Raven & Ruby-Witch's Kitchen-Learn Witches-Free Magical Pagan Information-Grandpa's General Store

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The Letters!

A Letter From Kimberly - "What Was It?":

MM, Raven & Ruby,
      I had a very very strange and unusual experience over the weekend. I have no explaination whatsoever for it so I felt the need to come here to see if I could find some answers. I wish I could privately email you with this question instead of posing it to the net because it is such a strange thing to discuss but since I can not here goes:.. My brother in law has a cabin in another state, it is very very remote, no electricity, outhouse, etc...We have gone there at least once a yr for the past 6 yrs. The first night there I was lying in bed tring to go to sleep. I was staring out the window across the room when all of a sudden 2 small circular lights appeared in the window, they were moving in a circular motion and they were bright. My brother in law and husband were asleep. I yelled ay my brother in law to wake up. I told him to look at the window and I asked him, what the heck it was. He saw the lights and said I have no freaking idea, least to say we were both a bit
freaked out, but at least I had a witness to this. The next day we told my husband what we saw, which of course he did not believe us. My brother in law and I pondered this and tried to find an explaination. The window is pretty close to 10 ft high off the ground. As soon as my brother in law saw it he ran outside and saw no-one out there. As I stated b4 it is a very remote/ private area, if there had been anyone around we would have heard them. The
next evening around midnight or so my husband wanted to have some private time. I do not know how much time had gone by but again I saw the circular lights, I was really freaking out by this time cause it was pitch black outside and seeing something like that that is so bright and unusual tends to freak one out a bit. My husband would not look around to see what I was seeing. I dont know why but I guess he didnt want to, he just said oh its lightening bugs forget about it. I tried to put it out of my mind and continue the one on one time but I couldnt, I was scared and mesmerized all at the same time. The one that really freaked me out was one that had a
bluish color to it and it kept comming closer and closer and the more it did so the more it scared me, I jumped up and ran inside. I know the first thing people shall think is im a nut case, what kind of drugs is she on..well im totally sane and I do not do drugs of any kind. Believe me If I did i wish i had that night because it would explain alot..LOL...HAve you ever heard of such a thing b4? and if so what could it have been? I have never been so scared b4. When I saw it a really awful feeling came over me, a very eerie evil type feeling. Now me being the witch that I am and very proud of that
fact. I am used to the unusual. But just when I think nothing can out do a previous psychic experience or any kind of experience another comes along which makes me investigate. As many times as we have been to that cabin I have never seen anything like that b4. My brother in law seems to think they were spirits. I know that being in the woods can play tricks on a person but this was something that I can not pass off as imagination. As I look back I
wish I had been more open and not so scared and then maybe I would have been able to get close to whatever it was to see what it actually was. The same day we had drivin to check out an old oil well, it was pretty far into the woods, when I got out of the truck I told them we had to leave, I started to pick up this very errie feeling, like we shouldnt be there. nothing happened of course but the feeling continued to stay with me, when they wanted to check out a very old graveyard the feeling hit me again and I said no way. It was the same feeling I felt when I saw the lights the night b4 and I got the same feelings that night seeing the lights again. I have learned to trust my feelings and if something feels bad , it usually is bad. Any insight on my very unusual experience would help alot.

Blessings!
MP ~~Kimberly

Ruby & Raven Reply:

Welcome, Kimberly!
We're always glad to see you in the Kitchen! Hang on a minute -- there's a rhubarb pie coming out of the oven.

So! You had quite an interesting experience! First of all, I wouldn't be scared of the lights outside the windows. In our experience, things that are negative are more likely to show up as shadows than as light-giving objects.
You could have been seeing devas or fairies, you could have been seeing "orbs", which some parapsycological reseachers believe is actually what the "soul" or "substance" of a ghost or spirit may look like. We don't think they meant any harm. They may have just been some little spirits that sensed your psychic "beacon" and wanted to visit you.

No, we certainly don't think you're a nut case or doing drugs. A little story. We have a good friend who owns some really magnificent , quite isolated land in south central Wisconsin -- truly a pagan's dream property.
Two Samhains (Halloweens) ago, a large group of friends participated in a wonderful ritual there. After the ritual we were all visiting outside, looking up at the huge sky full of stars. I looked idly up the hill about 50 yards from the house, towards the dark woods, and, to my amazement, saw a big cloud of brilliant red lights sparkling and dancing. They were the exact color of a car's taillights, and for a second that's what I thought they were, but then I realized they weren't. There's no road there, nothing within miles in that direction. I glanced at our host, the owner of the property, and realizing that his jaw was hanging open too. We had both seen
it. In that group of 10 or so people we were the only ones who did. Another friend that was there, who is experienced far beyond me or anyone we know, shrugged and said, "Oh, they're just spirit lights". No biggie. Well, I thought it was a biggie! I was excited! We've had phantom cats and unexplained shadowsd in our house, all sorts of things. Eventually you become accustomed to them, if they're not actually slamming doors or sitting on your bed.

There are lots of things we see that we can't explain. Some people can't handle this idea -- they fear the unknown, because they can't control it and put it in a safe box. At the risk of sounding like a female chauvinist, I've found this to be especially true of men. Many men are taught as children that to be manly they must control everything around them, and when they encounter something they can't explain, they tend to short-circuit a little.
This sounds like your husband's reaction. Actually refusing to look at something that someone else sees is a pure fear reaction. He's certainly not alone and should not feel embarrassed to be scared. You know perfectly well they weren't fireflies. Their light is flickering and ephemeral, blinking on and off, not steady or bright, and usually green or white in color. The firefly with the brightest light gets to be the one who makes the little fireflies, but it's still not that bright.

