In a nutshell, a ritual led by Z Budapest was billed as being open to “genetic women” only.

The problem with this is that it excludes transgender women. This is an interesting subject, though it can certainly be contentious. I personally support the freedom of people to choose whom they associate with, as well as whom they choose to teach, based on a criteria of their choosing. Let me address this in a more universal way, than I shall address it from a magickal standpoint specifically.

Please note before continuing: these are emotionally charged topics, ones that you may feel very strongly about. In the spirit of open dialogue, please actually read the article below, and consider my examples, rather than blindly attacking them. I allow for dissenting opinions, and even healthy debate, but I’m not going to stand for someone addressing the article without knowing what the article says. So my only rules are these; read the article, give it thoughtful consideration, and keep your language polite should you choose to comment.

So the first question being asked in regards to this is issue is this; is it wrong to direct a ritual at a particular group? The simple answer, IMO, is no, and I think this is best explained through examples. Let’s say that I wish to teach a class for new or expectant moms on how to nurse a baby. It would seem logical that this class is not directed at men. Would it be wrong for me exclude men from the class? Or what if I were an African American woman and wanted to have a gathering of other African American women to discuss the health, social and emotional issues that face them today? Wouldn’t an Asian woman inserting herself into the group be kinda like party crashing? Or what if a white man wanted to participate, and the group leader didn’t feel that was appropriate? Is that wrong?

This reminds me of the boycott of Chick-fil-A after the Winshape Foundation (a non profit organization founded by the same person who founded Chick-fil-A) refused to allow a homosexual couple into a heterosexual marriage camp. First of all, people blamed Chick-fil-A for the incident based on Chick-fil-A (a for-profit organization which serves people from all walks of life) and Winshape Foundation (a privately funded Christian based nonprofit organization) sharing a founder. Second, why should an organization be expected to accept people into classes, retreats, programs, etc, other than those that the program applies to? In this example, the program in question was a marriage retreat which seeks to strengthen and save “traditional” (aka heterosexual) marriages. If you don’t have a traditional marriage, that doesn’t apply to you… so why would you even want to be a part of it? I bring this up as some of the same arguments for this issue also apply in the Z Budapest incident described above. Here are the questions I have posed to the Chick-fil-A & Winshape Foundation detractors; Should persons who are not bulimic, and are not involved in trying to help a bulimic person in some way, be permitted to attend a retreat for bulimics? Should super skinny girls be allowed into “fat” camps? What about married people being at a singles camp? Should boys be in the girls’ locker room? What about housing communities which only allow people 55+ to be in residence? Movies that require you to be over 17?

The examples in the previous two paragraphs are different sides to the same coin. We regularly create special interests groups, clubs, retreats, camps, communities, etc. It is perfectly natural for people to want subgroups that they can identify with, this is a normal human response. The ability to create subgroups we can relate to in special ways not only serves logical purposes (as in the example of age restricted movies,) but is also one of the beauties of the human experience. Why does there need to be a constant attack on this basic, and instinctual, human act? Shouldn’t we be finding where we personally belong, or even creating such a place, rather than trying to interject ourselves into the sacred space of another group? Why should we think we have the right to impose ourselves on groups, teachers, organizations, and make them bend to our will and our vision rather than their own and that of their participants?

Why would you want to? Here is the biggest question that always comes to my mind when situations like this arise, why on earth would you want to force yourself in somewhere that you were not readily welcomed?? Think about when you were a kid. Let’s say your sister Sally-Lou-Who wanted to join your all-boys treehouse club. You say no, And Sally-Lou-Who runs off and tells Mom. In comes Mom, “Now you let your sister play” she admonishes you. “But Mom, she’s a girl!” is your retort. “I don’t care,” says Mom, “let her play anyway or there will be no clubhouse for anybody!” Who feels great in this situation? You, after being humiliated in front of your friends? Your friends, after having their all boys club ruined by the forced addition of a girl? Mom, knowing that she wrecked your fun and that Sally-Lou-Who isn’t really going to have much fun either? Sally, knowing that she is only there because Mom made you, not because she is wanted? That should be a real self esteem booster. No, everybody is unhappy now. Oh, but this will teach them to get along better in the long run! It will teach them acceptance! No, it will teach them that people will be unfairly forced into their lives, and they will likely do their best to guard against such things. It may result in them wanting more exclusion just to regain their power. The fluffy-bunny response that it is helpful to force people to act like they want others there doesn’t pan out in real life. In real life, it just creates more problems.

