Lesson 4 – What do Wiccans Believe

Lesson 4
Wiccan Beliefs

The Egyptians had many different practices, as did the Greeks and the Romans and the Celts. Wicca is one of the many that exist today and within Wicca there are many different traditions, all with slightly different practices and spiritual focus. All Wiccans do however share some common beliefs, although they may express and experience those beliefs in different ways.

Typically the shared spiritual beliefs include:

• Divinity is plural – expressed through both the masculine (God) and feminine (Goddess). Wiccans may be henotheistic, polytheistic or pantheistic – or a combination of these.
• That the Moon, Sun and Earth are important planetary bodies from which power can be drawn. That the Moon, Sun and Earth are all part of the sacred divine – usually expressed as the Moon Goddess, Sun God and Earth Goddess.
• That the changing seasons on Earth yields important symbolic changes in our personal lives too. The celebration of the “turning of the wheel” (ie. The Wheel of the Year Sabbats) play an important role in Wicca.

Exercise 4
a) Write down the names of each of the seasons on a clean page in your notebook: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Under each heading write down notes for yourself on what the season represents for you and what your local area looks like during that season, what the trees are doing, which animals you typically see during each season etc.
b) Create a page for “Goddess and God”. Now make some notes on how you view divinity. Do you see the Goddess and God as being part of a greater whole, do you see them as individual, do believe that there are many Gods and Goddesses who all have individual names and individual personalities? Do you believe that the divine is inherent in all life – animal, mineral and plant?

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(c) Avalonia 2000
Made available here for free distribution.
The Free Wicca Lessons
www.avalonia.co.uk (2000-2008)

Lesson 11 – Air, Fire, Water, Earth & Spirit

Lesson 11
Air, Fire, Water & Earth – and Spirit- Introducing the Elements

The five elements make up everything in the world around us.

They are not merely earth, air, fire, water and spirit – but are concepts, energy states, states of being, philosophical concepts. It is important to realize how fundamental the elements are to our existence.

Working with the elements enables us to balance ourselves and remain centred, and promotes growth through realization of imbalances in ourselves (be they qualities, emotions, habits, etc) and the means to change the qualities, through working with them and transmuting them.

The aim of any Witch regardless of tradition would include mastering the four elements and bringing them into balance. This can take a lifetime to achieve, but is a goal worth persuing. The elements make up everything and as such is part of the foundations of practical magick.

Correspondences:

AIR : To Know
Direction: East
Tools: Dagger / Athame, Censer, Flute
Time: Dawn
Season: Spring
Colours: Yellow & White
Sense: Smell Concepts: Intellect, Knowledge, Clarity, Discrimination, Mind, Speed, Sound, Intuition
Qualities (+):
Inspiration, Wisdom, Happiness, Hope, Logic, Joy, Analysis, Discernment, Decisiveness
Qualities (-):
Anxiety, Fear, Impulsiveness, Paranoia, Dispersion, Prejudice, Insecurity

FIRE : To Will
Direction: South
Tools: Wand, Rattle, Sistrum
Time: Noon
Season: Summer
Colours: Reds & Oranges
Sense: Sight
Concepts: Energy, Freedom, Success, Drive, Transmutation, Light, Power, Vision
Qualities (+):
Courage, Motivation, Drive, Enthusiasm, Passion, Will, Creativity
Qualities (-):
Fickleness, Vengefulness, Violence, Possessiveness, Fear, Hatred ? Violent, Cruelty. Physical, Anger, Egotism

WATER : To Dare
Direction: West
Tool: Chalice
Time: Dusk
Season: Autumn
Colours: Blues
Sense: Taste
Concepts: Emotions, Dreams, Intuition, Death/Rebirth, Taste, Primal Chaos, Underworld, Unconscious, Blood, Womb
Qualities (+):
Compassion, Sympathy, Empathy, Nurture, Sexuality, Trust, Serenity, Tranquillity, Depth
Qualities (-):
Sadness, Jealousy, Hatred, Insipid, Treachery, Sorrow, Deceit, Spite, Venom