Your own feelings of fear certainly were caused by a simple reaction to the unknown. The feelings you experienced at the old oil well and the cemetary might be something you might wish to pay a little more attention to.
Sometimes very old places like that can accumulate a collection of spirits. Some may be of people who worked there once, and of course in a cemetary you might be coming across spirits of the beloved dead who don't wish to have their musings disturbed. Sometimes spirits like this will deliberately project feelings of fear towards whoever is disturbing them. They most likely wish you no harm, they just want you to go away and leave them alone, and in that case, the best thing is to listen to your instincts and beat feet elsewhere. If you're indoors and something's hanging around, casting a sphere of white light all around you might make you feel better and discourage the little "flutterers" from pestering you.

We hope this helps you -- you don't want your next visit to what sounds like a lovely place be spoiled by nervousness. Don't worry -- they're not going to hurt you, they're just checking you out. Tell your husband not to worry -- just because you can't explain something away doesn't mean it's bad.

Take care, and let's have a piece of rhubarb pie. Want some ice cream with that?

Blessed Be,
Ruby and Raven

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Mike Wants To Know Why R&R Don't Teach Kids:
(Mike is 11 years old and does not understand why Rave and Ruby will not take him on, as a student. If you are under 18 and looking for a teacher, maybe you should read this, too)

why cant you teach me?????? its in my blood because i cant wate 7 years...

my great grampa was a warlock and his was a witch and she was crusified....

in germany

Ruby & Raven Reply:

Hello, Michael -- I see you've come to visit us again. I'm sorry that you're feeling so strongly about wanting to be taught by us, and we're flattered that you feel we would have good things to offer. However, I've already told you once what our answer has to be. You are under 18 -- way under 18 -- and for that reason we cannot teach you. The most important reason is that we will not undertake teaching a religion to a child that may run against what his parents want for him, because it is unethical. Ethics are the rules that tell us when something is right and wrong in a situation. It would be wrong for us to undertake religious training of a child without his parent's permission. It would also be a tremendous amount of work and study, far more work than young shoulders can carry -- tons of books, reports, history, work, work, and more work. You don't put on a cloak and wave a wand and Presto, you're a witch. I've been a witch for 20 years and I'm still studying. Right now, your schoolwork is more important. A good education is the most important thing you can have in your life.

I have to ask you a question, Mike. Actually, I'm asking you to ask yourself. Where did you get the idea that you have "warlocks" -- and I told you about that word -- and witches as ancestors, that were crucified in Germany? Did someone tell you this? Why do you think you've got "witchcraft in your blood"?

And I have a question for you. What, my very young friend, do you think being a witch is all about? It's not about being cool and spooky. It's not about knowing lots of secrets nobody else knows, or being able to make people scared of you. The Craft -- which is what most people in the magickal community refer to this life as -- is not about any of these things. It's not about flying on broomsticks or black cats or Sabrina the Teenage Witch. It is a religion which honors the life of the Earth as sacred, which honors the changing seasons, believes in the Afterlife, and finds holiness in the Goddess, the Great Mother. Kids usually think of her as a beautiful lady in a gown covered with stars, whose heart holds everyone and who you can tell anything to. She presides over the moon and the cycles of the Earth, and brings babies to mothers. The Great Father, or Horned One, who some see as a big, handsome man with flowing hair and a beard and sometimes with deer antlers, is the husband of the Goddess. He brings the sunlight and rain, and makes food grow and animals healthy and strong. These are very simple descriptions for kids, but these are the two main deities, or Gods, of The Craft. I think you and I are talking about two different things when we talk about witchcraft.

My dear Mike, there are many things you can find on the Internet if your interest is real. There is a website called www.witchvox.com, which has a whole section called Witches of the World where you can find kids your own age to talk to. It's about the best website out there, and there's lots of links to other good sites. You might even find someone in your area that could talk to your parents and perhaps set up some sort of training program for you, but only if your parents give their permission.

Raven and I don't want you to think we're unhappy with you. But our answer is final -- we cannot teach you. I don't want to hear any more "why nots". Because I'm the priestess, that's why. And also, no more "warlock" nonsense. No real male witch calls himself a warlock. If someone is telling you these things, they are not healthy for you to be around. If you can give some simple, honest questions about the Craft, we can answer them just like any other person who visits us at the Witch's Kitchen.

Now, my friend, we must say goodnight. I hope you can understand our reasons for not being able to teach you, and I hope you read this message carefully and try to understand what we're telling you. Blessed Be, Mike, and remember, the Goddess blesses everyone all the time, especially kids.

Your friends,

Raven and Ruby Moonstone

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Christine Has Questions About The Goddess & Magick:

Blessings! to you Ruby!

I am going to try not to make a pest of myself by writing after every little thing, but I have to tell you what I just experienced after your 'WONDERFUL' response to my 1st letter to you!

Ruby...Thank the GODDESS I wrote to you... I live in a VERY OLD HOUSE,and I rent it for $500.00. It is out in the woods and has its own well for water. Now even though this water is not really fit for drinking it still helps with the dishes, bathing (a bit irony and rusty) and the owners will only rent it to me as long as this water continues to surface.

Well... a week and a half ago, the well went DRY! completely DRY! every faucet + the washer, went DRY! But I did not PANIC! I remembered what you told me AND...I changed not only my aditude, but how and to whom I PRAYED TO! I REMEMBERED how you said THANK THE GODDESS...so I did. I went to NATURE and performed my own special RITUAL to the GODDESS for several issues. I really put effort into this consistantly for 4 four days in a row. My complaints and pleadings were heard! On the 4th day walking back into my house my daughter with surprise" said,

WE HAVE WATER... COME DOWN STAIRS AND SEE! Sure enough! WATER! FROM THAT FAUCET,THE KITCHEN FAUCET,THE SHOWER,WASHING MACHINE!
AMAZEING! It's simply AMAZEING!   coinsidence? I DON'T THINK SO! Every time I turn the faucet on I say AMAZEING!

