HedgeWitch
Page 5
Shifting with Nature
Nature isn’t the only shift mechanism every human being has in his or her attraction arsenal—there are others, such as music, memory recall of happy events or feelings, art, dance, even race car driving (no kidding, my son-in-law does it)—anything that mentally and emotionally makes you feel super good! When I first learned how to do magic, I used music as my primary shifter in ritual and spellwork. As I grew to understand the vast scope of Witchcraft, revisiting its building blocks time and again, studying Hoodoo, herbal magick, and spiritism under Houngan Ray Malbrough, learning hypnosis and Reiki, delving into classical astrology, learning tai chi, etc., I realized that Mother Nature has an incredible power that moves through all my (and your) interests—and She is more than willing to share! Her power can change your life in a heartbeat, and it’s right here, under your nose, all the time, day or night, rain or shine, no batteries necessary, wand included. All you have to do is state what you want and follow through. Mother Nature is the universe. She is quantum physics!
Primal Language (The Dialect of Mother Nature) Requires Changing the Way You Think
So far, I’ve explained that the basic idea of manifesting anything you want is to say exactly what you want, visualize it, feel good about it, and as soon as you open your eyes, think of something (anything) that makes you very happy. Then let the thought go and make the effort to release ideas, thoughts, and physical objects that may be blocking your desire. If you have been working magick for a long time, you’ll be sitting there saying, “This is spellcasting 101.So what?”
In spellcasting, the primary focus is on the preparation, the focus of the spell itself, and the closure, often done in sacred space or a magick circle (which defines the field for your focus). The HedgeWitch material you will be working with uses both sacred space and the magick circle, and this is explained as you work through Sections 2 and 3 of this book. I mention this here because we tend to forget that those thoughts and conversations we have with ourselves and with others before and after any working also communicate to the universe, which can result in a mixed message as to what we really desire.
My son’s situation with his car in the earlier example shows us that what you think, say, and do affects your life all the time. It shows us that we waste an inordinate amount of energy sending mixed messages to the universe. By complaining and being angry, he was transmitting a load of garbage that finally manifested into a broken car. To really make primal language work for you (remember, primal language is a succinct formulation of words that mirror a thought—that thought being your desire), you have to pay attention to what you are saying and doing outside that sacred space or magick circle.
Therefore, we must stop saying what we don’t want. We must stop complaining. We must stop transmitting garbled information, which means we have to make a concerted effort to change the way we think, the way we speak to ourselves, and the way we converse with others if we truly wish to manifest what we desire on a continual basis. Magick doesn’t just occur in circle. Magick and manifestation occur each day, every day, 24/7.
The old teachers asked us: where is the center of any circle? And our answer was to be: where the Witch is. That is the center of manifestation, inside or outside of the circle: where you are. Manifestation naturally happens all the time. How does it happen? That is entirely up to you. In the magick circle, we know to be observant and how to direct the energy with honor. But what about outside the magick circle? When you are outside of the sacred area, are you directing your thoughts in the same way as you do within sacred space? What is within is without. What is inside is outside. As above, so below.
Why use a magick circle at all? Because it succinctly defines a specific field wherein we can work in harmony with the universe. (Note: As you work through the HedgeWitch material, if you have more questions about how a magick circle works and why we use it, please refer to my book Solitary Witch, which provides a broad compendium of information about basic Witchcraft techniques.)
Those of us who have been working magick for a long time have learned that what we say or do within a magick circle is important, because we have defined a field of manifestation by using the circle as a boundary. When we speak to ourselves or others, this translates into symbols (or an energy stream) that the universe tries to interpret and, in turn, responds in kind to our desires. If our thoughts or conversations are muddy and unclear, how the heck is the universe supposed to know what we are saying?
We tend to believe that outside of the circle, or when we have taken the circle down, the power we wield becomes limited. This is not the case. The universe hears what we say inside or outside that circle. It is how we think that is different. The universe is as it is. It is what we believe that makes the difference to us.
The universe, remember, does not understand disclaimers, codicils, or addendums—the universe only understands nouns and verbs; that’s it. If you say, “I don’t want to be responsible for handling this project at work,” you are most likely going to get the darned project. The universe drops the word don’t in the translation. Why? Because we tend to think in pictures and symbols, even though we don’t realize we do. In this primal language, there isn’t a symbol for the word don’t. If I say, “I don’t want to be responsible for this project at work,” what symbols am I transmitting to the universe? That’s right. I have formulated the project and my work environment in my mind. The want word generates strong emotional content (good or bad), which magnifies the thought and often works as an attraction device, not a repelling device. So, in all your thoughts, you need to train yourself to say what you do want—nothing more. All of us who have worked through this material have agreed that training your mind to not say “I don’t want” was the biggest challenge. Why is the concept of primal language confusing to some? Because we are trying to translate the spoken word (no matter our language—English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Russian, Japanese) into the universal one—that of feelings and thought symbols and energy streams. And as we all know with translation devices, miscommunication often occurs!
