tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80389679029069149732011-09-02T04:11:53.843-07:00mundo ni danino (HALNGIN)Daninonoreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-53050474195891178132011-08-17T21:08:00.000-07:002011-08-17T21:08:46.372-07:002011-08-17T21:08:46.372-07:00Halngin's Magickal Oils<br />
These oils are perfect for candle magick and will aid in spell casting to make every spells effective.<br />
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ALLSPICE: (Pimemta dioica) (Herb and Oil) Burn for prosperity, courage, healing/health, luck, determination, magical power, energy, strength.<br />
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ALOE: A protective house plant. It guards against evil influences and prevents household accidents. In Africa, the aloe is hung over houses and doors to bring good luck and drive away evil.<br />
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ANISE: Anise seeds are an herb of protection said to avert all evil. In ancient Roman times, they were baked into a cake that was served at the end of the wedding feast. Purification, Protection; entices spirits to aid in spells; divination; psychic awareness; youth; In a pillow it wards off nightmares. <br />
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APPLE: Wiccan altars are often piled high with apples during Samhain for the apple is considered to be one of the foods of the dead. For this very reason Samhain is sometimes known as "Feast of Apples". Apples are considered symbols of life and immortality.<br />
The apple has long been used in spells of love. The blossoms are added to love sachets, brews and incenses, and they are infused in melted pink wax, then strained out to make candles suitable to burn for attracting love.<br />
Use apple cider in place of blood where it is called for in old recipes. <br />
Apples and apple blossoms are symbolic of love, healing and immortality. Burn the blossoms as incense, wear the perfume, and make them into herb candles for a handfasting rite. <br />
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BAY LAUREL: Bay leaves were used by the Delphic priestesses. The incense and the leaf are said to produce a prophetic trance. Burn for psychic powers, purification, wish magic, exorcism, healing/health, protection, divination, visions, clairvoyance, energy, power, strength, inspiration, wisdom, meditation, defense, creative word. Put the leaves under your pillow to give inspiration and visions. An herb of the sun, bay brings the light of summer into the darkest time of the year. Carry the leaf or place in the home to ward off illness and hexes.<br />
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CHAMOMILE: Yellow chamomile brings the power of the sun to love potions, money spells and rites of purification. Use in incense for the God. When sprinkled around the house it removes hexes, curses and spells. It can be burned or added to prosperity bags to increase money. Use for: Love; Luck; Fortune; Justice; Prosperity; Purification; Meditation; Rest. <br />
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CINNAMON: (Herb and Oil) Meditation; Defense; Creative Work; Divination; Energy; Power; Protection; Success; Astral Projection; Health and Healing; Love Lust; Money and Riches; Purification. <br />
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MUGWORT: Mugwort is burned with sandalwood or wormwood during scrying rituals, and a mugwort infusion is drunk (sweetened with honey) before divination. The infusion is also used to wash crystal balls and magic mirrors, and mugwort leaves are placed around the base of the ball (or beneath it) to aid in psychic workings. In China it is hung over doors to keep evil spirits for buildings. Mugwort is also carried to increase lust and fertility, to prevent backache, and to cure disease and madness. Placed next to the bed it aids in achieving astral projection. It is said to protect travelers from fatigue, sunstroke, wild animals, and evil spirits.<br />
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ROSEMARY: "Any home where rosemary thrives is a home where the mistress rules." Rosemary when burned, emits powerful cleansing and purifying vibrations, and so is smoldered to rid a place of negativity, especially prior to performing magic. It is one of the oldest incenses. Burn for protection, exorcism, purification, healing, to cause sleep, To restore or maintain youth; to bring love and to increase intellectual powers. Rosemary infusion is used to wash the hands before healing work, and the leaves mixed with juniper berries are burned in sickrooms to promote healing. Rosemary may be substituted for any other herb, in any spell or mixture. It is generally used as a substitute for Frankincense. <br />
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For more info contact: 09273668301<br />
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8038967902906914973-5305047419589117813?l=daninoshadow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-58289296341697233472011-08-13T00:58:00.001-07:002011-08-13T01:00:47.734-07:002011-08-13T01:00:47.734-07:00Psychic Reading ServiceI am using some forms of divination like water scrying (which I learned from my lola), fire scying, wind scrying and tarot in one. Aside from those, I am using two different tarot decks to make sure that I am giving the right answer to your queries/questions<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8038967902906914973-5828929634169723347?l=daninoshadow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-61705116397846898752011-07-27T22:36:00.000-07:002011-07-27T22:46:06.677-07:002011-07-27T22:46:06.677-07:00The So Long Debate...I am walking on pagan path for a decade now and a lot of practitioners are questioning me. Probably, it is quite confusing and can cause conflict for them if your Patron Goddess is a pagan deity and your Patron God is a Christian Deity. Yeah, a lord should be a consort of a lady but that is now always the case. It is about your relationship to the Divine and how you respect Divinity and that relationship is really personal and can't be explained by practitioners who haven't experienced how magickal it can be.<br />
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As a Christo Pagan and worshipper of Aradia, me and my friends came out with a study group students of life which later on embraced paganism in a way that others can't understand and probably will not because of traditional belief about consort thingy and Jesus will never be a consort of Aradia because they did not come from same philosophy and same belief systems but it is my connection to them that I am pondering and continue to stand for.<br />
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As we continue to walk together, we came up with SOL abbreviation of the group Students of Life which also means SUN in Spanish because of the love and the light that we all share.<br />
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No matter how many debate and questions I will face, I will continue to stand for my belief that was shaped by experiences and love.<br />
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Blessed be in Love and in Light,<br />
Danino<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8038967902906914973-6170511639784689875?l=daninoshadow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-65576871219820663072011-07-24T02:40:00.001-07:002011-07-24T02:45:21.443-07:002011-07-24T02:45:21.443-07:00Various WiccanVarious Wiccan<br />
Traditions<br />
Gardnerian Wicca<br />
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A retired British civil servant named Gerald B. Gardner is the 'Grandfather', at the very least, of almost all Neo-Wicca. He was initiated into a coven of Witches in the New Forest region of England in 1939 by a High Priestess named 'Old Dorothy' Clutterbuck. In 1949 he wrote a novel [*High Magic's Aid*] about medieval Witchcraft in which quite a bit of the Craft as practiced by that coven was used. In 1951 the last of the English laws against Witchcraft were repealed (primarily due to the pressure of Spiritualists) and Gardner published *Witchcraft Today*, which set forth a version of the rituals and traditions of that coven. There is an enormous amount of disagreement about virtually every statement I have made in this paragraph.<br />
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Gardnerism is both a tradition and a family, and lineage is a family tree. The High Priestess rules the coven, and the principles of love and trust preside. We follow our handed down book more carefully than many others, but we are free to add and improvise, as long as we preserve the original.<br />
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We work skyclad, practice binding and scourging, are hierarchal and secretive, therefore we are controversial. We're also controversial because we were first - the first craft tradition in the U. S. and descended from the man largely responsible for starting the craft revival. So, we're called the snobs of the Craft, but I think we're as much fun as anyone else; our parties as good, our jokes as bad.<br />
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*Each Gardnerian coven is autonomous and is headed by a High Priestess who can turn to her queen (the High Priestess who trained her) for counsel and advice. This maintains the lineage and creates a pool of experienced and knowledgeable leaders and teachers.<br />
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*Reincarnation and the Wiccan Rede [An it harm none do what you will] are basic tenants of the tradition. Covens are as much as possible composed of male/female pairs for balance. Most working is accomplished with the energy raised by the interaction of the Lord and Lady as represented by the couples in the coven by dancing, chanting, etc.<br />
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*Like many Wiccan traditions, Gardnerians have three degrees. An American Gardnerian must be of the 3rd degree before she can become a HPS. The HPS/HP are responsible for conducting services (circles), training their conveners, and preserving and passing on Gardnerian Craft. *[This material quoted from Converging Paths Newsletter, Kyril, Brita, & Hugh authors.]<br />
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A lot of the controversy surrounding Gardnerianism questions the sources of the rituals and other materials, particularly those appearing in print. It is true that Gardner presented these materials as if they were directly from his New Forest tradition. It is clear, however, that whatever materials the coven may have had when he was initiated, Gerald made a lot of changes and added a great deal. Literary sources of the published Book of Shadows include Blake, Kipling, Yeats and Crowley. Much of the published material was written by Doreen Valiente, a member of the coven for a time and later founder of her own groups and author of many excellent books on the Craft.<br />
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Gardnerian Witches without doubt do have many materials which have not appeared in print, however, their emphasis on secrecy has made them a punch line in the Wiccan social world. How many Gardnerians does it take to change a light bulb? That's a secret! Their High Priestess will usually be called 'Lady' Soandso and High Priest, 'Lord Whats-his-name'. [This is far more true in the U. S. than it is in England.]<br />
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Alexandrian Wicca<br />
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*As most everyone by now is aware, the Alexandrian Tradition is very close to Gardnerian with a few minor changes. (One of the most obvious ones being that the Alexandrians use the athame as a symbol for the element of fire and the wand as a symbol for air. Most of the rituals are very formal and heavily indebted to ceremonial magick. It is also a polarized tradition and the sexuality of that female/male polarity is emphasized. The ritual cycle deals mostly with the division of the year between the Holly King and the Oak King and several ritual dramas deal with the dying/resurrected God theme. As with Gardnerians, the High Priestess is supposedly the highest authority. However, it is odd that the primary spokespersons for both traditions have been men. [*This material provided by Gillan]<br />
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Alexandrian Wicca is the creation of Alex Sanders (with his then wife Maxine) who claimed to have been initiated by his grandmother in 1933. It's principal proponents are Janet and Stewart Fararr whose books set forth most, if not all, of the Alexandrian tradition. Contrary to popular belief, the name Alexandrian refers not to Alex Sanders, but to Ancient Alexandria.<br />
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Although similar to Gardnerian Wicca, Alexandrian Wicca tends to be more eclectic, and liberal. Some of Gardnerisms strict rules, such as the requirement of ritual nudity, have been made optional by Alexandrian Wicca.<br />
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Mary Nesnick, an American initiate in Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions founded a 'new' tradition called Algard. This tradition brings together both Gardnerian and Alexandrian teachings under a single banner. This was possible due to the great similarities between the two traditions.<br />
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Dianic Wicca<br />
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*The Dianic Craft includes two distinct branches:<br />
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*1. One branch, founded in Texas by Morgan McFarland and Mark Roberts, gives primacy to the Goddess in its theology, but honors the Horned God as Her Beloved Consort. Covens are mixed, including both women and men. This branch is sometimes called 'Old Dianic', and there are still covens of this tradition, especially in Texas. Other covens, similar in teleology but not directly descended from the McFarland/Roberts line, are sprinkled around the country.<br />
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*2. The other branch, sometimes called Feminist Dianic Witchcraft, focus exclusively on the Goddess and consists of women-only covens and groups. These tend to be loosely structured and non-hierarchical, using consensus- decision- making and simple, creative, experimental ritual. They are politically feminist groups, usually very supportive, personal and emotionally intimate. There is a strong lesbian presence in the movement, though most covens are open to women of all orientations. The major network is Re-Formed Congregation of the Goddess, which publishes "Of a Like Mind" newspaper and sponsors conferences on Dianic Craft. [* Amber K]<br />
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Celtic Wicca (Church of Wicca)<br />
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The Church of Wicca was founded by Gavin and Yvonne Frost. They offer correspondence courses in their brand of Wicca, which is sometimes called Celtic Wicca. The Church of Wicca has just recently begun including a Goddess in their deity structure, and has been very patrofocal as Wiccan traditions go. The Church of Wicca terms itself "Baptist Wicca"<br />
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*The Frosts call their tradition of Wicca Celtic. To me it seems more of a mixture of high magic and eclectic Wicca, with a smattering of Celtic thrown in. For instance, they use three circles, one within the others, made of salt, sulphur and herbs with runes and symbols between them instead of just one circle. They also insist on a white- handled athame and will not have a black handled one, whereas all the other traditions I have heard or read about use a black handled one. It seems to me the Wicca they practice and teach should not be called Celtic at all; but since a lot of it is made up or put together by them from other traditions they should also give it a made-up name; say Frostism. If you DON'T have to pay for the course, and have some extra time, it would probably be worth reading just for comparison. [*From Circe, who took their correspondence course.]<br />
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The Frosts have always been rather more public than most traditions (advertising their course in the Enquirer and similar publications) which has earned them heavy criticism in less public Craft groups.<br />
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Georgian Wicca<br />
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If one word could best describe the Georgean Tradition, it would be 'eclectic. Even though the material provided to students was nominally Alexandrian, there was never any imperative to follow that path blindly. George Patterson (the tradition's founder) always said 'If it works use it, if it doesn't, don't'. The newsletter was always full of contributions from people of many traditions. I've always felt Pat's intent was to provide jumping off points for students and members. So even though I can claim initiation into more than one tradition, I'll always consider myself 'Georgian first: George is greatly missed, may the God-dess watch over him. Bright Blessings, Lord Fafner.<br />
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Discordianism (Erisian)<br />
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*The Discordian or Erisian movement is described as a 'Non- Prophet Irreligious Disorganization and has claimed 'The Erisian revelation is not a complicated put-on disguised as a new religion, but a new religion disguised as a complicated put-on. " It all started with the *'Principia Discordia, or How I Found the Goddess and What I Did to Her When I Found Her'*, a collection of articles and ideas compiled by Greg Hill (Malaclypse the Young-er). The central theme is 'Chaos is every bit as important as Order' as illustrated in the story of The curse of Greyface:<br />
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*Humor is central to Discordianism, but Discordianism should not be dismissed as a joke. Profound experiences frequently accompany the practice or Erisinaism. It is a perceptual game, one which demonstrates that the absurd is just as valid as the mundane and chaos is just as valid as order. It frees the practitioner from the order games (that most have forgotten are games) to play games with order or games with chaos, or both. The effects of Discordianism upon an individual can be far reaching and amazingly liberating. [Although a great many immature individuals have played at Discordianism and thereby side stepped any chance of spiritual growth whatsoever<br />
Grey Cat *wryly*]<br />
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This information is used with the gracious permission of the author listed below and cannot be reused without her expressed written permission.<br />
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Written by:<br />
Grey Cat<br />
High Priestess<br />
NorthWind Tradition of American Wicca<br />
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<b>ADDITIONAL TRADITIONS(FROM WIKIPEDIA)</b><br />
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<b>Faery Wicca</b>, or Fairy Wicca is an umbrella term that refers to any tradition of modern Wicca that places an emphasis on the Fey (gnomes, elves, faeries, sprites, etc.), their lore, and their relation to the natural world.<br />
"Faery Wicca" may also refer to a specific tradition of Wicca, recently founded by author Kisma Stepanich. Adherents of Stepanich's Faery Wicca claim that it recovers the traditions of the Tuatha De Danaan, the mythological precursors to the Celtic people;[1] however, this is disputed by those familiar with ancient Celtic polytheism and mythology.[2] Stepanich's Faery Wicca draws liberally on some degree of Irish mythology, from the author's interpretation of Celtic history, legend, pseudohistory, imagination, and a variety of non-Celtic sources.[1][2]<br />
Faery Wicca is not related to the late Victor Anderson's Feri Tradition of witchcraft, which is sometimes also spelled Faery or Fairy, nor is it directly related to the gay men's group, the Radical Faeries. Though Faery Wicca may draw inspiration from some of the customs practiced among the ancient and modern Celts, it shares more with other modern Wiccan and Neo-Wiccan traditions than with the "Fairy Faith" as it is known in traditional Gaelic cultures.[2]<br />
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<b>Seax-Wica</b> is a tradition, or denomination, of the neopagan religion of Wicca which is largely inspired by the iconography of the historical Anglo-Saxon paganism, though, unlike Theodism, it is not a reconstruction of the early mediaeval religion itself.[1]<br />
The tradition was founded in 1973 by Raymond Buckland, an English-born High Priest of Gardnerian Wicca who moved to the United States in the 1970s. His book, The Tree, was written with the intent for it to be a definitive guide to Seax-Wica, and was published in 1974 by Samuel Weiser, though subsequently republished in 2005 as Buckland's Book of Saxon Witchcraft. There are also on-line Books of Shadows for the tradition on assorted websites.<br />
The tradition primarily honours Germanic deities such as Woden and Freya, and are seen as representations of the Wiccan deities of the Horned God and the Mother Goddess, and uses a minimal set of the usual ceremonial tools and a spear. Runes are significant and regularly discussed. To the reconstructionists of the ancestral religion called Asatru, the followers of Seax-Wica are commonly mistaken as Wicca-tru, because of the misconception that followers of Seax-Wica claims historical authenticity. The use of the same term is sometimes used by followers of Seax-Wica as meaning fluffy bunny.<br />
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<b>Correllian Nativist Tradition</b>, also known as Correllian Wicca, is a Wiccan tradition which was created by Orpheis Caroline High CorrellCarolin High Correll, an American practicing psychic, spiritual healer, and herbalist, in the early 20th century. She claimed descent from interracial relationships between Cherokee Didanvwisgi (medicine men) and Scottish traditional witches who were allegedly influenced by Aradian witchcraft and the Spiritualist Church; launching the tradition at what is now known as Correll Mother Temple in Danville, Illinois on September 4, 1879, she would head the church until her death in 1940.<br />
While not known internally as a "Wiccan" tradition until the 1990s (Orpheis Caroline initially called it a "Nativist" tradition, but the tradition would become increasingly affiliated with the Wiccan current in the 1970s under its third first priestess, LaVeda High-Correll), it adopted the trend toward eclecticism and universalism which would later typify most of the early Wiccan traditions.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8038967902906914973-6557687121982066307?l=daninoshadow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-67765374213887688202011-07-23T05:22:00.000-07:002011-07-23T05:22:16.959-07:002011-07-23T05:22:16.959-07:00Ritual Theory & Technique by Colin Low, 1990Ritual Theory & Technique by Colin Low, 1990<br />
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1. Introduction<br />
2. Magical Consciousness<br />
3. Limitation<br />
4. Essential Steps<br />
5. Maps & Correspondences<br />
6. Conclusion<br />
1. Introduction<br />
These notes attempt to say something useful about magical ritual. This is difficult, because ritual is invented, and any sequence of actions can be ritualised and used to symbolise anything; but then something similar can be said about words and language, and that doesn't prevent us from trying to communicate, so I will make the attempt to say something useful about ritual, and try to steer a path between the Scylla of anthropology and sweeping generalisations, and the Charybdis of cultish parochialism. My motivation for writing this is my belief that while any behaviour can be ritualised, and it is impossible to state "magical ritual consists of this" or "magical ritual consists of that", some magical rituals are better than others. This raises questions of what I mean by "goodness" or "badness", "effectiveness" or "ineffectiveness" in the context of magical work, and I intend to duck this with a pragmatic reply. A magical ritual is "good" if it achieves its intention without undesired side effects, and it is "bad" if the roof falls on your head. Underlying this definition is another belief: that magical ritual taps a raw and potentially dangerous (and certainly amoral) psychic force which has to be channelled and directed; traditional forms of magical ritual do that and are not so arbitrary as they appear to be.<br />
An outline of ceremonial magical ritual (in the basic form in which it has been handed down in Europe over the centuries) is that the magician works within a circle and uses consecrated tools and the magical names of various entities to evoke or invoke Powers. It seems to work. Or at least it works for some people some of the time. How *well* does it work? That's a fair question, and not an easy one to answer, as there is too much ego at stake in admitting that one's rituals don't always work out. My rituals don't always work - sometimes nothing appears to happen, sometimes I get unexpected side effects. The same is true of those magicians I know personally, and I suspect the same is true of most people. Even at the mundane level, if you've ever tried to recreate a "magical moment" in a relationship, you will know that it is hard to stand in the same river twice - there is an elusive and wandering spark which all too often just wanders.<br />
In summary, I like to know why some rituals work better than others, and why some, even when that elusive spark is present, go sour and call up all the wrong things - these notes contain some of my conclusions. As I have tried to lift the rug and look underneath the surface, the approach is abstract in places; I prefer to be practical rather than theoretical, but if magic is to be anything other than a superstitious handing-down of mumbo- jumbo, we need a model of what is happening, a causality of magic against which it is possible to make value judgements about what is good and bad in ritual. Traditional models of angels, spirits, gods and goddesses, ancestral spirits and so on are useful up to a point, but these are not the end of the story, and in penetrating beyond these "intermediaries" the magician is forced to confront the nature of consciousness itself and become something of a mystic.<br />
The idea that the physical universe is the end product of a "process of consciousness" is virtually a first principle of Eastern esoteric philosophy, it is at the root of the Kabbalistic doctrine of emanation and the sephiroth, and it has been adopted by many twentieth century magicians as a useful complement to whatever traditional model of magic they were weaned on - once one has accepted that it is possible to create "thought-forms" and "artificial elementals" and "telesmic images", it is a small step to admitting that the gods, goddesses, angels, and spirits of traditonal magic may have no reality outside of the consciousness which creates and sustains them. This is what I believe personally on alternate days of the week. On the remaining days I am happy to believe in the reality of gods, goddesses, archangels, elementals, ancestral spirits etc. - in common with many magicians I sit on the fence in an interesting way. There is a belief among some magicians that while gods, goddesses etc may be the creations of consciousness, on a par with money and the Bill of Rights, such things take on a life of their own and can be treated as if they were real, so while I take the view that magic is ultimately the manipulation of consciousness, you will find me out there calling on the Powers with as much gusto as anyone else.<br />
2. Magical Consciousness<br />
The principle function of magical ritual is to cause well-defined changes in consciousness. There are other (non-magical) kinds of ritual and ceremony - social, superstitious, celebratory etc - carried out for a variety of reasons, but magical ritual can be distinguished by its emphasis on causing shifts in consciousness to states not normally attainable, with a consequence of causing effects which would be considered impossible or improbable by most people in this day and age.<br />
The realisation that the content of magical ritual is a means to an end, the end being the deliberate manipulation of consciousness, is an watershed in magical technique. Many people, particularly the non-practicing general public, believe there is something inherently magical about ritual, that it can be done, like cooking, from a recipe book; that prayers, names of powers, fancy candles, crystals, five-pointed stars and the like have an intrinsic power which works by itself, and it is only necessary to be initiated into all the details and hey presto! - you can do it. I believe this is (mostly) wrong. Symbols do have magical power, but not in the crude sense implied above; magical power comes from the conjunction of a symbol and a person who can bring that symbol to life, by directing and limiting their consciousness through the symbol, in the manner of icing through an icing gun. Magical power comes from the person (or people), not from the superficial trappings of ritual. The key to ritual is the manipulation and shifting of consciousness, and without that shift it is empty posturing.<br />
So let us concentrate on magical consciousness, and how it differs from the state of mind in which we normally carry out our business in the world. Firstly, there isn't a sudden quantum jump into an unusual state of mind called magical consciousness. All consciousness is equally magical, and what we call magical depends entirely on what we consider to be normal and take for granted. There is a continuum of consciousness spreading away from the spot where we normally hang our hat, and the potential for magic depends more on the appropriateness of our state for what we are trying to achieve than it does on peculiar trance states. When I want to boil an egg I don't spend three days fasting and praying to God; I just boil an egg. One of the characteristics of my "normal" state of consciousness is that I understand how to boil an egg, but from many alternative states of consciousness it is a magical act of the first order. So what I call magical consciousness differs from normal consciousness only in so far as it is a state less appropriate for boiling eggs, and more appropriate for doing other things.<br />
Secondly, there isn't one simple flavour of magical consciousness; the space of potential consciousness spreads out along several different axes, like moving in a space with several different dimensions, and that means the magician can enter a large number of distinct states, all of which can be considered different aspects of magical consciousness.<br />
Lastly, it is normal to shift our consciousness around in this space during our everyday lives, so there is nothing unusual in shifting consciousness to another place. This makes magical consciousness hard to define, because it isn't something so extraordinary after all. Nevertheless, there is a difference between walking across the road and walking around the world, and there are differences between what I call normal and magical consciousness, even though they are arbitrary markers in a continuum. There is a difference in magnitude, and there is a difference in the "magnitude of intent", that is, will. Magic takes us beyond the normal; it disrupts cosy certainties; it explores new territory. Like new technology, once it becomes part of everyday life it stops being "magical" and becomes "normal". We learn the "magic of normal living" at an early age and forget the magic of it; normal living affects us in ways which the magician recognises as magical, but so "normal" that it is difficult to realise what is going on. From the point of view of magical consciousness, "normal life" is seen to be a complex magical balancing act, like a man who keeps a hundred plates spinning on canes at the same time and is always on the point of losing one. Magical consciousness is not the extraordinary state: normal life is. The man on the stage is so busy spinning his plates he can spend no time doing anything else.<br />
A characteristic of magical consciousness which distinguishes it from normal consciousness is that in most magical work the magician moves outside the "normally accessible" region of consciousness. Most "normal people" will resist an attempt to shift their consciousness outside the circle of normality, and if too much pressure is applied they panic, throw- up, become ill, have hysterics, call the police or a priest or a psychiatrist, or end up permanently traumatised. Sometimes they experience a blinding but one-sided illumination and become fanatics for a one-sided point of view. Real, detectable shifts in consciousness outside the "normal circle" are to be entered into warily, and the determined ritualist treads a thin line between success, and physical and psychical illness. A neophyte in Tibet swears that he or she is prepared to risk madness, disease and death, and in my personal experience this is not melodramatic - the risks are real enough. It depends on temperament and constitution - some people wander all over the planes of consciousness with impunity, some find it extremely stressful, and some claim it never did them any harm (when they are clearly as cracked as the Portland Vase). The grosser forms of magic are hard to do because body and mind fight any attempt to move into those regions of consciousness where it is possible to transcend the "normal" and create new kinds of normality.<br />
The switch into magical consciousness is often accompanied by a feeling of "energy" or "power". Reality becomes a fluid, and the will is like a wind blowing it this way and that. Far out.<br />
There are several traditional methods for reaching abnormal states of consciousness: dance, drumming, hallucinogenic and narcotic substances, fasting and other forms of privation, sex, meditation, dreaming, and ritual, used singly and in combination. These notes deal only with ritual. Magical ritual has evolved organically out of the desire to reach normally inaccessible regions of consciousness and still continue living sanely in the world afterwards, and once that is understood, its profundity from a psychological point of view can be appreciated.<br />
3. Limitation<br />
The concept of limitation is so important in the way magical ritual has developed that it is worth taking a look at what it means before going on to look at the basics of ritual.<br />
We are limited beings: our lives are limited to some tens of years, our bodies are limited in their physical abilities, and compared to all the different kinds of life on this planet we are clearly very specialised compared with the potential of what we could be, if we had the choice of being anything we wanted. Even as human beings we are limited, in that we are all quite distinct from oneanother, and guard that individuality and uniqueness as an inalienable right. We limit ourselves to a few skills because of the effort and talent required to acquire them, and only in exceptional cases do we find people who are expert in a large number of different skills - most people are happy if they are acknowledged as being an expert in one thing, and it is a fact that as the sum total of knowledge increases, so people (particularly those with technical skills) are forced to become more and more specialised.<br />
This idea of limitation and specialisation has found its way into magical ritual because of the magical (or mystical) perception that, although all consciousness in the universe is One, and that Oneness can be perceived directly, it has become limited. There is a process of limitation in which the One (God, if you like) becomes progressively structured and constrained until it reaches the level of thee and me. The details of this process (sometimes called "The Fall") lies well outside a set of notes on ritual technique, and being theosophical, is the sort of thing people like to have long-winded arguments about, so I am not going to say much about it. What I *will* say is that magicians and mystics the world over are relatively unanimous in insisting that the normal everyday consciousness of most human beings is a severe *limitation* on the potential of consciousness, and it is possible, through various disciplines, to extend consciousness into new regions; this harks back to the "circle of normality" I mentioned in the previous section. From a magical point of view the personality, the ego, the continuing sense of individual "me-ness", is a magical creation with highly specialised abilities, an artificial elemental or thoughtform which consumes all our magical power in exchange for the kind of limitation necessary to survive, and in order to work magic it is necessary to divert energy away from this obsession with personal identity and self-importance.<br />
Now, consider the following problem: you have been imprisoned inside a large inflated plastic bag. You have been given a sledghammer and a scalpel. Which tool will get you out faster? The answer I am looking for is the scalpel: a way of getting out of large, inflated, plastic bags is to apply as much force as possible to as sharp a point as possible. Magicians agree on this principle - the key to successful ritual work is a "single-pointed will". A mystic may try to expand consciousness in all directions simultaneously, to encompass more and more of the One, to embrace the One, perhaps even to transcend the One, but this is hard, and most people aren't up to it in practise. Rather than expand in all directions simultaneously, it is much easier to *limit* an excursion of consciousness in one direction, and the more precise and well-defined that limitation to a specific direction, the easier it is to get out of the bag. Limitation of consciousness is the trick we use to cope with the complexity of life in modern society, and as long as we are forced to live under this yoke we can make a virtue out of a necessity, and use our carefully cultivated ability to focus attention on minutiae to burst out of the bag.<br />
What limitation means in practise is that magical ritual is designed to produce specific and highly *limited* changes in consciousness, and this is done by using a specific map of consciousness, and there are symbolic correspondences within the map which can be used in the construction of a ritual - I discuss this later. The principle of limitation is a key to understanding the structure of magical ritual, and a key to successful practice.<br />
To summarise the last two sections, I would say the characteristics of a "good" ritual are:<br />
Entry into magical consciousness and the release of "magical energy".<br />
A limitation of consciousness to channel that energy in the correct direction, with minimal "splatter".<br />
Without the energy there is nothing to channel. Without the limitation, energy splatters in all directions and takes the path of minimal psychic resistance to earth. A magical ritual is the calculated shifting and limitation of consciousness.<br />
4. Essential Steps<br />
There is never going to be agreement about what is essential in a ritual and what is not, any more than there will ever be agreement about what makes a good novel. That doesn't mean there is nothing worth discussing. The steps I have enumerated below are suggestions which were handed down to me, and a lot of insight (not mine) has gone into them; they conform to a Western magical tradition which has not changed in its essentials for thousands of years, and I hand them on to you in the same spirit as I received them.<br />
These are the steps:<br />
1. Open the Circle<br />
2. Open the Gates<br />
3. Invocation to the Powers<br />
4. Statement of Intention and Sacrifice<br />
5. Main Ritual<br />
6. Dismissal of Powers<br />
7. Close the Gates<br />
8. Close the Circle<br />
4.1 Open the Circle<br />
The Circle is the place where magical work is carried out. It might literally be circle on the ground, or it could be a church, or a stone ring, or a temple, or it might be an imagined circle inscribed in the aethyr, or it could be any spot hallowed by tradition. In some cases the Circle is created specifically for one piece of work and then closed, while in other cases (e.g. a church) the building is consecrated and all the space within the building is treated as if it is an open circle for long periods of time. I don't want to deal too much in generalities, so I will deal with the common case where a circle is created specifically for one piece of work, for a period of time typically less than one day.<br />
The Circle is the first important magical limit: it creates an area within which the magical work takes place. The magician tries to control everything which takes place within the Circle (limitation), and so a circle half-a-mile across is impractical. The Circle marks the boundary between the rest of the world (going on its way as normal), and a magical space where things are most definitely not going on as normal (otherwise there wouldn't be any point in carrying out a ritual in the first place). There is a dislocation: the region inside the circle is separated from the rest of space and is free to go its own way. There are some types of magical work where it may not be sensible to have a circle (e.g. working with the natural elements in the world at large) but unless you are working with a Power already present in the environment in its normal state, it is useful to work within a circle.<br />
The Circle may be a mark on the ground, or something more intangible still; my own preference is an imagined line of blue fire drawn in the air. It is in the nature of consciousness that anything taken as real and treated as real will eventually be accepted as Real - and if you want to start a good argument, state that money doesn't exist and isn't Real. From a ritual point of view the Circle is a real boundary, and if its usefulness is to be maintained it should be treated with the same respect as an electrified fence. Pets, children and casual onlookers should be kept out of it. Whatever procedures take place within the Circle should only take place within the Circle and in no other place, and conversely, your normal life should not intrude on the Circle unless it is part of your intention that it should. Basically, if you don't want a circle, don't have one, but if you do have one, decide what it means and stick to it. There is a school of thought which believes a circle is a "container for power", and another which believes a circle "keeps out the nasties". I subscribe to both and neither of these points of view. From a symbolic point of view, the Circle marks a new "circle of normality", a circle different from my usual "circle of normality", making it possible to keep the two "regions of consciousness" distinct and separate. The magician leaves everyday life behind when the Circle is opened, and returns to it when the Circle is closed, and for the duration adopts a discipline of thought and deed which is specific to the type of magical work being undertaken; this procedure is not so different from that in many kinds of laboratory where people work with hazardous materials. The circle is both a barrier and a container. This is a kind of psychic sanitation, and in magic "sanity" and "sanitary" have more in common than spelling.<br />
Opening a Circle usually involves drawing a circle in the air or on the ground, accompanied by an invocation to guardian spirits, or the elemental powers of the four quarters, or the four watchtowers, or the archangels, or whatever. The details aren't so important as practicing it until you can do it in your sleep, and you should carry it out with the same attitude as a soldier on formal guard duty outside a public building. You are establishing a perimeter under the watchful "eyes" of whatever guardians you have requested to keep an eye on things, and a martial attitude and sense of discipline creates the right psychological mood.<br />
4.2 Opening the Gates<br />
The Gates in question are the boundary between normal and magical consciousness. Just as opening the Circle limits the ritual in space, so opening the Gates limits the ritual in time. Not everyone opens the Gates as a separate activity; opening a Circle can be considered a de-facto opening of Gates, but there are good reasons for keeping the two activities separate. Firstly, it is convenient to be able to open a Circle without going into magical consciousness; despite what I said about not bringing normal consciousness into the Circle, rules are made to be broken, and there are times when something unpleasant and unwanted intrudes on normal consciousness, and a Circle can be used to keep it out - like pulling blankets over your head at night. Secondly, opening the Gates as a separate activity means they can be tailored to the specific type of magical consciousness you are trying to enter. Thirdly, just as bank vaults and ICBMs have two keys, so it is prudent to make the entry into magical consciousness something you are not likely to do on a whim, and the more distinct steps there are, the more conscious effort is required. Lastly - and it is an important point - I open the circle with a martial attitude, and it is useful to have a breathing space to switch out of that mood and into the mood needed for the invocation. Opening the Gates provides an opportunity to make that switch.<br />
4.3 Invocation to the Powers The invocation to the Powers is often an occasion for some of the most laboured, leaden, pompous, grandiose and turgid prose ever written or recited. Tutorial books on magic are full of this stuff. "Oh glorious moon, wreathed in aetherial light...". You know the stuff. If you are invoking Saturn during a waxing moon you might be justified in going on like Brezhnev addressing the Praesidium of the Soviet Communist Party, but as in every other aspect of magic, the trick isn't what you do, but how you do it, and interminable invocations aren't the answer. On a practical level, reading a lengthy invocation from a sheet of paper in dim candlelight requires so much conscious effort that it is hard to "let go", so I like keep things simple and to the point, and practice until I can do an invocation without having to think about it too much, and that leaves room for the more important "consciousness changing" aspect of the invocation.<br />
An invocation is like a ticket for a train, and if you can't find the train there isn't much point in having the ticket. Opening the Gates gets you to the doorstep of magical consciousness, but it is the invocation which gets you onto the train and propels you to the right place, and that isn't something which "just happens" unless you have a natural aptitude for the aspect of consciousness you are invoking. However, it does happen; people tend to begin their magical work with those areas of consciousness where they feel most at home, so they may well have some initial success. Violent, evil people do violent and evil conjurations; loving people invoke love - most people begin their magical work with "a free ticket" to some altered state of consciousness, but in general, invoking a specific aspect of consciousness takes practice and I don't expect immediate results when I invoke something new. If interminable tracts of deathless prose work for you, then fine, but I find it hard to keep a straight face when piety and pomposity combine to produce the sort of invocations to be found in print. I name no names.<br />
I can't give a prescription for entering magical consciousness. Well devised rituals, practised often, have a way of shifting consciousness which is surprising and unexpected. I don't know why this happens; it just does. I suspect the peculiar character of ritual, the way it involves the senses and occupies mind and body simultaneously, its numinous and exotic symbolism, the intensity of preparation and execution, involve dormant parts of the mind, or at least engage the normal parts in an unusual way. Using ritual to cause shifts in consciousness is not exceptionally difficult; getting the results you want, and avoiding unexpected and undesired side-effects is harder. Ritual is not a rational procedure. The symbolism of magic is intuitive and bubbles out of a very deep well; the whole process of ritual effectively bypasses the rational mind, so expecting the outcome of a ritual to obey the dictates of reason is completely irrational. The image of a horse is appropriate: anyone can get on the back of a wild mustang, but reaching the point where horse and rider go in the same direction at the same time takes practice. The process of limitation described in these notes can't influence the natural waywardness of the animal, but at least it is a method for ensuring that the horse gets a clear message.<br />
4.4 Statement of Intention and Sacrifice<br />
If magical ritual is not to be regarded as a form of bizarre entertainment carried out for its own sake, then there has to be a reason for doing it - healing, divination, personal development, initiation, and the like. If it is healing, then it is usually healing for one specific person, and then again, it is probably not just healing in general, but healing for some specific complaint, within some period of time. The statement of intention is the culmination of a process of limitation which begins when the Circle is opened, and to return to the analogy of the plastic bag, the statement of intention is like the blade on the scalpel - the more precise the intention, the more the energy of the ritual is concentrated to a single point.<br />
The observation that rituals work better if their energy is focussed by intention is in accord with experience in everyday life: any change involving other people, no matter how small or insignificant, tends to meet with opposition. If you want to change the brand of coffee in the coffee machine, or if you want to rearrange the furniture in the office, someone will object. If you want to drive a new road through the countryside, local people object. If you want to raise taxes, everyone objects. The more people you involve in a change, the more opposition you encounter, and in magic the same principle holds, because from a magical point of view the whole fabric of the universe is held in place by an act of collective intention involving everything from God downwards. When you perform a ritual you are setting yourself up against a collective will to keep most things the way they are, and your ritual will succeed only if certain things are true:<br />