So, today I went back and gave an offering of bread, milk,
cheese, a slice of ham in honor of the goddess of abundance and
creation for whom ever she is. Of coarse I ate the food, kind of like
'CHURCH' it was the 1st thing to cross my mind after I saw the water!
AND I WILL BUY THE BOOK "IDIOT'S GUIDE TO...
QUESTION?
I need an attorney, a job, a new place to live, and I want to go back
to school this Fall (which means I will need application fee and a way to get to the school I want to attend(in another state)
Can I possibly ask the GODDESS FOR HELP WITH THESE THINGS?
Will this book you suggested have spells for these or similar things
or is it as you stated THE POWER IS WITHIN ME AND BE CREATIVE? I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO BUY CANDLES, HERBS, INSCENCE OR CRYSTALS... all I have are three candles I use for xtra light when I don't want to turn on the light switch at night one lt. Blue, one red, one pink they are 4in candles. And I have some spices SAGE,SALT,PEPPER NOTHING USEFUL are these things neccessary?

Once again I thank you for your kind advice.
Bless you !
Take Blessed Care!
Christine.

Ruby & Raven Reply:

Dear Christine,

Welcome, welcome back to the Witch's Kitchen, and we're so happy to see these positive results in your life! It's amazing what we can do when we put our minds to it. You asked if you can ask the Goddess for the improvements, and of course you can. Prayer and meditation are powerful means for changing your life. And the Goddess knows what happens in the lives of women.

You must always remember, though, that the power of the magick you make is coming from within you. Candles, incense, and all the other items that we all usually use are excellent tools to help us focus and connect. But without your inner power, brought up from the well inside you, these things don't do any good anyway. The magick's not in the stuff. The magick's in you. The power of your spirit and the desire in your heart to change your life and your children's lives for the better is where the success comes from.

You mentioned that you live in the woods, and you couldn't have struck luckier. If you want to build an altar to use as a focus point for your prayers, wishes, and meditation, you have everything you need all around you. Witches are above all practical. If there's no money to buy fancy stuff, then we make do. To have representatives of the four elements, that is, earth, air, fire, and water, you can find a stone or a handful of soil for the earth, or a teaspoon or so of that salt you have (North quarter). Place it on a saucer and put it in your space. For fire, (South quarter) you could use the red candle you have. For water, (West quarter) find a little clear glass or dish and use some of that well water. Rusty or not,
water straight from the well has great magick. For air (East) see if you can't find a feather in the woods, or look around and see if you have one in the house. A natural feather is what you want, not something that's been dyed. If you want to represent the Goddess and the God on your altar, find some wildflowers in the woods or along the road for the Goddess, and for the God, a pine cone would be a nice representation. If you just don't want to deal with male energy after your experiences, skip the pine cone and appeal
directly to the Goddess.

Building an altar is not going to do the work for you, but it is fun to do and helps build and focus your energy. But as we said, your power and strength comes from inside you. And you don't have to get all complicated.
You need to be specific about what you want, but keep it simple -- it's better to focus on one thing at a time than to ask for help with 10 things at once, because it's hard to keep a complex focus like that unless you're very experienced.

The title of the book you're asking about is "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft", by Denise Zimmerman and Katherine Gleason. I wish they wouldn't use that "Complete Idiot" title on such an excellent line of books, but they do. This is an excellent book to start with.

Raven and I are so happy that we could help. It's why we wanted to do the Witch's Kitchen in the first place. But always remember, we might point you in the right direction and give you a little push, but you're the one who's doing it. You've been through the fire of this abusive situation -- I can't call what happened to you a relationship -- but instead of letting the experience burn you to cinders, you survived the fire, and it's made you into a person like a fine sword blade, sharp, strong, and flexible. You can do this -- we know you can.

Take care and all the blessings there are,
Ruby and Raven Moonstone

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A Letter On Out Of Body Experience & More:

Greetings Raven and Ruby,
First, I would like to say concrats on the High Priesthood!! Second, I have a few questions for yall. In case you dont remember me, Im the girl with the color changing cyrstal ball. He is still purple. :) I recently went back to Fl to visit my family and took him with me. Let step back a min. and explain something. I had 2 weeks before asked the Goddess to send me a sign that the all the hard work I was doing with the ball, would one day help someone in need. Well, I went to Fl and that nightI got in, I meditated with my ball on a ouji board. Ok, Long story short, the people in that house were playing with the board and said all these crazy things were happening around there. So, when I got there, I meditated and saw a guys hand on the board. I asked the people there and no one knew what I was talking about. The next day, I saw the hands of a guy who was there that night. I told everyone in that room, I was lied to from the get go. That I was set up. That this guy had his hands on that board after it "disappered" It turned out they wanted to see if want I did was real or just some fantasy world. I called them out on it. I was not happy. Thats not amased me that night. I found out I could "read" people. I dont know the word I should be using but I can read, no, more like feel thier thoughts and feelings. Im beside myself.:) Well, Ive been back a month now and last night I had the oddest thing happen to me. I was having trouble falling asleep and sense I sleep with my ball he was on my left side beside my pillow. At some point I must have dozed off becuase the next thing I knew was, my body was frozen, but I was awake. I couldnt scream or move. I felt all tingly. Ive had three other OBE before so I knew what it was. But Ive always fought them cuz I didnt know what was going on. Now, I do. So, I kept repeating to myself, Its ok, Just go with it. Your safe. over and over. I felt like I was being pulled out of my body sideways. I felt my lips being pulledto my left. I started panicing. I ended up back in my body. Afterwards, my whole body felt like I had millions of tiny little bubbles poping all over it. I still feel it today, but not as bad. It felt wonderful. I didnt move for a long time. I was enjoying the feeling. But I kept having this vision. I saw this cord coming from my belly button to this bright glowing ball that was floating above me. And the whole time I felt floaty. Was I seeing my soul? I rolled over after a while and looked right at my ball. He was a bright green!! Ive never seen that color on him before. I should say in him. What was it?? And why was he so bright? Even now, as I am typing this, my body feels floaty and tingles. Not as bad as last night but I still feel it. Can you help me? I have done wonders with myself and growth becuase of my crystal ball. I have been told by a few I need a teacher. If you can teach me, do you know someone who can. I know I have a lot to learn. I cant want to learn it!! Im having so much fun. Theres not a day that goes by that I dont thank the Goddess for helping me discover this path in my life. Well, Im through. Sorry for the long letter. I had so much to share.
MP and BB.....
DewnWillow

Raven & Ruby Reply:

Greetings, Dewn Willow, and allow me to apologize for taking a little longer to answer -- your questions required some thought. It's a busy summer here in the Kitchen! Since it's hotter than a pistol today, grab a glass of cold lemonade and have a seat.

