Contents Illustrations / xvii Foreword by Ivo Dominguez Jr. / xix Introduction / 1 My Witchcraft Is . / 4 Warning: The Following Is Not Your Typical Book on Witchcraft / 5 Chapter 1: The History of the Modern Tradition of Witchcraft . 7 In the Beginning / 7 Founding a Tradition? / 10 But Modern and Traditional? / 16 What Is Traditional? / 17 What Is Modern? / 20 Keys to the Witch''s Path / 21 Witchcraft Today, from Yesterday to Tomorrow / 23 Chapter 2: Who or What Is a Witch? . 25 Defining Witch / 25 The Origin of the Witch / 27 Natural-Born Witch vs. Made Witch / 35 The Traditional Initiatory Path 35 Natural-Born Witch? 36 The Self-Guided Path 36 Going for the Title 37 In Summary 37 Religion, Spirituality, or Vocation? / 37 Participant or Practitioner? / 40 What It Means to Be a Witch / 41 Choosing the Word Witch / 42 What Is a Real Witch, Anyway? / 43 Chapter 3: A Path of Your Own Making . 47 Questioning Authenticity / 47 RITES: Defining Your Path / 48 Roots: The Call of Blood / 49 Inspiration: The Pull of Spirit / 54 Time: The Schedule of Person, Practice, and Place / 57 The Social Schedule 59 Your Body''s Clock 59 The Lunar Cycle 60 The Solar Seasons 62 Schedule of Feast Days 65 Turning the Wheel of You / 66 Environment: The World Around You / 69 Star: Illuminating Your Path / 71 A Witch''s Manifesto / 72 Choosing Your Threads / 74 Reconsidering Tools and Aids / 74 Practicing Alone or Working in Groups / 76 Do You Need a Teacher? / 79 Initiation and Dedication / 81 The Truth of Myth / 83 Age, Experience, Secrets, and the Fear of Missing Out / 85 The Dangers of Witchcraft / 88 Chapter 4: The Witch''s Craft . 91 Secrets of the Uncommon Witch / 92 Observe and Obscure / 93 Listen and Speak / 93 Change and Rest / 94 Fear, Intuition, and Instinct / 95 The Reality of Magick / 98 The Colors and Levels of Magick / 100 Magick and Morality / 102 Riding the Waves of Magick / 104 The Art of Spellcraft / 106 Writing Your Own Spells / 114 Magick Is Not a Band-Aid / 116 The Crux of Cursing / 118 Weave Your Pattern Well / 119 Magick Follows the Path of Least Resistance 120 Mind the Fates 120 Words Have Power 121 Do I Need a Grimoire or a Book of Shadows? / 122 Lunar and Solar Correspondences for Spellcraft and Ritual / 123 The Ritual Arts / 124 Movement as Magick / 129 Creating Sacred Space / 131 The Spirit of a Place / 131 Altars and Shrines / 132 Sacred Geometry: Casting Circles, Squares, and Spheres / 133 The Seer: The Witch as Oracle / 134 A Craft of Your Own / 136 To Dare to Do the Work / 137 Chapter 5: Exploring the Liminal and Luminous Numina .

139 Witches and Liminal Exploration / 139 What Is the Liminal? / 140 The Spiral Overlay: The Shape of Everything and Gateway to the Divine / 143 Matters of Spirit / 144 Luminous Numina: Gods / 145 The Gods Made Us/We Made the Gods / 146 The Evolution of Gods / 147 The Gods Must Be Crazy / 149 Experiencing the Gods / 152 Choosing Gods--or Not / 154 Huffing the Gods / 157 The Gods Who Come with Us / 159 The Self Divine / 160 Familiar Spirits, Guardians, and Guides / 162 The Dead: Ancestors, the Mighty Dead, Ghosts, and More / 164 The Familiar Deceased 165 The Ancestors 165 The Mighty Dead 165 Other People''s Dead (OPD) 166 Psychopomp 166 Ghosts and Residual Energy 166 Divine Influences: Dedication, Devotion, and Free Agency / 168 Revisiting the Sacred Feminine and Masculine / 169 The Crossroads: Dreams and Trance States / 170 Flying or Immediate Witchcraft / 172 Ritual Application: Conversing with the Gods / 174 Communing with the Dark / 177 Chapter 6: The Practical Witch . 179 The Witch and Society / 179 Working Alone vs. Group Work and Networking / 181 On the Web 183 Around Town 184 Regarding Commerce, Money, and Commitment / 184 A Witch''s Guide to Essential Etiquette / 186 Your Word Is Your Worth 188 Don''t Piss on the Seedlings--They Become Trees 188 Speaking of Trees, They All Can Be Felled 188 The Same Plant Can Heal or Harm, Depending on How You Interact with It 189 Don''t Poison the Cauldron 190 What''s Good for the Goose Is What''s Good for the Goose 190 Follow the Intent 190 Threefold Literacy 191 Those Who Show Up Determine the Outcome-- There Is No Absentee Ballot in Witchcraft 191 The Witch Is Not a Victim / 192 Universal Flow: Witches Are Like Jellyfish / 193 Are You a Good Witch? / 195 Breaking Oaths / 197 Real Energy, Real Experiences? / 200 Troubleshooting and Dealing with Fears / 201 The Fear of Not Knowing/Being Enough 202 Discrimination, Persecution, and Judgment 202 Negative Impacts from Spells and Workings 202 The Void 203 Getting Involved with the Wrong People 203 Going Mainstream 204 Attracting Malicious Spirits and Other Bad Stuff 206 We Are Aradia / 205 The Charge of the New Aradia / 207 Conclusion / 209 Acknowledgments /211 List of Resources / 213.