The Art and Secrets of Practicing Magic.

"Magic is as old as the universe and so are you." That´s what our grandma said to my siblings and me when we started learning about spells, rituals and magic.  

Basically: performing magic is the ability to manipulate and shift our energy to summon a favourable "spiritual environment" for whatever you need; attract love, improve health or curse someone. 

We wanted to wear luxurious tunics with intricate magical symbols on them; cast sacred circles with our athames (ritual knives with a double edge) and the consecrated candles; wear the quartz and selenite amulets; pronounce the incantations of the book of shadows; and purify our mind and bodies with the fennel potion and the smoke of cleansing herbs like sage or eucalyptus.  

Magic Circle by John William Waterhouse

But true magic is not about any of that. Many rituals and incantations might include these or a large variety of other objects or tools. But real magic is all about energy.

Our grandma taught us that the most important thing any witch needs to learn is the ability to align your own personal energy with the natural energies of the universe.

The first thing you should understand is that witches believe that absolutely everything is connected. Therefor the creative energy of the universe is also a natural part of us.

The main tool we use to do magic is our own will power. But just that won´t do.

Visualizing, wishing and concentrating your will power are important. Just as important as being one with the creative energy of the universe in what I call "the magic state".

In order to enter the magic state we need to overcome our three main human "limitations" that separate us from this powerful energy and successful magic.

We will need to forget the idea of time. Since seconds and minutes, or concepts such as the future and the past are all human inventions. In the world of magic and energies time doesn´t exist and all possibilities coexist in the present.

Your consciousness needs to be fully present in the here and now. 

We will also need to forget about the "physical world". For us, mortal beings, disconnecting from everything physical is extremely hard. We are constantly feeling and thinking about our surroundings and are victims of our senses. But we need to understand that in the energetic realm nothing is impossible the material affects the intangible and so it works the other way around. 

Last but not least, we need to surpass the idea each individual has about themselves. Namely our ego. We need to get rid of all the concepts and beliefs we hold about ourselves; our feeling of belonging to a group, our occupation and ideals. Because in the energetic and magical level we are nothing and we are everything at the same time. So we need to, momentarily, abandon our reduced human life and truly be one with the universe.  

In our coven we accomplished this with meditation and the raw contact with nature. But other things can trigger the magical state too. 

I´m not going to lie, it feels amazing to enter this mode and the first times I did I wanted to stay in it forever. You feel more centred, somehow more alive. Intensely present and happy. More than happy I think I´d say peaceful. You feel a great serenity that rises through your body and somehow you know that everything is as it should be and you also feel an amazing power.     

My First Broken Spell.

Guilt, what a terrible feeling. 

If we feel guilty it must mean that we did something wrong. something we are ashamed of. But also that we repent and that we are willing to set things right.

I know I should not have given him the love potion, it was an act of despair. And though he was with me, I could see his mind wasn't there... I'm not entirely sure it was my magic's doing or if it all was going to happen anyways. What I did know is that it was all I wanted but not like that. 

Midnight Snow Songs, by Leonid Afremov

So, on the solstice night, I confessed it all to my sisters. And despite them being incredulous, mad and a little shocked at me for what I did they helped me cast a counter-spell and were very supportive, I am really blessed for having them. 

And I also came clear to him about the whole potion business. He knows I am a witch but he definitely was not expecting that. He obviously got really mad and probably felt betrayed. He has been keeping his distance ever since... I miss him and I hope I can see him again soon. 

I feel sad, but I'm focusing on the little things that make me happy and relying on my family at the moment. 

At least I don't feel guilty anymore. 

Happy holidays everyone!

The Forbidden Potion.

So I did it.

I offered the love elixir, hidden in some homemade chocolates. While he consumed it I looked at him in the eye and kissed him afterwards.

This raises many questions. Was it immoral to do what I did? Would he have loved me anyways without using magic and potions? How would he react if he ever found out?

Purple Wild Flowers, by Pol Ledent.

To be completely honest I am not used to casting this type of spells. Let alone preparing love potions. Don't get me wrong as a witch I am familiar with summoning and setting the protective Circle and I am acquainted with purifying and cleansing rituals, like the ones I host for on the solstices and equinoxes or the monthly re-energizing coven ritual that we do with every full moon phase. 