Socially, tolerance is not the same thing as acceptance. Tolerance denotes a “live and let live” attitude, acceptance denotes approval and validation. I think it is reasonable to expect tolerance, but it is unreasonable to demand acceptance. People should have the freedom to make their own choices. In order to do so we must have tolerance. But requiring acceptance actually strips the freedoms of one of the parties, because you are forcing people to approve of (and include in their lives) something against their will. That isn’t freedom at all! That isn’t respect! Not only are such things fake, they are themselves both intolerant and unaccepting… oh revel in the hypocrisy.

But what about magically? I think when you approach the Z Budapest exclusion magickally, the line in the sand is even easier to draw. When one is conducting a ritual, it is vital that the energies be right. If one is trying to raise purely feminine energy, it stands to reason that a strong masculine presence would be counter-productive. Is it possible that a transwoman would have a predominantly feminine energy? Absolutely. But, it is less likely. For those that can read, and/or sense, energies, you know that is easy to spot a transsexual by their energy most of the time. That isn’t to say that there is anything wrong with being transsexual, or that their identification with their chosen gender is to be questioned. That is a decision they need to make for themselves. But when you are dealing with magicks, only someone inexperienced or naive would tell you to allow energies into your ritual which counter the ritual you are performing.

The social bottom line. If you need to strip the rights and freedoms of others, and strong arm them into compliance with your viewpoint, you are not practicing tolerance yourself.

The magickal bottom line… Should Z Budapest exclude transwomen from an all-female ritual, from a magickal perspective? If allowing transwomen would compromise the ritual she was performing, and the energy she was attempting to raise, absolutely. She should not only be allowed to, her professional conscience should require it. In fact, she should also remove any “genetic women” whose energy is counter to the working as well. Anything less than that and she is doing a disservice to her participants.

~Anyanka

No related posts.

Yesterday was the ten year anniversary of that fateful day. In the days and weeks leading up to it the television and internet were abuzz with memorials and specials on the tragedy. Over and over I was asked to make a choice as to whether to participate in the energy of that day once again, and even whether to go deeper into the tragedy that once tore my heart apart as they dissected the lives of victims and of their survivors. I did watch part of a special on children whose parents died in 9/11, read a couple “where I was” status messages, and passed a memorial flag on Facebook, but other than that I steered clear.

Does this mean that I no longer care about the men and women whose lives were claimed on that terrible day? Quite the contrary. But whereas a decade ago I felt that I could best help by lending my energy to the moment, by hoping and praying for peace and survival for those involved, I no longer feel the call to surrender to the chaos and distress in this moment in history. Rather than wallowing in the pain and suffering, I’d rather focus on the joy of the future. Not in spite of those that have fallen, but in honor of them. There is a tendency to look backward and feel the need to cry and suffer in order to honor people who have passed, especially when they passed in an unnatural and seemingly unnecessary way. But they don’t want your tears, they don’t want your pain, they don’t want your sadness. It doesn’t benefit loved ones, nor strangers. Although they arguably have their place, for the most part pain and suffering are negative energies. Do we honor the dead by perpetuating negativity? Do we honor the dead with our mourning? Or do we honor the dead by celebrating their life, and by celebrating our own? I think we honor them with joy, I think we honor them with love.

So please do not think me cold to have let 9/11 go by with nary a word. It did not pass through my life without impact. It did not pass through my life unnoticed. Rather, it made its mark… a mark that it took me 10 years to transform into something that resembles peace and hope… despite the tears in my eyes as I proof read this paragraph before hitting submit…

~Anyanka

No related posts.

From the Online Etymology Dictionary: pentacle 1590s, from M.L. pentaculum, a hybrid coined from Gk. pente “five” + L. -culum, dim. suffix. But the exact origin is obscure. It. had pentacolo “anything with five points,” and Fr. pentacle (16c.) was the name of something used in necromancy, perhaps a five-branched candlestick. Fr. pentacol “amulet worn around the neck” (14c.), however, is from pend- “to hang” + a “to” + col “neck.” The same figure as a pentagram, except in magical usage, where is has been extended to other symbols of power, including a six-point star.

