After years of having students complain that there was not a suitable beginner's book for the Southern Hemisphere and that books available today tend to either ignore us living south of the equator, or adding mention like some hurried byline, I have finally finalised the manuscript for my own version of a beginner's book.
Reflecting my own teaching emphasis, Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundational Practices for a Magical Life is designed to be just that, a manual that will provide the neophyte (seeker) with what I hope will be a solid foundation upon which they can shape their own practice.
So what is contemporary witchcraft?
The purpose of contemporary
witchcraft is similar to other spiritual paths regardless of whether they are
earth-centric or not. I say “spiritual”
because at the end of the day the reason by specific tools and techniques are
used, the rituals and ceremonies performed, and even the nature of crafting
spells utilise a similar underpinning – that being me strengthen connection
with the energies that ebb and flow through the universe, these energies are
what I term of “god” and “goddess” the divine, deity. And even if I am casting a spell to obtain
employment, undertaking meditation to restore peace and groundedness in my
life, or performing a ritual to heal an acquaintance, all of these actions
impact upon me as a spiritual being.
There are four main aspects that
form the basis of my particular practice of contemporary witchcraft. They are:
- Belief in the polarity of the divine – the divine masculine and divine feminine, that there are gods and goddesses that do connect with us on a rather personal and extremely real level – they are not just figments of the imagination, or some deluded outdated beliefs of our somewhat ignorant ancestor. The gods of our ancestors are very much alive today – it is us who are the ignorant ones as we have allowed ourselves to forget how to get in touch with them. But they are still there – waiting.
- Aligning ourselves with the energies of the earth and the cosmos above us. After all we are earthbound beings. We do this through following the seasonal festivals, the sabbats, the Wheel of the Year, ebbing and flowing with the solar energy as we also do with the lunar energy that we align with through the esbats (the full moons).
- Realising and understanding that we are in effect energy and as such we are interconnecting with all that is around us – other humans, animals, insects, plants, and beyond – the cosmos.
- The world around is magick. We are magick. Magick is in effect energy which flows arounds us and through us. In understanding energy we then are able to manipulate it our will (spellcrafting) to assist us in the day to day. However the more we understand our place in the greater scheme of things, the less we feel the need to focus on the mundane.
In contemporary witchcraft there
is a foundation that first needs to be established. This can be likened to the
concrete slab that is poured before a house is built. We need to have the right quantities of sand,
gravel or crushed stones, water and cement.
We need to mix this combination for the right amount of time to ensure
all is completely blended. We need to
have the right conditions when we pour the concrete, and we need to leave the
concrete to set for the right amount of time.
Once our foundation has been made and laid out with all this due care,
we can then build our house in whatever style we want and then decorate it how
it may please us.
The foundational practices within
contemporary are such that when mastered, they will enable you have necessary
tools to assist you in whatever direction you then chose to follow – whether
you continue with contemporary witchcraft or venture into some other direction. These practices are no great secret and in
fact can be found within other spiritual, and magical, traditions.
- Faith in what you are doing: The most important mindset to have when practising magick is faith – an unwavering belief in what you are doing, in your ability, and that your magick will work.
- Focus: This is where practices such as learning how meditate come into play. Calm and focus the mind.
- Passion: Having the burning desire that this is what you believe, this is what rings true to you.
- Magick: You must believe in magick otherwise what are you doing?
If the above resonates with you, you can learn more about contemporary witchcraft on the Temple of the Dark Moon's web page, with Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundational Practices for a Magical Life due for release in 2021.
