Madame Molly's Magickal Musings

Elementals and Elements

2012-03-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

So, what’s the difference? Aren’t they both the same thing?These are the questions I get from people who have not worked with Elementals,or just assumed Elemental means Elements.

I know… this will cause some people to get there hackles up.They might even actually believe the word Elemental is another word for theElements. In MY understanding and my magickal work, they are NOT the samething. They are associated with each other, but not interchangeable terms.

Let’s start with what the Elements are:

In my workings there are four earthly elements I work with.I say earthly elements, because these are the elements of Water, Fire, Air, andEarth. These are the basic building blocks of life on an energetic level.

Water is theelement I associate with the West. When working with this element I am workingwith emotions, birth and death. This is also the element I associate feminineenergy, and the moon. I am also workingwith the actual element of water. I alsoassociate the mountains with the west. Two animal associations I work with inthe West are Bear and Whale. I associatethe colors Black and Blue with this Element.

Fire is theelement I associate with the south. When working with this element I am workingwith trickster energy. Here is where I find myself working with Coyote andsometimes raven and crow work with me from the south, I am also working withthe element of fire. I also associate the fire and the desert with the south.The colors I associate with the south are Reds and red/oranges.

Air is theelement I associate with the East. When I’m working with this element, I am workingwith a masculine energy. Though this is a male energy, I associate it with birth and rebirth. I find myself working with eagle or hawk inthe east as well as the actual element of air. I associate prairies with theEast and Air. I also associate the Sunand the color yellow with the East.

Earth is theelement I associate with the north. When working with earth energy I amactually working with the earth itself. I do this through crystals, minerals,wood, and clays. Often I work with the energy of buffalo and this is where Imost deeply connect with Horse energy. This is where I will make connectionswith ancestors and ancient knowledge. Iassociate earth with the woods and forests of the north. The color I most oftenassociate with earth is white or a clear crystalline color.

When working with others I sometimes find they may havedifferent colors and energies associated with the elements. I’ve alsoencountered others who add a fifth element of spirit or ether to theirworkings. I am not going to expand on this element because I do not include itin my practices unless I am working with others who do.

Now on to my understanding of Elementals:

In my experience the elementals are spiritual ormythological entities that are associated with particular elements. These tend to be lower in vibration and areoften representations of the actual construct of the elements they areassociated with.

Water elementalsI work with often take the form of mermaid like water spirits. These spiritsare at home in the water and tend to take on forms that resemble our commonidea of what a mermaid looks like, but only to the basic degrees. I have notencountered one who resembles the Little Mermaid.

Fire elementals Iwork with tend to be spirits who are built of the element fire. Unlike themermaid like elementals who are most comfortable in the environment water, butare not constructed of water.

Air elementals Iwork with are fairy like spirits. They always have wings and are mostcomfortable flying, but they do not always look like the common depictions offairies. These are not your Tinkerbell variety.

Earth elementalsare my favorite, and they often appear as brownies, elves, trolls, and othersmall human like “little people”. I have encountered some who appear to be madefrom mud, rocks or other earth elements.


Offering of coffee for Household Brownies (Earth Elemental)

All of the elementals I have worked with and still workingwith have their own unique personalities and prefer to be interacted with asindividuals. Elementals can take manydifferent forms and there are other traditions which work with specific typesof elementals associated with the different elements. My affinity with the elementals is one that ispersonal and I have learned a lot from these “little people”. The fact they arecomposed of natures basic constructs within the element they are from, givesthem a closer or deeper perspective of the very nature of Nature. Take the timeto get to know these folks. Don’t be surprised if they come in forms that maynot be so nice, they are not always pleasant, but they are always there to showyou the way, or teach you something new.

Have a Wicked Good Day!

Molly

Pagan Radio Network

2012-02-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

There is some really great programing on the Pagan Radio Network. Check them out! Don't forget your support for these types of programs is what helps their creators make them available to us.