Now we start to understand the confusion. We are accustomed to the Greek “pente” and therefore associate the number five with the pentacle. Additionally, the French offers us a direct connection between pentacles and magick with its usage referring to a tool of necromancy. However, the French also offers us an association that I feel is most closely tied to our modern usage and understanding, as well as the usage and understanding demonstrated in surviving texts, the pentacle (or pentacol) meaning “amulet worn around the neck.”

From the Theosophical Society Pantacle or Pentacle An amulet, talisman, a geometrical figure so used. There is much confusion as to the derivation of this word, but it seems most likely that it comes through Italian and French from the root pend- “to hang,” and so is equivalent to a pendant or charm hung about the neck. From the fact that one form of pentacle was the pentagram or star-pentagon, the word itself has been connected with the Greek pente (five). The word is used specially in The Secret Doctrine to denote the pentagram or pentalpha. The Solomon’s seal is another pentacle, and there are many others, including the sigils of the seven planets.

I believe that the etymology effectively demonstrates that a “pentacle” describes an amulet of more, less, or equal to five points. Further proof that a pentagram may be a pentacle, but a pentacle isn’t necessarily a pentagram. Clear as mud right?

Happy Casting!

~Anyanka

Looking for a pentagram necklace, amulet or talisman? Check our webstore

Related posts:

1. Differences Between the Pentacle and the Pentagram

The technique I used was based on a meditation I had read about called the Golden Line of Infinity. I had found it in a book (now out of print) entitled “The Occult Sciences: How to Get What You Want Through Your Occult Powers” by Anthony Norvell. I know, the titled totally gives away that I was 17 right? Anyway, the book had some very basic instructions which I used to create a more elaborate scene to direct my focus. I find a more detailed scene helps me to limit the amount of intruding thoughts that can so easily derail a meditation such as this. Here is the method that worked for me.

Start by entering a meditative state, however you normally do so. Breathing slowly, picture a pool of water. I personally see the area around the pool/pond/lake as very dimly lit, perhaps just after dusk but before the night really grabs hold. Or perhaps the way the evening looks under the light of a crescent moon. Hold the image until the water grows very still and the surrounding scenery is utterly quiet. Now picture the person whom you wish to hear from. Take your time to develop the image of this person clearly and solidly. Now picture a fishing line emanating from where you stand/sit and into the water below. See the person’s name in block letters gliding down the fishing line and into the water. As it touches the water it begins to float on the surface, moving steadily toward the direction you believe the person you are trying to contact is located. Eventually, when it feels right, you’ll feel that you have reached this person’s fishing line. See the name travel up the line, and again picture their face. At this point the person is likely to think of you, often even picturing your face, which can result in a call or some other form of contact being initiated (or seemingly so) by them. The first two times I tried this, I received the call I was hoping for in under an hour, despite the fact that I hadn’t heard from the person (whom I was directing this towards) in the previous 3-4 weeks.

Now that you have a technique to try in order to get that person to contact you, an obvious question needs to be addressed. Is this moral? Is this an attempt to bend or circumvent the will of another person? Not really. You aren’t forcing the person to contact you. Instead, you are using your innate gifts/powers to telepathically and passively connect, while hoping that this connection serves as a gentle reminder and/or persuasion. This isn’t much different than standing on the other side of the road waving your hands and saying “Hey! I’m over here!”

~Anyanka

P.S. Feel free to leave me a note below letting me know what you think, and whether this method worked for you!

Want to learn more about witchcraft, magick, or psychic ability? Visit our witch shop!

Related posts:

1. The Reality of Magick – when magick fails
2. Color Correspondences for spellcraft and candle magick
3. Is it Magick or Magic?