The universe does not speak English or French or Chinese. It speaks “universe.” The universe does not hear your words—the universe vibrates to your thoughts and feelings. That’s how it communicates.
Your thoughts (not words) are vibrational symbols translated into a stream of energy. Your emotions dictate the strength of that transmission (for good or ill). Your belief determines the clarity of your transmission.
By using the primal language I recommend (nouns and verbs), you are training your mind to speak to the universe in a way it understands. When you speak a word out loud, your mind has already formulated a vibrational symbol, or stream of energy. It is that symbol or energy stream, not the word itself, that communicates to the universe. It is your emotion when saying the word, not the word itself, that quantifies the intensity of that communication to the universe. It is your clarity of belief, not the words themselves, that speaks to the universe. Words aren’t for the universe, they are for us. The fewer words spoken, the stronger the message.
Which is why you can be deaf, dumb, and blind and still be able to communicate with the universe. There are no handicaps in the world that prevent you from this communication. You are never alone. And you have always known how to manifest anything you desire, you just didn’t realize it. The reason why we often don’t get what we want is because we don’t really know what we want—we are confused, ourselves, as to what we really desire. By using primal language, factoring down the number of words we use and how we use them, we are helping ourselves determine precisely what it is we truly desire. Once we have honed our words to a precision thought, the world is ours!
Prove It to Yourself
Just because I wrote the above doesn’t mean you have to believe it—right? So I’d like you to do an experiment for yourself. I’d like you to take one thing you complain about all
the time, and I’d like you to totally rearrange your thinking on the subject. Remove words like don’t, not, hate, dislike, bugs me, crappy, irritate, etc. Change your thinking to what you do want that involves this subject. Translate this into as few words as possible that still gets your point across. Every day, communicate that positive statement to the universe. And every time you think about the subject or talk about it with others, do it in a positive way—no more complaining. If you open your mouth to complain, snap it shut and say to yourself, “Always a blessing,” and change the subject. Keep doing this until the change occurs, no matter how long it takes. Don’t give up, and don’t give in! You’ll be amazed at the consequences.
Putting It All Together
The HedgeWitch material combines the natural magick you already have within yourself (your ability to communicate your desires to the universe) and the techniques of Witchcraft (a natural platform on which to focus the mind) to create a super life-changing experience. Below, I’ve listed the basics of HedgeWitchery.
The Basics of HedgeWitchery
In this section, you are learning the basic building blocks of the mental aspects of HedgeWitch magick. Here’s a “remember” list with a few additional tips:
1. Always connect to Spirit first. By Spirit I mean that which you believe runs the universe. Some call it the source, others God or Goddess, or both, or neither, or whatever, or lots of names with particular influences from different pantheons. The details don’t matter —what matters is that you believe in a greater power. As everyone’s needs for and in spiritual connection are different, there isn’t any one right belief. What you believe is right for you as long as it doesn’t purposefully hurt anyone. Power “over” in anything will bring you a whole lot of hurting in the end. Power “within” is the ultimate vehicle of success. (The universe does not take kindly to negative beliefs, thoughts, or actions.) Warning: Be careful that the beliefs of others don’t inhibit you; conversely, don’t shove your beliefs on others (it lessens your own personal power). Believe that you will receive, and it will be so.
2. Start and end everything, and I mean everything, with a smile! Smiling raises your personal vibrational level, moving you toward the essence of the universe, which is pure joy. The magick key of the universe that opens the door to every opportunity is a simple, sincere smile.
3. Learn to speak the true language of the universe! The source of all things has its own language: basically, nouns and verbs that focus on the attraction of any given thing. The All doesn’t acknowledge the rules of grammar as humans have made them. Instead, we must learn to think and speak in a simple, fundamental syntax when focusing on our desires. Stick with nouns and verbs to begin. For example: “I want cookies.” The words “I” and “cookies” are nouns. “Want” is the verb. Then, embellish carefully. “I want chocolate chip cookies.” More? “I want delicious, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.” Remember, by using primal language, we condense our desire into a translation that the universe will understand.
4. Visualize yourself absolutely delighted with what you want, which should produce a smile, which raises your personal vibrational level, which brings the thing faster. If you need something right away, be happy!
5.You must ensure that your conscious and subconscious beliefs about the issue are in agreement. If they do not agree, then your transmission to the universe will either be changed in a way you didn’t desire or will not manifest at all.
6. Nothing can grow if there isn’t space. You can’t receive if you’ve blocked the door and bolted the gate. For every specific thing that you want, whether it is healing, money, a new job, or a great relationship, let go of anything that inhibits the flow of what you desire. If you start listing a bunch of excuses, you’ve just lost big time. No magick elf presents for you! Allow change.