But I hardly ever perform self-gain based spells. 

Well on my defense I'll say he and I are already kind of dating. Then, I started developing stronger feelings. So I decided to ask him out in a proper formal way. He refused, as he has "emotional issues", whatever that means. But said he doesn't want to lose me. However, I decided to stop seeing him for my own sake. It seemed the wisest thing to do. But he charmed his way back into my life with sweet words and indulging memories, thus arousing old fantasies of a future in common.

So I said to myself "What the hell?", we had dinner, made love and promised to see each other again. But this time I could not let his insecurities gamble with my heart, I am a witch after all, so I waited to the crescent moon, got my rose quartz ready, searched for the Venus' seal, bought the ingredients, set the ritual and blended the potion.  While I was casting the spell, my hands started burning. Not literally, but the strong feeling of heat was unmistakable. That was happening to me for the first time, but I carried on and went to bed. During the following days, I was not myself at all. I acted completely out of impulse, burst into laughter or started singing out of the blue. (Ok, the last one isn't that weird on me, but this time it was different. Trust me.) Even when I was consciously making the effort to keep up appearances, I could clearly feel the eyes of people on me. Was I going crazy? Also, I felt happy, nervous, powerful, afraid and free all at once. 

Right before tempting him with my little present I felt great. Immensely confident. Even my voice changed! And once it had touched his lips and entered his system I felt a great urge to kiss him, and so I did. After that all my previous worries banished. All that "how am I going to make him love me?" doubt disappeared and in its place, I felt peace. He didn't leave me off of his side for the rest of the evening and cuddled me up all night till we fell asleep. 

I hope his love gradually awakes as I asked for in my spell:

"With every kiss, 

with every night we spent together..."

And I really hope I did the right thing here. 

Wish me luck... He hasn't pledged his eternal love to me (yet) but regardless I feel happy. 

Love Spell.

The secrets of Love aren't known by many.

The Love Potion, by Evelyn de Morgan.

You'll feel an eternal thirst,

you'll feel an insatiable hunger,

but you won't know that love

melts and fuses

and feeds and satiates, 

the depths of your heart. 

I'll throw it in the wind, 

and you'll smell the roses.

I'll sing it to the Moon,

and you'll hear my call.

You'll suffer in silence

thinking and wondering

in dreams and nightmares

until our lips find the other's warmth.

Look me in the eye and you'll know Love.  

  

Consequences of Owning the Witch Title.

Considering that witchcraft has this dark misconception about it would you be outspoken about it?

I am. Because only through people recognizing you as a witch, seeing and knowing what you do and who you are will allow for the world to see us as what we are: a force of nature, wise women and men. 

Some witches might be afraid of discrimination or being feared, one of my now ex-boyfriends left me when he found out about my condition. 

Even worst my sister's first boyfriend left her coldly with a letter stating that as she was a "sinful" witch he could not risk his "salvation" by dating her as the "judgement day" was near. (this was 5 years ago by the way).

Circe, by John William Waterhouse

But also good things have comed out of being honest. The owner and manager of the first company I worked at felt it was very mature of me to embrace my way of life and being straightforward about it. I helped people that were raised in closed minded and restrictive cultures / religion to question some beliefs and think for themselves and it also helped people that felt the instinctive call for the craft to ask questions and even start practicing witchcraft. 

Every action has a consequence, but to let fear lead our decisions is not a good idea. Same goes for being gay or lesbian. We might suffer discrimination sometimes as many women do, or people with different racial backgrounds other than caucasian. But you know what they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. 

Maybe that's why I've always found women wiser and more reliable. 

Why do we tend to focus on our few differences when the things that unite us are much more deeper and significant? We all feel and bleed. We all share the same sky and the same ground. So basically try not to judge someone before meeting them no matter what color they eyes are, whom they love or what they wear. Love and cooperation are stronger than fear and hatred. So set an example with your actions and be true to yourself. At least that's what I believe and practice.   

The Theorem of the Elements.

As a Witch I was initiated in the understanding of life and the natural elements that make it up. To be able to do this we must leave aside preconceived ideas, beliefs and all personal prejudices. It is necessary to listen patiently, in silence and with reverence, one by one, the lessons of mother nature, which will allow to anyone that wants to, to see and know. Nature only discovers its truths to whom are receptive. Accepting the truths that it suggests and wherever they lead, we'll have in harmony with us the whole universe.