First off, what you're talking about insofar as feeling other people's thoughts and feelings is called "empathy". If you're talking about what I think you are, it's almost like "tasting" the energy of a room or a person when you come close to them. Some people are good at walking into a room and picking up the "mood" or "Vibe" of what's going on -- that can be described as empathy as well. Some people with an intense gift can feel other people's emotions so strongly that they take them on -- some people can actually feel
the physical pain of others, or know when they're lying. This is extreme, of course, but some lucky (?) individuals do have this talent. It's our belief that everyone has a psychic gift from birth, and anyone can work on and improve psychic ability.

Having people who you believe are your friends draw you into a situation in which they hope to humiliate you is difficult. To hear that they're playing with Ouija boards is disturbing. Some people don't mind Ouija boards and have productive experiences with them, but we avoid them like the plague. I (Ruby) would never meditate with a Ouija board. Meditation opens your mind, and that's the one thing you don't want with a Ouija board. Being open and unprotected is the worst thing you can do with them. Ouija boards are an open doorway to the lower astral, where all sorts of unpleasant entities would love nothing better than to invade your life and attach themselves to you. Just because an entity makes contact with you doesn't mean it won't lie to you or that it has your best interest in mind. Working with lower astral entities is something best left to ceremonial magicians or other disciplined
adepts, no matter what the marketers of board games tell you. If you really want advice along those lines, put the Ouija board away, or better yet, get rid of it.

Now to the most complicated part of your letter. First of all, it sounds like you had a very interesting OBE. What the green glowing object was -- well, it was probably you, your astral body or part of it, seen through your physical eyes during an incomplete OBE. That's rather extraordinary. Your ball may have been picking up your psychic energy and that's why he was green. A brilliant green like that can also be a manifestation of heart
chakra energy. It's hard to say, but whatever the explanation, it sounds like an interesting experience. You're on the right track, by telling yourself not to be afraid and to go with the experience. I think that so many people who have nightmares or wake up with a jerk from a dream of falling are really fighting astral projection. It might help you to keep a dream journal and also record your OBE experiences, to keep track of how often, what happens, perhaps the phase of the moon at the time, and any other information that seems relevant.

As far as looking for a teacher, that's a little involved. Unfortunately, Raven and I can't take on a student on-line right now -- it would be impossible to give you the instruction you need that way, and to give you the one-on-one attention that's necessary. And without knowing where you live, it would be impossible to know if there's anyone in your area. You might try www.witchvox.com and look at Witches of the World - you might find someone close by. And you can always write the Kitchen with questions, of course. There are also books that you can start out with. The first one I'd recommend is "Living Wicca -- A Guide For the Solitary Practitioner" by the late Scott Cunningham. This book is a classic that's available everywhere.
The second one, and PLEASE excuse the title, is "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca & Witchcraft" by Denise Zimmerman and Katherine Gleason. This is an excellent new book -- if I were going to actually teach a beginning class, this is the text I'd use. If you know of any metaphysical shops, check out their bulletin boards for activities and class listings -- you never know -- the person you need to find might be right around the corner. You can also put out a wish to the universe to help you find a friendly and compatible
teacher. But also use caution -- if someone tells you they'll teach you, then starts trying to turn you into an acolyte, trying to tell you what to think, asking for money, or trying to control you or your life in any way, turn tail and run. There are a lot of power-trippers out there. But there are also a lot of wonderful and helpful people out there too, and so concentrate on finding one of that kind. :)

We hope this is helpful. You know you're always welcome in the Kitchen! Take care and Blessed Be!

Your friends, Ruby & Raven Moonstone

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A Letter From Kim, About Magick:

Hi my name is Kim and im 13 years old i started this stuff a month ago and my dad brought up something interesting why do witches no prove that they can do magic?
And why don't they fly a broom or something? I said because 3 rules to witchcraft 1st respect 2nd silence and 3rd I forget but I said silence is a big one. then he said but what if a country is dying and you can prove to others that you can do spells and not get told crazy n e more and can save the country. that's go me stumped.
I said I will ask some others cazz I'm only a beginner and I will try to get the answer cazz I don't know either.

Raven & Ruby Reply:

Merry Meet, young Kim and Kim's Dad, and welcome to the Witch's Kitchen.

Your message was very interesting and the questions quite surprising. Kim, please invite your dad to read this reply with you. Go get him right now. We'll dispense with the coffee-and-cookies schtick just this once. We have some things to talk about. This posting is for both of you.

OK. First of all, Kim's Dad, dispense immediately with the idea that witches ride on broomsticks or that we are some kind of superhero or Harry Potter character that waves wands and makes miracles happen. If you're just teasing Kim with this question, please don't. This is Hollywood/movie/fairy-tale fiction. Wicca/Paganism, or The Craft, as some of us call it,(NOT to be confused with the horrible movie of the same name) is not about fictional ideas like that. Witches are real people, the same as you, the only difference being alternative religious beliefs. It has nothing to do with fantasy or fairy stories, or Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. There's no "Bewitched" style nose-wiggling or, as an old friend and teacher of Ruby's calls it, "poof stuff".

Secondly, I'm not sure what we can do to "prove" we do magick. (BTW, we spell "magick" like this in order to differentiate between what we do and what David Copperfield or Seigfried and Roy do.) To be perfectly honest, we're not obligated to "prove" to anyone what we do. Magick, for us, is defined as the art and science of affecting one's own life and surroundings by the application of will. That can emcompass many things and methods. Some witches do "spells", and what a spell actually is, is the creation of a mental reality by intense focus and concentration, and the attempt to create an outcome by that means. It is a very delicate art. It can also be referred to as "prayer". I don't need to prove to myself or anyone that magick works. At different times in my life I've been shocked at how amazingly it works. It doesn't come from "Teen Spell Kits" or other despicable rubbish like that. It comes from within, from absolute knowledge and confidence, and takes long practice.

