If you want to improve your psychic abilities, undertake the following practices for 29 days. You can start at any time, but it will be easier to keep track if you start at the first of the month, or if you can start at a particular moon phase, as a complete cycle will return you back to that moon phase where you started.
Drink a cup of mugwort tea every day. Mugwort is an herb known to aid in psychic abilities, and it is common for some people to drink it as a tea. (check any for contrary recommendations for yourself) If mugwort is not your choice of herb, star anise also makes a good psychic herbal tea.
Take a picture of yourself and place it under a candle holder. Using a white candle of any kind, tealight, chime, or even a glass encased vigil candle. Fix the candle with Psychic Vision oil or Aunt Sally’s Lucky Dream oil. As the candle burns each day, spend 5-15 minutes sitting in silence and letting your inner voice communicate with you. This may take the form of visions, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, or just a knowingness.
To help with dreams, keep a dream journal. Keep it nearby while you sleep and whenever you wake up, whatever you recall of your dreams, write it down in the journal. If you don’t recall anything, write this down as well, as it shows that you’re wanting to recall and can stimulate recall. This journal can be a notebook, sketchbook, even an app on your phone, or sound recording.
During this 29 day period, take 4 spiritual baths using psychic vision or lucky dream bath crystals. Collect your bath water and dispose of it at a crossroads while facing towards the rising sun.
To help with dreams, you can write down the 23rd Psalm on a sheet of paper. Fold this up and place it under your pillow while you sleep. This will help bring fortunate dreams that can give you insight, lucky numbers, guidance to resolve problems and many more.
During and towards the end of the 29 days, you will find your psychic abilities to have increased and noticeably as well as an increase in dreaming and lucky or prophetic dreams.
Recently on social media I saw a post about the phrase “May you live in interesting times” and a reminder that the phrase is meant as a curse. The poster than followed this by saying their blessing was “May you living in boring, peaceful times” which I found a little lackluster, so I offer this up to the world. May you live in Peaceful and Prosperous times. I think people forget about the benefits of peace, tranquility and calm. Free from stress. Able to focus. You can rest, you can heal, you can recharge.
Another approach to finding personal empowerment can be found in western astrology. In his 3 books of Occult Philsophy, Cornelius Agrippa explains that all peope have a spirit or angel is assigned to them when they are born. By seeking out your personal angel or good spirit of your natal chart, you bring bring about an increase of good luck and fortune, gain advice, and numerous other benefits.
The key to this is spirit is understanding the nature of this spirit, which falls under one of the 7 Classical Planets ie Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter or Saturn. There are many ways to do this. The simplest method is to look at the planet that rules the cusp of the 11th house. The sign on that cusp, and it’s exact degree can be examined to determine the which planet rules that house. In Hellenic astrology, the name of the 11th house was the Agathodaimon or the Good Spirit. Thus why the Lord of the 11th house is an indicator of the nature of the Good Spirit. The sign that rules this house has a ruling planet. The ruling planet is also the planet that your Good Spirit falls under. So if your 11th house ruler is Libra, then Venus is the nature of your Good Spirit. If the ruler was Capricorn, then Saturn is the nature of the good spirit. This is a simple method, but it can be made more precise with a detailed look into the most influential planet at that degree. For example, in Capricorn, at specific degrees of Capricorn, the planetary ruler of that degree might actually be Mars, as Mars is exalted in Capricorn and certain degrees have more Mars influence than Saturn.