Have a Wicked Good Day!
Molly

The Magic, Rhonda Byrne (Law of Attraction)

2012-02-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

Many of us have heard of, if not read and watched TheSecret. This is an inspirational book and film aimed at helping people takeresponsibility for themselves and the circumstances they find themselves on adaily basis. I have read the book, watched the movie and for the most part haveseen the results of taking responsibility for my life’s circumstances.

Click here to reserve your copy TODAY!!

The author of The Secret, Rhonda Byrne, has other books outthat go along and expand on this type of thinking and belief system. Thisinformation is not new and it can be found in many ancient texts, and some notso ancient writers have approached this concept in the more recent past. Someof the authors include Wallace D. Wattles, Napoleon Hill, and William ClementStone.

Though Ms. Byrne is not writing about anything new in theconcept of Divinity residing within each of us, she does bring the concept tous in terms and concepts that we can more readily accept in today’s tumultuous world.

The next book in Ms. Brynes’ series of self empowerment anddiscovery series, is titled The Magic, and based on her other books I expect itwill be a more in-depth look at how to actively use the Law of Attraction inour personal lives to create more experiences and circumstances we findfulfilling and make us whole.

Make sure you reserve your copy of The Magic, so you can beone of the first to start your journey through Magic and the Law of Attraction.

Have a Wicked Good Day!

Molly

Drifting and Defining

2012-02-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

How many of us have started our Spiritual paths onalternative pathways only to find that after a short period of searching andlooking at various forms of witchcraft, paganism, magickal practices, etc… wenow have found ourselves completely adrift; like a small piece of cork justbobbing along in the currents of life and magick?

When I first started searching for my way, I read every bookI could find, joined a couple different groups, and even became a Healing Ministerin the ULC (Universal Life Church) so that I could legally perform marriages,and other religious rites. I never fully engaged in my minister ship, mainlybecause I really just enjoyed giving the occasionally services, in the localmetaphysical church I was attending. Iwas not really sure of the path I wanted to follow and spent most of my timedrifting from one alternative path to another.

Reiki

During this time I also became a Reiki master, and though Iam able to use this healing modality effectively, I normally do not practiceReiki other than to send Reiki energy to people from a distance.

After about three years of this drifting around, I returnedto witchcraft as a more dominant focus. The problem with that was there weresooooo many books and people “out there” claiming their path was the only path.What they forgot to mention in these books, lectures and random conversationswas… their path is the only path for them….

I am also a student of Anthropology and find that much ofwhat people claim are ancient practices, simply are not. There are many thingswe do not understand about the pagan or magickal practices of ourancestors. Sure there are writtenrecords in some cases, very detailed records, but I wonder….

I have practices andpersonal connections and understandings of divinity and my spiritual practiceswhere there are no words, known to man; that can adequately describe myexperiences. The artifacts that might or might not be found hundreds orthousands of years after I’m gone will likely be misinterpreted. I’m sure theywould be…. Many of the trappings of my workings are common objects or could beunderstood completely differently than my intentions, especially when viewedthrough the eyes of someone who has not lived in my lifetime nor experienced myworld.

I guess what I’m trying to say is what most of us think isthe way things were, probably weren’t…

This is where things get muddled for me… I have a strongdesire to “know” and “understand” the past and how my ancestors related to thedivine. I also know that until they invent a time machine that can take me tothe past, I can only make educated guesses at best. I have also found that aconnection to the Divine is ever changing. My understanding of any particularexpression of Divinity is, by default, filtered through my place on the humantime line, the events and people who have shaped my understanding of the world,and my own ability and willingness to make the connection.

After all my studying and making connections with Divinity,I still find myself feeling like that piece of cork bobbing along the currents.

art on cave walls at chauve

Paleolithic art

I’m beginning tothink and feel this is just the beginning of the shift in how humans relate tothe Divine. I know my understanding is changing and solidifying. As I researchaspects of Divinity that were possibly revered by my Slavic ancestors, I amfinding that the beliefs and practices I have may have roots in that ancientconnection to the past. I also foundthis to be true when I was researching the practices of my ancestors who hailfrom the British Isles and other northern European ancestors, such as theancient Germanic tribes.