A pentagram is a five-pointed unicursal star drawn with five straight strokes, sometimes known as pentalpha or pentangle. Dating back to the first known civilizations, in Sumer, the pentagram is an ancient symbol indeed. Pentagrams, contrary to popular literature and Hollywood movies, are not inherently “Satanic” or “evil.” Quite the contrary. They have been used as a sign of protection, faith and divinity across many religions and belief systems. Pentagrams have been used to symbolize the 5 wounds of Christ in Christianity; have associations within Freemasonry; have represented the planet Venus; have magical correspondences (such as to the elements of earth, air, fire, water & spirit;) and were used by the medieval neo-pythagoreans. Many Neopagans, especially Wiccans, use the pentagram as a symbol of faith and protection similar to the usage of the Christian cross or the Jewish Star of David.

Eliphas Levi’s Pentagram

from Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa’s Libri tres de occulta philosophia

used in Neopagan tradition to represent earth, air, fire, water and spirit

A pentacle, or pantacle, is an amulet used in magical evocation, generally made of parchment, paper or metal. It does not neccessarily have 5 points, and is often a hexagram or square. The Tarot suit of coins is often called Pentacles, and show discs inscribed with Pentagrams.

The Second Pentacle of Jupiter

The First Pentacle of the Moon

The Golden Dawn’s Earth Pentacle

The Pentacle of the Art, as given in Pietro d’Abano’s Heptameron

The Pentacle of the Art as given in a 19th century publication of The Sixth Book of Moses, incorporating characters of the Alphabet of the Magi. This is an instance when a pentacle happens to be in the shape of a pentagram.

~Anyanka

Note: This is an rewrite of a guide I wrote for eBay in 2007.

Looking for a pentagram necklace, amulet or talisman? Check our webstore

Related posts:

1. Why a Pentacle May Not Have Five Points
2. Understanding the Differences & Similarities between Wicca & Witchcraft

I wish you peace sister Bronwen

I am sorry to report that pagan author Bronwen Forbes passed away of a heart attack April 10, 2011 at 11pm eastern time. The heart attack was apparently brought on as a side effect of her chemo treatment. Active in the pagan community since 1985, Bronwen has contributed many articles from her experience, and has authored 3 books.
1st Make Merry In Step and Song: A Seasonal Treasury of Music, Mummer’s Plays & Celebrations in the English Folk Tradition (2009)

“See the blazing Yule before us…” This is just one of the many ancient British folk songs we all know and love. Other tunes and symbols that tug on our memories have similar historical roots, hearkening back to a shared Pagan past. These dances, songs, and theatrical plays in the English folk tradition are now little known to most of the modern Pagan community. Reviving these vital traditions can bring new life to Renaissance festivals, neopagan rituals, and community events.

Introducing the lively music and homegrown entertainments of times long past, this descriptive how-to is designed for twenty-first-century joviality. The songs, dances, and plays of old are explained in their mythical, seasonal, and historical significance and outlined for easy reenactment. Simple-to-follow instructions detail six dances including the popular Abbots Bromley Horn dance, six full scripts for dramatic performances of Mummer’s Plays (folk plays of death and rebirth), and over thirty songs with lyrics and music. Kick up your heels, hold high your skirts, and make merry the year through.

2nd Mint Juleps, Mud Pie and MacBeth (2009)

Everyone who has ever acted onstage or worked behind the scenes of a play knows that Shakespeare’s shortest, bloodiest play, MacBeth, is cursed. Actors and audience members have died during performances, storms have destroyed theaters where it was playing, and even quoting famous lines from the play can bring about show-stopping disaster. So when the tackiest, most tasteless dinner theater in the Midwest launches its own musical version of MacBeth, complete with dancing witches, an unruly dog, a Wiccan assistant stage manager and the Curse, things are bound to get interesting.

3rd The Small-Town Pagan’s Survival Guide: How to Thrive in Any Community due to be released June 2011.

Is it possible for Pagans to find fellowship and be themselves in all communities? This book offers a bounty of ways to nourish your Pagan soul in small towns, suburbs, and every place in between. Learn from the author’s own experiences and get valuable advice on adapting to a new community, revealing your beliefs, connecting with other Pagans, and maintaining your spirituality without the advantages of a big city. Also contributing to this vital discussion are Pagans from across the country who offer hard-won wisdom on making friends, dating, raising children, and staying true to yourself and your spirituality.