The Tubilda lineage discerns a bit from the mainstream view of the elements. Our culture comprises nine basic elements in Nature: Water, source of life and symbol of union. Earth, represented both by  any land that can serve as a home for plant organisms and in geological forces, a symbol of health and fertility. Plants, and especially trees, as they form the connection between the terrestrial world and the celestial one, symbol of balance. Metal, an element that includes not only metals for witches, but also minerals, gems and crystals. Symbol of protection. Fire, which comprises the process of combustion, as well as electricity, symbol of destruction and renewal. The Air, which comprises the atmosphere and its processes, symbol of freedom and inspiration. Light; The sun, the day and energy, symbol of wisdom. Darkness; The moon, the night time and rest, symbol of regeneration. And the Secret Element, which is all and nothing at the same time, symbol of magic and life.

Oriental Elements, by Yin Lum

In most Western pagan traditions, a rather extended model, only contemplates four Elements; Fire, Air, Water and Earth as well as a fifth Element in charge of boosting and balancing the vital energy known as Spirit or Ether. Each of them is linked to a cardinal point, a color and a part of the human being: Fire, red and east, as spirit, linked to action; Air, yellow and north, as mind, linked to thought; Water, blue and west, as emotions; And Earth, green and south, as the body. These are represented in the famous pentagram, also known as the five-pointed star.
The elements have a very important role in relation to magic and rituals, they use fire for magic that requires action, such as boosting or creating something or an invocation. The air is used for everything related to divination, that is, when magic is directed to other times and places or in those cases where we're looking for answers. Water is used in evocation spells, that is when we transform or manipulate feelings, emotions and other intangible things. And Earth in magic that seeks transformation, such as alchemy or the use of the cauldron. Many western research on the Elements concludes here, or add s attachments to "magical beings" such as salamanders-fire, sylphs-air, undines-water, and gnomes-earth. They also often include knowledge about herbalism or astrology and convey a spiritual connection to the Elements and visit natural sites, such as forests, with respect.

The Oriental tradition, however, counts five Elements; Water, Wood, Earth, Fire and Metal and use the following cycles of energy relationships to gain balance and power through age-old techniques such as Feng Shui or the I Ching:

POSITIVE CYCLE

Water nourishes plants,

Wood is used to feed Fire,

Which becomes ashes and returns to the Earth,

The Earth creates metals,

And Metal mineralizes water.

NEGATIVE CYCLE

Water extinguishes fire,

The heat of Fire melts metal,

Metals cut wood,

Plants consume the earth,

And the Earth blocks and make water muddy.

They also have their version of the Secret Element, the universal energy with the difference that they are two opposing but complementary strands rather than a single entity. Yin and Yang. These are dynamic in the sense that their energy fluctuates: when one increases, the other decreases. Energy concentration is a yin process, while the tendency for its displacement and propagation is a yang process. Western thought tends to think that yin and yang are fixed states, yet in the oriental tradition they are continually changing. In the West we give yin and yang a moral connotation; Are exclusive, or the one or the other, which isn't true under oriental standards. They are extremes of a single whole; A dynamic equilibrium in continuous change, it is only detrimental what is in imbalance.

The Powers and Abilities of Your Spirit.

The spirit, the soul, our energy... We talk about those terms frequently but... Up to what point do we actually know what they are, what they do? The spirit bursts in the deepest level of consciousness, it's the capacity to place oneself before the cosmos and  philosophize about the existential features of the human condition, aka, the meaning of life and death, the final destination of the world, why are we here, etc. 

It complements the emotional and the logical aspects of our self and it deepens experiences such as to love another person, to get immersed in a project you are passionate about, and helps to give meaning and sense to our acts.

Mother Earth, by Jaison Cianelli.

In order to get closer to our spiritual self we must understand the powers it grants us, no matter our religious beliefs. The following are a synopsis of the spiritual habilites recognized by what some philosophers, psychologists, and developmental theorists refer to as Spiritual intelligence.

Sense and meaning;

The spirit enables people to seek meaning, since it emerges from the depths of our being as a primary need. But from its experience of being unfinished, the spirit is always searching.

