The Two Cocoons and the Burning Letter

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 17 Jan 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Diana	17 Jan 2002
I'd like to share with those it may interest, two techniques which can help a lot when one is having troubled relationships. They were given to me by someone who uses them in their healing work. But I don't think she invented them. One is called The Two Cocoons. On a piece of paper, you draw two circles. In the first circle, you write your name. On the second piece of paper, you write the name of whatever you are trying to let go of, a person, or any problem. This doesn't mean you're going to have to let go of the person/problem literally, just whatever is causing any pain in the relationship. (You could for example write the name of the person if it's a person causing the anguish, "money" if you're struggling financially, or a kid could write down wrote "grammar rules" if he's having problems with these.) These two circles are cocoons. Then you draw a line joining the two circles. Then you say aloud "I (your name) let go of (Peter/Paul or Mary or whoever, grammar, money, etc.)" And then you cut the line (which represents the ombilical cord) with scissors or by tearing it. Then you must burn the two pieces of paper while saying your sentence again. The higher the flame, the better you've done the exercice. Burn the pieces of paper to ash. This exercice allows you to symbolically cut yourself off from any bad energies in the particular relationship. The second exercice is called the Burning Letter, and is really wonderful in unburdening the heart and can heal relationships in a wonderful way. Write to the person or persons - but only one letter at a time - who has hurt you or disappointed you. If you don't know who to address the letter to because actually many people are involved, you could start the letter by saying "Dear Past". Then you write down everything - the good, the bad, you can just put down every damn thing that's weighing on you. You can use any terms you like, even things you'd never dare talk about face to face with the person. Of course, you're not going to send the letter. You're going to burn it. But it's very important to end the letter by saying "In spite of all this, I love you and forgive you". Then you burn the letter. The higher the flame, the more effective will be the outcome. Not only is your heart unburdened, but the flames will send the message to the soul of the person in a way that only they know how to. And to see all of your expressed feelings go up in flames can be extremely healing too. Love to everyone and have a nice day.

MeeWah	17 Jan 2002
Diana: The two methods of release are very interesting. In concept, they are simple to understand & implement. Also similar to a couple of other methods which are a wee more involved. Thank you for sharing! I am making a note of this.

Pollux	18 Jan 2002
Well, I'm completely mystified with Wicca, spells and all, but the reason why I am allured by it - and, at the same time, I feel helpless - is that I find out a lot of things I feel and do myself are actually, for someone else, a particular practice or a specific spell. I did this (the second one) a couple times, and, once, I also wrapped the piece of paper around a candle, stopped it with a line of cotton (I like white cotton, dunno why ??? ) and burn it to ashes. The problem was: should I do something with ashes and the candle's remainings? I instinctively buried it all in the ground, close to a very tall cherry tree. I must start to figure this out sooner or later... In faith, I resort to the knowledge and power of this forum's members. :)

Kiama	18 Jan 2002
Diana: Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou... For a while now I have been considering performing a 'letting go' ritual, after a rather bad end to last year with the news that I had been rejected from teh university I had wanted to go to since I was 5. For about two weeks now I have started to blame myself for the rejection, even though I know deep down it wasn't my fult and I had done everything I possibly could. The burning letter ritual I will do, but I will be writing the letter to the part of me that thinks I am to blame for it all. Pollux: With regards to magick, I am a great fan of doing my own thing. Magick comes from within, so naturally, what you feel is right when doing magick, is right! Your practice of burying the remains of the candle, or the ashes, under the ground is a common way of giving back to the Earth what you have taken. It's kinda like a libation, I suppose, and when I do this, I usually try and make sure everything I put into the ground is biodegradable, or originally came from the ground, eg- A piece of wood, a stone, etc. If it isn't, then I find a piece of bread or something, and give that instead. When I first started reading up on magick and Paganism, I too found that some things people like Cunningham and others were talking about were things i did everyday. I remember reading one book which was about Chaos magick, and it talked about creating certain charaters in your head to help you through something: This was something I always did when I was about 9 or 10. Magick is something that I think is an innate drive within all of us, no matter what the religion. Everybody in the whole world believes in some form of magick (Although you will find the term broadens somewhat every now and then!). So it makes sense that what you do normally is what Wiccans and other Pagans do in ritual. I hope all that made sense! Kiama

purplelady	18 Jan 2002
I used to do magick before I ever really knew or read of magick , wicca , spells , or rituals. I think that could be a Really interesting subject!