EARTH – To Keep Silent
Direction: North
Tools: Pentacle, Drum
Time: Midnight
Season: Winter
Colours: Greens & Browns Sense: Touch
Concepts: Body, Strength, Stillness, Endurance, Mystery, Power, Healing, Skill, Touch
Qualities (+):
Strength, Steadfastness, Stability, Sensuality, Humility, Selflessness, Patience, Responsibility, Persistence, Realization, Tolerance
Qualities (-):
Laziness, Stubbornness, Greed, Attention? Seeking, Inertia, Domineering, Depression, Melancholy

SPIRIT : To Go
Direction: Centre (Within/Without)
Tools: Cauldron & Sword
Time: Between the Worlds
Season: The Turning Wheel
Colours: Purple, Black, White
Sense: Hearing
Concepts: Will, Harmony, Evolution, Life Force, Transcendence, Sixth Sense, Transformation Continue to Spirit
Spirit is represented by the top point of the upwards pointing pentagram and is said to be present when the four elements are in balance.

Exercise 11
a) Copy the correspondences into your notebook.
b) Write a short description of how you view each of the 5 elements into your notebook, spending time on each re-reading their correspondences and thinking of how they are present in the world around you.
c) Which is your favourite? Why?

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(c) Avalonia 2000
Made available here for free distribution.
The Free Wicca Lessons
www.avalonia.co.uk (2000-2008)

Lesson 12 – Exploring the Four Elements

Lesson 12
Exploring the Elements

This is a practical lesson aimed at helping you to gain a deeper understanding of the elements.

Elemental Meditation Exercise
Focus on your body and meditate on how each element is present within it.
You may become aware of how air is present as the oxygen in your lungs and bloodstream, fire as the nerve impulses and digestive process, water as the blood and bulk of the tissues, earth as the bones, teeth, hair, etc.
Contemplate how each element is part of the combination that is you. Write down your experiences for each of the elements on a separate page in your magickal diary.

Elemental Meditation Exercise # 2
Meditate on each element in turn, facing the direction of the element.
Start by considering the element in yourself as you have already done, and then visualize whatever feels right for you (e.g. rivers, rain, waterfalls, the sea, etc for water) and see how it makes you feel.

If you can, go and be near the element, e.g. by the sea or a river for water, or out in a storm. Consider the presence and action of the elements in our lives around us all the time, and add this to your notes.

For example, consider when you have bath – you bathe in water, which cleanses you, then you use a towel (earth) to dry, you may use a dryer on your hair (air, powered by electricity = fire), etc.

When you use this method of perception you will appreciate the elements and their qualities much more, and develop your relationship with them, and see how you can use them to balance yourself. Learning about Magick is very much learning methods of perceiving the world around you in a different way, seeing the little things and gaining a deeper awareness of Nature and of yourself.

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(c) Avalonia 2000
Made available here for free distribution.
The Free Wicca Lessons
www.avalonia.co.uk (2000-2008)

Lesson 13: Invocation of the Guardians of the Watchtowers

Lesson 13
Invoking/Inviting the Quarter Guardians

“Calling the Quarters”

Having meditated on the elements and experienced them more in your life, you will want to be able to invite them to join you and bring their qualities into your celebrations and rites.

In Wicca, the invocation of the elements is performed after casting your circle.
As you call the element raise your arms in the blessing position. The elements are usually called starting in the East, place of Air and new beginnings. You then turn deosil (clockwise) to the South to call Fire, then to the West to call Water and to the North to call Earth, finally turning back to the East to complete the circular motion.

The traditional Wiccan way of calling the elements, which is published in many books on Wicca is as follows:
Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air; I do summon call and stir you up, to witness our rites and to guard the Circle
Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire; I do summon call and stir you up, to witness our rites and to guard the Circle
Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of Water; I do summon call and stir you up, to witness our rites and to guard the Circle
Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of Earth; I do summon call and stir you up, to witness our rites and to guard the Circle

In our group we tend not to use this form, as we feel it is preferable to invite the elements rather than command them, as commanding implies dominance and power over rather than power with.