you are a being of awesome will.<br />
you have allies. The universe is changing, there is always a potential for change, and if your intention coincides with an existing will to bring about that change, your ritual can act as a catalyst.<br />
you limit your intention to minimise opposition; the analogy is the diamond cutter who exploits natural lines of cleavage to split a diamond.<br />
Suppose you want to bring peace to the world. This is an admirable intention, but the average person would have no more effect (with or without magic) on the peacefulness of the world than they would if they attempted to smash Mount Everest with a rubber hammer. Rather than worry about the peacefulness of the whole world, why not use your ritual to create a better relationship with your spouse, or your boss, or someone who really annoys you? And why not work on the specific issues which are the main source of friction. And try to improve things within a specified period of time. And do it in a way which respects the other person's right to continue being a pain in the arse if they so wish? This is the idea behind focussing or limiting an intention. Having said all this, there are a lot of people in the world who would appreciate some peace, and perhaps your grand intention to bring peace might catch a wave and help a few, so don't let me put you off, but as a general principle it is sensible to avoid unnecessary opposition by making the intention as precise as possible. Think about sources of opposition, and about ways of circumventing that opposition - there may be a simple way which avoids making waves, and that is when magic works best. Minimising opposition also reduces the amount of backlash you can expect - quite often the simplest path to earth for any intention is through the magician, and if there is a lot of opposition that is what happens. [The very act of invoking power creates a resonance and a natural channel through the magician.]<br />
I try to analyse the possible outcomes and consequences of my intentions. There is a popular view that "if it harms none, do what you will". I can think of many worse moral principles, and it is better than most, but it is still naive. It pretends that it is theoretically possible to live without treading on another person's toes, it leaves me to make unilateral decisions about what is or is not harmful to others, and it is so wildly unrealistic, even in the context of everyday life, that it only seems to make sense if I intend to live in seclusion in a wilderness living off naturally occuring nuts and berries (having asked the squirrels for permission). If it is used as a moral principle in magic, then it draws an artificial distinction between magical work and the "push me, push you/if it moves, shoot it, if it doesn't, cut it down" style of contemporary life. It completely emasculates free-will. I prefer to believe that just about anything I do is going to have an impact on someone or something, and there are no cute moral guidelines; there are actions and there are outcomes. The aim is not to live according to guidelines, but to understand as fully as possible the consequences of the things we do, and to decide, in the light of our understanding (which has hopefully kept pace with our power), whether we are prepared to live with the outcomes.<br />
And so to sacrifice. There is a problem here. The problem arises from the perception that in magic you don't get something for nothing, and if you want to bring about change through magic you have to pay for it in some way. So far so good. The question is: what can you give in return? There is a widespread belief that you can sacrifice a living creature, and while most magicians (self included) abhor the idea, the perpetuation of this idea is still being used as a stick to beat the magical and pagan community about the head. The issue is further complicated by the fact that if one looks at surviving shamanistic practices worldwide, or looks at the origins of most religions, ritual animal sacrifice is endemic. That doesn't make it right, and I have an unshakeable prejudice that it isn't an acceptable thing to do, but I am only too aware of my hypocrisy when I order a chicken curry, so I'm not going to stand on a soapbox and rant on about it.<br />
What I prefer to do is to examine what the notion of sacrifice means. What can one legitimately sacrifice? You can't legitimately sacrifice anything which is not yours to give, and so the answer to the question "what can I sacrifice" lies in the answer to the question "what am I, and what have I got to give?". You certainly aren't any other living being, and if you don't make the mistake of identifying yourself with your possessions you will see that the only sacrifice you can make is yourself, because that is all you have to give. Every ritual intention requires that you sacrifice some part of yourself, and if you don't make the sacrifice willingly then either the ritual will fail, or the price will be exacted anyway. I don't have a rational justification for this statement, and it certainly isn't based on "karma" or a paranoid feeling that accountants are everywhere; the belief was handed on to me as part of my magical training, and having observed the way in which "magical energy" is utilised to carry out intentions, it makes sense. Each person has a certain amount of what I will call "life energy" at their disposal - some people call it "personal power", and you can sacrifice some of that energy to power the ritual. Sacrifice does not mean turning the knife on yourself (and there are plenty of people who do that). What it means in ordinary down-to-earth terms is that you promise to do something in return for your intention, and you link the sacrifice to the intention in such a way that the sacrifice focuses energy along the direction of your intention. For example, my cat was ill and hadn't eaten for three weeks, so, as a last resort, fearing she was about to die of starvation, I carried out a ritual to restore her appetite, and as a sacrifice I ate nothing for 24 hours. I used my (real) hunger to drive the intention, and she began eating the following day.<br />
Any personal sacrifice which hurts enough engages a deep impulse to make the hurt go away, and the magician can use that impulse to bring about magical change by linking the removal of the pain to the accomplishment of the intention. And I don't mean magical masochism. We are (subject to all caveats on generalisations) creatures of habit who find comfort and security by living our lives in a particular way, and a change to that habit and routine causes some discomfort and an opposing desire to return to the original state: that desire can be used. Just as a ritual intends to change the world in some way, so a sacrifice forces us to change ourselves in some way, and that liberates magical energy. If you want to heal someone, don't just do a ritual and leave it at that; become involved in caring for them in some way, and that *active* caring can act as a channel for whatever power you have invoked. If you want to use magic to help someone out of a mess, provide them with active, material help as well; conversely, if you can't be bothered to provide material help, your ritual will be infected with that same inertia and apathy - true will, will out, and in many cases our true will is to flatter the ego and do nothing substantive. I speak from experience.<br />
From a magical perspective each one of us is a magical being with a vast potential of power, but that is denied to us by an innate, fanatical, and unbelievably deep-rooted desire to keep the world in a regular orbit serving our own needs. Self- sacrifice disturbs this equilibrium and lets out some of that energy, and that is why egoless devotion and self-sacrifice has a reputation for working miracles.<br />
4.5 The Main Ritual<br />
After invoking the Powers and having stated the intention and sacrifice, there would seem to be nothing more to do, but most people like to prolong the contact with the Powers and carry out some kind of symbolic ritual for a period of time varying from minutes to days. Ritual as I have described it so far may seem like a cut-and-dried exercise, but it isn't; it is more of an art than a science, and once the Circle and Gates are opened, and the Powers are "in attendance", whatever science there is in ritual gives way to art. Magicians operate in a world where ordinary things have complex symbolic meanings or correspondences, and they use a selection of consecrated implements or "power objects" in their work. The magician can use this palette of symbols within a ritual to paint of picture which signifies an intention in a non-verbal, non-rational way, and it is this ability to communicate an intention through every sense of the body, through every level of the mind, which gives ritual its power. I can't say any more about this because it is personal and unique to every magician, and each one develops a style which works best for them.<br />
4.6 Dismissal of Powers<br />
Once the ritual is complete the Powers are thanked and dismissed. This begins the withdrawal of consciousness back to its pre-ritual state.<br />
4.7 Close Gates/Close Circle<br />
The final steps are closing the Gates (thus sealing off the altered state of consciousness) and closing the Circle (thus returning to the everyday world). The Circle should not be closed if there is any suspicion that the withdrawal from the altered state has not been completed fully. I like to carry out a sanity check between closing the Gates and closing the Circle. It sometimes happens that although the magician goes through the steps of closing down, the attention is not engaged, and the magician remains in the altered state. This is not a good idea. The energy of that state will continue to manifest in every intention in everyday life, and all sorts of unplanned things will start to happen. A related problem is that every magician will find sooner or later an altered state which compensates for some of their perceived inadequacies (in the way that many people like to get drunk at parties), and they will not want to let go of it because it makes them feel good, so they come out of the ritual in an altered state without realising they have failed to close down correctly. This is called obsession, and it is one of the interesting difficulties of magical work.<br />
Closing down correctly is important if you don't want to end up like a badly cracked pot. If you don't feel happy that the Powers have been completely dismissed and the Gates closed correctly, go back and repeat the steps again.<br />
5. Maps & Correspondences<br />
If consciousness is imagined as a space we can move around in, then it is a space of several dimensions. An indespensible tool for any magician is a method for describing this space and its dimensions, a method to specify the "the coordinates of consciousness", like giving a map reference. The magician uses such a descriptive method to say "this is where I want to get to", and you can imagine a ritual as a vehicle which transports him or her to the destination and back again.<br />
A descriptive method of this type is one of the most obvious and characteristic features of a particular magical technique, because states of consciousness are usually described using a dense mesh of symbolism and metaphor, and if a magical tradition has been around for any length of time it becomes identified by the details of this symbolism. Given the tendency for maps to be confused with territory, there is a tendency for symbolism to take on a life of its own and become completely detached from authentic magical technique. People confuse magical symbolism with magic; its use as a coordinate system is lost, vast tomes of drivel are written, and every manner of absurdity follows.<br />
I am a Kabbalist by training and use a map of consciousness called "The Tree of Life". This map has been coloured in using a thousand years of symbolism, and the result is called "the Correspondences", and it is a system which allows me to navigate around the dimensions of consciousness with some precision. There are many other maps, some well worn by history, some not, and my choice is a matter of personal preference. It works for me because of the kind of person I am, but it is only a map and I wouldn't pretend that there was anything intrinsically special about it.<br />
Many magicians operate within a religious framework. The Christian Mass is a magical ritual par excellence, and there are several other magical rituals associated with Christianity. Some magicians work within a pantheon - Graeco-Roman, Egyptian, Scandinavian, Aztec or whatever. Some (e.g. Crowley) invent their own religion. A characteristic of all these systems is that they provide a complex mesh of symbol and metaphor, a map for the magician to work within. For any pantheon it is usually straightforward (with some bending, stretching and hitting with a hammer) to identify a personification for the following aspects of consciousness:<br />
heaviness, old-age, stagnation, limitation, inertia<br />
creativity, inspiration, vision, leadership<br />
violence, force, destructiveness<br />
harmony, integrity, balance, wholeness<br />
love, hate, passion, sensual beauty, aesthetics, emotional power, nurture<br />
reason, abstraction, communication, conceptualisation, logic<br />
imagination, instinct, the unconscious<br />
practicality, pragmatism, stolidity, materialism<br />
And once we have gods and goddesses (or saints) to personify these qualities, a weave of metaphors and associations elaborates the picture; the Moon is instinct, fire is both destructive and energetic, death is a sythe, air and mercury are "the same", and so on. The meaning of a symbol is personal - white means "death" to some and "purity" to others. What matters is that the magician should have a clear map, and with it the ability to invoke different aspects of consciousness by using the symbolism of gods, goddesses, archangels, demons or whatever. It does not matter whether the magician believes in the literal reality of the territory or not, as long as he or she treats the map with respect and does not muddy the water by dabbling with too many different maps. There are two principal ways in which maps become muddled, and as the main theme of these notes is the precise use of limitation in conjuction with magical consciousness, I think it is worth mentioning what I see as potential pitfalls. The first pitfall is mixing systems; the second is working with other people.<br />
There is a tendency nowadays to muddle different systems of correspondences together, to add Egyptian gods to a Kabbalistic ritual, to say that Tanith is really the same as Artemis, or that Cybele and Astarte and Demeter are "just" different names for the Mother Goddess, to find parallels between Thor and Mars, between Kali and Hecate, between the Virgin Mary and Isis, until, like different colours of paint mixed together, everything ends up in shades of muddy brown. This unifying force is everywhere as people find universal themes and try to make links between groups and systems.<br />
It is (in my opinion) a bad idea to mix systems together in a spirit of ecumenical fervour. Correspondences are like intentions: the sharper and more clearly defined they are, the better they work. Despite a few similarities, the Virgin Mary is nothing like Isis, and Demeter has very little in common with Astarte. Syncretism usually takes place slowly over the centuries, so that for most people there is no distinction between the classical Greek and Roman pantheons and Mercury is a synonym for Hermes, but to do it in real-time in your own head is a recipe for muddle-headedness.<br />
Symbols can be diffused when people work together in a group. It is a mistake to believe that "power" is raised in direct proportion to the number of people taking part in a ritual. Unless people have been trained together and have similar "maps", then the ritual will have a different effect on each person, and although more power may be raised, it will be unfocussed and will probably earth itself through unexpected channels. When people begin working together there will be a period of time when their work together will probably be less effective than any one of them working alone, but after a time their "maps" begin to converge and things start to improve dramatically. There is nothing magical about this - it is a phenomenon of teams of people in general. I don't like "spectator rituals" for this reason; you are either in it or your are out, and if you are out, you are out the door.<br />
Does it matter what map, what system of correspendences a person uses? Is there a "best" set? This is an impossible question to answer. What can be said is that working within any magical framework incurs a cost. The more effective a magical system is at limiting, engaging and mobilising the creative power of consciousness, the more effective it is at ensnaring consciousness within its own assumptions and limitations. If a person works within a belief system where the ultimate nature of God is pure, unbounded love, joy and bliss, then that closes off other possibilities.<br />
Without sitting in judgement of any set of beliefs, I would say that the best belief system and the best system of correspondences is one which allows consciousness to roam over the greatest range of possibilities, and permits it the free-will to choose its own limitations. And that is a belief in itself.<br />
6. Conclusion<br />
The gist of these notes is that ritual is a technique for focussing magical power through the deliberate use of limitation. Limitation comes from the belief system of the magician, and the set of correspondences used to create symbolism within the ritual. Further limitation comes from the structure of the ritual itself, and ultimately from the statement of intention. With practise these elements add up to a single-mindedness which can shift consciousness out of its normal orbit.<br />
Unknown Source<br />
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Ritual Construction by Rev. Xul<br />
I must first advise you in why this is such a short essay. It is meant to be basic in its construction to allow one as much space needed to utilize the template for personalization. Normally, I would not feel the need to state this beforehand, but there is an amusing but often unproductive trend on occult and satanic related websites these days that demands this statement's inclusion: the need for preconstructed rituals. Though some of these "to-the-detail" ritual templates can be helpful, they leave little or no room for personalization, one of the very msot important things in a ritual. It must come from you to be the utmost fruitful. With that all said, here is the guide.<br />
The first thing you need is a purpose. There is no point in doing a ritual just for the sake of doing it. It is not something to practice, it's something to utilize when needed. A tool, not a show. Common purposes are: Love, Protection, Lust, and Destruction. The majority of these listed are with a positive polarity; while destruction falls into a negative catagory. Many will tell you that these come back on you and karma will come for you. This is generally false and only true if you believe it to be so. When you project energy believing that it will come back on you, you are assigning yourself to the goal as well as the intended target, thus pulling it back on yourself. The main reason I'd assume this comes from would be the inclusion in many cultures of god-fearing and the stripping of nature's laws of survival. Ignore this, for the only true laws are that of nature.<br />
The second thing to consider is method. The most basic consists of a depiction of your target and you doing whatever is neccesary to project the feelings and energy upon that depiction. Other more common practices include Evocation and Invocation. Evocation is channelling your energies to force a spirit into a specified area and thus commanding it to carry out your goal. It can be commonly found in Goetic and Enochian texts. Invocation is channelling energy to call a spirit to where you are and asking it to carry out the request. The ways of going about this vary from person to person and should be entirely up to you. I suggest reading be done on all methods before deciding what you would like to utilize and how you would go about it.<br />
Here are some things to consider for a ritual. <br />
Location - Where would you like to carry out your ritual? it is said often that a quiet place where you will absolutely not be disturbed is best, as concentration and focus are vital to a successful working.<br />
Setting/Mood - This should be defined by the goal. Whatever assists in attaining the maximum output of emotion pertaining to your goal is best. Incense, Candles, Music, and Oils are all commonly used.<br />
Well, I hope this could be of some use to the newcomer and even give maybe a bit of insight or grounding to the adept. Always remember, you have to want your goal to happen or it won't.<br />
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Creation of Rituals <br />
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Ritual, is created by the symbolism of traditional associations, and it is also designed within a certain structure. The three main elements of ritual are the opening ceremonies, the offering, or the act, and then the closing of the ritual. The opening ceremony is often designed to clear away unnecessary energies, thoughts and emotions, to cast the circle and to call upon the elements. Then the magician may call upon a god or goddess to assist in the ritual act. The mid-point of the ceremony, the offering as I have called it, is the point at which the act of destructive magic is cast, or put into working. The closing of the ceremony is often brief and it is designed to end the ceremony with symbolic closure, to let the spell take effect. The elemental energies are banished and the ritual circle is closed.<br />
When writing a ritual, it should have one specific purpose to it, and this purpose should be all-inclusive. Stay with a structure, but be creative in its creation and implication- the magician should do whatever it takes (within the reason of law) to elevate the self to the proper mind state. Care for the preparation of the ritual is an important element as well. You must have all things gathered and ready when the chosen time has come. A well structured ritual is not haphazardly done, it is with purposeful intent and meaning, with specific meaning behind every moment.<br />
The most important thing about ritual creation is to stay true to the intent. Make logical choices when it comes to calling upon a deity. Intent is the most important motivation behind creating a ritual; so examine this intent, to gain deeper understanding. Traditional ritual magic requires that the method presented should be adhered to, as closely as possible. If you are using a ritual that is new and unfamiliar, some of its elements may not be understood without careful research and study.<br />
The creation of a proper ritual starts with pencil and paper, and an idea or inspiration. You will write out the materials used and the steps that will be taken, so that you can use it during the ritual and for future reference. You may even choose to take notes for your experience, just for reference. With time, you will have a collection of unique rituals that you can look through and use. A spiral notebook is sufficient for such writings and it will allow you to have access to your notes whenever you need reference.<br />
Author Unknown<br />
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Basic Principles Of Ritual Magick<br />
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“The public profession of magic has been one of the roads by which men have passed to supreme power, it has contributed to emancipate mankind from the thrall of tradition and to elevate them into a larger, freer life, with a broader outlook on the world. This is no small service rendered to humanity.” J.G. Frazer<br />
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All of us are born with an innate ability to create ritual. The human body is in effect a biological battery, capable of channeling cosmic energy [or: divine current] through the diligent practice of ritual- be it ceremonial magick, yoga, trance, meditation, religious devotion, or ecstatic dance. The practice of magical ritual is ideal because it does not require special talents, religious affiliations, or even a belief in magick to work<br />
A tablet of ancient Hermetic wisdom known as the tabula smargdinia, or emerald tablet, states: that which is above is like that which is below- revealing the most important axiom of magic. When we create ritual, we are attempting to communicate with the divine by mimicking its precepts on earth. This creates an open channel between the earthly and the spiritual realms. By becoming a mirror of the universe, we become the universe.<br />
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Some form of ceremonial magick is common to all cultures, and while the methods vary, the underlying principal is always the same- that by aligning oneself with the laws of the universe, one can become a conduit for divine energy. Ritual is the basis of all religious practice, and the purpose is always the same. In its basest form, it is used to accomplish earthly goals- the achievement of wealth, power, or love- but all of these, in one sense or another, can debase the practitioner and separate him from his true will. This book will not be concerned with charms and folk magic, or with the basics of ritual magick, but with creating the harmony between the practitioner and the universal current- the ultimate aim of magick.<br />
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In practicing magick, it is appropriate and even preferable that the aspirant (student) learns and practices historical ritual. This gives one the building blocks necessary for successful practice, and helps to open channels of communication with one’s spiritual self. However, it cannot be stressed enough how important it is to tailor one’s practice individually- and this means that one must learn to create one’s own ritual. The purpose of all ritual magick is to perfect the microcosm- the self- in order to commune with the macrocosm- the divine. The purpose of ritual magick is to create within one’s self a perfect mirror of the divine- what the mystics have termed Union with God, and in magick, the Summum Bonum, or Great Work.<br />
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The creation of this mirror is achieved by bringing the disparate elements of one’s self into balance. This requires a mapping of one’s interior, in order to determine one’s strengths and weaknesses. In magick, this mapping is accomplished through analysis of one’s astrological chart, and by reconciling one’s attributes with the Kabalistic Tree of Life, with which you are no doubt familiar. Our astrological chart is the pattern for our personality, and our innate strengths and weaknesses. The Tree of life is the Macrocosm, the map of the universe and the perfected magician. When one brings one’s self into harmony with the Tree of Life, one will achieve divine union.<br />
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Ritual is our tool for creating balance within ourselves, which is why it is of vital importance to tailor one’s practice to one’s individual requirements. In the following chapters, we will discuss the creation of one’s personal Tree of life, the principals of ritual, and the building blocks of ritual creation. You will have the tools necessary to create and travel upon the path to the divine, to create sacred space, and to protect yourself from negativity and outside interference.<br />
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If you have been practicing a ritual magick tradition for any length of time, you will have no doubt noticed changes in your life already- your perception of reality will be greatly expanded, your focus will be sharp, and you have the necessary tools to begin the next stage of your journey. <br />
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The Invocation of Lilith -- A Rite of Dark Sexuality<br />
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*WARNINGS*: Lilith is a primal egregore of the dark animal. She is unfettered sexual dominance and power. This invocation should not be attempted by those with little background in ceremonial magic, nor by those who harbour unresolved psychological problems related to sexuality.If blood is to be drawn, or sexual activities ensue, all precautions pertaining to the prevention of diseases borne by blood or sexual fluids should properly be observed. It may be wise to appoint a "guardian" who shall "observe" the rite as it proceeds from a detached viewpoint and intervene if the participants, in their excess, are about to commit dangerous acts. The guardian should cast hir own circle of protection about hirself. The guardian should only intervene if there is a threat of serious bodily harm; otherwise, events must be allowed to transpire as they will. Anyone fearful of the possible psychological effects of this rite would do well not to participate in it in the first place. It is not for the timid.<br />
With these caveats, all discretion pertaining to these matters is left to the participants. The authors assume no responsibility for the irresponsibility of the participants in performance of this rite. You have been warned!<br />
Materials:<br />
- Black, and/or purple candles<br />
- Musk incense<br />
- A silver chalice<br />
- A scourging whip ("cat-o-nine-tails" type)<br />
- Black cape, preferable satin (for Main Operator)<br />
- Red wine<br />
- A (sterile) scalpel or x-acto knife (to draw blood)<br />
- A fairly decent music playback system, and an ominous, sexual musical selection. (Diamanda Galas, "Deliver Me From My Enemies" or This Mortal Coil, "Filigree and Shadow" are excellent choices, but this is left up to the participants.<br />
Preparation:<br />
Lilith is the primal feminine aspect of dark sexuality. For that reason, it is the opinion of the authors that invocation is more likely to succeed if the Main Operator is female. This is not to discount the possibility of success with a male M.O., but he must be able to contact his primal feminine nature strongly enough to succeed at invoking she who is the most fundamental of all feminine demons. The participants may be either male or female or a mixture of both in any proportion.The applications of this rite vary considerably. Since it is a combined Lunar/Saturnine working, it may be approached as a ritual rehearsal of sex and death (very Thanateros-ian, eh?) - much like Carroll's Thanateros Invocation from _Liber Kaos_. As presented here, it is a ritual of liberation and is also used to bring forth a Word Of Power from the egregore for subsequent use by the participants; therefore the Statement of Intent reflects this intention. The Statement should be tailored to properly express the intentions of a particular working.<br />
The Rite:<br />
0. Large black candles are arranged in a circle around the temple space and lit, as is copious quantities of incense. The room should be thick with smoke.<br />
1. Banish by LBRP, GPR, Vortex or other procedure as desired.<br />
2. The Main Operator, naked beneath the black robe, takes position in the middle of the circle. She holds the scourge in her right hand. Other participants sit in a circle around the M.O. The music begins.<br />
3. The Statement of Intent is declared by the M.O. and echoed by all participants: "It is our Will to invoke the egregore of Lilith, so that by her spirit we experience the power of Sex and Death and obtain her Word Of Power!"<br />
4. The following passage (see notes) is recited by the M.O. to invoke the persona of Lilith into hir body and mind: "I am the daughter of Fortitude and ravished every hour from my youth. For behold, I am Understanding, and science dwelleth in me; and the heavens oppress me. They covet and desire me with infinite appetite; for none that are earthly have embraced me, for I am shadowed with the Circle of the Stars, and covered with the morning clouds. My feet are swifter than the winds, and my hands are sweeter than the morning dew. My garments are from the beginning, and my dwelling place is in myself. The Lion knoweth not where I walk, neither do the beasts of the field understand me. I am deflowered, yet a virgin; I sanctify and am not sanctified. Happy is he that embraceth me: for in the night season I am sweet, and in the day full of pleasure. My company is a harmony of many symbols, and my lips sweeter than health itself. I am a harlot for such as ravish me, and a virgin with such as know me not. Purge your streets, O ye sons of men, and wash your houses clean; make yourselves holy, and put on righteousness. Cast out your old strumpets, and burn their clothes and then I will bring forth children unto you and they shall be the Sons of Comfort in the Age that is to come."<br />
5. The participants then begin chanting the mantra of Lilith. As they chant, the Main Operator must sink into a deep gnostic trance and invoke the spirit of Lilith into hir body."Flesh she will eat, blood she will drink!" (repeat)<br />
6. As the chant continues, one participant (the Secondary Operator) recites the following: "Dark is she, but brilliant! Black are her wings, black on black! Her lips are red as rose, kissing all of the Universe! She is Lilith,who leadeth forth the hordes of the abyss, and leadeth man to ruin! She is the irresistible fulfiller of all lust, seer of desire. First of all women was she - Lilith, not Eve was the first! Her hand brings forth the revolution of the Will and true freedom of the mind! She is KI-SI-KIL-LIL-LA-KE, Queen of the Magic Circle! Look on her in lust and despair!<br />
7. The participants begin to chant "Lilith! Lilith! Lilith!" repeatedly as the the M.O. invokes the Lilithian egregore. One by one they pass around the scalpel and cut their left thumb and anoint their foreheads with blood. They then pass around the chalice (which is filled with red wine) and touch it to their foreheads one by one. After all have done so, it is taken to the M.O. who drains it in a single draught. This is the climax of the invocation.<br />
8. If the invocation is successful, all participants should feel the emotions of simultaneous fear, lust and the urge to submit. Forced over-breathing or another variation of Death Posture should be used to deepen each participant's level of gnosis until they come close to fainting. As they are overcome by these emotions, they should fall to the ground and prostrate themselves before Lilith.<br />
9. What proceeds next is not specified, but left up to the will of the egregore. She may choose to scourge the participants, or mock them or entice them or seduce them. She may force them to commit various unspeakable acts of lust upon her or each other. All participants must submit to her will, whatever it may be - it would be dangerous in the extreme to do otherwise; do not risk the wrath of Lilith!<br />
10. Eventually the energy of the group will begin to wane. At this point, the S.O. (prompted by the guardian, if nessesary) will rise and face the M.O. and recite the following in a commanding voice:<br />
"Black Moon, Lilith, sister darkest,<br />
Whose hands form the hellish mire,<br />
At my weakest, at my strongest,<br />
Molding me as clay from fire.<br />
Black Moon, Lilith, Mare of Night,<br />
You cast your litter to the ground<br />
Speak the Name and take to flight<br />
Utter now the secret sound!"<br />
11. The M.O. from within the depths of the Lilith-trance, will call out a name, as the legendary Lilith did call out the unutterable name of God to rise up from Eden into the heavens. It is not known in advance what this word will be, but it will most certainly be a Word of Power to be used subsequently by the participants in further magickal work.<br />
12. If all has been done properly, the spirit of Lilith will flee the M.O. at the calling of the Name, and s/he will likely fall to the ground, spent. The guardian or S.O. should then draw an upright pentagram over the M.O., a full facial lustration of cold water is administered to hir, and s/he is called forth by her ordinary name until s/he responds.<br />
13. The temple is banished and closed.<br />
Notes:<br />
The invocation is the text of a message delivered by an unidentified spirit entity to Sir Edward Kelly in 1592 during a scrying ritual. Kelly, along with Dr. John Dee (Queen Elizibeth's Royal Astrologer), originated the Enochian system of magic. The vision of this entity so frightened Kelly that he abandoned the working of magic from that day forward. Though Kelly never identified the entity, in our opinion it represented the Lilith egregore. The calling forth of Lilith is adapted from "The Hymn to Hecate" by Frater U:.D:. Copyright © 2008 Property of Into The Darkness.<br />
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Lilith Rituals for Modern Pagans<br />
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Lilth is the Divine Lady Owl and the original bad-ass chick, the <br />
archetypal seductress and the personification of the dangeous <br />
feminine glamour of the Moon. Lilith is the wanton winged goddess of erotic dreams. She is a symbol of the fobidden pleasures and <br />
beguiling sorcery. Is it any wonder she is so poplular nowdays?<br />
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Our most familar image of Lilith comes from a terra-cotta relief <br />
from Sumer, dated to around 2000 B.C. Her, she is depicted as an <br />
attractive, winged woman with clawed feet, surounded by owls and <br />
standing on two lion that face in opposite directions.<br />
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Generally speaking, Lilith has ties to the mythologies of the <br />
Sumerians, Babylonians, and Hebrew cultures. To the Babylonians she was known as Lilitu; to the Sumerians, Bellit-illi or Belili. A Sumerian fragment recorded her name and described Lilith as a <br />
maiden, "the hand of Innana." She was sent by Innana to bring men <br />
into the temple, In Hebrew mythology, whe was known as a screech owl or night hag.<br />
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Lilith was the first wife of Adam, and she demanded equality in all things. When she refused to lie submissive beneath him, Adam <br />
complained to his creator about Lilith's "shrewish" behavior. Having had enough, Lilith spoke the hidden name of God and flew away to her home in the Red Sea. the more docile Eve was created to take her place.<br />
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Lilith was also associated with the Queen of Sheba, and in medieval France she was known as La Reine Perauque, which translates, "the queen with the bird's foot." Lilith was thought to fly at night along with her twelve daughters, the Lilim. Together, the enticed young men who slept.<br />
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To modern Witches and Pagans, Lilith is a patroness of Witches and goddess of the waning Moon. Lillith was described by the author <br />
Doreen Valiente in her book ABC of Witchcraft, as an enticing <br />
sorceress, a beautiful vampire, and the ultimate femme fatale. <br />
Lilith stands for desire, pleasure, and sexual love - not for the <br />
purpose of procreation but simply for the enjoyment. Besides her <br />
obvious associations with sexuality, Lilith represents wisdom, <br />
renewal, equality, feminine power, and independence. Lility <br />
encourages us to live on our own terms. She is a powerful role model for women, and as long as we remember that sex, like magic, should never be used to coerce, harm, or control another person in any way, we can use Lilith energy to improve our lives and relationships.<br />
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Lilith's sacred animals are the owl and the lion. Owl magick or <br />
medicine has an interesting connection to Lility. Because it has a noiseless flight, the owl traditionally symbolizes secrets, wisdom, and silence. LThe owl swoops silently down on prey, just as Lilith was believe to, and so people who cary the owl as a totem animal often are a little spookier than average. Their natural clairvoyance leads them to perceive and detect what other folks want to keep hidden.<br />
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Lilith Clairvoyance<br />
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People who ar close to Lilith therefore often experience an owl-like insight, seeing pirctures or receiving images of people and places, Learning to control this "talent," for those of us who have always had it, takes effort and discipline. Being a clairvoyant, though it can be useful, is not always a barrel of laughs - many images can be overwhelming and or disturbing. When I was younger I couldn't even shake a person's hand without recieving a fast shuffle of images and feelings. I had no type of shield or buffer to mitigate the swirl of emotions. When I began to avoid touching anybody, people misinterpreted that as being rude or snobbish. It wasn't until I grew older that I learned a few shielding techniques to protect myself.<br />
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For instance, learning to work with owlmedicine was a great help to me. The owl is all-seeing, certainly, but she is also wise enough to be still, and to watch and wait. Futhermore, working with dark goddess energy taught me the value of acceptance. If you need help learning to deal with yourself just as you are, then Lilith can be a powerful ally.<br />
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If you are to try magic with Lilith, her magical correspondences are:<br />
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Planetary association: Saturn<br />
Moon Phase: Waning Moon<br />
Oil: Patchouli (also a sexual stimulent for men)<br />
Plants: Lily, willow tree and red roses.<br />
Animals: Owls and lions<br />
Crystals: Carnelian for desire, and ruby for power<br />
Colors: Red and black (use in candles and perhaps in lingerie)<br />
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Author Unknown<br />
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The Art of Vampyrism by Daimon Egan<br />
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We will now provide the reader with instructions to release the<br />
Vampyric essence. Perform the ritual which follows only one or<br />
two times a week. You may begin to experience immortality and,<br />
yes, power beyond your wildest dreams.<br />
Choosing a suitable subject is a private matter--we leave that to<br />
our reader's intuition. Once you have made your choice, stick to<br />
that one project for several weeks (beginners improve with prac-<br />
tice).<br />
IMPORTANT! DO NOT ANTICIPATE RESULTS! YOU MUST HAVE <br />
COMPLETE AND<br />
ABSOLUTE FAITH IN THE POWER OF YOUR PSYCHE! REMAIN COOL <br />
AND<br />
CONFIDENT AT ALL TIMES!<br />
Perform the ritual PASSIONATELY and with total singularity of<br />
purpose! Upon completion, blow out the candles and relinquish all<br />
thoughts pertaining to the ritual--that is, of course, until the<br />
next time.<br />
Above all, do not tell anything to anyone. Your victim must be<br />
kept totally ignorant about your nocturnal proceedings.<br />
Preparations<br />
The altar, positioned against the west wall, should be draped<br />
with a black cloth. Above and behind the altar, at eye level,<br />
hangs a black inverted cross. If you are using a photo, affix it<br />
to the wall, just beneath the crucifix.<br />
Upon the altar you must have the following items: two black<br />
candles with holders (additional lighting may be provided by<br />
black candles throughout the chamber), a ceremonial dagger, a<br />
human skull (or reasonable facsimile), a bell (the loud, clanging<br />
variety), and a chalice.<br />
Music<br />
Egan's favorite is Night On Bald Mountain by Mussorgski. A fabu-<br />
lous sorceress we know loves Blade Runner and the theme from<br />
Miami Vice. Whatever you choose, remember that setting--the<br />
correct "tone" is extremely important. Do experiment.<br />
Elixir<br />
In this working the chalice must be filled with some red liquid<br />
which the celebrant enjoys. It matters not what it is. What is<br />
important is that it represents the blood of the sacrifice.<br />
p73The Black Flame<br />
As mentioned in Dante's Inferno, it must be placed in the center<br />
of the altar. A sterno can provides the bluish-black flame.<br />
Dress<br />
Black, of course!<br />
An amulet bearing the inverted pentagram must be worn.<br />
Rite<br />
Ring bell in following sequence--six times in the direction of<br />
the south, six times toward the east, and six times toward the<br />
north. Lift dagger and point it at crucifix--recite the invoca-<br />
tion.<br />
Invocation<br />
"In nomine dei nostri Satanas Luciferi Excelsi! In the name of<br />
the Master Satan, His Excellency Lucifer, I command the forces of<br />
Darkness and the Infernal Power within!"<br />
(Trace the cross with the dagger--top to bottom, then right to<br />
left.)<br />
(Light the Black Flame--continue with invocation.)<br />
"The Black Flame is kindled, and the Gates of Hell swing wide<br />
open, revealing the dreaded daimon _________ who comes forth to<br />
work His/Her will upon creation! Beware foolish mortals, for it<br />
is my double which now comes and appears before ye!<br />
Behold! I am the god of yesterday, today, and tomorrow - the<br />
Guardian of Time and Eternity! Beside the Prince of Darkness - an<br />
equal (in strength)! Sovereign! Unique! Undefiled in Wisdom! Un-<br />
matched in Strength! My astrological mission? Accomplished! My<br />
Satanic destiny? Realized and fulfilled!<br />
I call upon the elements to serve me and the forces of creation<br />
to manifest my desires!!! Arise!!! Enter into this working by the<br />
words of which follow:"<br />
<br />
(Again, point the dagger at the crucifix--recite the Invocation<br />
of the Elements:)<br />
p73<br />
Invocation of the Elements<br />
"Vampyre!! Dracula!! I seize upon and manifest the power of the<br />
Vampyre. Come forth Dracula, that I may use your form to execute<br />
my most Exalted and Daimonic Will! Color my imagination with<br />
stirring legend and folklore! Cloak me in layers of invisibility<br />
and secrecy. Bestow upon me stalk and flight - the form of wolf<br />
and bat! Enable me with sharp fang that I may pierce deep, suck-<br />
ing hard and rich, fresh warm blood of my chosen sacrifice!"<br />
(Raise chalice towards crucifix as an Offering, dipping the index<br />
finger of your right hand into the liquid. As you speak your<br />
victim's name (below), run that finger over the rim of the chal-<br />
ice in a counter-clockwise direction.)<br />
"I partake of this chalice, the Vessel of Life, and gorge myself<br />
on the essence of him/her whose name is as this sound, (victim's<br />
name)."<br />
(Drink from chalice - drain it completely!)<br />
(You are now ready to summon forth the Four Crown Princes of<br />
Hell! As you pronounce each Name, trace the sign of the inverted<br />
pentagram in the air directly in front of you at full arms reach,<br />
using the ceremonial dagger.<br />
The Summoning<br />
"Come forth O' Mighty Prince! Accompany me! Make your presence<br />
known to me!"<br />
Face the south)<br />
"Satan!!"<br />
(face the east<br />
"Lucifer!!"<br />
(face the north)<br />
"Belial!!"<br />
(face the altar)<br />
"Leviathan!!"<br />
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The Grand Conjuration<br />
"Behold the evil spirit of _________, leaving a black shadow over<br />
the earth. "Beware!! Beware!!" scream the ravens of the night!!<br />
By foot, by paw, by wing and claw, I hunt for quarry!! Through<br />
the angles of the curved dimensions I travel, flying out across<br />
the hot winds of Hell!! Concealed beneath my flowing cape, a<br />
crystal reveals where you hide!! I seek you ________, I find you<br />
________, I track you down ________!!! Behold my fangs as I dive<br />
for your throat!! Feel my sharp, pointed teeth as they pierce<br />
your tender flesh!!<br />
Huge leathery bat wings enfold you and surround you, making a<br />
prison from which there is no escape!! Hungry jouls tear into<br />
you, sucking deep!! Greedily gorging myself, I consume frantical-<br />
ly all that there is!! Fresh life force now courses through MY<br />
veins!!"<br />
(The ritual now builds to a climax as you directly confront your<br />
victim -<br />
Extend arms, fingers outstretched as if "reaching out" to his/her<br />
image.<br />
With the effort of your Supreme Will, repeat the following COM-<br />
MAND several times until exhaustion ensues:)<br />
"I DRAIN YOUR DAYS!!! I DRAIN YOUR NIGHTS!!!"<br />
"...with ever increasing power, the form of the Vampyre ________<br />
does manifest itself!! Look upon me, ________. Set your eyes upon<br />
my hypnotic stare ; you feel pulled - drawn towards my evil<br />
glare!! My gaze is as deep as a bottomless well ; you find your-<br />
self tumbling, falling - YOU FELL!! All awareness is of me. You<br />
have forgotten who you are ; you have NO identity!! You are but a<br />
vassal, a vessel, a shell ; obey my commands - you are under my<br />
spell!!<br />
I drain you. I drain you again and again ; again & again & again<br />
& again ; there is no end, until the last drop I've tasted. Your<br />
soul is now mine ________. You are wasted!!<br />
The Vampyre is, the Vampyre was, the Vampyre shall be ; my <br />
Phan-<br />
tom will live through eternity!! And mortals? THEY FEAR ME!! As<br />
they should. Take care not to anger me ; if they would!! For I<br />
speak the ineffable WORDS of POWER!!<br />
p73<br />
Madariatza, torezodu!!! Oadariatza orocaha aboaperi!!! Tabaori<br />
periazoda aretabasa!!! Adarepanu coresata dobitza!!! Yolacame<br />
periazodi arecoazodiore, od quasabe qotinuji!!! Ripire paaotzata<br />
sagacore!!! Umela od peredazodare cacareji aoiveae coremepeta!!!<br />
Torezodu!!! Zodacare od zodameranu, asapeta sibesi butamona das<br />
surezodasa tia balatanu.!!! Odo cicale qaa, od ozodazodama pe-<br />
lapeli IADAMANA!!!<br />
By the Powers of darkness and Shadow and Light, I return to my<br />
body; I'm soon out of sight - ready to strike another night!!<br />
Until then, the coffin's shut tight..."<br />
(Replace lid on sterno, covering the Black Flame.)<br />
(Ring bell in opposite direction to Opening - clockwise.)<br />
"SO IT IS DONE!!!<br />
(Blow out candles.)<br />
(END OF RITE)<br />
