Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Scrying
The Wonderful World of Scrying
Also called crystallomancy, scrying is a technique used by seers, psychics, and sorcerers. Using crystals and gemstones in the divination of one's past, present, and future traditionally played a key role in the decision-making process of many powerful leaders throughout history, including such notables as King Arthur, who sought out the advice and prophecies of Merlin the Magician, and Queen Elizabeth I, who at times consulted the famous seventeenth century scryer, Dr. Dee, on matters of state.
One of the earliest and most well-known forms of divination, scrying originated from people using reflective surfaces to gain knowledge about the future. One of the earliest uses of crystals and gemstones in scrying comes form the Druids, who used beryl for scrying. Scottish Highlanders termed these objects "stones of power." From this, the early crystal balls were made from beryl, later replaced by spheres made from rock crystal. Prominent in the middle ages, scryers revered their crystal balls, and often passed them on to their apprentices.
Many other cultures around the world traditionally used crystals and gemstones as tools for various forms of scrying. Examples include the diviners of the Yucatan, who placed great reverence on clear stones such as quartz, and Apache medicine men, who used crystals for inducing visions.
Divination, by virtue of its name, is a tool for reaching and communicating with the divine, which means, in a sense, crystals have always been used in communications, just as they are today in radios, telephones and computers. The reason crystals in particular became important tools for scrying is because of their inherent characteristics of transparency and regularity of patterns, called symmetry. Additionally, the energetic fields of crystals and gemstones influence what the scryer sees on a very subtle and often esoteric level.
The following is a basic technique for crystal scrying. Use this as a guide for your own crystal scrying, adapting the procedure where needed. Remember to trust your intuition.
Begin by selecting a stone which refracts light well, and feels physically and psychically comfortable to you. Once you've chosen a stone for scrying, clear it out by using the cleaning steps outlined in Chapter Three. Once cleared, the crystal can be used as is or charged with energy, before using it to scry. Traditionally, scrying stones and spheres were never exposed to sunlight because this was thought to hinder their ability to connect and communicate with the psychic mind, and in turn, the divine. However, moonlight was often used with the full moon being a perfect time to charge your scrying crystal with the energy of moon. Chapter Five provides a complete explanation and step-by-step instructions for charging stones with moonlight.
Seven Steps for Crystal Scrying:
1. Scrying is best when done at night because traditionally night rules the psychic mind. Find a quiet spot, sit comfortably, and place the crystal on a stand, table or hold it in your hands.
2. Candles are conducive to scrying. If you find yourself distracted by the reflections and movements of the flame, then experiment by using other light sources, or try moving the candle until you find what works for you.
3. Now relax by breathing deeply for a few moments with your eyes closed.
4. Upon opening your eyes, hold the crystal in your hands until it is warm. Many scryers say this is important because this step connects your energy to that of the stone. Heating the stone also activates it.
5. While holding the stone, think about what your intentions are for scrying. Examples of intention might be information regarding your career, relationship, or future. Be clear about your intention.
6. Next, place the stone back in its resting place or continue holding in your hands, and then begin gazing into the crystal.
7. As you gaze deeply into the crystal, move your mind beyond the physical structure of the stone, merging into the light within. The idea is not so much to see physical images, but instead to use the crystal and the light reflecting in it as a tool to connect to the divine energy within yourself and all things. When connected, you will begin getting impressions and insights. Practice this technique, particularly merging with the crystal, until everything flows and feels comfortable to you.
Excerpt from the "Pocket Guide to Crystals and Gemstones" (Crossing Press), publication date, August, 1998
http://www.dcsi.net/~bluesky/scrying.htm
Also called crystallomancy, scrying is a technique used by seers, psychics, and sorcerers. Using crystals and gemstones in the divination of one's past, present, and future traditionally played a key role in the decision-making process of many powerful leaders throughout history, including such notables as King Arthur, who sought out the advice and prophecies of Merlin the Magician, and Queen Elizabeth I, who at times consulted the famous seventeenth century scryer, Dr. Dee, on matters of state.
One of the earliest and most well-known forms of divination, scrying originated from people using reflective surfaces to gain knowledge about the future. One of the earliest uses of crystals and gemstones in scrying comes form the Druids, who used beryl for scrying. Scottish Highlanders termed these objects "stones of power." From this, the early crystal balls were made from beryl, later replaced by spheres made from rock crystal. Prominent in the middle ages, scryers revered their crystal balls, and often passed them on to their apprentices.
Many other cultures around the world traditionally used crystals and gemstones as tools for various forms of scrying. Examples include the diviners of the Yucatan, who placed great reverence on clear stones such as quartz, and Apache medicine men, who used crystals for inducing visions.
Divination, by virtue of its name, is a tool for reaching and communicating with the divine, which means, in a sense, crystals have always been used in communications, just as they are today in radios, telephones and computers. The reason crystals in particular became important tools for scrying is because of their inherent characteristics of transparency and regularity of patterns, called symmetry. Additionally, the energetic fields of crystals and gemstones influence what the scryer sees on a very subtle and often esoteric level.
The following is a basic technique for crystal scrying. Use this as a guide for your own crystal scrying, adapting the procedure where needed. Remember to trust your intuition.
Begin by selecting a stone which refracts light well, and feels physically and psychically comfortable to you. Once you've chosen a stone for scrying, clear it out by using the cleaning steps outlined in Chapter Three. Once cleared, the crystal can be used as is or charged with energy, before using it to scry. Traditionally, scrying stones and spheres were never exposed to sunlight because this was thought to hinder their ability to connect and communicate with the psychic mind, and in turn, the divine. However, moonlight was often used with the full moon being a perfect time to charge your scrying crystal with the energy of moon. Chapter Five provides a complete explanation and step-by-step instructions for charging stones with moonlight.
Seven Steps for Crystal Scrying:
1. Scrying is best when done at night because traditionally night rules the psychic mind. Find a quiet spot, sit comfortably, and place the crystal on a stand, table or hold it in your hands.
2. Candles are conducive to scrying. If you find yourself distracted by the reflections and movements of the flame, then experiment by using other light sources, or try moving the candle until you find what works for you.
3. Now relax by breathing deeply for a few moments with your eyes closed.
4. Upon opening your eyes, hold the crystal in your hands until it is warm. Many scryers say this is important because this step connects your energy to that of the stone. Heating the stone also activates it.
5. While holding the stone, think about what your intentions are for scrying. Examples of intention might be information regarding your career, relationship, or future. Be clear about your intention.
6. Next, place the stone back in its resting place or continue holding in your hands, and then begin gazing into the crystal.
7. As you gaze deeply into the crystal, move your mind beyond the physical structure of the stone, merging into the light within. The idea is not so much to see physical images, but instead to use the crystal and the light reflecting in it as a tool to connect to the divine energy within yourself and all things. When connected, you will begin getting impressions and insights. Practice this technique, particularly merging with the crystal, until everything flows and feels comfortable to you.
Excerpt from the "Pocket Guide to Crystals and Gemstones" (Crossing Press), publication date, August, 1998
http://www.dcsi.net/~bluesky/scrying.htm
Enjoying the Ride from the OM
Enjoying the Ride
The Flow of the Universe
Many people live their lives struggling against the current while others use the flow like a mighty wind.
The flow of the universe moves through everything. It’s in the rocks that form, get pounded into dust, and are blown away, the sprouting of a summer flower born from a seed planted in the spring, the growth cycle that every human being goes through, and the current that takes us down our life’s paths. When we move with the flow, rather than resisting it, we are riding on the universal current that allows us to flow with life.
Many people live their lives struggling against this current. They try to use force or resistance to will their lives into happening the way they think it should. Others move with this flow like a sailor using the wind, trusting that the universe is taking them exactly where they need to be at all times. This flow is accessible to everyone because it moves through and around us. We are always riding this flow. It’s just a matter of whether we are willing to go with it or resist it. Tapping into the flow is often a matter of letting go of the notion that we need to be in control at all times. The flow is always taking you where you need to go. It’s just a matter of deciding whether you plan on taking the ride or dragging your feet.
Learning to step into the flow can help you feel a connection to a force that is greater than you and is always there to support you. The decision to go with the flow can take courage because you are surrendering the notion that you need to do everything by yourself. Riding the flow of the universe can be effortless, exhilarating, and not like anything that you ever expected. When you are open to being in this flow, you open yourself to possibilities that exist beyond the grasp of your control. As a child, you were naturally swept by the flow. Tears of sadness falling down your face could just as quickly turn to tears of laughter. Just the tiniest wave carrying you forward off the shores of the ocean could carry you into peals of delight. Our souls feel good when we go with the flow of the universe. All we have to do is make the choice to ride its currents
The Flow of the Universe
Many people live their lives struggling against the current while others use the flow like a mighty wind.
The flow of the universe moves through everything. It’s in the rocks that form, get pounded into dust, and are blown away, the sprouting of a summer flower born from a seed planted in the spring, the growth cycle that every human being goes through, and the current that takes us down our life’s paths. When we move with the flow, rather than resisting it, we are riding on the universal current that allows us to flow with life.
Many people live their lives struggling against this current. They try to use force or resistance to will their lives into happening the way they think it should. Others move with this flow like a sailor using the wind, trusting that the universe is taking them exactly where they need to be at all times. This flow is accessible to everyone because it moves through and around us. We are always riding this flow. It’s just a matter of whether we are willing to go with it or resist it. Tapping into the flow is often a matter of letting go of the notion that we need to be in control at all times. The flow is always taking you where you need to go. It’s just a matter of deciding whether you plan on taking the ride or dragging your feet.
Burning Brightly from the OM
Burning Brightly
Allowing Your Soul to Shine
When we hide and try to be invisible and unseen by all we are only really hiding from ourselves.
At times, we’ve all wanted to crawl under a rock and hide away from the world. We may have preferred to be invisible rather than let other people see us or notice that we exist. This desire not to be seen often happens when we are feeling very hurt, angry, or simply weary of the world. And while we may console ourselves with the defense that we are shy, an introvert, or a loner, we may actually be hiding.
When we hide and make believe that we are invisible, we can think that we no one sees us even though, truthfully, we are only really hiding from ourselves. And while we may try to live life as inconspicuously as possible, we only succeed in becoming more conspicuous because people can’t help but notice that we are trying to hide our light. None of us are meant to hide; each one of us radiates a unique brilliance that is meant to illuminate the world. When we try to dim our light, we diminish the natural radiance of the Universe, and we deprive the people around us of the unique gifts and talents that we are here to share.
Stepping out of the wings and letting your light shine is actually a way to serve the planet. We each have a responsibility to contribute to our community, and we do this when we let ourselves be seen. It doesn’t do anyone any good when we try to hide. We are all beings of light and we are here to light the way for each other. When we let ourselves shine, we become a bright mirror that others can see their own reflected brilliance through, and they can’t help but want to shine also. Shine your light out into the world, bless those around you by sharing your gifts, and watch the universe glow.
Allowing Your Soul to Shine
When we hide and try to be invisible and unseen by all we are only really hiding from ourselves.
At times, we’ve all wanted to crawl under a rock and hide away from the world. We may have preferred to be invisible rather than let other people see us or notice that we exist. This desire not to be seen often happens when we are feeling very hurt, angry, or simply weary of the world. And while we may console ourselves with the defense that we are shy, an introvert, or a loner, we may actually be hiding.
When we hide and make believe that we are invisible, we can think that we no one sees us even though, truthfully, we are only really hiding from ourselves. And while we may try to live life as inconspicuously as possible, we only succeed in becoming more conspicuous because people can’t help but notice that we are trying to hide our light. None of us are meant to hide; each one of us radiates a unique brilliance that is meant to illuminate the world. When we try to dim our light, we diminish the natural radiance of the Universe, and we deprive the people around us of the unique gifts and talents that we are here to share.
Butterflies
~ Myths about Butterflies ~
Many of the ancient civilizations believed that butterflies were symbols of the human soul.
The Greeks believed that a new human soul was born each time an adult butterfly emerged from its cocoon.
Butterflies have been used by the Chinese and Japanese cultures for centuries as symbols of joy and the essence of happiness. Both cultures have added them to manuscripts, paintings and drawings for centuries.
Early Europeans believed that the human soul took the form of a butterfly so, they viewed the butterfly with great respect and often with fear.
Northern Europeans throught that dreams were the result of the soul-butterfly's wanderings through other worlds.
In southern Germany, some say the dead are reborn as children who fly about as butterflies, resulting in the belief that they bring children.
The Irish believe that butterflies are the souls of the dead waiting to pass through purgatory.
Native American Indian legends told that butterflies would carry the wishes to the Great Spirit in heaven to be granted.
Shoshone Indians believed that butterfles were originally pebbles, into which the Great Spirit blew the precious breath of life.
Native American Zuni tribes believed that butterfles could predict the weather. The Zuni also believed that the white butterfly predicts the beginning of summer.
The Blackfeet Indians believe that dreams are brought to us in sleep by a butterfly.
The butterfly is a symbol of the fertility of the earth among some tribes of Mexico.
Born out of the caterpillar in the chrysalis, butterflies were a symbol of rebirth, regeneration, happiness, and joy to Native Americans in Mexico.
The Maya looked upon butterflies also as the spirits of dead warriors in disguise descending to earth.
A dying man in the Solomon Islands has a choice as to what he will become at death and often chooses a butterfly.
Among the Nagas of Assam the dead are believed to go through a series of transformations in the underworld and are finally reborn as butterflies. When the butterfly dies, that is the end of the soul forever.
The Aztecs believed that the happy dead in the form of beautiful butterflies would visit their relatives to assure them that all was well. These butterflies flew around the house and around bouquets of flowers which were carried by Aztec men of social rank.
Metamorphosis of butterflies and moths is one of the mysteries of Nature. The ability of these insects to change from the crawling caterpillar to the flying adult is almost magical.
Many people are so awe inspired by the metamorphosis that they believe that butterflies and moths could never have evolved over millions of years without a God behind it.
