Quotes from Scott Cunningham

The magic begins in you. Feel your own energy, and realize similar energy exists within the Earth, stones, plants, water, wind, fire, colores, and animals.

Eventually, ritual was developed as a means of contacting and utilizing the energy within humans as well as in the nature world.

The power is neutral. It cannot be divided into positive and negative energies. Power is power.

If you would be a magician, honor the Earth. Honor life. Love. Know that magic is the birthright of every human being, and wisely use it.

Honor all living things, for we are of the stag, and the salmon, and the bee; so destroy not life, save it be to preserve your own.

In Wicca, rituals are ceremonies which celebrate and strengthen our relationships with the Goddess, the God and the Earth.

Wicca has been, up until the past decade or so, a closed religion, but no more.

Magic is the practice of causing change through the use of powers as yet not defined or accepted by science.

Magic is not always serious or solemn. It is a joyous celebration and merging with the life-force.

The power is that which generated and maintains the universe... the life-force, the stuff of creation. It is the very substance of existence itself.

We are not on this planet to ask forgiveness of our deities

Magic is natural. It is a harmonious movement of energies to create needed change. If you wish to practice magic, all thoughts of it being paranormal or supernatural must be forgotten.

In truly understanding the Goddess and God, one comes to understand life, for the two are inextricably entwined. Live your earthly life fully, but try to see the spiritual aspects of your activities as well. Remember—the physical and spiritual are but reflections of each other.

That perhaps is at the core of Wicca--it is a joyous union with nature. The earth is a manifestation of divine energy. Wicca's temples are flower-splashed meadows, forests, beaches, and deserts. When a Wicca is outdoors, she or he is actually surrounded by sanctity, much as is a Christian when entering a church or cathedral.

Wicca's temples are flowered-splashed meadows, forest, beaches, and deserts.

Magic isn't the empty parroting of words and actions; it is an involved, emotionally charged experience in which the words and actions are used as focal points or keys to unlock the power that we all possess.

Earth is our mother. It's as fertile and nurturing as farmland; as moist as soil and as dry as sand. In its physical manifestations (such as stones), earth represents the densest of the elements.

birch twigs, and a willow binding. The ash is protective, the birch is purifying, and the willow is sacred to the Goddesss. Of

The Wiccan ideal of morality is simple: do what you want, as long as you harm none.

Personal power is raised (through tightening the muscles), focused with a goal (through visualization), and released to bring that goal into manifestation.

The basis of herb magic—and all magic—is the power. This power has worn many names and forms through the centuries; at times even its existence was kept secret; at others it was common knowledge. The power is that which generated and maintains the universe. It is the power that germinates seeds, raises winds, and spins our planet. It is the energy behind birth, life, and death. Everything in the universe was created by it, contains a bit of it, and is answerable to it.

The practice of magic is not evil or destructive–-Witches and folk magicians, through timeless rituals, are only drawing upon natural energies found within the earth and our bodies to create positive, life-affirming change.

Yellow is an excellent color for those involved with divination. Purple is favored for those who work with pure divine power (magicians) or who wish to deepen their spiritual awareness of the Goddess and God. Blue is suited for healers and those who work with their psychic awareness or for attuning with the Goddess in her oceanic aspect.

Relax your body slightly. Inhale through your nose to a slow count of three, four, or five—whatever is comfortable. Remember to allow the air to fill your diaphragm as well as your lungs. Retain the air, then exhale to the same slow count.