Ashling Wicca, Book Three

By Aislin

Venture further down the path leading into the magickal world of Ashling Wicca. The seven units of this book build on the skills and knowledge you should have gained during the study of the first two books in the Ashling Wiccan Series. Each lesson will guide you to a fuller understanding of the intricacies of the Ashling Wiccan Tradition. These lessons include both the practical and the theoretical, and your magickal education will be rounded out by the inclusion of rituals and spells.

This book contains all the lessons traditionally studied by those seeking to attain Water Degree within the Ashling Tradition. Because initiation can only be obtained under the direction of a High Priest/ess, the material within these pages is presented by a High Priestess of Ashling Wicca. With careful study and attention, you should be able to complete all included material in about a year. At this time, a Water Degree Initiation may be possible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tear Drop Books
• Release date: Nov 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310631023

Aislin

Aislin is of Irish, Danish, English, and Romany (Gypsy) descent. Raised on the Canadian prairies, she spent most of her formative years with her maternal grandfather, following him into his garden and through the woods. He introduced her to the magick of nature. It is the magick of her childhood that has the greatest influence on her today.Aislin is considered a local expert on paganism, the occult, and astrology. She also teaches some local classes on these topics, though The Winnipeg Pagan Teaching Circle. She has been a Wiccan High Priestess since 2000, and has always made an effort to educate seekers when they ask. She founded The Order of the Sacred Star, a group that specializes in educating Pagans of all kinds as well as any other interested parties. Her own children, both boys, are quickly learning the ways of Wicca and seem to embrace nature’s magick with vigor. She is also a professional astrologer and Tarot reader, serving her local community in this capacity as frequently as required.As a writer, Aislin is the author of Tarot Deciphered: Understanding and Using the Tarot, which has become a handbook for those new to the Tarot and its uses. She is also the author of the entire Ashling Wicca Series, which is the first series of books to publish anything about Ashling Wicca and its teachings.If you’re interested in discovering more about Aislin and her work, connect with her through her blog: http://theorderofthesacredstar.blogspot.com/

Book preview

Ashling Wicca, Book Three: Expanding Horizons

By Aislin

Copyright 2014 Aislin

All images copyright 2014 by Aislin

Published by Tear Drop Books

Smashwords Edition

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

About the Book

The Temple

Magickal Symbols

Working With the Divine

Stone Magick

The Shining Land & Rites of Passage

Psychic Skills & Healing II

Divination & Spellcraft II

Conclusion

Appendix A: Book of Shadows

Appendix B: Spellbook

Sources

About the Author

About the Book

So now we’ve moved on to Book Three, a fact which I hope you were able to discern from the title of the book. Probably the most important piece of information I can impart at this point is to tell you to go back and read Ashling Wicca: Book One and Ashling Wicca: Book Two if you haven’t already done so. You should also work through both accompanying workbooks, paying particular attention to the exercises at the end of each section.

Book Three assumes you are familiar with the material in all previous books and workbooks. Beyond that, it assumes you have worked through everything, including the tests, journal entries, and reflections. If you haven’t done so, you’ll like find yourself confused and lost within the first chapter or two. So I’ll say again, if you haven’t read the first two books in Ashling Wiccan Series, please go back and study them in depth. If you aren’t familiar with the material, you’re wasting your time with Ashling Wicca: Book Three.

The materials presented here, when combined with Ashling Wicca, Book Three: The Workbook, includes all the material necessary to attain Water Degree within most Ashling Wiccan rings. Rings, if you’ll recall from previous books, are Ashling covens; some may call themselves covens, but most will use the term rings to describe their group. Some of these rings may have additional requirements you’ll have to complete, but if you practice solitary, you may use this book and its accompanying workbook as the basis for your Water Degree studies.

You will find seven units within these pages, each unique and important. Don’t try to skip a unit; getting ahead is not the point of this book (or any of the other books in this series). Begin with The Temple where you will learn how an Ashling Wicca temple is constructed and how a traditional Ashling Wicca altar is et up. Filled with tips for creating and consecrating a permanent temple, this unit will help you create a powerful place of practice and worship.

Magickal Symbols deals with some of the most important symbols in Ashling Wicca. You will explore the Irish oghams, learn about a modern interpretation of the Gaelic alphabet, and explore the meaning behind some of the most sacred of Celtic symbols, including the popular spiral. This unit is especially important for those who might eventually become Scribe of an Ashling ring, but it’s helpful for anyone studying the intricacies of Ashling Wicca.

The third unit touches on something most students will have begun to figure out simply by working through the first two books. Working With the Divine will cover exactly what it sounds like it will cover. Blessings, prayers, and the details of invocation will be discussed and some examples given for how to incorporate the divine into your daily life. Patron gods will also be revisited, so if you haven’t already chosen a patron god, you’ll have another opportunity to do so.