Another method is determining the almuten figuris of your natal chart. This is a bit more complex method as it requires identifying several specific points in your natal chart. Even this method also has some variations. The foundational method is to identify the position of your natal Sun, Moon, Ascendant, Point of Fortune, and Syzygy. While the first three may be more familiar to people, the Point of Fortune and the Syzygy is not commonly talked about. The Point of Fortune is a calculated point. It is determined by looking at the distance from the Sun and Moon. This distance is then applied to the Ascendant, and it’s end point is the Point of Fortune. Depending upon if you were born at or night, the calculation will change, with it starting at the Sun in a day chart, and starting with the Moon in a night chart. The Syzygy is the position of the moon when it was Dark or Full before the time in the chart. Of course, if your moon is Dark, or Full, in your natal chart, then your moon position is also your syzygy. So, if the moon is waxing in your chart, then your syzygy will be the previous dark moon, and if the moon is waning, it will be the previous full moon. All of these points are examined, and added by which planets have dignities in them. All the dignities are calculated together, Rulership, Exaltation, Triplicity, Term and Face. In some systems, they will also include the planetary Day, and the Hour as well, and also the house the planet occupies in the natal chart, as some houses are considered to be more influential than others. A planet in the first house is much stronger than a planet in the 3rd house for example. The planet with the highest sum is considered the Almuten Figuris, or the Ruling planet of the Natal chart, and this planet thus also indicates the nature of the angel or good spirit of the natal chart.
With this method, sometimes the ruling planet may surprise you. The influence of day, hour and house can take a relatively weak planet and make it a powerhouse over a planet in rulership, but in a weak house, and lacking day and hour. This is not a bad thing however, and it can indicate that your fortune and spiritual advancement lays with the nature of that planet, which might require you to break out self imposed limitations and see things differently.
Once you know that planet, you can then start to reach out to call that spirit more closely into your life. For your consideration I will include simple connections on how you can construct and personalize the ritual, based upon your ruling planet.
For the Moon – You should start on a Monday, in the hour of the Moon. Moonrise, especially during a full moon, and also when the Moon is at the zenith of the sky during a full moon are also good times to commence or perform this ritual. White candles are recommended, but other colors can work as well, like silver, and pale or pastel colors, especially pastel blues, pastel pinks, pastel yellows, and pastel greens. A good incense to use is Jasmine, but camphor is also a good option. You can also make or purchase a complex incense blend for the moon. I also recommend using a planetary oil of the moon. A camphor oil blend can work well, as well as jasmine, or mugwort, and again there are also complex oil blend recipes online, and many shops sell such blends as well.
For the Sun – You should start on a Sunday, in the hour of the Sun. the first hour is at sunrise, but the 2nd Sun hour is often a little bit after Noon, so also choosing High Noon, when the sun is at the sky’s zenith is also a good choice. Candle colors of yellow, orange, gold, or white are recommended. A good incense is frankincense, but I also find that warm amber incenses draw forth solar influence quite well. A Sun incense blend that you make or purchase is also a good option. You can make a Sun oil with bay leaves and olive oil, or using the essential oil of bay laurel in olive oil that works very well. Other solar plants like St John’s wort works well, Sunflower petals, calendula petals, chamomile and angelica root also make a good solar oil.
For Mercury – You should start on a Wednesday, in the hour of Mercury. As Mercury tends to follow the Sun closely, and is difficult to see against his bright light, those are the best times. Sometimes Mercury is acting as the morning or evening star, and you can time this work to those periods as well, if you want to go to that effort. The candle colors I recommend are shades and tints of purple, brown, orange or gold, or rainbow or mixed colors, or sparkling candles ie glitter coated. I like holographic glitter, but any glitter will work. I find mercury works well with cinnamon incense, mastic resin, elemi resin, or storax if you can find them. A mercury oil can also be made from the same resins or from cinnamon EO. Anis, fennel, celery seed essential oils also make a good oil or incense.
For Venus – The day and hour of Venus works well, as does locating Venus as the Morning or Evening Star. Venus also doesn’t get very far from the sun, but when it is far away, it is often taking the position of one of these stars, and it can work well to invoke your Venusian spirit when those stars are visible above the horizon. The colors for Venus that I recommend are rich Green, rich or intense Pink, White, Turquoise, Blue-Green, Peach. I highly recommend a Rose incense and Rose scent in your oil, but Vanilla also works well, and any floral scent that you can enjoy. Orris oil aka Queen Elizabeth root oil is also a good.
For Mars – The day and hour of Mars. If you want to track Mars, he can be apparent at night and you can time him for when he rises above the horizon, or when he reaches the Zenith of the sky as well. The color of Mars is Red. No other color is really recommended. I prefer using the Pine as an incense, but Musk also resonates well with Mars. If you can afford dragon’s blood resin, that is also favored by Mars in my experience. For the oil, An herbal oil can be made with Basil, known to be a mars plant, but if you want something floral Tobacco flower makes a good scent although expensive essential oil. Just macerating hot dried chilis in oil can also make a good Mars oil.
