How to B the next letter in the alphabet

So after A were gonna have B........naturally haha. I was thinking about the letters in the alphabet and what each one would be about, actually forgot to think about B. I was far too concerned with the hard ones like Q and X haha. But anyway here it is, the second letter of the A-Z pagan journey. 

B is for Blessings.

In Druidry we mention it a fair bit and the same in Wicca too. Blessings are a big part of performing Magick. During a circle casting we bless and cleanse the area we are in, we ask for the gods to bless us during our rite's and we bestowed blessings on others in the form of charms spells or kind gestures. 

Blessings, I think are really important to a magickal practice as it gives you the chance to receive and give what I think of as a magickal gift or dose of good luck hahaha. 

Probably the most common and frequent blessings used are those involved in creating sacred space, for me at least the act of creating sacred space is great fun and full of Magick. The very best bit for me being when the circle is blessed with the elements of fire and or water. This is the act of giving the space you have created the relevant reverence to be sacred on this occasion (also done when asking for the blessings of the divine to watch over that sacred space). It is such a simple gesture that has such a big effect on the space it is enacted in and really speaks to emphasise the fact that you are creating something magickal within and out of the world of the mundane. 

Besides using a blessing on space you can ask for them from sources of Magick or divinity, you hear of people being blessed all the time and we even do it without thinking (the response to a sneeze comes to mind haha). But simply asking for a blessing can be enough to turn what seems like a very uncontrollable day in to one that becomes easier to manage. When we ask the gods to bestow us with blessings we are asking for help from a source of power, Magick, divinity or whatever you like to aid us in our struggles. It never hurts to ask right??

In my magickal practice I have also given blessings to people. For example, In a handfasting you are the mediator between the couple and the divine and acting as the high priest you bestow a blessing upon the couple with the aid of the gods, in order that their union may be one that is happy and peaceful. With the addition of the gods, some gestures and some words. A simple act of well wishing is given power to remain a reminding force of good in a couples life. A force that is remembered so as to aid with fights and keep the couple true to the meaning of the event where they were blessed.

Blessings can be simple acts or they can elaborate rituals that stay with you for a lifetime but at the end of the day a blessing to me is the truest form of Magick as it needs no jewels or fancy props to be performed. It is a simple act of lasting love that stays with a person or place for as long as it is needed.

A-Z A pagan journey.

It has been a long time since my last post and I have missed writing on here. It's been a long time because, well, I have been busy haha. 

Lots going on and little time to sit and think. But today I got the chance and while I was thinking I noticed something online that caught my eye, so here it is. 

MY PAGAN A-Z. :D

So the first letter is A obviously and of course the first word that comes to mind with me concerning the craft is the word Altar.

An altar is a place set aside for worship, somewhere that you decide to make sacred while you work on prayer, worship, spells or simple meditation. It is a place of your choosing or somewhere that is selected for the reason of spiritual expression. 

I love Altars and have 3 in my room :D, one to Apollo another to Aphrodite and a third one is for Magick of any kind. They are pretty much just places to put things. Apollo's altar is on a shelf Aphrodite's is on top of a piece of furniture and my Magick altar is on top of my chest of drawers haha. Nothing special to anyone else but to me they are focus points for worship, prayer and spells. 

When I do Magick I go to an altar that I have set up in my room, but what about when I am in a hotel for the night or if I am out in the woods, then what? The best thing about altars is that they can be anywhere and made of anything. I have made an altar out of a tree stump, stone and pine cone before.

All I needed was a focus for my Magick and the altar that I made was just perfect for that. When creating an altar I have always tried to think of a couple of things. How do I feel when I place my hands on it? Do I feel connected to my self and the Magick around me and am I picking fault with how I have arranged things. In other words Do I need all this stuff? Does it serve a purpose?

At the end of the day altars are anywhere you want them to be and if you need one it can be everywhere you find yourself. Be open to the world and just look for a place that suits you and your magickal needs and above all, keep it as simple as you need it to be.

One last thing I will say about making an altar is don't be worried about shifting it all round from time to time and try something different, some of us try and use seasonal colours to match the festivals but it's all up to you. Just have fun with your little place of Magick. The more you use it the more power it will generate. 

Have fun people and blessed be :D