7. While you are waiting for what you desire, focus your attention on positive aspects in your life. Allow new and different energies to keep you occupied, rather than worrying or fretting about what you don’t have. Instead, learn to honor what you do have (or had), and go from there. When we are legitimately grateful, we bring closure to any situation and allow fresh, new experiences to energize our lives. And always remember to say thank you!
Entering the World
of HedgeWitchery
Most traditional spellwork and ritual form a mental vehicle to help you communicate your desires to the universe. Such practices keep the mind busy and centered in a positive place, freeing you to fully accept that which you desire. Spells and rites of worship encourage you to connect with the source of the universe smoothly, without interruption. They require a time and place for you to specifically plug in and turn on, raising your vibratory level for your ultimate success. Adding physical objects to a spell or ritual (flowers, candles, gems, stones, shells, ribbons, food offerings, herbs, etc.) provides vibrational benefits designed to keep you focused on your intent. Incorporating sound (music) and aroma (incense or magickal oils) heightens the physical and mental experience, helping you to shift easily into the primordial language of the universe. These things can assist you to form a more open dialog with Spirit, simply because they make you feel good. And when you feel good, miracles can happen!
Totem Representations
You may also wish to collect images of the HedgeWitch totem representations for your personal altar. If these totems don’t suit you, simply change them to what you feel best matches your needs and personality.
The Praying Mantis of Wisdom—South
The Butterflies of Communication—East
The Toads of Luck and Prosperity—West
The Bats of Earth’s Center—North
The Serpent of Wisdom—Sacred Center
These totem representations were chosen in direct association with organic gardening. Each brings vibrational benefits as well as prevents pests from destroying your work.
Traditional Colors
I’ve chosen a set of traditional colors for the practice of HedgeWitchery; however, if this doesn’t interest you, that’s just fine. If you feel the recommended colors are too dark for your taste, you may wish to employ floral colors and patterns in your HedgeWitchery work. Traditional colors are usually used in candleburning magick, in ritual garments, on altar cloths, etc.
Black—for the earth and the birth of all things
Green—for the lifeblood of the vegetation we employ and the growth we accomplish
Gold—for the light of Spirit, the sunlight that nurtures our craft, and to remind us to look up to the stars with our hopes and dreams rather than focusing on what we do not have
White—for the energy of the nourishing waters of Spirit and of the liquid that sustains us and the herbs of our study
You may also desire to fashion a robe or other ritual garment in the HedgeWitch color scheme. Those who have gone through the training here wore a green garment with gold and black trim or a gold and black sash, or a white garment with green, gold, and black trim or a green, gold, and black sash. You may wish to embroider the Sacred Serpent of Wisdom (shaped like a figure eight) or perhaps your personal signature herb or flower on one item of your ritual wear. (Note: You will choose your HedgeWitch signature herb the first night and work with this plant throughout your fourteen-day experience.) In HedgeWitchery, your creativity is encouraged and deemed highly important. Wear what you desire. Your HedgeWitch experience can be as formal or eclectic as you like!
Simple Formula for HedgeWitch
Spellwork, Prayer, and Meditation
1.Go to the still point. This means relax, close your eyes, take several deep breaths, and let nothing fill your mind. Be at peace. In your mind, surround yourself with white light.
2.Next, be grateful for something—anything. Say out loud what you are thankful for. These things do not have to be in line with your intent. By being thankful, you will lift you
r spirits.
3.Align yourself with Spirit. Shift into nature, and it is easy to touch that-which-runs-the-universe. Be grateful for this moment of peace and inner pleasure.
4.Say: “There is one power, which is within and without” (and mean it). This statement means that you acknowledge your magnificent connection with Spirit, and that together you are one.
5.State, in language as simple as possible, precisely what you want. Say the same exact statement three times, slowly and with meaning.
6.Say: “It always works! Always a blessing!” This means that you believe, consciously and subconsciously, that you will receive what you desire.
7.In your mind, see yourself having what you want, and smile.
8.Say thank you, and smile again.
This simple format can be used within a longer ritual or alone for spellworking or as a simple rite, meditation, or prayer format. It works both for group and solitary use.
Personal Cleansing
Before any rite or ritual of dedication or initiation, the seeker is normally required to undergo a body cleansing—a bath or shower to remove all negativity, both physical and spiritual. It is suggested that before you undertake each phase of this dedication, you practice the time-honored tradition of cleansing to reap the most benefits on your spiritual journey. Sections 4 and 5 of this book contain several formulas for soaps, cleansers, salts, etc., that can be used in your personal and environmental cleansing activities.
Remember, you can choose to work through the HedgeWitchery guide in fourteen days or take your time and elongate the process to fourteen weeks—it’s your decision.