For Jupiter – The day and hour of Jupiter, and also when Jupiter rises, or when Jupiter is at the zenith of the sky. The colors for Jupiter is royal blue, or cerulean blue, white or gold. The incenses I recommend is cedarwood, sandalwood, fir or juniper, or just burn powdered nutmeg on charcoals. A single scent Jupiter oil can be made from any of the incenses as well.
For Saturn – The Day and Hour of Saturn, or when Saturn rises or reaches the zenith of the sky. The colors for Saturn is primarily black, but shades (that is colors that have some black in them) of Green, dark greys, darker earth tones, and also White. For incense I prefer using Myrrh, but I also enjoying using Patchouli for it’s rich dark earth notes, if you want something unusual, Valerian root also makes a good incense, although it smells like feet in enough concentration. A good oil for Saturn can also be made with Patchouli, or Vetiver, of which the root is used to make the essential oil. Valerian root essential oil also makes a good Saturn oil.
As part of any of the rituals, I recommend making an offering of clean water in addition to the incense. Just about any spiritual being enjoys clean water, as a means to refresh itself. A simple blessing over the water is enough, in a clean glass.
You can call out the spirit through prayers, conjurations to the planets, poetry of the planets etc. A popular form is using the Orphic Hymns, which have hymns dedicated to the Graeco Roman Gods associated with the planets. You can also find prayers and invocations to spirits of the planets and then ask them to connect you with your natal spirit. The Olympic spirits, The Archangels of the Planets, The Planetary Intelligences and Spirits, and more. You can also freeform or compose your own prayer or evocation.
In Agrippa he also gives a method to determine the name of this spirit. It can be done using any alphabet, but Agrippa gave examples using Hebrew and Latin. Essentially each degree is assigned a letter, starting with A at the first degree of Aries, and repeating until the last letter at the final degree of Pisces. Then look to the previous planets and points ie Sun, Moon, Ascendant, Point of Fortune, Syzygy. Those points will give you the letter that make up the name of your spirit. This may not have any vowels in it, so you can use your own inspiration to fill in vowel sounds, or just make your best guess. You can also forgo this method, and just reach out the spirit, until it gives you a name to use.
You should repeat this ritual every week, on the same day and hour, until you feel certain you have made contact with your natal spirit. This can take many forms. It may come with a vision, or a dream. It may come as a knowingness, or as a clairaudient experience where you hear a voice speaking to you, and answering your questions and aiding you. It may happen quickly with just one session. For myself it took 9 months, starting on the Winter Solstice and finishing on the Autumnal equinox. Your mileage may vary.
If you want to know your almuten figuris and other information, I can calculate it for you. Book your consultation here.
Spiritual alignment is a big thing in today’s practices. Many books will give instructions in various systems that are about aligning your metaphysical anatomy. Alignment with certain spirits is also pointed to a desirable state, such as certain guides or the Holy Guardian angel, or spirits of various traditions that “rule” over the practitioner. One could embrace one practice, or embrace multiple practices. Very seasoned and experienced practitioners will often have regular practices that help to keep them aligned, from meditation, visualization, energy work, etc…Many authors, practitioners etc will report that oftentimes just doing the work of alignment will produce many desirable effects. For the beginner however, looking to start on their path, often the process of moving into alignment is a difficult process. Looking for a new way to satisfy the spiritual longing that they feel, which is no longer being supplied by previous experiences or practices. How does one find alignment and their way to move forward? My experience was primarily through self taught and practice through reading, and putting what I read into practice, in order to have those experiences. Reading a lot of books can be useful for those that enjoy reading, but not everyone likes that, or may find it challenging.There are other sources of information, this is the Age of Information after all, and being able to turn to multiple sources or finding sources that will support your best learning style. Books are just one source, and just like any other source, problematic or questionable information can be promoted through books. This also applies to blogs (such as yours truly) but youtube videos, tiktoks, twitter, podcasts, websites and more. You can find quality information and you can also find problematic information. The process of searching, and experimenting with practices from these sources in and of themselves can be a process of alignment. You may jump around a lot, trying out new and different practices that appeal to you in the moment. You may find one practice that appeals to you, and dedicate yourself to doing it regularly. I honestly recommend most people to try out as many things as possible, especially if they are just curious or starting out. Some people may recommend only to read certain books or only to listen to certain podcasts, etc, but I find that personal experience is the best teacher. Even if at the beginning you get involved in questionable stuff, you can learn from that experience and recognize the problems, and see them in other material before. You can develop discernment and critical thinking and analysis to separate out the garbage from the gold, or the material that aligns with you from the material that doesn’t align. If you’re lost or wandering, and you’re looking for a spiritual path, here is a ritual to help you find your path. The ritual is done during the full moon. The reason for using the moon in this spell is because the part of the symbolism of the moon in astrology is helping travelers, which in a metaphorical way applies to opening roads and helping people on their path, whether it is a literal path, or a spiritual path.