******************************<br />
Translation of above -<br />
Open wide the Gates of Hell!! The Lower Heavens beneath you, let<br />
them serve you!! Govern those who govern!! Cast down such as<br />
fall. Bring forth those that increase and destroy the rotten. No<br />
place, let it remain in One Number. Add and diminish until the<br />
stars be numbered!! Arise!! Move!! And appear before the covenant<br />
of His mouth, which hath sworn unto us in His justice. Open the<br />
mysteries of your creation, and make us partakers of His under-<br />
standing!!"<br />
.........Keep the Hellfires burning........ <br />
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Invocation to Nehellania<br />
<br />
<br />
Perform this during the Dark Moon if possible, and when casting Circle move counter clockwise from the East. <br />
Items needed: sword.<br />
<br />
Stand before the altar with arms raised and say:<br />
"Dark Mother, let your power flow through the body of your daughter/son and out again to repel and destroy all negative thoughts and deeds that are directed against me."<br />
<br />
Stand in silence as you draw down the power, then face East, raise your sword in greeting and say:<br />
"Hail Chichiri, great One of the East, Whose airy eyes see all in the Element of Air!<br />
I do summon you here to protect and defend me."<br />
<br />
Move to the North and say:<br />
"Hail Tamahome, great One of the North, Whose green eyes see all in the Element of Earth!<br />
I do summon you here to protect and defend me."<br />
Go to the West and say:<br />
"Hail Hotohori, great One of the West, Whose liquid eyes see all in the Element of Water!<br />
I do summon you here to protect and defend me."<br />
Finally at the South say:<br />
"Hail Tasuki, great One of the South Whose bright eyes see all in the Element of Fire!<br />
I do summon you here to protect and defend me."<br />
Place your hands on the sword and say:<br />
"Great Dark Mother, I call on You to build up this protection,<br />
To send back all the wrong that has been done to me."<br />
Raise your sword high and say:<br />
"Dark Mother, Queen of the Night, there is one who stands against me.<br />
Let his/her efforts fail.<br />
Let him/her go down in the darkness.<br />
May You judge his/her wrongfulness and lies as he/she stands before<br />
You in the courts of Hell.<br />
May his/her efforts be lost in the darkness with no light to guide him/her..<br />
I am Your child, protect me, Dark Mother!"<br />
Rest the sword with the point on the ground between your feet. Say:<br />
"Dark Mother, help me to reach my goals, to live my life to the fullest, to walk a path of balance.<br />
Sweep away all barriers built by those who want me to fail.<br />
Crush the evil sent against me!<br />
Sweep its remains back into the body and brain of the one who sent it!<br />
The evil is dead!<br />
My attacker tastes his/her just rewards!<br />
His/her mouth is full of ashes, his/her thoughts of nightmares, his/her life of unfulfillment.<br />
Only once he/she ends his/her attacks and hatred shall he/she know peace again!<br />
I stand under the sword and the hand of the Goddess! So mote it be!"<br />
Draw a pentagram on the floor between your feet with the sword and say:<br />
"It is done!"<br />
Replace sword on the altar (or if too large like mine, simply lean it against the altar) and say:<br />
"Your hands protect me from Dark Moon to Dark Moon.<br />
Your sword covers me from Dark Moon to Dark Moon.<br />
Your care shelters me from Dark Moon to Dark Moon.<br />
All love and honor to the Dark Mother Nehellania!"<br />
This is the time for any further spell working or to finish other ritual matters.<br />
When finished take your sword to the east and raise it in greeting, and say:<br />
"Farewell Chichiri! My thanks for your protection and defense. Depart in peace, blessed be!"<br />
At the North say:<br />
"Farewell Tamahome! My thanks for your protection and defense. Depart in peace, blessed be!"<br />
At the West say:<br />
"Farewell Hotohori! My thanks for your protection and defense. Depart in peace, blessed be!"<br />
At the South say:<br />
"Farewell Tasuki! My thanks for your protection and defense. Depart in peace, blessed be!"<br />
Stand before altar with arms raised and say:<br />
"My thanks to the Dark Goddess Nehellania and to all who have helped here this night.<br />
Depart in peace, blessed be!"<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Bless and eat the Simple Feast, and finish closing the Circle.<br />
Nehellania is another name for the Norse Hel. Her name means Nether Moon, a direct linking with her underworld kingdom Niflheim, Nef-hel, or Nifl. She is the Queen of the Dead and rules over dark magick and revenge.<br />
<br />
<br />
Invocation to Satan<br />
<br />
AVE SATANA!<br />
Hail, Satan,<br />
Lord of Darkness,<br />
King of Hell,<br />
Ruler of the Earth,<br />
God of this World!<br />
God Who invites us to become as gods!<br />
Muse of our civilization,<br />
Dread Enemy of its tyrant god!<br />
Satan, mighty Liberator,<br />
Bearer of true Light!<br />
God of our flesh,<br />
God of our minds,<br />
God of our innermost Will!<br />
O mighty Lord Satan,<br />
teach us to become strong and wise!<br />
Teach us to vanquish the enemies<br />
of our freedom and well-being!<br />
REGE SATANA!<br />
<br />
Copyright © 2002 Diane Vera. All rights reserved.<br />
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The Ritual of the Lord's Prayer Backwards by Stephen Bleach<br />
This ritual, on the surface, appears to be just an attempt to blaspheme Christianity, so what use is it you might say. Our whole society and culture is built upon the Judeo-Christian mind-set. So, even if we do not consciously subscribe to any "Christian" belief system per se, our thinking has been from birth hard wired with the damaging and sometimes crippling poison of Nazarene morality structures.<br />
So then, the purpose of this simple but effective rite is to help you remove the harm done by Christian indoctrination. More than this, when the ritual is performed in the correct attitude, many things will rise to the surface of the magician's consciousness: issues, guilt, shame, or whatever! The point is that when this awareness occurs, the thing is identified, isolated and cast forth from the magician's being. If done successfully, the magician will be just that little more free to be that which nature intended.<br />
<br />
This rite was recommended by the author of that classic and unsurpassed work of non-religious Witchcraft - Mastering Witchcraft, published in 1970 C.E.<br />
<br />
Paul Huson directs the witch to light a single candle before going to bed on three consecutive nights while visualizing chains around the wrists and ankles being struck by bolts of lightening. The witch reads the Lord's prayer backwards, as the chains fall to the ground in molten shards. The witch also visualizes all the Judeo-Christian clap-trap being lifted from the proverbial shoulders. This was performed as an initiation into the mysteries and one which I still wholeheartedly recommend.<br />
Huson did say that, strictly speaking, this rite was only needed for the three nights of one's "initiation". However, it has been found that this short, simple rite is useful for ongoing examination of one's sub-conscious contents and can be used regularly at the magician's discretion. In particular, when one feels restricted or emotionally undone in someway, using this rite may well be a way of bringing to the surface, in the clear light of day, the personal issue to be dealt with. This is certainly true if the problem is one stemming from Judeo-Christian indoctrination, and sometimes this can be discovered only through performance of the ritual.<br />
<br />
The rite is most effective if done after one of the preliminary openings and invocations have been performed.<br />
A) Open Temple with Banishing or other.<br />
B) Calling of Four Elements. (If needed)<br />
C} Invocation to Satan.<br />
<br />
[Light a black candle which is placed in the centre of the altar for this ritual.]<br />
<br />
THE LORD'S PRAYER BACKWARDS:<br />
NEMA! LIVEE, MORF SU REVILLED TUB NOISHAYTPMET OOTNI TON SUH DEEL SUS TSHAIGA SAPSERT TAHT YETH. VIGRAWF EU ZA SESAPSERT RUA SUH VIGRAWF DERB ILAID RUA YED SITH SUH VIG NEVEH NI SI ZA THRE NI NUD EEB LIW EYTH MUCK MODNGIK EYTH MAIN EYTH EEB DWOHLAH NEVAH NI TRA CHIOO. RETHARF RUA!<br />
<br />
NOTE: Text is written phonetically.<br />
<br />
After the rite, the magician sits quietly, contemplating what comes to the surface of his/her consciousness. If a destructive pattern or whatever is identified one may then become indignant, angry, or both and in the name of the Dark Lord offer the offending affliction over to destruction by symbolically removing it perhaps by writing it down and burning it, or whatever other creative ways suggest themselves.<br />
<br />
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The Evocation of Evil Spirits<br />
<br />
If you intend to call any evil Spirit to the circle, you must first of all to<br />
consider and know his nature, to which of the planets it agrees, and<br />
what offices are distributed to him from the planet.<br />
<br />
This being known, find a place fit and proper for his evocation,<br />
according to the nature of the planet and the quality of the offices of<br />
the same spirit. For example, if his power be over the sea, rivers or<br />
floods, then choose a place on the shore.<br />
<br />
In like manner, choose a convenient time, both for the quality of the<br />
air, which should be serene, clear, quiet and fitting for the spirits to<br />
assume bodies, and for the quality and nature of the planet, day or<br />
night.<br />
<br />
These things being considered, let there be a magick circle framed at<br />
the place elected, as well for the defence of the master as for the<br />
confirmation of the spirit. In the circle itself there are to be written the<br />
general divine names, and those things which do yield defence unto<br />
us; the divine names which do rule the said planet, with the offices of<br />
the spirit himself; the names, finally, of the good spirits which bear rule<br />
and are able to bind and constrain that spirit which you intend to call.<br />
If you would further fortify your circle, you may add characters and<br />
pentacles agreeing to the work. So also, and within or without the<br />
circle, you may frame the seal of the spirit.<br />
<br />
Moreover, the operator is to be provided with lights, perfumes,<br />
unguents and medicines compounded according to the nature of the<br />
planet and spirit, which do agree with the spirit. The operator can also<br />
be furnished with holy and consecrated things for the defence of the<br />
master and his fellows. Such are holy papers, lamens, pictures,<br />
pentacles, swords, sceptres and garments.<br />
<br />
When all these are provided, the master and his fellows being in the<br />
magick circle, and all those things which he uses, let him say the<br />
conjuration with a loud voice and a convenient gesture and<br />
countenance.<br />
<br />
Let him then rest a little, looking about him to see if any spirit do<br />
appear, which if he delay, let him repeat his conjuration as before,<br />
until he has done it three times. If the Spirit be still pertinacious and<br />
will not appear, let him begin to conjure him with divine power, but in<br />
such a way that all the conjurations and commemorations do agree<br />
with the nature and offices of the spirit himself. Reiterate the same<br />
three times, from stronger to stronger, using objurgations,<br />
contumelies, cursings and punishments.<br />
<br />
After all the courses are finished, again cease a little, and if any spirit<br />
shall appear, let the master turn towards him, receive him courteously,<br />
and, earnestly entreating him, let him require his name. Then<br />
proceeding further, let him ask whatsoever he will.<br />
<br />
But if in anything the spirit shall shew himself obstinate or lying, let him<br />
be bound by convenient conjurations, and if you still doubt of any lie,<br />
make outside the circle, with the consecrated sword, the figure of a<br />
triangle or pentacle, and compel the Spirit to enter it. If you would<br />
have any promise confirmed upon oath, stretch the sword out of the<br />
circle, and swear the Spirit by laying his hand upon the sword.<br />
Then having obtained of the Spirit that which you desire, or being<br />
otherwise contented, license him to depart with courteous words,<br />
giving command unto him that he do no hurt. If he will not depart,<br />
compel him by powerful conjurations, and, if need require, expel him<br />
by exorcism and by making contrary fumigations.<br />
<br />
When he is departed, go not out of the circle, but stay, making prayer<br />
for your defence and conservation. All these things being orderly<br />
performed, you may depart.<br />
<br />
But if your hopes are frustrated, and no spirit will appear, yet for this<br />
do not despair, but, leaving the circle, return again at other times,<br />
doing as before. And if you shall judge that you have erred in<br />
anything, then you shall amend by adding or diminishing, for the<br />
constancy of reiteration does often increase your authority and power,<br />
and strikes terror into the spirits, humbling them to obedience.<br />
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BLACK ART SPELL<br />
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To stop an enemy from bringing harm,procure or make an oil of Dragon's blood and Rue. Add to it a pinch of poppy,nightshade and some thyme as well as three tiny drops of some bitter wine. <br />
Annoint a black candle with your victim's name and seal it with an "X" then chant these words most carefully:<br />
Darksome powers of the night,<br />
gather round my candle's flame,<br />
send my enemy in shaded flight,<br />
send my enemy away in shame"<br />
Say this chant 13 times, on the darkest moon.Throw remains over your shoulder into running water & do not look back.<br />
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Author Unknown<br />
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Black Mirror Protection Spell<br />
<br />
<br />
From a glass store, buy a new thin piece of glass, 1/4 of an inch<br />
thick, and 13 inches square.<br />
<br />
Buy a new can of gloss black spray paint.<br />
On the night before a full moon, paint one side of the glass with a<br />
good coating of the black spray paint and allow it to dry overnight<br />
in the moonlight.<br />
<br />
On the night of the full moon, paste a recent, full length color<br />
photograph of yourself behind your black mirror, facing inward,<br />
toward the painted [unreflective or back] side of the mirror.<br />
<br />
Hold the mirror over your heart, with the reflective side facing<br />
outward.<br />
<br />
In the East, Say three times:<br />
"Mirror, mirror, work for me,<br />
From all things negative, keep me free,<br />
Gather all bad forces that there be,<br />
Gather all evil unto thee<br />
As I will, so mote it be!"<br />
Turn to the south, and repeat the spell.<br />
Turn to the west, and repeat the spell.<br />
Turn to the north, and repeat the spell.<br />
Return facing where you began, and point the mirror upward, and<br />
repeat the spell, and then downward, and repeat the spell.<br />
Close by pointing the mirror forward, and say three times:<br />
"Mirror, mirror, come with me,<br />
Wherever I go, follow, and stay with me.<br />
In sunshine, nighttime, calm and gale,<br />
your strength will grow, and will not fail<br />
by the magick law of three<br />
As I will, so mote it be!<br />
<br />
Place the mirror in one of your bedroom windows, with the reflective<br />
side facing outward, where your believe your troublemakers are<br />
passing by, or on the ground, inside your bedroom, or outside behind<br />
some bushes. Also take the mirror with you in your vehicle when you<br />
go anywhere other than where you live.<br />
<br />
Repeat this black mirror spell every five days, until the danger has<br />
past.<br />
Author Unknown<br />
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DESTRUCTION RITUAL RED RAY<br />
<br />
Write your own wishes for destruction on your enemy. Set up with black candle in central altar. Weather you do this alone or with people, as you chant this walk around the altar with the candle on it, counter clockwise. Chant this and then read out your destruction wishes.<br />
<br />
Principality of Fire, I call upon the Flame to summon you.<br />
I call on the strength of all the Dark Creatures of Nature to summon you.<br />
Principality of Fire, hear me as I call. Rise from the coiling flames!<br />
I summon you in the name of the Seven Plagues.<br />
Azazel, I summon you in the name of the charred and blackened stars that reigned at your beginning!<br />
Cthonie, rise out of the darkness of the earth.<br />
I call you forth from the subterranean rivers of blood, from the smoke of the torment which rises forever.<br />
<br />
In the name of every Dark Spirit that is obedient to you,<br />
I invoke you: COME FORTH.<br />
<br />
Read destruction wishes. Then burn them up in the candle.<br />
Let the flame carry forth my desires.<br />
<br />
Gather up the burned ashes in a sealed container. Bury it<br />
<br />
Let the earth carry forth my desires.<br />
Let it be done.<br />
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Explanation:<br />
Azazel, or Cthonie, and all the other names for this same alpha-defender is both Innocence, a defender principle of the 7 fold Light and is also the Abyss - Darkness, a horrific destroyer. It is also the manifest-defender of the alpha inner principle of Justice. It is also the destroyer of anti-anima as the pushing principle on that alpha. It is also the "mate" of the Ophion as it merges with this principle. Azazel is half here and NOT behind the "double locked gate."<br />
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The Art of Summoning Demons<br />
By Mastorn<br />
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If there is one activity that has followed Satanism throughout time and space, mythology and fact, symbolic or theistic, it is the act of summoning demons. When most people enter Satanism one of the first questions they ask is "How can I summon a demon?" Still, there is very little practical information on the internet about demon summoning. Most of what you find on the internet regarding this topic will involve the practitioner standing in a circle, invoking the names of the Christian god and threatening the demon with torment. Needless to say, this ritual is not "Satanic" in any sense of the term and no way to go about making friends with what you are attempting to evoke. In fact, the majority of the horror stories one will hear about a demon "striking out" at the magickian involve a demon which has been forcefully constrained and threatened.<br />
Needless to say, these Christian techniques will be of little help to any serious Satanist. In fact (in an act of great irony) there is an extremely small amount of material concerning demon summoning from a Satanic point of view, and that which is available is extremely lacking in magickal technique and leaves the practitioner very open to what many have described as "astral deception."<br />
What I attempt to do in this article is to create a guideline for Satanists who desire to summon demons. Now keep in mind this is not a walkthrough, this is not a completely regimented ritual with a space clearly marked "Insert demon’s name here". It will still require a decent level of creativity and research on the practitioner’s part. The payoff for this will be a much more effective working and the knowledge gained from the ritual itself. <br />
<br />
<br />
The Demons Themselves<br />
Let us begin by a quick definition of what a demon is:<br />
A spirit or god which is actively associated with the Satanic paradigm.<br />
Now, while this definition may seem rather broad and relative, this was my intention. The individual practitioner may restrict or expand this definition as they wish, while keeping in mind that others may not have the same thoughts on demons as you do. I am simply using this definition for the sake of this article. Lets remember that NOBODY can tell us for sure what is beyond this plane and all claims made about hierarchies or what is defiantly true about Hell (should it exist) need to be taken with a grain of salt.<br />
While I am on the topic, I must argue against any system of "demonic hierarchies" in demonology. This is not to impose my beliefs upon anyone else; it is just a matter of practicality. Systems of hierarchies lend to the belief that certain demons aren’t as "powerful" or are easier to control as other and this can lead to problems of practitioners underestimating the demon and becoming careless. I can assure you that just because a demon is classified as a "lesser Demon" in a grimore doesn’t make it any less able to mess with a careless magickan.<br />
Now, no matter what you may intellectually believe about demons, when one is in the ritual chamber attempting to summon a demon you must KNOW some things to be true:<br />
1.No matter what you believe in the "real world," in the ritual chamber the demon IS real and will have very real affects upon your life. The demon is much smarter than you are and should be treated with respect.<br />
2.Demons are separate entities from humans and have their own separate wills. Some Satanists will say that the demons are basically big genies that are happy to do whatever we want them to, which I belive is far from the truth. Just as humans, all demons aren’t going to give something away from nothing. It is most likely that they will want some form of "payment" or sacrifice. This will be covered later.<br />
After the ritual, you can go back to believing that demons are just parts of the human sub-conscious, or Jungian archetypes or whatever you need to keep your psyche intact. Just remember that in the ritual chamber these entities are ancient beings that have their own things they want to do aside from helping you get laid and destroying your enemies.<br />
Also, before attempting to summon ANY demon, do your own independent research. Find out the general character of this demon and (if possible) what it’s goals are. Don’t just stop with looking the demon up in one grimore though. Different people have different experiences with the demons so try to find as many different experiences as possible. An excellent place to start is this page:<br />
http://www.whiterosesgarden.com/Nature_of_Evil/Evil_Content_Pages/Evil_INDEX_Page.htm<br />
This page has a pretty complete listing of demons and a good deal of information on each demon (even though a lot of the information is from Judeo-Christian sources). Also, try and find a sigil (symbol) of each demon. Going to any decent search engine and typing in the name of the demon is likely to come up with at least a few reliable pages (and a lot of heavy metal bands). <br />
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Concerning Sacrifice<br />
Now we are at the topic that has made demonology so taboo, sacrifice. In my opinion it is rather foolish to assume that a demon is happy to go out of its way to do what I want. I wouldn’t assume that of my best friends, so why should I assume that of a demon that, most likely, has its own desires that they’d rather take care of?<br />
Now some Satanists say that the whole bargaining/sacrifice thing is for those who use the methods found in grimores. I disagree with this heavily. Just because I may like someone doesn’t mean that I’m willing to sacrifice my time and energy to help them for no particular reason. However, I think that demons are willing to give Satanists, and those their fond of, the ability to make a more "practical" sacrifice. From my experience one thing all gods want, be they from Heaven, Hell, or elsewhere, is belief. It is belief that sustains the gods and keeps them bonded to man. Therefore, it wouldn’t be unusual for a demon to desire that an image be made of it, or a poem dedicated to it and then to have the artwork released to the public. These are tasks that are most likely going to be given to Satanists since they are not going to put any unfair biases upon how the image should look. Also, most demons have some kind of agenda of their own, helping the demon in this agenda can also be used as a form of sacrifice. An example of this for the demon Asmodeus (the demon of lust) would be to get a store in your small town to carry condoms so that people can indulge their sexual desire if they choose to without as much fear of unwanted repercussions.<br />
Another form of sacrifice that is quite effective, but relatively unused (at least directly) by Satanists is that of what chaos magickians call "Gnosis." For those of you unfamiliar with gnosis I’ll give you a quick definition of what it is from my point of view. Gnosis is a state of mind in which all mental barriers are broken down and a pure energy is allowed to flow from and into the mind and spirit. Moments of gnosis are generally very good forms of sacrifice. Gnosis can be achieved through many ways, some popular ways are meditation (if one is experienced in it), drug usage (although it is not recommended due to side effects), sexual activity (with partner or masturbation), and blind hatred (used primarily in curses). At the peak moment of gnosis (ie. Sexual climax) focus on your alter and the symbols upon it and the demon will become "charged" with the gnosis.<br />
Sacrifice is a personal thing between the practitioner and the demon. Whatever feels appropriate as an act of giving should be used.<br />
Oh, and a final word for those who believe that the sacrifice of a living being, or your soul is needed (or even useful) as a sacrifice I simply say that Demons are much more likely to appreciate good honest work and energy dedicated to them, instead of the sacrifice of another or some ideal that may not even exist.<br />
(Note: Please keep in mind there is a difference between offering ones soul as a sacrifice and offering your soul as a dedication, which is may be valid for some.)<br />
Supplies<br />
While no two rituals will necissarily require the same tools, and the use of material components varies a lot from magickain to magickian here is a good general list of items for use in a demonic summoning:<br />
Clothes <br />
Most magickians tend to have a special set of ritual clothing. This of course varies from magickain to magickian, and many choose to work nude (aka skyclad). Some general items to wear are...<br />
1. Robe - While occasionally very hard to find, and cumbersome to work with, many Satanists wear robes in their ritual workings. The most popular style being plain black. Of course if a robe is unavailable to you, or you just don't like the look of robes you can go for any special set of clothing. Most Satanists perfer black for rituals, and no matter what you wear attention to asthetic value is important. Use whatever makes you feel "powerful" for some it might be a black robe, for others it might be a nice suit. Either way its a good idea to have one's clothing cleaned before the ritual, and it's advisable to wear ritual clothing only when performing a ritual. <br />
2. Pentagram - The pentagram is seen as the symbol of many things (the microcosm, the forces of nature ect.), and is worn in many different magickal traditions. Most Satanists perfer the LHP (inverted) pentagram or the Baphomet designed by Eliphas Levi. This is usually worn as a statement of one's personal belief, and is worn by some in and outside of the ritual chamber. <br />
3. Secondary symbol(s) - In some methods of ceremonial magick (specificly thoes relating to the Goetia) it instructed for the magickain to adorne themselves with various religious symbols. The most popular of these being the hexagram. It may be useful for the Satanic practiciner to use symbols in a similar way. Of course, these symbols are most likely going to be different for Satanists. My personal suggestions are the Unicursal hexagram or Crowley's "Sun & Moon Conjoined." While not inherently Satanist symbols, the principles they represent fall in line closer with Satanic belief moreso than the classic hexagram.<br />
Tools <br />
Now there exist some magickians who perfer to work without tools (also known as "open hand") but most will find ritual tools to be helpful. Depending on your personal tastes you may want to concecrate your tools in your own ways. <br />
1. Wand/Atheme - In most traditional ceremonial magick groups the want and the magickal knife (also known as the atheme) represent differnt energies. The wand representing creation and focusing of will, and the atheme representing the more harsh and "firery" powers. Many Satanic rituals use the atheme for both purposes. Its up to you personally to choose which (if either) of these tools you will use. If neither of these are available to you, then a commonly used substitute is to use your thumb held between your middle and pointer finger. <br />
2. Chalice - Ever since LaVey it has been "in vouge" for Satanists to use silver colored chalices. However if such a thing is not available to you, then glass or any other substance will work just fine. The chalice would mainly be used in rituals where one desires to either commune with the Demon or to drink from durring the invocation. <br />
3. Pentagram/Baphomet - Most Satanists use a version of Eliphas Levi's Baphomet pentagram upon the alter as a main focus of their rituals (particuarly durring the invocation). It is advisable that you have some representation of whatever deity you invoke upon the alter. The Baphomet tends to work well as sort of an all-purpose symbol for most though. <br />
4. Images of the Demon - It is advisable to have some sort of image of the deity you wish to evoke upon your alter. These can be images made my others or yourself. Also a sigil of the Demon can be used as well. <br />
5. Candles - Generally Satanists are fond of black candles as they represent the forces that are being called upon. Depending on the demon you are summoning you might want to deviate a bit (ie. using red to represent the passion of Asmodeus, or blue to represent the watery depths for Leviathan).<br />
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The Ritual Itself<br />
Following is a guideline for creating your own ritual for summoning a demon.<br />
1. I heavily recommend performing a "banishing ritual" beforehand. Now this is not to make you "pure" in spirit. It’s about clearing and focusing your mind so that you don’t unfairly impose any of your ideas upon what the demon is trying to communicate to you. Information about banishing rituals can be found on almost any page on Chaos Magick. I feel that the simplest form of a banishing ritual is taking a nice long shower or bath before the ritual. Around this time you will also want to dress for your ritual.<br />
2. Set up an altar to the demon. You should customize the altar to the character of the demon (as I spoke of earlier). Example: For the demon Dagon you would want an altar with a water theme. Images of fish, serpents, and seaweed would be very appropriate. You might want to consider filling the chalice with saltwater (although only add a pinch of salt, too much will cause vomiting).<br />
3. If you want to, draw or trace a triangle or circle on the ground into which you will manifest the demon. This is NOT to imprison the demon as so many Christian grimores will tell you; it is simply creating a space where all of the demons energy can gather and manifest. You can make the triangle or circle as plain or as decorated as you like.<br />
4. After the altar and all preparations are made, stand before your alter and triangle or circle. State your beginning invocation. This would be something along the lines of the Invocation to Satan in the Satanic Bible or the one located on Diane Vera's page; however I highly recommend creating your own. Basically, align yourself with the forces of Hell and empower yourself.<br />
5. Now read your summoning of the demon. The creation of this is very important to the overall working and should be done beforehand. Try and create a summoning that would sound similar to how you think the demon would have been originally worshiped (if it is believed that the demon was worshiped in the past). Try and keep the summoning within the character of the demon. Don’t try and summon a trickster demon through a solemn, dull litany, instead joke, laugh, and make an atmosphere in which the trickster demon will be comfortable. And (as should be clear now) do NOT threaten, torture, torment, or taunt the demon into appearing, unless of course you LIKE being killed in a violent, yet ironic way.<br />
6. Once you are able to discern the presence of the demon, stand forward and politely, yet firmly state the following: "I stand here with you, (demon’s name) united by our bond with Hell. By this bond I swear to be truthful to you and honor all agreements made with you to the best of my ability. Do you, (demon’s name) swear by your bond with the forces of Hell to be truthful to me, and honor all agreements with me to the best of your ability?" Now wait for a response (which you may divine as you wish), if the response is positive, continue. If the response is negative, inform the demon that you will not work with it until it swears to the oath. If the demon still refuses the oath, then politely dismiss it. It is choosing to be uncooperative at this time and may be more willing to work at a later time. The above oath is designed specifically to avoid deception from either yourself or the demon without being threatening or rude. The demon has the option to turn down the oath and is not forced into it in any way. (Note: Keep in mind, you are entering in a very powerful oath as well, and if you attempt to break it the consequences can be dire).<br />
7. Converse with the demon, tell it about the problem you’d like it to solve, ask it questions. You may divine the answers as you like (ex. pendulum, scrying, emotional/mental responses, or in some cases verbal or physical responses may be given). This is your time with the demon, use it as you will.<br />
8. At this point any sacrifices which are to be made during the ritual can be made. Any sacrifices of gnosis are given and deals are confirmed.<br />
9. Thank the demon for appearing and assisting you then a polite dismissal statement.<br />
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There you go. The basic ABC’s of demon summoning for Satanists. Keep in mind that these are the entities that were called upon generations before your existence. These are the entities that created society in any sense of the term. They taught us the arts, music, warfare, religion and science. They are some of the greatest teachers one can have if their knowledge and power is used intelligently. Enjoy, use, and learn.<br />
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The Uncrossing Ritual <br />
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The Importance of Uncrossing<br />
Uncrossing is one of the most important areas of Sorcery that you will every study. Uncrossing can handle just about any situation you will come across in your Magical life. Manytimes it's the ONLY way to help yourself or another person.<br />
If you're crossed you won't get any lasting results from your rituals. If you don't remove the blockages in a person's life, they will keep repeating the same mistakes over and over. While you may be able to help them in the short run, they will continue to always go back to their old ways.<br />
Uncrossing unblocks and re-directs them back onto a positive path in life. In magic, a crossed condition is seen as a spiritual problem. The difference between a Hex and a Crossed Condition is that a Hex is a sudden or acute bombardment (or attack) while a Crossed Condition is something that goes unnoticed for years as a simple but more permanent problem. No matter what the root of the crossed condition might stem from, the results are always the same. Nothing in life seems to work out for the person that's Crossed.<br />
In this sense we are all Crossed in one area of life or another. I'm sure if you look at your life, you'd find an area that is always a problem for you. It may be in inter-personal relationships, monetary woes, success, self-esteem, etc. You need to pinpoint that area of your life and UN-Cross yourself.<br />
A Crossed Condition occurs when one finds themselves unable to choose the correct road in life. Unlike hexes that are sent to you by others directly (or even indirectly), a Crossed Condition is usually a sort of self-imposed handicap. A Crossed Condition is like having a crossed wire a.k.a. 'short circuit' in an electric device. Sooner or later the circuit will overload and blow! The same holds true for your own life. If you do handle the Crossed Condition, you will sooner or later screw up the situation you're in.<br />
Both Hexed Conditions and Crossed Conditions involve the physical body. Most often the central nervous system is attacked which can cause diseases of all types, most tensions, migraine headaches, and etc., to manifest in oneself. In a Crossed Condition, you must not only Uncross yourself form the problem, but the situation that caused the problem in the first place. For example, if you are always poor, you probably were imprinted with that idea during your childhood from your parents and other well meaning authority figures in your life at that time. Thus you'll need to Uncross yourself from the poverty taught to you by these authority figures. Look for the 'deeper cause' of your Crossed Condition. This will involve soul searching and much inner reflection.<br />
The Principle of Uncrossing<br />
There are three steps to Uncrossing:<br />
1. Removal (banishment)<br />
2. Healing<br />
3. Re-Focalization (& protection)<br />
You first find the true cause of the problem and then remove it or yourself from it. This is the hardest step. If you're working for others, then the person you're working on will probably fight the removal. Why? People dislike change and generally will cling to their problems. But to get any lasting change, you must find a way to extricate them permanently from that sort of thinking.<br />
Once you've learned what the symptoms are, and have taken steps to remove the problem, you need to start the healing process. The person will take time to heal and adjust the individual to their new life. They are used to being Crossed and they'll not understand being free from this Crossed Condition.<br />
The final stage is the refocalization process. This is to guide them to a new and positive direction. This will take time also. All adjustments take time. Like healing, the person must start new and move on to a better life. The body and mind must have the time to understand their new feelings and to grasp all of the new opportunities. The blockages once removed, creates a vacuum and this disorients them. Help them to focus and fill that void with something positive.<br />
Uncrossing Oils<br />
The classic Uncrossing recipe is:<br />
Rose<br />
Bay Laurel<br />
Lavender<br />
Verbena<br />
Each of the oils in this recipe relate to a specific phase of the Uncrossing process in all of its stages.<br />
The Rose is "spirituality and love". The Bay Laurel is "strongly protective with commanding aspects" to help the person come thru the Uncrossing. The Lavender is to "calm and bring peace" to the afflicted. The Verbena is the "cleanser" of the recipe.<br />
To Summarize: The Rose surrounds the person with love; Bay protects and lends power; the Lavender tranquilizes the person's inner/outer worlds; and the Verbena scrubs the psyche clean of its negative afflictions. These are the forces at work in an Uncrossing ritual.<br />
The Color White<br />
Whereas black is the color of Evil and Cursing energy, White is considered the Spiritually Pure color in this system of Sorcery. White is the lack of color and has no connection to the material plane making it pure in every way. White candles being of neutral color are very susceptible to any Occult Oil you put on them. In fact, some Sorcerers use white candles in all of their rituals - even in Commanding rites! This way, they can do very negative Sorceries to people while their candles burn without anyone else being the wiser. (You may want to try this too but I prefer to use colored candles myself.)<br />
The nature of the oil used on a candle focuses the higher spiritual forces to cause effects more subtle than those achievable by using colored candles. By using a white candle in a Love rite instead of the pink, shows you are working more on the spiritual plane. While the pink candle is much more powerful for Love, the white candle tends to "screen out" the negative energies much better than any pink candle. So if you're looking for your true soul mate, then use a white candle to draw this person to you as it's the best way to go.<br />
The other choice could be to use a spiritual oil on a pink candle. This too would screen the energies coming in for the ritual and you'd follow up with a Love oil after putting the Spiritual oil on. Though white for Love is slower, do not underestimate its power! It works on the higher Spiritual planes and the affects will be potent as well as longer lasting.<br />
Crossed Conditions<br />
Not all Crossed Conditions are bad. They are put there many times by the Spirits of the higher planes to trap you. This is to see if you are worthy to grow in power as a Sorcerer. The weak are taken down all kinds of negative paths to meet their own self-destruction. That is part of the game here on the earthly plane. It takes a special person to overcome the blockages in life and grow in power. If it was easy, it would not have any meaning!! Only those who meet the challenges set up by the Spirits and work thru them will pass the tests and move on.<br />
By being confronted within ourselves by a Crossed Condition, we are symbolically confronted by our own "dragon." When you become a hero, you free yourself from "Karma" by defeating the negative and disruptive patterns, which cause us to constantly defeat ourselves. Most people are lead by their destiny whereas the Hero is free to choose his/her own destiny.<br />
There are many traps waiting for you, whether they are religious, sexual, monetary or egoistic. Society in general is also waiting there for you to take you off your chosen path. Society wants to dominate and control you. It tells you what you should buy, wear, and even how to act. One of the worst paths for a student to follow is that of laziness. You find less and less time to put into your Magical practices. After all, there are many other more "important" things to do. The other trap that you can fall into is money. Magical students seem never to have enough money to purchase the lessons or supplies they need in order to do their rituals but they seem to find money for what they really want to have: pizza, beer, cigarettes, movies, recreational drugs, entertainment, etc. There's always enough money for these things! Again this is a Crossed Condition that's not allowing you to take control of your life. This is extremely common. The initial investment is rather small but still there are those who harp that they can't find the time or real good candles and oils are so "expensive."<br />
Doing Uncrossing rituals will help to undo these destructive patterns in your life. If you don't change these patterns you'll become a slave to them and never achieve the power of a Master Sorcerer. Stop blaming the world or others for your self-imposed problems. Get off your ass and get moving! Action overcomes all! Inaction is evil!<br />
Unexpected Information<br />
I'm always amazed at the new insights people report when doing or having done Uncrossing rituals. All kinds of new information starts to flow to them and they have a greater understanding of their own problems. Sudden insights into the childhood, friends, family and all are typical events during any Uncrossing. To get these insights you must spend a good amount of time with doing your Uncrossing ritual. This is the beginning stage called Removal. During this stage, you accumulate the most information about what is at the root of your Crossed Condition. As your Crossed Condition is lifted, you start to see all kinds of root problems come to surface. This is all part of the ritual process. More often than not, you will experience a flood of good and bad things happening to you. This is a purging that your Spiritual-Mental-Emotional-Physical bodies go thru. It is to be expected.<br />
In general, all Uncrossing rituals are performed for SEVEN days! Seven is the traditional number associated with Uncrossing. It symbolically represents the Uncrossing of each of the body's seven Chakras, drawing upon the planets in sequence. These are: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. For this reason, you usually work with Seven Day jar candles since they take less attention and provide a constant set of lights. You can also use the standard 12" taper candles but they do lessen the power of your ritual a little. An excellent Uncrossing candle to use is a white "skull" candle. These are used generally for extreme conditions.<br />
The best planetary hours for doing Uncrossing rituals are: Venus, Jupiter and the Sun and the ritual should commence in one of these hours. You'd use Venus for Crossed Love Conditions; Jupiter for Crossed Luck &/or Money Conditions; and the Sun for "all Crosed Health Conditions". If you use a seven day candle you would of course be using all of the planetary hours because of its long term burning. If you cannot pinpoint the exact problem, then simply start the ritual in the hour of the Sun.<br />
There are times when the information you get will be very painful to you. At times Uncrossing yourself can be as hard as the Crossed Condition itself. This is the cleansing - "cleaning out" process. Just like in a "healing problem" health wise, you go through a healing crisis, where all the negative energies flow out of you causing great pain. After this process, you're totally healed. The same with the removal of the psychic cancer, it's never easy, BUT the rewards are great! A Crossed Condition is like a cancer in your life as it slowly eats at you until it kills your soul.<br />
Another strange effect of Uncrossing rituals is that those who are close to you start getting sick or start to show the same symptoms you have been having. Notice these people VERY carefully, for they're part of your Crossed Condition. This is valuable information to have. Why? Because many times other people are at the root of your problem. Negative and evil people are a major part of the population of this world and if you let one of these people get close to you or influence your life, you'll become Crossed with them or from them. If this person is a person you really care about, you should Uncross them as well. If it's a person you're not close to, you must stop seeing that person, or communicating with them.<br />
Love is a major factor in any Uncrossing ritual. The closer you can come to understand this feeling the better. Most people have no idea what Love is. Work with the meaning of Love while you are in the Uncrossing process. The ritual itself will give you the insights you're looking for. Uncrossing procedures involve an element of power by using Bay Laurel oil. It's necessary in the healing process. A person who has grown used to a Crossed Condition thinks of his affliction (ailment, depression, etc.) as normal. You must use force to overcome this setback. It's the kick-in-the-ass that the afflicted really needs and it may well save their life.<br />
The other problem with a Crossed Condition is that it's a security blanket to the person carrying it around. It may sound humorous, but usually a Crossed Condition is a result of a overly developed defensive structures which the person has a falsely perceived to be helping them to offset the agonies that the world appears to throw at them. Often while doing an Uncrossing ritual you'll notice that the Crossed Condition becomes worse, but this is the cleaning out process as previously spoken of.<br />
The following Altar Setup was designed to Uncross a client from a drug addiction but it can be used to Uncross a person from any serious problem: (pic 1)<br />
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The white candles at the back of the altar are dressed with High Altar oil.<br />
The purple candle is dressed with both Fiery Wall Of Protection and Uncrossing oils.<br />
The blue candle is dressed with the Peace oil.<br />
The yellow candle is dressed with Joy oil.<br />
The key to this rite is a doll - not shown - which was created out of white cloth using purple colored thread. The herbal base for the doll stuffing was Blessed Thistle (to which was added):<br />
Pine Needles<br />
Bay Laurel leaves<br />
Lemon Verbena leaves<br />
Lavender flowers<br />
Vetivert herb<br />
Rose petals<br />
Camellia herb<br />
Gum Benzoin oil (few drops)<br />
Juniper oil (few drops)<br />
The stuffing was used both in the doll and some was pulverized in my mortar with the pestle to use as an incense for the rite.<br />
The other key factor to the success of the rite is the compassion the Sorcerer had for the victim who'd been Crossed. This unknown factor is a major plus in all rituals. Being able to have and exhibit compassion for a Crossed victim will help make all the difference in the world for the ritual’s success.<br />
This ritual was started in the hour of the Sun & was repeated on the New Moon for several months to keep the positive energies going to the person. This is extremely important. The single burn at each New Moon each month is based on this very altar setup. Result? It was a resounding success! To date, the person is drug free and living a normal life.<br />
Can You Beat The So-called Karma?<br />
Do you choose to let a silly, archaic belief such as “karma” rule you? There is no bad karma. You can overcome all your problems and blockages in life with the Uncrossing rituals. You must take control of your life and work daily to change it. The key is PATIENCE & PERSISTENCE. You must patient because you can't change a life of problems into a life of success overnight. But you must also be persistent as it may take months or years to totally rid yourself of all the blockages and hang-ups you have. If you’re REALLY screwed up, performing one Uncrossing ritual will NOT change your life but may alleviate some of your tensions momentarily. Doing these rituals frequently will change your life! There are many blockages your life, physical and spiritual.<br />
Seven Day Uncrossing Ritual<br />