Here is an example of how we may invite the Elements:

Powers of Air, I call to you and invite you to join us in this rite, to share your qualities with us; In Love and Truth, we bid you Hail and Welcome!
Powers of Fire, I call to you and invite you to join us in this rite, to share your qualities with us; In Love and Truth, we bid you Hail and Welcome!
Powers of Water, I call to you and invite you to join us in this rite, to share your qualities with us; In Love and Truth, we bid you Hail and Welcome!
Powers of Earth, I call to you and invite you to join us in this rite, to share your qualities with us; In Love and Truth, we bid you Hail and Welcome!

Obviously when you have finished your rite you say farewell to the elements, starting in the North with Earth and moving widdershins (anticlockwise) to Air in the East. This is done before opening the circle, as the closing of a rite is done in reverse order from the opening. Banishing energies and departures are usually performed in a widdershins direction. (anti-clockwise)

Here are the corresponding words to the above invocations:

Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of Earth; I thank you for attending my rite; and ere you depart to your fair and lovely realms, I bid thee Hail and Farewell.
Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of Water; I thank you for attending my rite; and ere you depart to your fair and lovely realms, I bid thee Hail and Farewell.
Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire; I thank you for attending my rite; and ere you depart to your fair and lovely realms, I bid thee Hail and Farewell.
Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air; I thank you for attending my rite; and ere you depart to your fair and lovely realms, I bid thee Hail and Farewell.

Again, our way of saying farewell is slightly different, i.e.:
Powers of Earth, I thank you for joining me and sharing your qualities with me in this rite, and with love and joy and thanks I bid you Hail and Farewell.
Powers of Water, I thank you for joining me and sharing your qualities with me in this rite, and with love and joy and thanks I bid you Hail and Farewell.
Powers of Fire, I thank you for joining me and sharing your qualities with me in this rite, and with love and joy and thanks I bid you Hail and Farewell.
Powers of Air, I thank you for joining me and sharing your qualities with me in this rite, and with love and joy and thanks I bid you Hail and Farewell.

If this is done in a group, you would see “We” rather than “I” and “us” rather than “me” when performing the calling and the farewells, and any other people present should all chorus “Hail and Farewell” after you have said it. You can also change the words for each of the quarters, or write your own. To begin with it is a good idea to use standard words which you can memorise or read for your ceremonies. This is important so that you can both gain confidence and experience of how it is done, and so that you can gain a better understanding of how it works. When you have done this a few times you will better understand of what to include and what not.

Exercise 13
a) Practice inviting/invoking and thanking / banishing the Elements in a magick circle. Write down how this changes your circle experience and what you feel when you invoke each in turn.

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(c) Avalonia 2000
Made available here for free distribution.
The Free Wicca Lessons
www.avalonia.co.uk (2000-2008)

Lesson 14 – Elemental Ritual

Lesson 14
Elemental Ritual

This lesson takes the form of a practical ceremony to the Four Elements. Unless you have previous experience, make sure that you have worked through the previous lessons and exercises before commencing with this ceremony.

Prepare your ritual space, on your altar place a representation of each of the elements.

· Burning incense for Air
· Red Candle for Fire
· Bowl of Spring Water for Water
· A Bowl of ground for Earth

Make sure that you will not be disturbed, switch your phone off and take a few deep breaths.

Cast a circle, purifying it first. Then invite each of the Elements into your circle :
Air in the East, Fire in the South, Water in the West and Earth in the North.

Now take your incense and observe the rising smoke. Observe the patterns the smoke makes as it rises, smell the sweet smells and become aware of Air, which is all around you.

Next, meditate for a few minutes on the burning candle. Watch the flame, feel the heat that it is producing. Become aware of the powers of Fire in Nature.

Now, take your bowl of water. Smell the water and touch it. Feel the sensation of the water and become aware of the qualities of Water. Its place in Nature.

Lastly, take the bowl of Earth. Smell it and touch it. Feel the sensation of the Earth and become aware of the qualities of Earth and its place in Nature.

Now it is time to say farewell to the Elements – starting with Earth in the North, then Water in the West, Fire in the South and Air in the East.

Open your magick circle and ground yourself by eating some food, bread or cakes are particulary good (ie. carbohydrate rich foods)

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(c) Avalonia 2000
Made available here for FREE distribution.
The Free Wicca Lessons
www.avalonia.co.uk (2000-2008)