The Rituals of Witches

Rituals draw many to both Wicca and Witchcraft. What is a ritual? That all depends on which type of ritual that you are talking about. Almost everyone has a daily ritual that involves getting up in the morning, brushing his or her teeth, getting dressed, and than eating breakfast. (I always thought it was kind of stupid to brush your teeth before you ate and do it afterwards). That is a ritual, something you do religiously every single day and feel guilty if you miss a day. That is one type of ritual: doing the same thing every day. How you do things is another kind of ritual. Like how you take a shower/bath: some people run the water first and get in after the water is just right, others get in and turn the water on after; some shampoo their hair and then wash their body, other wash first and shampoo after. Each person cleans his or her body in a different way from everyone else, and does the exact same thing every time. This too, is a ritual-repetition in habits.

When most people think of the word ritual they usually think of this type: religious ritual. There are two basic types of religious ritual. The first can be seen in most Christian churches, such as the way the priests and the choir boys parade though the Catholic church each mass, or the way the Mormons use their secret handshakes and phrases to get from one room to another in the temples, or the way the Pentecostals pass around the money plate while dancing and singing and bouncing off the walls: all of these things are rituals. While most religious rituals are rather tame and consist of watching a parade of priests in fancy robes, such as the Catholics, Baptists, and Mormon temple workers; some religious rituals are held in secret and only the very extremely "worthy" are allowed to join in and those "unworthy" to enter are threatened with death, torture, and violence: such is the way of the Mormons, the Free Masons, the Gardenairian Wiccans, the Gadiantons, and the Church of Satan all do. However, no mater how public or how secret these rituals may be, they both come under the classification of religious rituals based on the theories, dogmas, and the pompous doctrines of men, written by men for the pleasure of men, and often at the expense of the innocent, and never for the glory of the Creator, just the glory of themselves and the dominance over others. This is vanity, foolishness, and pride. That is one type of religious ritual: public and glittering or dark and secret, but always pompous and domineering. So where do Witches come in? As I said there are two types of religious ritual, the ones I mentioned before, that are for the glory of men, and the one's that the Witches use that are for the glory of the Creator.

Most likely you have seen the movies and you "know all about a Witch's ritual. They don fancy robes and wave wands and swords around and chant secret words and have secret handshakes..." oh so the movies have told you. Now hold on there, wait just one minute! Wow, you make it sound like a Mormon temple wedding, or a Free Mason's or Wiccans initiation ceremony, are you sure that you are talking about Witches? Oh, that's right, I forgot, you got that information from a movie. Okay, go whack yourself over the head a few times, knock out those stupid movies, and get your brain working again. Have you found the "On" button for your brain yet? Good. Did you remember to turn it on this time? Great! Let us continue.

The second type of religious ritual is the one used by Witches (note, I said Witches, not Wiccans, because they are not the same thing): the ritual that gives the glory to the Creator Spirit not to men. A Witch's ritual is that there is no need for a ritual. A Witch can stand on the hilltop a praise her/his Creator; without worrying that she/he forgot her/his candles and incense; without worrying that she/he is not in the temple or coven; without worrying that she/he is not dressed in white or black or whatever the "correct" color might be. A Witch is free to worship the Creator at any time of any day, morning, noon, or night, Sunday, Monday, Friday, or any other day, not just at 9:00 Sunday morning in exactly the right building or on All Hallow's Eve at midnight in exactly the right graveyard. A Witch is not chained to meaningless prayers quoted repeatedly, she/he can say exactly what is in her/his heart, and she/he can say it dirrectly to the Great Spirit, she/he does not need to tell a priest first and get his permission to "talk with God". A Witch can sing and dance and worship and praise and she/he does not need an audience, a pulpit, or a high priest's, high priestess', bishop's permission to glorify her/his Creator.

"What about costumes?" you ask. Yes, Witches do wear capes and long lose flowing robes, during these rituals, just like Wiccans. However, did you notice that after the ritual is over a Wicca goes back to wearing "street clothes". Unlike Wiccans, Witches do not "wear costumes". A Witch wears long flowing robes during the ritual, because that is their street clothes. A Witch does not change out of their "costumes" like Wiccans do, because for a Witch, these are not costumes. A Witch wears long robes every day, all day, all year 'round. Now most people look at Witches and see costumes, but we Witches view our simple uncluttered clothen as freedom: freedom from competing with the latest fashions, freedom from constricting tight pants, freedom from vanity and pride, freedom from caring what the world may say, freedom to worship our Creator without having to worry about who looked best on Sunday.

