Calming a Storm:
Interestingly enough, this may be an actual storm or an emotional one. If the later, you may wish to change the wording somewhat, but the outcome is no less effective.
Begin by sprinkling lavender and violet into the wind for peacefulness. Then, stand with your arms raised, a silver bell in your strong hand, and a clear vision of your purpose in mind. Chant the following three times, softly first, then with growing conviction, "Thunder, lightning, winds, and rain, calm ye now, bring peace again. Let drops fell gentle and fires quell, when thrice rings this silver bell."
Ring the bell slowly three times, releasing the energy of your magic in the direction of the strom.
Written by Patricia Telesco
Spell for the Home During a Lightning Storm:
Light one white and one yellow candle and put them in a place of importance in the home (a magickal or religious altar is ideal).
Walk through the house, room by room, chanting these words until you have visited every room, closet, cupboard and entrance at once:
"Mistress of the gentle rain,
Master of the storm,
Gaurd against the ill and bane,
Shield me from harm.
And while fire flies through the air
And raindrops fiercely blast,
Keep my loved ones in your care
'Til the storm has passed.
Wind, wind, gaurd my kin.
Flame, flame, do not maim.
Rain, rain, quickly wane.
Earth, earth, gaurd my worth.
The house is then sealed and safe-gaurded until the storm is clear of the area.
Lightning Magick:
All amulets, talismans, lucky charms and personal power objects can be charged with the glancing energies that rain down from the sky.
Take the objects to be charged (only objects that you feel require the electrical energy of lightning, such as those concerned with healing, protection, and so on) outside and place them in a area where they will be free from the possibility of washing away, but still fully exposed to the rain and lightning.
Do not place them upon the roof of a house or other structure. You might wish to tie them to a tree, or place them in a large container. Do whatever is necessary to ensure their safety during the charging process.
When the storm has passed, bring them inside, dry carefully, and put in a safe place. They are highly charged and should be vibrating with energy.
Protection Against Lightning:
If the lightning is fierce outside, you may wish to make up an anti-lightning charm for your house to protect it from straying strikes. For this take about a teaspoon each of parsley, elder berries, mistletoe; add an acorn and a bit of crumbled fern. Place these in a small bag of a white material, fill it up with coarse rock salt, and hang it as high as you can in the house. An attic is an excellent place. This will safegaurd your home from lightning.
Traditionally, an oak tree is planted near the home to protect it from lightning, so if you live in an area subject to many intense storms, you may consider this.
And finally one last lightning charm. If you discover after the storm has passed, a tree that has been hit by lightning, try to procure a small piece of the charred, blackened wood.
Bury something for the tree if you do take some of the wood. It has been said that if a sick person holds the lightning-struck wood, rubs it on the afflicted part of the body, and then throws it behind his or her back, it will remove any disease.
When the Storm is Over:
When the rain and lightning have stopped, but youre not sure if the storm is completely passed, look to the sky if it is daylight. if you see birds, it is an excellent sign. However for certainty, watch the birds in flight, then chant aloud as you do:
"Birds of the air,
Fly without care.
Will it rain here?
Will it rain there?"
When they fly off, stop chanting and look closely to the direction in which they leave; if it is the East, the storm is passed. If South, a fiercer storm may be headed your way. To the West, the rain will continue soon, but to the North it will be clear for the rest of the day. Or in rhyming form:
"To the East, 'twill be clear,
To the South, storm you'll hear,
To the West, never end,
To the North, Sun descend.
To Halt An Approaching Storm:
Seek out an axe that has been used for chopping wood. Snatch it up, run to the boundry of your property, and raise the axe above your head. Swing it around (counter-clockwise) in the very face of the rushing current, as if chopping at it. The wind will die down, the storm will move somewhere else, sparing you and your property. The magick of the sharp-edged axe has done its work.
Written by Scott Cunningham
Book of Shadows © 2002, Dana (Huntress of the Dark)