The night butterfly [the moth] attracted by the flame, like the soul attracted by heavenly truths, burns in the flame, reflection of the trials that must be endured to eliminate the fleshy sink-stones before knowing the joys of the beyond
Many of the ancient civilizations believed that butterflies were symbols of the human soul.
The Greeks believed that a new human soul was born each time an adult butterfly emerged from its cocoon.
Butterflies have been used by the Chinese and Japanese cultures for centuries as symbols of joy and the essence of happiness. Both cultures have added them to manuscripts, paintings and drawings for centuries.
Early Europeans believed that the human soul took the form of a butterfly so, they viewed the butterfly with great respect and often with fear.
Northern Europeans throught that dreams were the result of the soul-butterfly's wanderings through other worlds.
In southern Germany, some say the dead are reborn as children who fly about as butterflies, resulting in the belief that they bring children.
The Irish believe that butterflies are the souls of the dead waiting to pass through purgatory.
Native American Indian legends told that butterflies would carry the wishes to the Great Spirit in heaven to be granted.
Shoshone Indians believed that butterfles were originally pebbles, into which the Great Spirit blew the precious breath of life.
Native American Zuni tribes believed that butterfles could predict the weather. The Zuni also believed that the white butterfly predicts the beginning of summer.
The Blackfeet Indians believe that dreams are brought to us in sleep by a butterfly.
The butterfly is a symbol of the fertility of the earth among some tribes of Mexico.
Born out of the caterpillar in the chrysalis, butterflies were a symbol of rebirth, regeneration, happiness, and joy to Native Americans in Mexico.
The Maya looked upon butterflies also as the spirits of dead warriors in disguise descending to earth.
A dying man in the Solomon Islands has a choice as to what he will become at death and often chooses a butterfly.
Among the Nagas of Assam the dead are believed to go through a series of transformations in the underworld and are finally reborn as butterflies. When the butterfly dies, that is the end of the soul forever.
The Aztecs believed that the happy dead in the form of beautiful butterflies would visit their relatives to assure them that all was well. These butterflies flew around the house and around bouquets of flowers which were carried by Aztec men of social rank.
Metamorphosis of butterflies and moths is one of the mysteries of Nature. The ability of these insects to change from the crawling caterpillar to the flying adult is almost magical.
Many people are so awe inspired by the metamorphosis that they believe that butterflies and moths could never have evolved over millions of years without a God behind it.
The night butterfly [the moth] attracted by the flame, like the soul attracted by heavenly truths, burns in the flame, reflection of the trials that must be endured to eliminate the fleshy sink-stones before knowing the joys of the beyond
Friday, June 10, 2011
Cat Nip
Catmint - It's more than cat candy!
Catmint (aka catnip) grows almost everywhere. The leaves resemble those of garden mint and it has small white flowers. If you love your cat, you should plant some for his sake, because cats love it.
Catnip is bound to Venus and Water. In magic, it is thought to be related to animals, love, luck, happiness, and beauty.
The Romanies always added catmint to the rinsing water after washing their hair. It was said to increase the growth and ease any irritation of the scalp.
Dose yourself with catmint tea when you feel a cold coming on, it will help perspire it out of your system. It also eases tummy pains whether they are caused by indigestion or menstruation.
Grow Catnip for your cat to create a psychic bond. Carry it with you in sachets to attract good spirits and good luck. Use larger leaves as bookmarks in magical texts to increase spell powers. Use in a sachet combined with rose petals to attract lovers. Inhale the steam from teas for beauty and happiness spells. For love, luck, happiness, and beauty, try Catnip Cookies or Candied Catnip.
http://gypsymagicspells.blogspot.com/2009/01/catmint-its-more-than-cat-candy.html#Label1
Catmint (aka catnip) grows almost everywhere. The leaves resemble those of garden mint and it has small white flowers. If you love your cat, you should plant some for his sake, because cats love it.
Catnip is bound to Venus and Water. In magic, it is thought to be related to animals, love, luck, happiness, and beauty.
The Romanies always added catmint to the rinsing water after washing their hair. It was said to increase the growth and ease any irritation of the scalp.
Dose yourself with catmint tea when you feel a cold coming on, it will help perspire it out of your system. It also eases tummy pains whether they are caused by indigestion or menstruation.
Grow Catnip for your cat to create a psychic bond. Carry it with you in sachets to attract good spirits and good luck. Use larger leaves as bookmarks in magical texts to increase spell powers. Use in a sachet combined with rose petals to attract lovers. Inhale the steam from teas for beauty and happiness spells. For love, luck, happiness, and beauty, try Catnip Cookies or Candied Catnip.
http://gypsymagicspells.blogspot.com/2009/01/catmint-its-more-than-cat-candy.html#Label1
Fairy Tales
Fairy tales. We have known these stories since we were young, likely so young we cannot remember the first time we heard them. Every one of us grew up aware that it was the wolf in Red Riding Hood's bed; that the house of food in the forest had an evil witch inside; that Cinderella was the true heir to the prince's affection; that Sleeping Beauty would awaken when her true love turned up. These stories did more than entertain us; they were our constant companions. They helped us define who we were. They molded us into the person we would someday become.
We call them Grimm's Fairy Tales. But the brothers Grimm themselves did not create these tales, as some people I have encountered believe. Those two scholarly German brothers collected the stories in the Black Forest as the Eighteenth turned to the Nineteenth Century, labeling them not Fairy Tales but "Household Tales." The brothers Grimm were not even the first to collect these tales. Indeed, these stories had been collected in many forms by French, Italian, English, and German folklore collectors, with names like Bechstein, Perrault, and Basile, for many centuries. And they were not always the pretty tales we saw in movies or heard from our school books. These tales were often dark, creepy, and perverse.
Why have these tales survived when so many other ancient things have fallen away? I believe it is because, beneath the creepiness (did you know that in the original tale the dwarfs fight over whose bed Snow White will sleep in?), the darkness (in the original tale the princess does not kiss the frog, but squashes him against the wall), or the perversity (in the original Sleeping Beauty, Talia is raped by the King in her sleep and wakes to find she has given birth to twins), there is a secret language of myth, symbolism, and enchantment. This secret language has spoken to us for centuries, drawing each generation of new listeners into its mysteries, resonating with each listener's deepest sense of self. It has, I think, kept these stories alive.
Let's look at a couple of well-known tales, and see if we can discover the mythic and symbolic landscape beneath the pretty story. We'll start with a familiar one: The Frog Prince, collected by the Grimms as Iron Hans.
In this tale, a princess is in the habit of going into the forest with a golden ball to play at the edge of a certain well, situated in a grove of lime trees. Sitting at the water's edge she throws the ball into the air, catching it each time. But this time the golden ball falls into the deep well. The girl cries, and a frog crawls up from the depths, offering that if she will allow the creature to eat at her table and sleep in her bed, the frog will dive into the well and fetch her ball. The princess agrees to the bargain.
The frog keeps his word, bringing the golden ball up from the depths of the murky well. But the girl does not keep her promise. She leaves the frog high and dry, so to speak, returning home for dinner without the slimy amphibian.
That evening, the frog shows up at the palace, demanding to be seated right beside the princess at dinner. The girl tells King Dad of her promise, and His Royal Dadness tells her a promise made must be kept. The frog shares her food, and prepares to snuggle into bed with the girl. But the princess is not having any of it. She picks up the frog and throws him against the wall, squishing him like a bug. From the oozing guts comes the handsome prince we all remember emerging at this point in the story. His servant, Iron Hans, pulls up in a coach to take Prince Gooey and Princess Bratty away.
There is a familiarity to this story, deeper than the simple awareness that we have all heard the tale as children. It is very similar to a mythic tale that goes back fifteen centuries or more: the tale of Persephone and Hades. In that myth, Hades, lord of the Underworld, sees Persephone bathing and falls in love with her. He takes her to his kingdom in the lifeless Underworld. To enter there she must divest herself of all of her clothing and jewelery, and once there, she lives in a world of death. In the end she is told she may return to the sunlit world of earth if she has not eaten anything in the Underworld. But Persephone has eaten six pomegranate seeds, so she must live in Hades' land six months of the year (winter), and return to our world for six months where she may make all life grow (summer).
In The Frog Prince, the princess is life and light, as we see by her possession of a golden ball, the sun. This ball of the sun makes food grow, as we see by the lime trees that grow around our lovely, but maybe a little badly behaved, princess. But as it must do in winter, the sun enters darkness (the winter solstice, the longest night of the year) by falling into the murky well. Enter the Lord of the Underworld, the frog, who will brave the darkness of the Underworld to retrieve the golden sun ball (so that winter may end and summer return). But like the Winter God, Hades, the frog wishes to be reborn with the sun as the girl's husband and consort, eating at her table and sleeping in her bed (as a husband would).
To be reborn, all things must die. So the princess, in a fit of brattiness, kills the frog by thrusting him against the golden wall of the golden castle. Squish! Now the frog may be reborn as the handsome sun God, Apollo (or Lugh, or Robin Goodfellow, depending on where you get your mythic information).
The servant, Iron Hans, has had metal bands placed around his heart so that this organ did not break with sadness when his master, the prince, was a frog. Now as Hans leads the prince and princess home, the iron bands crack and break. This sounds odd, but it represents the bounds of the soil breaking so that, in the sun of summer, food plants may grow from within the earth (just like those limes).
Okay, you say. I'm catching on to the whole mythic language thing. Let's examine another tale, that of Cinderella.
You will remember that Cinderella's mother dies when she is quite young, and her father remarries a woman with two daughters, the dreaded stepsisters who torment Cinderella and turn her into their house maid. You may also remember that word arrives that the prince will hold a ball, to which the step sisters have been invited.
Now you may remember, and perhaps this is your favorite part, that a fairy arrives to give Cinderella a lovely gown, and a coach made of a pumpkin, with footmen made of frogs and mice. Sorry, that never happened. In the Grimm's tale, it all goes down quite differently: Cinderella plants a hazel tree on her mother's grave, and waters it with her tears. A magical bird takes up residence in the tree, and gives Cinderella her clothes and shoes for the ball, a party that lasts three nights. Each of the first two nights Cinderella runs off before the prince can ask who she might be. In the end the prince lays tar on the palace steps to catch Cinderella by the shoe, as it were, and so the quest to find the maid who fits the slipper begins (in this case, not glass, but a gold slipper).
There are a dozen magical and mythic elements of this tale, from the enchanted bird to the fixation with Cinderella's shoes and feet, which are symbolic of her sexuality and blossoming womanhood. But we'll just focus on one element here: the hazel planted by our heroine at her mother's grave.
In Celtic lore Hazel is the tree of wisdom. The hazel nut imbues one with great wisdom and magic. This is why in the legend of the Irish hero Finn McCool, Finn is sent by a hermit to catch the salmon who lives in a pool beneath the Hazel tree, and cook the fish so that the hermit may take the first bite, giving him wisdom greater than any other human. But while cooking the salmon, Finn burns his thumb. Instinctively he puts it in his mouth, getting the first taste of the salmon, and all the wisdom. We hope the hermit at least got a tasty dinner out of it.
For Cinderella, the trial of losing her mother and having to become a woman on her own despite the efforts of her step sisters to usurp her place as rightful heir to her father's wealth and attention, is seen in the guidance of the Hazel tree. Growing on her mother's grave, we feel that Cinderella is not alone in the world: her mother guides her through the tree's wisdom, and provides for the girl through the enchanted bird that lives in the Hazel's branches.
As children and even as adults, we often feel that life is unjust, that we are entitled to things we cannot have, or must struggle for. The Hazel tree represents the wisdom we achieve in this struggle, however hard it may be. It also represents the guidance we receive from that which is greater than us, whether that is through faith, through magic, or through knowledge. Cinderella grows and matures enough to thwart her stepmother and stepsisters, securing her rightful place as wife of the prince. She uses her wisdom (the tree), her budding womanhood (represented by her shoes—ball slippers worn not by a servant child, but by an elegant woman), and her feet (representing her beauty; her stepsisters must each cut off a part of their feet to fit the slipper, marring their beauty while Cinderella fits the slipper perfectly, displaying to the prince her beauty and grace). We learn to prove ourselves through our wisdom and aptitude, securing our own rightful place in our world.
Fairy tales are an amazing body of lore, myth, enchantment, and symbol. Armed with a little knowledge of folklore, symbolism, and mythology, these tales become a labyrinth that one can wander into more and more deeply, taking from them the true magic, meaning, and enchantment. As you read each tale, in its original, you develop an understanding of this secret, mythic language. And in the right frame of mind, one can enjoy the creepiness, darkness, and perversity as well.
We call them Grimm's Fairy Tales. But the brothers Grimm themselves did not create these tales, as some people I have encountered believe. Those two scholarly German brothers collected the stories in the Black Forest as the Eighteenth turned to the Nineteenth Century, labeling them not Fairy Tales but "Household Tales." The brothers Grimm were not even the first to collect these tales. Indeed, these stories had been collected in many forms by French, Italian, English, and German folklore collectors, with names like Bechstein, Perrault, and Basile, for many centuries. And they were not always the pretty tales we saw in movies or heard from our school books. These tales were often dark, creepy, and perverse.
Why have these tales survived when so many other ancient things have fallen away? I believe it is because, beneath the creepiness (did you know that in the original tale the dwarfs fight over whose bed Snow White will sleep in?), the darkness (in the original tale the princess does not kiss the frog, but squashes him against the wall), or the perversity (in the original Sleeping Beauty, Talia is raped by the King in her sleep and wakes to find she has given birth to twins), there is a secret language of myth, symbolism, and enchantment. This secret language has spoken to us for centuries, drawing each generation of new listeners into its mysteries, resonating with each listener's deepest sense of self. It has, I think, kept these stories alive.
Let's look at a couple of well-known tales, and see if we can discover the mythic and symbolic landscape beneath the pretty story. We'll start with a familiar one: The Frog Prince, collected by the Grimms as Iron Hans.
