Goddess Signs

I was recently looking over the book Goddess Signs by Angelica Danton. It's a really good book. It tells you based on your Chinese Zodiac sign, which type of goddess you are, which are listed as Moon Goddess Women (Goat Woman: The Natural Nymph, Dog Woman: The Natural High Priestess, and Cat Woman: The Natural Enchantress), Sun Goddess Women (Dragon Women: The Natural Queen and Rooster Woman: The Natural Diva), Earth Goddess Women (Pig Woman:The Natural Protectress and Ox Woman: The Natural Empress), Warrior Goddess Women (Horse Woman: The Natural Warrior and Tiger Woman: The Natural Huntress) and Dark Goddess Women (Rat Woman: The Natural Bewitcher, Monkey Woman: The Natural Sorceress, and Snake Woman: The Natural Siren). It also follows with a section titled Goddess Types and Relationships which includes Goddess signs and Karma and God signs & Compatibility.

My star sign is a Leo but my Chinese sign is The Horse and my element is Metal instead of Fire. This would make me a Warrior Goddess Woman. The book has this to say about Warrior Goddess in the Introduction:

"Warrior Goddesses are bold, innovative, and energetic. The warrior spirit is forceful and achieving and survives many odds and obstacles. Warrior Goddess women identify with the discipline and dedication of the soldier (eh...not so much.) and the fighter character. In history, the Warrior Goddesses hold a very important place as inspirers of hope for fighting armies and tribes. Warrior Goddesses are admirable and awesome but must beware their over assertiveness and aggression that can alienate them from others. Learning temperance and when to pull their heads in are important lessons for Warrior women, as is balancing their assertiveness with feminine reflection.

Women under the sign of the Horse and Tiger relate well to the Warrior Goddess energy.

Examples of Warrior Goddesses in Mythology:

Valkyries: Nordic war-maiden goddesses who rode throughout the world bringing back to the gods the bravest souls who had fallen in battle.

Brigantia: Celtic goddess of battle, regarded as a symbol of victory to the ancient Celts. (My heritage lol =D)

Sekhmet: Powerful Egyptian lioness-headed goddess of battle and victory.

Nike: Greek goddess who symbolized victory and success to those in battle. The ancient Romans saw her as Victoria, the goddess of victory over death.

Famous Warrior Goddess Women:

Agatha Christie (Tiger)

Barbra Streisand (Horse)

Penelope Cruz (Tiger)

Aretha Franklin (Horse)

Queen Elizabeth II (Tiger)

Cindy Crawford (Horse)"

I have a link and image to this book below. Tomorrow I will add more details of my sign. If this seems interesting to you and you would like to know more about your sign leave me a comment and I might do a few blog entries on your sign.
Blessed Be!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a witch?

A witch above all worships the Triple Goddess and her Consort, The Horned God, in one form or another.  A Witch works Magick within a definite code of ethics.  A Witch acknowledges and uses the male-female polarity in his/her rites.  A Witch takes total responsibility for her actions, herself, and her future.  

What is Wicca?

There are many differences between the various sects but on the whole Wicca is an ancient religion for love of life and nature.  The word 'Wicca' can be defined as 'the wise' or 'to bend', from a much older word 'Wicce'.  The Wicce believe in duality and the laws of karma, celebrating life through the seasons and the old Pagan season festivals.

What is Witchcraft?

Synonymous with 'Wicca' (although some traditionalists strongly disagree), the words 'Wicca', 'Wicce' 'Witchcraft' and 'Witch' all have the same basic meanings.

Do Witches worship Satan?

No.  'Satan' or 'The Devil' is an 'evil' aspect of Christianity.  Wiccans do not believe in divine good nor divine evil, as divinity is always reflected through each individual.  The unfortunate claims that the male aspect of Wicca (usually in the form of The Horned God of the Wild) is the same as the Christian Devil, is a good chunk of the reason why many Christians and others harshly persecute and ridicule those of The Craft.

Is Wicca related to Satanism?

No, absolutely no affiliation.  Once again 'Satan' is an aspect of Christianity worshiped by 'satanists'.  There are no similarities, much less equalities, to join the two paths.

Who do Witches worship?

Everything in nature to a Wiccan is a true aspect of deity.  However, the aspects most often celebrated are the Triple Goddess of the Moon (Who is Maiden, Mother, and Crone) and the Horned God of the wilds .  These figureheads represent the duality (in gender and every respect) of everything in nature.

Can a Witch also be Christian?

No.  Craft folk believe in a beneficent universe, the laws of karma and reincarnation, and divinity inherent in every human being... where-as Judeo-Christianity incorporates concepts such as original sin, vicarious atonement, bodily resurrection, and divinity inherent in the Godhead alone.  Besides, you'd have to ask how serious a person who practiced two religions was about either one. Being Jewish is an exception, since it is a race and culture as well as a religion. There are many Wiccan Jews, but they practice Wicca, not Judaism.  

How do I become a witch?

