hi everyone!!
i am not a pagan, at least not yet. but i believe in magic and all things magicial, and spells, and the incredible power of nature. Actually, the only thing that keeps me off completely devoting to the path is my uncomfortable feelings about polytheism.

anyway, what i wanted to ask was what can we do about weight loss? yes, diet and exercise; but also there must be spells, herbs, magickal stuff, gemstones...

does anyone have any ideas?


thank you

Hi, I've found the most useful ways to use magic to be in self improvement. Rituals and spells speak directly to the subconsious and are more easily absorbed.

So, in answer to your question, the best ritual would be one you design yourself. It might be worth looking at why you have overeaten in the past and doing spells to rectify that. For example, if you suffer from low self esteem you could try a 'self love' spell. Then you could decide to base a ritual around Venus, goddess of love, and use red roses, rose quartz and other symbols of love. You could also write a poem to read out during the ritual about you deciding to love yourself more.

Basicly you plan the ritual to represent this change you want then gather the items you need, then carry out the ritual at the right time. The waxing moon is good for things you want to bring into your life (as the moon is growing) and the waning moon good for things you want to send away (as the moon is shrinking).

Paganism is a very personal thing and relies on you designing your own ritual. There are organised pagan religions, Wicca being one, and if they speak to you then that's the way to go. Personally I like the personal touch and find it more effective!

Hope this helps!

Claire x

Oh and just on the Polytheism question - I worship the All, the energy that makes up everything. Gods and Goddesses are just aspects of the All. So to me there is both Polytheism and Monotheism! But also, YOU are part of the All, as am I, so in a way you are part of God.

I agree with coley on both parts. Something that is personal to you is going to mean a lot more than something written in some book. Especially the books I've seen these days. Building something that suits your needs is vital in success I think...

and that goes for religion and spirituality for me as well. I am somewhere between athiesm and paganism myself so I understand what you are going through. I decided to just do my own thing instead of joining any particular group. Pantheism, or the believe that the devine is in everything, is sort of what I've settled on. I always looked on any gods and goddesses as symbols more than anything. But, that's just me... there are as many opinons and looks on this subject as there are practitioners.

If I may ask...why the uneasiness about polytheism? Were you perhaps raised Christian? The Christian insistence on a single deity does lend itself to having uncomfyness about polytheism later on. I know I, despite having broken with Christian faith almost seven years ago, still have some lingering issues with internalized Christian doctrine.

As for magick for weight-loss and self-image...I know of a few spells. One is a mirror magick, and takes very good, very specific powers of visualization. I would probably perform it at the full moon, which is a time of strong power, particularly strong feminine power. Basically, you stand in a dark room in front of a full-length mirror, nude. If possible, have it so that the Moon's light falls on you or your reflection. If that's not possible, have one or two candles lit so that you can see enough to see your reflection. See your reflection; see all the physical imperfections. Accept them as a part of you. Use whatever words feel right, or none at all if you prefer. Then, still looking at your reflection, overlay your image with what you want your reflection to look like when you've lost weight. Superimpose your ideal body over your reflection. Call on the Lady, or on All, or whatever deity or power you prefer. Ask the power to aid you, with this end in mind. Settle this image in your mind and remember it. This may be a ritual you want to do more than once, at each full moon perhaps.

There are plenty of resources for spells and such, both online and in books. At the risk of starting a witch-war here, I'd suggest staying away from any books by Silver Ravenwolf. She tends toward the fluffy-bunny attitude. I have a couple books by Scott Cunningham, and Starhawk, both of whom I recommend.

Good luck!

you won't get any arguments from me on that one! all those books in that vein, books that are geared toward the interest of tween and teen girls. I did get interested when I was a teenager, but I don't know how I feel about marketing a religion to teenagers in general...

Yes, there seems to be an abundance of books out there for people who watched the movie "The Craft" too many times.

I'm a great believer in not messing around with things you don't fully understand and that magic, divinity and spiritualism should not be treated as parlour games or used with bad intentions.

Sometimes its difficult to weed out the good books from the fluff stuff so your book recommendations are appreciated.

Speaking of spirtitual things but totally not Pagan . . . I bought a beautiful plaque today with a side view of Bhudda's face on it just because it spoke to me in the shop and I had to have it.

The words on the back say:

"Be quiet, look within and enjoy the healing power of silence", tres cool!

I'm going to put it in my meditation space.

I am very happy to see there is a Pagan support area! I am also happy to see it has not been overwhelmed by Christians who insist we convert to their faith to "save ourselves".

I am a Shaman and I have to admit that I never thought of using magic to help me lose weight.

Thanks for the thought!

Doc

Goal ticker for 12/31/06


Final goal ticker

lol
I did find a weight loss spell somewhere, in a spell book. I don't know if it works, but I can seek it and find it if u want?
I did another spell from the same book, and it worked, though it was very slow.

Mauvais, that sounds beautiful. My current artwork favorite is my statue of Artemis, the Moon goddess and patron of the wild places. It's pale alabaster, touched with gold - she's standing with a spear in one hand, the other hand resting on the shoulder of a beautiful stag with gold antlers. The statue is the centerpiece of my current altar...which rests on a TV tray since I've just moved in here and had nothing else. But by the end of my first full day here, I had my altar.

As for books, I was lucky in that my first Craft book, even at age 14, was Scott Cunningham's "Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner". It's an excellent book. My mother threw away that copy when she found it, but later apologized and bought me a new one, which I still use for reference sometimes. I also recommend Cunningham's "Earth Power" set, two books on elemental magicks which I use quite often. And of course, there's Starhawk's "Spiral Dance", which is the single best Wicca book I know of. I have the 20th anniversary edition, and wouldn't part with it for anything. I also like "The Circle Within" by Dianne Sylvan, which is a book on integrating Wiccan spirituality into your daily life.

Docdragon, are you a Shaman of any particular tradition? Just curious. I was quite happy to find a Pagan area myself. 3FC seems to be a much more open and accepting place than many, where this sort of forum couldn't exist peacefully.

Anyway, I'm off to feed my baby rat - had to have my mom bring her to me today now that I'm moved in, and she is desperate for attention. I think she missed me. Blessed be, all.

No, not of any particular tradition. The spirits themselves called me to the practice. I learn directly from them, but I also occasionally read about shamanic traditions of the world. As a radiology resident, I have little time to read though.

Be well,
Doc

Nikaia - that sounds like a gorgeous statue! Re: your rat - How cute! We used to have two rats, they were excellent pets and very social.

One thing you can do is a ritual to break cravings for a given food. Be very careful how you word it, and do it though! I once did a ritual which involved throwing some chocky into the river, to cut my desire for it... Worked. But only for that particular type of chocky! Funny how these things backfire, eh?

oops!