Most of all I’ve found a much deeper connection in what

maybe the Paleolithic peoples. That energy is a much more primal and personalenergy and is where I go for my deepest connections and understanding ofdivinity.

Have a Wicked Good Day!

Molly

Dadźbóg

2012-02-17T21:40:00.001-07:00

This week I had a couple D words I thought I wanted to writeabout for the Pagan Blog Project (PBP).

I spent a while researching Didgeridoos, and finally came tothe conclusion I was not the right person to tell that story. I love the musicand the information was fascinating, but something within me keep niggling atme… when I finally stopped to listen to what was going on in the background, Igot the message loud and clear… I just am not supposed to tell the story of theDidgeridoo. Traditionally it is a male instrument and females do not play it… itjust feels like I would have been dishonoring something were I to talk atlength about it.

So, on to the D word that was actually calling me this wholeweek, even though I got sidetracked Down Under for a day or so…

In an earlier post I talked about being of Polish ancestryand this week on and off I kept returning to the thought that I wanted to knowmore about the pre-Christian practices of my ancestors. I found myself lookingfor anything I could find about the Gods and Goddess that were worshiped, thedays that were celebrated, and anything else I could find.

I finally settled on Dadźbóg. After reading muchinformation it became very clear that the gods and goddess of my Polishancestors were often the same gods and goddesses of other Slavic speakingpeoples in the region. There was some regionalization and yet Dadźbóg, was a universalgod in that region. There are several pronunciations and spellings for thisparticular god, which I am not going to go into at this time. I am going tofocus on the essence of this particular god; as that is what I feel isimportant.

Because I’m not a linguist, I’ve included someinformation detailing the entomology of this god’s name.

Most scholars agreethe root dažd- or daj- is derived from root of the verb dati"to give". Thus, according to Dubenskij, Ognovskij and Niderle,Dažbog would be "giving god", "god-giver, "god-donor".The close related word to slavic Dažd is in Avestian or east-Iranian language -dazdâ, dazda "gifts".^[1] Thisis particularly interesting since the Proto-Slavic word for god, *bagu(> Common Slavic *bogъ), the suffix of Dažbog'sname, is argued either to be of Iranian origin (being related to Indo-Iranianetymons such as Old Persian baga, Sanskrit bhaga), or beingsemantically influenced by Iranian source, both being ultimately derived from PIE root *bʰag-, whosereflexes in both Slavic and Indo-Iranian came to mean both "deity"and "wealth, share".^[2] Thus,translated literally, Dažbog would be "giver of fortune". Thisechoes the ancient Indo-European concept that deity is, in essence, an entitywhich gives wealth and abundance, an indication, perhaps, that Dažbog is arelic from common Proto-Indo-European religion, or eventhat this was not a name for any particular Slavic god, but a general epithetof a deity. (Dažbog)

The idea, expressed above, indicates this particulargod may not be an individual god, but instead may be a conceptualizedunderstanding of deity in general, which feels right to me.

The story of Dadźbóg, is oftenassociated with wolves and sometimes is referred to as the lame shepard ofwolves. He is also thoughtto be a Sun god who rises in the East as a golden infant who travels throughhis twelve kingdoms ( possibly the signs of the zodiac) in his chariot pulledby either three or twelve horses (depending on the legend), he ultimately dies at the end of the day as anold man. Many of the storiesI found on the internet shared similarities, but the details were sometimesdifferent. This is common when trying to resurrect the old stories orreconstruct the old practices of most pre-Christian religions.

Rather than regurgitate the information I foundabout this god, I have shared the information I thought was the most insightfulfor me. I have also decided to take the time to get to know this god and othergods and goddesses from this particular region. I really appreciate the workthat went into the sites I reviewed to find out more about the Polish pantheonand Dadźbóg, in particular, but I know the information isprimarily derived from stores or accounts, told by outsiders. Often when another culture tells the stories of another cultures deities and spiritual practices, the stories get distorted and often are told in an unforgiving or incomplete light.