For this ritual you’ll need
Water
Wine
Bread (rolls are easiest to use)
Incense (any kind, sticks or cones included)
White candle (tealights, a short taper, a votive or a large vigil candle)
Olive oil (or any oil in a pinch)
Bowl (optional)
At night, under the full moon, when the moon is rising in the sky, or at its zenith, stand in the moon’s light. You can do this outside on the ground, or inside by a window, under a skylight, or if you have some kind of atrium. If you’re outside, dig a shallow hole. Look at the moon and praise it, for its light, its fullness, how it governs the tides etc… Pour out some of the water, and some of the wine. Take the bread and tear it in half and offer up both halves. Light the incense and wave it attractively around for a bit.. Anoint the candle with oil. Place the candle in a holder and light the candle. Make a gesture that indicates you’re offering this to the moon. Visualize the offering growing and multiplying until it covers the earth. Tell the moon thank you for its presence, and for its blessings, and ask it to open and guide you to the spiritual path that is right for you. Drink some of the water, some of the wine, and eat some bread. Relax under the moon’s light and visualize its light filling your body, from your head to your toes, and aligning you with the spiritual currents that are right for you. Perhaps visualize yourself floating gently on a calm river, the current taking you towards your spiritual destination. Do this as long as you feel you want to. When you feel finished just refill the hole, clean up, and go home. If you did it at home, clean up, and take the contents of the bowl outside and dispose of it at the base of a large and healthy tree.
After this you may receive dreams, or signs, or just find things falling into place for your spiritual path, etc.… This may take many forms, but the strongest indicator is when you feel a clear and strong sense that an event that occurs is a sign, and that the information is very clear, and doesn’t require a lot of intense questioning to make sense of. If a dream isn’t clear, just document it, and go on. Many small events may also occur which will slowly shift you towards your path.
You’re “trad” isn’t any older then Wicca. “Trad Craft” is not ancient. It is as much an invention of the early 20th century as Gardnerian Wicca.
Only the Golden Dawn, and the OTO and related traditions are relatively new, although, they are older then Gardnerian and “Trad Craft” having started in the late 19th century.
The Grimoires, the 3 books of Occult Philosophy by Cornelius Agrippa, The books of Astrological magic and thought written by various authors, the Picatrix, and other classics of Hermetic Philosophy, are older then “Trad Craft” The PGM is older then “Trad Craft.” The roots of Hermeticism in Mediterranean Antiquity are older then “Trad Craft.” The Vedas, various Sutras, Mahabharata is older then “Trad Craft.” The Chaldean Oracles are older the “Trad Craft.” Actual Folk Magic of actual specific cultures from around Europe, and in the United States is older then “Trad Craft” and some of them are living traditions that are practiced to this day.
But, None of this matters, In my day to day life, and interactions with spiritual workers of all types, I rarely if ever need to mention it, because I don’t need the the claims of “antiquity” or “Tradition” or “Old” to feel good about my spiritual practice. I’m fine with it being modern, because it works for me. But I also like to be informed about whatever everyone else is doing, has done, and is thinking about doing, because it keeps me from thinking I’ve invented the wheel, when everyone around me is already driving cars.
