inside me - me and my intuition. If I go against her, she'll screw me every time, and if I follow her, we get along quite nicely.

~ Kim Basinger

Intuition comes very close to clairvoyance; it appears to be the extrasensory perception of reality.
~ Alexis Carrel

You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself.
~ Alan Alda

Energy-Field Barometer

Haven't noticed a lot of Energy Fields lately. There was one a couple weeks ago, that felt like being fed up and completely done with the intolerable, outrageous, impossible, frustrating [fill in the blank: spouse, job, etc.].
Old issues in situations that we thought were cleared up, unexpectedly returned. Mercifully, it was pretty brief — only a few days or so.
It's possible that you're still feeling the repercussions, especially if you weren't aware of what was happening on the Energy Field level — if you thought it was really about your spouse/job/whatever, it's a lot harder to get past.
What I saw really happening, underneath the superficial issues, was that we were once again offered a threshold to a higher frequency, that is, an opportunity to get a HUGE LEAP closer to our true Self. This was one of the really stuck places being triggered, the one that — more than anything else — has been holding back and contaminating our lives.
This kind of healing opportunity has been a big focus of the planet for some years now. It seems the intensity has been turned down lately, thank goodness. (Again, if you haven't noticed any improvement, it means you haven't done the clearing inside you yet.)
Obviously, though, we still have some work to do, getting the gunk out of the corners and hidden passageways of our minds and hearts.
Because, let's face it, what we're really fed up with is feeling this way, right? And the feeling is inside us. What we're fed up with, whether we recognise it or not, is that we still have this button that the world can push and make us feel this again. That's what actually needs to be "fixed," much more than the other person or situation.
I think every Energy Field I've seen for the past year or so, at least, has been this same process in action.
If you can keep this in mind, next time you have a strong emotional reaction to someone or something, and look for what it's showing that's in you that needs to be healed/cleared, it's not only much easier to cope with but you reduce the need of ever having to go through this mess again.
Aim for patience and forgiveness, for yourself as well as everyone around you. That immediately reduces not only the actual issue but your suffering over it.

* * *

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:
I felt compelled to email you to let you know how much I enjoy your site and Silver Chalice newsletter. I found paganism by accident about 5 years ago. I had heard of wicca and paganism but never really knew what they were.
I was raised in a strict christian house. Church was forced until I was 18. That included Sunday school, youth group etc. The thing I didn't like about the church was I would ask questions on things that didn't make sense to me. I was told "the lord works in mysterious ways" and lectured about having faith. My questions went unanswered. I never felt "at home" not to mention the dogma. There was always guilt growing up just being a human especially once puberty hit along with all the sexual feelings/hormones.
Once I was an adult I immediately quit going to church. I didn't know what I was but I knew I wasn't a christian nor atheist. I just kind of tried not to think about religion and float through life. I had kind of an emptiness inside though.
Then one day I was internet searching on safer, natural products to use for me and my family. I've never liked all the chemicals that are in our foods, soaps etc. That led me to "new age" sites which led me to a wiccan site. Right off the bat I knew I had found something special. It spoke of "earth based" religions. I have always loved being outdoors. In the woods I feel at home and the energy all around me. I feel connected. I knew right away I had always been a pagan and just didn't know it.
One huge stumbling block for me coming from Christianity was getting over the fact that it teaches we pagans are hell bound after death. Pretty huge deal and it's always in the back of my mind. The "what if?" That is how I found your site. Great information which truly helped me and I'm sure others. Thank you so much for helping me overcome that huge hurdle!
In all my studies of books and websites I found there is a lot of crap out there. I just wanted to share and thank you for having one of the few excellent pagan sites!

-- M.D. in USA

Thanks for writing!! I appreciate hearing from you! : )

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© erin Dragonsong 2014. All rights reserved worldwide. Reprinting any of this is forbidden unless you obtain my written permission: karma and the law agree on this one. And Copyscape is keeping an eye on these things.

Back to Back Issues Page

Silver Chalice Wicca 'Zine #38

The Intention Experiment and Wicca & the Dark Arts

Editor's Note

Table of Contents

Book Review

The Intention Experiment

Website Highlights

Spiritual Enlightenment & Wicca

Humanity's Spiritual Rebirth . . . At Last!

What Is The Witch's Definition Of Enlightenment?

Are You A Sacred Chalice?

What On Earth Is Endarkenment?

Ask The Priestess:

Wicca & the Dark Arts

Fave Quotes

Energy-Field Barometer

Word on the Street

The Intention Experiment
and
Wicca & the Dark Arts

Humanity's Spiritual Rebirth . . .  At Last!

What Is The Witch's Definition  Of Enlightenment?