Stone Magick is something most people are vaguely familiar with but don’t really understand on a deeper level. Here you will learn the basics of using gems and stones. Many of the most common stones will be covered and you’ll find suggestions for incorporating their use into your rituals and other magick. Thoroughly covering this topic would take an entire book, but an introduction to stones, crystals, and gems is sufficient.

In Book Two we discussed the OtherWorld. Now it’s time to address the idea of the Shining Land, the place where souls go between incarnations to rest and review the lessons learned in the previous incarnation. In The Shining Land & Rites of Passage you will also begin to understand the different stages of life including birth, marriage, and death. Though we sometimes think of these things, we don’t often think of their true significance in our lives. This unit will hopefully change all that on some small level.

By the time you come to Psychic Skills & Healing II you will be more than ready to delve into more advanced methods of healing your own self. You will also review many of the skills learned in Book Two. There are a few new ways to practice these skills and some games to help you sharpen and refine them. This practice will be of great help when you move on to Ashling Wicca: Book Four. Though this unit may feel a little repetitive, you should still work your way through it carefully.

Divination & Spellcraft II is the final unit in this book. Divination will begin to explore the nature of fire, water, and crystals when used for the purposes of divination. Specifically it will deal with scrying in various mediums. Scrying is a useful skill, but it’s also a difficult one, so practice, practice, practice. Of course, you’ll want to read the Spellcraft section to learn how to construct your own spells in a logical way. Is there logic to spellcraft? Of course! It follows rules and patterns just like anything else, and understanding these patterns will help you create a solid spell with minimal confusion.

Let’s not forget the ever-important appendices. You’ll add to the Book of Shadows you’ve been creating while working through the last two books. If you’re so inclined, you can add the material in this section to your current Book of Shadows. And don’t forget about the Spellbook. You’ll get a few more spells here, spells that can help you with many things. You’ll also find a few oil recipes here, oils that can help you in both your magickal and mundane lives. When added to the spells in the first two books, you should find you’re creating a nice little collection.

And if you’re looking for rituals? Sorry, you’ll have to pick up Ashling Wicca, Book Three: The Workbook. That’s where I’ve hidden the rituals you’re looking for. But combine that book with this one and you’ll find you have enough to practice the basics of Ashling Wicca.

Remember that in order to really get the most out of these books, you have to work through them. Reading the chapters isn’t really enough. You have to reflect on everything you read and you’ll have to practice those things that need practicing. If you’re hoping to truly attain Water Degree, even as a solitary, there are no shortcuts. You must be honest with yourself and put in the time.

In general, the materials presented in this book, when combined with Ashling Wicca, Book Three: The Workbook, should take about a year to complete. Some people will take a little longer; some will be faster, but not by much. Most Ashling rings make you wait a year and a day between Initiations. This isn’t a bad rule to follow, especially if you’re working as a solitary. Moving at a faster pace doesn’t do anything except ensure you haven’t practiced as much as someone who took the entire year to study.

With all that said, it’s time to get on with the teaching.

The Temple

The truest of temples is out of doors, under the open sky. A place where the wind brushes your face, moonlight or sunlight bounces off your hair, water rushes nearby, and trees and other plants grow freely is best, but anything outside will work. I use an open gazebo near a creek that runs on my property, but you can simply use your backyard. Rituals performed in the open air are powerful and wonderful.

Ah, but local weather can put a damper in the best of plans. I don’t mind performing rituals in the rain. Even high winds can be handled, though they’re not at all pleasant when they become what weather forecasters in my area like to call tornado-like. Even snow has its own power, and rituals performed in the snow can be purifying and relaxing. But I live quite far north, in an area that is very cold from November through the end of March. In January and February, the temperatures are routinely forty below zero, sometimes for weeks on end. It’s just plain cold, too cold to perform rituals out of doors, even if I bundle up. Even more temperate climates can have cold rains, high winds, floods, or mosquitos (try performing a complex rituals with mosquitos biting the backs of your knees; it’s not at all fun). And sometimes we simply need the security an indoor area provides. This is where a physical temple comes in.

I am well aware not everyone can construct a full temple. Some people just do not have a spare room, garage, gazebo, or shed they can convert to a Pagan temple. If you really have nowhere to set up a permanent temple, you should continue to use the sacred space you set up while following the directions in Book Two. But, if you have the ability, you should set up a permanent temple that can be used whether you are solitary or a member of a ring.

The Permanent Temple

Before you actually sit down to design your temple, you have to have a general idea of what item you’ll need to fit in. Some of the items you’ll need in your temple are easily put away until needed. Others take up more room and may have to stay in the room at all times. Take this into account when designing your temple.

The first and most important item is your altar. You have hopefully already chosen an altar table, so you know the size you’ll be working with. If you haven’t, look for something that will fit all your major ritual tools including the pentacle, chalice, wand, and athame. Your cauldron and broom do not go on the altar, so you don’t need room for them on the altar itself (though they will go in the temple).

