Witches' Sabbath - what items to take with you and where to go?

Witches and sorcerers use different items during the Sabbat. Explore some of them and find out what they are for. Also find out where Saturdays are held.

The most common ritual props used by Wiccans are:

• Altar - In Wiccan ritual, an altar is the place around which the ritual takes place and on which magical instruments lie during the ritual when they are not in the hands of one of the participants. The altar can be any flat dais. Sometimes witches place their equipment on the ground, other times they use a piece of cut tree trunk or a flat stone as an altar. Then it is called grotto. Sometimes it is an old table or an amateur altar. It should not be made of plastic such as plastic or rubber. It is assumed that the elements should be as natural as possible. In most covens (or singles), the altar is divided into three parts. The left side is dedicated to the Goddess (there is: a cauldron, a bowl, a wand), the right side is dedicated to God (most often there is: incense, a Bollin knife or an athame), and the center is dedicated to God and the Goddess (most often it is a censer, candles, accessories for spells). This decoration of the altar serves to maintain balance.

• An athame (pronounced "atamey") is a double-edged, usually magnetized knife with a black handle. Wicca uses it to control the energy released during rituals and spells. It accumulates positive energy and is used to draw a circle during rituals. Some make it out of wood.

• Bolline is a knife with a white handle. It is usually used for practical purposes, for cutting herbs, engraving symbols on candles, or for ritual placement in a bowl at the end of a ritual.

• Crystal ball. The crystal has long been used in the art of divination.

• Double Edged Sword - Sometimes replaces the athame. It is a magical weapon that symbolizes the masculine power in the universe, the double-edged nature of power, and the balance that the magician must maintain.

• Censer - An incense burner that can be used to incense the ritual site with cleansing smoke. A small incense stick performs a similar function.

• Candles - symbolize all the elements. Rituals should not be performed under artificial light - only the sun, moon or candles or natural fire. The colors of the candles help the magic.

• Three-legged cauldron - Symbolizes the element of water and is a symbol of the Goddess, just like a knife - God.

Traditional attribute of witches

• Sprinkler - used to sprinkle cleansing water on the circle, blessing the circle.

• Crystals and stones “Lying on the altar, they can accumulate and draw energy according to their nature.

• The cup is a female symbol, a vessel for storing drinks that can be drunk during the ritual as a symbolic absorption of the collected energy or poured onto the ground as an offering to the Gods. Sometimes replaces a cauldron or a cup.

• A feather or fan is a symbol of the element of air, sometimes used to spread incense smoke around or symbolically ward off hostile energies.

• Images of God and Goddess. By seeing these symbols, Wiccans can better focus on what they are doing. There are many objects symbolizing the divine couple, from sculptures and images of deities in some pantheon to the simplest images - the Goddess can mean any oval or concave object, and God can mean any oblong, convex. Most often, God means a small knife, and Goddess means a brooch, earring, shell or bracelet.

• Salt is a symbol of the earth element, a substance that brings protection and purification. Some sprinkle salt around the magic circle, enhancing its protective properties, others purify magical tools by sprinkling them with water in which salt is dissolved.

• Wand - Best made from a hand sawn tree branch, at the nodes of which you place the appropriate stones to direct their energy into the tree, and at the end place a crystal to help you channel the power. Some rip them off tree branches that have been struck by lightning. The wand is associated with the element of air, used to neutralize the force in the circle (similar to a broom).

• A pentacle is a flat disc, made of wood or metal, for example, with a pentagram engraved on it. It symbolizes the element of earth.

• A broom is a traditional attribute of a witch. The broom, by virtue of its role - sweeping - is well suited for neutralizing forces in the circle before the main part of the ritual. We symbolically sweep out various energies from the circle, making it a void in which we will only make changes.

See also: Broom - a means of transportation for witches

• Bowl - Sometimes replaces the cauldron.

• Bell - Its sound emits vibrations, the strength of which depends on the range, sound and material from which it is made. Invokes good energies. Sometimes a regular gong can be used to start and end a ritual.

• Tsingulam - a rope, most often red, three meters long. Participates in wedding rituals or in love magic. .

• Torques - Witch's necklace. Some are made from shells, grains, pine cones, and wood. Others are blue glass beads, others feature a crescent moon, which is the symbol of the goddess Diana.

• The Book of Shadows is a textbook containing spells, ritual schemes, spells, runes, magical laws, etc. It is a kind of textbook that collects all the knowledge gained by a coven or a person walking a lonely path. In the past, with the death of a mage, his Book of Shadows was burned to hide its secrets from Christian inquisitors. Usually the Book of Shadows has a thick black cover, and the pentagram is drawn on the first page.

• Amstreets - Magical objects, usually small colored stones or pieces of metal engraved with runes or other magical symbols that have the power to protect a person from dangerous influences, awaken love, attract happiness. Astrological jewelry, four-leaf clover and rabbit's foot are just a few examples of modern amulets.

• Talismans are man-made objects of any shape and material that have magical properties, bring good luck, guarantee fertility and ward off evil. To fill the talisman with power, you must first carve an inscription on it, and then consecrate it. The talisman works thanks to the shape and meaning of the symbol. An amulet, on the other hand, works by virtue of the properties of the object it is made of, i.e. metal or gemstone. The pentagram, the Hammer of Thor, the Eye of Horus or, for example, the Ankh, will become a talisman. - Mirror. Often found in love rituals, but also used in self-initiation rituals.