In this tale, a princess is in the habit of going into the forest with a golden ball to play at the edge of a certain well, situated in a grove of lime trees. Sitting at the water's edge she throws the ball into the air, catching it each time. But this time the golden ball falls into the deep well. The girl cries, and a frog crawls up from the depths, offering that if she will allow the creature to eat at her table and sleep in her bed, the frog will dive into the well and fetch her ball. The princess agrees to the bargain.
The frog keeps his word, bringing the golden ball up from the depths of the murky well. But the girl does not keep her promise. She leaves the frog high and dry, so to speak, returning home for dinner without the slimy amphibian.
That evening, the frog shows up at the palace, demanding to be seated right beside the princess at dinner. The girl tells King Dad of her promise, and His Royal Dadness tells her a promise made must be kept. The frog shares her food, and prepares to snuggle into bed with the girl. But the princess is not having any of it. She picks up the frog and throws him against the wall, squishing him like a bug. From the oozing guts comes the handsome prince we all remember emerging at this point in the story. His servant, Iron Hans, pulls up in a coach to take Prince Gooey and Princess Bratty away.
There is a familiarity to this story, deeper than the simple awareness that we have all heard the tale as children. It is very similar to a mythic tale that goes back fifteen centuries or more: the tale of Persephone and Hades. In that myth, Hades, lord of the Underworld, sees Persephone bathing and falls in love with her. He takes her to his kingdom in the lifeless Underworld. To enter there she must divest herself of all of her clothing and jewelery, and once there, she lives in a world of death. In the end she is told she may return to the sunlit world of earth if she has not eaten anything in the Underworld. But Persephone has eaten six pomegranate seeds, so she must live in Hades' land six months of the year (winter), and return to our world for six months where she may make all life grow (summer).
In The Frog Prince, the princess is life and light, as we see by her possession of a golden ball, the sun. This ball of the sun makes food grow, as we see by the lime trees that grow around our lovely, but maybe a little badly behaved, princess. But as it must do in winter, the sun enters darkness (the winter solstice, the longest night of the year) by falling into the murky well. Enter the Lord of the Underworld, the frog, who will brave the darkness of the Underworld to retrieve the golden sun ball (so that winter may end and summer return). But like the Winter God, Hades, the frog wishes to be reborn with the sun as the girl's husband and consort, eating at her table and sleeping in her bed (as a husband would).
To be reborn, all things must die. So the princess, in a fit of brattiness, kills the frog by thrusting him against the golden wall of the golden castle. Squish! Now the frog may be reborn as the handsome sun God, Apollo (or Lugh, or Robin Goodfellow, depending on where you get your mythic information).
The servant, Iron Hans, has had metal bands placed around his heart so that this organ did not break with sadness when his master, the prince, was a frog. Now as Hans leads the prince and princess home, the iron bands crack and break. This sounds odd, but it represents the bounds of the soil breaking so that, in the sun of summer, food plants may grow from within the earth (just like those limes).
Okay, you say. I'm catching on to the whole mythic language thing. Let's examine another tale, that of Cinderella.
You will remember that Cinderella's mother dies when she is quite young, and her father remarries a woman with two daughters, the dreaded stepsisters who torment Cinderella and turn her into their house maid. You may also remember that word arrives that the prince will hold a ball, to which the step sisters have been invited.
Now you may remember, and perhaps this is your favorite part, that a fairy arrives to give Cinderella a lovely gown, and a coach made of a pumpkin, with footmen made of frogs and mice. Sorry, that never happened. In the Grimm's tale, it all goes down quite differently: Cinderella plants a hazel tree on her mother's grave, and waters it with her tears. A magical bird takes up residence in the tree, and gives Cinderella her clothes and shoes for the ball, a party that lasts three nights. Each of the first two nights Cinderella runs off before the prince can ask who she might be. In the end the prince lays tar on the palace steps to catch Cinderella by the shoe, as it were, and so the quest to find the maid who fits the slipper begins (in this case, not glass, but a gold slipper).
There are a dozen magical and mythic elements of this tale, from the enchanted bird to the fixation with Cinderella's shoes and feet, which are symbolic of her sexuality and blossoming womanhood. But we'll just focus on one element here: the hazel planted by our heroine at her mother's grave.
In Celtic lore Hazel is the tree of wisdom. The hazel nut imbues one with great wisdom and magic. This is why in the legend of the Irish hero Finn McCool, Finn is sent by a hermit to catch the salmon who lives in a pool beneath the Hazel tree, and cook the fish so that the hermit may take the first bite, giving him wisdom greater than any other human. But while cooking the salmon, Finn burns his thumb. Instinctively he puts it in his mouth, getting the first taste of the salmon, and all the wisdom. We hope the hermit at least got a tasty dinner out of it.
For Cinderella, the trial of losing her mother and having to become a woman on her own despite the efforts of her step sisters to usurp her place as rightful heir to her father's wealth and attention, is seen in the guidance of the Hazel tree. Growing on her mother's grave, we feel that Cinderella is not alone in the world: her mother guides her through the tree's wisdom, and provides for the girl through the enchanted bird that lives in the Hazel's branches.
As children and even as adults, we often feel that life is unjust, that we are entitled to things we cannot have, or must struggle for. The Hazel tree represents the wisdom we achieve in this struggle, however hard it may be. It also represents the guidance we receive from that which is greater than us, whether that is through faith, through magic, or through knowledge. Cinderella grows and matures enough to thwart her stepmother and stepsisters, securing her rightful place as wife of the prince. She uses her wisdom (the tree), her budding womanhood (represented by her shoes—ball slippers worn not by a servant child, but by an elegant woman), and her feet (representing her beauty; her stepsisters must each cut off a part of their feet to fit the slipper, marring their beauty while Cinderella fits the slipper perfectly, displaying to the prince her beauty and grace). We learn to prove ourselves through our wisdom and aptitude, securing our own rightful place in our world.
Fairy tales are an amazing body of lore, myth, enchantment, and symbol. Armed with a little knowledge of folklore, symbolism, and mythology, these tales become a labyrinth that one can wander into more and more deeply, taking from them the true magic, meaning, and enchantment. As you read each tale, in its original, you develop an understanding of this secret, mythic language. And in the right frame of mind, one can enjoy the creepiness, darkness, and perversity as well.
Foods for the Summer Solstice
Feasts and Treats: Recipes for the Summer Solstice
This article was written by Patricia Telesco
posted under Pagan
Today is the longest day of the year. As the wheel of time presses forward we're told that fairies are afoot. As the fairies dance, Mother Nature provides all manner of fresh foods for our pleasure. In our home we celebrate with a picnic to revel in the sun, have our fire festival (barbecue) and enjoy the company of good family and friends.
Veggie Kabob with Cucumber Sauce
This entrée was designed especially for our vegetarian guests as a Greek-Chinese fusion filled with fresh seasonal flavors. It's a perfect way to use up some of your garden harvest too!
Other vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, etc.) can be substituted in this kabob, as can meat cubes or shrimp.
Prep Time: 4 hours marinating, 15 minutes cutting vegetables, 10–15 minutes grilling
Serves: 4 as a main dish (6–8 as a side dish/appetizer)
Yield on sauce: 2 cups
Cucumber Sauce
1 medium cucumber
8 ounces plain, unflavored yogurt
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 tablespoons dill
1 tablespoon dried onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice>
Marinade
⅓ cup honey
1⁄4 cup spicy brown mustard
⅛ cup sesame oil
⅛ cup peanut oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, fresh ground
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
1⁄2 cup rice vinegar
Kabobs
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, whole
2–3 baby zucchini, sliced 1⁄2-inch thick
10 ounces baby red or pearl onions, whole
12 medium mushrooms
1 yellow pepper
1 green pepper
12 pineapple chunks
Directions: Sauce is best prepared the day before to gain flavor. Peel the cucumber and remove any seeds (or use a seedless cucumber). Mince this and let it drain on a paper towel for about 20 minutes. Put the cucumber in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and mix. (Make sure the yogurt is drained of any water in the container before adding it). Cover and chill.
The next afternoon, cut up zucchini and peppers. Place these in a mixing bowl with a secure cover, adding all the marinade ingredients. Return this to the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours, stirring regularly.
Heat your grill to a medium level. Assemble the tomatoes, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, peppers, and pineapple on the skewers so there's an equal amount of each ingredient on each one (and in a manner that's visually appealing). Place on the grill, basting with the marinade to keep them moist. Turn every 4 to 5 minutes until tender. Serve with cucumber sauce drizzle. (This is excellent in a pita too!)
Fresh Peas with Ham and Mint
Lore tells us that any herbs harvested on the Summer Solstice have stronger magical potency. In this case we're using mint to provide protection as the days grow shorter and the weather colder. Ham brings a little serendipity, and in the language of flowers, our sweet pea means "bliss." The best part about this dish is that it's fast, economical, and very tasty.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
2 cups fresh peas, shelled
5–7 mint leaves
1⁄2 cup cooked ham (tofu may be substituted), minced
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Blanch the peas briefly (2 minutes) then move them into an ice-water bath. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes then drain. Meanwhile, gently bruise the mint, adding it to a sauté pan with the butter and ham. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, adding the peas to re-warm. Season and serve.
Queimada
This beverage comes to us from Celtic Pagans and has been handed down for generations. It begins with Orujo, a distilled wine that's mixed with herbs. In many settings its preparation was ritualistic, complete with spellcasting for protection. One should prepare and enjoy this at night in the great outdoors. Gather your loved ones into a sacred circle, light the beverage as part of the fire festival, honor the past, and welcome what is yet to come for the year.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 8–10
1 liter Orujo or grappa
⅔ cup sugar (I prefer Hawaiian or raw sugar)
Lemon rind slivers from one whole lemon
1⁄4 cup whole coffee beans (Torrefacto is one good option)
1 fireproof stoneware or clay pot
Directions: Pour all your ingredients into the pot on whatever heating source you've chosen (the grill or charcoal works nicely). Warm until heated through. Using a long-handled lighter, ignite the surface. Stir with a long-handled spoon gently. When the flames turn blue, extinguish them by putting a lid on top. Serve in small bowls or stoneware cups.
Banana Cream Pie
Banana cream pie makes a great feast for the eyes on Summer Solstice, looking much like a Sun in splendor when completed. Since you'll want to spend more time visiting than cooking, this recipe cheats a bit with pre-made pie crust.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 8 slices
1 premade 10-inch pie crust (chocolate, shortbread, or graham cracker)
1⁄2 cup flour
3⁄4 cup sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
2 large bananas, mashed
4 egg yolks
1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
Whipped cream
Dried banana chips or yellow sprinkles
Directions: Place flour, sugar, and salt in a nonreactive saucepan (clay, enamel, glass, or stainless steel) over a low-medium flame. Slowly pour in milk, whisking constantly. Add the mashed banana and continue to whisk. Within 8 minutes your filling will become thicker and have an even consistency. Beat the egg yolks separately, adding 3⁄4 cup of the warm filling to the yolks before blending them into the rest of the mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, continuing to whisk. Add vanilla and butter, then remove from the stove. This should rest a few minutes before pouring into your crust. Chill the pie before garnishing, piping whipped cream around the banana Sun's edges, and decorating with banana chips and/or yellow sprinkles to finish the effect.
From Llewellyn's Sabbats Almanac: Samhain 2010 to Mabon 2011.
This article was written by Patricia Telesco
posted under Pagan
Today is the longest day of the year. As the wheel of time presses forward we're told that fairies are afoot. As the fairies dance, Mother Nature provides all manner of fresh foods for our pleasure. In our home we celebrate with a picnic to revel in the sun, have our fire festival (barbecue) and enjoy the company of good family and friends.
Veggie Kabob with Cucumber Sauce
This entrée was designed especially for our vegetarian guests as a Greek-Chinese fusion filled with fresh seasonal flavors. It's a perfect way to use up some of your garden harvest too!
Other vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, etc.) can be substituted in this kabob, as can meat cubes or shrimp.
Prep Time: 4 hours marinating, 15 minutes cutting vegetables, 10–15 minutes grilling
Serves: 4 as a main dish (6–8 as a side dish/appetizer)
Yield on sauce: 2 cups
Cucumber Sauce
1 medium cucumber
8 ounces plain, unflavored yogurt
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 tablespoons dill
1 tablespoon dried onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice>
Marinade
⅓ cup honey
1⁄4 cup spicy brown mustard
⅛ cup sesame oil
⅛ cup peanut oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, fresh ground
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
1⁄2 cup rice vinegar
Kabobs
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, whole
2–3 baby zucchini, sliced 1⁄2-inch thick
10 ounces baby red or pearl onions, whole
12 medium mushrooms
1 yellow pepper
1 green pepper
12 pineapple chunks
Directions: Sauce is best prepared the day before to gain flavor. Peel the cucumber and remove any seeds (or use a seedless cucumber). Mince this and let it drain on a paper towel for about 20 minutes. Put the cucumber in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and mix. (Make sure the yogurt is drained of any water in the container before adding it). Cover and chill.
The next afternoon, cut up zucchini and peppers. Place these in a mixing bowl with a secure cover, adding all the marinade ingredients. Return this to the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours, stirring regularly.
Heat your grill to a medium level. Assemble the tomatoes, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, peppers, and pineapple on the skewers so there's an equal amount of each ingredient on each one (and in a manner that's visually appealing). Place on the grill, basting with the marinade to keep them moist. Turn every 4 to 5 minutes until tender. Serve with cucumber sauce drizzle. (This is excellent in a pita too!)
Fresh Peas with Ham and Mint
Lore tells us that any herbs harvested on the Summer Solstice have stronger magical potency. In this case we're using mint to provide protection as the days grow shorter and the weather colder. Ham brings a little serendipity, and in the language of flowers, our sweet pea means "bliss." The best part about this dish is that it's fast, economical, and very tasty.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
2 cups fresh peas, shelled
5–7 mint leaves
1⁄2 cup cooked ham (tofu may be substituted), minced
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Blanch the peas briefly (2 minutes) then move them into an ice-water bath. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes then drain. Meanwhile, gently bruise the mint, adding it to a sauté pan with the butter and ham. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, adding the peas to re-warm. Season and serve.