The following is an excellent simple rite for Uncrossing. You need to burn the following dressed candles, once per day in the following sequence:<br />
White candle dressed with High Altar oil.<br />
Blue candle dressed with Peace oil.<br />
Yellow candle dressed with Joy oil.<br />
White candle dressed with Uncrossing oil.<br />
Blue candle dressed with Uncrossing and Peace oils.<br />
Yellow candle dressed with Uncrossing and Joy oils.<br />
White candle dressed with High Altar, Uncrossing and Peace oils.<br />
These candles MUST BE lit at the planetary hours of the Venus, Sun or Jupiter. You must burn them on seven consecutive days. Never miss a day or the ritual will not work! You also need to carve the name of the person being uncrossed onto each candle you use. This type of ritual can be used for any type of problem you have.<br />
For example, if you are having monetary problems, you can do the following Seven Day Uncrossing ritual:<br />
One White, Green, Purple candle each dressed with Uncrossing oil.<br />
White candle dressed with Uncrossing and Frankincense oils.<br />
Green candle dressed with Money Drawing oil.<br />
Purple candle dressed with Fast Luck oil.<br />
White candle dressed with Uncrossing, Fast Luck and Money oils.<br />
It's recommended that you draw a circle around the candle each day using either crushed Bay Laurel leaves &/or Helping Hand powder or Goona-Goona powder. You could also use the powder to form an inverted triangle with the point aimed towards you. These are both excellent procedures to do. You need not change the powder every day but just replace the candles and leave the powder as is. You also need to sprinkle some of the powder into the candle flame of the various candles. Though please note that sprinkling powders in flames of “white” candles is not near as powerful as when you do this with colored candles. This is because as you will remember that white candles represent “spiritual” forces at work and other colors relate to the earthly forces at work. Powders are made using earthly ingredients.<br />
You can also use talismans and charm bags with this ritual. This procedure is particularly useful in charging charm bags due to the varying magical energies, which you are invoking through the different colored candles.<br />
A sincere prayer or benediction to a Saint is one way of helping the mind to banish unwanted Crossed Conditions. Psalms 51:10 has been proven to be quite powerful in Uncrossing rituals as well as reciting Psalm 91 aloud during the ritual. A few useful pagan chants are:<br />
“Camp Sum Sing Nit” or “Swellka Hye Kwaden” or “Swilka Eek Theeoss”<br />
Notice that in both of the procedures discussed I‘m using only three colors of candles. In the first rite, I used white, blue and yellow. In the second rite, I used white, green and purple. The combination of the THREE is basic to the design of the ritual itself. You always need to have THREE colors. Obviously this will take a little thought on your part but basically the thing to keep in mind is:<br />
1. The Symbolism of the Spiritual Planes thru the White candles.<br />
2. The Symbolism for the Specific Goal is to use a colored candle (Love, Money, Success, Healing, Happiness etc.)<br />
3. The Symbolism for the Sub-Factor(s) (Peace, Tranquility, Communication, Energy, Power, Force, etc.)<br />
Uncrossing Herbs<br />
Absinthe (artemesia absinthium) a.k.a. Wormwood - TWISTING herb that works best when the hex is new and hasn't been going on for any length of time. You'd use this in combination with Rose and Lavender to help control its baneful nature. Since it's a twister you can mix with positive herbs to temper it.<br />
Bitter Root (Gentiana Lutea) a.k.a. Gentian - Works like Low John. Brewed as a tea to attract love but is generally used to uncross love problems. Can be dressed with any of the strong uncrossing oils and given to the crossed person to carry in a small red bag.<br />
Dog's Grass (agropyron reopens) a.k.a. Couch Grass or Witch's Grass - Both a hexing agent and uncrossing herb depending on the others mixed with it. Considered one of the BEST spell casting herbs. Commonly used in powders and charm bags. If used in doll stuffing, it's best to reserve it for hexing or assisting one to break bad habits.<br />
Geranium (geranium maculatum) a.k.a. Spotted Cranebill or Alum root - No need to blend with other herbs to reach its maximum power! Still, it's great to mix with Rose, Lavender and Vetivert.<br />
Huckleberry Bilberry - Though it's a crossing herb, it is also noted to reverse hexes. Best used with Sulfur and Asafoetida as an incense or powder. If you notice that its baneful effects are starting to surface, switch to a more stable herb.<br />
Hyacinth - Refocalizes and protects from psychic attack. Mostly used by homosexuals to protect their love relationships.<br />
Hyssop (hyssopus officinalis) - Cleanses both on the physical as well as spiritual planes. It's good to remove negative energies.<br />
Sloe (prunus spinosa) a.k.a. Plum - Psychic cleanser often used in incenses and charm bags. It's good to eat them while performing uncrossing rites. Use both the bark and berries (i.e. plums.)<br />
Tormentil - Power herb known for its great protective qualities. Often used to stop slander and bigotry. Used to bring tolerance & understanding to an individual or situation.<br />
Unicorn Root - Used like High & Low John roots. Protects and refocuses the person that is crossed. Best to anoint the root with oils such as Lavender, Rose or Vetivert.<br />
Vetivert (vetiveria zizanoides) - Simply one of the best, efficient and most powerful of the additives to use especially in uncrossing rituals. Technically it's a power herb than can be used to strengthen hexing potions but it's generally used with the best success in uncrossing recipes. You can use this in love, luck and healing recipes. Synthetic Vetivert is useless.<br />
Woodruff (asperula odorata) - Generally used only as a protection herb, but it's also used in many uncrossing recipes for the protection effect. Brewed as a tea, it makes a great floorwash and can be added to a bath for its protection and uncrossing affects.<br />
Uncrossing Herb Analysis<br />
(p) = Protective<br />
(c) = Cleansing<br />
(r) - Refocusing<br />
Absinthe (p)<br />
African Ginger (r)<br />
Agrimony (p, c)<br />
Ague Weed (Boneset) (p)<br />
Angelica (p, c, r)<br />
Anise (r)<br />
Ash Leaves (p, c)<br />
Bay (p)<br />
Benzoin gum (r)<br />
Bitter Root (Gentian) (p)<br />
Blood Root (p)<br />
Brimstone (Sulfur) (p, c)<br />
Broom Tops (c)<br />
Clover (c, r)<br />
Cloves (p)<br />
Curry (p)<br />
Dill (r)<br />
Dog's Grass (p, c)<br />
Dragon's Blood (p, c)<br />
Elder (p)<br />
Five Finger Grass (p, c, r)<br />
Flax (Linseed Oil) (r)<br />
Fennel (p, r)<br />
Frankincense (p, r) <br />
Geranium (p, c, r) <br />
Hawthorne (p, c) <br />
High John (Jalap) (p, r) <br />
Holy (Blessed) Thistle (p, r) <br />
Huckleberry (p, r) <br />
Hyacinth (c) <br />
Hyssop (p, c) <br />
Lavender (p, c) <br />
Lilac (c) <br />
Lotus (p, r) <br />
Low John (Galangal) (p, r) <br />
Marjoram (c, r) <br />
Mistletoe (p, c, r) <br />
Mugwort (p, r) <br />
Nettle (c, r) <br />
Pine Bark (p) <br />
Rue (p, r) <br />
Sage (r) <br />
Sloe Bark/Berries (c) <br />
Spikenard (p, r) <br />
Tormentil (p, r) <br />
Unicorn Root (p, r) <br />
Valerian (p) <br />
Verbena (p, c) <br />
Vertivert (p, c) <br />
Woodruff (p) <br />
Wormwood (r)<br />
Degrees of Crossed Conditions<br />
Largely depending upon how long a person has been suffering with a Crossed Condition is indicative of its severity. In general, the psychological concepts of "neurosis" and "psychosis" are helpful in understanding how bad a Crossed Condition is.<br />
A neurosis is a set of cluster or painful problems within the psyche, which are both difficult to work with and which tend to be destructive to the person. In this stage you still function well enough in society, even those you are experiencing pain and tension in your life.<br />
A psychosis represents a very advanced and difficult series of behaviors, which have forced a person out of touch with reality. This causes serious mental illness. Once a Crossed Condition reaches psychotic levels, it's very difficult to deal with magically because the paranoid or deluded person has his wires and circuits so messed up that a great deal of work has to be done. You can still help this person, but it will take a ton of daily work to undo all the damage that's been done.<br />
This isn't the case with neurotic persons. They are easier to deal with but are still a major problem. It's far easier to help a neurotic than it is to help a psychotic. Uncrossing is a healing art. As a healer you must not overlook any possible technique which might bring positive results or alleviate the suffering for your client. If a case is beyond your expertise, you need to seek the help of a professional healer. Leave no stone unturned in your universe because answers to personal problems are very often quite simple. Due to the multiple layers of neurotic defenses, the answer may appear to be more elusive than it actually is.<br />
The Stages of Crossed Conditions<br />
First: Slight feelings of disease, nervousness and a desire to short circuit oneself in a particular area. Feelings of inferiority and insecurity. An all pervasive sense of anxiety but still capable of functioning in day-to-day activities. Strange or compulsive activities. Depressed while having feelings of entities being around or watching you. Odd people approaching you on the street. Trouble in minor areas of your life, for example - getting the wrong change at a store, getting the wrong order at a restaurant, and etc. Little things start malfunctioning and you cannot concentrate on daily business matters.<br />
Second: You receive very negative messages from people around close to you. Very often, the nervousness and self-abnegation have turned now to actual physical symptoms resulting either in frequent illnesses or the contraction of a chronic, long term illness. Nothing works out well in your life, but you're still able to force yourself to function in daily life. You now have a general feeling of listlessness and withdrawal, a state of constant insecurity or fear of being hurt or failing in some way. One feels at odds with one's universe, like a stranger in your own life. You start to fall fast at this stage and you need to take control now or risk serious damage to your mind and body. Your life is Hell and it won't get better unless you take positive action now.<br />
Third: Total incapacitation whether through physical illness or psychological to stress. Now you are in BIG TROUBLE. Violent fits of temper followed by a total lack of energy. Inability to hold a job or support oneself in any meaningful way. Delusions of grandeur accompanied by deeply rooted feelings of inadequacy. Paranoia arises threats are viewed in all directions. Possible attempts at suicide or strong thoughts abut doing it. Depression, which seems will never end. Headaches, chest pains, stomach ailments, etc. You're at the end of your rope. You feel like you are losing mind. If you allow yourself to reach this point, you'll have a great deal of work ahead of you to bring yourself back to normal.<br />
Each one of these stages represents a different challenge to the person working on the case. If you are lucky enough to work on the First stage, you'll be able to handle the case easily. The longer the person stays in these states, the harder your work will be to remove the Crossed Condition. Not everyone goes through all of these stages. Some people will remain in stage one for many years or never move past the stage they're in. Other wise you may move very quickly to stage three. Some get to the second stage until they are uncrossed. This is very typical of a crossed person. They generally stay in stage two for most of their lives crossing into stage three and then back to stage two at different times of their lives. This is time to get an expert practitioner to help you or to perform the needed healing.<br />
This takes the skill of a true Master Sorcerer to handle. The information I will give you is generally for the first two stages. The third stage seeks professional help both magically and through normal health professionals. The problem with most crossed people is that they let their illness get to the point of near death before doing anything. That means you're in for a lot of trouble removing their Crossed Condition. Even after you remove it, they will think they are still crossed. The mind takes months and some times years to totally repair itself. That's why its so important to follow up your rites with calming and peace rituals. For the person to repair and expect their cure, they need to be made to feel good in all areas of their life. If you do not take these steps, the person will tell you that your work had no affect.<br />
This has happened many times to me personally. People that are crossed for years expect to feel great in a few months. It may take you 6-8 months for remove a person that has been crossed that long. There is no instant magic! You need to tell the people you are working on this too. They generally will fight you at every turn. You need to understand this, and work through it. By doing these kinds of cases you not only help the person crossed but you learn a lot about yourself. You have to learn great patience to deal with crossed people. Their depression will try to absorb you also. As a practitioner working on the case, the negative energies from the victim may try to harm you. You always guard yourself against this. Dealing with ill and negative people will affect your own life if you don't guard against their energies. When working on these cases, always do protection work on yourself too!<br />
Baths<br />
Nothing is as important to an Uncrossing procedure than is a bath. This is the single most important force in an Uncrossing rite. You or the patient must take baths with the proper Uncrossing herbal mixtures included. Since Uncrossing is a psychic cleansing, part of the cleansing is the actual cleaning of the external body. The protective mixture in the Uncrossing bath cleanses your aura and etheric body of all negative energies. Generally a crossed person should take at least one bath per day and preferably in the morning. The best procedure is to take a bath both in the a.m. and evening. So far the best combination of Uncrossing herbs found to help in the bath are: Dragon's Blood crystals and Seven Day Uncrossing formulas. Combined, they're powerful enough to wipe out any Crossed Condition. As stated before, if you work with these type of people you yourself will also need to take these baths at the end of the day. The psychic trash and demonic influences around people being uncrossed will affect you if you do not cleanse yourself.<br />
You also MUST use a floorwash or spray in your home to keep it clean of negative or demonic energies. Never overlook the simplicity of this! At the very least burn Banishing incense daily. I do this daily whether or not I'm working on a crossed person or not. You can never have a too cleansed home or altar. If you're doing this ritual for another person, it's very helpful to charge a charm bag for the person to carry at all times. You should stuff the bag with the same herbs that are used in the Uncrossing oil. If it's a serious case add Dragon's Blood reed and a pinch of Vetivert or any strong herb associated with Uncrossing and power of your choice.<br />
No matter the seriousness of the case, have the person wear on their forehead, the sides of neck, over the heart, above the pubic hair, and the bottoms of their feet, Uncrossing oil on a daily basis. This helps to cleanse and protect the body. While the person being uncrossed is taking the bath, they should be visualizing their aura being cleansed and purified by white light. Only think positive and healing thoughts. The bath should last at least 15-25 minutes and should be as hot as you can stand it.<br />
For those that have Crossed Conditions that are affecting their physical health, the bath is a great time to meditate and channel their healing energies to those parts of the body which are affected the most. The bath relaxes you allows the healing energies to flow better. By adding the proper mixture to the baths, people have totally changed their life around!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
DEMON SUMMONINGS, CURSES and DEATHSPELLS<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Deathspell<br />
<br />
First you must decide whether or not you would REALLY want to destroy<br />
your target. It is the responsibility of the magician to be certain of<br />
his intent, and yes, I believe you must seek her annihilation if you want a<br />
full-blown curse to succeed. If not, then perhaps your magic should be<br />
more self-directed and of a healing nature.<br />
<br />
Gather some minor possession of the subject, preferably hair, fingernail<br />
clippings, etc. Since she was an ex-lover, use the power of<br />
psychosexuality to your advantage and take a pair of her underwear. This will serve to connect you emotionally with the target of the curse, and aid in your visualization.<br />
<br />
Using some flamable material (colored tissue-paper will do the trick),<br />
fashion a simple doll, using the hair (or other material) as stuffing. <br />
You don't need to create a work of art here...just something that you can<br />
identify as the target. While creating your effigy, recite a mantra you<br />
have made based upon the target's name. (Info on creating mantras can be found in Carroll's book _Liber Null_).<br />
<br />
Pick a remote area on a moonless night, bring a candle (black), needles,<br />
chalk, a sharp knife and some flamable liquid (lighter fluid works).<br />
<br />
Light the candle.<br />
<br />
Chalk a "destructive" power symbol on the ground. Some people use the<br />
Satanic baphomet, some use the counter-clockwise swastika...use whatever you like, the more personal, the better (I prefer a skull and crossbones).<br />
<br />
Place the effigy in the center of the symbol.<br />
<br />
Invoke Abaddon the Destroyer. You must write your own invocation here, but be certain to make a good case for calling this Lord of Wrath into being. Be formal about it, and be certain to mention his all his titles<br />
and deeds (The monsters of the pit can be extraordinarily vain!) Inform<br />
him of all of your target's crimes, and your malevolent desires. The<br />
more impressive you make your invocation, the more likely it is that<br />
Abaddon will take heed. Do not expect him to appear in physical form,<br />
but if you are confident in your invocation, rest assured *he is there*!<br />
<br />
Now invoke every bit of rage and hatred that you can summon. <br />
Everything. I mean it, focus all your being on this tiny range of<br />
emotion, and direct it onto the effigy. The effigy (and hence, your<br />
target) is responsible for all of it.<br />
<br />
With loathing and distain, plunge the first of the needles into the<br />
effigy's abdomen. This is for fear. Concentrate on the terror you want<br />
the target to feel. Take as much time as you feel you need to express<br />
this desire.<br />
<br />
Repeat, this time put the needle in the head. This is for confusion. <br />
Invoke an image of blurred hysteria and insanity. Concentrate.<br />
<br />
Stick the final needle into the effigy's heart. Twist it a few times if<br />
it makes you feel good. This is for the anguish that has been caused to<br />
you. May it return to your target a hundred-fold. Concentrate on anguish.<br />
<br />
Using your knife, slice the effigy open from head to groin, being certain<br />
that the cut connects the pins you have placed in the effigy. This is<br />
the action that will send the target on her way to complete<br />
annihilation. Be passionate about it.<br />
<br />
Place the effigy in the center of the chalk symbol. Put the<br />
lighter-fluid on it (be sure you are careful that there is nothing else<br />
flamable about, like grass, etc). Call on Abaddon to work your will, and<br />
release this curse onto the world. Set fire to the effigy. As it burns<br />
away, imagine all your anger and hatred dissipating with the smoke. Let<br />
it all drift away with the smoke and flames. You have set your desires<br />
into action, now you must release those desires. (Imagine a magic curse to be like throwing a baseball; it only works when you let the ball travel away from you. The more you hold back, the less successful the throw.) Forget about her, and get on with your life. Rest assured that the curse will take root in time.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Summoning<br />
<br />
Find twelve stones of similar size and place them in a circle and put fire<br />
wood in it. Start a campfire. Take twelve more stones and place them<br />
around you in a circle. Sit down and take a knife and trace a triangle<br />
with it. Stare at the triangle until dusk and then stab the center. After<br />
that, stare at the dusk sky, then into the fire. Say; "Great dragon, I<br />
waken you from your sleep!" Wait for the rush. Then get inspired from the feelings.<br />
<br />
<br />
Deathspell<br />
<br />
To secure the death of a foe:<br />
<br />
Get some wax from an old church or, failing that, from what is called a<br />
'botanica shop' (Catholic Magick). Out of the wax, make what is called<br />
an 'effigy'. Now it will be better if you can get some of your enemy's<br />
hair and/or clothing or finger/toe-nails. Put them at the appropriate<br />
place on the effigy. When you've made it, then set it up on your altar.<br />
<br />
Seal the association with some blood. Get some blood from a butcher or<br />
if you have to from your finger with a pin. Smear this on the effigy,<br />
especially on the head and the genital area. Do this in candle-light<br />
and don't let anyone else know you are doing it.<br />
<br />
Enact the spell. Make up some nonsense words (the Lord's Prayer said<br />
backwards is good) and chant these as you drive a pair of scissors deep<br />
into the heart of the effigy. Imagine a great sword penetrating the<br />
chest of your enemy and see hir falling to the ground with a heart-<br />
attack or perhaps some sort of industrial accident. Drive those<br />
scissors in deep and leave them there on your altar for exactly 3 days,<br />
meditating on this image and the potency of your spell. Again, don't<br />
tell anyone you're doing this.<br />
<br />
Within three days your enemy will be dead. Take the effigy and<br />
scissors and wrap a clean white cloth around them. Tie it up real<br />
good and put a few large stones in with them. Go to the nearest<br />
body of water and throw this into it sometime near midnight. Don't<br />
let anyone know that you are doing this either.<br />
<br />
Don't say anything about your spell to anybody for at least a week.<br />
If you find out that your enemy didn't die, then don't tell anyone<br />
for two weeks. They'll die sometime within the next month. Sometimes<br />
the evil gods need to know you are serious before they will allow you<br />
to carry out your wrath.<br />
<br />
Don't take public credit for the death. If you do, they'll lock you<br />
up or consider you a suspect of what may appear to authorities to be<br />
a murder.<br />
<br />
<br />
IMPORTANT NOTE:<br />
<br />
This spell is very powerful. It should be used in PLACE of physical<br />
violence. Violence is often illegal and will likely rebound upon you,<br />
just like the bambi-wiccans say. They only know SOCIAL laws of magick.<br />
Do the spell just like I told you and forget about the person, secure<br />
in the knowledge that you have caused them everlasting torment.<br />
<br />
You see, their soul will not go to heaven. Since they were killed<br />
with magick and you've thrown the effigy into a body of water, they<br />
cannot ever get into heaven until someone finds the effigy and removes<br />
the scissors in a magical rite. Fat chance. :><br />
<br />
It's as simple as that! Most magick is about the same kind of thing.<br />
<br />
I didn't tell you this. I wasn't here.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
DEVIL SUMMONING<br />
<br />
<br />
Hail Guardians of all Light and Darkness!<br />
<br />
(casts live dog into the fire)<br />
<br />
Accept this sacrifice as a token of my power. Be welcome and cautious inyour dealings with us.<br />
<br />
(grasps tankard of semen, blood and irish whisky)<br />
<br />
May my will be made ten-thousand times stronger as I consume this elixir<br />
of immortality. (drinks entirety of tankard)<br />
<br />
(points at the floor, where a radiant pentagram burns brightly)<br />
<br />
I now summon into this pentagram the Lord Host of Devils, the Great Deceiver Himself, before mine eyes. May He be bound to its light as a moth, may he be contained within its brightness, may he be forced to assume the Office of Lucifer, my Servant and my Advisor.<br />
<br />
(The Great Evil appears before the Magus)<br />
<br />
I command you to fetch your Master, YaHWeH, into this hexagram.<br />
<br />
(points at ceiling, where a dark hexagram scorches)<br />
<br />
You have no choice. If you do not obey, then I shall destroy your hold on<br />
every psychic precinct this side of Andromeda.<br />
<br />
(If The Great Evil fights back, then you mistook your power as sufficient and must bear the consequences. He will know whether you have the power to defeat Him and will respond accordingly. If He does not destroy you, then within a heartbeat, the ceiling will explode in incandescent fury. A brilliant pulse of light and heat will be felt as YHVH arrives.)<br />
<br />
Oh great and powerful AhZ!<br />
<br />
May I serve you with distinction and the suitable respect as befits the One!<br />
<br />
Oh perfect Majesty, beautific vision of essential union, might I share briefly in your ardent splendour! Might I seek the Graal with fierce righteousness.<br />
<br />
Might I defend the innocent and comfort the ailing. <br />
<br />
(YHVH responds in appropriate fashion)<br />
<br />
Since I know you for the daemon you are, I would bargain for your release, oh rich One. I would have you fulfill a request of mine in return for your freedom. You must satisfy my assessment of the affairs before you may return to your Eternal abode.<br />
<br />
(YHVH will of course acceed)<br />
<br />
Very well then...<br />
<br />
(The Magus describes the nature of the task in question, whether it be material, informational, psychic or spiritual in character)<br />
<br />
(YHVH will of course perform as requested, as long as the Magus stays between the two stars)<br />
<br />
[Upon completion of the task:]<br />
<br />
Thou art truly beneficent and merciful, O Heavenly One. May your days be filled with your never-failing reflection. May you know that which I cannot.<br />
<br />
(The Magus motions to release the hexagrammaton. YHVH flies free)<br />
<br />
Oh Lying Evil, thank you for fetching your Master so quickly! May you discover new ways to trick and trap. May you come when you are called into the Pentagram of Power which I devise. Depart now while I am feeling grateful.<br />
<br />
(Magus motions to pentagram)<br />
<br />
(Lucifer departs immediately)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THAT ANYONE CONDUCT THIS EXPERIMENT BELOW. IT MAY BRING GREAT PAIN AND SUFFERING. IF YOU CONDUCT THIS EXPERIMENT, IT IS BY YOUR OWN WILL. I AM IN NO WAY URGING OR COERCING ANYONE TO UNDERTAKE THIS OPERATION.<br />
<br />
<br />
This is a technique to call up Beelzebub into your soul to show<br />
you the other side. In case you don't know, Beelzebub is<br />
one of the sub princes of hell and a rather nasty one at that.<br />
<br />
First print out a copy of this magick square:<br />
<br />
CASED<br />
AZOTE<br />
BOROS<br />
ETOSA<br />
DEBAC<br />
<br />
Then get yourself rather drunk on alchohol, because evil spirits work better on people that are rather intoxicated.<br />
<br />
Then wait until midnight... during a full moon would be even better.<br />
<br />
Play some Christian Death music in the background. Turn off the lights,<br />
light a candle and some incense. Get rid of any crosses, bibles or<br />
other Christian symbols from the room.<br />
<br />
Spend 5 minutes meditating on the square. Notice what the words<br />
say both backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
Then take the symbol, and draw some blood from your finger. DON"T CUT A VEIN. I DON"T WANT ANYONE TO KILL THEMSELVES.<br />
<br />
Then place the droplet of blood on the square and while doing so<br />
repeat the following 6 times.<br />
<br />
"Oh BEELZEBUB, LORD OF FLIES. ENTER MY SOUL. SHOW ME THE OTHER SIDE. OPEN MY EYES SO THAT I MAY SEE THE DARK RECESSES OF HELL."<br />
<br />
Do this ritual several times. Then give yourself some time.<br />
You probably won't see an immediate change. It can happen<br />
immediately, or it might take up to a year. You might<br />
notice a sublte change or you might completely lose your mind. Give<br />
it a year and see what changes occur to your life.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Magick Salt<br />
<br />
<br />
Salt, whether common table salt, sea salt, or kosher salt, has a long<br />
history of use in rituals of purification, magical protection, and<br />
blessing.<br />
<br />
Among spell-casters working in the European folk-magic tradition, it<br />
is a commonplace to lay down a pinch of salt in each corner of a room<br />
before performing a spell. This has carried over into contemporary<br />
African-American hoodoo practice as well, and in Pagan and Witchcraft<br />
practice.<br />
<br />
Generally speaking, when the intention of a spell is primarily<br />
protective, salt may be used alone or combined with ingredients like<br />
saltpeter and black pepper. For more aggressive spells against<br />
enemies, salt may be added to red pepper, sulphur, and bluestone.<br />
In Latin America, salt is used to prepare a very important magical<br />
formula called Rattlesnake Salt which is believed to lengthen life<br />
and to provide protection for the home or place of business.<br />
Additionally, because ritual cleaning is an important facet of folk-<br />
magic, salt is a common ingredient in spells in which magical<br />
protection from evil and breaking enemy work (especially "live<br />
things" or spells under the skin) is accomplished through the<br />
employment of ritual baths and dwelling place washes.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Spells<br />
(Random Spells)<br />
<br />
<br />
Frigidity:<br />
Wrap a toad in a garment of your victim, preferably her underwear. Set it in a jar of spit and water, filled halfway, with a lid on top, the outside painted black. Leave the jar in the far back corner of the refrigerator. This works well on unfaithful ex-lovers you may wish to torment.<br />
<br />
Lust Dust:<br />
Here is a recipe for what I call....LUST DUST <br />
In a RED bottle....put in<br />
(dried herbs)<br />
1 part Lemongrass<br />
1 part Lemon Balm<br />
2 parts Lavendar flowers<br />
2 parts Jasmine flowers<br />
2 parts Rose petals (or buds)<br />
1 part patchouli<br />
(oils)<br />
6 drops Jasmine oil<br />
6 drops Rose oil<br />
3 drops of Eucalyptus oil<br />
6 drops Sandalwood oil<br />
9 drops Vanilla oil<br />
(resins)<br />
1 part benzoin (if you're keeping it around awhile...if not you can leave it out)<br />
1 part copal<br />
Mix it all together....you can charge the herbs before using if it pleases you... you can add certain "links" or personal items....hair, nails, ect., ect. I would only suggest that option if you're making it FOR someone. :)<br />
You can use this mixture as an incense OR rub it on your body ...<br />
Leave it whole or grind it up during ritual.<br />
You can throw this into a fire OR burn it on coals. (duh) <br />
I also add white sage when making it for a bonfire...<br />
It smells like.....a sexual cookie???????????????<br />
Have fun. Oh yeah ...you should age it a few months in a dark place before using it. :)<br />
Also, certain symbols and charms can be added to the bottle.....I use a scorpion....a heart.....and a spiderweb.<br />
<br />
<br />
Mutual Binding for Lovers:<br />
What you will need:<br />
The tools your tradition normally uses for circle casting<br />
2 Pink cords or ribbons<br />
A poppet for both of you (in a likeness for each of you)<br />
A thorn or your Athame (for carving in poppet)<br />
Your lover<br />
Privacy! (Requires nudity)<br />
Cast a circle according to your tradition. (Wear a robe or clothing for this if you normally do not) Stand facing your lover and remove robes while saying:<br />
“As a sign of absolute trust I reveal myself to totally to your eyes”<br />
Touch each other's third eye chakra saying,<br />
“I will always see the best in you”<br />
Touch each other's throat chakra saying,<br />
“I will never speak ill of you”<br />
Touch each others heart chakra saying,<br />
“I will always hold you close to my heart”<br />
Take poppets (you each should have the poppet that is the likeness of your lover) and each inscribes your lover's name on it 3 times.<br />
Each time saying,<br />
“I bind (person's name) to me in love and life.” <br />
Turn poppet over and carve 3 hearts on it; each time saying, <br />
“my heart is yours in love and life” <br />
Tie 9 evenly spaced knots in one of the pink cords One over you holds poppets while the other wraps the cord around the poppets and both say, <br />
“we are bound in love and life” <br />
with each knot. <br />
Set poppets down on the ground between you.<br />
Tie 9 knots in the remaining pink cord.<br />
Hold your partner's right wrist and have your partner return hold.<br />
With your left hands, one of you hold the “tail” of the cord while the other wraps the cord gently around the clasped right hands and wrist while both of you say,<br />
“we are bound in love and life”<br />
with each knot. <br />
Pull your partner close to you and consummate the relationship.<br />
You may opt to share cakes and ale afterwards according to you traditions. <br />
Open your circle.<br />
Remove the pink cord and place it and the poppets in you bedroom. Under the bed or above the headboard is best.<br />
If you and your love decide it is best to dissolve the relation ship simply burn the poppets to release the binding.<br />
<br />
Unholy Water:<br />
Unholy water is supported entirely by how much cats hate to bathe, the "cat hate" gets into the bathwater and then you take and use it to anoint the possessions of the people (or the people themselves) that you dont particularly like.<br />
<br />
<br />
Dead Time:<br />
Ever wondered what to do with those watches (ones with minute and second hands) that are laying around and you are either to broke to fix it, or just haven't decided what to do with it? Well..here's a nice binding spell you can use with this watch. <br />
First off, open the back cover of the watch up (make sure to becareful in removing back cover and that the inner part of the watch doesn't spill out or front face of watch shifts), then get string and a blank piece of paper.<br />
Next, write down the name of the person you wish to bind. (if you don't know this person's full name, then use another word to best describe this person...BUT make sure you are visualizing this person while writing this word down)<br />
The next thing to write down on this list are things in this person's life you wish upon this person not to achieve.<br />
After you are done with that, fold the paper up then place it on the back of the opened watch, then place back cover of the watch back (still making sure inner parts of the watch and front face of the watch haven't shifted).<br />
Now with the string, start to wrap it around the watch to secure paper and watch together.<br />
While doing this, concentrate on this person's image and say these few words as follow ...<br />
Now I have ( name ) trapped in time<br />
where hours, minutes, and seconds lay still<br />
I control you for you are now bind<br />
to what I have just will<br />
After completing this spell, bury this in the person's land property. And if you live with this person, then bury it by their window.<br />
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To Steal a Soul:<br />
Essentially, the mage sets up his working space as he would for a necromantic working (cf). It is absolutely essential that this operation take place when the victim is asleep, preferably two to three hours after sleep has begun.<br />
The process is simply conjuring the victim's spirit as one would for a dead person, but the mage must have a container handy to constrain the victim's spirit. This can be either a specially prepared cage or crystal, or a Prinn Bottle™.<br />
Such a cage or crystal could be prepared by cleansing an ordinary crystal and casting a circle of protection around it (or a mirror ward if you're into that sort of thing) with the barrier facing inward instead of outward.<br />
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A Fetish Recipe to bring Slow Death to a much Loathed Foe:<br />
First it helps to know the adversary's weaknesses. Try to find out if they have any serious allergic reactions and to what. If you find out that they do, include some of that item or items in the fetish.<br />
Acquire the following items:<br />
an energy signature of the adversary such as hair or nail clippings (if possible)<br />
*if you are unable to acquire an energy signature, substitute a photograph. if you are unable to acquire a photograph, sigilize the full name of the enemy on parchment in red ink.*<br />
a small cauldron or pot<br />
a couple pieces of moldy bread<br />
excrement of any animal (cats work best, simply find a litter box and scoop a little)<br />
Place the energy signature (or photo, or sigil) in between two pieces of the moldy bread. Mash it together and round it so the energy signature is enveloped completely in the powers of decay. Place at the bottom of the cauldron. Then add the animal excrement and, if discovered, any items to which the enemy has an allergic reaction.<br />
Stir the noxious ingredients in a widdershins motion. Vocalize your contempt for the enemy without being self-conscious. Shout, scream, stir up as much hate as you possibly can and direct it to the fetish for as long as can be sustained. If you wish, visualize the fetish as the enemy's head and mock striking it or make flailing gestures at it and strain the muscles in your hands and fingers as you do so.<br />
The best time for this, of course, is the later phases of the waning moon. If you wish to add archetypal energy to this, out under the waning moon, invoke or assume the god-form of Saturn or any other deity of death you'd like and ask Hir to bless your intentions. If you assume the god-form of the deity in question, become a suitable conduit of that energy and direct it toward the fetish and visualize it mingling with the energy of your own hatred already there. This is very potent as you are including macrocosmic energy with microcosmic energy.<br />
Then leave the fetish on the property or doorstep of the adversary. If this is not reasonably practical (if they live far away, for example) you can just leave the fetish out under the waning moon and astrally bring the etheric substance of the fetish to their home. Banish with laughter or ground with a good meal and forget it.<br />
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Creating a Living Servitor:<br />
Ok, awhile ago I asked about using servitors to possess an individual, and I was told that the person's will would fight against the servitor and would make sustained possession difficult. So after thinking about it I came up with this way of subjagating a person and then applying servitor to complete the subjagation. An important part of this is to leave the person autonomous even though you crush them. Otherwise you'll have a zombie like person which is less useful than someone who can think on their feet while fullfilling their desire to serve you. Or possibly if their will is not completely crushed down they may feel that they're in a situation in which they're being led about and eventually they will attempt rebellion. Also, if the person feels autonomous, they will feel that they're serving you out of their own desire so they will more actively pursue their new will of serving you. <br />
First through mundanes you endear yourself to the person. then begin working with NLP to make them submissive, use fascination in combination with this. then charming spells. <br />
After the person is already ready to be partially submissive, sigilize their soul, half of the sigil should represent the submissive aspects, and half of it the rebelious ones.<br />
Steal the persons soul and charge the sigil with it. <br />
Cut off the rebelious half and burn it.<br />
Then draw a sigil to represent the possession servitor. Program it to graft it self on to what's left of the soul, and enforce a submissive autonomy. <br />
Thus the person is a slave but not a zombie. <br />
Charge a candle using the servitor sigil, and another using the remainder of the soul sigil. then melt those candles into a new candle.<br />
Sigilize the hybrid, and place the candle over the sigil, burn it to release the new hybrid soul back into the body.<br />
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Destroying Exteriors:<br />
Get hold of Person A's sunglasses or other similar accessory.<br />
Draw a pentacle on some hard, flat surface. <br />
Spit in each angle, naming his crimes. <br />
Smash the heck out of the sunglasses, telling him that he can no longer keep up his "front." <br />
Toss out the sunglasses in fire or water, telling them that his "cool" will drift or melt away.<br />
A friend of mine did this to his ex, and shortly thereafter her whole social world began to crumble.<br />
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Spell to Cause Headaches/Migrains:<br />
This spell is simple really. <br />
First get a photo or drawing, or a seal representing the target of the spell then take this photo to a tree or a piece of wood.<br />
Now summon up all your anger and or hatred for this person, until you've conjured up all the emotion you can, and focus that energy on the person in the picture.<br />
Now, with all that emotion of hatred summoned up and focused on the target, drive a nail into the tree/wood through the picture's head. Hammer the nail all the way in the wood/tree.<br />
If posible, come back later and summon up all that hatred/emotion again and hit the nail on the head again.<br />
Repeat a few times later on.<br />
Soon the target of the spell should start having bad headaches/migrains. If you want to stop the spell, take the nail out of the tree/wood.<br />
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Random Destruction:<br />
Begin at sunset, in some area beyond the interference of others. <br />
Draw a large map of some specific place on the ground, using flour and some items (soil, grain, asphalt, etc...) found in the place represented by the map.<br />
Prepare a charcoal fire and throw sulphur into it, calling the spirits of the fire to attention.<br />
Meanwhile, two assistants prepare a large sheet. One must paint or draw the sign of some terrible destructive force (gnashing teeth, chainsaws, or any similar device), while the other assistant curses at the place while drinking beer. He then urinates all over the center of the sheet.<br />
The two assistants then lift the sheet over the map, and hold it there.<br />
With the sheet in place, take out coals from the fire with a pair of tongs. Name various plagues, afflictions, terrors, and mayhem over the coals, one for each.<br />
When the sheet can stand no more, the coals will burn through and drop upon the map. Allow the remainder of the sheet to burn, and the places touched by your curse will suffer the consuming flame and its attendant violence.<br />
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Angry Dirt:<br />
To Make Angry Dirt: <br />
Get one 5-gallon plastic bucket and lid, ONLY the inside painted black (I used spraypaint) and lined with a black garbage bag. Make sure the top of the bag folds over the edges. You will need to gather the bag over the dirt later. Line the bottom with styrofoam pellets for drainage and mold prevention. This allows the dirt to breathe.<br />
Add:<br />
one handful peat moss<br />
one small clear quartz, shattered<br />
One handful dried spearmint, crumbled. Grass clippings are fine.<br />
One teaspoon lemon juice - this is for odor control<br />
Approximately 2 gallons clean dry dirt (from your backyard is fine)<br />
Mix well.<br />
Now here's where the dirt is personalized. Gather handfuls of dirt when you are out and about. I added handfuls of grave dirt from tragic deaths. Local papers come in handy to determine this. I also added dirt from a playground where I was beat up as a kid, etc.<br />
Next time you're uncontrollably angry, sit with your feet on top of the the soil mixture like a foot soak; or put your hands on top of the mixture. Ground your anger into the dirt. Mixture is VERY important to this, so do take breaks to mix the soil. I used my hands to mix. DO BE CAREFUL - there's a shattered quartz in there!! Now, gather the bag and tie it loosely. Cover with the lid, and cover the entire bucket with a white cloth. I use a white towel.<br />
Go back to your mixture each time you are upset, frustrated, pissed, not getting laid... and ground that into your dirt. Do keep adding new handfuls of gathered dirt as you go.<br />
Now, MY determining factor of knowing the dirt is ready to use is opening the lid and:<br />
The dirt smells foul<br />
The dirt feels foul to the touch<br />
The dirt feels angrier than I do.<br />
To use Angry Dirt:<br />
In a poppet: For a smiting I made a poppet with a few extra essentials then soaked it in water until it was a soggy mess, then staked it riverside to dry. There are different variations to this theme I've used successfully and would be happy to share them. <br />
As a territorial border: sprinkle Angry dirt outside the home to ward away unwanted visitors. For preventing a specific person, add your particular anger towards that person into the dirt while grounding. Then use the dirt. I used this with much success to keep a horde of rotten local brats. It didn't get them to leave the premises entirely, but they did stay outside the border. <br />
Houseplant destroyer: I'm experimenting with the dirt in a potted plant. So far, the plant has turned dark and greyish; though I'm giving it the same care and attention as the other plants, the older growth is slowly dying while new growth develops. Quite weird. Details to come. <br />
If there are other writings or studies done with dirt specifically I am not aware of them; and if anyone knows of any I'd love to see them.<br />
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Spell of the Black Rose <br />
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Probably everyone has had sometime in their life when another person becomes romantically fixated upon them and simply will not leave them alone! Short of a restraining order, what do you do? Start with this spell:<br />
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Pick a day when the moon is waning and your emotions are at a pitch. Secure a dark red rose that is partly opened. On your altar burn a Saturn incense. With a pin, prick the person's initials into the rose, then dip it into melted paraffin filling the pin holes with wax. Put the stem into a bottle of black ink and leave it on your altar for several hours. The rose should darken except for the initials.<br />
That evening, cast your circle - again burning the Saturn incense. On the altar have two black candles anointed with a Saturn oil and placed 13" apart. Light the candles and between them place a picture of the person. Hold the rose over the picture, close your eyes and chant:<br />
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Wild and whirling spirits are in my thoughts<br />
And demons haunt my mind,<br />
This person is the object of my distemper.<br />
That I may find relief and release<br />
May this black rose be infused with magic<br />
That carries a Dire Warning -<br />
To cease his/her suit or to Beware!<br />
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Pull one petal from the rose and drop it scornfully upon the picture. The next day, place the rose in a box and have it delivered to your tormentor.<br />
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TO STOP A LIAR<br />
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Buy a cows tongue at the <br />
Grocery store, slice it <br />
Open length wise (top and <br />
Bottom) between halves <br />
Place a piece of paper that <br />
You have written the person <br />
Who is lying name on, be<br />
Detailed as you can. <br />
Roll the tongue up (tip to <br />
Back) and drive 7 nails, 7 <br />
Pins and 7 needles thru the <br />
Tongue each time saying <br />
Something like<br />
"(name) cannot lie"<br />
Wrap the tongue up in red<br />
Cloth and leave it in the woods <br />
With 7 pennies.<br />
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A SPELL TO BREAK THE POWERS OF A SPELL<br />
If you believe that a spell has been cast against you, place a large black candle in a cauldron (or a large black bowl). The candle must be tall enough to extend a few inched above the cauldron's rim. Affix the candle to the bottom of the cauldron with warmed beeswax or the drippings of another black candle so that it will not tip over.<br />
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Fill the cauldron to the rim with fresh water,without wetting the candle's wick. An inch or two of the candle should remain above the water. Deep breathe, meditate, clear your mind, and light the candle. Visualize the suspected spell's power as residing within the candle's flame. Sit in quiet contemplation of the candle and visualize the power flowing and growing with the candle's flame (yes the power against you). As the candle burns down, its flame will eventually sputter and go out as it contacts the water. As soon as the flame has been extinguished by the water, the spell will be dispersed.<br />
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Break your visualization of the spell's power; see it explode into dust, becoming impotent.<br />
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Pour the water into a hole in the ground, a lake or stream. Bury the candle. It is done.<br />
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Making A Wizards Staff<br />