So, what about the alter, the sword, the magic wand, the chants, the incense, and the candles? Do Witches use these things or not? It depends on the Witch and the religious upbringing that they had. Catholics turned Witches often have the candles and the alter and everything else because that is what they grew up with, that is what they are used to doing. It was a good and happy experience for them, so that is what they continue to do. Mormons turned Witches on the other hand, are often driven from the Mormon church because they are feed up with the "wear this, say that, sit there; strip down naked so we can search your clothes and be sure you have not snuck in some color; if we so much as find a speck of color on your white temple garments, you well be lost for time and all eternity in the eternal depths of Outer Darkness; etc. etc. etc.". (For those not familiar with the term, Outer Darkness is a place beyond Hell, reserved for only the evilest of mankind, such as false prophets and defilers of the temple. Some Mormon leaders say that Outer Darkness is really a Black Hole which yearly gets bigger, swallowing entire galaxies, and some day the Milky Way will be swallowed by it, as well. Mormons are very depressing and creepy creatures, they spend all of their time thinking such depressing things, they see no good in anything or any one, and they never smile, I often wonder if they are even human). One trip to the Mormon temple is enough to send anyone running. I have been there, I know, I came from a long line of religion-crazed holier-than-thou Mormons. Mormons turned Witches are so glad to be free from the chains of those religious crazed freaks that they do not want anything to do with a religious ritual again. As such, Witches who were raised in Mormon families, tend to avoid performing rituals.

If you are like most who are new to Witchcraft than you probably fantasize about performing great rituals, right? You want to know how to do all those rituals don't you? Well, you have come to the wrong place. I am a Witch, not a Wicca, I do not believe in, nor do I practice those kinds of religious rituals. I do not see the need for all of those "tools". What good do they do? Do you really think that your Creator cares if you wave a sword over your head, or draw magic circles on the ground? The Great Spirit does not care about those things any more than he-she cares about the repetitious religious rituals of the Catholics and Mormons! What the Great Spirit is looking for is those with the truest heart, not those who sang the best, danced the most, burned the sweetest incense, or had the shiniest sword. So what if you have the world's longest ruby encrusted sword that was specially blessed with sandalwood and myrrh. If you lose your soul, what good did it do you?

If you really have your heart set on doing the rituals, then there are plenty of books out there to tell you what to do. Most rituals are written by and for Wiccas, but there are a few books out there for and by Witches as well. I have read them all, and quite frankly, I thought them to be a lot of hocus-pocus, mumbo-jumbo, that sounded an awful lot like a bunch of nonsense to pump up your pride in yourself and make yourself look good at the mall. They had nothing whatsoever to do with glorifying the Creator and reminded me many of the Mormon temple rituals: lots of pomp and circumstance and glorifying men, and no actual worship of our Creator at all. Sad. So very sad. It is sad, how many people put all of their faith in the rituals of their religion and forget all about their loving Creator. I pity these poor blind souls, and pray that they may open their eyes and see that no amount of ritual washings, chanting, blessings, magic circles, or white clothes will ever save their souls. If only they would lift their eyes up to the Great Spirit and open their ears to his-her voice, they would see a wonderful Being who loves them and is not trying to make them slave their lives away with senseless rituals. Many are called, but so few there be that hear the cry of their Master's voice.

Still confused? Let's take a look at a witch all ready for a ritual, that goes bad. Oh, what to do on a blustery windy day? Wiccas and Witches love their outdoor rituals. So very many Wiccas and Witches hate windy days, and either postpone their rituals or move them indoors. Why? Well, let us find out. How many times has this happened to you? You've planned your ritual months in advance, everything is going to be perfect: the satin alter cloth, the rose petals, the incense, the candles, your brand new cape: everything is planned out perfectly, what could possibly go wrong? Than the big day comes, and it is blowing like a hurricane out there. You have lit your incense three times now, you have yet to get the candles lit at all, your rose petals have blown miles away by now, the satin alter cloth is up in a tree, and your cape is acting like a sail and lifting your up off the ground. Oh, what a wretched day, curse this day, why didn't you think to have your ritual a day earlier or wait until tomorrow?