Jeanette	18 Jan 2002
These ideas are great! I'm so interested (fairly recently) in spells, rituals, etc. I have a sort of stupid question: how is "Wicca" pronounced? Is it wick (like a candle) with -uh on the end? Or is it more like witch with -uh on the end?

purplelady	18 Jan 2002
I pronounce it Wick-uh. However, I read somewhere that it comes from the italian which IS pronounced Witch-uh.

jade	19 Jan 2002
with the spells that i sell.......we bury the banish and vanish spells and scatter the ashes of love spells at the perimeter of our yard. you can also flush the ashes as water is cleansing. but follow your own intuition :) in light, jade

cayacia	19 Jan 2002
when I did both of these I just set the paper aflame and set it on the ground. Since the ground is covered in snow right now, it keeps my whole backyard from going up in smoke. After everything was ash, I covered it in snow. a) so no one will wonder and b) just to finalize the whole thing. I think that if there weren't snow on the ground I'd dig a little hole in the yard somewhere to bury and burn everything. Diana: I think that the burning letter is a great thing. I'm glad you posted this idea because it was about time I wrote a letter to Josh about everything that was bothering me. I burnt it, or course, and it was great fun. I can tell my guides are with me, to, because I had rushing in my ears afterwards. So strange, isn't it?

Pollux	19 Jan 2002
So I must say something! Kiama: thanks! Your words seem like searing light through my dark and cloudy Mind. It DOES make sense, dear, and I'm almost moved! :'( (I get to emotional at sometimes, and some people detest this... but I can't help it) I've noticed your posts around, so I'm honoured to know your ideas. Of course, you got me on your side fo what you say; still, I feel the real (or at least better) expression of magic is that of the Circle (try to understand, I'm no native speaker! :) ), a "sister/brotherhood" where you take part to rites and stuff with other people that share your ideas and views. As for books, I just can't read anything of that sort, so I'm obliged to do things by myself. Come to that, I'll post my very own "Rise and Shine Zuppa" ritual for you all on the Aeclectic! Maybe they're all misapprehension... but I hope you'll pray for me and the fulfillment of my dreams all the same! Purplelady: I was just thinking about a such post; I want you to contribute, OK? As for Italian pronuntiations and Wicca... I'm from ITALY and I must fix this. In Italy hardly anyone pronounces this word - do you remember the Pope? He's really close-by, take my word! ;D - but, on account of the fact that Italian is a fonetic tongue (we pronounce what we write) the correct pronuntiation, in Italian at least, is "Wick-uh" more or less, as if that was "WiCK-er", with ending u/a sound. I doubt it's from Italian. Wasn't it sanscrit? The Wise Woman? (see Phillis Curott's)

tarotbear	19 Jan 2002
Well, I'm Sicilian,(pronounced 'sigil-eon', NOT 'Cecil-e-in') and we drop the endings on all our words. I say 'Wick-a' "Two Cocoons and the Burning Letter" - sounds like a Harry Potter book!

Pollux	19 Jan 2002
Quote: tarotbear (20 Jan, 2002 04:08): Well, I'm Sicilian,(pronounced 'sigil-eon', NOT 'Cecil-e-in') and we drop the endings on all our words. I say 'Wick-a' "Two Cocoons and the Burning Letter" - sounds like a Harry Potter book! I feared that no one would have understood if I had written that... But, yes, "wick-a" is even better, you got it even better than I put it. :p I could say that "cca" in Wicca is much like the sound of "ca" in cards to make an example familiar to these forums, don't you agree? Ah... I don't believe you are Sicilian really. ???

