Book of Witchery (4 page)

Well, my friend, look no further. Let's start working and learning about all of the days of witchery. The seven days of the bewitching week are filled with all kinds of earthy enchantments, practical magick, and witchy wisdom. Let's get your creative juices flowing! The motivation you need to craft your own more advanced and personalized magick might be only a page or two away. So pick a day, any day, and let's get started!

Seven are the
days of the magickal week,
Look inside this book for the secrets they keep.
Success, prosperity, love, and strength they hold,
To uncover their meanings, one must be bold.

Craft new magickal objects, potions, and embrace herbal lore,

Incorporate this wisdom into what you knew from before.
Let us embark on this journey one day at a time,
May your witchery be strong and true, come rain or shine.

[contents]

Sunday

At-a-Glance Correspondences

Daily Magickal Applications

The Latin term for Sunday, our first day of the week, is
Dies Solis
(“sun's day”). In ancient Greek, it was called
Hemera Heliou
. In the Old English language, it was known as
Sunnandaeg
; in Middle English,
Sonenday
. All of these titles mean the same thing: the day of the sun.

What do you think of when you feel the sun shine down on you? What sorts of enchantments and energies do you think would be complementary to a day named after our closest star? Sunday brings those bright solar energies into your life and has the magickal correspondences of success, promotion, leadership, pride, light, generosity, warmth, fitness, and personal growth. Astrologically, the sun symbolizes the conscious self and rules the zodiac sign of Leo.

The charms and spells that would complement this magickal day of the sun are ones for personal achievements of any kind—such as if you are seeking fame and wealth, working for that much-deserved promotion at work, or being acknowledged for a job well done. Health issues, increasing personal power, or simply sticking to your diet and being proud of what you have accomplished all fall under the sun's golden influence.

Deities

Getting to know more about the various pantheons and assorted deities helps you figure out who to call on and when. Learning more about the assorted deities helps you specialize your magick. In other words, you go to specific gods for particular needs. Why is specializing so important? Well, you wouldn't call a plumber if you needed your fuse box repaired, would you? Here is a bit of information on some of the deities associated with light, success, and the sun.

There are many mythological connections between the sun and a male deity. These gods of light and fire sometimes seem to be direct contrasts to the more feminine powers of the night, water, and the moon. However, there are goddesses of light, fire, and the hearth flame as well. In truth, if you take a good look at various mythologies, you can typically find something for everyone.

Oh—and yes, there are also female solar deities as well. Take a look at Sekhmet, the Egyptian lion-headed goddess of war. There is a Japanese goddess of the sun called Amaterasu, and probably the most well-known feminine solar deity is Sunna, the Norse goddess of the sun. Sunday got its name by being “Sunna's day.”

Sunna

Sunna (pronounced
SOO-nah
) drives her horse-drawn chariot across the daytime sky. According to Norse mythology, the horses' names are Allsvinn and Arvak, which mean “very fast” and “early rising.” Sunna is the divine representation of the sun, and she was much loved by the Norse people as a giver of life. Here is a deity with some pretty potent agricultural ties. And this makes sense, as without Sunna's light and magick, crops did not flourish. Sunna is chased across the daytime sky by the wolf Skoll. From time to time, Skoll catches up with Sunna and takes a bite out of the sun, which appears to us here on earth as a solar eclipse. Sunna is characterized in modern art as a beautiful woman with golden hair. Traditionally, she was simply viewed as the sun in the sky. Symbols for this Norse goddess include a sunburst, a flaming sun, horses, and Sunna's golden chariot.

Helios

Do you feel that you need the extra drive, ambition, and power of the god of the sun, who sees all and watches over us as he blazes through the sky? Try picturing a buff, chariot-driving, golden-haired centurion—that would be Helios, the Greek god of the sun.