I encourage you to take the time to read theinformation provided at the websites below. These are probably pretty goodbasic legends and a great place to get started on my path to knowing these deities and possibly building relationship with them.

References:

beling.net.17 02 2012 http://beling.net/articles/about/Da%C5%BEbog

Care erau zeiislavilor? 17 02 2012 http://www.frontpress.ro/?p=21443

Dazbog. 13 02 2012 http://www.fact-index.com/d/da/dazbog.html

Dažbog. 15 02 2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da%C5%BEbog

Deities ofpre-Christian Poland. 16 02 2012 http://sourceryforge.org/index.php/Polish_Pantheon

Polish Paganism. 12 02 2012 http://polishtoledo.com/pagan/index.htm

Slavic Deities andThe Unclean Force. 16 02 2012 http://www.slavpaganism.com/#!__deities/a---da

SLAVIC GODS. 17 02 2012 http://slavialand.org/slavicgods.htm

Slavic Myth andReligion. 14 02 2012 http://www.winterscapes.com/slavic.htm

Slavic mythology. 17 02 2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_mythology

Have a Wicked Good Day!
Molly

Kitchen Witch

2012-02-09T16:28:00.001-07:00

Kitchen Witch

She works on her newest recipe
All the while thinking
Mixing, stirring, humming

Her thoughts are of a time not so long ago
A time when she was small
Sitting at the table
Listening to her mother
Mixing stirring humming

Now, she is the mom
And she knows—
Mixing, stirring, humming

The pot boiling on her stove
Filled with her love
Is not the same
For her pot is filled with Magick!
Mixing, stirring, humming

Madame Molly

9/7/2011

Have a Wicked Good Day!

Molly

Magickal Children

2012-02-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

As the mother of five children, one granddaughter, and twomore grandchildren due this month; children are an integral part of my life. Whetherwe currently are raising children, occasionally see our grandchildren or haveno real contact with children; we were all children at some point in our lives.I know this is stating the obvious, but sometimes we forget how important childhoodis in the development of adults.

As I kid I was raised catholic and had to attend CCDclasses, which were designed to teach us how to be good Catholics. The materialwe learned with was usually age appropriate and designed by catholic educators.This made learning somewhat fun.

As a Pagan/Magickal parent I really didn’t have any teachingmaterials available to offer my children. I looked for teaching materialsimilar to the material I was given as a child growing up Catholic, but I neverreally found what I was looking for. Ido remember running across Lora Craig-Gaddis' Pooka Pages for Pagan Kids,but at the time my older children were in their teens and were not interestedin the material and my youngest was an infant. I Loved Pooka and Elsie andtheir adventures, I wanted to share them with children, but like I said, at thetime I didn’t have any in my life (who were interested) to share this materialwith.

www.pookapages.com

Now that my youngest is showing an interest in my spirituality, I havefound Pooka Pages once again. I am thrilled to see the familiar characters ofElsie and Pooka are still brewing up magickal stories that teach little ones. As my grandchildren come in to this world and grow, I hope theirparents will let me share Pooka Pages and other similar materials with them.

Have a Wicked Good Day!

Molly

Curses

2012-02-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

To curse or not to curse that is the question. There aremany who practice modern magick in some form or other, who would immediatelyclaim that laying a curse on another is not a proper use of magick. On manylevels, I will agree with that statement and yet there are times when laying acurse on another is an appropriate step to take.

Although there are many curses to be found in books and onthe internet, it is best to take some time to assess the situation beforedeciding a curse is the best course of action. In most instances a curse is not appropriateand should be avoided.

So... what is a curse?

A curse is energy that is working in a way that causes harmor misfortune.

Curses can be intentionally cast or lain on another, but canalso be a strong energetic of ill will towards another that was directed in the“heat of the moment”. Similar to pointing a finger at another and wishing orstating something as innocuous as “I hope you get sick”. Another example of an unintentionalcurse is the gestures, angry words and faces exchanged between drivers.

Sometimes a curse can actually result from a spell that has notworked out well or has just gone terribly wrong somewhere along the way.