Stop thinking you’ve invented the wheel “trad craft.” We’re all driving in cars, while you’re excited that you can roll something along.
My post is not a rebuttal, but an ad joiner to the possible undesired experience that come from seeking connection with local spirits.
5) Just because a spirit is there, doesn’t mean it wants to “work” with you.
For one thing, let me clarify a term. In conversations I have had with other spiritualist minded folks and people who get into trying to chat up spirits, there is a difference between veneration and “working”. Veneration can be very simple, is pretty much devotional, and doesn’t expect much between the two parties except for a simple exchange of “pleasantries” and expressions of good will. Of course, if you get a negative feedback, it maybe because you have offended said local spirit, but we’ll get to that later. Generally veneration is just a way to say “hi” and “thanks for all that you do” and “lets be friendly and polite with each other”. Venerating ancestors, venerating local spirits, venerating Gods, and heroes and every thing else. It’s all just a way of making nice. This niceness can lead to “working” and help build relationships that can be quite beneficial in the future, and possibly even buy you a Free pass when you make a mistake, but don’t always count on it.
“Working” indicates that there is a request being made of a specific variety and purpose to a specific end for your benefit. Whether it is protection, wealth, love, knowledge etc…, what makes it different is the specificness and that you are making a specific request for something you want accomplished. Often it will entail behavior on your part that reciprocates to the spirit that you are willing to work for them. A number of spiritual beings are known to be workers, who are quite open to requests for things. Gods, Saints, Angels, Demons etc… and there are books quite busting at the seems with them. But local spirits, you’ll notice, don’t seem to function that way universally, for everyone in the same way that say, St. Expedite can for so many people. One person can have a great relationship with a local spirit, and another person may get bubkis. That’s just the way it seems to go. Just because you are aware of spirit that is tied to a certain local, doesn’t mean it wants to work with you, and it will often make that perfectly clear as soon as you attempt to connect with it.
4) Just because a spirit is there, doesn’t mean it’s going to know a lot of about anything in the area.
Or for that matter, be able to communicate it in a useful or intelligible way. A spirit of the tree is mostly going to know about Tree things, and if it notices if someone stole your bike or not, will have more to do with if that bike thief happened to interact with the tree shortly before or after. If you happened to have your bike chained to the tree, it’s only thought maybe “heavy earth thing was leaning against me and now it’s not” and that’s about it. Of course a larger local spirit (say of the park) might notice, but unless your bike was important to it for some reason, why should it even care. Unless you interact with a local spirit that has vested interest in human affairs and a reasonably intelligible way to understand and communicate it, you’re really not going to get much. It is for this reason that you’ll notice a lot of cultures often have a greater spirit of a particular thing (plants, animals minerals etc…) that is often more understanding of humanity and better able to connect with it. Most people, in my experience, are usually connecting with the larger overarching spirit then the much more limited spirit of the specific object, plant, mineral, animal or place and those spirits are not “local” per se.
3) Most local spirits could give about two cents to you and your issues
this of course, ties in nicely with my last point. While the various local spirits might be quite appreciate of offerings, veneration and devotions done to them, and thus you might get them to be more favorable inclined to you, which could generally make your going about in the locale easier over all, when it comes to specifics (theft, health, wealth, love, etc..) you know, all those things that humans value in interacting with other humans, local spirits quite literally don’t understand, or for some of the larger ones, don’t care. If there is some kind of human pandemic experience going around, it might peak some of the larger more understandings ones interests (like high murder or suicide rate, or a larger number of clinically depressed) because being that we are part of their environment that they govern that might be somewhat invested in it being harmonious for everyone, but the local tree spirit, rock spirit, spirit in the park, is going to be completely uncaring to your issues, if they understand them at all. If they are even open to working with you, they might still not understand something, unless you explain it in as naturalistic terms as possible (literally think birds and bees and pollen and trees people) otherwise, you’re going to get a kind of shoulder shrug, if anything at all.
2) They have needs that you can never provide for.