Bronwen was a co-founder of the Free Spirit Alliance, a spiritual networking organization serving the Pagan and Pantheist religious communities. You can visit her blog - Do or do not, there is no try: Chronicles of an Erudite Domestic Goddess

Here is one of my favorite articles by Bronwen – How Pagan is “Pagan Enough”?

Blessings to her friends, family, and furry friends left behind. May you have peace.

With love & light

~Anyanka Jean

Related posts:

1. Author Isaac Bonewits passes over to the Summerlands (1949 – 2010)

This may sound easy enough, but it isn’t. I am constantly 20 steps behind where I feel I should be, where I know I should be, and where I want to be. At least 20 steps. When you feel like you are constantly playing catch up, time outs are especially difficult. Especially when you feel the pressure of unfulfilled potential brimming in your abdomen on a daily basis. But I have learned (fingers crossed!) that swimming against the tide during a Mercury Rx is no place for this little fishy to be, lest I flop again. I have spent so much of my life feeling like I never get anything done because I am always repeating myself, having to reinvent myself, and having the rug pulled out from under me. Now I realize that feeling was… accurate. I am a victim of Murphy’s Law. Daily perhaps. When I have not been mindful of the Mercury Rx, and when I have been aware but have been too stubborn to play it right, I have inevitably begun all my important new projects during a Mercury Rx. I have also sent important communications, made vital decisions, made large purchases, and countless other no-nos. Although it is true that most people who are unaware, or in denial, of the effects the Mercury Rx will also do these things, I seem to only do them during a retrograde period. Therefore, I spend a great deal of my time revisiting my often unfulfilled ideas, repeating phone calls, revamping decisions, contacting IT support, and filing warranty claims. These consequences of an ill spent retrograde period I have been well aware of for years, yet somehow I continue to perpetuate poor retrograde behavior nonetheless. The good news is, I think this time it may have finally sunk in. Here’s a glimpse into my thought process. Perhaps you can relate, or perhaps you can learn from it. If nothing else, maybe it will give you a laugh.

So, 17 years as a witch (half my life no less!) and I did it again. I lost track. I’m going to be totally honest here, I only knew the Mercury Rx was at hand because the site I get my horoscopes from sent me warning email 2 days prior to the main event. I used to keep track, but I haven’t been very good at keeping track of the planetary movements over the last few months. The shame of it all. So, I get the email and think to myself “Ok self, now what? How are we going to handle this?” At which point I think I was in serious danger of sweeping the matter under the rug… again. Right up until I realized that I hadn’t done… my taxes. And unless I got them done over the following 1-2 days, they would be done during the retrograde. Crap. Granted, taxes aren’t a new thing, but they are a communication thing. So what did I do? Nothing. Again. But I felt bad about it, does that count? So here we are, 2 days into the retrograde, and I haven’t started my taxes. This realization has brought me to the bigger realization. I do this…. all the time. Gee, no wonder life gets so wonky and deja vu for me. Duh. Ok, so let’s assume I’m going to cease being a Nick-at-Night reruns kinda gal and do it differently this time. Let’s do one better, instead of assuming… let’s just make it so.

First step: let’s examine the evidence pointing to impending wonkiness. This will be done to convince the brain what the gut already knows, this is a problem and it needs to be addressed by changing ones reaction to the situation both now and in the future. What, if any, things have failed, or at least struggled, when begun during a Mercury Retrograde? Marketing programs, writing attempts, fitness programs, new business ventures, ok that’s enough. I know this, I know this! Is anything going on now? Well, I discovered today that I have been paying more shipping to one of my suppliers because I go into my account through one portal instead of another. Somehow I had set up the account with the alternate portal, but failed to make the switch, not realizing there would be benefits to ceasing use of the previous portal. This has cost me for months. (I know, you have no clue what I am talking about… but I need to riddle this out.) But that’s a good thing I discovered it right? That’s not an issue now. Well, that depends. Mercury Retrogrades are not just about things going wonky now, they also include things that have been wonky for some time (usual since a previous retrograde period) coming into focus now. So this is likely evidence that my lack of appreciation for a previous retrograde period is to blame.