Helios was thought of as the physical representation of sun. He was portrayed as sometimes wearing a golden helmet or having a golden halo. He was often characterized in art as a handsome man draped in a white, sparkling tunic and cloak. Helios drove his blazing sun-chariot across the sky from east to west, every day. The golden chariot was pulled by his four white horses, named Pyrois, Eos, Aethon, and Phiegon. Symbols for this sun god include the chariot, the rooster, the globe, and his four white horses.

Brigid

The Celtic goddess of the hearth and flame, Brigid is a triple goddess of light, inspiration, and healing. She is often associated with smithcraft, well-being, and poetry. There are many variations on the name Brigid, including Breed, Brigit, Brighid, and Brigitania. The goddess Brigid was also known as the “Bright One” or the “Bright Arrow.” Often depicted as a woman with long, braided, red-gold hair, this beloved goddess of the Celts once had a sacred fire that was tended in Kildare, Ireland. In medieval times, abbey nuns tended the perpetual flame. In ancient times, it was Brigid's priestesses. Recently, Brigid's flame was relit. This goddess of Erin (Ireland) will always bring illumination to those who seek her out.

Brigid keeps the home fires burning. She is the guardian of the hearth and the goddess of flame, light, and the sun. If you have a fireplace in your home, Brigid is the deity to guard, or ward, it. On my mantle, there is a framed picture of the triple Brigid. She watches over the home and wards our wood-burning stove and the surrounding hearth. No fireplace? Well, then, the kitchen stove is the next logical choice. Try setting out a little arrangement of three white pillar candles. Keep them lit when you are home, and watch them set an enchanting mood. You could devote them to Brigid by carving a triskele (
) on the sides of the candles. Those burning candles bring to mind the sacred perpetual flame at Kildare.

Another magickal symbol for Brigid is a cauldron, as Brigid was thought to have been the keeper of the cauldron of inspiration. A lesser-known symbol for Brigid is the shamrock, which could be another symbol for those candles if you have trouble carving a neat triskele. The shamrock, or three-leaf clover, was thought to represent the triple aspect of this goddess in olden times.

Sunday's Witchery

Today's guided meditation was inspired by my morning workout. I am an early riser, and I enjoy getting up and going for a walk first thing in the morning and watching the sun come up. In my way of thinking, this leaves the rest of the day free to write, answer emails, run errands, and catch up on housework without me trying to figure out and then plan when I am going to find time to do my workout for the day. Since I work at home, my schedule is pretty flexible, but being a hopeless Virgo, I am happier when I have some type of routine.

As I write this, it is an early Sunday morning in mid-October. Currently, here in Missouri, we are having what the locals call an “Indian summer”—meaning it has been very warm and sunny despite the autumn season, and the temperatures are around eighty degrees Fahrenheit during the days and in the lower sixties at night. Just a week ago, the temperatures were much more seasonal and cooler. But I think Mother Nature enjoys messing with us just a bit. Maybe we will have fall-like temperatures . . . and maybe we won't. However, the leaves are really starting to turn colors now, and my chrysanthemums are in all their glory in the front gardens, putting on a show in the solar colors of bright yellow, red, and orange.

Meditation

Visualize that you are comfortably standing or sitting outdoors in your favorite spot in nature. Perhaps you are standing on a sandy beach or are overlooking the edge of a mighty river. You may find yourself sitting in the grass in a pretty meadow, tucked under a mossy tree at the edge of the forest, or perched on a flat boulder on top of a mountain or on a desert floor. See where your mind takes you.

Take a moment to savor the peace and quiet of this time. There are no demands on you, and you are blissfully alone. Look above you and see the deep blue sky that only comes in the brief moment before sunrise. Turn your head and notice that to the east, the color of blue is different and that a few clouds appear to be illuminated even though it is still dark. Now look to the west and see the stars still bright in the sky. As you turn your head gently back and forth, you become aware of how quickly the color of the nighttime sky is changing. Slowly you notice that the entire sky is becoming brighter.