Toads

I decided to do this entry on the much maligned and greatly overlooked familiar of witches, the Toad. The Toad has been associated with conjurers and cunning folk for centuries and is even mentioned in the Witches Hammer as a way to single out one of our kind.
So what makes the Toad so special? Certainly not the warts and ruddy brown complexion. Historically it was a certain bone that was contained within the confines of the Toad itself that when gathered in a certain way it gave the sorcerer power. Much has been written on this practice, so I won't go into it here. Suffice it to say that I have never felt the need to slaughter Mr. Toad in pursuit of said bone, but have instead utilized the amphibious witches familiar for more benign operations. They are quite amazing creatures when one actually spends time with them. They have personalities and it can bee seen why they were considered imps of the Devil. My own  Toad, Mr. Hobbs, has been with me some time and lends his own magickal elements to my workings when done in my personal temple. He also has given me insight into the realms of the dead, for the Toad is a great guide down that rabbit hole.
Their long life and interesting habits lend them to the witch as a magickal companion to enhance ones workings and just lend a bit of friendship, though be it a bit warty.

That's it for now.. Until next time.....

Traditional Witchcraft

As many of our clients and friends are aware, I was raised in a non-Wicca Traditional Witchcraft tradition. Many have asked what exactly is Traditional Witchcraft and what are it's practices? In this short post, I will list some of the practices that my family has been part of for generations and hopefully give a bit of an insight into what we actually do...

Traditional Witchcraft is not Wicca. It is based upon older practices that would be considered almost shamanic in some respects. We have a matron goddess and a patron god, but we also work with other deities and spirits. Spirits are hugely part of our work. Both ancestral and other. We do not particularly practice a great many festivals as do Wiccans, but have a handful of celebrations of which we take part. Yule, Beltaine, and Samhain are three of the main ones that occupy our focus.

We do not go in for circles much unless we need to generate and focus a great deal of power. For to us the land is sacred and so are we so protection abounds within us all.
We also do not invest in a great number of "sacred" objects. All that we use are fairly mundane. We have a sharp knife, a cauldron, a staff or wand, a stang, and other items that are utilized. However, we are just as likely to cast a spell with our knife and cauldron in the evening and make breakfast with the same tools the next morn. In the using, they attain their magick and so are not magickal in and of themselves.
The power lies in the sorcerer.
We believe that one can curse as well as cure and that one must know both sides in order to be powerful and useful. For there is no light or dark, there is just energy and how one  uses it is up to them. We do not have the law of three that Wiccans do as we do not believe that we will bring back the energy upon us if we curse. However, we do believe that if you go around cursing for the sake of cursing, then someone else will eventually give you a slap, so you must use that power judiciously.
We do not go in for huge, elaborate rituals. These are time consuming and my ancestors had animals to tend and crops to bring in. So we build up the energy and cast the spell and away we go. That is one reason for the small number of tools that are actually used.

Well, that is about it for now.. I will add more to this subject as time permits.

Until the next time.......

The Fool!

Since we will be discussing "The Fool's Journey" at our Meet-Up group this month, I thought we would quickly revisit this card . . . 

Major Arcana - The Fool!

  In the house of the Major Arcana of the Tarot, the very first card we find is "The Fool". This card is typically given the number zero, and the Major Arcana itself is sometimes called "The Fool's Journey"! In this capacity, the Major Arcana follows the Fool on his physical and spiritual journey through life and through the Major Arcana itself as he meets various people and entities, and goes through numerous emotional and spiritual change.

  So who is this Fool? Well, if we are very lucky, it is us! The Fool represents many things. He is childlike innocence, and one who still views the world with a sense of wonder. He wanders through his life with his head in the clouds and is awestruck by the miracles around him. In the traditional symbology, he is so oblivious to his surroundings that he does not even notice that he is about to step off a cliff, even though the little dog at his feet is trying to warn him! Over his back he carries a sack on a stick. This sack contains everything that The Fool needs to get him through his life, if only he would stop long enough to open it up and learn the secrets that it holds.

  If you are interested in learning more about The Fool, feel free to access this free report on him that we at Arcanus have put together for you. Here's the link:

http://www.privatetarot.com/Reports/The_Fool. pdf

  Do you have your own interpretation of this card? As always, we would love to hear from you!