Queimada
This beverage comes to us from Celtic Pagans and has been handed down for generations. It begins with Orujo, a distilled wine that's mixed with herbs. In many settings its preparation was ritualistic, complete with spellcasting for protection. One should prepare and enjoy this at night in the great outdoors. Gather your loved ones into a sacred circle, light the beverage as part of the fire festival, honor the past, and welcome what is yet to come for the year.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 8–10
1 liter Orujo or grappa
⅔ cup sugar (I prefer Hawaiian or raw sugar)
Lemon rind slivers from one whole lemon
1⁄4 cup whole coffee beans (Torrefacto is one good option)
1 fireproof stoneware or clay pot
Directions: Pour all your ingredients into the pot on whatever heating source you've chosen (the grill or charcoal works nicely). Warm until heated through. Using a long-handled lighter, ignite the surface. Stir with a long-handled spoon gently. When the flames turn blue, extinguish them by putting a lid on top. Serve in small bowls or stoneware cups.
Banana Cream Pie
Banana cream pie makes a great feast for the eyes on Summer Solstice, looking much like a Sun in splendor when completed. Since you'll want to spend more time visiting than cooking, this recipe cheats a bit with pre-made pie crust.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 8 slices
1 premade 10-inch pie crust (chocolate, shortbread, or graham cracker)
1⁄2 cup flour
3⁄4 cup sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
2 large bananas, mashed
4 egg yolks
1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
Whipped cream
Dried banana chips or yellow sprinkles
Directions: Place flour, sugar, and salt in a nonreactive saucepan (clay, enamel, glass, or stainless steel) over a low-medium flame. Slowly pour in milk, whisking constantly. Add the mashed banana and continue to whisk. Within 8 minutes your filling will become thicker and have an even consistency. Beat the egg yolks separately, adding 3⁄4 cup of the warm filling to the yolks before blending them into the rest of the mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, continuing to whisk. Add vanilla and butter, then remove from the stove. This should rest a few minutes before pouring into your crust. Chill the pie before garnishing, piping whipped cream around the banana Sun's edges, and decorating with banana chips and/or yellow sprinkles to finish the effect.
From Llewellyn's Sabbats Almanac: Samhain 2010 to Mabon 2011.
Daemons in the Modern World
Demons in the Modern World
Author: Morgan St. Knight [a WitchVox Sponsor]
Posted: March 27th. 2011
Times Viewed: 2,014
Do you believe in demons? I don’t mean allegorical ones (“She’s fighting some demons, ” they say, as the woman checks into rehab for substance abuse) . I mean independent entities that can harm us.
Let’s forgo discussing whether Forcas, Buer, Malphas and their friends would ever take up residence in a rundown house in Vidalia, Georgia, the shed out back, or the Chevy on cinderblocks in the front yard. Yes, I’ve seen things like that on television. No, I’m not convinced they were real. Full disclosure here: I have no evidence that the scenes depicted in any of those shows weren’t real either. Just an empath’s gut instinct.
No need to invite me down the road of “Wiccans don’t have a Devil.” I fully acknowledge that I don’t believe in a grand evil entity that’s pulling out all the stops to get my soul. However, by my estimate millions of Pagans past and present believe (d) demons could harm humans. There is ample evidence the ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Sumerians did. We have numerous examples of amulets and incantations these cultures devised to avert the influence of malignant entities. These demons took many forms, and not one of them was really interested in corrupting a person’s soul. Maybe the ancients understood that humans could do that all on their own, without the need of outside inspiration from a malevolent being. Demons are not commonly seen as tempters before Christianity’s interpretation of them.
There were demons of pestilence, demons responsible for killing babies, demons that could strike people blind, demons that could inflict abject terror, demons that destroyed crops, demons that created (or personified) natural disasters such as storms and earthquakes, demons whose sole interest was in killing humans in the most horrible ways imaginable, demons who drove people to insanity, and demons of general misfortune.
Then there were really big, bad demons that focused on the ambitious stuff, like destroying the boat of Ra as it journeyed through the underworld at night (Apep/Apophis) , or in destroying love and beauty in the world (Ereshkigal and company trying to destroy Inanna) .
Times change, and so did our perception of how the world works. Now we say that virus, bacteria, genetic issues, or certain choices in lifestyle cause diseases. We know loss of sight comes from accidents, untreated diabetes, macular degeneration, or cataracts. Infants die in the night from getting caught in or falling out of ill-constructed cribs, being placed on their stomachs on overly-soft bedding, or abuse such as shaken-baby syndrome. Crops fail because of blights or pests, which are treated with harsh chemicals that may cause further health issues for the environment and us. People lose their ability to cope with day-to-day life through dementia or mental illness.
Is there still a place in the modern world for demons? While we’ve come up with many explanations for certain events and personal circumstances, there are some that don’t quite fit into those molds. We may try to force them to conform in our minds because we don’t want to accept alternative explanations that make us uncomfortable, but that is no solution.
Part of our rational, modern-day brain just doesn’t like the idea of blaming certain incidents on beings we can’t (usually) see or sense in other ways. It seems too much of a cop-out. “The devil made me do it” or “I can’t get a job because someone cursed me” are scorned as excuses these days because they amount to lack of accountability. Believing in demons is seen in many circles, including some Pagan ones, as denying rational explanations for events. As I stated in a previous essay on this forum, I absolutely believe you should do a thorough reality check before assuming there’s a supernatural explanation for your troubles. If that reality check comes up with only one answer, you have to go for it.
Sometimes that answer is not the one you want to hear.
I think we have to look at why there’s resistance to accept that demons might be real. It’s not just that the term “demon” leaves a bad taste on the Pagan palate because of its associations with certain fundamentalist religious teachings which often conflate our religions with Satanism, and which turned benign “daimons” into evil “demons.” There’s more to it.
When the Age of Enlightenment took firm hold in Europe and North America in the mid-18th century it ushered in a new perspective of the world, one in which supernatural beings didn’t fit very well (apart from a general belief in God) . But demons didn’t go away for good. People wanted them, even needed them to still exist in some form. If believing in the traditional goat-legged monsters wouldn’t do, then they had to be accommodated in other ways.
It became fashionable in the first part of the 20th century to claim that demons were real but did not have an independent existence. They were not just bogeys conceived by religious leaders to frighten and control the foolish; they were aspects of our own personalities. Even in his introductory remarks to the Goetia , Aleister Crowley (1) says the spirits listed in the book are parts of our brain. He claims the names of God used to control them are really vibrational formulas to stimulate those parts of the brain, and the sigils used to summon them do the same thing through visual stimulation.
In other words, it’s all in the magician’s head. Conjuring demons is nothing more than stimulating one’s own potential in the specific areas they govern, such as developing wealth, finding a sexual partner, and overcoming enemies.
That paradigm has appeal because people have great faith that psychology can answer all the thorny questions about human behavior. It’s true that a person might approach a situation with more confidence if they believe they have some supernatural upper hand through the help of a Deity or a demon. More confidence increases the likelihood they will achieve their aim. But I believe that giving all the credit to the power of positive thinking, and denying the possibility that anything else is at work, is throwing Beelzebub out with the bathwater.
In modern Wicca and other magically-inclined traditions the closest you usually come to hearing about anything “demonic” is the phrase “negative energy”. This is problematic on a couple of levels. First, using the term “negative” as a synonym for “dangerous, harmful, or undesirable” is oversimplifying and confusing things. “Negative” does not always mean bad.
Example: the electrons flowing through the power lines that provide electricity to your house are “negative” in terms of polarity; but this “negative” energy produces some very desirable results. Your washing machine, television, computer, and kitchen appliances all operate on negative energy. Polarity, in a spiritual as well as electrical sense, is very real; you can’t operate the universe without it. Negative energy is just as important as positive energy.
Another problem with attributing unwanted events to random “negative energy” without considering that an actual intelligence is at work is that it limits perspective on a situation. It’s like saying a person hit by a sniper’s bullet just was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yes, this is true on a broad level, but it takes the sniper’s deliberate actions out of the equation altogether; it implies mere circumstance put the person in the path of a bullet that was just whizzing randomly through the air. In either case the person is dead, but in one case we have a much clearer picture of why the person is dead.
We run into a morally gray area when discussing demons because traditionally they are perceived as deliberately evil or malicious. In other words, they have a choice and they harm us because they want to. Certainly that’s how many ancient cultures viewed things. This makes us uncomfortable nowadays because it seems silly. Would a non-corporeal being really hang around curdling milk and blighting crops, or making little Sally get the measles, just for fun? It seems puerile at best.
Experience taught me that paranormal entities, like humans, mostly fall into the vast, hazy field between absolutely good and absolutely evil. There are beings whose mere presence causes harmful effects, but to automatically decide that it’s a deliberately malicious activity is narrow-sighted. If a bear mauls someone we agree harm was done, but do we say it was done with malice, or because it was the nature of the bear to act that way if it felt threatened?
Some entities survive by draining energy from people in much the same way that mosquitoes, leeches and certain bats survive by drawing blood. The mosquito doesn’t rub its front legs together in lurid anticipation, cackling gleefully as it zooms down to bite someone for its nightly meal. It doesn’t regard the feelings of its temporary host at all; it’s not in a mosquito’s nature to do so.
So it is with parasitic entities. They don’t necessarily delight in weakening someone by draining them of energy, but the ultimate effect is the same regardless of the entity’s personal view. The human host grows weaker, perhaps undergoing behavioral changes such as moodiness or depression due to decreased vitality, and becoming more susceptible to illness and fatigue. In some cases the person’s internal energy may become so drained that they succumb to serious medical conditions; in rare cases they may die. These symptoms mirror some of the banes traditionally associated with demons. What is different in this interpretation is the motive (the entity’s survival as opposed to actual malice) .
Here’s another example. I’ve found some entities can cause people to become uncomfortable by their mere presence. This level of discomfort can extend from a vague sense of malaise to absolute terror depending the type of entity involved and the sensitivity of the human involved. Even the Greek God Pan was said to create this reaction in people who strayed into the remote areas where He liked to sport. This effect was known as panikon deima which means a dread belonging to, or owing its origin to, Pan. It is from this phrase that we derive the word “panic”.
No one suggests that Pan did this out of absolute malice, although there are some tellings of the tale that imply a mischievous intent. Equally, there is no sure way of determining whether a paranormal entity that affects humans this way is doing so out of spite, or whether it’s just part of the entity’s intrinsic nature. Perhaps these entities are simply operating on an energy level that doesn’t mesh well with typical human energies.
We know from science that when waves collide they can weaken or skew each other if their peaks and troughs are out of synch; it is not unreasonable to believe that two different sorts of being might have the same effect on one another if their energies conflict. It may even be an instinctive defense mechanism, operating to dissuade beings with incompatible energy from getting close to the paranormal entity.
When energy waves are in synch (peaks match peaks and troughs match troughs) . The waves intensify. This is the basis of the belief that interaction with certain entities, such as Deities, angels and spirit guides, can bring us to a higher level of awareness, peace and health. They are in harmony with us and strengthen our own spirits. This is much more accepted in the Pagan communities than the opposite side of the coin, in which other sorts of entities can weaken us.
There are steps you can take when encountering entities that have a harmful effect on your and others, and I’ll discuss them in a bit. First, a note about that one word people inevitably link to the topic of demons: possession.
Another full disclosure here: I have absolutely no personal evidence or experience one way or the other on whether demonic possessions are real. I can’t confirm them and I can’t discount them; I haven’t met anyone who claimed, or was claimed by others, to be possessed. However, I have seen people become possessed by Orisha and Loa during ceremonies of Santeria and other Afro-Carribean traditions. I have also reviewed detailed studies of the shamans known as mudang (variation, manshin ) in Korea, who channel entities more often than going on astral journeys. I must conclude, based on the objective reports of trained anthropologists, that in at least some cases the shaman is taken over by an outside entity. In both of these examples the possession benefits others by providing spiritual counsel, healing and blessings.
So I am forced to admit it might be possible for entities we would consider harmful to invade people in some circumstances. Clearly, a mechanism for subliming the human consciousness that allows another entity to take control is feasible based on the above examples. The difference mostly lies in the willingness of the person involved to allow possession, and the results of the possession.
It is admittedly difficult to argue the possibility of possession nowadays, when the behavior traditionally associated with demonically possessed people is reassigned to mental illness. It’s a tough distinction to make, and I certainly don’t want to downplay the seriousness of mental illness or dissuade anyone from seeking proper medical care for such conditions. I do, however, think we should consider the possibility that mental illness may not explain all of these cases.
There is another experience which can produce similar results: demonic obsession. In this instance a spirit is believed to affect people’s behavior by tormenting their minds rather than taking over their bodies. Again, it can be hard to differentiate this from conditions involving hallucinations and dissociative states, but I believe it is rash to conclude that all such cases must be mental illness.
I have personally experienced a situation in which an outside entity caused severe alterations in the behavior of several people, though it was short of possession/obsession. This case involved a business with multiple owners, several employees, and clients coming in and out of the business on a daily basis. I met the owners just after they took over the business.
I heard several stories from people who worked there describing bizarre happenings, including one instance in which two of the owners were there late at night. Both saw and heard the sound of a large vehicle slamming on its brakes and crashing into one of the entrances. They felt the building shudder from the impact. They saw the beams of the headlights coming under the doors. They raced to the doors and threw them open, but found nothing there. The street was deserted with no sign of any vehicle pulling away. There was no damage to the building such as you might expect from such an accident, nor any skid marks on the pavement leading to the door, which you would with the sound of squealing brakes before the impact.
The people who told me the story were credible witnesses, and certainly had no vested interest in portraying their business as haunted or demon-infested; it would have dissuaded, rather than encouraged clients from coming there.