I believe there is an intimate relationship between happiness and meaning, because it directly affects the way of perceiving one's existence. Only a person who has the experience of living his/her everyday  life , in a meaningful way, enjoys a subjective perception of inner well-being.

I thin the fullness of a life depends on how one has used the time he/she has received as a gift.

Questioning Beyond limitations;

The spirit gives power to formulate ultimate questions of existence.

Such as why was I born? What is the point of my existence? What will happen after my death? Why do we suffer? Why do we struggle? What is worth living for? What is worth doing? How should I make sense of my existence? Etc.

The spirit wants to know the WHAT about things.

Taking perspective. Distancing;

It means to separate, to distance oneself, but still be. In doing so, one can see things in perspective, and can see itself from a distance. Only in this way is one able to think for oneself. And then you know that your center is out of this world, that you belong to no-one.

I am in my body. I control and dominate it. At the moment of taking distance, passion advances without limits, pushes fear away and expresses its inner world.

After years of trying to understand this I believe it means to live at a certain distance from the body, just and necessary to not be dominated by it while still being conscious of it and using its energies and possibilities. This power not only distances oneself from the environment, but also from ideas, convictions, beliefs and values. Allowing people to see them in perspective, to question and criticise them, and relegate some of them them if necessary.

I think that the spiritual power of taking distance is the only way to really understand something.

Self-transcendence;

Transcending means going beyond any border, not being a conformist, to keep moving forward.

The power of transcendent expresses a lack but at the same time a hope. This capacity empowers the human being to move towards the unknown. Transcend to open up to new perspectives, it is not the will to colonise or control, but the desire to overcome.

To transcend means, in some way, to shed the banal and the predictable, and to delve into the essential.

We are settled in a place, in circumstances, but at the same time, we aspire to do something that we are not yet, but we believe we can become.

Our nature as human beings evokes transition, a path or itinerary towards what is not yet. It is the motor of human life, the vital impulse that moves you to go beyond, to overcome any limit, to enter new worlds to live fully and intensely, thus enjoying reality in a more intimate way.

Love;

Love is the cause of life and what keeps it moving. Love is the sign and the justification. So love it all.

Laziness? Shake it off. Just strive, make an effort. Nothing more than this. And you will have justified your life. Empower and improve yourself, and you'll have already reformed the world.

The amusement;

It is one thing to exist, another very different thing is to be aware that one exists.

A caterpillar exists, but does it know it does, that it enjoys this wonderful possibility? I don't think it experiences the surprise of existing, nor the vertigo of temporal flow of life.

It is one thing to look, another thing is to admire reality. Which is closely linked to taking distance.

To admire and to be amused are a mental and emotional experience, they affect the corporal and physical but has its root in the spirit.

I thin it is so amazing that when you are aware that you are alive, and may not exist, then is when you recognise the ephemeral nature of one's being. You experience a surprise and you are led to love life and to enjoy it intensely, to turn your being in the world into a project.

And the world ceases to be obvious, banal and known, and we start perceiving it as it is; Deep, mysterious and enigmatic.

To be aware of oneself;

One of the spiritual powers empowers us for self-knowledge, mingling with intrapersonal intelligence; This enables "awakening" and openness. Thus I realise that not only I am and not only I live, I know of my being and my life.

Providing a double opening towards the interior (knowledge of oneself) and to the outside (the knowledge of things).

The human being inhabits a self-aware self and capable of contemplating the world, a free self that, by virtue of its freedom, can configure both its body and its soul.

Assess and value;

The spirit also serves to value. Assess and make value judgements about acts, decisions and omissions. Valuing is about identifying the assets and evils that a particular decision has generated in the past. For this it is basic to weigh, to observe the effects that it has had for oneself and for others.

Values ​​not only motivate progress in the field of knowledge. They are not merely responses of our feelings, but motives in a new sense. They demand a certain position of will.

What I decide at a given moment will determine not only the configuration of the life of that moment, but will be relevant to what I will become.

I find very curious how any decision creates a willingness to make a similar decision again. In this way that I become "( a violinist, an athlete, a doctor...)", or not, is something that is in the hands of my own freedom.

The call of values ​​comes through the spirit and this moves us to explore unknown territories and to perform amazing movements. This shows that the human being is an open work, a being that has the possibility of finishing himself.