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The staff is not only used in ceremonies and for drawing circles; it is also a useful tool, If not essential. It can be used as a weapon of defense, a weapon of destruction, for traveling, and used to direct energy.<br />
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The staff is chest to chin high. It is best made of a hardwood, such as oak, walnut, and yew. The thickness should be what is comfortable for you to hold. It need not be perfectly straight, but easily used.<br />
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The staff should be cut in the waxing moon phase, and needs to dry thoroughly. (Thank the tre that donated it to you.) You can leave the bark on or off that is up to you. It should however be sealed with a varnish or a clear resin. You can use fur or leather to make a handgrip. You can also add decorations, such as; feathers, bells, shells, or carvings. Some will inscribed their magical name into the staff. The staff should also be dedicated. to the dark path prior to being used.<br />
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SPIDER WEB BINDING / DEATH<br />
1. Gather spider webs from your house and a dead fly. Put the fly on the webs.<br />
2. Write on virgin paper:<br />
"North South East West<br />
Spiders web shall bind him best<br />
East West North South<br />
Holds his limbs and stops his mouth<br />
Seal his eyes and choke his breath<br />
Wrap him 'round with ropes of death!"<br />
3. Fold the paper 4 times. Place the paper, webs and fly onto some black cloth.<br />
4. Bind the cloth together at the four corners so it makes a little bag with the paper, webs and fly inside.<br />
Then hang this in any dark corner undisturbed until it gets coated thickly with dust. Lastly, after this has Happened, bury it.<br />
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Creating a Nocturnal Servant<br />
From the book GOTHIC GRIMOIRE by KONSTANTINOS<br />
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YOU MUST READ THE BOOK BEFORE PERFORMING THIS RITE WARNING FROM THE BOOK: SUCH A SPIRIT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO WANDER THE EARTH FOR ETERNITY. sHOULD SUCH A THING HAPPEN, THE SPIRIT WILL GAIN A POWER OF IT'S OWN AND BRING NEW MEANING TO THE WORD CHAOS. AND WE DON'T WANT THAT DO WE PEOPLE...hahahaha! <br />
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Basically, when a sentient thoughtform-sometimes called an <br />
egregore in ceremonial magick-is allowed to have infinite <br />
lifespan, it begains to take liberties it has no right to take. <br />
This manufactured being, devoid of any conscience or true <br />
allegiance, begins to act on the primal impulses it was endowed <br />
with at it's creation.<br />
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EXAMPLE: Say you created a nocturnal servant or egregore to protect one of your coven members on a dangerous trip she had to take soon. You might charge the being with the task of spooking away any who might mean harm to your witch. Innocent enough, really. You just want the Nocturnal servant to provide the impression that your witch is not worth the trouble of bothering, right?<br />
Now let's say that your Witch goes on her trip and returns. You're <br />
so happy that she came back from the middle east safe that you <br />
decided to let the servant keep his job. He's not visible (MOST OF <br />
THE TIME) and don't seem to get in the way. What can it hurt? You <br />
like your Witch friend, and so what if a etheric being is protecting her from now on. That's good right? The author says No!!!<br />
The Nocturnal Servant was created with just enough endowed intelligence to know how to protect your Witch on a particular trip. By specifying its job, you have allowed the spirit only enough freedom to act on anything during the trip. Once the trip is over, the servant no longer has any real purpose for being. Without a clear set of parameters to operate within any longer, it will now try to adapt its purpose as it sees fit. Given time, it may begin to act on protective impulses whenever it feels your no-longer traveling Witch is in danger. Maybe a boss plans on giving her to much work one night? Maybe someone had the nerve to cut in front of her in the line outside the movie theater?<br />
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Are these really people who need to feel the wrath of an angry spirit? And that wrath itself may grow as the motives driving the spirit evolve. This is all about manifestation will become more real with time, just like any thoughtform. As a result, it will develop more real, if irrational, thought processes, as well as more real powers with which to act on its impulses. What started as a simple servant meant to subtly scare off any who mean harm to the Witch could end up a demonic being bent on physically destroying anyone who so much as frowns in the witches direction. (cool!) <br />
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THE SENTIENT FORM <br />
The form your nocturnal servant takes is up to you. Some may feel <br />
comfortable giving the being the shape of a sphere, as they would <br />
with a standard thoughtform. The auther prefers to make servants <br />
that are anthropomorphic or humanoid, and somewhat targeted to the <br />
work at hand. It's natural to imagine a human-like being working <br />
on a goal, and giving it traits to accomplish that goal only helps. (I made mine look like me, only better).<br />
The form you choose for the servant can have some preternatural elements. For instance, you might find it helpful to give a phantom protector some claws or fangs if it helps your feelin of security. Just be careful not to ask the thing to use such protective gear to do any flesh shredding! (unless that's what you want). The purpose of providing symbolic extras such as these is to help make the thing more visually enabled to perform it's job. If someone senses claws or fangs on any level, that person will have an uncomfortable feeling and naturally shy away. Now with the form in mind you're just about ready to create a servant. Again, this servant will be etheric.<br />
You may not see your servant , creating a solid one might take years of repeated experimention-or much less time with the help of a finely tuned coven. (If you have a strong manifestation mind you can and will achieve success in a short time).<br />
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THE PREPARATIONS <br />
You will need to do more than just imagine the form of your <br />
nocturnal servant clearly. You must make the physical housing for this thing to rest in when ti's not actively working. The physical representation won't need to be perfect-no real sculpting skills necessary. As long as the statue generally reminds you of the being you imagined, it will serve it's purpose. However, the statue will need to be destroyable, so you will want to make it fro non-hardening molding clay. If you can find it, obtain black clay...If not try mixing some black ink into white of beige clay. You'll need to fold and mash the clay, and apply more ink as need. This works pretty well and creates a decidedly night-like color. Do not use clay of another color, even if you feel it applies to the task the servant will be doing. You'll see why black clay is necessary in a moment.<br />
Form the clay into a general form of the being that you imagine. Try to give it physical traits that get across its reason for being. Maybe big hands for a servant intended to gather things?<br />
Maybe four legs for something that you want to be quick moving? <br />
You decide on what form makes the most sense, see it clearly in your mind...every part of it and do your best to recreate the form in clay. The servant's form can be as fantastic, mythical or mundane as you want it to look. Make the figure at least six inches tall, although you can make it larger if you wish to add more detail. When deciding on size make sure you have a place to hide it when done. You must also realize that you will part with this clay when you're done you will not be able to reuse it. Next comes the need to write the intent in spell form. This requires coming up with a name for your servant. Try to make it something that doesn't remind you of anything else. Don't pick a character from a favorite novel, for instance you want the name, simple or extravagant as it may be, to make you think only of your servant.<br />
Write your spell as a command for the servant to do what you ask. Add a reference to whatever deity that is somehow related to the task at hand ( I used Aphrodite). Also, add a reminder of how long this being will be allowed to Live. Make it clear in your spell/command. Don't worry about the words for actually creating the servant, though, as those are given in the rite. Something like this will work: Daseni, having been brought to life by my will and the will of (deity), I now command you. Guide me, Daseni, to the best job opportunities that I seek. Whenever you venture out from this clay form, may your efforts also be dedicated to smoothing my path for each interview you help me to obtain. Daseni, you have until the next full moon to perform these tasks. And you will carry out your tasks.<br />
So I say , so shall it be. or So mote it be.<br />
REMEMBER! the spell is a form of command. I must be specific, even if it comes out being long.<br />
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LOOK FOR PART 2 GRANTING LIFE<br />
You will need to set up your altar for a normal circle casting. <br />
Having present whatever you need to invoke the God or Goddess of <br />
choice. Your invocation should mention that you seek help of the <br />
God or Goddess in bringing life to clay, but the rest of the invocation can be just as you would normally write one. Note: that for a rite of this intensity, you are best off performing a true invocation or godform assumption if you know how to do so. You'll need the extra power.<br />
On the altar should be your spell of commanding, the clay figure, and a toothpick. Burn the heaviest incense you can find-a gum resin like mastic is ideal.<br />
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THE NOCTURNAL SERVANT RITE <br />
Cast a magick circle.<br />
Invoke the God/dess, remembering to specify why you want this deity's help in creating a servant to do a particular task. Pick up the clay form with your receiving hand and walk clockwise to the eastern edge of the circle. Reach straight out to touch the head of the form to the edge of your circle. Feel that some of the dark energy present at the boundary is pulling into the figure. Begin to walk clockwise, holding the head of the figure to the circle edge and drawing in the dark energy, Say:<br />
FORM OF CLAY, THE DARK ETHER FILLS YOU WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LIFE.<br />
Feel some of the energy making it through the form and into you. Repeat your circumambulation two more times. Each time, let the feeling of present energy build. Also each time around, increase speed to react to the growing energy. By the time you return to the edge of the circle the the last time the clay figure should almost be throbbing. Stop suddenly at the east. Pull the figure away from the edge, bringing it right in front of your face. Say (almost shout) with a commanding tone:<br />
YOU WILL LIVE THIS NIGHT!<br />
Move clockwise around your alter to return to your spot with the altar before you. Continue to hold the clay figure in your receiving hand. Pick up the toothpick with your projecting hand and hold it in the incense smoke. Begin to raise a little emotional energy (about one-third of your peak) and feel this moving up your projecting arm and into the toothpick. See the little piece of wood glowing etherically. Take the toothpick from the smock and raise a little more energy to about the half level. Feel and see this practically igniting the end of the toothpick. Bring this glowing point of wood to the approximate heart spot of the figure's chest. Try to maintain your energy level as you write the name of the being in the chest of the figure. See the glowing tip not only carve through the clay, but sizzle it and leave a glow behind. With the name blazzing on the figure, drop the toothpick onto the altar. Shift your gaze from the glowing name to the nocturnal portal. try to see the letters of the manr floating there while allowing your skrying vision to awaken. <br />
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Now comes the part that requires the most concentration. Allow <br />
your emotional energy level to slowly rise as you see the letters <br />
morphing in the nocturnal portal. See their glowing light turning <br />
into silver mist. As your energy approaches near peak, see the <br />
mist form into the shape of the servant( the true detailed shape with features not the clay figure) When you're almost at the peak point and can see the servant, PULL THIS VISION FROM THE PORTAL <br />
WITH YOUR EYES. See the servant astral body, which you just <br />
created, leap from the portal and into the clay figure. Hit full peak and place your projecting hand over the figure. Feel yourself forcing energy into the thing. Read or recite your spell, commanding the being. Pull your projecting hand away and place the figure on the alter. Imagine the living form you created cohabiting the clay form before you say: <br />
NOCTURNAL SERVANT (NAME) I COMMAND YOU TO LEAVE THIS CLAY FORM ONLY WHEN YOU NEED TO PERFORM ONE OF YOUR ASSIGNED TASKS.WHENEVER YOU ARE NOT ZEALOUSLY CARRYING OUT MY WILL, YOU WILL RETURN TO THIS FORM. AND ON (THE DEADLINE), YOU WILL RETURN TO THIS FORM BEFORE NIGHTFALL.<br />
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Close the circle. Thank the God/dess for being with you. Put the nocturnal servant's form in a place where no one else will come into contact with it (no one must touch it or see it). Store the paper on which you wrote the spell command spell in the same place. The servant will now as it needs to, ethercally fly out into the world to carry out its assigned task. From time to time you might sense it even see it. Do not let it alarm you (mine did) Remember, you are It's maker, It is merely doing what you wished it to, and in no way can it harm you...as long as you follow through with what comes next.. Bringing Death.<br />
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REVENGE HEX<br />
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Gather some bones of chickens and dry them in the sun for several days. (You can use some of the bones from chicken bought at the grocery store) When you are ready to perform this hex make sure you bring up intense feelings of anger and hatred. This gives the hex added strength.<br />
Keep the intense feelings of anger and hatred while doing this hex. When it says "With these bones I do crush," take a hammer or use your feet and stomp and crush the bones as if they were your enemy before you. (Using a hammer is easier and more effective)<br />
When you are done, sweep them up and place them in a bag. You will then want to sprinkle the dust and remains of the bones on your enemy's property and or around there house.<br />
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Ring the bell 9 times and say...<br />
“I call upon the Powers of Darkness to do my bidding, I call upon the Dark Gods of Anger and Rage, hear my call...<br />
“Bones of anger return to dust<br />
Full of vengeance, my revenge is just<br />
I scatter these bones, bones of rage<br />
Give thine enemy nothing but pain<br />
I see thine enemy before my eyes<br />
I bind them, crush them, bring their demise<br />
Take these bones I do crush<br />
Send thine enemy back to the dust<br />
Agony and torment, without control<br />
By these words I curse your soul”<br />
So Mote It Be!<br />
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© 2009 Little Black Book Of Spells<br />
Graveyard Publishing<br />
LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF SPELLS<br />
<br />
The Author - A Masseen Sorceress and practitioner of Dark Witchcraft for over thirty years presents this "Little Black Book Of Spells" for those who are not afraid to explore the darker aspects of thier nature, and the the darker aspects of their craft. A beautiful and rare collection of dark spells and writings.<br />
6" x 9", perfect binding, cream interior paper (60# weight), black and white interior ink, white exterior paper (100# weight), full-color exterior ink. ISBN# Pending<br />
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Click Here to Purchase<br />
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SPELL TO FREEZE SOMEONE OUT OF YOUR LIFE<br />
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If someone keeps hassling you and your having trouble getting them out of your life then give this spell a go.<br />
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You will need a eight inch yellow, blue and grey candle. If you cant buy them at eight inches just simply cut a larger one to eight inches.<br />
You will also need a knife, charcoal and a heavy duty safety pin.<br />
You will need to find a place where there is green grass and trees growing in one direction and the other direction needs to be more baren like sand and rocks. Cut seven notches in each candle.<br />
<br />
On the base of the yellow candle engrave your name and birthdate and on the grey candle engrave the name and birthdate of the person you are trying to get rid of. Only do this spell between the hours of twelve midnight and one in the morning and you must start the spell on a sunday night.<br />
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Place the blue candle in the middle, the yellow candle on the grassy side and the grey candle on the sand side. The candles must be placed 24 inches from the blue candle.<br />
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In the middle between the blue candle and the grey candle place the knife lying with the sharp blade facing the grey candle. Surround the grey candle with some charcoal.<br />
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Draw a dove with your little finger of the left hand around the yellow candle. With your left hand light both the yellow candle and the blue candle.<br />
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With your right hand light the grey candle. Repeat the following words three times : "atce atce atce ete el ikaw".<br />
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Let all three candles burn one section. On the next night repeat the same moving the candles another 24 inches apart.<br />
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Continue for seven nights in total until the last night you will have one section of each candle. Bury the grey candle in the ground with charcoal.<br />
Bury knife with blade facing grey candle. Bury blue candle.<br />
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Take home yellow candle and place in bottom draw of your cupboard on white cloth.<br />
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Make sure to follow spell exactly or it will not work.<br />
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<br />
Your Enemy's Funeral<br />
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<br />
Preface & Disclaimer<br />
This ritual is designed to bring about the death of a true and deserving enemy. This of course should never be taken lightly and only a truly deserving enemy should be considered as a target for this type of ritual - someone who has wronged you horribly and continues to do so with no hope of reconciliation.<br />
This ritual makes use of very powerful and emotional imagery - for this is the only way to bring about something as serious as death. Do not do this ritual if, after reading it, you feel you might have a problem with it. There is no way to undo it - death is permanent and irreversable. If there is any hope of reconciliation with this enemy, DO NOT PERFORM THIS RITUAL. I can't stress this enough. Magick is not free, there is always a sacrifice even if it's only in terms of energy and emotion. This ritual ends a human life, and such does not come about without cost. Also be aware that this ritual is a definite venture into the shadow side of things. Even when it's deserved, killing someone is not something the universe as a whole takes lightly, so be sure there's really no other way, and watch out for any possible karmic repercussions.<br />
The following disclaimer is totally necessary to protect the Author, the Church of Lucifer, and anyone else involved in distributing this ritual.<br />
ALL RISK INCURRED BY UNDERTAKING THIS MAGICKAL RITUAL IS SOLELY THAT OF THE READER. READING FURTHER IN THIS TEXT DENOTES ACCEPTANCE BY THE READER OF THIS DISCLAIMER. READER AGREES TO INDEMNIFY, HOLD HARMLESS, AND DEFEND THE AUTHOR, BLACK REIGN PRESS, AND AMPHIGORY AGAINST ANY ACTION, LEGAL OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM USE OR MISUSE OF THIS MATERIAL.<br />
<br />
Materials<br />
As mentioned above, this ritual makes use of very powerful and emotional energy, and as such, requires quite a few items of equipment and supplies. Listed below is everything you need. Most of this can be acquired from any quality magickal supply store, but should you be unable to get any of it, email me, as I am the operator of a magickal supply business.<br />
<br />
A Large Doll, Representing Your Victim<br />
This is obviously used to represent your enemy, and you are going to kill the doll during the ritual, thereby killing your enemy. Traditionally, you should make the doll yourself, out of clay or out of cloth and straw. It should be fairly large - 12-24 inches tall or taller is perfect. You should make it look as much like your enemy as possible. Placing a facial picture of your enemy over the face of the doll is a good idea.<br />
<br />
Swallow's Heart<br />
This is a standard item of magickal supply at any quality magickal shop that carries Voodoo supplies. They are normally obtained from roadkill or euthanised birds, so no worry about supporting the indiscriminate killing of innocent swallows. You will place this where the heart belongs in the doll. DO NOT WORRY - THESE THINGS COME DRIED, NOT WET AND MESSY. :)<br />
<br />
A Personal Item of the Enemy<br />
Something to create a physical link to the victim. The absolute best thing to use would be some of the enemy's blood, but of course this is likely to be impossible! Maybe some hair, fingernail clippings, toenail clippings, even an item of worn clothing to cut up and dress the doll in.<br />
<br />
A Coffin to Put the Corpse (Doll) In<br />
Either make it or buy it. You will place the corpse/doll in this after you kill it, then it will be buried.<br />
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Graveyard Dust<br />
Another standard magickal supply item. You need enough to dust the doll in the coffin with, and to bury the coffin with the doll in it.<br />
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Coffin Nails<br />
Yet another standard magickal supply item. You will nail shut the coffin with these. Use seven (7).<br />
A .22 Caliber Firearm<br />
The normal way to kill people these days is by shooting them, and this will be no different. Do not use a higher caliber weapon as doing so will cause too much damage to the doll - you want something left to bury!<br />
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A Large Quantity of Pure Myrrh<br />
Myrrh is the incense of death, and you will burn a huge quantity of this during the ritual to create an air of death and to cause slight sensory overload.<br />
<br />
A word of caution. You may be tempted to use some of your own blood (or semen) in giving life to the doll. Do not do it under any circumstances! If you do, I personally guarantee you that something will go wrong and you'll end up shooting yourself during the ritual.<br />
Part I: Preparing the Doll<br />
Before you complete the ritual and kill your enemy, you need to prepare the doll. If you are making the doll yourself, you should do it during this part of the ritual. If not, then just bring the already made doll.<br />
This should be done at night, preferrably midnight, on the night of the new moon, in a closed room, dimly lit by candlelight.<br />
In your temple/circle/whereever you work, gather together the doll (or the makings of the doll), the swallow's heart, and the personal item of the enemy. If you are making the doll yourself, make it now, concentrating only on the fact that you are making a direct, linked clone of your enemy.<br />
Now, take the swallow's heart, and place it where the heart belongs in the doll. While you are doing this, say aloud something like the following:<br />
<br />
WITH THIS HEART<br />
THE LIFE-GIVING ORGAN<br />
I GRANT LIFE<br />
TO THIS DOLL<br />
COME TO LIFE<br />
TO BE USED<br />
AS AN INSTRUMENT OF MY WILL<br />
THIS IS THE WILL<br />
OF<br />
<br />
Now, take the personal item of your enemy, and place it where it goes on the doll. I.e., if it is a fingernail clipping, place it on/in the doll's hand, if it's clothing, put it on the doll (after ripping it up to fit the doll of course). While you are doing this, say aloud something like the following:<br />
<br />
POWERS OF LIFE!<br />
POWERS OF DEATH!<br />
HEAR ME NOW!<br />
WITH THIS<br />
I LINK THIS DOLL TO !<br />
AND THIS DOLL ARE ONE AND THE SAME!<br />
WHATSOEVER I DO TO THIS DOLL, I ALSO DO TO !<br />
HEAR ME!<br />
THIS IS THE WILL OF !<br />
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During these two ritual segments, you should of course feel your energy rise and rise until you hit gnosis near the end of the second phase. At this point, release all your built-up energy to aid the act of giving magickal life to this doll.<br />
Immediately wrap the doll in white cloth and leave it in a dark place until the next new moon.<br />
Part II: Kill.<br />
At the next new moon, gather together in your temple the doll (still wrapped), the pure myrrh incense and the tools needed to burn it, your gun, the coffin, the coffin nails, and the graveyard dust. Light up your incense burner and throw a huge quantity of myrrh onto it. Remember, this is partially a ritual of sensory overload - use a ton! Your gun should be concealed - you are going to act out a confrontation between you and the enemy, so the gun should be hidden.<br />
While unwrapping the doll, say aloud something like the following:<br />
<br />
POWERS OF LIFE!<br />
POWERS OF DEATH!<br />
HEAR ME NOW!<br />
REMEMBER!<br />
THIS DOLL AND ARE ONE AND THE SAME!<br />
WHAT I DO TO THIS DOLL, SO DO I DO TO !<br />
WHAT HAPPENS TO THIS DOLL HAPPENS TO !<br />
I AM HERE TO ACT OUT MY WILL!<br />
HEAR ME!<br />
WHAT I DO TO THIS DOLL, I ALSO DO TO !<br />
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Of course, you should already feel your energy rising! Now, act out a confrontation with your enemy, of course with the doll representing your enemy. You should be acting out a two-sided confrontation with this enemy - and hearing, seeing, feeling, in your mind his/her responses, just like a real argument or fight. This can be a real fight you had in the past, or just what you'd like to tell them. Build it up, from harsh words, to yelling, to yelling at the top of your lungs, to outright name-calling and death-threatening. Finally, once your energy is totally pumped, you're at total overload, the thick smoke of the myrrh is driving you nuts, and your adrenaline is redlined, whip out your gun and blow him away. You should aim for the heart area, but as this will be in the heat of a fight, just make sure you hit the doll. As you do this, you should completely and totally visualize in your mind that you are killing your enemy - see the bullet enter his chest, blood fly everywhere - the whole thing! It should be an upsetting and emotional experience.<br />
Immediately take the "corpse", put it into the coffin, lightly dust it with graveyard dust, and nail the coffin shut with the coffin nails. Drive out to your nearest cemetery and bury the thing, using mostly graveyard dust to replace the actual dirt from the hole you dug. Make sure to cover the top with the real dirt though - you don't want anyone to notice it. Your whole attitude now should be one of fear - you just blew someone away in the heat of a fight, holy shit, don't want to go to prison... You get the idea.<br />
During the burial, you should be conducting a mock funeral - even give a mock eulogy saying how much of an asshole he was, how much he deserved to die, the whole thing... Play it up good! This is part of banishing the negative energy raised by the ritual, and is the start of banishing the entire working by forgetting about all the emotions and energy you had built up.<br />
After this, as in any working - forget about it. It's over, done, the guy's dead, just forget about it. One word of warning though - you have no idea how the guy is going to die so make sure you have a good alibi afterward - he may end up getting murdered with you as the prime suspect! If you are questioned by the police, remember, you didn't do it - not in any way that can be proved in court - don't panic!<br />
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Author Unknown<br />
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<br />
THE PENETRATION RITUAL, THE CEREMONY OF INSANITY AND INFLICTED IDIOCY<br />
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From the Tempel of Azagthoth <br />
(book 3, "The Vampire Undead Text")<br />
<br />
Notes from the Author:<br />
<br />
This is a particularly effective ritual which has been employed with very succesful results many times by myself and members of the Tempel of Azagthoth. Whether you see the names called upon in this ritual as 'mere' Archetypes, or Immortal entities does not fully matter. For the strong and advancing Vampire the Undead element will be very attracted in such a ritual. As you progress you will increasingly be able to discern for yourself the nature of these entities. Emperor Norduk, Oxford Place, January 27 1998<br />
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The Penetration Ritual, The Ceremony of Insanity and Inflicted Idiocy (A Threefold Rite ov Destruction)<br />
<br />
The Penetration Ritual is in all aspects, a Ritual which will be adored and used by our loyal Vamphyri within the Tempel of Azagthoth. The Penetration Ritual, The Ceremony of Insanity, is in all aspects, a Ritual of Azagthothian Vamphyrism as implemented, by living members of the Royal Bloodline. We Have Been brought Mastery by the Life, rememberest thou the corpses of the princesses thrown down by the Countess from atop Castle Cachtice, thrown down, drained of their essence, devoured by the roaming wolves below in in the forests. The Archetypes which are invoked to heighten this Ritual are three in number but One in Aim, Elisabeth Bathory - A Symbol of Royalty within the Bloodline of the Rulers, brought to Dayside Successes, with her strong presence of the Nightside, unbound by the Will of Others, she indulged in sexual pleasures, punishing her slaves. Through Vampiric Blood Rites, draining and obtainment of the Life Force of the mortal slave to the royal vampiric bloodline - which opens the Gate Further, Welcoming the Pools of Blood wherein Dwells the Dragon Tiamat. And Tiamat is the Second Archetype implemented in This Act of Vampire Predation, Tiamat must be grasped and understood personally by each Vampire. The third Archetype is Azagthoth, Blind Idiot God, a bringer of CHAOS and Madness unto the petty mortal magician, a high force of life force drainage and high principality of punishment and degredation unto the human slave, High Black Wizard to the Mother Tiamat. For the Human Which This Rite Is Told Unto, By Your Vampire Sorcery, this is a working of Destruction and bondage through our Punishment.<br />
<br />
Biding the Black Winds to Descend Upon Your Mortal Prey<br />
<br />
'I Pray Unto Thee Azrael black cloaked angel, from beyond the veil of death, I beseech and call upon your power. Your being shall enter my being. Like the purple face of the Undead who sitteth in the dead leaves by the running black water, across the field. His eyes do not blink. He has no tears to cry. His Will Does Not Falter. Hail The Undead. Hail unto Thee, Azrael. Bring Your Black Powers of death, wrap its black curtains about me that I may use its darkness to Reign Terror and Bloodshed Upon My Specified Victim, hurting neither myself nor my friends and family. This is the Covenant of the Undead to the Living Vampire. Ave Calix Sanguinis Dom Tiamat. I Invoke thee, Hekal Tiamat.'<br />
<br />
The incantation must be said while focusing upon the Chosen Intended Mortal Which has infringed your laws and must be punished, corrected, according to your Will. Use this for rebellious mortal magicians, send them further into the Hell which they Desire. These mortal slaves were created by the Undead Gods for we are Vampires to predate upon their vital Life Force. FOR THE INTENDED AZAGTHOTH ALIGN YOURSELF NOW!<br />
<br />
Now the Azagthothian Vampire Will wish to fully channel all of the destructive energy, an essence which has been gathered from beyond the Veil of Azrael to cause havoc upon the mental of your chosen prey. Choose carefully those who you wish to impose with flights for predation, the draining of that humans life force, feed when the first arises thus assuring you of increasing POWER. After the next part of the ritual is performed, The Death Chant, the Priest may need to have a ritual beating to bring fully into consciousness. The ritual in essence, should be performed by High Vampires, or those Vampires who lie in the wings of seclusion for their teachings in the Nightside Rituals.<br />
<br />
THE DEATH CHANT : Visualize fully the intended victim for your correction/punishment. This part of the ritual is for those who have truly offended you, and you wish to not only soundly punish, but to exceptionally and cruelly punish their mortal ways. See Now Your Victim. Name them, say their name and then Command That They are Dead. For instance, if it was 'Danny', you could say 'Danny is Dead', 'Danny is Dead'. Repeat this until satisfied.<br />
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The Ceremony of Inflicted Idiocy : Coven of Ravenwood<br />
<br />
<br />
Unclothe yourself of all your clothing or wear a Black Cloak preferablly, a Brown Cloak if necessary. This is one of the keys in inflicted idiocy for the chosen. As your astral leaves your physical, guided by the hands of the Undead, enter into the graves and drink of the essences collected their. Then go into the bedroom of a sleeping victim, drink of their essence. Savor the power surging through you from the victim's life force and the essences drained at the gravesite, for now, your astral is connected to both of them through the Astral Web. Now gathering power, traveling, feeling your Higher Vampiric Senses awaken, go Unto the House of the Victim Which for Which This Ritual is Performed. (Before hand you should have summoned the force of Tiamat, Bathory, Azagthoth).<br />
<br />
You are in close range of your victim. Hovering right above him, or standing beside him. Now is the time to fully penetrate the moving or docile physical shell of the human victim, as your astral fully enters his body, once you are completely inside him, feel your astral draining the human of his limited senses. Feel how the Life Force flows quickly into your astral, the more Life Force which you recieve, making your Astral form solidify even faster. Now begin pushing on the inside physical walls of the victim. Push. Push from all sides. It will start as a cramp across different parts of their body, then their whole body, quickly gaining hold over them. Drag their Astral unto the Mountains by Pazuzu and blast them from your Tower With Sorcery. The Ritual Has Ended When You are Finished.<br />
<br />
<br />
(The source of this material is not known.)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8038967902906914973-6776537421388768820?l=daninoshadow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-20387708126308894692010-12-28T07:33:00.000-08:002010-12-28T18:50:55.665-08:002010-12-28T18:50:55.665-08:00The Tabor Meditation FormulaPlease sit in a comfortable position, wearing loose clothing. Find somewhere for your hands to rest comfortably - you must sit still. Aromatherapy or candles may help calm or relax you into a better state for practice.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">Stage One - Simple Breathing</span><br />
<br />
Lower your gaze, fixing it upon your navel. Breathe in an even, gentle manner, with medium sized breaths. Try to focus on your breathing only. (The mind is said to wander every 10 seconds, practice the first stage until you have it down).<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">Stage Two - Awareness Of Light</span><br />
<br />
Entering into the second stage of the meditation, on an in-breath be aware of a nebulous radiation of golden light, which is also radiation of love, from just below your sturnum, forming a cloud midway between your navel & your chin. Be aware of the light, of it being illuminated, & let be with you. If your attention is still straying, use the same technique as above, focus on your breathing.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">Stage Three - Silent Utterance</span><br />
<br />
Retaining awareness of your breathing & of the light, silently utter mantrams - phrases or single words which you feel to be suited to your meditation. Formulate each single word in your mind, with no vocalization or moment of the mouth. You will need two mantrams to use together. One for the in-breath, & one for the out-breath. Their purpose is to express in brief compass, something of your essential relationship with the Cosmos.<br />
<br />
<b>SOME SUPPLIES THAT YOU MAY NEED IN YOUR PRACTICE:</b><br />
<br />
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<p><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mundonidanino-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0738707511&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><br />
<p><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mundonidanino-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0875421849&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8038967902906914973-2038770812630889469?l=daninoshadow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-5603879614429242292010-12-28T07:21:00.000-08:002010-12-28T08:59:21.626-08:002010-12-28T08:59:21.626-08:00Wicca<b>Wicca</b><br />
<br />
"We are not evil. We don't harm or seduce people. We are not dangerous. We are ordinary people like you. We have families, jobs, hopes, and dreams. We are not a cult. This religion is not a joke. We are not what you think we are from looking at T.V. We are real. We laugh, we cry. We are serious. We have a sense of humor. You don't have to be afraid of us. We don't want to convert you. And please don't try to convert us. Just give us the same right we give you--to live in peace. We are much more similar to you than you think."Margot Adler<br />
<br />
"If you take [a copy of] the Christian Bible and put it out in the wind and the rain, soon the paper on which the words are printed will disintegrate and the words will be gone. Our bible IS the wind and the rain." Herbalist Carol McGrath as told to her by a Native-American woman.<br />
<br />
"I don't think witchcraft is a religion. I would hope the military officials would take a second look at the decision they made." G.W. Bush (R), as Governor of Texas. Interviewed on ABC's Good Morning America, 1999-JUN-24. He disapproved of Wiccan soldiers being given the same religious rights as others in the military.<br />
<br />
"We should educate people that 'Witch' is not evil but ancient and positive. The first time I called myself a 'Witch' was the most magical moment of my life." Margot Adler.<br />
<br />
"When one defines oneself as Pagan, it means she or he follows an earth or nature religion, one that sees the divine manifest in all creation. The cycles of nature are our holy days, the earth is our temple, its plants and creatures our partners and teachers. We worship a deity that is both male and female, a mother Goddess and father God, who together created all that is, was, or will be. We respect life, cherish the free will of sentient beings, and accept the sacredness of all creation." Edain McCoy<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">Satanism vs. Neo-Pagan Witchcraft</span><br />
<br />
"Satanism vs. Neo-Pagan Witchcraft: Confusions and Distinctions"by Otter and Morning Glory Zell Editors, GREEN EGG magazine<br />
It seems to be necessary to preface every discussion of Witchcraft with an explanation that, no, Neo-Pagan Witches aren't Satanists. The Christian anti-God, Satan, has no place in Pagan pantheons, either mythologically or theologically. Plainly and simply, to non-Christians, Satanism is the dark side of Christianity. Even today, Witchcraft is frequently misrepresented by being confused with Satanism. Often the word Witchcraft is used to represent two wholly opposite phenomena the survival of ancient Paganism in one instance, and the inversion of Christianity in another. Let us make it clear: a Satanist is a renegade Christian, who, in his rebellion against the authority of the church, worships Satan rather than Christ. Such people are at times called witches and warlocks in popular books and movies but they have little to do with Pagan Witches. Satanists, for one thing, accept the Christian duality between good and evil; Pagans do not. Satanists may choose to worship evil rather than good but they have utterly bought the Christian world view."<br />
The word Pagan derives from the Latin paganus, meaning "peasant" or country dweller. It is correctly applied to indigenous (native) pantheistic folk religions and peoples. The term "Neo-Paganism" is applied to the modern re-emergence of ancient Pagan religious values, including the sacredness of all Life and the worship of Nature. Contemporary Witchcraft has been a major component of the Neo-Pagan resurgence since England repealed its anti-Witchcraft laws in 1951.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">The Goddess and the God of Witchcraft</span><br />
<br />
The many traditions of Neo-Pagan Witchcraft have few universal theological precepts, but one of them is certainly the veneration of the Moon Goddess, known most commonly by her Roman name, Diana. She is perceived as manifesting in triple form: as Maiden, Mother and Crone. These triple aspects are identified respectively with the waxing, full, and waning moons. Witches gather at esbats every full moon, to sing and dance in Her moonlight, share cakes and wine, and work magic to heal each other, their friends, and the Earth. Many modern Witches expand the concept of the Goddess considerably, and see Her also as Mother Earth and Mother Nature.P Most traditions of Neo-Pagan Witchcraft also honor the Consort of the Goddess in the form of the Horned God, who is seen as Lord of Animals as well as seasonal ruler of the Underworld. The most familiar version of the Horned God is the Greek Pan, goat-horned and goat-hoofed, playing His panpipes, guzzling wine from his freely-flowing wineskin, and seducing nymphs in the woods. He is regarded as lusty and jovial, epitomizing masculine attributes of ideal father, brother or lover. As the Goddess of Witchcraft is closely identified with the Moon, so the God is identified with the Sun. In this way he may been seen mythologically as the lover both of the Moon and of the Earth, and another of His many epithets is Lord of Light.<br />
Every light casts its shadows, and the Lord of Shadows is the other face of the Lord of Light. The Lord of the Underworld is the title of the God in Winter when He goes underground with the animals to hibernate. Some traditions had Him alternate with His brother as husband to the eternal Goddess. Others, as in the Greek Hades, had a year-round God of the Shadows.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">The Devil You Say!</span><br />
<br />
It is essential to clarify the historic relationship of Pan and the Devil, as Christianity has tended to confuse the two, giving rise to the accusation that Pagans are Devil- worshippers because some Pagan gods have horns. Once and for all, the Christian Devil is not the God of the Witches! The genesis of the Devil comes from a merging of two concepts: Satan and Lucifer. The original meaning of the word satan is adversary, and his inclusion in the Bible represents an attempt by later apologists of the Old Testament to justify the more negative actions of a benevolent God (such as the persecution of Job) by attributing the actual dirty work to a testing spirit; the original "devil's advocate." This entity was not considered evil until after the Persian conquest of the Hebrews introduced them to the Zoroastrian dualism of Ahura-Mazda (the good God) vs. Ahriman (the evil God). This later manifested in Christianity as Manichean dualism. The Maintain equation was brutally simple: God=Good; Devil=Evil. But it was not until the year 447 CE that the Council of Toledo declared the legal existence of the Devil as an actual entity, though he was still not thought of as necessarily manifesting in human form.P The Lucifer story is a mish-mashed retelling of the Canaanite myth about the overthrow of Baal by Mot and the usurpation of Baal's throne by Athar, the God of the morning star. The original Hebrew name for Lucifer was helel ben shahar meaning "son of the day star" (the planet Venus). The name Lucifer ("light bearer"), a Romano- Etruscan title of the Sun God, was erroneously used when the Bible was first translated into Latin. Various Shadow Gods or Divine Adversaries contributed to the creation of the Devil, including the Canaanite Moloch or Mot, the Egyptian Set or Suteck and the Roman Saturn. The final touch was that they placed all Pagan gods and goddesses in an adversary position to Yahweh, the God of Israel. This is because Yahweh, as a monotheistic deity, considers jealousy to be a virtue rather than a vice. This is a profound cultural difference from Pagan pantheons and polytheistic peoples who co-existed together, whether or not in harmony. Also since unbridled sexuality, especially for females, was defined by Judeo- Christianity as evil, Pagan gods and goddesses who were especially sexual or sensual garnered the new sect's especial hatred. Pan and Dionysos were by no stretch of the imagination evil, adversary or even shadowy deities, but because of their riotous celebrations the Devil acquired Pan's horns and hooves and Dionysos' bibulous nature. This final equation of the Pagan Horned God with Satan was not established, however, until the year 1486, when the Dominicans Kramer and Sprenger published the Malleus Malificarum, or "Hammer of the Witches," wherein they gave the first physical description of the Devil as he is commonly depicted today, declaring that this was the God worshipped by those they wanted to call "Witches," and thereby justifying the centuries of terrible persecution inflicted on those who clung to the worship of the elder gods.P The Devil is quite a modern patchwork quilt of other people's ancient gods and spirits, but Christian apologists put the cart before the horse when they try to explain that all other Gods are just their Devil in disguise. This is a very erroneous and intolerant attitude. No less an authority than Jesus said: "By their fruits you shall know them." Pan is a noble and worthy god even if He is a bit wild and woolly; whatever else He is, He is not now nor ever was, the Devil.2<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">Witchcraft and Shamanism</span><br />
<br />
Witches were the shamans, or medicine men and women, of the tribal Celtic peoples of Europe, and they functioned in precisely the same fashion as shamans of any other tribal culture, be it American Indians, Africans, or Australian Aborigines. In fact, and in time-honored tradition, shamans are still commonly referred to as "Witch Doctors." All shamans are specialists in herbal lore, and the Witches of Pagan Europe were no exception. Usually, but not exclusively, women, they practiced herbal medicine, midwifery, augury, spell casting, and counseling. Often dwelling alone out in the woods, Witches lived close to Nature, and attuned to Her cycles. Their gardens grew not only food, but also many kinds of herbs, including those valued for their medicinal, anesthetic and hallucinogenic properties. In a period of time when good Christian folk maintained only those domestic animals that could be considered "livestock" (i.e. useful to humans), Witches frequently kept wild animal pets: foxes, weasels, owls, ravens; and of course, the ubiquitous cats. Such became known, appropriately enough, as familiars. When Witches came to be persecuted, so did these familiar animals, and the brutal capture, torture and burning of millions of cats that accompanied the Witch burnings begat the horrible Black Plague that devastated Europe in the 14th century. For the cats had kept the rat populations under control, and it was rat fleas that were the carrier of the bubonic plague bacillus, pasteurella pestis.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">Satanism: The Dark Side of Christianity</span><br />
<br />
Satanism was not originally a religion itself, of course, as Satan exists only in the theology of Judeo-Christianity (and in Islam, too, as Shaitan), and there only as an opponent of Yahweh, the supreme God. According to Judeo-Christian mythology, Satan I(originally known as Lucifer, the light-bearer, greatest of the angels)/I had led a rebellion of a third of the angels against Yahweh, challenging Him for the Throne of Heaven. Lucifer was defeated, and was cast down with his followers into the underworld, where they all became demons and devils, their white-feathered wings and golden halos becoming bat-wings and horns. Not to mention the forked dragon tails. The underworld, according to Christianity, became a place of fiery torment for doomed souls, presided over by Satan, now the supreme Devil. Even the largely erroneous material circulated by File 18 and the Cult Crime Impact Network specifies the relationship of Christianity and<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">Satanism as thesis/antithesis:</span><br />
<br />
"Christianity and Satanism are the two inseparable parts of the whole. You cannot believe in the existence of one without believing in the existence of the other. Satanists are not Anti-Believers in Christianity they are counter-believers. The cult of Satan was developed on the basis of the dualistic conception of Christianity. It is a collective protest movement with one-sided and exaggerated features which are the cause of its distorted and usually destructive behavior. At the same time, it can also be a creative force. It is a combination of the creativity and destructive behavior that is so appealing to followers. The drawing factor, over Christianity, is that 'anything goes.' There are no constraints in Satanism."<br />