Ok, check, now what else? Well, I’m not the world’s best speller, but I hold my own. So why does it seem that I am misspelling every third word? (Side note, I misspelled “misspelling” three times just now because my hands and/or brain wouldn’t function. Case in point.) The Mercury retrograde messes with electronics, and the power strip connected to my computer stopped working the other day. It has this button you push at the end of the day that turns off most of the plugs but leaves on the 1 or 2 on that you don’t want to turn off. This is a great way to reduce vampire power usage (your appliances use approximately 20% of their energy while in standby mode) benefiting the environment and ones pocketbook. So the button stops working the other day (not during the retrograde, but it was during the shadow just prior) and I can no longer turn off the power strip, which is distressing. More distressing is when it turns itself off 2 days later, while my computer was on!! After that it has been fine. Huh?!? How can that be? Oh I don’t know, how can it be that both my phone batteries were dead when they had both been charging all night? Or that I failed to hear hubby texting me yesterday (my cell has caller id announce) but heard the text from dictionary.com’s word of the day a couple minutes later? How about the fact that I have had to shut my browser down a couple times a day because I stop being able to type, even though it will still let me browse so it isn’t frozen? These could all be coincidences I guess, just like it is a coincidence that hubby’s fuel pump (only about 1 1/2 years old) went up yesterday, the Roku player wouldn’t connect, an affiliate program I tried to sign up with gave me an error message but no way to fix the error, my washer froze during the spin cycle for 2 hours for no reason, and the electronic locks on my car are engaging on the driver’s side when I try to get in after unlocking it with my key fob. As if all that isn’t frustrating enough, my ecommerce solution emailed me yesterday to let me know that they aren’t raising my monthly rate, they are just discontinuing the discount I currently receive for subscribing to multiple products of theirs. This is somehow resulting in my rate being nearly twice as much as it is now with the discount, and 25% higher than my current rate before the discount, despite the fact that they aren’t “raising” my rate. Um, ok. The list goes on and on, let’s just be a believer and move on.

I’ve established that wonkiness has already ensued, so I need to take a look at the undertakings I had planned for the next couple of weeks in order to reevaluate the wisdom of sticking to said plans. Since my ecommerce guys aren’t being real honest, and are charging an exorbitant amount, I planned to switch (begrudgingly) to a new provider. This is a pain, and I’m concerned what effects it will have on my search engine rankings, but it looks to be a necessary evil. I had considered this previously after some of my favorite features were removed, so I already knew which company I was likely to move to when I chose to do so. That’s a decision I made previously, at least tentatively, so I wonder if it falls under the no major decisions rule or not? Best to err on the side of caution and wait until after the retrograde, which will be cutting it close since I need to complete the move by April 30th and the retrograde will end just 1 week prior. *Gulp* Ok, I can do this. Sticking to the plan. I’ll totally be able to get the site moved in a week, right? Moving on. I had planned to write more; blog posts, periodical submissions, in the book(s) I’m writing, etc. That’s ongoing, not new, so it should be cool. Hmmm, except it is communication. *frowny face* Ok, I’ll write but I’ll be sure to reread what I wrote after the retrograde and do revisions then. I planned a yardsale, that should be safe enough provided I remember to put the signs out tonight and considering I totally forgot to advertise it. I wanted to do some marketing for the webstore, which is pretty passive and old news so it should be ok as long as I look over my campaigns carefully prior to submission. I also planned to read this book about Isis that it took me a year to get my hands on, that will fit in nicely as a retrograde compatible activity. I wanted to start my exercise program which has kinda fallen to the back burner, but after that sad attempt I made 3 days ago (don’t ask) best to wait until the end of the month. And finally, I planned to start taking appointments for tarot readings again, signalling the end to my spiritually imposed hiatus that came on unexpectedly a few months back to assist me with a current growth process.

So planning, but not doing; writing, but not submitting (except for blog posts;) purging my house of useless stuff, and not adding more; marketing, but carefully; reading, being sure to take notes as the info may fly right out of my head during this time; not starting my exercise plan per se; but some walking in the interim will work; resuming my tarot readings as a spiritually productive tool. Add in some cleaning, and a healthy dose of meditation, and it sounds like a plan!

Now the question is… what are you going to do and why?

Wishing you a safe and productive Mercury Retrograde! See you on the other side

~Anyanka Jean

Want to learn about astrology? Check out our store for some great books on the subject!

