Witchcraft and The Old Religion: an introduction

By Nigel Cox

This thorough writing enables the curious seeker to pin down a truly progressive path in perhaps one of the oldest forms of spiritual and magical awareness. To initiates and those in the know, 'the old religion' gives a name to this path. More commonly, the old religion is called Wicca. In this

• Language: English
• Publisher: Witchware Ltd
• Release date: Mar 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781916045125

Nigel Cox

Greetings all readers,Well, where to start? I think the most poignant factor in reference to my publications is that I'm a practising witch. The ancient act of becoming magically aware and working with the magical arts is literally timeless, and engaging with the Old Gods is truly a deep and rewarding spiritual path to follow. This I hope is extended into my publications as it is the mission of my company Witchware to help those interested in this life to delve deeper into the world of witchcraft and the old religion.Witchware is the trade mark of Witchware Ltd, which I incorporated in the UK in 2018 and appointed myself Director. Through Witchware, I make and sell witchcraft related products including Witchware publications, which I hope help people to become acquainted with the old ways of witchcraft and introduce them to the Old Gods.Well guys, I love to hear from interested folk, so to find out more, ask some questions or to see what Witchware can offer, see below for my links.

Book preview

WITCHCRAFT AND THE OLD RELIGION:

An Introduction

Nigel Cox

Magically, there’s so much available to us, sometimes with practice, sometimes with initiation, sometimes both. It is my aim to encourage those who are interested, to use Witchcraft and practise the Old Religion.

‘It is my hope that through this, more people will engage with the Craft and the Gods’

Witchcraft and the Old Religion: An Introduction

Copyright © 2021 by Nigel Cox

Revised Edition

ISBN: 978-1-9160451-2-5

PUBLISHED BY:

Witchware Ltd

www.witchware.net

Cover design by Nigel Cox. Internal pictures are part created and arranged by Nigel Cox.

Warning: An image showing partial nudity is displayed in this book.

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owners and the above publisher of this book.

eab:20210203

To Boo, for all of your love and support over the years.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

SECTION 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD RELIGION

Are witches real?

Is Witchcraft the same as Black Magic?

What do witches believe/celebrate?

Is The Old Religion the same as Wicca?

The Goddess and God, what are they?

Names of the Goddess and God

Why He is the Horned God

What are the phases of the Goddess and God?

Is Wicca a fertility cult?

Is it a religion solely for women?

What is a witch?

The Sabbats and The Wheel of the Year

Energy Changes

The Underworld and The Tree of Life

Why we celebrate The Sabbats

Light and dark of the year (in the northern hemisphere)

The Oak King and the Holly King - symbols of the God

Esbats and the Lunar Phases - the Goddess in her three forms

The White Goddess and The Black Goddess

Thoughts on the Goddess and God

The Pentagram

The Elemental Powers

How the elemental powers can be used in ceremony and magic:

The Gods and the Pentacle

The Goddess and God unite

Praying

SECTION 2: CREATING CEREMONIES

Creating ceremonies for Sabbats:

Preparing yourself - washing/bathing

Sky-clad or Robed?

Cleansing the space

Making the four points sacred

Visualisation, an introduction

The Magic Circle

Casting a circle (taking inside all you need)

Inviting in the Gods and Guardians

A little humility

Opening your ceremony

Carrying out the ceremony

Leaving the circle during ceremony

Toasting the Gods

Hail and Farewell

Closing the ceremony and the circle

Grounding and sealing the energy in oneself after ceremony

Deosil and Widdershins

Is the circle always necessary?

Prayer to the Gods

SECTION 3: WRITING SEASONAL CEREMONIES

Instruction in how to write a seasonal ceremony

Seasonal ceremony example

Prayer to the Gods

SECTION 4: WITCHCRAFT

What is magic/witchcraft?

Definition of magic

Why they are called spells

Do spells have to rhyme?

Is magic divine?

Is witchcraft/magic evil?

Why practise magic?

With whom are we working?

How magic works

Intention and energy

Raising the energy

Visualisation (making your mark for change)

By season

By lunar phase

Is magic restricted to seasonal or lunar phases?

Rules of magic

Banishing spells

I command thee

When should we use magic?

Will magic hurt anyone?

Prayer to the Gods

SECTION 5: THE ALTAR

What the altar is for

Making an altar

Altar Cloth

Staff

Wand

Athame

Sword

Boline

Candles and Holders

Ribbons

Cord (black)

Bowls (Cauldrons)

Chalice

Book of Shadows

Laying the altar

Consecrating your tools

Storing your tools

Prayer to the Gods

SECTION 6: MAKING MAGIC

Abundance Spell

For the environment

Prayer to the Gods

SECTION 7: BECOMING A WITCH

How will you know that you want to become a witch?

When can you become a witch?

What does it mean to be a witch?

What benefits will you gain from being a witch?

What is likely to happen after initiation?

What if you later decide that Wicca is not right for you?

How do you become a witch?

Self initiation rite preparations

Self initiation rite

Final note

FOREWORD

As a witch, I find I’m often faced with people’s misconceived ideas about what a witch is or does. Sometimes I’m faced with avoidance, sometimes with mockery.

Even in these days of liberated thought, witchcraft still holds connotations for some that it’s an anti-life, destructive and wicked practice. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Witches still have an unjust image of being deceitful workers of evil, an image I hope to tackle through this book. I want to set the record straight and help those with an interest in witchcraft and the Old Religion who would like to find out more, but don’t know where to begin.

SECTION 1:

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD RELIGION

Are witches real?

The answer is yes. It is a common misconception that witches only live in the minds of authors and film producers and are old crone-like women with warts who wear tall pointed hats, ride on broomsticks in the night and worship evil. This is a misinterpretation brought about by fantasy writers. Witches are of both sexes and can be ordinary looking people who follow and work with The Old Religion.

Is Witchcraft the same as Black Magic?

It is my opinion that they are not the same. By using Witchcraft, we harness and direct the natural energies available to us to help and heal ourselves and others and if necessary combat adversity. Black Magic in my opinion is to use magic to help ourselves at the expense of others.

What do witches believe/celebrate?

We believe in female and male deities (the Goddess and God, sometimes referred to as ‘the Gods’ or ‘the Old Gods’). We believe in cycles of birth, life, death and re-birth and see the deities as the life-affirming givers and receivers or creators and destroyers (there have to be beginnings, middles and endings within all cycles to produce full experience and understanding). We believe that the Earth and all of nature is a manifestation of the divine and that the Earth’s solar cycle (the