Now, wait a minute. What is wrong with this picture? Are you sure that you are a real Witch? Boy, now you are not even acting like a real Wicca. All too often, Witches and Wiccas alike, get so caught up in the planning and preparations of the ritual, trying to get everything perfect, that they forget the true purpose behind the ritual. They focus on the material things, the luxuries, the vanities, the glorious poetic chants, and they forget all about the spiritual things. It is my belief that when we get like this, all caught up in foolishness, vanity, and pride, that the Creators take a deep breath, open their mouths up wide and blow away all of those foolish vanities that we have put between ourselves and our Creator. Wind storms should be looked upon as a lesson to us, not to put such faith in the material things and to focus on what really matters in a ritual: worshipping the Creator.

Let's go back to that poor Witch, whose candles will not stay lit and whose things have blown away; we left her sitting by her alter in tears, cursing this wretched windy day. After a while she stops crying and says, "How foolish I am sitting here crying. Oh, Great Spirit forgive me and my foolishness, this is Your day, not mine, You do not care about the candles and the satin, You just want me to remember You and be happy. We are your children, and like any good parent, You seek only to bring us happiness and joy. You saw that I was stressed and weighed down by those things of ritual. You saw that I thought more of my candles, than I did of You, so You blew them away to ease my burden and lighten my load. You sought to free me from the chains of my foolish vanity and pride. Oh, thank You, my dear precious Creator! Thank You for showing me the error of my ways. What needs have I for candles, when I have the stars shine brightly about my head? I do not need a satin alter cloth when the cool grass is below my feet. I was so busy chanting poetry, that I did not hear the owls, frogs, and crickets singing Your praises. You have sent this great wind whirling and twirling about me to teach me how to dance." At that she leaps into the air, happy as can be, whirling and twirling with the wind, running threw the grass, and singing and praising her Creator to the tune of the crickets, just as she should have been doing to begin with. The lesson here: forget the ritual, praise the Creator.

Remember, when things go wrong, do not despair, sit down and take a look at your situation, how can you make it better? What can you learn from what has happened? For every wrong turn, there is always a way ahead-you may not get to where you set out to go, but you will certainly go somewhere. Look around, was it possible that you had really set out in the wrong direction to begin with, and this "wrong turn" was in fact a right turn, that you never would have found otherwise? There is always a reason for everything; you just have to find it.

Witches, like all humans, wear the colors that appeal to the individual's personal preference. What this means is that Witches who wear black, wear black because they enjoy doing so. Do all Witches wear black? No. In fact, most do not have any black in their wardrobe at all. In my experience, the colors that Witches wear most often are the colors found in nature: browns, greens, deep golds, and the colors of sunsets and flower petals. Witches are very spiritual people who are often in touch with nature and the world around them, and their clothing colors usually reflect that.

What I see more often is not that Witches dress in black, but that Witches dress in a fashion style that is very different from that of the average person. Witches are driven by natural instinct to live freely, flowing through life unencumbered and in harmony with nature's energy flow. Their clothing reflects this freedom. Witches wear simple clothes that do not way themselves down; cloths that slip on and off without a fuss; cloths often without buttons, zippers, or snaps.

Their clothing instantly identifies most Witches. Witches are not ashamed of who and what they are and dress exactly as they have for centuries. Men and women alike, wear long flowing gowns, loose full chemises, light weight caftans, shawls, veils, plaid runas, velvet robes, hooded burnooses, and capes. Their clothing is simple, inexpensive, loose, unhampered, unencumbered, non-restricting, breathable, and only very rarely store bought. Most, not all, but most Witches make their own clothes. It is a rare thing for a Witch that buys clothing from a store. Witches do not care what other people may think of their "odd" clothes anymore than they care about people complaining about their "odd" ways of living. The opinions of others are not important to them, because they are not trying to impress anyone. They are Witches because that is their spiritual calling.

A Witch's clothing must flow freely about their body so that all of nature's sacred energy can enter into their personal auras, while still providing protection from the weather: snow, wind, rain, hurricane, and the summer sun. Keep in mind, that Witches spend a large majority of their time outside in nature. Tight clothing, especially tight pants hinders one's receptiveness to the magnetic energies of life.