But those stories were nothing compared to the changes I saw in the people who worked there. They began engaging in harmful, even self-destructive behaviors that were not in keeping with their normal personalities. Two of the owners developed distinct but equally severe medical conditions, both of which involved progressive physical and mental deterioration and loss of energy. This may, admittedly, have been coincidental, but two such cases in one business seemed highly unusual.
Finally the business closed because none of the owners were able to function. Having been in the building on numerous occasions over several years, I knew this was not just bad luck, especially since the business had great potential to succeed.
I could sense a presence in the building, and it was not a nice one. I was in there after business hours more than once. Every time, the sense of something overwhelmingly hateful was undeniable. I had a fair amount of experience with empathic readings of buildings as well as people at that point, and every time I was there the urge to reinforce my psychic shields was intense. Even when I did a miasma of nasty energy seemed to seep through them.
I took some steps to alleviate the oppressive atmosphere at the request of some of the owners but never went so far as a full-out banishing ceremony. That was a mistake, because whatever was in there wasn’t held at bay for long by the half-measures I took. Looking back on the experience I’m not sure anything I could have done would have worked. I’ve gained a lot more experience in the decade-and-a-half since then, and one thing I’ve learned is this: it’s not like the movies. Sometimes the bad guys win.
So what do you do if you encounter an entity you perceive to be harmful? Even if you accept that some of them may not be deliberately malicious, you shouldn’t accept interactions such as uninvited energy feeding out of a misplaced sense of “live and let live.”
The best advice I can give is to read up, and then read up more, on various methods of psychic self-defense. There are several good books that can help you. Read many of them, find the common themes, and practice them. Most of these techniques involve visualization, intent, and firm belief. Ward your home at least, and extend it to your workplace if needed.
Research traditional rituals for banishing harmful entities in case you are ever confronted with something that won’t take a polite “no” or “please leave us in peace.” Even if you follow a very specific trad I strongly recommend researching the banishing and protection rituals of many cultures, such as the Egyptians, Babylonians, Chinese, Native Americans, Greeks and Romans. You may pick up useful information that you can incorporate into a rite from your own trad. Used with proper intent, focus, and above all respect, the techniques from other spiritual traditions can be quite effective.
Always have a protective amulet or talisman on hand. This is not a sign of fear or weakness. It can be a favorite piece of jewelry that you wear regularly (although I recommend against using wedding, engagement, or commitment rings for this) . Simply cleanse and consecrate it according to your trad, charging it with the purpose of keeping you safe. In lieu of jewelry you can use a protective amulet cast in metal or drawn on parchment. There are several such talismans in the Key of Solomon and other grimoires if you’re inclined, or you can design your own, incorporating symbols with meaning to you. The more confidence you have in the symbolism the more effective the talisman will be. Remember to periodically recharge the talisman, perhaps by lighting a candle with that intent and laying the talisman next to it until it burns out, or exposing it to the light of the Moon or the Sun with the same intent.
If you’ve encountered a harmful entity or energy and used the talisman for warding, you may want to cleanse and rededicate it. This can be done simply. You can bury it in the Earth overnight, stating your wish that any harmful energy be drawn into the ground and neutralized. Washing it in (unpolluted!) running water such as a stream or the ocean while stating the same intent also works. Then recharge it as you originally did.
Devise a short mantra for extreme cases when you need to invoke outside protection. This can be something like: “Mighty Mother, enfold me in your wings!” or a more traditional one, such as the Kwan Yin mantra, “Namu Kwan Shih Yin Pu’sa”, which invokes Kwan Yin’s protection from all harm. Visualize the Power you are invoking as clearly as you can. Keep the process simple. A 30-verse Gaelic binding won’t be easy to remember if you’re under intense stress.
If you feel overwhelmed don’t be afraid to admit it, at least to yourself. Separate yourself from the situation; regroup if possible, retreat if necessary. Above all assess the situation as objectively as possible. Sometimes the bad guys are real; sometimes, they’re just bad dreams. Learn to act appropriately for each circumstance to provide maximum benefit for yourself and others.
Author: Morgan St. Knight [a WitchVox Sponsor]
Posted: March 27th. 2011
Times Viewed: 2,014
Do you believe in demons? I don’t mean allegorical ones (“She’s fighting some demons, ” they say, as the woman checks into rehab for substance abuse) . I mean independent entities that can harm us.
Let’s forgo discussing whether Forcas, Buer, Malphas and their friends would ever take up residence in a rundown house in Vidalia, Georgia, the shed out back, or the Chevy on cinderblocks in the front yard. Yes, I’ve seen things like that on television. No, I’m not convinced they were real. Full disclosure here: I have no evidence that the scenes depicted in any of those shows weren’t real either. Just an empath’s gut instinct.
No need to invite me down the road of “Wiccans don’t have a Devil.” I fully acknowledge that I don’t believe in a grand evil entity that’s pulling out all the stops to get my soul. However, by my estimate millions of Pagans past and present believe (d) demons could harm humans. There is ample evidence the ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Sumerians did. We have numerous examples of amulets and incantations these cultures devised to avert the influence of malignant entities. These demons took many forms, and not one of them was really interested in corrupting a person’s soul. Maybe the ancients understood that humans could do that all on their own, without the need of outside inspiration from a malevolent being. Demons are not commonly seen as tempters before Christianity’s interpretation of them.
There were demons of pestilence, demons responsible for killing babies, demons that could strike people blind, demons that could inflict abject terror, demons that destroyed crops, demons that created (or personified) natural disasters such as storms and earthquakes, demons whose sole interest was in killing humans in the most horrible ways imaginable, demons who drove people to insanity, and demons of general misfortune.
Then there were really big, bad demons that focused on the ambitious stuff, like destroying the boat of Ra as it journeyed through the underworld at night (Apep/Apophis) , or in destroying love and beauty in the world (Ereshkigal and company trying to destroy Inanna) .
Times change, and so did our perception of how the world works. Now we say that virus, bacteria, genetic issues, or certain choices in lifestyle cause diseases. We know loss of sight comes from accidents, untreated diabetes, macular degeneration, or cataracts. Infants die in the night from getting caught in or falling out of ill-constructed cribs, being placed on their stomachs on overly-soft bedding, or abuse such as shaken-baby syndrome. Crops fail because of blights or pests, which are treated with harsh chemicals that may cause further health issues for the environment and us. People lose their ability to cope with day-to-day life through dementia or mental illness.
Is there still a place in the modern world for demons? While we’ve come up with many explanations for certain events and personal circumstances, there are some that don’t quite fit into those molds. We may try to force them to conform in our minds because we don’t want to accept alternative explanations that make us uncomfortable, but that is no solution.
Part of our rational, modern-day brain just doesn’t like the idea of blaming certain incidents on beings we can’t (usually) see or sense in other ways. It seems too much of a cop-out. “The devil made me do it” or “I can’t get a job because someone cursed me” are scorned as excuses these days because they amount to lack of accountability. Believing in demons is seen in many circles, including some Pagan ones, as denying rational explanations for events. As I stated in a previous essay on this forum, I absolutely believe you should do a thorough reality check before assuming there’s a supernatural explanation for your troubles. If that reality check comes up with only one answer, you have to go for it.
Sometimes that answer is not the one you want to hear.
I think we have to look at why there’s resistance to accept that demons might be real. It’s not just that the term “demon” leaves a bad taste on the Pagan palate because of its associations with certain fundamentalist religious teachings which often conflate our religions with Satanism, and which turned benign “daimons” into evil “demons.” There’s more to it.
When the Age of Enlightenment took firm hold in Europe and North America in the mid-18th century it ushered in a new perspective of the world, one in which supernatural beings didn’t fit very well (apart from a general belief in God) . But demons didn’t go away for good. People wanted them, even needed them to still exist in some form. If believing in the traditional goat-legged monsters wouldn’t do, then they had to be accommodated in other ways.
It became fashionable in the first part of the 20th century to claim that demons were real but did not have an independent existence. They were not just bogeys conceived by religious leaders to frighten and control the foolish; they were aspects of our own personalities. Even in his introductory remarks to the Goetia , Aleister Crowley (1) says the spirits listed in the book are parts of our brain. He claims the names of God used to control them are really vibrational formulas to stimulate those parts of the brain, and the sigils used to summon them do the same thing through visual stimulation.
In other words, it’s all in the magician’s head. Conjuring demons is nothing more than stimulating one’s own potential in the specific areas they govern, such as developing wealth, finding a sexual partner, and overcoming enemies.
That paradigm has appeal because people have great faith that psychology can answer all the thorny questions about human behavior. It’s true that a person might approach a situation with more confidence if they believe they have some supernatural upper hand through the help of a Deity or a demon. More confidence increases the likelihood they will achieve their aim. But I believe that giving all the credit to the power of positive thinking, and denying the possibility that anything else is at work, is throwing Beelzebub out with the bathwater.
In modern Wicca and other magically-inclined traditions the closest you usually come to hearing about anything “demonic” is the phrase “negative energy”. This is problematic on a couple of levels. First, using the term “negative” as a synonym for “dangerous, harmful, or undesirable” is oversimplifying and confusing things. “Negative” does not always mean bad.
Example: the electrons flowing through the power lines that provide electricity to your house are “negative” in terms of polarity; but this “negative” energy produces some very desirable results. Your washing machine, television, computer, and kitchen appliances all operate on negative energy. Polarity, in a spiritual as well as electrical sense, is very real; you can’t operate the universe without it. Negative energy is just as important as positive energy.
Another problem with attributing unwanted events to random “negative energy” without considering that an actual intelligence is at work is that it limits perspective on a situation. It’s like saying a person hit by a sniper’s bullet just was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yes, this is true on a broad level, but it takes the sniper’s deliberate actions out of the equation altogether; it implies mere circumstance put the person in the path of a bullet that was just whizzing randomly through the air. In either case the person is dead, but in one case we have a much clearer picture of why the person is dead.
We run into a morally gray area when discussing demons because traditionally they are perceived as deliberately evil or malicious. In other words, they have a choice and they harm us because they want to. Certainly that’s how many ancient cultures viewed things. This makes us uncomfortable nowadays because it seems silly. Would a non-corporeal being really hang around curdling milk and blighting crops, or making little Sally get the measles, just for fun? It seems puerile at best.
Experience taught me that paranormal entities, like humans, mostly fall into the vast, hazy field between absolutely good and absolutely evil. There are beings whose mere presence causes harmful effects, but to automatically decide that it’s a deliberately malicious activity is narrow-sighted. If a bear mauls someone we agree harm was done, but do we say it was done with malice, or because it was the nature of the bear to act that way if it felt threatened?
Some entities survive by draining energy from people in much the same way that mosquitoes, leeches and certain bats survive by drawing blood. The mosquito doesn’t rub its front legs together in lurid anticipation, cackling gleefully as it zooms down to bite someone for its nightly meal. It doesn’t regard the feelings of its temporary host at all; it’s not in a mosquito’s nature to do so.
So it is with parasitic entities. They don’t necessarily delight in weakening someone by draining them of energy, but the ultimate effect is the same regardless of the entity’s personal view. The human host grows weaker, perhaps undergoing behavioral changes such as moodiness or depression due to decreased vitality, and becoming more susceptible to illness and fatigue. In some cases the person’s internal energy may become so drained that they succumb to serious medical conditions; in rare cases they may die. These symptoms mirror some of the banes traditionally associated with demons. What is different in this interpretation is the motive (the entity’s survival as opposed to actual malice) .
Here’s another example. I’ve found some entities can cause people to become uncomfortable by their mere presence. This level of discomfort can extend from a vague sense of malaise to absolute terror depending the type of entity involved and the sensitivity of the human involved. Even the Greek God Pan was said to create this reaction in people who strayed into the remote areas where He liked to sport. This effect was known as panikon deima which means a dread belonging to, or owing its origin to, Pan. It is from this phrase that we derive the word “panic”.
No one suggests that Pan did this out of absolute malice, although there are some tellings of the tale that imply a mischievous intent. Equally, there is no sure way of determining whether a paranormal entity that affects humans this way is doing so out of spite, or whether it’s just part of the entity’s intrinsic nature. Perhaps these entities are simply operating on an energy level that doesn’t mesh well with typical human energies.
We know from science that when waves collide they can weaken or skew each other if their peaks and troughs are out of synch; it is not unreasonable to believe that two different sorts of being might have the same effect on one another if their energies conflict. It may even be an instinctive defense mechanism, operating to dissuade beings with incompatible energy from getting close to the paranormal entity.
When energy waves are in synch (peaks match peaks and troughs match troughs) . The waves intensify. This is the basis of the belief that interaction with certain entities, such as Deities, angels and spirit guides, can bring us to a higher level of awareness, peace and health. They are in harmony with us and strengthen our own spirits. This is much more accepted in the Pagan communities than the opposite side of the coin, in which other sorts of entities can weaken us.
There are steps you can take when encountering entities that have a harmful effect on your and others, and I’ll discuss them in a bit. First, a note about that one word people inevitably link to the topic of demons: possession.
Another full disclosure here: I have absolutely no personal evidence or experience one way or the other on whether demonic possessions are real. I can’t confirm them and I can’t discount them; I haven’t met anyone who claimed, or was claimed by others, to be possessed. However, I have seen people become possessed by Orisha and Loa during ceremonies of Santeria and other Afro-Carribean traditions. I have also reviewed detailed studies of the shamans known as mudang (variation, manshin ) in Korea, who channel entities more often than going on astral journeys. I must conclude, based on the objective reports of trained anthropologists, that in at least some cases the shaman is taken over by an outside entity. In both of these examples the possession benefits others by providing spiritual counsel, healing and blessings.
So I am forced to admit it might be possible for entities we would consider harmful to invade people in some circumstances. Clearly, a mechanism for subliming the human consciousness that allows another entity to take control is feasible based on the above examples. The difference mostly lies in the willingness of the person involved to allow possession, and the results of the possession.