One is not born a witch, nor does calling oneself a witch make one a witch.  Through attunement of nature, practice and ritual, one can learn the ways of the Wicce.  The peace, joy and love for everything in nature are the only required quality; the knowledge, mindset and satisfaction through Wicca are LEARNED.

This FAQ page is copied from http://www.witchway.net/wicca/faq.html  I am not trying to take their word as my own. I just think these are very good answers to these questions. Please note not everyone will agree with these definitions and there isn't anything wrong with that. I just wanted to share a bit of information with people.

Ritual outline

This is a ritual outline that can be used by a solitary or a coven. Excerpted from the book "To Ride a Silver Broomstick" by Silver RavenWolf. A lot of people have issue with her but regardless I've found this format very useful and I hope everyone else does to. At the bottom I've included an Amazon link to the book if anyone wants to check it out.

A.  Ritual Preparation

1.  Define purpose

2.  Write ritual

3.  Gather necessary tools

4.  Prepare area

5.  Prepare body

B.  Open Circle

1.  Find true North

2.  Set up Magickal 'doorway'

3.  Call the Watchtowers / Elemental Quarters

C.  Invocation to the deities

1.  Align self with deity

2.  Invoke deities

D.  Statement of Purpose

E.  Actual Rite

1.  Working

     a.  Complete preliminary manual or visual task

     b.  Raise power / energy

     c.  Focus power / energy

     d.  Ground power / energy

2.  Honoring
    

a.  Complete preliminary manual or visual task

     b.  Dedicate cakes and wine

     c.  Partake in cakes and wine

F.  Meditation

G.  Thanking the deities

H.  Closing the Circle

1.  Mentally and verbally close the circle

2.  Physically close the circle

3.  Clean up

     a.  Disposal
    

b.  Washing of plates and glasses

     c.  Putting away tools and other implements

Altar oil recipe

4 parts Frankincense
3 parts Myrrh
1 part Galangal
1 part Vervain
1 part Lavender

Mix in a small bottle.

Anoint the altar with this oil at regular intervals to purify and
empower it.

This recipe was found Altar Oil 

Covens

So I'm looking for a coven to join or just hang around. I'm not sure I want to be IN a coven or if I want to remain a solitary. Two of the searches that came up that I like the best are http://www.meetup.com/savannahgoddess/ which  I've looked over and joined. The other is http://www.witchvox.com/vn/vn_detail/dt_gr.html?a=usga&id=33934 which I haven't had a chance to look over yet. My boyfriend and I are probably moving about three hours away in a few months so I wouldn't be able to get attached to any group. And I don't want to start looking where we are moving because I will need time to settle in and find a job etc.

Is anyone reading this in a coven? If so what do you like about it? What do you dislike?

Work

I'm still working on getting this blog up and running. I was hoping to get people to comment and leave ideas. What do you expect from a Wiccan blog? What do you think I should have on here?

My Altar

Here is just a quick update with the pictures of my temp altar on the book shelf

  The bast on the left was found by a friend of mine in an alley and I paid her for it. The middle one is one I was going to sell with some of my other Wiccan items. The one on the right is a present from my aunt with different carvings on it. The rocks are ones my boyfriend and I found on the side of our apartment and the scroll is a petition to Bast. The green satchel is a money bag and I made the little jar that has the candle in it in art class my senior year. The book looking thing that two of the Bast statues are on is actually a gift from the same aunt that gave me the wooden Bast. It is actually a hollow storage spot where I have my two Tarot decks and my runes. I just recently bought the incense boat and 10 stick of Dragon's Blood incense, my favorite!!
   Well, that's it for tonight, sorry it was so short.


   Blessed Be!

The Fool

     This is my first post that is Wicca related. It is going to be an overview of the first card in the Major Arcana of the Tarot.

      O. THE FOOL

    What I see: In this picture I see a young man who has his belongings tied to a stick in one hand and a white flower in the other. He seems happy enough but isn't paying any attention to where he is going, which is right off the edge of a cliff. His companion, the white dog, in my opinion seems to be warning him of the danger he could be in if he doesn't look out. It is a bright, sunny day and there are snow covered mountains in the background.

    What it means to me: I think this card is a representation of not being aware. Things are going well and you have become blind to the dangers or downfalls that could still be lurking all around you. The warning signs (the white dog) are there if you just pay attention.

   Internet meaning:  At #0, the Fool is the card of infinite possibilities. The bag on the staff indicates that he has all he needs to do or be anything he wants, he has only to stop and unpack. He is on his way to a brand new beginning. But the card carries a little bark of warning as well. Stop daydreaming and fantasizing and watch your step, lest you fall and end up looking the fool.

All internet meanings will come from Aeclectic Tarot
Please note that Tarot meanings differ from person to person so my meaning may be similar or the exact opposite of the Internet meaning. There are no right or wrong answers with the Tarot. 

The beginning

This blog is going to be following my Wiccan studies. This blog is going to follow my new discoveries and comments on tons of topics.
Thats all for today. Tomorrow I'll have a proper introduction.