Questions in general

[nightshroud]

Hello its Nightshroud.

I have some burning questions on wicca and magick.
also on rituals .

1: can the altar be made of anything like dice, trading cards etc.

2: is it okay to pray inside for privacy reasons? (old man gibbson)

3: if the spell were to back fire would it kill me?

4: can my offering be like a handful of change?

5: if I were to use my cane as a wand would that be okay?

[LadyK13]

I still consider myself new but I'll share my opinion. Hope it helps you on your journey

1: can the altar be made of anything like dice, trading cards etc.

An altar is a very personal thing. There are recommended placements (you can easily google altar setups) and you can put as much or as little as you like.
I actually made my altar from an old nightstand (it already had a great drawer and shelf!) I change decorations based on my mood and the sabbats

2: is it okay to pray inside for privacy reasons? (old man gibbson)

Absolutely. I have everything set up inside for this reason.

3: if the spell were to back fire would it kill me?
It would very much depend on what spell it was and the reason it backfired, but I would think that yes this could be a consequence for some things.

4: can my offering be like a handful of change?
Your offering can be anything you have. The biggest sign of respect is to give what you have that makes sense to you. So if you feel it's appropriate for the ritual you're doing I say go for it

5: if I were to use my cane as a wand would that be okay?
Again this is one of those items I feel it's a personal choice. If it feels right to you to use your cane as a wand, I don't see any harm in doing so.

[nightshroud]

Oh thank you so much.(I don't mean to sound sarcastic)

I'm grateful.

[Ashrend]

like ladyK13 im new too but il share my opinion too.

1. an altar can be made from anything but it has to be personal to you, a playing card is a cool idea but if you cant relate it to your craft.

2. absolutely many do pray/meditate inside because it is hard to do out doors without feeling like pryign eyes are apon you

3. i would say the severity of the backfire comes from the severity of the spell. if you are willing intense enough evil to someone and creating a spell to do such harm, i would think it could backfire to do it at you instead. but as far as i see things everything has reacting and opposite reaction hense how are magic can affect things far away

4.Your offerings are what you wish to give to them, sometimes i can be something small sometimes big its up to you. i usually give a fruit to nature, to feed life around me from my own back.

5. wands and staffs are very personal things like ladyK said, the type of wood, what your tie or mould into it, the oils the smells an its actual use for yourself become part of its creation and form it. you could make your cane a wand but i would say that it would be a wand that doesnt do much, it is meant to wander leaving only a small print

[nightshroud]

um here are a few more that were just bouncing around in my head as a witch I'm always learning.

6: how long do I leave the offering and if it s taboo to use said change?

7: if I were to go into a trance how do I get out?

8: is thumping the floor with my cane to tell the spirits I'm here?

9: do I have to pray everyday of the week?
I mean I respect nature and all but there are times I want my me time you know?

[Bychan Wulf]

1: can the altar be made of anything like dice, trading cards etc.

Yes, each object that you add to your altar has to mean something to you or to represent something. You don't have to spend money or build something extraordinary. It just has to be useful. I think your piggy bank and dice and ponies are okay as long as they have a meaning for you.

2: is it okay to pray inside for privacy reasons (old man gibbson)

Yup, you can pray wherever you want. Also, praying doesent have to be done in tue lotus position or in your knees. You can do it while riding the bus or taking a walk. You can pray everywhere you feel comfortable.

3 : if the spell were to back fire would it kill me?

I have never heard pf someone being killed by a spell, but I don't know how it works with high magick. But with the kind of magick we usually practice here, you just influence your karma. This could also mean that you could be hit by a bus and killed as a payback, but I think this is the kind of punishment you would get for super serious stuff, not money, memory, healing or love spells.

4: can my offering be like a handful of change?

It usually depends in what the Deity you work with usually wants or specifically asks you for. If you can't give that, some of them are okay with less. For example, Gaia wants wine and bread, but I can't offer that without being caught, so she accepts milk/juice and cookies

5: if I were to use my cane as a wand would that be okay?

Some people use their finger, a ruler or a pen to replace a wand. I think you are jis fine with a cane.

6: how long do I leave the offering and if it s taboo to use said change?

http://everythingunderthemoon.net/forum ... gs#p266090
I can't tell you anything more than it was already said here.

7: if I were to go into a trance how do I get out?

No idea, never tried it.

8: is thumping the floor with my cane to tell the spirits I'm here?

Not sure. Snow and Spirit Talker are way mor fit to answer this than I am.

9: do I have to pray everyday of the week?
I mean I respect nature and all but there are times I want my me time you know?

Being wiccan doesen't mean you become a monk and you marry Nature. You are a botmal person who prays when necessary and when you feel that you have to thank. You can have yournyou time. You don't become a slave that must do this and that. You are free and can choose what you do, when, how you do it and with what tools. You are the inly one who can decide that and no matter what you decide, it will still be the best call.

[Ashrend]

Offerings from what i know can either be physical or spiritual, such as a pear can be eaten by you, but you offer (to let) the spirits eat the spiritual pear. As for coins i would reccomend offering them to your dieties and then burying them in the earth in different places, both feeds the earth and gives.
Trance/meditative state will run its course, but if you feel the need to return then you visualize your return for example the reverse of how you got to where you are and then entering your body to return to the world of the living.
Spirits can be tempramental, you would be better using proper methods of communication, google it if need be, and once you can commune with them find what they like, if they have a sense of humour ect.
You pray/meditate whenever you want, you will find your gods and other beings and can decide how often you wish to commune or ponder life and all its things

[Siona]

7: if I were to go into a trance how do I get out?