There is nothingwrong with protecting yourself or others through the use of magick. It isimportant that you and those who may have requested your help in cursing orusing magick in a way that is intended to cause directed harm at another(s); bereminded the spells you cast tend to have a rippling effect and those who youhadn’t thought would be affected, may end up affected. While considering who ispotentially effected by magickal energy, don’t forget to consider yourself and/or whoever requestedthe spell be cast.

There are many Wiccans who believe in the three fold law orsome version similar, and this concept is valid if you believe that which youcast will return to you through the ripples of energy moving throughout theuniverse. This is reflected in the Wiccan Rede.

Not all Pagans or Magickalworkers work within these guide lines. I tend to believe that when AleisterCrowley stated in his Thelemic Laws; “Do what thou wilt shall bethe whole of the Law.” … Hewas alluding to the concept that when people know and follow their true wills,they would then be in harmony with the ebb and flow of the universe. If you have taken the time to really assesswhat this represents to you and you are willing to pay the piper… so to speak…or understand that following your will is not in direct conflict with another.... then by allmeans… cast away…

Have a Wicked Good Day!

Molly

Imbolc

2012-02-01T20:47:00.003-07:00

I am familiar with the eight sabbats commonly celebrated bywiccans and some pagans and I personally do not celebrate the major sabbats. Ifocus on the solstices and equinoxes which are referred to as the minor sabbats.I never understood why the sabbats marked by the changing of the seasons wouldbe labeled lesser, but I’ve gone past that with a big shoulder shrug and a “whatever”(sighed).

For me the changing of the seasons, especially the summerand Winter solstice are the sabbats I focus on. It’s not that I was taught by aparticular person or tradition that had less focus on the major sabbats, it is justwhat feels right to me… I did learn while doing some research on the Paganpractices of my Polish ancestors, that the early Poles and other Slavic people often helda primary focus on Summer and Winter solstices. It made me wonder if on somedeeper level I was drawn to the seasonal celebrations of my ancestors. It’s athought that might support the idea that learned behaviors can be passed downthrough the generations without there ever being an emphasis placed on thesebehaviors or beliefs.

I just can’t get into the whole… Imbolc and ewe’s first milkthing… I grew up on a farm in Wisconsin and we raised sheep, cattle, horses,goats, fowl, and various other typical farm animals… I don’t remember noticing the ewes bagging upat the first part of February… it was still usually cold and snowy, and we didn’tsee any “sign” until the first part of March and then lambs started comingright around Spring Equinox. Anyway.. that's what I remember... I was a kid and that was a while ago.

The major sabbats are thought to be more importantby some than the minors or the seasonal changes. I have never felt that istrue. I will admit the veil or energy barrier between this world and the otherworld is thinner both Samhain and Beltane, and I do utilize this time of theyear to focus on divination and communication with those who reside in theother worlds.

Because I am participating in the Pagan Blog Project, I have foundmyself thinking about Imbolc and what it means to me today. In many of theseinstances, I wondered if I “should” do something for this sabbat, and thendecided that the contemplation of the day was all I was going to participate intoday.
I normally don’t even go that far for Imbolc.

My contemplation today has brought me to a place of decision;I am going to let the energy of the day, Spirit, God/dess, direct me in regardto celebrating the major sabbats. I have a feeling I’m going to be surprised asthe year unfolds. I am looking forward to hearing and heading the call of thesabbats this year. It's sounding decidedly Slavic..

Have a Wicked Good Day!

Molly

Baba Yaga

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was first exposed to Baba Yaga as a somewhat watered downcharacter in the story of Hansel and Gretel. The next time I found myself faceto face with the Baba Yaga was while going through a divorce. I had decided itwas time to remove myself from a marriage that had nothing to do with me. I hadno idea who I was, and happened to come across a book titled, Women Who RunWith the Wolves, written by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D.

http://intothehermitage.blogspot.com/2010/11/marvels-and-tales.html

I immediately resonated with the author and found thestories she retold to speak to me in a much deeper way than I had everexpected. The first point of resonance for me was that this woman is Polish andHispanic. I am Polish on my mother’s side and had been married into a Hispanicfamily for 13 years. I was able to identify with the feeling of culturalconfusion and then personal emptiness.