Expect that you’ll have a hearth flame from time to time. Yes, I know. Fires in the house. Not always the best idea. But you can actually create a smokeless flame that won’t set off the smoke detectors. Place a fireproof dish on a fireproof surface. You might want to use a cast iron cauldron on a marble surface, but anything fireproof works. Fill the cauldron (or other fireproof dish) ¾ of the way full with Epsom salt. Not sea salt, not table salt. Epsom salt, and only Epsom salt. Pour rubbing alcohol onto the salt until the alcohol is about an inch above the salt. Then light with a long lighter or drop a match in. Get your hands out of the way to avoid singeing yourself, and there’s your fire. It will burn for quite a while. To put your fire out, put a lid on the cauldron. This deprives the flame of oxygen and snuffs it almost immediately. Never leave your hearth fire unattended or you risk starting a fire in your home (and that’s never a good thing).

Other items you’ll probably want to add to your temple are plants, tapestries, musical instruments, a storage cabinet, and four quarter altars. You can use small tables for these altars, but I, personally, like to use wall altars. Wall altars are constructed using narrow shelves to hold the items in question. These are fairly easy to construct. Just make sure you don’t put a candle directly under a shelf. Again, fire hazard. Use common sense when placing your altars. We’ll talk about what goes on these altars in a moment.

Once you have most of the items you need, you can begin planning your temple. Examine the accompanying illustration and decide how best to incorporate it’s design. Depending on the exactly dimensions of the room, the altar may not be able to be in the exact center of room, but get it as close as you can. In a traditional Ashling temple, the altar would be in the exact center. The hearth fire would be to the west of the altar, a plant would be to the east. Which plant, you ask? That question is easily answered if you consult Elements & Correspondences in Ashling Wicca: Book Two. In the diagram I have nightshade pictured, but you might use moss, fir, or any other plant you like. I have a small fir in my temple.

In the east you would have your air altar. This is the place to put anything relating to the element of air. Yellow would be the traditional color, so look for a yellow altar cloth and a yellow candle. Yellow candles are sometimes hard to find, so I use a yellow candleholder within which I can put a white candle; you would use whatever works best for you. The sword would be placed here, if you have one, and any woodwind instrument you might have. I have pipes in the east, but you can but a flute or whatever else you have (or nothing at all). Also consider adding a wall hanging or tapestry relating to air. Furthermore, a plant is always a nice addition. I use pansy in the east, but you can consult Book Two for another plant if you like.

The south is the direction of fire. Here you would choose a red altar cloth and candle. For a plant, I chose a sunflower, but poppy or dragon’s blood would work just as well. Consider adding a wall hanging, and definitely add your staff if you’ve managed to acquire one. The staff is associated with the element of fire and belongs in the southern quarter. A French horn or other brass instrument would also fit here. I keep a trombone beside my fire altar.

Water is associated with the west, and it is here you should place your water altar. Blue candles and altar cloths, as well as a wall hanging or picture reflecting water, would be best here. Your cauldron, filled with flowers or water, fits here. If it’s a larger cauldron, you should place it on the floor. If it’s a little smaller, placing it directly on the altar will suffice. I like roses for this quarter, and I fill my cauldron with them on a regular basis, but you may choose another plant associated with water and emotion. As for an instrument, anything from the string family will do. Harps are traditional, but most people don’t have harps. Also, harps are difficult to find and there aren’t many teachers around who can help you learn to play. You might be better off with a small violin or other string instrument.

North is the place for your earth altar. Green is the traditional color, so look for a green altar cloth and green candles. If you have a crystal ball of some sort, you should place it here. In fact, divination tools of all sorts, including Tarot and runes, may find a home here. I have a separate shelf on the western wall of my temple that holds only divination tools. Drums or other percussion instruments will fit well here, as will wall hangings with an earthy theme. Look for pictures of meadows or forests, or anything that reflects the deep nature of the earth. When it comes to plants, almost anything is associated with earth, but plants that are truly earthy in nature fit best in the northern quarter of your temple. I have potted ferns in the north, but you can choose something else if you like. Also in the north would be those things connected to healing, such as your warding shield constructed in Book Two.

Portraits or pictures of fairies can also be placed in your temple, as can fairy tokens (which haven’t really been discussed yet but will be in a later book). These would generally be placed in the west, but if the fairy in question is closely associated with an element other than water, you should choose the element better suited to that being. This may take some thinking, but you can’t go wrong with west.

There’s more to a temple than altars and

Reviews for Ashling Wicca, Book Three

[siennah-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was looking for something that wasn't quite Traditional Wicca but wasn't not Wicca either. This one did it for me. It's simple enough even for a beginner like me to understand, so I wasn't lost at any point. I also liked that it's more reasonably priced than some of the Wicca books on the market. I'll be buying the next one as soon as I'm done with this one.