Kim, you found a really good kernel of information in your month of study. You mentioned "respect" and "silence" and that is correct. I'm not sure what your third point was, unless you meant "education", and that would be correct as well. Raven and I believe strongly in the value of simple education. When people are educated about what we really do and are, misunderstandings vanish. We have a saying that goes, "To know, to will, to dare, and to keep silent." To that I would add "to educate" as well.

"Respect" is also highly important. There is a great deal of respect in the magickal community for each other. Of course there are conflicts sometimes between individuals -- where human beings are involved that can't be avoided. But respect for others and for the Earth is a highly important component of our ethical structure. Unfortunately, respect is harder to come by outside our community. Some people regard us a a joke and treat us as such. Others think we are some dangerous cult of devil-worshippers, which is too stupid and untrue an idea to deserve any respect at all. We have to struggle for every bit of respect we gain, and so most of us do our best to move through the world in both a respectful and a respectable way, if you get what I mean.

"To keep silent" is the most complex of these points. For example,when one does spellwork, one does not talk to anyone about it afterwards, not even to one's wife or husband or best friend, because we believe that the power of the spell will be defused or diminished. A few people in our community also don't believe in sharing knowledge about us to "outsiders". Raven and I don't share in this particular belief. We believe, as I already said, that education is the most important tool we have to spread understanding and rid ourselves of the misinformation that plagues us. Of course, one must also respect one's own privacy. To be blunt, "To Keep Silent" really means knowing when to speak out and when keep your mouth shut, and that's important for everyone to know. :)

To address your last question, Kim, frankly you've got me stumped too. If we can save a dying country??!!?? My dear, (and Dad too) I'm afraid we're into the realms of fantasy again. There is a famous legend about covens of witches all over England creating a great magick on Lammas Night of 1940 to stop Hitler and the Nazis from invading England during World War II. This magick was said to be so powerful that some elderly witches gave all their life energy to the magick and died because of it, sacrificing their lives to save their country, and what soldier with a gun could do any more? It's true that Hitler never invaded England, so maybe it really helped, but I think it's a great story that may have a kernel of truth in there but has been highly embroidered over the years. A witch alone would be as powerless against a volcano or an invading army as any other person. Witches are very environmentally aware of what must be done to save our world, but that's not what you're talking about.

I guess in getting towards closing here, I must be the one to ask you both a question from the heart, and you must ask yourselves as well. What exactly do you believe Wiccans and Pagans are all about? As I've said before in the Witch's Kitchen, Wicca in all its many forms is a way of life, and more than that, it is a religion. It's not about broomsticks and Hollywood nonsense. It is many people of many backgrounds coming together to express religious feelings that include the Earth and all life and the cycle of the seasons, and God, the most inexpressible, in Its many forms of Female (The Goddess) Male (The Great Father) and the many spirits, entities, beings, and life forms, visible and invisible, and the Spirits of the Beloved Dead, our Ancestors and Friends, who have crossed over before us. Almost all of us believe deeply in the Afterlife. Some believe that Wicca in its current form has been around for tens of thousands of years, since Paleolithic (cave-man) times. Others, Raven and I included, believe that modern Wicca, as it exists today, had its origins in the 1700's, existing in one uncodified form or another up to the 20th century, when it was codified and brought to the beginning of its modern form in the 1940's and 1950's by a man in England named Gerald Gardener. Our most sacred law is "Do What You Will, But Harm None." This is called The Wiccan Rede or just The Rede.

I'm not sure what else I can tell you in a forum like this. I recommend 2 websites for you. You've already found Grandpa's General Store, which has a wealth of information for people who want to learn. The first is www.witchvox.com, an indispensable resource for Wiccans and witches and those who wish to find real information and not fantasy. The second is www.connectionsjournal.com. This is excellent website, connected with a very nice little magazine, that's aimed at younger folks.

I hope I've been able to answer some questions and dispense with some misinformation here. You are both most welcome to come back any time with any questions you wish to ask. Also, Kim's Dad, please rest assured that we don't try to recruit people, MOST especially people's kids. Read through the
back posts in the Witch's Kitchen, especially the others posts from kids Kim's age, and you'll see. There's a lot of garbage on the Internet, but Kim's in safe hands here. You're welcome to check us out any time.
Personally, we're glad to see the parent of a young person on this site. So many kids can't talk to their parents about these things -- I think it's great that Kim can.

Now we'll close. Raven and I hope we've answered you well. Take care and Blessed Be.

Your friends in the Craft,

Raven & Ruby

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A Letter From Christine About Money & Relationships:

Hi and Blessings to you both!
I don't know if this message will send I have LIMITED web browsercapability. Well, This is a very nice site! Thank you! first, Just want to reasure you both that I am 38 years old so don't worry, I see there is a very young following at your site. Your handeling it just fine! I know you don't give out spells and that I understand, I just want to leave a few comments, and ask some general questions. I'm not a member of any society or cult, I keep to myself, I have found, that groups of people tend to bring groups of problems, you know the old saying,"Too many cooks in the kitchen..." That's my belief and may not be that of anybody else's. Any way, I do not know very much about the craft, I do think that the earth was created to provide it's abundance for everyone. How, one accumulates has many a variety of ways, for whatever the purpose and or reason. As long as no one harms anyone, and it's not illegal, it should be up to the individual. How, can I draw more money and oppertunity to myself? Is it just a lack of positive thinking? Is it depression?(as it would be in my case) Which
means could be psychological? OR is it that some are chosen to have nothing while others have? In other words good luck/bad luck or does each individual 'make' they're own luck? Is there really a spell out there that could 'bring in money/oppertunity' or is it just 'hype'?
Or is it because I am only ONE person, and should ivite a couple of
those extra cooks in to stir up the pot? Question too broad or just
plain stupid? Okay, here is another to pose. It is sort of like one
of your young followers asked. I hope you both are not
offended, Ruby, Raven in any way so, I'll appologize early to try to
save face... I got myself involved with a batterer/ career
criminal/petafile. It went startlingly fast, and he just tried to
take over my life, he wont leave me alone,and I got myself in TOO
DEEP! He kept things hidden from me while he kept me a prisoner in my own home and I had three children. By the time it had gotten worse, I found myself pregnant with his child which I carried to term delivered as he was sent to prison. In and out of jail/prison 'EVERY six MONTHS! We all escaped to a shelter but I was Pregnant again! We left WISCONSIN for another STATE,Gave birth here. He is back in state prison again until 2004, But he went through the court system and I was found and he wants visitation rights. Everyone is scared of him including his own child! is there a book you can direct me to or is there someone you can direct me to to help meGET THIS PERSON OUT OF OUR LIVES! I learned a heavy, hard lesson about lonliness, that sometimes its okay to be alone/ not have a partner and NOT to PUSH IT or DESIRE IT TOO MUCH SOMETIMES WE GET WHAT WE WISH FOR...and later regret getting it! TO ALL YOUR VISITORS AT THE KITCHEN WHO ARE INTENT ON LOOKING FOR A SPELL FOR LOVE, DON"T DO IT! NOW, thinking back I
performed a salt Rite for love ... I was out of my mind! This MONSTER is like HUMAN CRAZY GLUE! I CHERISH MY LIFE NOW MORE THAN EVER!
I should have went back to school or picked up a hobby. I had to
write you not just for my needs but I read some of the letters from
your other visitors and my heart goes out to them. We can change our destinys its just a matter of time and patience and taking care of ourselves and not forget to find happiness inside ourselves first.
Okay I said too much If your wondering, Im Aquarius with a double
moon in Libra/acsendant,with Venus in Pices. The MONSTER is a
SCORPIO/THE BAD KIND.
Thanks Ruby, Raven. Blessings to you both!
Sunshinne.

Raven & Ruby Reply:

Blessed Be, Christine, and welcome to the Witch’s Kitchen. Actually, on this very stormy Friday morning, I’m in my basement workroom – the Kitchen has too many windows to make me want to be there during a thunderstorm like this one. Tinker the Magickal Terrier agrees – she’s hiding between my feet, under the desk. But I do have a pan of brownies and a coffeepot down here – I never go anywhere without a coffeepot -- so let’s talk.

First of all, you didn’t ask any stupid questions. There are no stupid questions. After having the experiences that you’ve had, searching for answers is totally natural. Actually, you answered your own questions very neatly towards the end of your message: “We can change our destinys its just a matter of time and patience and taking care of ourselves and not forget to find happiness inside ourselves first”. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

And it doesn’t matter if you belong to a group or wish to be solitary. Each path is equally valid. “Living Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner”, by the late Scott Cunningham, is an excellent basic book for exploring a solitary Craft path. There’s another book, and please excuse the title, called “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft”, by Denise Zimmerman and Katherine Gleason, that contains loads of excellent information if you’re interested in learning more about the Craft.

As far as bringing money and opportunity into your life, the first thing you have to do is give yourself permission to move on from the situation you’re in. You’re raising a passel of kids by yourself, and this is an undertaking that I doubt seriously I’d have the backbone to undertake. That indicates to me that you’ve got reserves of strength you haven’t even tapped yet. And oh yes, spells do work. The best kind of spell for money or prosperity is one that you develop and create yourself. Check out the zillion spellbooks out there right now, and you’ll see that they’re all generic. There’s no focus on a person’s specific needs. But it’s possible to find a spell you like, and then modify it to fit your situation. Or read some books to get an idea of how a spell is put together, and then use that as a guide for creating your own. And when you do that, there must be intent and belief behind it.
You have to know that it’s going to work. Lighting a green candle and repeating five times, “Please send me more money” is too general. It needs to be aimed at your specific life and situation. Beware, though, of spells that seek to control or influence someone else’s actions. This is unethical and could bounce back on you in a very unpleasant way.

You wondered if a lack of positive thinking could be part of the problem, and I believe that can certainly affect everything in your life, from spellcrafting, to everyday things like how you look and dress and feel. If you go to a job interview looking limp and hopeless, the interviewer is going to pick that up and pass you by. Depression certainly can add to the problem, but Raven and I aren’t psychologists. If you feel that real medical depression, not just “feeling down”, is your problem, see your health care
provider. Beware of one that wants to fill you full of pills without talking to you, though.

Finally, in addressing your life situation, it seems that you have a window of time in dealing with The Monster. If he’s incarcerated for the next year and a half, you have a chance to begin a new life for you and your kids. If I’m reading this right, you’ve got five children, and that’s the lives of five human beings besides your own that are in your hands, and the lives of all the people that they will touch throughout their lifetimes. That’s a staggering responsibility. If this man is a pedophile, can that be proven in court? If he’s really a registered sex offender, he doesn’t have a
chance of getting unsupervised visitation.   He’s just trying to make you miserable and control you from behind bars. Don’t let him. Turn your fear into righteous anger. He wants you to be afraid – don’t give him the satisfaction. Z Budapest would tell you to cast all sorts of gnarly spells on him. I can’t give you that advice, either ethically or morally, but he has no right to do this. Personally, I find it outrageous that an incarcerated criminal can manipulate the legal system into tracking you down for him. You should not have to be the one who has to run away. Find an attorney that you trust and see if it’s possible to use him or her as a go-between to keep The Monster from finding out where you live. Anyway, before I go on too much about a situation I know nothing about, here are three books:

Defending Our Lives: Getting Away From Domestic Violence and Staying Safe, by Susan Murphy-Milano

Surviving Domestic Violence, by Elaine Weiss

It’s My Life Now: Starting Over After an Abusive Relationship or Domestic Violence, by Meg Kennedy

I have not read them: I found these titles, and more, on Barnes and Noble’s website. These books would probably also have resources and bibliographies that would help you track down more information.