To sense beauty;

A spiritually sensitive being finds delight in natural beauty, artistic manifestations and the simplicity of small things. It is able to detect beauty and enjoy it without pretending to possess it. It contemplates deeply the expressions of beauty that appear in reality, which allows him to enjoy more intensely the fact of owning life.

Sacredness, Magic & Religion.

For more than 99% of the time, mankind has been closely related to Nature, which, until the present era, was always considered sacred. It was believed that the various Gods worshiped by people were part of the natural environment, while the shamanic vision used to be the raw power of Nature. As Alick Bartholomew points out: "Many religions, such as Christianity, are a mixture of pagan beliefs and modern monotheism. We have created God in our image, naive conception that dilutes our responsibility and causes division and wars. In society there has been a vacuum that has undoubtedly contributed to the moral and values ​​decomposition we observe today."

The Creation Of Adam,
by Michelangelo Buonarroti

Religion and the search for meaning are an inert form in our human spirit and nature. After the scientific revolution of the Renaissance people like to believe that there is a clear divide between rational thought and religious or magical outpourings, but things are much more complicated because the vital need from which religions arise is a very powerful instinct. So much that even the most closed religious fanaticism arises from almost anything: motherhood, football, vaccination, vegetarianism... Even an avowed atheist movement like Communism was at bottom only a modified version of the old religious dream, of the end of time, that there is an argument and a thread of human history that lead, if not to salvation, to a perfect society.

Traditionally the search for meaning has been carried out on the tribal or mass plane. Mass worship remains the norm for religious groups. However, witches are inclined towards a more mystical and spiritual search in which the "great boss" version of the "creator" or "supreme intelligence" is transcended, allowing instead a personal connection with a higher level of Consciousness, that is, we put more emphasis on contemplation and meditation than on worshipping. Although most pagan groups retain or venerate certain deities, the Tubilda tradition does not worship any particular divine being, although at the beginning of our tradition the worship of spirits of nature and the seasons was of great importance. At present we decide to adopt a neutral position, instead of revealing ourselves to the mysteries of the beyond, we prefer to be present and to live, since, indeed, there is life before death.

We could consider ourselves naturists. We seek harmony with nature and live on the basis of balance and sustainability; To learn how to live sustainably, first we must know how Nature works and accept its laws. In fact, valuing the role of the Elements in our lives is key in witchcraft as it allows us to adopt a new spiritual vision of the universe.

The feeling of belonging has a great impact on the emotions and, therefore, on one's decisions. In my adolescence, my parents decided to divorce. The situation itself was not a major trauma, but that meant growing up in three different homes. My mom's, mt dad's and grandma's. Like everything, it carries its pros and cons, and one of these was the bewilderment when it came to finding the feeling of being, as I never put down roots to a particular home. Where do I belong? To which my grandmother replied serenely: "To the world. We all share a pulse with the whole. The cells receive their pulse from the brain, this gets its pulse from the heart, and heart from the planet Earth, which in turn receives it from the solar system and the latter from the galaxy and from the whole universe." 

Later on (in the field of quantum physics) was revealed that, indeed, at the cellular level our bodies react to the electromagnetic pulse of everything that surrounds us. I now live in another country, far from my three homes and the people I grew up with, and yet if I ever feel lonely or lost, I have nothing to do but close my eyes, concentrate on the beat of my heart, the firmness of the ground beneath me and the air around me. And then I know. And then I am at home, I rediscover my home in the midst of chaos of the world.

Despite the prevailing sense of uprooting and the illusion of separation with which many live, we must rely more on our instincts. Many of us, especially children, still have a vague memory of when we were integrally part of Nature. It's in our blood. We must explain to our children that the Universe is a single unit, that Nature is a whole. In times like these, when so many people care about their savings, their safety or their work, it is very beneficial to become aware of and adopt a broader vision of what life really is. Just to contemplate the starry sky, or of the natural elements, is a way of focusing things with more objectivity, because, compared to the unity of life, our own concerns are not so many. That is what the holism of witchcraft is all about.

Reading the Signs of Nature: Divination.

