The Real Witches’ Book of Spells and Rituals. Kate West
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THE
REAL WITCHES’ BOOK
OF SPELLS AND RITUALS
KATE WEST
Element
An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF
Element is a trademark of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
Published by Element 2003
Copyright © Kate West, 2003
Kate West asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
Text illustrations by Chris Down
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
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Source ISBN: 9780007151110
Ebook Edition © FEBRUARY 2016 ISBN: 9780007374403 Version: 2015-12-14
This book is dedicated toSteve and Taliesin,with all my love.
‘Now we are together once more, let it always be so.Blessed Be.’
CONTENTS
TWO: Rites and Rituals, Spells and Magic
THREE: Casting the Circle, and Other Frequent Rites
TEN: Writing Rituals and Creating Spells
APPENDIX ONE: What Witchcraft Really Is
APPENDIX TWO: Terms and Definitions
APPENDIX THREE: Further Reading and Points of Contact
Merry Meet, welcome to The Real Witches’ Book of Spells and Rituals!
Magic really does work. It’s not a myth or imagination. It may not yet be scientifically proven, but it does work. Magic is all around us and is practised by almost everyone, even though they may not realize it! Crossing fingers, touching wood, ‘kissing it better’, wearing a Saint Christopher for safe travel, making a friendship band, blowing out the candles on a cake or dropping a coin into a well and making a wish are all acts of magic. The practitioner may not really believe in it, and so it may not fully work, but it’s still magic. The difference between these magics and the magic of Witchcraft lies in the fact that Witches do it with intent, focus and balance – they believe it will work and it does.
But why does anyone want to use magic? Everyone seeks control of their lives; from the youngest toddler to the oldest wise woman, we all want a say in what happens to us. Magic was more common in times past when we were still close to our native beliefs. It may have been driven underground and turned into superstition for a while, but now it is returning. In a world where just about everything is overlooked or controlled, by laws and people outside our personal influence, we are now remembering and returning to the old ways of taking personal control of our lives and our world, and of making the changes we seek in them. The Craft gives us the ability to do the former and the skills to work the magic to do the latter.
In the Craft we learn:
* Self-development and understanding.
* Personal responsibility and control.
* To live with nature and the elements, in balance and harmony.
* The cycles of the seasons and how they relate to us today.
* To comprehend the energies created by the phases of the Moon and the Sun.
* How the elements relate to us, our lives and our personal balance.
* To use the energies both within and outside of us.
* How to personally communicate with the Divine.
* To live as a part of the real world whilst enhancing our inner