Jeanette	19 Jan 2002
Well, I'm just glad that now I know how to pronounce it correctly! Thanks to all!

tarotbear	20 Jan 2002
With a name like 'Mangiapane' ? You better believe it, bub!

Pollux	20 Jan 2002
Quote: tarotbear (20 Jan, 2002 16:56): With a name like 'Mangiapane' ? You better believe it, bub! Well, I must believe you now! That's amazing! Mangiapane Tarotbear. What a funny name! ;D :D ;D And, for the press, Mangiapane means "he eats bread", sort of Grammar book sentences! ;D :D ;D

january	20 Jan 2002
Quote: Not only is your heart unburdened, but the flames will send the message to the soul of the person in a way that only they know how to. And to see all of your expressed feelings go up in flames can be extremely healing too. Diana, this sounds truly beautiful! I'd like to do this and seeing that I'm quite new to spells, I was wondering which moon phase could make this more effective? Full moon? Or perhaps a waning moon for letting go? Does it matter? Thank you! ~ january

jade	21 Jan 2002
the day after the full moon (which lasts three nights) and right thru the end of the dark (new) moon (which aso lasts three nights) is the best time to perform banishing rituals. :) in light, jade (the night before, the night of and the night after - is the three nights i am referring to)

tarotbear	21 Jan 2002
Yes, you must be the sixty billionth person in my 46 (almost 47) years to tell me my name means 'eat bread'. Better than Mangiacavallo! {That's 'eat a horse' for the non-Italiani out there} Incidently, we pronounce it " Monj-a-bon" not "Mon-ja-pon-ey"

purplelady	22 Jan 2002
"eat bread" I like that............

january	14 Mar 2002
Diana - I tried the "Burning Letter" about a month ago, during the waning moon.. I used a beautiful red paper, mediated on my relationship and wrote from the deepest areas of my heart. I burned the paper with some sage and then flushed it (too much snow on the ground to bury, but "flushing" is always my next choice). Well, I think it worked... Last week, approx. a month after performing the ritual, I received a phone call from my friend. The words just flowed! I said things that I've been meaning to say... everything flowed so smoothly from my lips. Every bit of it true! And in turn, he said things which were so unbelieveable that I can't remember exactly what they were. I just knew that I was glad he was saying them! I was just so amazed to hear him opening up. I felt so good that day. I knew I had a healed and renewed friendship. I cannot thank you enough for posting this ritual. I truly feel that the energy I put into the Burning Letter has been positively reciprocated to us by the universe. It has healed my heart and allowed us both to re-start our friendship on a fresh, honest step. I now have tremendous hope for the growth of our relationship. Hugs! ~ january

lunar_rabbit	14 Mar 2002
Quote: The problem was: should I do something with ashes and the candle's remainings? I instinctively buried it all in the ground, close to a very tall cherry tree. Sounds like a perfect thing to do with the ashes. I love burning things, so this type of spell works very well for me. LOL. I tend to let the wind take the ashes away, saying something like "With the power of air, I release thee." But in a sense, I'm really giving them to the earth by doing this too. Because obviously they are going to land somewhere. Your way is just more straightforward. My way is lazier. :-)

catlin	15 Mar 2002
Thanks for this advice. It is a way long better than the way how I put this energy vampire thingie to an end: I passed the letter through the shredder in the office (I am not so fond of burning stuff in my flat because of my kitties and I have no open space to do it unnoticed).

debins	12 Jun 2002
I've just tried this! I feel so utterly free it's unbelievable. I've been on the forum with that wretched competitive problem with my "friend" and upon Diana's suggestion, I looked up The Two Cocoons from previous forums, performed it and WOW!, the flame went high. My heart soared higher. I highly recommend this technique to anyone with a heavy heart. Namaste, Debins.

catlin	17 Jun 2002
Hi debins, Great that you feel much better now!

The The Two Cocoons and the Burning Letter thread was originally posted on 17 Jan 2002 in the Spirituality board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Spirituality, or read more archived threads.