Crows by Marion Rose 

  Have you heard the phrase: Everything happens for a reason? I am not sure till what point this is true, intuition and premonition are tricky sensations as we are pushed to mistrust them by the current worldview. Nonetheless I have come to learn to trust my intuition over the years. Interpreting the signs of nature and the universe, as witches and shamans have done for generations,  has turned out to be both useful and easier than expected.
  The divination arts have always caused a great controversy, specially since charlatans and fortune tellers go around deceiving people's trust. As witches we believe that the only thing that exists is the present. So what are we predicting then? The answer is something a bit bigger than what the future holds, it's about the destiny we have created with our actions, thoughts and feelings. Basically it's an energy that has already been created but that has not yet manifested in the present. 

   Everyday life is full of examples. Have you ever found yourself thinking about an old friend that you haven't seen in a long time and then, all of a sudden, you meet them or receive a phone call?
 As far as I know the "science" behind  all divination processes lies on what Swiss physiologist Carl Jung denominates as synchronisation, term that uses in his work over the I Ching (a traditional Chinese method of divination), conducted in 1949.

  The synchronisation process becomes aware of events in time and space, revealing a sense beyond mere chance. That is, a specific inter-response between specific events. (As tossing a coin in the air to predict the future like on the I Ching to create a pattern). Synchronisation is found in the heart of all divination techniques, Whenever you lay out a tarot deck, or interpret the future using runes, wax or viscera, a pattern is created which reflects an internal condition that is already forming, or is about to.
To read the signs of nature, and divination through experiences with animals works exactly the same way, with the advantage that is more organic and intuitive than other methods. At the time of your encounter, the pattern is appreciated through the habits and characteristics of the animal, the folklore and mythology as well as the circumstances that surround your experience; the health of the animal, your feelings about the experience as well as any personal idea or association that you might have about the animal.

Intuition plays a fundamental role in divination, especially that related to animals. Socially there are certain attributes traditionally associated with a certain animal such as loyalty in the dog, power in the lion or transmutation and change in the butterfly. But we should by no means limit ourselves to these concepts. We can use them as guides, as bases to develop meaning but, above all, let your intuition guide you.

Most of the time we overlook this signs, even once we've learned how to interpret them. We don't often pay attention to them or decide to ignore them... I went on a date last summer with a lovely guy, I was quite excited and on the middle of the day I found a dead dove on the street, I didn't want to believe it and completely ignored this sign, and guess what, our relationship didn't last more than twenty-something days... The Dove, universal sign of peace and love appears in the art and folklore of numerous spiritual traditions, religions and cultures. I am not suggesting that you put an abrupt end to any relationship just because you found a dead dove. Remember to take into account the context and holism of the situation.

Here are some pointers to help you understand the meaning of your encounter:
1. Consider your initial reaction (you attract animals according to your deepest beliefs about the animal, as well as your way of seeing and understanding the world and yourself
2. When did it happened? Day or night, the hour o the day, the season you are in...
3. If the encounter was in the habitat of animal (less rare) or in a different one (more significant).
4. How did you feel? Usually the emotions are the direct link of the meaning of your encounter.
5. The person or people with whom you were at the moment of the encounter.
6. What activity where you doing?
7. Symbolism and possible meaning of the animal:
TRANSFORMATION - Butterfly, Frog and Snake.
ROMANCE, SEXUALITY and LOVE - Horse, Swan and Rabbit.
MESSAGES - Owls, Dragonfly and birds in general.
LOYALTY and FAMILY LOOSES - Dog, Elephant.
CREATIVITY AND EXPRESSION - Spider and sparrow.
JOY, PEACE, FORTUNE and PROSPERITY - Dove, Hummingbird and Lady Bug.
INTUITION, MAGIC and SHAMANISM - Raven, Wolf and Fox.
SPIRITUALITY AND HEALING - Dolphin, Bee and Deer.
POWER - Bear, Lion.
INDEPENDENCE AND LONELINESS - Cat and Iguana.

The Book of Shadows.

The Books of Shadows are famous for rising numerous legends.

It is already a fact that they are a sacred object for witches as they represent something more than a family book, something more than wisdom: They symbolize a living channel where each written knowledge transcends the boundaries of time and space -almost like a way of speaking directly with those who do not yet exist as part of our essence will be impregnated forevermore in our Book of Shadows-.

Perhaps this is the concept that aroused the allusion to protective spirits...