There are many ways to leave a trance. Recordings can be helpful, such as a drumming track that begins slowly, enters into the trance drumming pattern, and then ends with a returning pattern. You get to know the patterns and they call you in and out. Some use a 'return' object, they have it physically, and envision it in the trance when they wish to return. There's lots of different methods - and it's definitely something you want to research a lot before attempting.

if the spell were to back fire would it kill me

Extremely unlikely, but that doesn't mean one should take spellwork lightly. Progress slowly, build solid basic skills, etc, and don't just jump right into the deep end.

is thumping the floor with my cane to tell the spirits I'm here?

Yeah, you can do that. Some traditions use bells. Some knock with the wand three times (or nine times). All the same idea. Sometimes it's best to actually announce yourself out loud (but not necessarily loudly) while doing that. If you work with the same spirits, like the spirits of a particular place, eventually it might be enough to just thump the cane or whatever else as a hello.

As for using it as a wand, yes, you could... but a cane is probably more like a staff. They can be similar tools, but a staff might also have different associations and uses. The thumping you mention, that's something I do with my staff. So you might want to look into those and see if that makes more sense to you, but it's totally up to you.

do I have to pray everyday of the week?
I mean I respect nature and all but there are times I want my me time you know?

It's up to you, but a daily practice is hugely beneficial to many people. This doesn't have to be a long thing, you should certainly still have plenty of 'me-time' in a day. For a lot of people five minutes in the morning, or the evening, or prayer before meals, or a purification ritual in the shower, or a bit of time meditating... daily practice can really help keep you in tune with your spirituality. You can pray anywhere. And prayer doesn't have to be a show. You could sit outside and pray silently, and no one is going to know what's up.

and if it s taboo to use said change

Some deities like change and coins more than others. Once it's been offered, you don't take it back and use it to buy something for yourself. You may save the coins on an altar and use it to buy something else for the deity at a later time.

[SpiritTalker]

Aaand here's my two cents...

1: can the altar be made of anything like dice, trading cards etc. ?

There are no rules at all for a personal altar. It's your call. If you want a strictly Wiccan-specific altar, use the search function and read some of the discussions. Look at the altar photos section for ideas. Generally, a Wiccan altar will have something to represent the Dieties and elements, so if dice / cards are symbolic to you, and represent Deity or the Elements, yes you can use them. It is a sacred place and items should be cleansed and consecrated. Only items that will be used for magical workings and religious observance are appropriate to place on an altar. So if dice or trading cards were part of a spell, again they could be used. If you lean more to the secular, then you have a work table, not an altar.

2: is it okay to pray inside for privacy reasons? 9. How often
Prayer is communication between the aspirant and their concept of the sacred. It is OK to pray any place or time, or in any manner, that works for you and honors your commitment. If you pledge a daily prayer, keep your word to the best of your ability. You'll get out of it what you put into it.

3: if the spell were to back fire would it kill me?

If you are afraid of magical energy then do not do spells. Read up on it until you are comfortable. Fear can cause things to go wonky if we are ambiguous or unfocussed, and can draw undesirable experiences. These can then effect an unprepared, unshielded person. So...maybe, but highly unlikely. It's not the spell, it's your own fear that gets you.

4: Can my offering be like a handful of change? 6. How long do you leave an offering?

Yes, and consider donating it within a moon phase. An effective offering is something we give away in honor of a commitment. Offerings like incense or liquids should just be cleaned up when they've used up. Food can be removed when it deteriorates, or refreshed daily and the old given to wildlife.

5: if I were to use my cane as a wand would that be okay? Thumping OK to alert Spirits?

Yes, if you are informal or secular in your magical practice, a walking stick or cane can serve as a Stang, which is an altar in and of itself in non-Wiccan, pagan use. If you want to be strictly within a formal religious practice, then working tools are not used in mundane fashion. Witchcraft is a practical practice and I use my cane as a Stang, to draw the out door circle, and thump with to salute the Land Spirits. My hands are full trying to walk over lumpy ground and keep may balance, with a cane in one hand, and carry the other things I need for Rites in a sack. I did buy a wooden, one piece cane that I reserve for use for Nature walks and Rites, whereas my daily cane is adjustable steel. But If I were out strolling and didn't have the pretty wooden cane with me, I'd feel quite OK using my battered, scratched steel cane and my finger.

Witchcraft is like driving a car. It'll take you somewhere if you know how to use it. A car can be driven by secular people and by religious people. The car does not care who drives it.

7. How to come out of trance?

You will come back when you tell yourself to. Trance does not mean you are unconscious or comatose. Most likely you would fall asleep and wake up normally. Or set a timer. If you have concerns or suffer spontaneous, Out of Body wandering, (& you'd know by now), you should have a partner who knows what to do to wake you.

[nightshroud]

is it okay to leave spiritual offerings?

ive been offering up some of my energy to heal others.

[SpiritTalker]

It depends on what you mean by "Okay"? Is it correct? Is it appropriate? Will Deity want it?

Are you offering random energy for just any purpose? Hit and miss, laxidasical? Are you sharing a bit of the Life-Force that in-fills you as thanks? What is your intent? If you can say your intent is good and your expectations are good, what you offer is what you have and comes from the heart, and it feels right to you, then do you think that sounds Okay?

That is what I would mean if I said it was OK.

[nightshroud]

thank you for your kindness