<br />
Contemporary Satanism has grown from such roots of rebellion and has put out many shoots. If you tell an adolescent child that the normal sexual urges of puberty are the inspiration of Satan, or indeed, that anything else you strongly disapprove of is "of the Devil," then you can hardly be surprised if normal adolescent hormonal rebellion takes a Satanic overtone. Anton LeVey of the Church of Satan and later Michael Aquino of the Temple of Set have basically capitalized on the idea that human nature will emerge and if this is defined as Evil then so be it. The '60s and '70s saw numerous Satanic splinter groups such as The Process Church emerge with a similar message.<br />
<br />
Periodic reports of isolated Satanic groups can be more of a danger. Most seem to be groups of teenagers who were experimenting with the occult and, lacking any instruction or connections with the more harmless public groups, created their own brand of homegrown Satanism out of various books on black magic practices available from bookstores. This variety of Satanism is fueled by the powerful adrenaline rush of Heavy Metal music, liberally laced with sado-masochistic sex and heavy drug use. Their modern mythology and primary source of inspiration comes from the overwhelming flood of mass media horror movies of the genre of "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Exorcist." Recent titles like "The Cult," "The Believers," "Omen," "Damian," "Bride of Satan," etc, are readily available from any video store in the country.<br />
<br />
This variety of Satanist becomes known to authorities usually when they are caught desecrating graveyards or churches, or from complaints lodged by parents of members. These kinds of groups have actually been prosecuted and convicted for criminal activities up to and including rape and murder. Though they are not connected geographically they do have a common set of symbols such as inverted crosses, inverted pentagrams, the number 666 and so on. This is simply because most of their imagery is an amalgam of readily available mass media sensationalism composed of Heavy Metal subculture from groups like Motley Crue and Black Sabbath and the ubiquitous "Devil Cult" movies. When major established religions preach that the end of the world from a nuclear holocaust is part of God's plan for salvation, it should not be surprising that the resulting fear and sense of despair of "Youth deprived of a Future" should occasionally take on such a twisted form of "eat, drink and make merry..." Similar attitudes gave birth to Satanism originally during the time of the Dark Ages with the onset of the Black Death and the resultant economic chaos in Europe. What we need to understand about this phenomenon is that such "... small ephemeral Satanic groups, most consisting primarily of young adults and/or teenagers, some led by psychopaths and/or sociopaths continue to come and go. While they pose no threat to the larger society, they do pose an immediate danger to those involved in them and are frequently involved in criminal activity, from dealing in drugs to rape and murder."<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">Adult Survivors</span><br />
<br />
"However, beginning in the 1980's, a new and different set of reports on Satanism began to appear. Possibly the first to receive any public notice was that of Michelle Smith which appeared in a book [Michelle Remembers, Congdon Lattes, NY, 1980] written by Michelle and her psychiatrist, Dr. Lawrence Pazder. Michelle Smith had gone to Dr. Pazder seeking help with her continued emotional distress following a miscarriage and a recurrent nightmare. In the course of these sessions she gradually told a story of her having been involved in a Satanic cult in Vancouver, B.C., as a five-year-old child in 1954-55. The events described were not a part of her conscious memory prior to the sessions with Dr. Pazder. As the story unfolded she told of her mother being forced to surrender her for a ritual, the Feast of the Beast, and of her forced participation in the group for over a year, during which time the group tried unsuccessfully to convert her to their beliefs and practices. Though attempts were made to uncover independent evidence of the existence of the group, none could be found." Soon after Michelle's book appeared, The National Enquirer published a questionable account of a woman who also claimed to have been raised in a devil cult and prepared for marriage to Satan. The account took all the elements from the Michelle story including the ritual calendar. Since that time, similar accounts have popped up all over the country. Perhaps there are such cruel underground generational Satanists; child abuse is clearly a reality and often twisted religious beliefs do play a part in it. But it is the abuse that we should focus our attention on, not the legitimate practice of any religion, regardless of its orthodoxy.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">Satanism and Non-Christians</span><br />
<br />
It should be clear from the above that people who have no belief in Christianity (i.e., Pagans, Buddhists, Hindus, etc.) cannot be Satanists, since the two faiths, Satanism and Christianity, are inseparable mirror images of each other, each dependent on the other for its justification and existence. Thus Satanists use the inverted cross to symbolize their complete reversal of everything Christianity stands for. Interestingly, many contemporary Satanists also use the inverted pentagram, symbolizing as well their complete reversal of everything Witches stand for, as the right-side-up pentagram is the universal symbol of Neo-Pagan Witchcraft.<br />
Nor are Neo-Pagans the least bit interested in the Christian or Islamic Satan / Shaitan figure with whom the fundamentalists are so obsessed. One has to be a Christian or a Moslem to believe in this "God of Evil," and frankly, the whole concept seems silly to the average Neo- Pagan. Genuine Satanists fall into four overlapping categories: fundamentalist Christians and Moslems themselves, who are constantly talking about "Satan's" power and influence; Conservative Orthodox Satanists, who are right-wing racists looking for metaphysical excuses to behave the way they would anyway; Liberal Heterodox or Punk Satanists, who are kids doing it to annoy their parents; and what journalist Paul Sulin calls "the Sincere Sociopaths:" folks who are crazy to begin with, believe that they are evil (often as a result of growing up in abusive families), and who then latch onto the prime Western image of Evil and proceed to enact the sick fantasies that the fundamentalists have created. All of these people are stuck in the standard dualism of conservative monotheism.<br />
Neo-Pagans are interested in worshipping Nature and the gods and goddesses of the "Old Religions" not the tired, old abortion of monotheistic dualism. The Pagan deities were ancient long before the monotheistic religions were even founded; the Horned God of the Wildwood was worshipped by our Pagan ancestors for tens of thousands of years before the Christian church invented "The Devil." Christians are welcome to their creation; Pagans will stick with Mother Nature's.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">The Burning Times</span><br />
<br />
It is truly ironic that, though it is the practitioners of Witchcraft who have historically suffered real abuse and persecution, the Witch has somehow continued to be misrepresented as the villain. Christianity did not become the world's dominant religion by peaceful conversion, but by the sword and stake. As the legions of Caesar had forged the Roman Empire over the dead bodies of countless tribal peoples of Europe, so did its heir, the Holy Roman Empire, continue the tradition. Declaring them "heresies," agents of the Holy Inquisition hunted out and ruthlessly exterminated every religion, sect or tradition that would not convert to "The One True Right And Only Way." Witches, however, lived outside of any organized religious structure, and were largely ignored until the 13th century, when the Church had finally gained enough power to deal with grass-roots Paganism.<br />
<br />
"In the 13th century the Church opened its long-drawn- out conflict with Paganism in Europe by declaring 'Witchcraft' to be a 'sect' and heretical. It was not until the 14th century that the two religions came to grips... In 1324 the bishop of Ossory tried Dame Alice Kyteler in his ecclesiastical court for the crime of worshipping a deity other than the Christian God...<br />
"The 15th century marks the first great victories of the Church. Beginning with the trials in Lorraine in 1408 the Church moved triumphantly against Joan of Arc and her followers in 1431, against Gilles de Rais and his coven in 1440, against the Witches of Brescia in 1457. Towards the end of the century the Christian power was so well- established that the Church felt the time had come for an organized attack, and in 1484 pope Innocent VIII published his Bull against 'Witches.' All through the 16th and 17th centuries the battle raged. The Pagans fought a gallant, though losing, fight against a remorseless and unscrupulous enemy; every inch of the field was disputed, but the Christian policy of obtaining influence over the rulers and law-givers was irresistible. Vae victis [Woe to the conquered] was also the policy of the Christians, and we see the priests of the Papacy gloating over the thousands they had consigned to the flames while the ministers of the Reformed Churches hounded on the administrators of the law to condemn the 'devil worshippers.' What can have been the feelings with which those unhappy victims regarded the vaunted God of Love, the Prince of Peace, whose votaries condemned them to torture and death? What wonder that they clung to their old faith, and died in agony unspeakable rather than deny their God."<br />
<br />
It should also be pointed out that the court recorders at the Witch trials were specifically instructed that, whatever gods or goddesses the accused actually claimed to worship, what went into the record was "Satan," or "The Devil." And what wonder if some of those who had come to believe the Biblical history taught them by the missionaries, monks and priests of the conquering faith, concluded that the story must have gotten it wrong somehow? That if there had indeed been a rebellion in heaven, it was clearly evident that the winner had not been the God of love and peace, as his propagandists claimed, but rather a God of cruelty and evil; of war and violence, wrath and jealousy. (This had, in fact, been an old Gnostic tradition.) The clear implication was that the defeated Lucifer must have been the good guy, and surely many must have swarmed to his allegiance in this belief. While, of course, true adherents of the Old Religions certainly knew better, and continued their faith entirely distinct from Christianity, there were surely, then as now, many ignorant people who were simply too unsophisticated or too illiterate to question the Christian paradigm once it became established. And thus did Satanism as a belief and a practice come into being, spawned by the Church, and forever to be locked together with it in a fatal embrace of mutual antagonism. Whether or not the persecuted peasantry who came to side with Satan against their oppressors thought of themselves as "Witches," the Church and the authorities of the Holy Inquisition certainly identified them as such:<br />
"The heart and center of the persecution of Witches was that they were Satanists, that they had rejected the rightful God and given their allegiance to his arch- opponent, and that in their 'sabbaths' or meetings they worshipped the ruler of evil, carnality and filth. Some of those accused as Witches do seem to have taken the Devil for their god, worshipping him as an equal opponent of the Christian God, over whom he would eventually triumph. They looked to Satan for power and pleasure in this world and for a happy future in the next, and they vilified Christ as a traitor and a cheat, who had made promises which he did not keep, and who had gone away to live in heaven while Satan remained with his faithful on earth."<br />
"The Witches and sorcerers of early times were a widely spread class who had retained the beliefs and traditions of heathenism with all its license and romance and charm of the forbidden. . . in their ranks every one who was oppressed or injured either by the nobility or the church. They were treated with indescribable cruelty, in most cases worse than beasts of burden, for they were outraged in all their feelings, not at intervals for punishment, but habitually by custom, and they revenged themselves by secret orgies and fancied devil-worship, and occult ties, and stupendous sins, or what they fancied were such. I can seriously conceive what no writer seems to have considered that there must have been an immense satisfaction in selling or giving one's self to the devil, or to any power which was at war with their oppressors. So they went by night, at the full moon, and sacrificed to Diana, or 'later on' to Satan, and they danced and rebelled. It is very well worth noting that we have all our accounts of sorcerers and heretics from Catholic priests, who had every earthly reason for misrepresenting them, and did so. In the vast amount of ancient Witchcraft still surviving in Italy, there is not much anti-Christianity, but a great deal of early heathenism. Diana, not Satan, is still the real head of the Witches."<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">The Baby-Stealers Myth</span><br />
<br />
The public justifications for these persecutions were based on a most remarkable myth, pervasive throughout European history from the second century CE. The myth, or fantasy as historian Norman Cohn labels it, postulated the existence, somewhere in the midst of the larger society, of "another society, small and clandestine, which not only threatened the existence of the great society, but was also addicted to practices which were felt to be wholly abominable, in the liter sense of anti-human." 9<br />
<br />
J. Gordon Melton of the Institute for the Study of American Religion explains that "though the myth first appeared in the second century as a polemic against the Christians, it had its antecedents in earlier anti-Jewish polemics. Jews were accused of worshipping a donkey- headed god and of keeping gentiles prisoner in the temple in Jerusalem for the purpose of sacrifice. However, in the second century, the Christians were accused not only of worshipping a donkey's head, but of revering the genitals of their priests, sacrificing and devouring the blood of babies, and a wide variety of perverted sexuality. "The existence of this myth, which had its last major appearance in Nazi Germany, where it was used against the Jews, provides a framework for a discussion of the most recent accusations concerning contemporary Satanism." 10<br />
One wonders what would be the commonly held "facts" about Judaism if Hitler had been as successful in his efforts against the Jews as the Medieval Church was in its eradication of Pagan Witchcraft. But you don't have to have lived in Nazi Germany to have heard the vicious propaganda that Jews kidnap unbaptized Christian babies and grind them up into Matzoh balls. And before the Jews, it was the Gypsies who were the purported child-stealers. During the Witch-hunting hysteria previously mentioned, these same accusations were leveled at Witches. Today, continues Melton, "as currently hypothesized by the advocates of the theories on contemporary Satanism, there exists a network, national, if not international in scope, of small groups of Satanists. These Satanists, financed by wealthy sexual perverts and sociopaths, practice the most barbaric and inhumane rituals which involve widespread torture, murder, the sexual abuse of children, the mutilation of animals, and even cannibalism." 11<br />
The myth that an easily-targeted group of relatively defenseless people are engaged in the stealing, torture, ritual sacrifice and cannibalism of innocent children has proven throughout history to be quite sufficient to engender public support for a campaign of extermination directed against the accused. In the case of this current Witch-hunt, extensive police investigation over the past decade has failed to corroborate the existence of an actual Satanic conspiracy. In those cases of ritual child abuse that have actually come to court, the vast majority have involved Christian clergy: "Hundreds of children molested by Catholic priests in the United States during the past five years have suffered severe emotional trauma, say parents, psychologists, police officers and attorneys involved in the cases." 12<br />
"The Roman Catholic Church in the United States has been forced to pay millions of dollars in damages to families who contend that their children have been sexually abused by priests. In spite of that, the problem has grown so severe that many lawyers and victims say the church ignores and covers up such cases." 13<br />
<br />
The few cases of child abuse involving "Satanic elements" that have been tried have not revealed any organized Satanic cult, but rather a handful of sick and demented individuals claiming they committed their crimes because "the Devil made me do it." If such a conspiracy exists, it will remain to be uncovered by the police; hopefully in cooperation with the people who have come forward as spokespersons for the survivors of actual cases of Satanic Ritual Abuse.<br />
The actual Satanic abuse statistics, however, do not support the requirements of the new Witch-hunters, who, in order to whip up the kind of public hysteria that can give them power and credibility, must point their fingers at an identifiable and accessible scapegoat. Thus they have chosen, once again, to lay their myth of child-stealing and ritual human sacrifice at the feet of the Witches. By continually identifying Witchcraft with Satanism, these current Inquisitors hope to justify and validate their cause. For there are well over 100,000 practicing Neo-Pagan Witches in America today, according to such genuine authorities as Margot Adler. 14<br />
Many Witches are highly visible in their communities: they publish books, magazines and directories; operate stores; conduct public rituals; give classes, workshops, interviews and lectures; and appear on local radio and television programs. Since Witchcraft is still little understood by the general public, who are frequently unable or unwilling to look deeper than the vast smoke screen of misinformation promulgated by churches, movies and popular fiction, Witches are easy and visible targets for persecution. It must be remembered that, in the previous episodes of Witchcraft persecution hysteria, it was the Witches who were the victims, not the Christians.<br />
<br />
Witches, and those conveniently accused of being Witches, died by the millions during the terrible centuries of the holocaust they remember as "The Burning Times." They have no wish to repeat that experience today. The Aquarian Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1973 with the motto: "Never Again the Burning!"<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight:bold;">Notes and References:</span><br />
It is not the purpose of this article to determine the validity or extent of actual ritual child abuse or contemporary Satanism. The interested reader is referred to the quoted 13-page paper by J. Gordon Melton, which covers these topics in depth.<br />
1. Jong, Erica, Witches (New American Library, New York, 1981) p. 52<br />
2. Zell, Morning Glory, "The Lord of Light," Green Egg, Vol. XXI, No. 82; Aug. 1, 1988 (POB 1542, Ukiah, CA 95482) p. 12<br />
3. "Dynamics of Counter Religions" (The Cult Crime Impact Network, 222 N. Latah St., Boise, ID 83706, 1985)<br />
4. Melton, J. Gordon, "The Evidence of Satan in Contemporary America: A Survey;" a paper presented at the meeting of the Pacific Division of the American Philosophical Association, Los Angeles, March 27-29, 1986. (Available from the Institute for the Study of American Religion, POB 90709, Santa Barbara, CA 93190) pp. 7-8<br />
5. Ibid. p. 11<br />
6. Murray, Margaret, The God of the Witches (Oxford University Press, New York, 1931) pp. 21-22<br />
7. Cavendish, Richard, "Satanism," Encyclopedia of Man, Myth and Magic, Vol. 18 (Marshall Cavendish, New York, 1970) p. 2479<br />
8. Leland, Charles Godfrey, Legends of Florence, (David Nutt, London, 1896)<br />
9. Cohn, Norman, Europe's Inner Demons, (Meridian, New York, 1977) p. xiii<br />
10. Melton, ref. cit., p. 1<br />
11. Ibid.<br />
12. Akron Beacon Journal, Jan. 3, 1988<br />
13. The Miami Herald, Jan. 3, 1988. See also Shadowcraft, Ammond, "Molesting Ministers and Pedophiliac Priests: Child Sexual Abuse by Christian Clergy," Green Egg, vol. XXI, no. 84; Feb. 1, 1988, pp. 18- 20 ($5 postpaid from POB 1542, Ukiah, CA 95482)<br />
14. Adler, Margot, Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers and Other Pagans in America Today, revised and expanded edition (Beacon Press, Boston, 1986) p. 418<br />
Copyright © 1995, Church of All WorldsThis Article was last updated on 21 December, 1995<br />
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/></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-87636416734503049912010-12-26T08:59:00.000-08:002010-12-28T08:56:04.914-08:002010-12-28T08:56:04.914-08:00Sacred Space and the CircleSacred Space and the Circle <br />
<br />
If you enter the heart of the teachings of witchcraft, at the core you will find the power <br />
of sacred space. When I started, “sacred space” was just words in a ritual. No one really <br />
explained the true meaning of that term to me. “Sacred space” was just a buzzword. <br />
But as I kept saying it as a part of the rituals, I learned. Eventually, the layers of the mystery <br />
were revealed to me. I finally understood what sacred space was all about. <br />
<br />
Looking back on it, it seems so obvious, but the teachings I initially received didn't <br />
emphasize the sacred aspects of the craft. Everyone around me was so afraid of using <br />
the word “religion” or “spirituality”; so much was kept to the technical and philosophical. <br />
And at the time, that's what I needed. My emphasis wasn't on the sacred. Now, in <br />
my own teachings, I have a hard time divorcing myself from talking about the spiritual <br />
path of witchcraft, because it is all part of what led me to my spiritual path. At the moment, <br />
if you are like I was, you might not appreciate this. In fact, I can describe it at <br />
length and with my own personal stories and meanings, but until you seek spirituality <br />
out and start to experience it yourself, my words are meaningless. <br />
<br />
I've contemplated not sharing these things, but letting my students figure it out for <br />
themselves, as I did. I decided not to for one simple reason. For many people, the craft <br />
of the witch becomes so focused on spellwork or memorizing rituals that even the <br />
concept of the greater meanings and mysteries never cross their minds. The possibility <br />
is not contemplated and explored because, for so many, it is unknown. Students will <br />
still have to figure it out on their own, truly, because it must experienced. <br />
<br />
All I hope to do is plant a small seed of awareness, and give you the means to be <br />
your own gardener, the means to care for and nurture that seed. You can always <br />
choose to grow something else. You can save the seed of truly understanding sacred <br />
space for a later time, like I did. Or, you can grow it and make it flourish right now. <br />
The choice is up to you. <br />
<br />
Perfect Love and Perfect Trust <br />
Sacred space is simply honoring the sacredness, the divinity, found in all things everywhere. <br />
Through the ritual of the witch's circle, we mark a territory, a circle that can be <br />
out in nature or in our bedroom, and recognize its sacredness. We acknowledge that <br />
this space exists not only in the physical, but also in all worlds, and opens the doorway <br />
between the worlds, to be in conscious communion with the sacredness on all levels of <br />
reality. Our temple is said to stand not in any one world, but between the worlds, and <br />
in all worlds. In our sacred space, there is no separation. Through it we partner with all <br />
that is seen and unseen, through perfect love and perfect trust. <br />
<br />
“Perfect love and perfect trust” were other buzzwords I heard in circle. Some traditions <br />
used them. Others didn't. But no one really explained to me what these important <br />
words meant, other than saying “sacred space” or “love and trust.” I knew the <br />
“perfect” was a big key to this mystery, but at the time, I was focused on the Moon, <br />
and picking the right time to do my spells, rather than really understanding what I was <br />
saying. I was told to say “perfect love and perfect trust,” so I did, but didn't know why <br />
and didn't really dwell on it. <br />
<br />
Only once I ventured out of my safe world of Wicca did I really come to understand <br />
these five important words. I developed a very eclectic view of the witch, looking <br />
to all traditions, not just Celtic. I studied shamanism, energy healing, Kabalah, <br />
yoga, reiki, flower essences, and herbs, purposely looking outside the pagan view. <br />
Witchcraft became a vast umbrella for all these disciplines, since its philosophies gave <br />
me a great grounding that I noticed many in the “New Age” world didn't have. As the <br />
craft of the wise, I saw all these disciplines as part of witchcraft, though I soon found <br />
out many did not. <br />
<br />
Through this exploration of new techniques and philosophies, I found a common <br />
thread: unconditional love. I wasn't big on the word “love.” I thought it misused. So <br />
many people say the word “love” but never really back it up with any meaning or intent. <br />
As a songwriter, I thought of all the trite songs using the word “love,” and how it <br />
has lost its value. So I avoided the word in my creative work. Even in my Witchcraft I <br />
class experience, I thought of self-love as self-confidence, assurance, and esteem. But <br />
here the word “love” kept on popping up. I thought these New Age practices a holdover <br />
from the 1960s, with vague concepts of free love and spiritual love, and started to question <br />
if I was learning anything of real value. Then I felt the love. <br />
<br />
Through various meditation workshops, one in particular about awakening the <br />
heart chakra to unconditional love, I really felt it. I really awakened it. Like all things, I <br />
entered a skeptic, but from the first moment, I felt heaviness in my chest. As the day <br />
went on, it melted away and I left the weekend course dazzling, light, and with an <br />
open heart. Not only did I feel this nebulous unconditional love coursing through me, <br />
I had a sense that I am the love, too. Everyone is. <br />
<br />
While reflecting on that experience in my Book of Shadows journal, I skimmed <br />
through my notes and realized that the first time I felt this type of love was in the <br />
witch's circle. It wasn't the same because I was not taught to really focus on it as a <br />
witch. In the workshop, that was the purpose of the entire weekend. But it was present <br />
in the first magickal circle, even if I had my eyes closed to it. I traced the teaching <br />
of this unconditional love back, and the start of my personal thread was in witchcraft <br />
classes, through perfect love and perfect trust. <br />
<br />
Slowly on the intellectual level, I began to distinguish the difference between what <br />
my society had been calling love, what I would later call personal love, and what the <br />
mystics call unconditional love. Witches call it perfect love. Unconditional love is just <br />
that: perfect, unattached, without limits and restraints. This love simply is, and to me <br />
it is the binding force of the universe. In the ITOW, we covered the Hermetic principle <br />
called the Principle of Mentalism, stating “We are all thoughts in the divine mind,” <br />
meaning we are all part of a greater whole. I wish there was another principle stating <br />
we are all pulses within the divine heart, because it is through this heart we truly feel <br />
the unity, even though the mind can intellectually know it. With unconditional love, <br />
you are loved simply because you exist. You are love. <br />
<br />
With personal love, that is our relationship love, be it familial, romantic, or friendship. <br />
There are often conditions to it and it sometimes seems to come with a struggle. <br />
The dichotomy between unconditional love and personal love, what mainstream society <br />
simply refers to both as love, pushed me to avoid the concept altogether. Unfortunately, <br />
English often lacks the subtleties of other languages, particularly on the spiritual <br />
concepts. Many other languages have separate words for differing kinds of love. <br />
Perfect trust is a divine sense of knowing and security with the creative spirit, the <br />
Goddess and God. We work actively to partner with the divine ones, through our magick <br />
and meditations, realizing that we are all part of that divine mind. But when things <br />
seem confusing, when our guidance isn't clear, when our magick isn't working as we <br />
planned, and when we are suffering tragedy, we have a trust in the divine through our <br />
knowing of being unconditionally loved. It isn't logical or rational, but when we truly <br />
experience and know it, no personal challenge will ever be viewed the same way again. <br />
Perfect trust runs both ways. As we have it through this unconditional love for the <br />
divine, we know the Goddess and God have it for us. They trust us to fulfill our parts <br />
of the pattern. We have infinite choices and freedom as to how we serve the large pattern <br />
and fulfill our parts, but we trust that all actions can serve the greater spiraling <br />
pattern of the universe. <br />
<br />
Through practicing the rituals of perfect love and perfect trust, through creating <br />
sacred space, we grow in our sense of connection and love. Even if we don't initially <br />
feel it, it is there, growing and expanding in our awareness, until we are ready. We best <br />
manifest our desires, our magick, through truly feeling our connection to the Goddess, <br />
the God, and all the universe. We connect and create sacred space through the perfect <br />
love and perfect trust the divine has for us, and we have for them. If everything is sacred, <br />
all the time, and we simply do our rituals to open the door to a partnership with <br />
the sacred, everything is therefore filled with this unconditional love, this perfect love <br />
and perfect trust. All we have to do is open our eyes to it, in and out of our rituals. <br />
The challenge we have, as those walking the spiritual path of witchcraft, is to inject <br />
more and more perfect love and perfect trust, or sacredness, to all thoughts and actions <br />
in our life, bringing it to every relationship and exchange. No small feat to accomplish, <br />
but this is the path of enlightenment, taken one step at a time. As overused as the say- <br />
ing may be, it truly is the journey, and not the destination, when walking the witch's <br />
road. <br />
<br />
The most important lesson I've learned in applying perfect love and perfect trust to <br />
the world is that unconditional love doesn't mean unconditional relationships. You can <br />
hold a sacred love for someone in your heart, and honor that person as a living being, <br />
as a spiritual soul, but you can draw a boundary for your own health and well-being. <br />
Unconditional love doesn't mean you encourage others to walk all over you and hurt <br />
you. As the witch's circle casts a boundary of sacred space, I think it is an important reminder <br />
that we, too, while in the physical plane, have appropriate boundaries of our <br />
own space, health, and well-being. <br />
<br />
Return to the Inner Temple <br />
Before we go forward in our work, we should reflect on the inner temple. In ITOW, <br />
the lessons focused on finding a sacred space within yourself, on the inner planes of reality. <br />
Only through finding the sacredness on the unseen planes can you truly open the <br />
doorways between worlds and create a temple of sacred space intersecting with the <br />
physical world through the rituals of witchcraft. <br />
<br />
A key lesson of this previous work was to gain the discipline to enter a meditative <br />
state, a level of altered consciousness where you can perceive energy more easily and direct <br />
it with your will. In the ritual state, you will not go as deep as in meditative, but understanding <br />
how to enter both levels of consciousness, easily at anytime, is a measure of <br />
a truly well-trained witch. Laurie Cabot used to say to my class that you should be able <br />
to enter alpha state while riding a crowded subway train. I don't recommend it, since <br />
that might blind you to the dangers of urban travel, but in theory, you should be able to <br />
do it. <br />
<br />
The discipline aspect bothers some students. Feeling witchcraft is light, spacy, and <br />
free, they don't understand the need for discipline. Discipline is one aspect of the craft, <br />
but an important one. It is the earthy foundation upon which all other free and ecstatic <br />
practices are built. It is easy to get distracted, physically or magickally, and proper <br />
discipline lets us keep our focus clear regardless of distractions or surprises. <br />
When in the sacred space, all thoughts become thoughts of creation. Without <br />
mental discipline, you might create something you don't want. There are all sorts of <br />
precautions built into the rituals for this reason, but the best precaution is self-awareness. <br />
When I first started in Wicca, I was untrained in my first circle. Although it was <br />
a very magickal experience on all levels, I couldn't help but have distracting thoughts: <br />
“Is this real? I feel silly wearing a robe. Wow, the Moon came out from behind the <br />
clouds when she called it.” <br />
<br />
I even had thoughts from my previous years of Catholicism, thinking, “Uh oh, perhaps <br />
I was wrong about this witchcraft thing. Perhaps God is mad at me for this and <br />
we are going to Hell.” Not the best thoughts to be having in a sacred space, but perfectly <br />
understandable. I had them flash in my mind, and hear many first-time witches <br />
feel the same thing, but feel embarrassed to admit it. Thankfully none of us created <br />
from those thoughts, but the circle space can intensify all feelings. Some people feel <br />
overwhelmed in the sacred space. They are usually people who are undisciplined or <br />
ungrounded in themselves and their own self-image and self-esteem. Such energy can <br />
be overwhelming even to one fully aware, depending on the ritual. <br />
<br />
The key to fully integrate into the sacred space and be open to the most magickal <br />
of experiences is the ability to clear the mind, enter an altered state, and tune into the <br />
sacred energies within you and the circle, to bring balance and harmony. Some people <br />
can do it naturally without any training, but the best way I've found to teach it to others <br />
is to learn the discipline of meditation. <br />
<br />
Altered States <br />
To work magick and meditation, you must be able to enter an altered state, often <br />
called gnosis. In magick, an altered state is any level of brain activity that is different <br />
from normal waking activity that helps you process energy, will, and intuition. <br />
Our states of consciousness are based on brain wave activity. The four states we are <br />
more concerned about are beta, alpha, theta, and delta. Beta is normal waking consciousness, <br />
at thirteen to sixteen hertz, or cycles, per second. Alpha is the magickal <br />
state most people talk about, a light meditative state clocking in at eight to thirteen cycles <br />
per second. When we visualize creatively, daydream, meditate, and enter a light <br />
hypnotic state, we are in alpha. Theta is a deeper state, ranging from four to eight <br />
hertz. The lowest state is delta, at four or less hertz. <br />
<br />
Alpha is the state we are most involved in for this book. Light states of alpha are <br />
called ritual consciousness. You must be open and aware to energy and intuition, but <br />
not so deep that you are immobile. During rituals you still need to speak, light candles, <br />
read spells, and perform other actions. In group rituals, you need to be aware of silent <br />
cues and group dynamics while still maintaining your magickal awareness. On the <br />
deeper levels of alpha, moving toward theta, we enter a more immobile, deeper awareness, <br />
tuning into the inner planes. Some totally block out the physical world, while others <br />
are true walkers between the worlds, aware of both the inner reality and outer <br />
world simultaneously. I've had both experiences, depending on my own times of personal <br />
power and awareness. Neither is better than the other, as long as it works for you. <br />
Learn this technique to enter a meditative state. Use only the first countdown <br />
when needing to enter ritual consciousness. Do the complete countdown for deeper <br />
meditation and journeying. <br />
<br />
EXERCISE 1 <br />
<br />
Entering an Altered State <br />
1. Get into a comfortable position. If you are going into an inner meditative <br />
experience, make sure you are sitting comfortably, either feet flat on the <br />
floor, or cross-legged on the floor. If you are getting into ritual consciousness, <br />
simply stand with feet apart to give you balance and support. <br />
<br />
2. Take a few deep breaths and relax your body. Bring your awareness to the <br />
top of your body, starting at the head, and give yourself permission to <br />
relax. As you breathe, release the tension. Move from your head and neck <br />
into the shoulders and arms. Relax and feel all the tension melt away. Relax <br />
your chest and back. Feel waves of relaxation move down your spine. Relax <br />
your abdomen, lower back, and hips. Relax your legs down to your ankles <br />
and feet. Feel the waves of relaxation sweep all that doesn't serve your <br />
highest good out through your fingers and toes, grounding and neutralizing <br />
this unwanted energy into the Earth, transforming it like the earth <br />
turns fallen leaves into new soil. <br />
<br />
3. Relax your mind. Release any unwanted thoughts and worries as you exhale. <br />
Relax your heart and open it to the love of the Goddess and God. <br />
Relax your soul and follow your inner light, guidance, and protection. <br />
<br />
4. Visualize a giant screen before you, like a blackboard or movie screen. This <br />
is the screen of your mind, or what is called your mind's eye. Whenever you <br />
visualize or recall anything, remember a person's face or anything else, you <br />
project it onto this screen. Anything you desire will appear on the screen. <br />
<br />
5. On the screen of your mind, visualize a series of numbers, counting down <br />
from 12 to 1. With each number, you get into a deeper meditative state. <br />
<br />
The numbers can be any color you desire, drawn as if writing them, or appearing <br />
whole. <br />
<br />
Now visualize 12, see the number 12 on your screen, 12. <br />
11, see the number 11 on your screen, 11. <br />
10, see the number 10 on your screen, 10. <br />
9, see the number 9 on your screen, 9. <br />
8, see the number 8 on your screen, 8. <br />
7, see the number 7 on your screen, 7. <br />
6, see the number 6 on your screen, 6. <br />
5, see the number 5 on your screen, 5. <br />
4, see the number 4 on your screen, 4. <br />
3, see the number 3 on your screen, 3. <br />
2, see the number 2 on your screen, 2. <br />
1, see the number 1 on your screen, 1. <br />
<br />
6. You are at your ritual consciousness. Everything done at this level is for <br />
your highest good, harming none. <br />
<br />
7. You are now counting down to a deeper, more focused meditative state. <br />
Count backward from 13 to 1, but do not visualize the numbers this time. <br />
Let the numbers gently take you down. 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. <br />
<br />
You are now at your deepest meditative state, your magickal mindset, in <br />
complete control of your magickal abilities. Say to yourself, <br />
“I ask the Goddess and God to protect and guide me in this meditation.” <br />
<br />
8. From this point, you can continue on to other exercises and experiences, or <br />
meditate at this level for a bit and bring yourself up, counting from 1 to 13 <br />
and then 1 to 12. Gently start to wiggle your fingers and toes, and slowly <br />
move to bring your awareness back to the physical. <br />
<br />
9. Take both hands and raise them up over your head, palms facing your <br />
crown. Slowly bring them down over your forehead, face, throat, chest, abdomen, <br />
and then groin, and “push out” with your palms facing away from <br />
you. This gives you clearance and balance, releasing any harmful or unwanted <br />
energies you might pick up during your magickal experiences. Tell <br />
yourself: <br />
<br />
“I give myself clearance and balance. I am in balance with myself. I am in <br />
balance with the universe. I release all that does not serve me.” <br />
<br />
10. Ground yourself as needed. You can ground yourself back into the physical <br />
state by pressing your hands down onto the floor and releasing excess energy <br />
to the Earth. You can also visualize your feet and toes as roots digging <br />
deep into the earth. When all else fails, activate your digestive system by <br />
drinking a full glass of water or eating something can bring your energy <br />
back to your body. <br />
<br />
The following meditation is the most important experience from ITOW. Called the <br />
Inner Temple meditation, it is to help a witch find the sacred within her- or himself. If <br />
you have already experienced this or a similar meditation, try it again. Visiting your <br />
own inner sacred space regularly is an important part of the practice of witchcraft. <br />
<br />
EXERCISE 2 <br />
The Inner Temple <br />
<br />
1. Start Exercise 1: Entering an Altered State to get into your meditative mindstate. <br />
<br />
2. In your mind's eye, visualize the great World Tree, a gigantic tree reaching up <br />
to the heavens and deep below the earth, larger than any tree you have ever <br />
seen. It is a sacred tree and you may recognize it as oak, ash, pine, willow, or <br />
any other tree that has meaning for you. If you don't visualize anything, sense <br />
the tree with your other psychic senses. Hear the wind through its branches. <br />
Smell the earth where its roots dig in. Feel the texture of the bark. Simply <br />
know the tree is there and it will be. The tree is ever present and everywhere. <br />
<br />
3. Imagine the screen of your mind's eye is like a window or doorway, a portal <br />
you can easily pass through. Step through the screen and stand before the <br />
World Tree. Look up and feel its power. Touch the tree and place in it the intention <br />
of visiting your inner temple. <br />
<br />
4. Look around the base of the giant tree, in the roots, and search for a passageway. <br />
It may be a hole or tunnel, or even a pool of water that gives you <br />
entry into the tree. As you enter, you find yourself in a tunnel, winding and <br />
spiraling to your inner temple. <br />
<br />
5. At the end of the tunnel you see a light, and you move toward that light and <br />
step out into your inner temple. Look around. Take stock of all you see. Notice <br />
all the fine details of your sacred space. Let the images come to you. <br />
The inner temple can be a place you have visited in the physical world, or an <br />
amalgam of sacred sites and shrines from your deepest inner knowing. <br />
<br />
6. Explore your inner temple. You will find a variety of sacred objects for your <br />
use. Usually there is a reflective surface, such as a mirror or pool of water for <br />
gazing. Gardens, plants, altars, crystals, and a variety of tools will be found. <br />
Gateways leading to other energies and levels of consciousness can also be <br />
found. Your inner temple is like your launching pad for deeper journeys. <br />
<br />
7. If there is anything about your temple you do not like, you can change it <br />
now by doing some inner spiritual decorating. Your temple will reflect your <br />
own inner being. Usually it responds to your will, and reflects your state of <br />
inner awareness. If something will not change, it is usually a message that <br />
you need to change something in your physical life to make the inner <br />
change a reality. <br />
<br />
Excerpt from the Book Outer Temple of Witchcraft by Christopher penczak<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mundonidanino-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0738705314&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8038967902906914973-8763641673450304991?l=daninoshadow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-49564208319283167612010-12-26T08:56:00.000-08:002010-12-28T08:55:01.524-08:002010-12-28T08:55:01.524-08:00Ask a WitchAsk a Witch<br />
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What is a witch? What is witchcraft? These two questions don?t have easy answers. The word witch is a very emotionally charged word, bringing up conflicting images across the centuries. It is hard to understand which image, if any, is correct.<br />
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For most of the Western world, the word witch evokes the villain of many fairy tales. We watch the old hag giving the poisoned apple, brewing harmful potions, eating children, and casting curses. At Halloween, stores sell decorations of witches, old ugly women with green faces and pointed hats riding around on broomsticks. Although these are familiar portraits, they are not the first. Because of humanity?s fear of that which is different and mysterious, the witch was resigned to the world of children?s stories, to make the folk stories of witchcraft impotent from the realm of make-believe. If only children believed in witches, then the power of the witch would no longer be a reality, but a fantasy. Unfortunately, fictionalizing witchcraft was not the only way humankind dealt with its fear.<br />
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If you turn back a few hundred years, you can see the word witch all across the records of one of Europe?s greatest holocausts, the witch trials. Men and women were persecuted and killed for being different. Some call it the Burning Times, because many were put to death by fire, burnt at the stake. Typically, history books gloss over this particular bit of history, but it is every bit a part of us, as relevant to our modern cultures as wars of conquest.<br />
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At the top of the list of victims were those accused of practicing witchcraft. The ruling powers of the time had their own ideas about witchcraft, spreading stories of black masses, sacrifice, and contracts in blood signing souls over to the Devil. These stories are the roots of the children?s fairy tales. The vast majority of the condemned were not practicing ?true? witchcraft. Some held the teachings of the wise women and cunning men of the tribes, a knowledge of healing herbs, remedies, midwiving, and simple charms. We call such skills old wives? tales, but they have endured because there is truth to them. We don?t know how many of the accused and condemned were actually practicing what is now called the Old Religion, the way of the witch.<br />
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If you turn back even further, to cultures whose histories were not often written down, you find a different kind of witch. This witch was not shrouded in the darkness of fear and fairy tales, but in the darkness and light of the Goddess. This witch was revered as a healer, teacher, leader, and wise one. The image of the witch inspired the same reverence that a priest or minister does now in modern culture, for the ancestors of modern witchcraft were the priestesses and priests, the seers and advisors living a spiritual life by tuning into the forces of nature, the tides of the seasons, and the cycles of the Moon. They held a kinship with the plants and animals and, in essence, all life. Their teaching and histories were kept in the oral tradition, holding the myths and magick of the culture.<br />
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Modern witches focus on this particular root in the witchcraft tree. Those claiming the name and title of witch are truly reclaiming and building on the image of the witch from these ancient days. If you really want to know what the words witch and witchcraft mean as we move into the next century, look at the growing movement of modern witches.<br />
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If you ask a witch what he or she means by the word, you will get as many definitions as there are witches. And yes, witches can be both women and men. I?m a man and identify myself as a witch. Male witches are not called warlocks. The word warlock can be traced from Scottish, Old English, Germanic, and Indo-European roots and is now generally regarded to mean ?deceiver? or ?oath breaker? to those involved in the craft. Such a title was probably associated with witchcraft by those who wanted to defame the practice.<br />