It is admittedly difficult to argue the possibility of possession nowadays, when the behavior traditionally associated with demonically possessed people is reassigned to mental illness. It’s a tough distinction to make, and I certainly don’t want to downplay the seriousness of mental illness or dissuade anyone from seeking proper medical care for such conditions. I do, however, think we should consider the possibility that mental illness may not explain all of these cases.
There is another experience which can produce similar results: demonic obsession. In this instance a spirit is believed to affect people’s behavior by tormenting their minds rather than taking over their bodies. Again, it can be hard to differentiate this from conditions involving hallucinations and dissociative states, but I believe it is rash to conclude that all such cases must be mental illness.
I have personally experienced a situation in which an outside entity caused severe alterations in the behavior of several people, though it was short of possession/obsession. This case involved a business with multiple owners, several employees, and clients coming in and out of the business on a daily basis. I met the owners just after they took over the business.
I heard several stories from people who worked there describing bizarre happenings, including one instance in which two of the owners were there late at night. Both saw and heard the sound of a large vehicle slamming on its brakes and crashing into one of the entrances. They felt the building shudder from the impact. They saw the beams of the headlights coming under the doors. They raced to the doors and threw them open, but found nothing there. The street was deserted with no sign of any vehicle pulling away. There was no damage to the building such as you might expect from such an accident, nor any skid marks on the pavement leading to the door, which you would with the sound of squealing brakes before the impact.
The people who told me the story were credible witnesses, and certainly had no vested interest in portraying their business as haunted or demon-infested; it would have dissuaded, rather than encouraged clients from coming there.
But those stories were nothing compared to the changes I saw in the people who worked there. They began engaging in harmful, even self-destructive behaviors that were not in keeping with their normal personalities. Two of the owners developed distinct but equally severe medical conditions, both of which involved progressive physical and mental deterioration and loss of energy. This may, admittedly, have been coincidental, but two such cases in one business seemed highly unusual.
Finally the business closed because none of the owners were able to function. Having been in the building on numerous occasions over several years, I knew this was not just bad luck, especially since the business had great potential to succeed.
I could sense a presence in the building, and it was not a nice one. I was in there after business hours more than once. Every time, the sense of something overwhelmingly hateful was undeniable. I had a fair amount of experience with empathic readings of buildings as well as people at that point, and every time I was there the urge to reinforce my psychic shields was intense. Even when I did a miasma of nasty energy seemed to seep through them.
I took some steps to alleviate the oppressive atmosphere at the request of some of the owners but never went so far as a full-out banishing ceremony. That was a mistake, because whatever was in there wasn’t held at bay for long by the half-measures I took. Looking back on the experience I’m not sure anything I could have done would have worked. I’ve gained a lot more experience in the decade-and-a-half since then, and one thing I’ve learned is this: it’s not like the movies. Sometimes the bad guys win.
So what do you do if you encounter an entity you perceive to be harmful? Even if you accept that some of them may not be deliberately malicious, you shouldn’t accept interactions such as uninvited energy feeding out of a misplaced sense of “live and let live.”
The best advice I can give is to read up, and then read up more, on various methods of psychic self-defense. There are several good books that can help you. Read many of them, find the common themes, and practice them. Most of these techniques involve visualization, intent, and firm belief. Ward your home at least, and extend it to your workplace if needed.
Research traditional rituals for banishing harmful entities in case you are ever confronted with something that won’t take a polite “no” or “please leave us in peace.” Even if you follow a very specific trad I strongly recommend researching the banishing and protection rituals of many cultures, such as the Egyptians, Babylonians, Chinese, Native Americans, Greeks and Romans. You may pick up useful information that you can incorporate into a rite from your own trad. Used with proper intent, focus, and above all respect, the techniques from other spiritual traditions can be quite effective.
Always have a protective amulet or talisman on hand. This is not a sign of fear or weakness. It can be a favorite piece of jewelry that you wear regularly (although I recommend against using wedding, engagement, or commitment rings for this) . Simply cleanse and consecrate it according to your trad, charging it with the purpose of keeping you safe. In lieu of jewelry you can use a protective amulet cast in metal or drawn on parchment. There are several such talismans in the Key of Solomon and other grimoires if you’re inclined, or you can design your own, incorporating symbols with meaning to you. The more confidence you have in the symbolism the more effective the talisman will be. Remember to periodically recharge the talisman, perhaps by lighting a candle with that intent and laying the talisman next to it until it burns out, or exposing it to the light of the Moon or the Sun with the same intent.
If you’ve encountered a harmful entity or energy and used the talisman for warding, you may want to cleanse and rededicate it. This can be done simply. You can bury it in the Earth overnight, stating your wish that any harmful energy be drawn into the ground and neutralized. Washing it in (unpolluted!) running water such as a stream or the ocean while stating the same intent also works. Then recharge it as you originally did.
Devise a short mantra for extreme cases when you need to invoke outside protection. This can be something like: “Mighty Mother, enfold me in your wings!” or a more traditional one, such as the Kwan Yin mantra, “Namu Kwan Shih Yin Pu’sa”, which invokes Kwan Yin’s protection from all harm. Visualize the Power you are invoking as clearly as you can. Keep the process simple. A 30-verse Gaelic binding won’t be easy to remember if you’re under intense stress.
If you feel overwhelmed don’t be afraid to admit it, at least to yourself. Separate yourself from the situation; regroup if possible, retreat if necessary. Above all assess the situation as objectively as possible. Sometimes the bad guys are real; sometimes, they’re just bad dreams. Learn to act appropriately for each circumstance to provide maximum benefit for yourself and others.
Trees in Mythology
Trees in Mythology
by Janine Donnellan
Trees have played an important role in many of the world's mythologies and religions, and they have been given profound spiritual and mystical meanings throughout the ages. Trees offer a sense of mystery, and our association of known myths with particular trees fuels this. This association takes place not only on a species level but also in geographical terms and with individual trees. In mythology, trees take on magical powers and become the centre of our fascination.
Trees in mythology offer us a mystical reminder of states of being so wondrous as to be beyond our comprehension. There is an uncanny inquisitiveness about such a concept that it leads us to hold up the image of some trees as worthy of reverence. The tree has become the witness to and often the centre of profound spiritual happenings. The most ancient cross-cultural symbolic representation of the mystery of the universe's construction is the world tree.
World Tree
The World Tree is a motif present in several religions and mythologies, particularly Indo-European religions. In many myths, the tree is a vital part of the structure of the universe. Gods and their messengers travel from world to world by climbing up or down the tree.
The image of a tree provides an axis symbol that unites three planes. This is known as the axis mundi (also cosmic axis, world axis, world pillar and centre of the world) and is an omnipresent symbol that crosses human cultures. The spot functions as a focal point from which everything else revolves.
The World Tree therefore expresses a point of connection between sky and earth where the four compass directions meet: its branches reach for the sky, its trunk meets the earth, and it roots reach down into the underworld. The tree therefore serves as a symbolic living link between this world and those of the three worlds. Its roots are in the Lower World, also known as the underworld or world of the dead, where one goes to talk with ancestors, to find lost information, or to find information about diseases and other things to do with the physical body. The trunk of the tree is known as the Middle World and the trunk encompasses the physical world, four directions and their corresponding season. It is the magical version of our reality and we can visit it to solve everyday problems. The branches of the tree are in the Upper World. It is a place of the future, creativity and flight.
Yggdrasil Tree
The Norse believed that a tree runs like an axis, or pole, through this world and the realms above and below it. They called their World Tree Yggdrasill. It was a great ash tree that nourished gods, humans, and animals, connecting all living things and all phases of existence.
The Yggdrasil tree had three large roots, each one of which dipped into three different wells. The first root dipped into the waters of Mimir's spring. These waters were filled with wisdom. The second root lay in the Well of Urd, where mythical creatures weaved the fates of mankind and tended to the needs of the tree. The third root fell into the dark waters where a dragon tore gnawed unceasingly at the tree. Four stags nibbled hungrily at the tree's green buds, while goats tore at the bark. High in the branches an eagle sat with a hawk perched upon his brow. a squirrel scurried up and down the Ash all day carrying insults between the eagle above to the dragon below.
Tree of Life - Sacred Geometry
The Tree of Life is one of the most familiar of the Sacred Geometry Symbols. The structure of the Tree of Life is connected to the sacred teachings of the Jewish Kabbalah but can be seen 3,000 years earlier in Egypt. The Tree of Life structure can be seen in many places around the conscious universe. The Tree of Life is a mystical symbol used in the Kabbalah of esoteric Judaism to describe the path to the Divine and the manner in which the Divine created the world out of nothing. The Kabbalists developed this concept into a full model of reality, using the tree to depict a map of creation. The tree of life has been called the "cosmology" of the Kabbalah.
The Kabbalah Tree of Life is a representation of the thirty-two paths comprised of the ten sefirot and the twenty-two paths through which they run. The Tree of Life describes the descent of the divine into the manifest world, and methods by which the divine union may be attained in this life. It can be viewed as a map of the human psyche, and of the workings of creation, both manifest and not. It is based on the assumption that the pure nature of divinity is unity, and that the seemingly separate aspects or emanations exist only in view of the emanated, living in a state of illusory separation.
Pagan Origins of the Christmas Tree
Here in Australia, at the height of our Midsummer, millions of people are erecting and decorating plastic Christmas trees and the occasional weedy looking pine tree in anticipation of the Christmas day celebrations. I am quite certain that very few people actually give due consideration as to why we continue with this strange tradition, especially one that originated in the Northern Hemisphere where this time of year coincides with their winter solstice.
A Christmas tree, also known as a Yule tree, is one of the most popular traditions associated with the celebration of Christmas throughout the world. It is normally an evergreen coniferous tree (or plastic copy) that is brought into a home or used in the open, and is decorated with Christmas lights and colourful ornaments during the days around Christmas.
Did you know that many of the modern Christmas traditions began hundreds of years before Christ was born. Some of these traditions date back more than 4000 years. The addition of Christ to the celebration of the Winter Solstice did not occur until 300 years after Christ died and as late as 1800, in fact some devout Christian sects, like the Puritans, forbade their members from celebrating Christmas because it was considered a pagan holiday, which is absolutely correct, historically it was a pagan holiday. So what is the history behind these traditions?
The Christmas tree is derived from several solstice traditions. The symbolic meaning of Christmas trees originates in pagan culture where the evergreen represents life, rebirth, and stamina needed to endure the cold and hash winter months.
The Romans decked their halls with garlands of laurel and placed candles in live trees to decorate for the celebration of Saturnalia in honour of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans knew that the solstice meant that soon farms and orchards would be green and fruitful. To mark the occasion, they decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs. The Saturnalia was a special time of peace and equality when wars could not be declared, when slaves and masters could eat at the same table, and when gifts were exchanged as a symbol of affection and brotherhood.
In Scandinavia, they hung apples from evergreen trees at the winter solstice to remind themselves that spring and summer will come again. The evergreen tree was the special plant of their sun god, Baldor. At this time fir trees were also burned to commemorate the life that stirs even in the most frigid grips of winter. These traditions also marked the end of the old year and the beginning of a new year.
The ancient Egyptians worshipped many gods, their Sun God was called Ra, and he had the head of a hawk and wore the sun as a blazing disc in his crown. At the winter solstice, they would prepare for the coming of the Sun God by filling their homes with green palm rushes which symbolized for them the triumph of life over death.
In ancient Britain the Druids used to celebrate the Winter Solstice by keeping the Festival of Nolagh. It needs to be said at this point however, that there is little contemporary evidence for their practices as it was an oral tradition, and thus little can be said of them with assurance. It is believed that they observed this season in their great ringed temples at Stonehenge and Avebury. Many of our Christmas customs such as the Yule log, and the use of mistletoe and holly originated there.
There is one tree that was especially sacred to the Druids this was the mighty oak. During their winter festivals, they would decorated oak trees with apples and burning candles as a way of offering thanks to the gods who gave them sunlight and food.
Among plants that were sacred to the Druids were mistletoe and holly. Mistletoe is a parasitic plant which is found high in the branches of certain oak trees. To harvest it, the Arch Druid had to reach up and remove it, careful to make sure that it didn't touch the ground and lose its magic properties. They believed that the plant could cure illness, produce fertility and help to make peace with one's enemies. A kiss beneath the mistletoe symbolized the end of grievances. The holly plant was believed to have special magical powers to ward off evil spirits.
So if you are like me erecting a Yule Tree over the summer holidays, bear in mind that it doesn't have to be just a representation of a Christ - mass, it can be a representation of what the tree was originally intended for: a symbol of life, rebirth, a time of peace and of giving thanks for our good fortune.
References:
http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Tr-Wa/Trees-in-Mythology.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_mundi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_%28mythology%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_life_%28Kabbalah%29
http://www.ancient-yew.org
http://www.christmas-treasures.com/duncan_royale/Collection/SantaIII/Druid.htm
http://www.zenzibar.com/articles/christmas.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree
http://www.christmastrees.on.ca/ednet/lesson1.html
by Janine Donnellan
Trees have played an important role in many of the world's mythologies and religions, and they have been given profound spiritual and mystical meanings throughout the ages. Trees offer a sense of mystery, and our association of known myths with particular trees fuels this. This association takes place not only on a species level but also in geographical terms and with individual trees. In mythology, trees take on magical powers and become the centre of our fascination.
Trees in mythology offer us a mystical reminder of states of being so wondrous as to be beyond our comprehension. There is an uncanny inquisitiveness about such a concept that it leads us to hold up the image of some trees as worthy of reverence. The tree has become the witness to and often the centre of profound spiritual happenings. The most ancient cross-cultural symbolic representation of the mystery of the universe's construction is the world tree.
World Tree
The World Tree is a motif present in several religions and mythologies, particularly Indo-European religions. In many myths, the tree is a vital part of the structure of the universe. Gods and their messengers travel from world to world by climbing up or down the tree.