• Ring - Most often silver with a crystal, used to summon spirits and gods.

• Flowers. Like candles and incense, they give off a natural scent. They are a symbol of beauty and can be associated with a particular holiday through their symbolism, colors and scents.

• Essential oils - sometimes you apply them on candles or yourself. They are associated with exposure to odors.

• The Book of Mirrors is a sort of magical diary kept by a Wiccan. It records the experiences and effects of practiced magic.

• Stang - Sometimes it is a large staff with horns at the end, sometimes it looks like a slingshot with magical signs painted on it. It is used to invoke God in rituals. Probably, the stang was the primary source of the image of the devil's pitchfork in folk art.

places of magic

Wiccans most often perform rituals in the bosom of nature (during the warm season), as well as in houses or other buildings (when the weather does not allow them). It is important to be as far away from the elements of civilization as possible (in the case of home practice, electrical appliances, telephones, lamps, etc. should be turned off). The most important thing for a properly performed ritual is that the area on which it is performed is even (at least “by eye”). You should also ensure that no one interferes with the rituals.

See also: How to prepare for a Wiccan ritual?

Most often, rituals are held in fields, meadows, forests, on beaches and household plots. Sometimes, if someone works with the right element, he chooses specific areas: in the case of the element of fire in hot springs, in deserts, in the case of wind on mountain peaks, in the case of soil in caves, in gardens, in parks.

Sometimes, on the occasion of a holiday or some circumstances, Wiccans choose certain places, for example, during the Samhain holiday, these may be cemeteries.

magic time

They say that any time is good for magic. If the sorcerer or witch desires something, he can perform the ritual at any time. However, there are a few tips to keep in mind.

The sun and moon have the greatest influence on magic. First of all, the phases of the moon play an important role. In Eclectic Wicca, it is essential to perform rituals at the best time for a particular type of magic. The moon plays the most important role.

Waxing moon is the best time to start adventurous magic, development or growth. It is best then to engage in love magic, the magic of attracting money, etc. The full moon is the time of the full moon. Spells cast during this quarter are powerful but short-lived. During the full moon period, it is best to take care of the rites associated with individual events, such as passing an exam, quickly obtaining certain funds, etc. The waning moon is the end, the time of waning, and this is the best time for magic to close certain situations. Hence, for example, if later we want to finish something, remove it from our lives, then it is best to practice magic during this period. The New Moon is the right time to change something we would like to do in our lives. It is worth paying attention, for example, to the influence of the square of the Moon on our daily life. When we want to lose weight or get rid of an addiction, we must make decisions when the moon is waning. The moon has a huge impact on our bodies, which are largely made up of water. Historically, people believed that plants would grow better if they were planted at the beginning of a new square.

Some Wiccans sometimes choose the right time for specific practices: sunrise is a time for spells to start something in your life, sunset is a time for something to end. Others suggest the position of the Moon in a given zodiac sign. Sometimes Wiccans dedicate appropriate days to magic, associating it with the magic of the planets. Each day is ruled by a different planet attributed to a different god or goddess.

But Wiccans never consider all of these things at once. More often than not, it's not even possible, usually choosing a few of them, saying that not fulfilling all the conditions will not have much effect on the magic. The traditional time for witchcraft is from midnight until the first crowing of the rooster, and night time is the most preferred time for Wiccans. It is unlikely that anyone was able to interfere with their rites then - and this is how witches performed rituals for centuries, protecting themselves from persecution.

Cars

The Gardnerian tradition gave rise to the popular skiklads, which were supposed to emphasize the connection with nature and the free conduct of rituals. Today, not everyone follows this custom.

Bathrobes are very popular. Sometimes the coven has its own outfits, where everyone is dressed in robes of a certain color (depending on the holiday or the purpose of the ritual). They are usually decorated with artistic painting and sewn from multi-colored fabrics. Sometimes they resemble robes, sometimes a robe with a hood. Some wear the traditional costumes of sorcerers and witches. Sorcerers wear long robes decorated with signs of the zodiac, they put night caps on their heads (which explains the tradition of sorcerers - they are used to meeting in night clothes during rituals, hence the traditional witch's attire), they wear thongs. Witches wear a tiara (conical hat), a cloak, a witch's belt (made from cingulam thread with a row of down balls and a leather bag), gloves, garters, a witch's crown, and ritual jewelry (bigges).

Other Wiccans do not have specific costumes, participating in rituals in casual attire or simply dressing more "elegantly" than usual or in colors associated with the ceremony.

wiccan helper

Wiccans, like classical sorcerers, love animals. The stereotypical witch has always appeared in pictures accompanied by a black cat, toad, or wolf. The sorcerer was usually accompanied by an owl. Wiccans claim that animals have a power that often helps them in their rituals. Animals, according to popular belief, were household patron deities. Sometimes Wiccans take their "friends" to rituals to pass on their power to them. The most common name for a Wiccan animal is familiar, helper, or imp. Proof of the positive effect of the energy transmitted by animals are concepts such as dog therapy.

Author: Sventoslav