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When I began my journey into this wonderful world, I was taught that the root of the word wic, or wicca, means ?wise,? for witches were the keepers of the wisdom, evolving into the images of wise women and wizardly men. Another definition was ?to bend and shape,? meaning those who practiced witchcraft could bend and shape the natural forces to do their bidding, to make magick. The word witch is actually considered to be Anglo-Saxon in origin, and some feel that only those who are practicing European traditions, or more specifically Celtic, Saxon, or Germanic traditions, have the right to claim the title witch. The entomology of the word can possibly be traced back to Sanskrit and the earliest Indo-European languages, although this could be a popular folk entomology used by many modern witches. The Middle English word wicche is traced back to the Old English wiccan, meaning ?to practice witchcraft.? Male and female witches were distinguished through the words wicca and wicce, respectively. In Middle High German, wicken means ?to bewitch or divine the future.? In Old German, the word is traced to wih, meaning ?holy.? From the Old German to Old Norman, we have the word ve, meaning ?temple.? Notice an interesting shift from the W sound to the V sound, but notice the similar shape of the letters. The letter double U actually looks more like double V in our alphabet. In French, the letter is called doublevay. The further back you go, the further away you get from the stereotypical witch and to a word of sacredness and spirituality. Now you are getting to the true meaning of witch.<br />
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In modern English, witch is used to refer to both men and women. Wicca refers to the modern revival of witchcraft. After the witch trials and persecutions, what remained of the teaching went underground. Other teachings were lost forever, but the practices were revived and the surviving traditions came to light in the twentieth century. In several modern traditions, witchcraft refers to the practice and art of the craft, such as spells, while the religion is known as Wicca. Though you can make a strong distinction between the definitions of witch and Wiccan, or Witchcraft and Wicca, most practitioners accept both words and identities. If you are not sure what to call someone, ask them or see how they refer to themselves.<br />
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The Science<br />
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One of the first definitions I learned from my early teachers, trained in the Cabot tradition, was ?Witchcraft is an art, science, and religion.? A witch is one who ?lives the art, science, and religion of witchcraft.? You might find this definition strange, as did I, because it brings together some seemingly conflicting ideas. This definition shocked me, because I considered myself a man of science. I was studying chemistry and probably would have pursued it if my experience with magick hadn?t inspired me to pursue my more creative side. At the time, I was very much a ?prove it to me? kind of guy, giving no one an inch unless they could back up their statements. And I found in my witchy friend someone who could. She explained to me the theories behind spells and psychic powers. I wasn?t sure I agreed, but it did intrigue me enough to not dismiss it as ?New Age kookiness.? Then my friend introduced me to one of the most advanced scientific ideas I had encountered at the time, quantum physics. I didn?t understand how physics and witchcraft were related until she drew corollaries between ancient philosophies and modern, cutting-edge science. From her viewpoint, she was waiting for modern science to catch up to the ancient truths. The more I learn, the more I am inclined to agree.<br />
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For the longest time, I ignored the other facets of the definition of witchcraft, namely art and religion. I focused on the science of the craft. I looked at witchcraft as an experiment. The experiment yielded wonderful results, but I resisted the other meanings of the tradition. Regardless, they led me to explore myself and my spirituality.<br />
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The Art<br />
<br />
Witchcraft is an art. It is a system based on the cycles of life. Life is change, plain and simple. Change encourages new expressions of the same patterns and energies. Change encourages creativity. Even though two witches can say the same exact words of a spell, each does it differently, each brings his or her own personal nuances, intentions, and inflections. More often than not, witches would probably write their own spells, creating a personal tradition. Each witch works with the same principles based on the science of witchcraft, but they express it quite differently, elevating the craft to a very beautiful art form. The poetry of magick can bring a tear to the eye and evoke our highest emotions. Song, chant, drumming, instruments, poetry, and drama are used in ritual. Whatever the creative expression, no one can doubt that witchcraft is a form of art once they experience it.<br />
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The Spirituality<br />
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Lastly in our threefold definition, witchcraft is a religion. In fact, it is called the Old Religion, for many trace their tradition?s roots back to the early Mother Earth goddess cults of the Paleolithic era. Since I have been teaching witchcraft I felt the need to change the definition slightly to ?science, art, and spirituality.? The word religion can conjure up some discomfort in those who are seeking witchcraft as an alternative to the more dogmatic religions. Spirituality, to me, carries a gentler connotation to the original meaning of religion. When I say witchcraft is a spirituality, I mean it is a spiritual path. You walk it for nourishment of the soul, to commune with the life force of the universe, and to thereby better know your own life. Misunderstandings surround those new to the path because of television, movies, and other stories. People do not realize that witchcraft is a daily commitment to renew yourself in the cycles of the Earth, to synchronize yourself with the powers of life. It is a path to enlightenment. Living life as a witch is no easy task.<br />
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Certain spiritual aspects of witchcraft set it apart from other traditions. First, it is a nature-based spiritual practice. Divinity in all things is recognized, from the land, water, and sky, to plants, animals, and people. All material things are seen as an expression of life, as the divine. Witches are often involved in environmental reforms and animal-rights groups because of this belief.<br />
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Witches are polytheistic, meaning we worship more than one deity. We recognize the spirit of life running through all things, but believe it expresses itself through a multitude of faces. I like to think of it as looking at a giant, brilliantly cut diamond with many facets shining, each an expression of the one diamond.<br />
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Witches focus on divinity in the form of male and female energies, gods and goddesses. The prime focus of many traditions is the Great Mother, the primal creative goddess as embodied by the planet Earth. The Goddess is also seen in the Moon, the night, and the oceans. She is portrayed in the modern craft as the Triple Goddess, one who is three in her aspects of Maiden, Mother, and Crone. These faces correspond with the changes in the Moon and seasons. The Goddess? energy is vast, portrayed as loving, kind, and life giving at certain times, while dark, warrior-like, and vengeful at others.<br />
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Her consort, the God and Good Father, has been depicted as the sky, the Sun, and vegetation, or as the animal lord. Like the Goddess, the male aspect of divinity has many faces. He is warrior and protector, king and judge. The God can reveal the secrets of magick and illumination or surround you with darkness to force you to face yourself. The God is usually dual in nature, in the form of the Lord of Light and the Lord of Darkness, though some of his images cannot be put into these categories. He presides over the year as the life giver in the fertile months and the life taker in the waning year.<br />
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From these two beings spring all the deities of myth. Groups of goddesses and gods from a particular culture, called pantheons, were created. The pantheon we are most familiar with in the West is the Greek, taught in classical mythology classes and found in many modern reinterpretations. The Greek and the later Roman pantheons were not the only ones, nor the first. The ancient Egyptians, Sumerians, Celts, Norse, Africans, and Hindus all had their own pantheons. Each had some type of mother goddess and father god. Then the subtle differences became more distinct. Each had deities to preside over different realms of the earthly domain. One was for the oceans, and another for the sky. Gods and goddesses would rule the Underworld, the sky kingdom, agriculture, animals, healing, the Moon, the Sun, stars, travel, poetry, and divination.<br />
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In psychological terms, we call these common visions archetypes. Archetypes are primal images that can be found across many different cultures. They exist in our collective consciousness. Psychologist Carl Jung popularized the term archetype, but they existed far before his identification. Each culture had individual names for an archetype, as represented by a different goddess or god. Each culture wove stories and myths involving this being, but the basic concept is the same. To those who work with the archetypes, they are living, conscious energies, beings of great power. Modern witches understand the concept of archetypes, but know these powers through personal, spiritual experiences. The common belief is that archetypes are primal beings of an almost unknowable nature, but they express themselves through god forms, the individual descriptions and personalities of the gods of myth. The god forms act like a mask. The primal mother archetype exists without borders, but she expresses herself as Gaia in the Greek tradition, Danu in the Celtic tradition, Isis to the Egyptians, and Pachamama to the Incans.<br />
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Most mainstream religions, particularly the Judeo-Christian traditions, are monotheistic, acknowledging only one god: theirs. Some feel these traditions focused on the masculine vibration of the divine and saw it as the one and only source of life. In our diamond analogy, they are looking at the brilliance of the whole diamond, but are blinded to look at the individual facets. Or they are fascinated by one facet of the diamond, one god, and exclude all else. The spiritual ancestors of modern witches were in a position that seems unique to us today. Because of their polytheistic nature, they could recognize the gods of another tribe, land, or culture as different expressions of their own gods. They could see the diamond as a whole as well as the individual facets. As we look to the Great Spirit at the center of the diamond, witches remember that we, too, are facets of the diamond. Like the trees, oceans, and animals, we are expressions of the divine, the Goddess, God, and Great Spirit.<br />
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<br />
The Healer<br />
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Another great definition of witch is ?healer.? In the ancient cultures, people went to the priestesses and priests for healing. At the time, healing encompassed much more than our modern medical profession. Modern medicine is wonderful in many ways, but in these ancient times, healing was a process involving the mind, emotions, and spirit as well as the body. In short, healing was an energetic process. We are now coming full circle with the rise in popularity of holistic and alternative treatments. A healer was one to counsel, advise, and minister to the spiritual balance of the individual or tribe, as well as do ritual, divination, and hands-on healing. You will probably find many witches now involved in the healing arts, traditional or otherwise, because helping others is such an important part of the practice of witchcraft.<br />
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The Walker<br />
<br />
The last definition of the word witch that I will present to you goes hand in hand with the healing arts. It is also my favorite identity. A witch is ?a walker between the worlds.? This was the first hint I got at the rich shamanic tradition found within the teachings of witchcraft.<br />
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Due to a revival of interest in Native American practices, many people associate the word shaman with the medicine man of a tribal people. That is true. Shamans are spiritual leaders, but that is not the entire picture. The term originated in Siberia, but has been applied to native practices throughout the Americas and more loosely to practices across the world. The shaman believes in nonphysical, spiritual realms and learns to send his or her spirit to such realms. In these worlds, one can retrieve information and healing energy, and commune with spirits. The shaman ministers to his or her people through this ability, to effect healing of the mind, body, and spirit.<br />
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Witches, too, believe in nonphysical realms. They believe in the physical and a multitude of spiritual dimensions. Witches hone their abilities to pierce the veil and travel to these dimensions, where they speak with goddesses, gods, and spirits. Like the shamans, they are expected to remain grounded in the material world with responsibilities to their people, yet keep one foot ever ready to enter the spiritual world. They are bridges between the worlds, seeking to bring their people into greater partnership with the divine. The native people in Siberia and the Americas remained more tribal and retained a certain amount of reverence for these shamans, even in the modern era. As the European people became less tribal, they stamped out their very own shamanic traditions, the practices of the witch. That fear of spiritual power, of the unknown, of mysteries in a culture with a growing patriarchy, turned the image of the witch from a priestess and healer into a monster of the night.<br />
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The Weaver<br />
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To me, the words witch and witchcraft are wonderfully all-encompassing terms. They evoke a sense of humanity?s mystical past and a hope for the future. Whenever someone, as an individual or as a culture, sought to understand spirit through the cycles of life, honored the divine as being both masculine and feminine, recognized the Earth and sky, quieted themselves enough to hear the soft inner whisper, and took an active partnership with nature, they were practicing witchcraft. Not everyone would agree with that; many tribal traditions would not ever call themselves witches, but it is my personal feeling that such traditions are all practicing the same craft, regardless of the name, place, or time. It is only through an unfortunate period of history that the words witch and witchcraft became maligned. Without this slander, I think the word witch would be translated into more languages as ?healer,? ?teacher,? ?shaman,? and ?wise one,? rather than ?curse bringer.? Witches weave all these threads together in the modern traditions. <br />
The most important aspect of this tradition is the individual?s sovereignty. Each practitioner is his or her own priest or priestess. Teachers, elders, and healers are respected and can help you on the path, but ultimately witchcraft is about your own personal, individual relationship with the divine. Through such training you have the ability to perform your own spiritual rituals and seek guidance. To my friends still in the world of Catholicism, I explain that we are not only our own priests, but also our own popes. We have the last word on what is correct and good for us, as well as the responsibility of living with those decisions.<br />
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I had lunch with a student and friend who told me she was ?finally okay with the W word.? She was drawn to take my classes, cast spells and circles, and basically perform all the rites of a witch, but always had difficulty with that word. She is a great healer, using conventional massage therapy with both reiki and shamanism. She had been giving psychic readings before she had any formal training in the area. She didn?t claim the word witch as her own, and that was fine with me. It?s not for everybody. But she seemed so bothered by the fact, and she didn?t know why. We speculated about past-life persecution for being a witch, but she didn?t explore it further. She came to the conclusion that she didn?t want to be limited by the word witch. There are so many things to do and explore that she did not want to settle for being ?just a witch? when she could try everything. I could understand her sentiment, but I never thought of myself as ?just a witch.?<br />
<br />
Almost a year later, we had lunch and she told me she was coming to terms with the word witch and, in my opinion, the true meaning of the word. Even if we learn all these definitions, sometimes our own preconceived notions and prejudices and those of society do not allow the real meaning to absorb into our psyche. In some ways she saw the role of witch as something that could pigeonhole her into an expected role and tradition, without any freedom or change to it. There is a stereotype even in the pagan world that a witch has to wear black all the time, love dark gothic music, and take things very seriously. Hopefully that stereotype is dissolving away, with all the others. To me, witchcraft has given me a frame of reference to experience the world by being open to all possibilities. It has also taught me to look at things practically, to remain grounded in timeless philosophy while still open to modern interpretations. The eclectic witch borrows from many cultures. These cultures do not necessarily have to be Celtic or even European to be a part of the modern craft, even though some traditionalists feel that witchcraft is exclusively Celtic. We come from a tradition filled with the mysteries of the past, but now witchcraft generally encourages one to find the path that works for the individual. All our other ?hats??healer, therapist, herbalist, shaman, mother, brother, priest, priestess, environmentalist, counselor, researcher, writer, psychic, and teacher?all fit nicely under the ?hat? of witch, for witches are all these things, too. Nothing is prevented or forbidden. The path of the witch is truly the path of knowledge and, more importantly, wisdom. It changes and adapts as new information is discovered. Witchcraft is a living religion.<br />
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As you can see, the witch has many faces and wears many hats, both woman and man, old and young. The witch is a symbol of darkness and fear to many still, but is really a patron of wisdom and magick. Each practitioner in turn has a personal meaning. If this is all brand new to you and you feel the call of the art, science, and spirituality of the Goddess and God, you will be called on to answer these questions: What is witchcraft? What is a witch? And most importantly, what does it mean to become a witch? If you want to explore the foundations of the inner temple, you are already walking the path of the witch, so ask yourself how you would define the word witch.<br />
<br />
copyrighted... Christopher Penczak<br />
<br />
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mundonidanino-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0738702765&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8038967902906914973-4956420831928316761?l=daninoshadow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-35323447503282235162010-12-26T08:33:00.000-08:002010-12-26T08:54:29.649-08:002010-12-26T08:54:29.649-08:00Excerpt from the book Practical Guide to Psychic PowersA Search in Two Worlds <br /><br /><br />1. Dowsing, like other psychic abilities, is inborn in every person, and—like other psychic abilities—operates at the emotional-instinctual level.<br />a. The dowsing ability is released into activity by an absorption of the attention that inhibits the monitoring function of the rational mind.<br />b. The equipment used in dowsing, as that used in most other psychic work, provides a necessary focal point for the attention and a means to magnify and show the orientation of inward movement.<br /><br />2. The key to dowsing is at the astral levels of the psyche and the external universe.<br />a. The forces that the dowser encounters, and which lead to his or her goal, are of the astral world. This is why the dowser may encounter "remanence"—the astral impressions of something no longer existing on the material plane, likewise, the astral world also holds impressions of "the shape of things to come" which can confuse the dowser.</P> <br />b. In all cases, it is the astral "counterpart" that is encountered by the dowser—that of presently existing material objects, as also the astral phantasms of past objects and the foreshadowings of future objects. <br />3. The movement of the dowsing instrument is produced by a form of telekinesis that is directed by the unconscious mind of the operator.<br />a. The instrument must be held in some particular manner.<br />b. It is preferable to make your own instrument, choosing the materials carefully and shaping them lovingly and with pride so that the imagination can work along with the instrument as an expression of inward powers. Various instruments, and their easy construction, are described fully in the text—as is their proper usage.<br /><br />4. To begin developing your dowsing ability, it is important to communicate your desire to your emotional-instinctual astral self, recognizing it as the source of this psychic ability.<br />a. Your meditation exercises, your diet and lifestyle changes, your contacts with the worlds of nature, humanity, and your inner self should all be continued.<br /><br />5. Actual dowsing involves:<br />a. The "directive"—a small sample or token of what you are seeking.<br />b. "Self-programming": holding the directive in your hand, focus your mind and emotions on the full reality of that which you are seeking—seeing it in your mind and feeling the good that will come from it. Then take up the dowsing instrument and "talk" to it—telling it how you value it and what it is you are seeking and why. Make it come "alive" for you: it is your partner, and it will guide you to your goal.<br />c. Carry the directive in a convenient pocket while you are actually dowsing so that its subtle vibrations establish an affinity with the object you are searching for.<br />d. "Listen" to the dowsing instrument as you work with it—it is the representative of your own astral being communicating with you by means of a sign language. You will need to discover the "code" of the movements that express its meaning.<br />e. Focusing your attention on your instrument, holding it in the particular way required, and "listening" to it—all work to induce a special altered state of consciousness during which the ordinary consciousness that is closely linked to the material world is lulled, and the astral being—with its link to the astral world—comes to the surface. The astral level of the psyche can experience the astral level of whatever concerns it; that is why we use the directive.<br /><br />6. Just as we used the directive to represent the object being sought, so can we substitute a map for the actual area to be dowsed, and with a pendulum as the instrument locate objects or persons sought.<br />a. In a similar fashion, a doll or picture can represent an actual person, and with the pendulum we can locate an injury or disease center in that person.<br /><br />7. As with the other psychic abilities, practice is important, and the games described in the text are good starting points for developing the basic sensitivities that are part of dowsing.<br />• • •<br /><br />Dowsing certainly is a most valuable ability and it often gives results whose accuracy and scope astonish the newcomer, but it is not "incredible" nor "supernatural" nor any of the other epithets that have been allotted to it by the skeptics. Dowsing is, as a fact, one of the most "natural" things a human being can do, belonging to the vital levels of our subrational existence.<br /><br />Most usually a person seeking for water, minerals, or anything else by this method will use either a rod or a pendulum as an indicator, but these things, like the hands of a clock, are useful only to magnify and to show the orientation of the inward <br /><br />There are a certain number of dowsers who, even without any such indicators, experience almost convulsive bodily movements when detecting whatever the object of their search may be. More experience tingling or burning sensations in different parts of the body; nor are any of these reactions triggered by the conscious awareness of the presence of the object, for many examples show unmistakably that the reaction precedes its interpretation. <br /><br />James A., for instance, a man personally known to the authors, had never thought of himself as a water-finder. Such a possibility would not greatly have interested him, and he had no reason to imagine it until some painful circumstances led to his talent being discovered for him. <br /><br />To begin with, he had a violent fall and cracked a couple of his lower ribs. These were set and healed normally, and he returned to his ordinary occupations. Inevitably, as with any fractured bones, he suffered, and expected at first to suffer, a certain amount of discomfort; what troubled him more and more was the fact that as he moved around at home he experienced now and then most violent twinges of pain from the mended ribs, and this particular experience seemed not to lessen as time went by.</P> <br /><br />Back he went for reexamination, but no medical cause for his affliction showed up. In the end, when he explained that apart from an occasional twinge when traveling his sufferings were all produced by walking from front to back of his house or vice versa, he was referred for psychiatric examination. <br /><br />Now it was his psyche that was inspected inside and out, although with no immediate result. The psychiatrist however was an up-to-date intelligent man who mentally cross-referenced every fact that came his way, and at last by this method he found himself a clue. <br /><br />Among the mass of wildly various details he'd collected from James in the hope one of them might prove fertile, somewhere was a statement that James always had his worst moments of pain when passing a certain crack in the wall of his hallway. Once again the evidence was sifted for negative associations to cracks in walls, but there was nothing much. So the psychiatrist looked at it another way. James A.'s ribs hurting and the crack in the wall were related. How?</P> <br /><br />Why was the crack there? he asked James. <br /><br />Because the house had settled in the middle. <br /><br />Why had the house settled that way? <br /><br />Directed to put in some research on this, James discovered the existence of an underground stream he'd never known about. So, his lower ribs shifted each time he crossed that hidden water; and, because they had been fractured, they hurt badly. And so, he was a born water-finder and hadn't known about that either. <br /><br />In reality, like every other psychic talent, the ability to dowse is inborn in every person to some extent, even though, again like the other abilities, some individuals have it in an already more developed state than others do. Such experiences as that of James A., however, naturally lead people to inquire what this mysterious ability called dowsing really consists in, and which of its characteristics enable us to identify its nature and the means by which it can be cultivated. <br /><br />A favorite hypothesis with those who wish to seem scientific without examining the evidence for themselves, and one that tends to be applied to a number of subjects including dowsing, is that of "unconscious muscular movement." The idea is that the unconscious mind of the operator determines (by whatever means) the answer to the question, or the direction of the object of the search, and transmits through the nerves a series of extremely subtle impulses to the muscles, as a result of which they produce the appropriate movements. Aside from the fact that James A. (for example) wasn't searching for anything and wasn't asking any questions, it is not at first easy to fault that hypothesis, however, we shall find that the true cause of the movements of the body and/or the instrument in dowsing is quite other. <br /><br />The keys to dowsing are to be found in the astral level of the psyche and of the external universe:</P> <br /><br />Dowsing is a faculty of the emotional-instinctual (astral) level of the psyche, released into activity by a complete absorption of attention that inhibits the monitoring function of the rational mind. This is certainly an altered state of consciousness, although not generally recognized as such. <br /><br />What name is given to that state does not matter. Try, for instance, speaking to a person occupied in some creative skill, or to a mathematician or physicist pondering some abstract problem, or to a child building a castle with toy blocks, or to a pair of young lovers daydreaming about their future. You probably can't get through to any of these people, and even if they answer you sensibly they may remember nothing of it later, like people who have been spoken to while aroused temporarily from sleep. The dowsing state is very close to that, and the equipment helps in achieving that state by providing a necessary focal point for the attention. <br /><br />Dowsing is dependent on the astral world for the impressions that lead the dowser to his or her goal. Although the dowser's quest is most often for something in the material world, the forces that are encountered, and which indicate the direction of that goal, are not of the material world (as the influence of the magnetic north upon a compass is, for instance) but of the astral world. This is demonstrated by some peculiarities in the mode of operation of those forces.</P> <br /><br />A good dowser has a high score of accurate findings, and so long as this accuracy is maintained we have no way of showing where the information comes from, but everyone slips up sometimes, and many of the mistakes made by dowsers are very instructive for that reason. <br /><br />Remanence <br /><br />One type of error comes up so often that dowsers have coined a word for its cause: remanence. In simple terms, this means "the tendency of conditions to remain." Dowsers tend to pick up impressions of bygone objects as if those objects were still there; a dowser seeking a building, for instance, might easily locate a site where such a building had stood long before. The dowsing instrument could react so as to give not only the plan of the foundations (which could still be physically present, if only as a disturbance in the ground) but also the height and particulars of the elevation. <br /><br />Now, that building just isn't there to be measured in the material world. All its "remaining," which can give through dowsing the same reactions as a solidly existing building, is in the astral world. <br /><br />Besides the shapes of things past, the astral world holds also "the shape of things to come," and on occasion these images too can confuse the scene for the dowser; at first they are no more recognizable for what they are than the vestiges of the past. <br /><br />Why is the dowser not able to distinguish those astral phantasms from the material objects that he is searching out? Because in the astral world, along with those lingering traces of the past and foreshadowings of the future, there is also the astral counterpart of everything presently existing in the material world; and it is that counterpart, not the material world itself that the dowser's emotional-instinctual nature is aware of. This area of the psyche, being our astral level within, perceives its kindred world just as our physical senses perceive theirs. By some psychic techniques, the astral perception is brought through into consciousness; in dowsing, it is instead signaled in movements. But these signals are apt, on occasion, to be triggered by the astral images of the past or future, exactly as they normally are by the astral counterparts of present material objects. <br /><br />Dowsing is dependent on the astral level of the psyche for the movement imparted to the instrument not through the muscles, but directly. <br /><br />This movement is produced by a form of telekinesis; telekinesis directed by the unconscious mind of the operator and not, as in the case of ordinary telekinesis, by the conscious mind. <br /><br />The hypothesis of "unconscious muscular movement," previously mentioned, doesn't stand up to the facts; here are some it completely ignores: <br /><br />People who use a dowsing instrument of the form of a loop or fork (these will be described in the next section of this chapter) have been known to have their fingers and palms blistered and even lacerated in some circumstances when the instrument moves violently and they are trying to keep it under control. At that time the instrument is clearly moving against their muscles, not with them. Nor is it an example of hand working against hand, for when the fork or loop twists around it moves in the same direction against each hand, besides, when the dowser uses "angle rods" each hand holds a separate rod so no interaction of the hands would then be possible, yet the violence of the movement is sometimes just as great. <br /><br />So as to guard against hand injury, which could be particularly unpleasant with metal rods, people who use that type of equipment frequently fit them with "sleeves," in which the rods turn almost freely. No movement of the rods except for a weak swing to this side or that could in those circumstances be produced by a less-than-conspicuous movement of the hands, whether conscious or otherwise. <br /><br />Furthermore, as pointed out in chapter 3, telekinetic force is characterized by the fact that distance makes an appreciable difference to its action. This, too, is a conspicuous feature of dowsing.</P> <br /><br />Equipment <br /><br />Some seekers for water or for metals use no equipment at all. The influences that guide them to what they seek are felt in their physical body, either as a movement of the bones—as James A. discovered—or as a sensation of heat in the numberless tiny nerve-endings in soles or palms. <br /><br />These people have never had, or have managed to shed, the tendency of the rational consciousness to prevent the emotional-instinctual nature from physically signalling its findings. They are able to act almost as spontaneously as does a thirsty animal (or even a plant) moving toward the life-sustaining fluid. For most civilized folk, however, the instrumentality of dowsing equipment is an important factor in success. It gives to the consciousness a necessary focal point. <br /><br />No matter what kind of equipment you use in dowsing, you have to hold it in a particular way, in a stressed or at least careful manner; and you have to keep your attention upon it, moment by moment, for the way it may be moving or for what it may indicate. <br /><br />Types of Dowsing Equipment <br /><br />The importance of your dowsing equipment doesn't mean it has to be costly or elaborate. There is an old saying that a bad workman blames his tools; it is also true that the good workman won't start in on a job without tools he can take pride in—even if it is pride in being able to use such primitive gear skillfully and effectively! So make your own dowsing equipment. Choose your materials carefully and shape them lovingly, and above all have something that your imagination can work along with, a means of expression to your inward powers. <br /><br />Possible forms of dowsing equipment, other than the pendulum, include angle rods, a loop of stout rattan or flexible cane, the traditional fork of wood, and V- or Y-shaped pieces made from synthetic materials (of which nylon, being both flexible and tough, is still probably best). Remember James A.'s experience with his own ribs!—something of that nature, thin, pliant, partly free and partly fixed, is what you are seeking.* <br /><br />angle rods are easy to make. You need two pieces of wire (mild steel or other suitable metal), thick enough to keep its form and flexible enough to be bent without cracking; each piece some fifteen inches long. Bend each wire to a right angle at about one third the distance along its length, so one leg of the angle is five inches long and the other ten inches. The exact dimensions don't matter, but it does matter that the two finished rods should be as nearly identical as you can make them. Make sure the two five-inch legs are entirely smooth and free from snags, sharp points, or edges, because this is the part that will be twisting around in your grip when you use the rods. If you wish, you can fit them with "sleeves" that will to a great extent obviate this problem, but even so, you still need to ensure the rods will rotate smoothly in the sleeves. <br /><br />These sleeves are simply tubes of cardboard or plastic, just slightly shorter than the five-inch legs over which they have to fit, and wide enough to allow free movement to the rods while being convenient to grip. The end of the leg should be flattened, turned over, or enlarged by some other means to keep the sleeve from becoming detached. <br /><br />The cane or rattan loop is made from a piece of tough, whippy vegetable stem about twenty-seven inches long; it needs to be bound securely with thin cord or strong synthetic string, in two stages as shown below. The loop and the two ends alike will need to be held steady by human or mechanical agency, while the loop is bound securely (as shown above left) and tied off, then bound (as illustrated above right) and securely tied off once more. <br /><br />The traditional dowsing fork presents an initial difficulty, that of finding a suitable small branch to cut. Hazel, willow, and the fruitwoods are all good for keeping their resilience, not drying out and becoming brittle too soon after cutting, but hazel and willow also are conspicuous for growing twigs with a sufficiency of straight length between outgrowths that is not always the case with the fruitwoods. You need your fork to have at least ten inches of straight, clear wood about one-half inch in diameter, dividing into a symmetrical fork that you can trim into two equal prongs about five to eight inches long. <br /> <br />In preparing your branch as a dowsing fork, make the short ends as smooth and clean as you can, since in use they are likely to twist around in your hands. But don't strip off the bark, or the wood will quickly become dry, rigid, and unresponsive. When you have trimmed the fork to your requirements, melt some candle ends in a can, and, while keeping the wax at a high enough temperature, dip each in turn of the three cut ends of the fork into the melted wax. Leave it there long enough for the adjacent wood to soak up the wax, then remove. When the absorbed wax sets, it will seal the end and so help the fork retain its moisture and flexibility. If you can't for any reason use the melted wax, use corn oil, olive, or (best of all) linseed oil, warmed, to soak and seal the ends of the fork. <br /><br />The next type of dowsing instrument that must be mentioned is the fork of man-made materials. (Wooden lath can be included here, too.) Any straight lengths of tough, lightweight, flexible material are worth trying, and some are excellent. Two plastic pointers, for instance, will serve the purpose well. <br /><br />With many types of rod or strip, there is no need to form a V- or Y-shape; you may have to cut convenient lengths—about twenty inches, less or more according to general bulk and proportion—but no further shaping is required. Place them side by side, and, starting at one end, cement, and/or bind them together through about two-thirds or three-quarters of their length, as you may choose. Even if the pieces are glued together securely, it is still a good idea to use a few turns of strong thread or wire to bind them at what will be the point of greatest stress: that is, at the juncture of the glued section with the free ends. Then, to use the instrument, you simply take the free ends one in each hand, as will be described below, and pull them apart. <br /> <br />The remaining rod-type instrument for dowsing to be included here is, somewhat surprisingly, a minority choice: the single wand. This can be of any material—wood, metal, synthetic—if it be long, straight, slender, flexible, and of moderate weight. A lecturer's pointer, an antenna for television or radio, a slender bamboo, or, again, a curtain rod, but this time of round cross-section, all make acceptable "wands." Don't pass up a chance to make or adapt for yourself a dowsing instrument of this probably most ancient form. You may be one of those people for whom it becomes the favorite! <br /><br />All the dowsing instruments described above work best in the conditions for which they were developed, that is, you should be walking about in the open air. Practice in other conditions can be disappointing and therefore discouraging, but there is no reason why you shouldn't "go through the motions" indoors if you wish, for practice in holding the instrument. <br /><br />Go outdoors however, and preferably into the open country, to practice properly as soon as you can. If you can go in the company of an experienced dowser, so much the better! <br /><br />The method of using the angle rods is illustrated on page 158. In holding them, the thumb rests upon the top joints of the forefinger, and beside the top of the sleeve; the fingers grip only the sleeve, so that the angle rod will rotate within this almost free from friction. <br /><br />The loop, and the various types of fork, are all held in one way: with one of the fork ends in each hand and the loop or rod pointing upwards. This should involve a certain amount of tension in the instrument (whether the instrument be natural or man-made) as the free ends are pulled away from the central axis, but you should experiment with it and discover what is best for you. <br /><br />The simple wand has its own peculiarities. You hold it forward horizontally in one hand, usually your stronger hand but some people get better results with the other. The interesting thing is that if your wand tapers to one end, you should hold it by the more slender end, not by the thicker one. That gives it more stress and "whippiness." <br /><br />Beginning Dowsing <br /><br />Help from the unconscious <br /><br />When you want to begin developing the faculty of dowsing, your first concern should be to convey effectively to your emotional-instinctual nature that this skill is necessary. <br /><br />An excellent way to do this is to take a time when you feel quiet and meditative; sit down then and talk—talk aloud, in all seriousness—to your astral being. Give it a warm greeting, tell it how gladly you recognize its presence, how much you cherish it and value its assistance at all times; then go over the reasons why learning to dowse is necessary to your happiness and lifestyle. Give an assurance, too, that this new ability is one in which your astral being will take a vital part, and will gain the means to communicate much of its hitherto mute knowledge and perceptions. Align yourself with all that you say as positively as you can, dwelling especially upon every emotional aspect of it. Speak gently, kindly, but with authority; be confident, so as to avoid both anxiety and casualness, and express yourself in simple words because your astral being is in some respects very childlike. <br /><br />This address should be repeated from time to time, as you feel moved. As you begin to have success in developing the faculty and you acknowledge in this way the part played by your astral being, your recognition will encourage its further and more effective cooperation. <br /><br />It is important, if you want to dowse competently, to keep up your regular meditations, keep up your good diet and simple lifestyle, keep up your contacts with the world of nature, the human world, and the world within. These are important factors in all psychic development, but they have a special relevance to the powers we are discussing in this chapter.</P> <br /><br />Before setting out <br /><br />When you have made your first piece of dowsing equipment, be it loop, fork, wand, or pair of angle rods, all you can do with it in or around the house to get the feel of handling it, how this particular kind of instrument is to be gripped and carried when in use. For real practice in dowsing, however, you should go out into the right place, into the open country. (If that is impossible for you, at least at present, you have other options: later in this chapter there is a section on pendulum dowsing that can open most exciting dimensions without crossing your threshold, and also some games to help you develop, and have different kinds of fun with, some of the same faculties that are used in dowsing.) <br /><br />Before you set out on a dowsing expedition, there are some preparations to make. Whether you are a beginner or experienced dowser, you will need a directive, and you will need to program yourself. <br /><br />The directive. A directive is a small sample, or token, of what you are going to search for: a little bottle of water for instance, a chip of whatever mineral, a sample coin or artifact, a few leaves if you seek a particular plant, or, no matter what may be your quest, its name in bold lettering on a piece of card. These are only a few example of possible directives; there is no end to their variety, and dowsers exercise great ingenuity sometimes in devising tokens to represent successfully something of which no sample can be had.<br /><br />Programming yourself. As shortly as possible before setting out on a dowsing expedition, you should spend some time alone with the directive and your dowsing instrument. <br /><br />Hold the directive in your hand while you focus your mind, and especially your emotions, upon the full reality of that which you will be seeking, and upon the need for finding it. Let your imagination dwell upon various aspects of the object of your search, so as to make it as vividly present to you as possible. Conjure up in your imagination not only all the good qualities of the object of your search, but also all the good that you can expect from its finding. Remember, your astral being, for which you are creating this image, is not attracted to abstract ideas but to simple, direct pictures and sense impressions, and the simplest and most direct of emotions. <br /><br />When you feel you have given sufficient time to this, lay down the directive and gently let the image or impressions you have built up fade from your consciousness, then take up your dowsing instrument. <br /><br />Hold this, sometimes as you would while dowsing, sometimes in a tender, caressing manner, while you talk softly to it. Tell it how much you prize it, tell it of what you are going to seek and of the great importance, the necessity of finding it. Regard your dowsing instrument as a living entity with which you have an understanding, an affinity. You and it are partners; while you carry it, it will guide you. Speak to it of these matters, and while you do so, begin to walk about with it until you feel the bond between it and yourself is fully activated, and the instrument is "awake." <br /><br />On setting out <br /><br />If you can go, at least for your first few ventures in dowsing, with a friend who has a working ability in it, that will be the greatest help you could have. <br /><br />With dowsing as with some other psychic powers, the more experienced and skilled in it is the person you set out with, the better you are likely to fare. At the same time, never forget the whole potential of dowsing is within you, and whatever the circumstances, you can, with perseverance, cultivate it. <br /><br />Besides your dowsing instrument and your directive, you should in any case have with you the following: a map of the area, a pen and notebook so you can locate at least roughly any interesting spot on your route, make notes, and enable yourself to keep a record, besides being able to collect, dig, measure, or photograph as may be suited to your quest. <br /><br />Carry your directive in a convenient pocket. During the time you are actually dowsing, you will be intent upon watching your instrument. But your directive will be there with you all the time, maintaining its subtle vibrations of affinity with what you are looking for and conditioning your activity accordingly. You don't have to keep consciously remembering that your directive is there; your astral being knows it is. Whenever you take a rest from dowsing, however, you should use the opportunity to take out your directive, look at it, and handle it. <br /><br />Having arrived at your starting-point, don't set off in a rush. Take time to look over the landscape and to review mentally what you are going to do. If you feel any traces of tension, close your eyes and draw a few deep breaths, right in and right out, slowly; then you should be ready to begin. Take the dowsing grip on the instrument, and begin walking. <br /><br />(When you are experienced, you may get an initial indication from the instrument about the direction. At first, the starting choice of direction is likely to be yours, or an experienced dowser's if there is one present.) <br /><br />The first signals <br /><br />As you walk along, at first you may not find it easy to settle into the serenity of mind that is right for dowsing. To a great extent, any unsettled feeling is likely to be due to an initial self-consciousness that will soon disappear, but another cause is likely to be that you don't quite know what your dowsing instrument is going to do, or when. Trust it, talk to it, attune yourself to it, and it to you. You will know the first dowsing signal when it comes! <br /><br />Until it comes, you will not be sure whether any slight movement of the instrument might be a signal, or whether it might be caused by uneven ground, a gust of wind, a nerve jumping in your arm, or pure imagination. But when a real response occurs, it will be unmistakable. <br /><br />It will feel as though an invisible person had taken hold of the instrument and is trying to point it in a new direction, even to twist it out of your hands; or it may just give one sudden jerk. The distinctive thing is the feeling of "another person" causing the movement deliberately. At the same time, or just before the pull, you may get an "electric" tingling, or hot or creeping sensations somewhere in your body: arms, spine, and feet are the likeliest areas. <br /><br />Your next question will be: what does this signal mean? <br /><br />If you are using angle rods, for instance, the long arms may twist outwards simultaneously. If you have a loop or a fork, it may insist on turning down or to one side. Or the free end of a wand may circle at frantic speed. <br /><br />Does it say, "You are on the right track" or "Stop here"? Is it, "Turn"—perhaps "Turn around"—or "Dig"? The first time you receive a particular signal, your best plan is to go back a little way, then come up to the spot again, more slowly. This may result in your receiving the same signal, or a different one. <br /><br />If no light is shed on the meaning by the new occurrence, you can again approach the spot but from a different angle, or you can ask the instrument whether the same meaning can be expressed by a different signal, or you can try doing what the signal looks to you as though it means. <br /><br />In such a situation, realize that the dowsing instrument has become the representative of your own astral being; and the intention of your astral being is not to set puzzles for you (however it may seem) but to use the dowsing instrument as a means to establish a code for speaking to you by sign language. You need, therefore, to find out in quiet reflection what is the most simple and natural meaning, to your astral being, of this particular movement of the instrument. This is best done at the time, if possible; your early experiments in dowsing will gain more value from settling a few points of this kind, than from mere mileage. <br /><br />One complication is, however, possible. If your early expeditions are made in the company of an experienced dowser, it is likely that this friend will be able to tell you the meaning of every signal you receive from the instrument. A complete "code" may be given you in this way—the same one that exists between your friend and his or her dowsing instrument. Afterwards, when you go out dowsing alone, you will be likely to find that the "code" changes in some particulars. Soon it will become your own code, the one that is to be permanently established between your dowsing instrument and you. <br /><br />The interpersonal aspect <br /><br />Here is another well-known fact: many people, who, from one cause or another, had real difficulty in finding and developing their dowsing ability, have experienced a complete change in the situation when they were helped by an established dowser, who placed his or her hands upon their arms while they held the fork. On approaching the sought-for objective they felt the fork turn in their palms, sometimes violently. <br /><br />Usually this procedure was repeated two or three times, then the learners were able to continue unaided.