The image of a tree provides an axis symbol that unites three planes. This is known as the axis mundi (also cosmic axis, world axis, world pillar and centre of the world) and is an omnipresent symbol that crosses human cultures. The spot functions as a focal point from which everything else revolves.
The World Tree therefore expresses a point of connection between sky and earth where the four compass directions meet: its branches reach for the sky, its trunk meets the earth, and it roots reach down into the underworld. The tree therefore serves as a symbolic living link between this world and those of the three worlds. Its roots are in the Lower World, also known as the underworld or world of the dead, where one goes to talk with ancestors, to find lost information, or to find information about diseases and other things to do with the physical body. The trunk of the tree is known as the Middle World and the trunk encompasses the physical world, four directions and their corresponding season. It is the magical version of our reality and we can visit it to solve everyday problems. The branches of the tree are in the Upper World. It is a place of the future, creativity and flight.
Yggdrasil Tree
The Norse believed that a tree runs like an axis, or pole, through this world and the realms above and below it. They called their World Tree Yggdrasill. It was a great ash tree that nourished gods, humans, and animals, connecting all living things and all phases of existence.
The Yggdrasil tree had three large roots, each one of which dipped into three different wells. The first root dipped into the waters of Mimir's spring. These waters were filled with wisdom. The second root lay in the Well of Urd, where mythical creatures weaved the fates of mankind and tended to the needs of the tree. The third root fell into the dark waters where a dragon tore gnawed unceasingly at the tree. Four stags nibbled hungrily at the tree's green buds, while goats tore at the bark. High in the branches an eagle sat with a hawk perched upon his brow. a squirrel scurried up and down the Ash all day carrying insults between the eagle above to the dragon below.
Tree of Life - Sacred Geometry
The Tree of Life is one of the most familiar of the Sacred Geometry Symbols. The structure of the Tree of Life is connected to the sacred teachings of the Jewish Kabbalah but can be seen 3,000 years earlier in Egypt. The Tree of Life structure can be seen in many places around the conscious universe. The Tree of Life is a mystical symbol used in the Kabbalah of esoteric Judaism to describe the path to the Divine and the manner in which the Divine created the world out of nothing. The Kabbalists developed this concept into a full model of reality, using the tree to depict a map of creation. The tree of life has been called the "cosmology" of the Kabbalah.
The Kabbalah Tree of Life is a representation of the thirty-two paths comprised of the ten sefirot and the twenty-two paths through which they run. The Tree of Life describes the descent of the divine into the manifest world, and methods by which the divine union may be attained in this life. It can be viewed as a map of the human psyche, and of the workings of creation, both manifest and not. It is based on the assumption that the pure nature of divinity is unity, and that the seemingly separate aspects or emanations exist only in view of the emanated, living in a state of illusory separation.
Pagan Origins of the Christmas Tree
Here in Australia, at the height of our Midsummer, millions of people are erecting and decorating plastic Christmas trees and the occasional weedy looking pine tree in anticipation of the Christmas day celebrations. I am quite certain that very few people actually give due consideration as to why we continue with this strange tradition, especially one that originated in the Northern Hemisphere where this time of year coincides with their winter solstice.
A Christmas tree, also known as a Yule tree, is one of the most popular traditions associated with the celebration of Christmas throughout the world. It is normally an evergreen coniferous tree (or plastic copy) that is brought into a home or used in the open, and is decorated with Christmas lights and colourful ornaments during the days around Christmas.
Did you know that many of the modern Christmas traditions began hundreds of years before Christ was born. Some of these traditions date back more than 4000 years. The addition of Christ to the celebration of the Winter Solstice did not occur until 300 years after Christ died and as late as 1800, in fact some devout Christian sects, like the Puritans, forbade their members from celebrating Christmas because it was considered a pagan holiday, which is absolutely correct, historically it was a pagan holiday. So what is the history behind these traditions?
The Christmas tree is derived from several solstice traditions. The symbolic meaning of Christmas trees originates in pagan culture where the evergreen represents life, rebirth, and stamina needed to endure the cold and hash winter months.
The Romans decked their halls with garlands of laurel and placed candles in live trees to decorate for the celebration of Saturnalia in honour of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans knew that the solstice meant that soon farms and orchards would be green and fruitful. To mark the occasion, they decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs. The Saturnalia was a special time of peace and equality when wars could not be declared, when slaves and masters could eat at the same table, and when gifts were exchanged as a symbol of affection and brotherhood.
In Scandinavia, they hung apples from evergreen trees at the winter solstice to remind themselves that spring and summer will come again. The evergreen tree was the special plant of their sun god, Baldor. At this time fir trees were also burned to commemorate the life that stirs even in the most frigid grips of winter. These traditions also marked the end of the old year and the beginning of a new year.
The ancient Egyptians worshipped many gods, their Sun God was called Ra, and he had the head of a hawk and wore the sun as a blazing disc in his crown. At the winter solstice, they would prepare for the coming of the Sun God by filling their homes with green palm rushes which symbolized for them the triumph of life over death.
In ancient Britain the Druids used to celebrate the Winter Solstice by keeping the Festival of Nolagh. It needs to be said at this point however, that there is little contemporary evidence for their practices as it was an oral tradition, and thus little can be said of them with assurance. It is believed that they observed this season in their great ringed temples at Stonehenge and Avebury. Many of our Christmas customs such as the Yule log, and the use of mistletoe and holly originated there.
There is one tree that was especially sacred to the Druids this was the mighty oak. During their winter festivals, they would decorated oak trees with apples and burning candles as a way of offering thanks to the gods who gave them sunlight and food.
Among plants that were sacred to the Druids were mistletoe and holly. Mistletoe is a parasitic plant which is found high in the branches of certain oak trees. To harvest it, the Arch Druid had to reach up and remove it, careful to make sure that it didn't touch the ground and lose its magic properties. They believed that the plant could cure illness, produce fertility and help to make peace with one's enemies. A kiss beneath the mistletoe symbolized the end of grievances. The holly plant was believed to have special magical powers to ward off evil spirits.
So if you are like me erecting a Yule Tree over the summer holidays, bear in mind that it doesn't have to be just a representation of a Christ - mass, it can be a representation of what the tree was originally intended for: a symbol of life, rebirth, a time of peace and of giving thanks for our good fortune.
References:
http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Tr-Wa/Trees-in-Mythology.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_mundi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_%28mythology%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_life_%28Kabbalah%29
http://www.ancient-yew.org
http://www.christmas-treasures.com/duncan_royale/Collection/SantaIII/Druid.htm
http://www.zenzibar.com/articles/christmas.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree
http://www.christmastrees.on.ca/ednet/lesson1.html
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Summer Pet Safety
Some dogs do get into trouble during the summer months. Today is the first day of summer and I want to talk to you about a couple of common problems that you need to be aware of.
Now that summer is here, families will be enjoying months of outdoor fun. Summer holidays are perfect for barbeques, picnics and pool parties, and families will spend more time outside playing with their pets.
To make the summer more enjoyable, pet owners need to be aware of summertime hazards that can result in injury or illness to your pet. Preventing these hazards can help you and your dog enjoy the carefree days of summer without a trip to the emergency vet clinic.

Here are 4 common summer hazards that you need to protect your dog from:
• Outdoor threats - There are many outdoor threats to dogs. Keep your pet leashed when you leave your yard. Taking your pet outdoors increases the likelihood of meeting other animals, so use a leash for your dog's safety and theirs. A fight with another pet or with any wild animal can result in cuts, lacerations or severe punctures. If these wounds are left untreated, complications can result. Dog bites and lacerations from fights are among the most common emergencies I see in our practices. The wounds can be simple to extensive and cost hundreds of dollars to treat. You need to be prepared for this type of emergency. If this type of unplanned expense would be difficult for you, consider pet insurance.
• Insects - Flies are more prevalent in the warmer months, and any injury to the skin, even something as small as an abrasion, can be a perfect place for flies to lay eggs. In a short time, these eggs hatch and become maggots. Keeping your pet clean and treating any skin injuries is crucial in avoiding maggot infestations.


• Antifreeze - As summer approaches, many people change the antifreeze/water mixture in their vehicles. Antifreeze tastes sweet to pets and is highly toxic. 



• Trash - Summer heat speeds up decay and decomposition, especially in the trash. Keep your dog away from garbage areas. Pets that have access to garbage or compost can ingest molds that cause significant nervous system abnormalities including severe tremors or seizures. Eating trash can also cause vomiting and diarrhea or pancreatitis from eating spoiled foods.
You never know when something bad is going to happen. Be prepared. Try to minimize hazards and keep your dog safe.
I hope these tips will help keep your dog safe this summer.
Until next time,
Dr. Jon
Now that summer is here, families will be enjoying months of outdoor fun. Summer holidays are perfect for barbeques, picnics and pool parties, and families will spend more time outside playing with their pets.
To make the summer more enjoyable, pet owners need to be aware of summertime hazards that can result in injury or illness to your pet. Preventing these hazards can help you and your dog enjoy the carefree days of summer without a trip to the emergency vet clinic.

Here are 4 common summer hazards that you need to protect your dog from:
• Outdoor threats - There are many outdoor threats to dogs. Keep your pet leashed when you leave your yard. Taking your pet outdoors increases the likelihood of meeting other animals, so use a leash for your dog's safety and theirs. A fight with another pet or with any wild animal can result in cuts, lacerations or severe punctures. If these wounds are left untreated, complications can result. Dog bites and lacerations from fights are among the most common emergencies I see in our practices. The wounds can be simple to extensive and cost hundreds of dollars to treat. You need to be prepared for this type of emergency. If this type of unplanned expense would be difficult for you, consider pet insurance.
• Insects - Flies are more prevalent in the warmer months, and any injury to the skin, even something as small as an abrasion, can be a perfect place for flies to lay eggs. In a short time, these eggs hatch and become maggots. Keeping your pet clean and treating any skin injuries is crucial in avoiding maggot infestations.


• Antifreeze - As summer approaches, many people change the antifreeze/water mixture in their vehicles. Antifreeze tastes sweet to pets and is highly toxic. 



• Trash - Summer heat speeds up decay and decomposition, especially in the trash. Keep your dog away from garbage areas. Pets that have access to garbage or compost can ingest molds that cause significant nervous system abnormalities including severe tremors or seizures. Eating trash can also cause vomiting and diarrhea or pancreatitis from eating spoiled foods.
You never know when something bad is going to happen. Be prepared. Try to minimize hazards and keep your dog safe.
I hope these tips will help keep your dog safe this summer.
Until next time,
Dr. Jon
9 Challenges of being a Witch
Nine Challenges of Being a Witch
This article was written by Amber K and Azrael Arynn K
posted under Pagan
Witches are different, and not just because we celebrate the Goddess and the Horned God under the full moon. The true Witch lives in a world apart from mainstream consciousness, thinks and perceives and feels differently about herself and the universe.
Yet we live among others with different beliefs, perceptions, attitudes, and rules—which can seem very alien to a Witch. We cannot speak for all Witches, but many of us are repelled by a culture that is sundered from nature and poisons the Earth… that believes in a single god who often appears jealous and judgmental… that worships science without understanding much of it, while denouncing magick as fantasy… that worships money and possessions, even as it claims the material world is sinful and impure… and that preaches brotherly love while tolerating racism, the oppression of women, poverty, and injustice worldwide.
We believe that a huge part of mainstream culture must be transformed, replaced, or jettisoned in order for one to live a magickal life. Choosing or creating another way of life is a monumental, never-ending task. As we seek to understand what lies before us, we can identify at least nine major challenges facing those who have chosen the path of Witchcraft.
Taking Self-responsibility: The real Witch takes responsibility for his or her actions and speech. We can't blame anyone else for the things we have done, the words we have spoken. We must lose the habit of blaming others for difficulties in our lives, no "The devil made me do it" nor "He made me feel so bad." We must not take refuge in fear or weakness, or the illusion that some hero or messiah will appear to fix our lives and make the world right. We ourselves cannot control the world, but can control ourselves—even our thoughts and feelings to a great extent. We must take responsibility for our self-care, our choices, and the way we live.
Living with Nature: Witches choose to recognize that we are part of nature, which is the incarnate body of the Goddess. All is sacred—plants, animals, rocks, other living things, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land upon which we stand. Therefore, to live in a sacred manner, we seek ways to exist in harmony with our ecosystem, and to attune the rhythms of our lives with the cycles of the seasons. Sometimes this means embracing silence, stillness, and non-action—letting things be in the natural world. Sometimes this demands that we change our habits and lifestyles in order to live more gently upon the earth. Sometimes this requires us to actively oppose those who would exploit, and destroy species, habitats, and resources. But at all times, we must be mindful and respectful, and seek to understand the world of which we are a part.
Facing Our Shadow Side: Witches need courage to face the negative aspects of life, both in the outside world and within ourselves. We cannot buy into the paradigm that the world would be all bunnies and rainbows, if it weren't for "other people," the enemy du jour. Part of this is accepting the reality of our own pain, fear, and anger, and taking responsibility for what we do with them. We must enter the shadowy realms in our own minds and hearts, facing and illuminating, healing and transforming what we find there into creative energy—instead of something that controls us from an inner darkness, driving us to folly against our best instincts and without our understanding.
Following a Different Ethic: Too many people follow laws and commandments without living in the spirit from which they sprang. Some do what is right only because they fear judgment. Some believe in "Doing unto others before they do unto you," and believe they can escape consequences of their actions. Witches live by the Rede, "An ye harm none, do as ye will," which counsels us to do nothing that will harm ourselves or others, insofar as that is possible. This is so much more difficult to accomplish than simply following a short list of rules. It takes knowledge and reflection, and it requires that we cherish ourselves and all living things, as well as our fellow humans. It requires that we think.