It’s very true that sometimes being alone is better, even with kids, than to live with madness and violence every day. Love spells are more hazardous than people can imagine – you can go into them with the best of intentions and wind up in a real mess. But castigating yourself now won’t do any good.
Now is the time to look ahead and plan. Make your legal foundation strong.
If he doesn’t know about your interest in the Craft, for the Goddess’ sake don’t tell him – he’ll try to use it as a wedge to get the children from you. Pray or meditate and work on being strong, although it sounds like you’re pretty strong already.

Well, Tinker wants to go outside so that must mean the thunderstorm is over.
Time to do the dishes, but before I go, again, remember what you said: “We can change our destinys its just a matter of time and patience and taking care of ourselves and not forget to find happiness inside ourselves first”. You can change your life, with determination and perseverance.
Take care, Christine, and keep us updated on how things go for you.

All the blessings in the world,

Ruby Moonstone

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Jenn, On Spellcrafting and Moonphase:

Hi there,
My name is Jenn* and I am looking for a good website where I can find out the current astrological moon phase at any given time. Do yo know where I can find someting like this?   Your help would be muchly appreciated.

Also, is there such a thing as a spell that would bring justice to me. I am a very good, conscious, honest and loving person and I have been terribly wronged. I harbour no ill will to anyone but would still like to find a way to help karma, and myself. It just seems to me that no matter how hard I try to better myself and be a caring, conscientious individual, the more people try to knock me down. Any advice you can offer would be so greatly appreciated.   I really feel like justice needs to happen. I'm sick of seeing weak, thoughtless people getting involoved and messing in my life.

Anyways, thank you for taking the time to read this email and have a wonderful day,

Jenn*

Raven & Ruby Reply:

Hello, Jenn*, and Blessed Be.

Welcome to the Kitchen. First of all, we want to apologize for the long absence. Personal matters and minor health concerns kept us away from the computer for a little while, but things are sparkling in the Kitchen again.
Thank you for your patience. Sit down with a glass of hand-crafted Wisconsin mead and let’s talk.

First off, in regard to your question about moon phases. I’m not sure what you mean by “astrological” moon phases. The phases of the moon can be seen on almost any common calendar, and there are specialized moon-phase calendars. With a very little practice you can watch the calendar and the sky and after a while you’ll know what phase we’re in without really thinking about it. There is also a lot of excellent basic astrology information right here at Grandpa’s General.

Secondly, as I’m sure you know by looking around here at the Witch’s Kitchen, we don’t give out spells. But you can craft your own spells for almost any purpose. Before you create a spell, however, the first thing that must be done is to examine your own feelings and motivations, and the circumstances that brought them around.

A couple of questions to ask yourself:

Why do I want to make a spell? Here you want to be specific. Making a spell that affects or attempts to influence other people’s lives or behavior is unethical and could rebound on you in unpleasant ways. Anger, grief, or a feeling of persecution are bad reasons to craft a spell. Focus on positive desires and goals. If you’re angry or impatient with circumstances, wait until your anger is gone before even thinking about spellwork.

What kind of a spell do I want to make? A broad-based, general approach is not usually recommended. It’s too difficult to focus one’s attention on a topic that’s a mile wide – a spell works best when crafted with a specific focus, for instance, a new job ora better outlook.

Without knowing any specifics, it’s hard for us to say exactly what would work best for your life situation. Helping yourself is the best thing you can possibly do for yourself, if that makes sense.   Continuing to be a caring and conscious individual is the best thing you can do. If you have trouble with friends, make some new friends. If people get involved in your life that you perceive as weak and thoughtless, then the solution is to walk away and find more like-minded people. This might be a worthy subject for
spellcraft, to attract like-minded friends, but be careful not to judge too harshly or approach it with impatience. Spellcrafting can be tremendously rewarding, but it is a delicate art. The right frame of mind is important, and always remember the old magickal adage – like attracts like – so positivity is crucial.

We hope we haven’t been confusing – we were trying to answer as best we could without knowing a lot of specifics. Good luck, and feel free to stop and see us again any time!

Blessed Be,
Raven & Ruby

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A New Letter About Spirits:

MM again Raven & Ruby,
     I have been having some experiences as of late that are not new to me but I really still to this day do not understand. about a week ago I had a vivid dream, of a man standing beside my bed, he spoke to me through thought.
He gestured towards a floral bra I had lying on the dresser and said through thought, heart, then books, love, sell from home...He also said that he has come to me b4 in my room...Could this have been a guide? I have in fact been selling books from home so it did make perfect sense to me..and considering the message was so clear I have taken a harder look at my love for books and
how much I do love to sell from home....on another note about a week later I had a dream of a woman, I was looking though a large window, she was in front of a large glass window, pacing back and forth, she had a phone in her hand, I knew that she was deseased. I decided to walk into the house, the door was open and I knew it should have not been open, when I walked in I felt an immediate presence, I was shown the kitchen and the bedroom, I walked to the bed and there was my bed spread , it looked like someone was there, I grabbed it and pulled it off the bed to find no-one there, while I was in the house I was afraid, I was yelling at the presence, " what do u want from me" I got no responce...Since childhood I have felt presences around me and it has scared me ever since..now it seems it is comming through in dreams...for a few days this dream bothered me, who was the woman, what did she want?! this happened last friday night....on monday I called a friend of mine to talk to her about this...she told me a friend of hers that lived across the st was murdered friday night,, same night i had that dream...when I described the woman to her she said that the woman i described was the exact description of her murdered friend.....coincidence? considering I have felt them all my life and
that I am afraid of them has not helped matters at all. How can I get rid of this fear? Could this have been her friend tring to contact me? I am really tring to figure this out. I did not know the deseased woman at all , the similarity of the fact the description matched, also she was killed in her kitchen, also whoever killed her went through a door that should have been closed. the house in my dream was very dark, her house was also very dark when the murder took place. I know this may sound unrealistic, but the
similarities between my dream and the woman are un canny to say the least. I do not know what these presences want from me. I was not afraid of the man who came to me and gave me his message about books. but the dream of the deseased woman scared me. I may never figure this out but this has been happening to me my whole life and its time I tried to understand it. Who are they? What do they want?..thats what I am tring to understand. After our
conversation I thought of this unknown woman and thoughts, feelings, images and a name of a man came to me, can I trust these feelings? I can not very well go to the police and say hey I had this dream and I may have a name for you..I want to trust what comes to me but this is a very touchy subject. This sort of thing has happened b4, I would have feelings of something that was going to happen to a person and it would happen exactly like what I felt and
had images of, I felt the same thing, I couldnt very well go to the police about somethng like this and look like a total fruitcake. After the fact I would say gosh I should have done something but at the same time, I really am not prepared for such a thing and I do not want to be looked at like a nutcase and worse yet be accused of something because I had a dream, vision, etc, of it b4 it happened or in fact while it was going on. I am totally confused!!! These things and what is happening is having a very profound effect on my life. HELP!!!!!!!!
~~BB~~Kimberly