Do you know how to pollinate a flower? Probably not. Even if you do know, do you have the time and patience to do it for every flower during a 3 month period? I’m guessing not. What about trees? Or, the local watering hole? Maybe you could organize a community event to help clean it up if it was dirty or only barely polluted with trash, but if the spirit is telling you it wants to flow over there, and not there, I think you’re going to have a problem convincing those people in their nice homes to make way for the creek you feel ought to build. Generally, if you’re getting a quite possibly impossible request from a local spirit, it’s politely telling you to Go away! Because it doesn’t have time for your nonsense, human.
1) Just because a spirit is tied to specific locale doesn’t mean it’s smaller.
There is such a thing as Local Gods. These being are Gods, Divine beings in their own right, who don’t need to be worshiped or venerated because their divinity comes from their locale. Perhaps a shrine might exist to them (like in Japan, or China or places that have long standing animistic spiritualist traditions) but generally there won’t be one, and they don’t really need it. You might be able to identify it with some dowsing, but it could very well be very hard to reach, and the local god may not want you to reach it in the first place. So, they being a local God can really make things miserable for you if you offend them, much like any god, and more then likely, they will be much more easier to offend and will stay offended longer then a more transcendent Divine being that is not tied to specific location. The Spirit of the The City you live in, the spirit of your neighborhood, even the spirit of your building (which in very large apartment buildings can be quite powerful) and of course, there could be more natural spirits of ecosystems and environments that are quite mighty and powerful. If you ever notice that when you enter into some areas that you get lost easier, seem to have ongoing problems with minor nuisances (insects, muddy puddles, bumps in the road, tripping over roots) is probably because the local spirits find something about you vaguely offensive. You could try to clear it up, make an offering and appease them, and can work, but some people just don’t like some people no matter what. You just plain smell bad to them, and they will never like you and they have no compunctions about making their dislike and displeasure known. You may not experience this if you only visit, especially to a major city or tourist area, but if you try to stay and settle in, is when the problems start to occur.
Of course, there are other smaller beings, but they are often in league with the larger beings of the area, and will tend to take directions from the “top” on down. They might be willing to work with at first, but after some time, will be less friendly and sociable if your general essence is just not compatible with the local area. If that is the case, you’re probably better off moving, then trying to make a go at it. Good luck explaining that to your friends and family who moved with you, or the cost of the move in the first place.
It is also my experience that smaller spirits are far more dramatic and showy then the non-time space fixed transcendent beings. Most hauntings are caused by smaller spirits, not by gods and actual major demons (despite the name they toss around). To make a ready and known comparison, think of a Midsummer’s night dream. Oberon doesn’t do the dirty work himself, he sends Puck, a servant, to do it for him. A similar situation will apply in naturalistic settings. Most major local spirits won’t do something directly if they can avoid it. They will send a representative to do it for them. Of course, if you enter into an actual working relationship with one, you may very well end up being that representative from time to time as part of your deal in desire fulfillment.
Finally, for some people, in some situations, none of this, both helpful or harmful will hold true. Some people are, as I like to call it, Unicorns. Gifted mediums who are favorably received by all spirits. People gifted with spiritual authority, that allows them to work better with spirits, and perhaps from time to time, command them when needed. Others are favored by the land, or the Gods, or a God and in certain situations that favor will manifest things for that that others will never receive within the Land, or Gods, or God. Your mileage may vary.
I love herbs. My mom is a gardener and growing up with a garden with plants growing and herbs all around has always been interesting to me, although spading and working the soil was not my favorite thing as a kid. When I discovered the magic of herbs, I jumped at it, and one of my first entries in my magical workbook was several pages about herb lore. Although it would be a while before I really started doing a lot with herbs, when I started cooking regularly, they also become a favorite way to give flavor, depth and interest to dishes.
Herbs (which for me cover everything like seeds, barks, roots, petals, flowers, stamens and leaves) have a multitude of means of putting them to work in practical sorcery While I don’t always think about magical relationships with herbs while cooking, sometimes the symbolism I find can be quite potent. An apple pie with cinnamon or clove can be clever and tasty way to deliver a love spell. A good marinara sauce seasoned with basil, rosemary and sage can help to promote peace and blessings among the inhabitants of a home. Make a protection soup with white mustard, black pepper and that ubiquitous pinch of salt, which can both be magical and flavorful. A cup of chamomile tea can be soothing and relaxing, but also help bring luck, especially with money.