A Practicing Witches' wardrobe will usually consist of two or three floor-length shifts/chemises, a satchel or purse, a runa shawl or two, a loose but warm jacket, a robe or two, and one or two floor-length hooded capes. In the colder climates, such as the icy cold coast of Maine, a Witch's wardrobe will generally be made of warmer fabrics. Witches living in cooler regions prefer velvet, suede, corduroy, fleece, (fake) fur, wool, plaid, knit, crochet, sheepskin, leather, or other warm "winter-proof" fabrics. They will also have additional necessary items in their wardrobe, such a floor-length lined (fake) fur or fleece coat, scarves, gloves, and hats. When I say hats, these are not what you may be thinking, not knitted hats, but wide brimmed hats; hats of felted wool, or fur. Hats such as you would expect to have seen before the 1900's, often styles dating as far back as the 1300's, back when clothing was made to be warm, long lasting, and practical, and not to be "in fashion".

In warmer seasons or in warmer climates, Practicing Witches wear cooler, lighter fabrics. During Maine's short summers a Witch's wardrobe will generally be made of fabrics such as: cotton, batiste, calico, eyelet, lace, gingham, seersucker, gauze, and other light weight fabrics.

You will notice that most female Witches never wear pants and rarely wear a two-piece dress, and that men often wear robes. Long flowing gowns, robes, and capes are the norm. Your body acts as an antenna and loose fitting easily drapeable fabric allows nature's magnetic energy to flow freely around you and attract more easily to you, allowing for better spiritual reception. Witches will often wear colors to match their mood or the spell that they are performing. Most Witches sew their own clothes, I certainly do.

One thing that really separates Witches from the rest of the world is not the color or style of their cloths, but the infrequency in which they replace their cloths. Clothes should be made to last. Practicing Witches are greatly displeased with the wasteful people in the world today. You know the ones, people who throw out their clothes and buy an entirely new wardrobe every year or two. They are particularly displeased with people who feel they have to buy a new wardrobe every season of every year! Witches shun the activity of chasing the current fashion. They do not want to be a slave to the latest fad or buckle under to the feeling of peer pressure.

Practicing Witches know that one of the first laws to becoming at one with nature's energy is to not waste things. Cherish what you have, take care of it, do not let it wear out, thank the Great Spirit for blessing you with it, and do not worry about getting the same things your neighbor has. Witches know that you are not your neighbor: you are you. You are a unique individual. You are not like any other person on this entire planet and you have no reason to try to be like your neighbor. Most Witches will tell you to stop worrying about your best friend's cloths and just be yourself. Be happy to be you.

Many Practicing Witches follow the principles of Medieval civilization. In Medieval times everyone, even royalty, only had to buy new clothes once every ten to twenty years, so why do people today feel the need to buy new clothes every few weeks? The fabrics used in Medieval times were made to last: velvet, brocade, jacquard, wool, cotton, linen, silk (real silk from real silkworms-not the thin polyester stuff you see today) and flax. Their clothes were sewn by hand using strong durable threads. Buttons were rare, zippers had not yet been invented, and they only washed their clothes once every month or so. Their clothes were made to be durable and strong, weather resistant and long lasting, clothes that would stand up to the labors of farm work and still are fashionable enough to wear to a dinner party.

Why people today are so wasteful is beyond the sensibilities of most Practicing Witches. If you really want to become a Witch than you are going to have to learn how to take better care of your clothes. Learn to be less wasteful. Learn make them last longer, start wearing clothes that are made of durable long lasting fabric. Wear clothes that you can get up in the morning and put on without worrying about how fashionable they are or what others will think about them. You will find that once you have freed yourself from worrying about your clothes, that you will stop using up so much of your physical energy. You will not be as stressed out and you will find it much easier to relax. All of these things will result in your becoming a much better Witch. You will be more in tune to the voices of the spirit world, and you will be much more receptive to harnessing nature's magnetic energies: the key ingredient for casting spells, healing the sick, and communicating with the Great Spirit. All in all clothes can make or break a Witch, by affecting how you think not only about yourself, but also about how you think about the world around you.