As a young person Iwas raised with every derogatory comment or joke being told around me, focusedtowards “Pollocks”… I learned that part of who I am is stupid, bumbling,foolish, and someone to be disrespected. As a young adult, married into a Hispanicfamily I learned “my place”… women were to serve, you were expected to be “fiery”,and yet you better shut the hell up and do what is expected. The role of womanin this culture was confusing to me, especially since it was the women whotreated me the worst. I had no idea whoI was or what I was doing here on this planet.

While reading Women Who run with the Wolves, I found thestory of Vasalisa and the Baba Yaga. Ihave read this story over and over many times. Each time I read the story orsee images of Baba Yaga, I immediately remember being really small and going tomy mother’s grandmother’s house to visit. When we got there Busha (Grandmotherin Americanized Polish pronounced BOO-shah) would be there at the table. Shewas old… I mean OLD… she looked like the witch in the fairy tales my dad wouldread to me at night.

She always wore a heavy black dress, with heavy grandmashoes. To top things off she was always wearing a babushka (scarf tied on herhead, it is actually a Russian word for grandmother). Looking back at my memories of Busha, she definitelycould have been Baba Yaga, flying through the air in her mortar, using a pestleas a rudder and dragging a broom behind her to sweep up and move the clouds.

http://debratski.deviantart.com/art/Baba-Yaga-123629862

The story of Baba Yaga is a story that reflects thetransition from naivety or innocent youth to the wise crone. Now that I am agrandmother and moving towards menopause, I am struggling with the identity ofthe old woman… I don’t want to be the scary, witch figure, Busha represented tome as a child.

The common story girls and women are raised on in today’sworld is a story of beautiful, slender, youth ruling and being thedesired prize of men and is in direct conflict with our image of a wizened up old womanwho is ugly, fat/thin, dependent, and mean; something to be cast aside likeyesterdays wilted and rotten dinner salad. The Baba Yaga challenges us to lookdeeper at ourselves as women.

I originally was going to tell the story of Baba Yaga forthis post, but instead, I decided to tell the story of how she has influencedmy life, through my Busha, who incidentally, happened to be a witch. My motherwill never admit her grandmother was anything but Catholic, but the stories Momtells of Busha’s "wives tales", tells me Busha was a wise woman. she made a huge impression on me and has returned tome in the story of Baba Yaga.

I encourage you toread Women Who Run With the Wolves. You can also read an excellent essay onBaba Yaga at http://www.mythinglinks.org/BabaYaga.html and you can find more info by checking out the links in the text.

Have a Wicked Good Day!

Molly

New Moon

2012-01-23T19:35:00.001-07:00

Depending where you live, sometime last night or thismorning was the apex of the New Moon. Thepassing of the moon from Full to New and back again is often and integral partof magickal practices. Often times these practices are focused on fishing,planting, breeding, hunting, harvesting and birthing.

This information can be found in a number of Almanacs, rangingfrom the Farmer’s Almanac to the WitchesAlmanac.

This is where the similarities seem to get a little thin.When talking with other magickal practitioners and reading the many differentbooks, newsletters and blogs; I’ve found the attributes associated with the differentphases of the moon are slightly different from each other depending on the pathfollowed or the individual practitioner's understanding. There are some who feel the moon has female qualities whileothers fee the moon carries male qualities. We’ve all heard of the Man in the Moonand Grandmother Moon.

I feel the most empowering aspect of the moon is the way it feelsas I stand beneath the beams of energy emanating from it. I often stand beneaththe night sky and watch as the Full moon beams seem to stretch towards me.Other times, I feel a great sense that all obstacles are being drawn from mylife and consumed by the dark moon; only to be transmuted into the bright beamsI will feel, filling my being during the Full phase.

There are many rituals and magickal practices associated withthe moon. We offer ritual kits for either the New or the Full moon phase. Theseare great kits that can get you started on your journey of working with Moonenergy.

Have a Wicked Good Day!

Molly