About the Authors Amber K was born just outside New York City. She was not trained in the Craft at her grandmother’s knee and does not come from a long line of hereditary Witches. In 1978, she joined the Temple of the Pagan Way in Chicago, and received her initiation and ordination there. She has worked with Circle, New Earth Circle, the Pool of Bast, and the Coven of Our Lady of the Woods, and she was a co- founder of the Ladywood Tradition of Wicca. She has served three terms as National First Officer of the Covenant of the Goddess, the world’s largest network of Witches. She taught in the Cella (priestess) training program of Reformed Congregation of the Goddess, a national Dianic network. She has a son, Starfire, who resides in New Mexico and is part of the Pagan Spirit Gathering. Azrael Arynn K was born in New Mexico. She brings to the Craft her experience as a police officer, race car driver, stockbroker, and architectural designer, as well as a degree in law. She is a talented costume designer and ritualist, and she is also a certified NLP practitioner. Both Amber and Azrael are third-degree priestesses in the Ladywood Tradition of Wicca. They met in 1991 at a Wicca 101 class sponsored by Our Lady of the Woods and were handfasted in 1994. They have taught many workshops at Pagan festivals and conferences, including PantheaCon, Heartland, United Earth Assembly, Dragonfest, Florida Samhain Pagan Gathering, Starwood, and others. Amber and Azrael are part of Ardantane Pagan Learning Center in northern New Mexico, an hour northwest of Albuquerque in the Red Rocks area of the Jemez Mountains. Amber serves as executive director, Azrael is dean of the School of Sacred Living, and they both reside at the growing Ardantane campus. (For information, see the website at ardantane.org or write to Ardantane, P.O. Box 307, Jemez Springs, NM 87025.) Azrael likes to read mysteries, shop for antiques, drive good cars, and study nutrition and healing. Amber enjoys hiking, photography, the Native American flute, science fiction, collecting ancient keys, and the Peanuts gang, especially Snoopy. They share interests in travel, pink transferware china, Chinese checkers, art, and all things magickal, including their lovely hybrid dog, Kyoshi. Llewellyn Publications Woodbury, Minnesota How to Become a Witch: The Path of Nature, Spirit & Magick © 2010 by Amber K and Azrael Arynn K. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the form of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. As the purchaser of this e-book, you are granted the non-exclusive, non- transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on screen. The text may not be otherwise reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, or recorded on any other storage device in any form or by any means. Any unauthorized usage of the text without express written permission of the publisher is a violation of the author’s copyright and is illegal and punishable by law. First e-book edition © 2011 E-book ISBN: 9780738728889 Book design by Rebecca Zins Cover design by Lisa Novak Cover illustration by Melissa Findley Interior illustrations by Wen Hsu Leaf image from Ready-to-Use Old-Fashioned Floral Illustrations (Dover Publications, Inc., 1990) Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. Llewellyn Publications does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business arrangements between our authors and the public. Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific reference will continue or be maintained. Please refer to the publisher’s website for links to current author websites. Llewellyn Publications Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive Woodbury, MN 55125 www.llewellyn.com Manufactured in the United States of America We dedicate this book to all those ancestors and teachers, both those known to us and those whose names and stories are lost, who passed down to us the traditions and their wisdom, the love of the Goddess and the Old Gods, the ways of magick, and the understanding that the earth and all of nature are sacred. Contents I Am A Witch Introduction: Why Do You Want to Become a Witch? Chapter 1: What Is Witchcraft? Chapter 2: Seasons of the Sun, Cycles of the Moon: The Wheel of the Year Chapter 3: Power of the Pentagram: The Witches’ Paradigm Chapter 4: Bell, Book, and Candle: Equipping the New Witch Chapter 5: I Am a Witch at Every Hour: Witchcraft as a Way of Life Chapter 6: Spiraling Into the Center: Your Daily Practice Chapter 7: Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch? The Rules of Witchcraft Chapter 8: When the Moon Is Full: Witchcraft and Magick Chapter 9: I Am the Soul of Nature: This Sacred Earth Chapter 10: Worlds Beyond This One: Divination, Dreams, and More Chapter 11: Circle Near the Old Oak Tree: Solitary, or Three or More Chapter 12: Sacred Priestess, Sacred Priest: Serving the Lady and the Lord Chapter 13: The Witch in the World and In or Out of the Broom Closet Conclusion: The Path from This Place: Ever Learning, Ever Changing Appendices A: Recommended Reading B: Glossary C: Contact Points D: Color and Metal Correspondences E: The Wiccan Rede F: Rite of Self-Dedication to the Craft of the Wise I Am A Witch[1] Some find their home in the Witches’ Craft, Touching magick, wielding power, But each must seek and find their path, Is this your way, is this your hour? Sing to Goddess, moon times three, Touching magick, wielding power, Drink to God, stag-hornéd he, I am a Witch at every hour. Celebrate as the Wheel turns, Touching magick, wielding power, Dance and leap as the balefire burns, I am a Witch at every hour. Water, fire, earth, and air, Touching magick, wielding power, Ruled by spirit, all is there, I am a Witch at every hour. Based on knowledge, filled with love, Touching magick, wielding power, As below, so above, I am a Witch at every hour. In darkest night, in forest deep, Touching magick, wielding power, In broad daylight, awake, asleep, I am a Witch at every hour. At your altar, seek the way, Touching magick, wielding power, With Spirit start and end each day, I am a Witch at every hour. An ye harm none, do as ye will, Touching magick, wielding power, Heal always, never kill, I am a Witch at every hour. I cast the circle, raise the cone, Touching magick, wielding power, And pour the wine when magick’s flown, I am a Witch at every hour. Work your will, but earth revere, Touching magick, wielding power, And every creature living here, I am a Witch at every hour. Soar upon the astral planes, Touching magick, wielding power, Visit woodland faery fanes, I am a Witch at every hour. Dance the round with Pagan folk, Touching magick, wielding power, ’Neath the stars, beside the oak, I am a Witch at every hour. I am Goddess, neverborn, Touching magick, wielding power, I wear the crescent, wear the horn, I am a Witch at every hour. We may forgive, but we can’t forget, Touching magick, wielding power, We’ll claim our place in sunlight yet, I am a Witch at every hour. Many seek, a few may find, Touching magick, wielding power, That Witchcraft feeds the heart and mind, I am a Witch at every hour.