The Tubilda's Book of Shadows,
photo taken by Paula Montañes

Traditionally the witches' knowledge were transmitted orally, and passed down from generation to generation. So there was no need to record the information in a book, until the time of the persecution that is. It is believed that it was then that the first Books of Shadows were written, so called because they were born protected in the darkness, sheltered in the shadows, and because the eyes of the "uninitiated" were not to see it, nor even to know about it. 

Now, by custom, it is still called Book of Shadows although some witches prefer to call it Grimoire. Normally each lineage has a single Book of Shadows written by its members, although some also have an Initiate Book (with the basic knowledge). As for writing it there is no fixed or correct way to do it, since each lineage has its own customs.

We understand that what is a reality today it might not be true tomorrow, so we always introduce, check and update new knowledge. 

A belief only lives as long as someone believes in it, a lifestyle only exists as long as someone practices it. That is why it is so important to us to continue with the tradition, and transmit it to the next generation. Always in a tone of guidance of course, that is to explain everything from a personal point of view and sharing ideas without ever imposing them. That is why the witches of each lineage have the responsibility of writing their Book of Shadows and contribute with their own energy and creativity to develop and guide the next generation.

If you would like to write your own Book of Shadows I'll share some tips that have worked for me. You don't necessarily have to be a witch to write one. I guess we can see the Book of Shadows as a generational history book that puts emphasis on passing down knowledge, advice... It can contain anything that transmits some sort of wisdom, from an ancient tradition to a homemade recipe. It all starts with an idea. 

These books have the advantage of being open when it comes to content, structure and design.

Before beginning to write the book I recommend to have a previous idea: if it is going to be organized in chapters; If it will be ordered by categories, by degree of difficulty ... As well as content; Will it be a didactic book; Of research or, perhaps, an encyclopedic one? About what, and how many, things will you write?

 I advise the following to write your book as it is working for me!

· Make a mini-scheme where you write down the main idea that you want to transcribe. In the process of writing is much easier than it seems to get your creativity overflowing and we end up relegating the idea that we want to reflect on the background and writing about unrelated things. So I think it is better to try to keep it simple.

· It is very useful to take into account the purpose for which you write and the people who are going to read it, to suit the level of knowledge and the age of the readers. This way the communication will flow more easily.

· Finally just review the text, make sure it has the structure you want and if there is a conclusion. Check your spelling and make sure you take care of the presentation. It is completely normal to rewrite and retouch many of the things you write, in my opinion, it is best to let the writing rest a night or two before checking it. Even better if you can get someone else to read the text and see what they understand and whether they find it interesting or not.

Spring Equinox. Time of Balance and Renewal.

We are finally in March, which means the expectation and countdown for the equinox is also in the back of my mind. I love Spring. After the dark, cold winter. Days get longer and longer as they approach the spring equinox and on the special day. Both day and night have the same length. From that point on, light hours increase until reaching the longest day of them all in the summer solstice.

Irises by Vincent van Gogh

 The March equinox marks the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator –the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator– from south to north. And indicates the first day of Spring. This happens on March the 19th, 20th, or 21st every year.

According to the Universal Coordinated Time, the March Equinox, this year, is on Monday, 20th of March 2017, at 10:29 UTC.

 Traditionally, the spring equinox, evokes renovation and rebirth of wisdom and fertility. It's a day to celebrate life and joy. Eggs, seeds and the rabbit are symbols of this day. The first two represent all the new life and the last one is one of the animals that by that time comes out of its burrow. We can see how some of this symbolism has been carried out on other cultures. As Christians use eggs and rabbits around the same time in a celebration they call Easter. While, among pagans the equinox is known as Ostara. Ostara is the name of an ancient Germanic divinity of spring, Goddess who embodied dawn and the awakening of germinative forces. It means something like "rising sun."

 The Tubilda celebrate life and use the awakening energy of spring by doing some purification rituals. We cleanse ourselves, our homes and our energies by, first of all waking up when the sun rises. And drinking a lot of water with lemon! You can do some exercise or turn on some music to bring up those good energies and, after breakfast, it is time for a deep cleaning of the hole house. Basically, everything in the house is thoroughly cleaned and we also get rid (recycle or donate) any item that we no longer need. The norm is; if you haven't used an specific item for more than a year... It is likely that you don't need it.

