Exercise: To Be Rid of Negative Thoughts
Sometimes we can get caught in negative thought patterns that can affect our well-being and ability to focus. For this simplest of magickal workings, take a walk by living water—either a stream, a river, or a waterfall. Whilst walking, bring the troubling thought to the front of your mind. Form the thought with as much clarity and definition as you can. Does it have a shape? A colour? A scent?
When you have the thought defined within your mind and separate from the rest of your self (as well as you can manage this), find a small stick or piece of wood that has fallen near or on your path. Taking this piece of wood in your hand, stand by the running water and feel the connection with your surroundings.
Call upon your Faery ally by whatever method you feel works for you, either internally or through words or song. Asking your ally to aid you in ridding yourself of this troubling thought, focus on your intent and the thought in as much detail as you can, taking a deep breath.
With your piece of wood in both hands before you, visualise the negative thought and feelings associated with it leaving your body with your breath, and blow them into the piece of wood. Throw the piece of wood with as much force as you can muster into the water, then breathe in feelings of peace and unity from the landscape around you. Envisage the space that the evicted negativity has left behind being filled with golden light, making you whole once more.
Give thanks to your Faery ally, and walk on without turning back either physically or mentally. This exercise may be repeated over a number of days if necessary.
Exercise: To Aid in Healing
This may be performed on your own behalf or another’s, but be sure that whomever you are intending to perform healing for has asked for your help, as healing should not be performed without permission. This practice will be most effective for ailments that are the result of infection or toxins in the system and can be combined with methods of hands-on healing as covered later in the chapter.
Find a palm-sized stone out in the landscape that you feel somehow represents the person in need of healing. Call on your Faery ally to aid you in this work. Focus on the person and their ailment with as much detail as you can, and breathe into the stone.
Next, either in a small pot or a location that you will easily find again, bury your stone in soil for one night, with the intent that any illness will seep out into the earth. The next day, take your stone and any soil that is still attached and wash it in living water—for example, a stream or a river—with the intent that you are washing away impurities. Hold your stone up to the sunlight and visualise the power of the sun filling the stone with golden light. You may now gift the stone to the person in need of healing so they may carry it with them or keep it close to their bed at night as a healing charm.
This working may be adapted with intent to heal a particular location rather than an individual, leaving the stone in that location when the work is complete.
The Importance of the Moon
The quality of magick corresponds with the moon and the direction of below on the Faery Craft septagram, and the moon and her cycles are indeed useful things to bear in mind in the practice of magick. When the moon is waxing or full, it is a good time for productive or creative magick, building towards a goal. When she is waning, that is a good time for any clearing of blockages or banishing magick. When the moon is completely new and in her dark phase, this is the best time for any kind of divination or channelling work.
The following simple magickal working builds on elements you should already be familiar with from earlier chapters. It is written here for the solo practitioner, but you may easily adapt it for group work if you wish. It is broken down into clear sections so that you can clearly see the structure. This will help you devise your own future ritual workings.
Exercise: Full Moon Ritual
Preparation
This ritual must be performed outside under the light of the full moon, so you will need a suitable location where you will not be disturbed. You will need a chalice of water (preferably silver if you can manage it, but certainly of a natural substance and not plastic). If you have a wand, you may wish to use this for the circlecasting. You will also need to have an offering of food and/or drink prepared, traditionally a saucer of full-cream milk, but look to the section on offerings for other ideas. You will need to be aware of the directions, using a compass if necessary. You will also need a glass or ceramic container in which to keep your water after the ritual.
The intent behind this ritual is to call on the energy of the moon, the seven directions, and your Faery allies to aid you in a creative goal for the month ahead, so be sure to have a positive goal in mind.
Greeting and Asking Permission
With all your tools and the offering prepared and accessible, centre yourself using the Becoming the Faery Tree exercise on page 50. Touch