Being Free: Freedom is more than civil rights and physical freedom. As Witches we must think for ourselves, and refuse to be guided by corporate advertising, dogmatic religions, or political ideologues. We must seek emotional independence as well, free from codependency or other unhealthy relationships, or subservience to others. We need to avoid addiction to anything that diminishes us: adepts "have the use of everything, and are dependent on nothing." Freedom requires not only vigilance, but awareness, self-discipline and determination.
Having Faith: Our faith is not in prophets or church doctrine, in saviors or holy books. It is faith in the universe and in ourselves. Most of us trust that the Goddess provides, if we are willing to make a real effort. We believe that the wheel is always turning: sometimes life is hard and painful, sometimes joyous, but the cycles continue and the sun rises again. We believe the Goddess grants us freedom to find our true will, and once we commit to the path, she will open the gates to her infinite resources. As Goethe said,
"The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves as well…. Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."
We have faith that magic works, when we work.
Living in a Wider Reality: The consensual mainstream reality is based on limitation and fear. Though non-Witches are vaguely aware that we live a universe with hundreds of billions of galaxies, most limit their attention to the immediate physical world that can be felt, seen, or heard. Few are open to the many vibrational levels of existence, the astral planes or the shamanic underworld; the spirit realms of the nature devas, the Mighty Dead, the faery folk, and beyond. Witches accept a wider and deeper reality—one that is expansive, fluid, and magickal, filled with abundance and infinite possibility… as well as uncertainty, paradox, and the unknown. It takes a special kind of mind to imagine such a reality, let alone explore it.
Working Magick: From time to time, we see mainstream fads that attempt to convince the public that they can transform their lives and have anything they want, usually with little effort. The tools are called by many names, and they practically guarantee vast wealth, romance, and inner peace, usually with just a little positive thinking and visualization. However, Witches realize that the mastery of genuine magick takes much more than that. It requires deep self-exploration to discover ones True Will or spiritual calling. Magick also demands years of study and practice, and labor to act in accord with magickal operations so that the new reality can manifest. We have more power to affect change than most people realize, but we also recognize that there are no easy shortcuts.
Transforming Ourselves: "Everything She touches, changes." We embrace change instead of wanting things to stay the same–even change in ourselves. We seek to accomplish the Great Work. Eliphas Levi described it as "the creation of man by himself, that is to say, the full and entire conquest of his faculties and his future…." It is the highest purpose of magick, the goal of spiritual perfection, the mystical union of the Self and the All. There are many creative artists, writers, and musicians in Witchcraft, but the most challenging art of all is transforming ourselves. It requires great courage, and cannot be accomplished in one lifetime or perhaps many; yet it is the goal of the true magician and Witch.
Others will doubtless have different ideas about the Craft and what it asks of us, and that is a good thing, an essential thing. Uniformity of thought and belief has never been a hallmark of Witches, and we thank the Goddess for our diverse, original, maverick, and independent sisters and brothers in Wicca. We learn and grow from one another, and find wisdom.
In How to Become a Witch, we explore these issues further—the internal changes that one embraces to become a Witch in mind and heart. We invite you to explore this very challenging path with us—the path of Witchcraft.
This article was written by Amber K and Azrael Arynn K
posted under Pagan
Witches are different, and not just because we celebrate the Goddess and the Horned God under the full moon. The true Witch lives in a world apart from mainstream consciousness, thinks and perceives and feels differently about herself and the universe.
Yet we live among others with different beliefs, perceptions, attitudes, and rules—which can seem very alien to a Witch. We cannot speak for all Witches, but many of us are repelled by a culture that is sundered from nature and poisons the Earth… that believes in a single god who often appears jealous and judgmental… that worships science without understanding much of it, while denouncing magick as fantasy… that worships money and possessions, even as it claims the material world is sinful and impure… and that preaches brotherly love while tolerating racism, the oppression of women, poverty, and injustice worldwide.
We believe that a huge part of mainstream culture must be transformed, replaced, or jettisoned in order for one to live a magickal life. Choosing or creating another way of life is a monumental, never-ending task. As we seek to understand what lies before us, we can identify at least nine major challenges facing those who have chosen the path of Witchcraft.
Taking Self-responsibility: The real Witch takes responsibility for his or her actions and speech. We can't blame anyone else for the things we have done, the words we have spoken. We must lose the habit of blaming others for difficulties in our lives, no "The devil made me do it" nor "He made me feel so bad." We must not take refuge in fear or weakness, or the illusion that some hero or messiah will appear to fix our lives and make the world right. We ourselves cannot control the world, but can control ourselves—even our thoughts and feelings to a great extent. We must take responsibility for our self-care, our choices, and the way we live.
Living with Nature: Witches choose to recognize that we are part of nature, which is the incarnate body of the Goddess. All is sacred—plants, animals, rocks, other living things, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land upon which we stand. Therefore, to live in a sacred manner, we seek ways to exist in harmony with our ecosystem, and to attune the rhythms of our lives with the cycles of the seasons. Sometimes this means embracing silence, stillness, and non-action—letting things be in the natural world. Sometimes this demands that we change our habits and lifestyles in order to live more gently upon the earth. Sometimes this requires us to actively oppose those who would exploit, and destroy species, habitats, and resources. But at all times, we must be mindful and respectful, and seek to understand the world of which we are a part.
Facing Our Shadow Side: Witches need courage to face the negative aspects of life, both in the outside world and within ourselves. We cannot buy into the paradigm that the world would be all bunnies and rainbows, if it weren't for "other people," the enemy du jour. Part of this is accepting the reality of our own pain, fear, and anger, and taking responsibility for what we do with them. We must enter the shadowy realms in our own minds and hearts, facing and illuminating, healing and transforming what we find there into creative energy—instead of something that controls us from an inner darkness, driving us to folly against our best instincts and without our understanding.
Following a Different Ethic: Too many people follow laws and commandments without living in the spirit from which they sprang. Some do what is right only because they fear judgment. Some believe in "Doing unto others before they do unto you," and believe they can escape consequences of their actions. Witches live by the Rede, "An ye harm none, do as ye will," which counsels us to do nothing that will harm ourselves or others, insofar as that is possible. This is so much more difficult to accomplish than simply following a short list of rules. It takes knowledge and reflection, and it requires that we cherish ourselves and all living things, as well as our fellow humans. It requires that we think.
Being Free: Freedom is more than civil rights and physical freedom. As Witches we must think for ourselves, and refuse to be guided by corporate advertising, dogmatic religions, or political ideologues. We must seek emotional independence as well, free from codependency or other unhealthy relationships, or subservience to others. We need to avoid addiction to anything that diminishes us: adepts "have the use of everything, and are dependent on nothing." Freedom requires not only vigilance, but awareness, self-discipline and determination.
Having Faith: Our faith is not in prophets or church doctrine, in saviors or holy books. It is faith in the universe and in ourselves. Most of us trust that the Goddess provides, if we are willing to make a real effort. We believe that the wheel is always turning: sometimes life is hard and painful, sometimes joyous, but the cycles continue and the sun rises again. We believe the Goddess grants us freedom to find our true will, and once we commit to the path, she will open the gates to her infinite resources. As Goethe said,
"The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves as well…. Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."
We have faith that magic works, when we work.
Living in a Wider Reality: The consensual mainstream reality is based on limitation and fear. Though non-Witches are vaguely aware that we live a universe with hundreds of billions of galaxies, most limit their attention to the immediate physical world that can be felt, seen, or heard. Few are open to the many vibrational levels of existence, the astral planes or the shamanic underworld; the spirit realms of the nature devas, the Mighty Dead, the faery folk, and beyond. Witches accept a wider and deeper reality—one that is expansive, fluid, and magickal, filled with abundance and infinite possibility… as well as uncertainty, paradox, and the unknown. It takes a special kind of mind to imagine such a reality, let alone explore it.
Working Magick: From time to time, we see mainstream fads that attempt to convince the public that they can transform their lives and have anything they want, usually with little effort. The tools are called by many names, and they practically guarantee vast wealth, romance, and inner peace, usually with just a little positive thinking and visualization. However, Witches realize that the mastery of genuine magick takes much more than that. It requires deep self-exploration to discover ones True Will or spiritual calling. Magick also demands years of study and practice, and labor to act in accord with magickal operations so that the new reality can manifest. We have more power to affect change than most people realize, but we also recognize that there are no easy shortcuts.
Transforming Ourselves: "Everything She touches, changes." We embrace change instead of wanting things to stay the same–even change in ourselves. We seek to accomplish the Great Work. Eliphas Levi described it as "the creation of man by himself, that is to say, the full and entire conquest of his faculties and his future…." It is the highest purpose of magick, the goal of spiritual perfection, the mystical union of the Self and the All. There are many creative artists, writers, and musicians in Witchcraft, but the most challenging art of all is transforming ourselves. It requires great courage, and cannot be accomplished in one lifetime or perhaps many; yet it is the goal of the true magician and Witch.
Others will doubtless have different ideas about the Craft and what it asks of us, and that is a good thing, an essential thing. Uniformity of thought and belief has never been a hallmark of Witches, and we thank the Goddess for our diverse, original, maverick, and independent sisters and brothers in Wicca. We learn and grow from one another, and find wisdom.
In How to Become a Witch, we explore these issues further—the internal changes that one embraces to become a Witch in mind and heart. We invite you to explore this very challenging path with us—the path of Witchcraft.
J - Fish
Another Helpful Household Hint
Habondia
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ever notice how many cars you see today, bearing the Christian fish symbol on their trunk? Feel left out? Want to compete and brag about your religious affiliations? Well, we did, and you can, too, quite easily at that!
The "fish" symbol is the oldest of Christianity's symbology. Unlike most of the other symbologies which have their roots in Paganism, the fish was a sort of "secret sign" to identify the members of the heretical Jewish sect of followers of the man from Nazareth. The secrecy was because of persecution (sound familiar?) and I believe the symbolism had to do with several things - the disciples occupation as fishermen, and the hidden meaning in the letters which spelled "fish" in Greek.
Want to identify yourself, although somewhat obscurely? Go out and buy one of those fish emblems - the plain ones, without the letters inside the oval. Better if the package contains two such molded plastic stick-on emblems, if you are into the duality of Goddess/God. If you are only into Goddess, one will do.
First, we will make one into one of the oldest known Goddess symbols - the yoni! With a very sharp knife or fine toothed hacksaw or hobby saw (a razor saw used by railroad modelers is what I used), cut off both "tail fins" of the fish at point "X" on the diagram. Save the pieces - we'll use them later. (Dianics may discard the pieces now.
You may also melt them off with a hot tool or knife if you are working on plastic fish, and clean it up with a nail file or emery board. Turn this pointy-ended oval on end (points up and down), and VOILA! A YONI! The very first goddess figure devised in ancient times. Stick it upright on your trunk (or the trunk of your car, if it interferes with your clothing) and get the second "fish" to work on next.
To represent the Horned God, all you really have to do is up-end the remaining uncut "fish", fins up, and stick it alongside the Goddess yonic figure - it looks like the classic horned circle, though it is a bit pointed at the ends. If you'd like to emphasize the "fish fin" horns a bit, glue the pieces you cut off the other one, onto the ends of these, thereby lengthening them. Now stick this emblem right alongside the other one, and you have Goddess and God, side-by-each where all can see, and probably confuse a lot of those folks who are still displaying them as fish.
Don't pass up this chance to steal a symbol or two from them- they stole quite a few of ours. A little friendly competition is good to ease tensions. Perhaps we can start a new rage in auto kitsch. The Aquarian Tabernacle's church bus, the Blessed Bee, sports a large size, gold colored plastic Goddess and God right there (you guessed it) on the left hand side of the rear of the vehicle, for all to see and ponder!
Just another helpful household hint from Habondia.
Habondia
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ever notice how many cars you see today, bearing the Christian fish symbol on their trunk? Feel left out? Want to compete and brag about your religious affiliations? Well, we did, and you can, too, quite easily at that!
The "fish" symbol is the oldest of Christianity's symbology. Unlike most of the other symbologies which have their roots in Paganism, the fish was a sort of "secret sign" to identify the members of the heretical Jewish sect of followers of the man from Nazareth. The secrecy was because of persecution (sound familiar?) and I believe the symbolism had to do with several things - the disciples occupation as fishermen, and the hidden meaning in the letters which spelled "fish" in Greek.
Want to identify yourself, although somewhat obscurely? Go out and buy one of those fish emblems - the plain ones, without the letters inside the oval. Better if the package contains two such molded plastic stick-on emblems, if you are into the duality of Goddess/God. If you are only into Goddess, one will do.
First, we will make one into one of the oldest known Goddess symbols - the yoni! With a very sharp knife or fine toothed hacksaw or hobby saw (a razor saw used by railroad modelers is what I used), cut off both "tail fins" of the fish at point "X" on the diagram. Save the pieces - we'll use them later. (Dianics may discard the pieces now.
You may also melt them off with a hot tool or knife if you are working on plastic fish, and clean it up with a nail file or emery board. Turn this pointy-ended oval on end (points up and down), and VOILA! A YONI! The very first goddess figure devised in ancient times. Stick it upright on your trunk (or the trunk of your car, if it interferes with your clothing) and get the second "fish" to work on next.
To represent the Horned God, all you really have to do is up-end the remaining uncut "fish", fins up, and stick it alongside the Goddess yonic figure - it looks like the classic horned circle, though it is a bit pointed at the ends. If you'd like to emphasize the "fish fin" horns a bit, glue the pieces you cut off the other one, onto the ends of these, thereby lengthening them. Now stick this emblem right alongside the other one, and you have Goddess and God, side-by-each where all can see, and probably confuse a lot of those folks who are still displaying them as fish.
Don't pass up this chance to steal a symbol or two from them- they stole quite a few of ours. A little friendly competition is good to ease tensions. Perhaps we can start a new rage in auto kitsch. The Aquarian Tabernacle's church bus, the Blessed Bee, sports a large size, gold colored plastic Goddess and God right there (you guessed it) on the left hand side of the rear of the vehicle, for all to see and ponder!
Just another helpful household hint from Habondia.
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