Raven & Ruby Reply:

MM again Kimberly!

Come on in! Make yourself at home, you know where the coffeepot is. In a minute some sticky buns are coming out of the oven, so sit tight. We apologize for taking a little longer to answer, but this week is the countdown to the ceremony on Saturday that will raise Raven to the High Priesthood of the Craft. We've both been pretty busy preparing, but it was just as important to answer you as quickly as possible too.

So while we're waiting for the sticky buns, let's talk spirits.I think the message from the fellow in your bedroom is pretty plain-you should do what you love with your books. If he's telling you this is what you should do, then it's worth checking out. You never know about something till you try. I'm not sure where the flowered bra comes in, other than that it's an intimate garment and he's trying to express his closeness with you as a guide. However, if he starts behaving in a "lover" or "sexual"-type way, he's not a guide, but something else, which could turn out to be annoying at best. That probably will not happen, but if it would, tell him in your dream to move on-you are in control of all such situations, not him.

The other dream sounds quite a bit more serious to me. When someone has overt psychic ability as you seem to, they create a "beacon" on the astral. The spirit of this wronged and murdered woman, probably filled with grief and fury at the cutting short of her physical life and more than likely knowing the person who did it, cast around her and saw your beacon close by, and began to try to communicate with you.

The mind-imagery of the woman on the telephone, on the other side of a transparent window or membrane, suggests very strongly to Raven and I that this person is trying to communicate with you in some way. The image of the bed which is empty could indicate that you're actually astrally projecting to the area of the astral where this woman is. Your dreaming mind translated her cry for help into a simple human image of someone calling you on the
telephone. The physical details of her appearance by your friend confirm this.

It's important to try very hard not to be afraid of spirits. There are many kinds, nature and animal spirits, "angelic" spirits, and unfriendly ones too, not just the "ghostly" or deceased. If you are aware, unfriendly ones can't harm you-they can be dismissed by a stern warning or threat. But they will zero in on fear, so if you show none, they have no hold on you.
And the friendly ones wouldn't harm you anyway. There are also spirits of the beloved dead near you, relatives or friends who have passed on, perhaps even ancestors that you never knew physically, who are just checking on you and enjoying being near you. Remember, those are the spirits that love you and would never harm you.

It's hard to be sanguine in the face of things that movies and TV have taught us are horrible, evil, and to be feared. Strangely enough, one of the spookiest movies I've ever seen, and one of my favorites, "Poltergeist", while sensationalistic in the extreme, really does contain some good material, and the best and most beautiful explanation of the passage beyond this world that I've ever heard. If you've never seen it, rent it. Avoid the recent "Sixth Sense". While it's a terrific movie, it contains all the scary ideas that are best avoided when trying to deal with fear. A movie about the other side called "What Dreams May Come" can't be recommended too highly. Besides being very beautiful, it deals with the idea that we create our own afterlife and the images around us, and could give you insights into interpreting your own dreams.

If you feel spirits around you and it makes you nervous or scared, just tell them to leave. Don't yell, but in a firm, strong voice, tell them you can't deal with them now and they'll have to leave. If they just won't, get angry with them. That's the time to yell at them. It's your home and your aura, and you are the one who gets to choose who shares it with you. Take charge of them and be firm.

As far as what the spirits want from you, probably not much of anything. You have strong energy and they just like you and want to be around you. Perhaps they're just nosy. They can sense your "beacon" and want to check out who on Earth, literally, has such a bright light. Remember the Sunday school song about "This Little Light of Mine, I'm Gonna Let It Shine"? Well, you don't have just a little light, you have a big 6-cell Maglight, and they're attracted to that. It certainly could be scary or even just annoying to feel
them flitting around you like a bunch of moths around the porch light, but it can't hurt you.

We can certainly understand how this dream of being in a scary empty house with the telephone woman would frighten you, though, and Raven and I agreed that to go to the police would be a mistake. This deals with a homicide, and it's deadly serious. The police will either ignore you, or worse, being unable to comprehend the paranormal, will start trying to connect you with it. If your city has an anonymous Crime-Stoppers number or something of the
sort, try calling that. Don't mention your dream, just tell them you heard something about this person and you cannot give your name. Call from a pay phone just in case they have Caller ID on their Crime-Stopper line. This woman called you for help, and I would feel obliged to try and do something, but she wouldn't want you to put yourself in jeopardy.

Well, I hope we haven't confused the heck out of you. There is so much information out there on these kinds of subjects, spirits, the paranormal, and such, so much of it excellent, but also a lot that is, to be perfectly blunt, crap. And it's hard sometimes to know which is which.

We'll leave this for now-let us know what happens with all of this. Now it's time for a sticky bun and some coffee, hey?

Take care and Blessed Be,
Ruby and Raven

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