Related posts:

1. Understanding a Mercury Retrograde
2. Harnessing the Power of the Mercury Retrograde

What?

We are giving away (3) free tarot readings (no purchase necessary) to kick off our Customer Appreciation Extravaganza! PLUS, free readings with purchase! Read on for all the details!

Why?

TheWitchesCupboard.com has recently added even more features and functionality to our webstore to be a greater benefit to our customers and community. You can now purchase e-cards for friends and family, create a wishlist, and even become an affiliate of our site to earn commissions for promoting us! And as always, you can purchase high quality merchandise in our new age & witchcraft supply store, as well as interacting & casting with others from within the comfort of our cyber coven. Be the first to know of new items, discounts, special offers, freebies and more by following us on the social networks!

To celebrate these improvements, to test them for performance, to thank our loyal fans & customers, and to celebrate the upcoming holiday season, we are hosting a Customer Appreciation extravaganza from December 6,2010 – December 17, 2010! During this time we will be running various giveaways, and we invite you to celebrate with us as we reward our readers and expand our features! We will be giving away fantastic prizes, running fabulous specials, and offering free gifts as we spread the word about our sites and network with other witches and new age enthusiasts. No purchase is necessary to participate in most of the events, but you will need to keep an eye out in order to catch them! Some of the events will be announced in a blog post, whereas others will be spontaneous limited time offers announced on facebook & twitter.

What can I win?

We are giving away (3) free tarot readings, (1) per day, on December 6th, 7th and 8th. Winners will get 5 free minutes via phone with me (Anyanka) during which I will draw and interpret your tarot cards for you. You can ask for the energy around a situation to be read, or even ask specific yes/no type questions. Free registration is required. Phone readings for US winners only, international winners will have their reading done via email.

How to enter:

To enter, visit our witchcraft supply shop and pick out your favorite item. Then return to the blog post for the giveaway you wish to enter and post a comment about your favorite item, be sure to provide a link to the item you are commenting on. Just doing that gets you one free entry! Additionally, we are providing a boatload of other ways to receive even more entries! You can do as many or as few as you like, as long as you have done the required entry (commenting on your favorite item.) Please put each entry into a new comment on the blog post your entry is for because winners will be drawn by random number Cbased on their comment number(s.) Some things, such as being our fan on twitter or facebook, you may have already done. That is ok, it still counts as long as you are still a fan or follower! Just be sure to note it in a comment on the blog post

No purchase is necessary to win, and most of the ways to enter are totally free! All actions are worth one entry, unless noted otherwise.

1. Comment about favorite store item. (required for entry)

2. Become fan of Facebook page

3. Follow via twitter

4. Friend on myspace

5. Add us to your blogroll or link list (include the link to where posted)

6. Tweet the giveaway (reference your twitter user name)

7. Update your facebook or myspace status with a link to the giveaway

8. Blog about the giveaway (2 entries) (include the link to your blog)

9. Write a review to be posted on our website. You can review a specific product we carry, an article we have written or about the service you have received. Or you can write a general review of our website, blog or store. Include your name as you want it to be displayed (usually first name last initial) and your state. You can email your review me  thewitchescupboard @ yahoo.com  (be sure to remove spaces, I wrote it like that to hide it from spammers)

10. Make a purchase from our webstore. (3 entries per item bought) (reference your four digit order number)

11. Make a purchase from the Limited Time category in our web store (5 entries!) (reference your four digit order number)

12. Add an item to your wishlist.

Be sure you make one comment on this blog post for each action you have done to be sure you get counted correctly for the drawing.

Is there a way to win instantly?

Absolutely! Purchase an e-card from our store, or purchase (2) items from our limited time category, December 6th – 8th and get a FREE one question reading via email! Please make a note with your order indicating what email address you wish to be contacted at. Details as to how to format your question will be emailed to you.

When:

You can submit your entries until 10pm PT on the date of the drawing. After the drawing has closed I will be drawing the winners via random number generator and announcing them on this page, so be sure to come back to see if you have won! Winners will have 3 days to contact me to confirm, or an alternate will be drawn. GOOD LUCK!

~Anyanka

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Disclaimer: Void where prohibited by law.

Winner(s) will be drawn by random number compliments of http://www.random.org, and announced on this page.