</P> <br /><br />That fact, and the one mentioned above, of the astral being of the learner temporarily adopting the "code" of the established dowser, is not very surprising when you realize how interrelated human beings are at the astral level, especially when they share an avocation or other great interest. With regard to dowsing, fortunately there is everything to gain from this, because dowsing is one of the most readily "contagious" of psychic powers; if an able dowser is helping you, you should rapidly get beyond the dependent stage and be able to discover your own direction. And "your own direction" applies to more than the code with your dowsing instrument. <br /><br />Most dowsers, whatever their general standard of achievement, have one particular subject of search for which they are more successful than for any other. It may be missing persons, or oil, or fossils, or herbs—almost anything the world harbors! Nobody but you can discover your particular flair, and it may take time. Initially, you will probably go along with your friend's speciality, or the needs of your district, or the fashion of the day (for there are fashions in dowsing as in other matters.) However, when you find yourself there will be no doubt about your particular "idiom" of dowsing, your personal matter and manner of search. In general, dowsing is not a conspicuously sociable activity. While dowsing, each person is necessarily limited to communication with the dowsing instrument, the representative of his or her astral being. If your group takes up dowsing, and if when members reach a degree of proficiency an expedition is organized to some specially interesting area of country (to dowse for archeological remains for instance, or for fossils or minerals, or to trace an underground watercourse or ore vein, or to find useful plants) social fun must be limited to the period of rest and refreshment when dowsing is over. The expedition will, however, have the high exhilaration of a shared outdoor activity that brings mutually enhanced psychic power to all the participants.</P> <br /><br />Exploration by pendulum <br /><br />The pendulum can be used outdoors, suspended from the fingers, for the same purposes as a large-scale dowsing instrument. It is not recommended to be used in this way, only because in a wide landscape it may be less precise as a direction-finder than are the larger and more rigid instruments, and because a breeze might interfere with its working. Despite these disadvantages, it has been used in the open air with notable success, both alone and as an auxiliary to other instruments. It is in indoor work, however, that the pendulum really comes into its own; and this distinctive form of dowsing, besides being a valuable psychic technique in its own right, also throws more light on the nature of dowsing in general. <br /><br />Whether indoors or out, if we use the pendulum as a dowsing instrument, a great deal of the earlier part of this chapter will apply to it. We need means to associate ourselves with the intended matter of exploration, and the "directive" (or "witness") method is highly effective. Whether dowsing by pendulum or other means, to have with us something representative of what is sought, and to advert to it from time to time as convenient, is a truly powerful means of getting our astral being, via the dowsing instrument, to lead us to our goal. <br /><br />The level at which such directives "work" indicates that although in some respects we are operating very close to the material level, the faculty that is being employed is in fact a psychic one and not a physical one, however subtle. <br /><br />For instance, supposing we are seeking a missing person. We can use as a directive a garment or other article belonging to that person. A bloodhound setting out to track someone would likewise be given a garment or other article to sniff at. So, are we in our fashion using some ultra-refined and attenuated form of the sense of smell, or some related physical sense, in our dowsing? <br /><br />No! Instead of a garment, we can be given a photo-graph of the missing person, and this may be a print straight from processing, that the person has never touched or even seen. But the likeness is emotionally and psychically as potent a directive to guide us in our dowsing as any garment could be. <br /><br />Much the same principles apply to a stretch of country, or to a building, about which you mean to do some dowsing. A visit is not always possible; in such cases the pendulum dowser can operate by means of photographs and a map. <br /><br />Thus, pendulum dowsing in particular has some major characteristics that can only be understood in terms of the essential interaction with the astral world in dowsing. If it is usual—as we consistently see it to be—for a dowser to go into a mildly altered state of consciousness through keeping the attention for long periods on the instrument, even more strongly and positively is such a state likely to be induced by focusing attention upon the silent rhythm of a pendulum. The ordinary consciousness, with its powerful link with the material world, is effectively lulled, so that the quiet and less aggressive activity of our astral being has more freedom to surface and to bring into effect its own natural link with the astral world. <br /><br />And, because of the particular nature of the astral world, a link with it is a link with the whole of it, so that even without "astral projection" strictly so called, the astral level of the psyche can experience the astral level of whatever concerns it. Theoretically, at any rate, there is no limit to this possibility. <br /><br />This last is a principle we see operating over and over in pendulum dowsing. People boggle and stumble over how pendulum dowsing gets at unknown facts, to such an extent that they very often find it more comfortable to deny the very occurrence of it; but the real trouble is that they are trying to see how the pendulum works in terms of the material world, when it is an astral-world function operating at its own level of cause and effect. <br /><br />Thus, if you say a paper doll temporarily represents a given person's anatomy, and you get your astral being to accept this, then your pendulum, when you hold it over the paper doll, should indicate where that person hurts, and it will, if you have a flair for diagnosis. Or if you are seeking buried treasure and you have a map of a likely island, then your pendulum will indicate (again, if you have a flair for treasure-finding) as clearly on the map where the treasure is, as your dowsing fork would indicate it if you were physically to visit the island. <br /><br />These things happen. Numberless dowsers could tell their true histories of incidents along these lines. Their astral being is able by means of a symbol—the directive—to reach out to the reality and to contact it. Sometimes the dowser has a sense of making this contact, and sometimes there is no perception of it, but, either way, the pendulum registers the direction and locality found by the astral being. <br /><br />The only limitation upon possibilities of this kind is our astral being's conception of what concerns it. That is why, if we want our range of inquiry to extend beyond our immediate and spontaneous interests, a strong degree of communication with our astral being is essential.<br /><br />The initial data. If you are planning some work at a distance, by pendulum, you should obtain maps, photographs, diagrams, as well as verbal descriptions. Ask questions to fill any gaps you can think of, particularly gaps in your visual impressions. Don't worry about things you can't find out; this is not an attempt on the part of your rational mind to do your astral being's work for it. You simply want to begin your explorations with the clearest possible data for your imagination. <br /><br />Seeking a missing person. If it is a person you seek, therefore, you want a vivid mental image of that person; not only a photograph, but also a clear idea of the personality, voice, interests, everything to make that person "present" to you. You need to associate those qualities strongly with the photograph or other directive. <br /><br />You also need a large-scale map of the area from which the person disappeared. You may also need a map of some other area if there is a strong presumption the person may have gone there, but otherwise you will do best in most cases to stay with the one map unless and until you get an indication on the direction of further search. Spread the first map out flat on a large table and have your directive and any other photographs or possessions of the person on hand, preferably on a smaller table. <br /><br />Before you begin dowsing, program yourself. Look at the map and note its main features; use your imagination to see it as an actual expanse of country as viewed from an airplane or helicopter. (You will use that concept again while dowsing, so accustom yourself to it now as much as you can.) <br /><br />Take up your directive, gently turning your attention away from the map and give it to building up your sense of the person. Dwell on the reality of the person; imagine you see him or her in front of you. This person smiles, moves, speaks; you hear the sound of the voice. Don't begrudge the time building up this image of the person; you will not be able to do it to the same extent while you are dowsing, and you need to keep the "feel" of that person associated as strongly as possible with the directive. <br /><br />When you have spent sufficient time with the directive, put it aside, and take up your pendulum. Caress it, warm it in your hands, speak to it with a few words of friendly greeting, and then suspend it from your fingers. (It is best to place your directive close to the hand you will not be using for the pendulum.) Talk to the pendulum about the missing person and why it is necessary to find this person. Remember to give the emotional reasons rather than the rational reasons, and at some point lay your free hand on the directive while you are softly talking to the pendulum. <br /><br />Then, gently and without haste, carry the pendulum across the map so that it hangs right above the place the person disappeared from. (If there is any doubt about the details, choose the person's home as your starting point.) <br /><br />Suspended thus, your pendulum will, perhaps at once, perhaps after a pause, take up a directional swing. (You don't, of course, visualize the pendulum swinging.) As there are two ends—turning-points—to the swing, you may have to check which direction is meant by this. If you don't have a technique for testing this point, try the following. <br /><br />Smoothly and evenly, carry the pendulum to a point over one end of its former swing, and wait. If that is the correct direction to move in, the pendulum should continue swinging. If, however, you have taken it in the direction opposite to that of the person's travel, it should stop dead. Carry it back to the starting point, wait until it takes up its former swing, then, slowly and gently, take it along the way it has indicated, until it changes direction. <br /><br />Verify the exact point on the map where the change of direction takes place (this may be indicated by the pendulum circling when you hold it above the right spot), wait for resumption of the normal swing, and then gently take it along in its new direction. <br /><br />Sometimes the pendulum can react quite violently; it may circle violently over a place where the person stayed or now is, or it can swing violently in a particular direction, trying to get off the limits of this particular map altogether. The implications will be clear to you. <br /><br />If at any time the movement falters or stops in an indeterminate manner, keep it suspended where it is while you renew your contact with the directive and renew your mental image of the person. At any stage of the procedure, talk softly to the pendulum about the search, about the places passed over—this will help keep the landscape real to you—and about the person sought for. The more completely you can imagine yourself out of the material world of map, chair, and table, the more rapidly and decisively your pendulum is likely to tell its story. <br /><br />Dowsing—in Conclusion <br /><br />The example above should give at least an idea of the scope and possibilities of pendulum dowsing. Not only every dowser, but every individual venture in dowsing will produce distinctive variations in the requirements and in ways of meeting them. Once you have your basic "code" established, dowsing is as much an art of continual improvisation as is any dialogue. In any sphere of human inquiry, the possibilities are limitless, but the principles involved remain the same, and are very clearly intelligible, once the essential relationships of the dowsing instrument with the astral being, and of the astral being with the astral world, are accepted. <br /><br />Pull, Glow, and Swing <br />Astral Power Games for the Group <br /> <br />On first reading through this chapter, you may very likely decide you want to begin experimenting with instruments and getting into dowsing at once. Or the time of year may be wrong for a beginning of fieldwork, or there may be some other reason why you can't, or don't want to, make a start just now. <br /><br />In that case, if you have a group, the games that follow offer at least a means of meeting with, and getting into practice with, some of the powers that are used in dowsing. If however you do begin to practice dowsing at once (which, if the conditions are at all right, is a good idea while the impulse is fresh and clear to you), these games again can be very interesting and helpful.<br /><br />Thus you can use them in your group as an introduction, to get the feeling of these powers and forces before you take up dowsing, or you can use them to provide some variety in approach, and to keep up the united group spirit when people are already into dowsing. They are, besides, good social fun at any time, the first two in particular being fine to "warm up" group energy for various occasions. <br /><br />The first game, "Magnets," is an old high school favorite although most people who have played it will probably not have thought much about what can be learned from it. Try it, and find out how it feels to be a dowsing rod!</P> <br /><br />Magnets <br /><br />(Best for four, five, or six players.) All the players except one form a circle; the remaining player—the "pin"—stands in the center, blindfolded or with hands over eyes. <br /><br />The players in the circle silently agree to one of their number as the "magnet." Then each of them, the "magnet" included, lays the tip of a finger lightly upon the "pin." (No prodding, please!) The fingers may touch bare or clothed skin, it makes no difference.<br /><br />Now each person in the circle thinks about the "magnet," or about the "pin" moving toward the "magnet"; the "magnet" will find the latter idea easier. The "pin" doesn't have to think, and will do best not to speculate as to the direction of the "magnet." <br /><br />A few minutes may pass while the circle "warms up." Then the "pin" will begin to sway out of vertical, to tilt in one direction or another; then will lean over further, will try to regain a balance, and at last will go conclusively over to the "magnet," who may have to lend a supporting arm! <br /><br />Let two or three people in the circle try being "magnets," then let someone else have a turn at being "pin." This may bring out some new aspects of interrelationships within the group: <br /><br />all do equally well as "magnets"?<br /><br />Or as "pins"? <br /><br />Do some pairs do exceptionally well when one is "magnet" and the other "pin"? <br /><br />Do people's results tally with their degree of friendship with each other? <br /><br />You may have one or two instances of reverse effect: people who, when they are "pins," don't simply get it wrong but almost always move in just the opposite direction from the "magnet." <br /><br />This peculiarity has much the same significance as getting a "lower than hazard" average with the ESP cards. There is distinctly a good degree of psychism in evidence, but it is being psychologically negated; either the situation, or some personal aspect of it, is uncongenial, or else this person at some level doesn't want to be psychic—but is developing all the same! You may never know the underlying facts, but all such things contribute to the human reality of your group. <br /><br />After the initial game of "Magnets," have the players talk over their experiences, especially their experiences as "pins." (They will describe in their own ways how they were not pushed but, in fact, "magnetized"; it was not the pressure of the fingers that directed them, but some force that seemed to be working upon and through their whole body.) <br /><br />In general, we can say that what happens to the "pin" is the same sort of action that occurs with a dowsing-rod! <br /><br />By way of further experiment and added interest, you might try this variation too. <br /><br />This game is organized just as in the original version, except that the "pin" is not touched by the other players; each extends a finger toward him or her, but the fingertips remain about two inches away. <br /><br />This requires some watchful moving with the "pin," so as to remain near but not to make contact. Many players find the effect exactly the same as with contact, the "pin" moving unerringly toward the "magnet," but some "pins" have said they felt more conscious of the tension of force when the game is played this way.<br /><br /><br />The purpose in the next game is to test whether persons who don't know which of many objects has been touched, can identify the right one by touching it themselves. This is very good experience for the aspiring dowser as well as for the budding psychometrist, giving an opportunity to know, rather than just to believe in, the reality of nonmaterial influences.</P> <br /><br />Hot trail <br /><br />(For any number of players.) You know the way children ask, "Hot or cold?" in a treasure hunt. You have to tell them they are "hot," or "getting warmer," when they are in the region of the treasure, "cold" when they move away from it. <br /><br />In this game, nobody tells anyone if they are "hot or cold"; the player who is doing the hunting has to find out by ESP. <br /><br />Draw lots, or by some agreed method, decide who's to go out of the room. In that player's absence the remaining players decide, silently, on an object in the room. Each person in the room then touches that object for a moment, not thinking anything in particular; and all return to their places. The object has been "charged." <br /><br />The player outside is re-admitted, and is at liberty to move around the room, touching various objects at will until the right one is discovered. Nobody is allowed to give any clues; the object has to be identified by the one player unaided.<br /><br />Occasionally the game "shorts"; the player from outside will come right in and state, "The object is that picture," or, "That pen," or whatever it is, thus scoring an easy point. Generally, however, after some experimenting, the player will find the sensitivity of fingertips that gives an awareness of the chosen and handled thing, and so will locate and name it. <br /><br />Some people, on touching the right object, experience a sensation of heat; sometimes with this, or instead of it, there can be a magnetic pull. Having discovered the object, the "hunting" player scores a point, and remains as one of the company in the room while someone else takes a turn outside. <br /><br />It is possible the "hunter" may guess wrong and may say, "It is this!" when it is not. Wrong guesses are dealt with according to the number of players and the time available for the game; several mistakes, perhaps two or four, being allowed before the player is "out" on the next one. A player who is "out," having either guessed wrong at the final attempt or having exhausted his or her allotted time, rejoins the company without scoring. <br /><br />The winner is the player with most points when everyone has had the same number of turns. If two or more players have the same score, judgment should be made in favor of the one out of those players who made the least number of wrong guesses.</P> <br /><br />Details of organization for this game are quite elastic, and can be decided in any group to suit its own needs; the above outline is a general guide. <br /><br />This is a good game to come back to from time to time. Your group might introduce it at a party, too, after a little practice! <br /><br />Now we have two pendulum games. There is a likeness between them, certainly, but there is also an important difference. <br /><br />Whose? A pendulum game <br /><br />(For any number of players.) Fit a fabric cover to a box or basket, so each person in turn can slip a hand under the cover to deposit two or three small objects that have been kept concealed. <br /><br />Such objects can be quite trivial items: a small pencil, a pack of gum, a ring, a pocketknife, matches, a pebble, even a small coin if the owner is quite sure of recognizing it again. (Someone else might put in one of the same kind!) Members of the group can have been asked beforehand to bring such items with them, and not to show them or name them to any other person present. Watches are generally found unsatisfactory, both for this and for psychometry practice; it may be because they have such an intense "life" of their own. <br /><br />These items having been collected undercover, the players draw lots for their turns as pendulum operator. The first pendulum operator extracts an object at random from the box (if it happens to be one of the operator's own, it can be put back without comment and another one taken) and places it on the upturned palm of the nearest other player. That player remains with the object on the extended palm, so the operator can suspend the pendulum over it. <br /><br />Now the question, spoken or silent, is, "Does this item belong to this person?" The pendulum should, before too long, react according to its established code for answering "yes" or "no." After it has settled down to one of these two movements, the person holding the item is asked if he/she is the owner. <br /><br />If the pendulum's response is "no" and the person confirms this, the same item is tried on the next person, and so on. If it is "yes" from both pendulum and person, the owner removes the item from the game but personally remains a participant. At this point, however, the pendulum operator takes another item from the box, places it upon the palm of the next person, and proceeds as before. <br /><br />If the pendulum signals "no" when the true answer is "yes," this too puts the item out of the game—its ownership has had to be stated—and the owner remains as a participant; but the pendulum operator relinquishes office and hands over to the next in order of lot, who takes a fresh item from the box and continues. If the pendulum gives "yes" when the true answer is "no," then the ownership of the item remains unknown and it is tested upon another person's hand, but—as in the other case of error—the pendulum operator is changed. If a new operator chances to be the owner of the object then in circulation, he or she simply removes it from the game and take another item from the box. <br /><br />Play continues until there are no more items left, or until every player has had a turn with the pendulum. <br /><br />(Another version of this game follows that is well worth using as people become more advanced; it calls for somewhat more preparation beforehand.) <br /><br />Whose name? <br /><br />Each player writes his or her name, in the form that is most often used. All the written names are collected and are taken, with the covered box described in the previous game, to a helper who is not a member of the group and does not know most of the members. <br /><br />All the names are then copied out (preferably typed) by this helper, on a sheet of paper that is afterwards cut into small slips, a name upon each. Each slip of paper is then enclosed in a "case" made of two little squares of card taped together on opposite sides, so the slips can easily be removed but can't easily fall out by accident. These encased slips are then put by the helper into the covered box. Each name can be used on two or three slips, and there can also be some blanks. <br /><br />The game is then played in almost the same way as "Whose?" but the player on whose palm one of the encased slips is laid has, of course, no means of knowing whether the name inside is his or her own or not. The question asked by the operator, on suspending the pendulum over the case, is, "Does this name belong to this person?" When the pendulum has responded, the player who is holding the slip takes it out and shows it to see if the response was correct. (Blanks always count as "no.") In any event, that slip is then removed from the game. A fresh item is then drawn from the box to be placed on the palm of the next player. As in "Whose?" the pendulum operator remains "in office" until his or her pendulum gives a wrong response, then the next operator in order of lot takes over. The game continues until every player has had a turn as operator. <br /><br />As the players have not seen or touched the slips bearing their names before the game, and each slip is withdrawn after being looked at, this game is a strict trial of the players' dowsing ability. It is not a "test," not being geared for each operator to use a standard number of slips, but it is an interesting challenge for those of some degree of proficiency, and is a proportionately good energizer. <br /><br />In the above games, only the essentials are given; each group can decide the finer points for itself <br /><br />Note <br /><br />In view of James A.'s experience, related earlier in this chapter, it may be asked why mended fractures generally do not produce such symptoms. Certainly the flexibility of the "floating" ribs is involved, and a special aptitude for dowsing on the part of James A. is probably involved also; but another, and important, factor is the proximity of the lower ribs to the solar plexus.</P> <br /><br />The solar plexus is highly "astro-sensitive." (We remark on this in Llewellyn's Practical Guide to Astral Projection, and employ it accordingly.) Simon Tamenec, head of Aurum Solis in France, has designed a dowsing device that enables him to touch his solar plexus while holding it; he is thus able to measure psychic influences very accurately. Significantly, too, Dr. Zaboj V. Harvalik, at Lorton, Virginia, has made exact tests that likewise show supreme astro-sensitivity in the solar plexus. (Harvalik, Z. V., "A Biophysical Magnetometer-Gradio Meter" in The Virginia Journal of Science vol. 21, no. 2, 1970: also P. Tompkins and C. Bird, The Secret Life of Plants, Harper & Row, 1973.)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8038967902906914973-3532344750328223516?l=daninoshadow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-22950249329857234632010-12-26T07:19:00.000-08:002010-12-26T07:20:41.564-08:002010-12-26T07:20:41.564-08:00Life. The meaning of this word "life" sometime may vary according to the concept and thought of the people. Yes, it is important to know the meaning of life but the most important is study about life we are not dealing 'bout science but the spiritual side of life. <br /><br />For me, life is a gift, a very precious gift from God and Goddess the Almighty Father and the Heavenly Mother. So shall we going to take lives? No we shld not take life at any cause. We shld not sacrifice life or take our own life. Are we going to ejoy life? Yes in a way of truth, goodness and according to our own conscience thus I follow the law "An ye harm none, do what ye will." <br /><br />Now, one question is, what could life have to give? Our future lies in our hands even though there are some things that we cannot control like death what we are goin to shape is career ofcourse, and other material things and the most important thing that we must shape is our own perfection, the elevation of our Spirit and Soul. <br /><br />Learning life through experiences and learning mysteries of life is our ever present goal and discovering the higher truth is our aim. <br /><br />You can do whatever you want. Nothing that is not ultimately benificial and necessary can happen to you. <br /><br />Like in the commentaries "Life and death are in your own hands." They compared life to a bird in the hand of the hunter, whom man met and asked him, "is the bird dead or alive?" "If you wish it is alive, and if you wish it is dead" was the reply. <br /><br />Sometimes, human is afraid to see the truth that he would limit his/her own from the blessings of the Higher Truth. Now I will ask, "Who don't want to attain happiness? Who don't want to attain perfection??" ofcourse, everyone want it and achieve in many ways accoring to their own beliefs and conscience and there are so many beliefs. <br /><br />But even though we have different beliefs and dieties, we should not tell that the other doctrine is wrong and the other is right. We should not sink the other to rise ourselves and if we do sinking their beliefs we take heir freedom away from them and also sinking ourselves and make us dirty in the eye of God and if we do throwing trashes into another only making us ununited or disunited.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8038967902906914973-2295024932985723463?l=daninoshadow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-79732643672363046152010-12-26T07:16:00.000-08:002010-12-26T07:17:06.092-08:002010-12-26T07:17:06.092-08:00Beyond Saints and Psychics"You have never talked to a mere mortal."<br />C.S. Lewis, There Are No Ordinary People<br /><br />There are no ordinary people. The blur of everyday reality has created a world in which most of us have forgotten the value of our unique and sacred existence. We all are human. We all die. But, more important, we all are more than human, and we all live on. We are more than laborers and artists, parents and children, masters and servants; our earthly occupations are the expressions of the unfathomable energy that exists as our true selves. It is this true self, once rediscovered, that enables us to understand more clearly the nature of our world, and our own existence.<br /><br />With this awareness, everyday experiences become mystical experiences of their own. The profound beauty that stirs our soul during a summer sunset; the smile of a child, or friend, or lover that warms our heart; the quiet way the light glows through a window on a cold, snowy evening; all of these are simple ways we experience the beauty of creation. But not all expression of the higher powers is so subtle.<br /><br />There are moments when the veil between our world and the heavens is pulled wide open. The laws of physics are violated. We imagine the unimaginable, experience the impossible. These moments have been the foundation of most of the religions we know in human history. These are the moments of revelation.<br /><br />The saints, the seers, the psychics, the shamans, the prophets, the oracles, the mystics, the yogis, the diviners, the high priests and priestessesthey have had many names throughout historythey are the ones who have dedicated their lives to the understanding and experience of these mysteries. But where are they today? Who are the prophets among us now? Who, in our own day and age, hears the voice of God?<br /><br />Most of us have lived our lives with the notion that heavenly experience is reserved for the select fewfor the saints, for the blessed ones. We may be moved by the raptures of St. Theresa, or inspired by St. Thomas Aquinass mysticism, but few consider such destinies attainable. We think that there must be something innately different about such people, something special that allows them to understand God in way that we cannot. But, in truth, the heavenly powers reveal to us all. We are all blessed ones. Heaven is no longer in the clouds. It is right here, all around us, everywhere; we must only open our eyes to see it.<br /><br />We are all completely capable of transcending our mundane existence to reach an awareness of a higher reality. We simply arent aware of our own potential. We even limit ourselves under the false assumption that psychics, like the saints, are somehow different from us, that they were born with a special ability that we lack. This is not the case. Though these individuals may have natural talents, or callings that are stronger than ours, the potential for each of us is always there.<br /><br />Intuitive ability is a skill, a talent to be developed like any other. Do we assume that, because we werent born with the ability to play the piano, we will never be able to do it? Do we give up on painting because we werent born with an innate understanding of perspective? We do not. We become experts with time, dedication, and patience. We may have been born with a natural affinity for art, but that doesnt mean we dont have to work to develop our form, composition, or line weight, just like everyone else. Nor does it mean that less creative individuals cant become, through their own dedication, successful artists in their own right. Just as with any other talent, spiritual or intuitive or psychic talentswhatever you choose to call themare uniquely developed with each individual. We just need to take the time to discover them. We dont need to be saints or psychics for Heaven to reveal to us; we need only to open our hearts and minds to the inspiration and wisdom that lie just beyond our five senses.<br /><br />The key to this other world lies in cultivating our intuition. Our intuition is the still, inner voice of quiet knowing. It is a voice that is so gentle and subtle that we often cannot distinguish it from our own thoughts. Whether or not we are aware of it, our intuition guides us every day. It is more than perceptiveness, more than a conscienceit is the meeting point of our conscious mind and the spiritual realm. This intuitive point is where we receive impressions from the higher realms, as we are nudged with intuitive feelings. The more we pay attention to our intuition, the easier it becomes to build a conscious rapport with our heavenly guidance.<br /><br />When we feel connected with the metaphysical world, we experience, firsthand, the continuous structure of lifea life that does not end with the death of our physical bodies. We remind ourselves that there is no end to the love, both the love we have for our friends in this world and the love God has for us. We live more balanced and fulfilled lives, living as a part of the peaceful, creative Spirit that unites us all. We develop our selves for the good of humanity, as well as for our own evolution. By raising our own awareness, we are taking one small step to raise the awareness of our world. With a true understanding of the higher powers, we live better and more genuine lives. By living in tandem with the spirit world, we can share the beauty of life with our brothers and sisters both in this world and beyond.<br /><br />-----Excerpt from the Book: The Psychic Workshop by Kim Chestney------<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8038967902906914973-7973264367236304615?l=daninoshadow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-81531557236660802812010-12-26T07:01:00.001-08:002010-12-26T08:29:09.751-08:002010-12-26T08:29:09.751-08:00I am walking as a PaganAs a pagan that walks in the world of religions that never accepted any other forms of belief and considering us as anti to their lord, it is hard for me to say that “I am a pagan”. If I say so, questions will arise such as, “Do you sacrifice humans?”. I am human as well, in fact I could say that this belief has been raised during the times that the Catholic church - through their servants- spreads their gospel and demonised our belief and those who ceased to follow their path has been tortured and burned. Being a pagan for me is being one with God. Of course we do believe in God and all forms of divinity I believe - and others might also blieve that same way- is part of one Deity. <br /><br />How do I came to this? Well, it is like finding what course you should take or what job you should consider for your own happiness and fulfillment. I can say, I am more fulfilled in my path. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Paganism vs Satanism</span><br /><br />Satanism is just an opposite of Christianity and Pagans are not opposing Christianity. I myself believe that Jesus Christ must also be respected. Jesus Christ himself is a master of all magick (I wish some pagans are open to this as well). However, there are certain dogmas that doesn’t work for us. Satanism in other way is completely as I said, against Christianity and Paganism doesn’t work in same way. I can say that Satanism has been created because of the needs to be accepted by their origins which is Christianity but Christians has closed their minds believing that they are the only path that should be followed and denying other beliefs and called it a “cult” so that fear will arise from people and to keep their churches stand and the myth of demonising paganism served them well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Paganism vs Morality</span><br /><br />What is morality? According to http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/definition-of-morality-faq.htm, morality is the quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct or a system of ideas that fall into those same categories. <br /><br />We often hear words about religious morality or the phrase Christian morality in society. Items that fall into the morally sound category are qualities like good, goodness, rightness, virtue, and righteousness. <br /><br />When talking about a moral quality involving a course of action, we think of ethics. To define morality, a person will use the rules or habits with regard to right and wrong that he or she follows. <br /><br />It is a complex system of general principles and particular judgments based on cultural, religious, and philosophical concepts and beliefs. Cultures and or groups regulate and generalize these concepts, thus regulating behavior. When someone conforms to the codification, you consider this person to be moral. <br /><br />And yet, the notion of how we ought to behave and the reality of how we do behave are varied and real morality behaves in accordance with one's perception of morality. Often, doctrines or moral duties that support the quality of an action which renders it good, is moral. <br /><br />And so a system of standards used to produce honest, decent, and ethical results are considered moral.<br /><br />Then, morality is based from social standards and what is moral from one society might be immoral for other society and vice versa. I often hear that I am immoral for being a pagan because I am against what they call “norm” without thinking that paganism is the “nom” during the old days. Then, I can say that morality sometimes are based from ignorance and wrong judgement about certain things. Of course, as a pagan, we also follow some set of beliefs depending on what tradition a pagan belongs to. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Christian God vs. Pagan God</span><br /><br />There are two levels to the Wiccan and Pagan understanding of Deity. The first is Personal, the second Universal.<br /><br />On a personal level we approach Deity as an entity with Which we interact through words and actions and with Whom we maintain a personal relationship. At this level we give Deity many names and faces, and interact with Deity through these. Most Wiccans will use a variety of names and faces for Deity in this personal sense, and will have one particular form which they perceive as their PATRON. They will interact with this Patron Deity, or in some cases Patron Deities, in a very personal way, seeking guidance, inspiration, and practical help in both daily life and esoteric matters.<br /><br />Some wiccans even chosed Jesus Christ as their patron deity more to say, paganism is really not against your Christian religion it is just that we follow different patterns of worhipping the Divine.<br /><br />So basically, we are not anti-christ really. It is just judgement has been passed unto us and spme religious organizations keep on passing them which we pagans keep our lips not to speak against their religion. <br /><br />"soft of an eye, light of touch<br />Speak little, listen much"<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Some things that you should know:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The wiccan rede</span><br /><br />This rede stresses that you should not and you must not harm none. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The law of three</span><br /><br />Often refer as the law of return wherein in every deed that you do, their would be a consequence and it will return to thee. Or in other words, what you send will come back to you. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Law of Power</span> <br /><br />1. The Power shall not be used to bring harm, to injure or to control others. But if the need arises, the Power shall be used to protect your life or the lives of others. <br />2. The Power is used only as need dictates. <br /><br />3. The Power can be used for your own gain; as long as by doing so you harm none. <br /><br />4. It is unwise to accept money for the use of the Power, for it quickly controls its taker. Be not as those of other religions. <br /><br />5. Use not the Power for prideful gain, for such cheapens the mysteries of Wicca and Magick. <br /><br />6. Ever remember that the Power is a sacred gift of the Goddess and the God, and should never be misused or abused. <br /><br />7. And this is the Law of the Power.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Four Powers of the Magus </span><br /><br />The Four Powers of the Magus are the personal attributes traditionally necessary and required for the successful use and practice of magick. These are - To Know, To Dare, To Will, and To Be Silent. Without these four attributes combined, the individual will never be successful in magick. <br /><br />The reasoning is quite simple; none of the attributes mentioned are enough in themselves, as all four attributes must be present to balance each other out. For instance: <br /><br />To Know - Knowledge is no good, without the will and audacity to see magick done. <br /><br />To Dare – Audacity is no good, without the knowledge and will to see magick done. <br /><br />To Will – Will power is no good, without the knowledge and audacity to see magick done. <br /><br />To Be Silent – What good are the above, without the discretion to remain silent until the magick is done? To reveal your magick before it is done, dissipates it’s power and effectiveness. <br /><br />So, anyone aspiring to use magick, he/see needs a knowledge of what he/see is doing, the audacity to use it, the will power to control it, and the discretion to remain silent till the work is done.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8038967902906914973-8153155723666080281?l=daninoshadow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-12352945853148787452009-11-30T17:25:00.000-08:002011-08-13T00:57:46.626-07:002011-08-13T00:57:46.626-07:00Psychic Reading ServiceI am using some forms of divination like water scrying (which I learned from my lola), fire scying, wind scrying and tarot in one. Aside from those, I am using two different tarot decks to make sure that I am giving the right answer to your queries/questions<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8038967902906914973-1235294585314878745?l=daninoshadow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-74046574051041842812009-11-20T01:52:00.000-08:002009-11-22T22:39:10.997-08:002009-11-22T22:39:10.997-08:00Psychic ReadingI do psychic reading since 2006 using ordinary cards the one they are using in gambling. Because of my determination to learn other forms of divination, I made my own runes out of bamboo. <br /><br />Presently, I am using Tarot De Marseilles as form of divination, offers psychic reading and I already had different clients here in Tarlac and in Manila.<br /><br />Have questions in mind? Why don't you try my psychic reading?<br /><br />email me: danio000@gmail.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8038967902906914973-7404657405104184281?l=daninoshadow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8038967902906914973.post-41311367791949389352009-11-20T01:48:00.000-08:002009-11-22T22:40:29.385-08:002009-11-22T22:40:29.385-08:00ABOUT ME<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9J0s8-fnCGc/SwZmftkxVaI/AAAAAAAAAAw/9khSlLAj6DY/s1600/2_843506711l.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9J0s8-fnCGc/SwZmftkxVaI/AAAAAAAAAAw/9khSlLAj6DY/s320/2_843506711l.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406121097700660642" /></a><br /><br />Born in a far province were technology is hard to reach. But trough my determination I have learned more than technology.<br />The mystery of the song which church choir's sing and the mysterious taste of the wine which the priests drinks every mass and the questions about religion which puts me into a state of finding the religion to where i belong.<br /><br />I was raised as a Roman Catholic but having so many questions about churches and why there are different religion.<br />When I have reached the age of 14 I became one of the million members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints but still searching and looking for the answers to my question and my journey of finding my path begins.<br /><br />I have decided to take Wicca as my path. Why? Because I have found happiness I have found love and light. Only one major law of the wiccan rede wake me "an ye harm none do what ye will" which other religion don't have these why? because they are throwing trashes into one another.<br />If your god teaches you to judge others for their beliefs then what kind of God is your god? Our God teaches us Love, Balance and harmony. teaching us to love and beloved helping others in what way.<br /><br />Argumentation about religions only create hate and hate is not a family value and hate creates evil.<br />It is how wonderful how good people spend their time fighting evil but if they spend and if you spend the same time loving your fellowmen evil will die with its own tracks of ennui.<br /><br />~~In the name of Love and Light~~ <br /><br /><br /><br />I am taking up Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I am not claiming to be a psychic because I am a psychic and God has created me this way.<br /><br />I started to embark into the path of paganism when I was 14 years of age and I receive my first training in the Blessed Circle of the Almighty-Luntiang Aghama where I learned more.<br /><br />Now I am taking a solitary path having nature and environment as my mentor and my spirit guide and God as my guide.<br /><br /> <br /><br />My friends often come to me asking for guidance and before there is someone who left my his wife and i communed with divine forces for his will to take back his wife but i suffered. My ability is depleted for some long time and now I have it back,<br /><br />I am not making my story for you to believe but will you try?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9J0s8-fnCGc/SwZmRN-kObI/AAAAAAAAAAo/Y3U8ptw7K3g/s1600/untitled2.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 239px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9J0s8-fnCGc/SwZmRN-kObI/AAAAAAAAAAo/Y3U8ptw7K3g/s320/untitled2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406120848700750258" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8038967902906914973-4131136779194938935?l=daninoshadow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Daninonoreply@blogger.com0