Spring is the epoch of beginnings and action. Night and day are practically as long at the spring equinox so it is also time for balance both exterior and interior. Renew and reborn; These are the goals of this day. So we take a closer look into the inside and we make a list of all the things we are grateful for as well as all the things we want to achieve this year. And while we meditate about that we purify our bodies, and then our home by burning the tip of some herbal cleansing sticks and use the smoke to cleanse the house, room by room.

This will energetically mop up any lingering residue within the space. This ancient technique is used to wipe away negativity and stale energy.

Smoke cleansing is a practice that has been around for a long time, though it shouldn’t be confused with smudging, a sacred ceremony performed in many indigenous communities that invites spirit to join them for their rituals. These two words are often used interchangeably, however, they are different. Smoke cleansing uses a variety of dried plants and woods to help cleanse a space energetically, removing bad vibes. The herbs we traditionally use in my family are sage, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary and bay.

To finish up the tasks of the day we do some gardening. We usually plant seeds on fertile soil, or young trees in a forested area. Or even small plants in pots in the garden or window sill.

Afterwards the day follows as any other good party would, with a reunion of friends and family, a banquet, festive mood and celebration music and decoration where flowers and water are the protagonists. 

Are you also excited for springtime?  

The Truth About Witchcraft, Yes I am a Witch.

What would you think if I say that I am a witch? probably that I am evil and worship the devil, that I am crazy and live in a delusional fantasy or that I am trying to fool you. Well guess what, none of the above are true.

Witchcraft and paganism have been misinterpreted both by the state and by the church for so long that no one understands what we do and what we stand for anymore, we have even been reduced to mere fantasies when, in fact, of all the fantastic creatures that populate our legends witches are the only ones that exist and have vindicated themselves as such.

Little Altar,
photo taken by Darius Tubilda.

Our culture (I see it more as a culture or way of life than a religion) has been misunderstood, blamed and feared for centuries. And loads of legends have been made around it, feeding the prejudice and superstitions. When it is, in fact, a culture based around life and the natural balance that comes from it. I could try to explain all the misconceptions and false beliefs about witches, and challenge the ideas that social media has built, Nevertheless I believe it will be even better to explain the bases of our culture and what it does mean to be a witch:

It means freedom, and being afraid of nothing, not even death. 

It is to see, not to look. To listen, and not to hear. To be present and feel beyond our limitations.

Witchcraft is union. Knowing everything is one, and that we are as old as the universe. 

To be a witch means discipline and responsibility, curiosity and contemplation. 

Witchcraft is education, from a young age, about how the Elements of Nature and our bodies work. Allowing us to make better and informative choices about our health and empowering knowledge at a cellular level.

It is trust, to be faithful to your own spirit. It is a home, a lineage; to learn, to practice, to write, to teach, to protect, to nourish, to love…

It means change. Change towards peace, balance and self-steam.

Being a witch is to question everything, to follow your instinct. Transcend time, space, prejudices and identity.

It is… Magic. 

Traditionally the search for meaning has been carried out on the tribal or mass plane. Mass worship remains the norm for religious groups. However, we are inclined towards a more mystical and spiritual quest in which the "great boss" version of the "creator" or "supreme intelligence" is surpassed, allowing instead a personal connection with a higher level of Consciousness, in other words, we put more emphasis on contemplation and meditation than on worshipping. In resume, witchcraft is build through common sense, the nature of things and under a maternal and avid gaze of knowledge. The philosophy of witches is, basically, a different perspective of our world focused, as I said, in Life.

So, I have decided to honour my lineage and go ahead with the truth; It is who we are, we are not criminals so there is no need to hide, to do so would be a way to underestimate ourselves as well as a way of resignation toward the myths and wanderings that surround our figure. The truth is that there are many variants of living and interpreting the world and, in the case of witchcraft, this is no exception, in fact, each Circle or pagan group, is free to interpret life in their own way and the introduction of new knowledge is one of our usual practices. If I had to describe witchcraft using a single word it would be "movement", because it is not a static culture, witchcraft is always evolving. It comes from one of the firstborn cults of mankind: Shamanism. Archaeological evidence, as found by the Norwegian archaeologist Sheila Coulson, attest to this.