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Druidic Boline With Leather Sheath

A boline (aka bolline/boleen) is a witch’s utility knife! Unlike the athame, which is not used to cut things on the physical plane, a boline is used to cut whatever may need cutting on the physical plane in preparation for (and during) a ritual or ceremony including cords, herbs, and ribbon. Additionally, the boline is used to carve candles or runes. Although it is up for debate as to whether a boline traditionally had a curved or a straight blade, the crescent shaped, sickle-like bolines are popular with modern witches. The handle of the boline is usually white, which makes it easy to tell apart from your athame if you decide you want a boline with a straight blade rather than a curved one. Those following the path of the Kitchen Witch may have no need of a boline, as the Kitchen Witch tradition encourages the use of your regular ceremonial tools for mundane purposes, negating the need for a separate ritual knife.

Regardless of your path, a boline makes an excellent addition to any witch’s altar!

Looking for a boline, athame or swords for your ritual practice? Our webstore offers dozens to choose from!

Related posts:

1. Athame: a witch’s ritual knife

Full Moon Goddess Athame

Check a witch’s cupboard, and usually you will find an athame (generally pronounced AH-tha-may) among his/her ritual tools or on his/her altar. Simply put, an athame is a ceremonial knife used by Wiccans and other witches for directing energy during a ceremony, ritual or spell. Athames also represent the masculine (god) energy, and is used to signify the Great Rite when combined with a female representation such as a chalice.

An athame is often used interchangeably with a wand. The option to select a wand or an athame for your purpose is generally a question of preference more than it is protocol. Both are used to project your energy for a particular intention, and to harness and direct the energies of other implements you are utilizing. As with most things in magick, let your intuition be your guide when making a determination as to which you prefer. Personally, I have both an athame and a wand. Sometimes I am compelled to use one, sometimes I am compelled to use the other. As long as I honor those feelings, it always works out for the best! 

Engraved Silver Athame Boot Knife

Athames range in type, size and style, but some of the more common athames are double edged knives with a black handle. The one I use most often is the silvertoned one pictured to the right. Although most athames are smallish in size, some witches use a sword as their athame. You may want to decorate the handle of your athame with sigils, zodiac signs, or other sacred magickal symbols in order to empower and personalize it. Steel or iron blades are common, although not recommended if you are working with fairy (faery) magick.

In addition to harnessing and directing energy, an athame can be used to cast a circle, open or close circle quarters, cut a doorway into a protective barrier, draw lines, charge amulets and talismans, represent the god, stir potions, etc. A special note here: traditionally athames are not used as knives. If herbs, cords, or anything else, needs to be a cut a special ritual tool called a boline (or bolline) is used, the athame is for non-cutting ritual purposes. The “cutting” action of an athame is meant to be symbolic, working the dimensional energies of the astral plane. An athame may be used to “cut” negativity, defending against negativity and allowing the energy to be converted from negative to positive, and to banish negative forces and entities. The exception to this is for those following the kitchen witch philosophy, which encourages the use of ritual tools for mundane purposes to increase ones faniliarity and connection to their tool. Go with your instincts on this one, but don’t be surprised if your witchy friend looks at you funny when you slice the bread offering with the same tool you just cast the circle with!

Be sure to purify and consecrate your athame, just as you would any other ritual or magickal tool. The purification cleanses the tool of any energy it may have picked up previously, and the consecration prepares it to be of service to you in your magickal workings. You may also wish to empower your athame by rubbing a magnet, crystal or lodestone over the blade. Finally, some witches choose to name their athame. Again, naming is a question of personal choice. I have never named my athames, but I’m willing to if the urge strikes in the future!

Correspondences of an athame

• Element: Air (some witches disagree and consider athames to be fire. I personally associate wands with fire)
• Direction: East (unless you consider an athame to be air, then south is the correspondence)
• Attributes: Intellect, thinking (when someone has a lot of swords come up in a tarot reading, it usually indicates they have big decisions ahead or are living in their head too much)
• Playing card suit: Spades
• Zodiac sign: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

To view our complete selection of athames, knives and swords, visit our witchcraft supply store.

Have a blessed day!

~Anyanka

Related posts:

1. Boline – a witch’s utility knife