Beltane is coming! Get ready for the Maypole dance!

A custom of Bealtaine which has never died out is that of the May Pole. In many places in Britain, Ireland, and North America, children are still encouraged to grab the white and red ribbons and dance the old Morris Dances.

In the days of the old ways, the May Pole was made from the communal pine tree which had been decorated at Yule, with all but its uppermost branches now removed. The ribbons attached to its top are traditionally white and red, white for the Goddess and red for the God, or white for the Virgin Goddess and red for the Mother. The May Pole is a phallic symbol impregnating the birth canal being woven around it by the dancers. There are two thoughts on the symbology for the white and red streamers. One is that the red stands for the Sun God and the white for the Virgin Goddess.

The men, holding the red streamers, and the women the white, weave the birth canal together, representing the union of Goddess and God. The other is that the white, held by the women, stands for the Virgin Goddess, and the red, held by the men, stands for the mother aspect. Together the men help the virgin aspect meld herself into motherhood on the phallic pole. The dancers then do a Morris Dance, the Anglo name for May Day dances, which are rich with pagan symbolism. There are usually eight dancers one for each Sabbat of the year paired into four couples. The dances involve moving in circles and weaving under each other's inter- locked, upheld arms in mock sexual unions.

How to Make a Book of Shadows

First of all, What is a Book of Shadows? A book of shadows is just a journal or notebook kept by a person that is interested in wicca or witchcraft. This notebook is a personal collection of information made by the person studying wicca. The contents can be anything of interest--famous witches, history of witchcraft, various spells, rituals, invocations, and reference materials.

Some people just write the information down as they learn it. Some people like to type the information up and print it from the computer. Pre-printed pages can be found on the Internet for purchase to be added to your own personal notebook.

To start a Book of Shadows of your own, get a 3-ring binder and use it to organize your pages. Start a section for history and maybe another section for rituals that you find interesting and would like to try. Don't forget to add your own notes of your own about how things went when you tried your new-found spells!

If you'd like a jump start on creating your Book of Shadows, take a look at my online store Open the Book of Shadows for lots of pages on all kinds of topics!

Being Wiccan

No conversation or recruitment is necessary...
Wiccans have no insecure compulsion to convert everyone to their way of thinking. People come to Wicca when and if they are ready/interested. Furthermore, you are not required to accept or do anything that you're not comfortable with.


No artificial code of morality...
Out of all of the creatures of this Earth, only humans are forced to live under unnatural moral codes. Wiccans believe simply: "An It Harm None, Do As Ye Will".


Progressive Reincarnation...
Wiccans believe we are here to learn and to progress, not suffer eternal damnation if we 'slip-up' in someone else's eyes.


No Discrimination...
There is no such thing as being the 'right' race, color, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin to be Wiccan; ALL are welcome!


No middle man (or woman)....
Once you know all of the basics, you can be your own 'minister' or 'priest' you need never bow before (or rely upon) some religious dictator for spiritual guidance, you go straight to the source.


Be yourself....
By sharing a common interest with others in Wicca, you do not lose your identity as an individual. You are unique and can and should stay that way without becoming a blob in homogeneous mass.


No repression...
Wiccans are not forbidden from reading, learning, eating, drinking, or saying anything. You can actually even disagree with someone without being 'excommunicated'.


Contribution...
NO! Not money, but knowledge. The craft has always , and will always, be an experimental religion. If it works, we use it. Then share it so that all in the Craft many benefit.


No Rigid DOGMA....
Wiccans DO NOT believe that their path is 'The One and Only Path'. The only 'True' path is the one that works best for you. All paths are valid as long as they Harm None.


Self empowerment....
Wicca allows you to truly feel your own power, if you will, and a true sense of self. You are 'allowed' to be the best person that you wish to be with all of the love and support that you can possibly hope for. Wicca allows you to take your hopes, dreams, and most heart's desires and manifest them in this reality. All is possible. All is real.

Using the Moon in Spellwork

Wiccan ritual and celebration is generally done in concordance with the phases of the moon.  High rituals and important spells are cast during the full moon.  The full moon radiates the most energy and lends the most power to your spellcasting.

The waning moon is important in spell casting when you are looking for the energy to be drained from something or when you are waiting for something or something to go away.  As the moon slowly disappears over the course of two weeks, so will the troubles that you wished away.

When you are looking for completion or something to come to fruition, start your spellwork during the new moon when there is no moon.  As the moon waxes to full, so will the progress of your wishes.