Of course, there are more ritualized methods of working with herbs as well, that are not so subtle. Making a herbal blend which you then boil or steep in hot water to make a magical bath. For cleansing I have a preference for sage (the garden variety) hyssop and eucalyptus leaves. For love, Rose petals, lavender buds, and some rosemary make for a gentle love drawing bath that smells quite green and floral. For something a bit more spicy, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom made into a strong tea and then bathed in can also bring a bit for physical enjoyment. You can also just simmer the above spices, or a pumpkin spice blend in a pot of water to get the scent to fill the home before an amour comes over to visit. Similarly a bath in cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice can help to draw wealth and good fortune. You can also bath in chamomile tea, which creates a bath of golden water, a very striking image of as you are bathing in gold.
While not as commonly used by many people, powders are a good way to apply magic. A practice that comes mainly from African American folk traditions, it is often overlooked by people outside of tha tradition, except for well known powders like Hotfoot Powder or Goofer Dust, two powders used to curse people, either to drive them away, or to potentially kill them. You can also use simple powdered herbs for their effects. Putting a pinch of ground black pepper and then a pinch of salt in your shoes can help to protect you from harm, shielding you from curses that have been laid down where you walk. The first time I did this, I almost jumped when I put my shoes on, because I immediately felt this surge of power go through, as though some residual negative energy have been cast out from me. Of course, there are other powdered herbs. You should take a pink of powdered cinnamon and lay it down underneath your door mat, to bring wealth to your home, a good practice if you also have a home business. Laying powdered herbs down that relate to your intention in the 4 corners of your home or property is a good way to reinforce magic performed on that area to help establish protection, blessings, or good fortune in the home or property. You can also use powdered herbs in rituals, using them to lay down symbols that connect to the herbs powers, which are serve to further reinforce your intention and focus. The most recognized one would be a circle of protective herbs, perhaps mixed together, which then marks a boundary for a ring of candles that surround a single candle, used in a spell for protection. When the candles have all burned out, collect the powder again, and carry it with you for protection, or sprinkle it around your home or the place to be protected.
There is a multitude of ways of using herbs, and I hope I have laid out some less commented upon methods here to inspire your imagination when working with herbs in magic.
Hagalaz is the rune that marks the beginning of the second aettir of Elder and Anglo-Saxon Futharks. It’s name is usually translated as Hail. That frozen precipitation that falls from the sky in some parts of the world. I have been in a few hail storms, and usually very small pellets of hail, about the size of BB gun pellets. Mostly I have been inside, where it does make quite the din, but apparently being caught outside in such a storm is unpleasant, although only mildly as the tine stones beat against your face, head and exposed skin, as their descent from the sky causes them to be moving at very high rate of speed as they accelerate towards the earth.
There is the other hail storms, where hail stones can be as big as baseballs or softballs, and these hail storm can do significant damage to property, people and animals, as they are also moving quite fast, and being larger, can pack particularly more destructive power when they do so. If you have been fortunate enough to not live through one, here is a google image search link to help you.
For me at least, that is the lesson of Hagalaz. Destruction. Destruction that leaves only things that can barely be salvaged in it’s wake. What is left after the Hagalaz storm? Well, apparently ice that melts down into water, which can be beneficial to any crops that survive of the beating, and not much else. It is after the storm passes that is the important time to rebuild though, because what is left, is strong. It is durable. It has withstood the storm and can continue forward. The weakness has been cast away and it leaves only room for the strong to grow, prosper and move forward. If you were to use Hagalaz against a foe, and that foe manages to walk away at the end, you better hope is lesson in survival taught him to think better then messing with you ever again, and perhaps to follow a new path. Otherwise, he won’t be so easy to eliminate if there is a next time.
Geomancy is the word which I use to refer to a method of divination. It was a method that seems to have originated from Arabic lands, where it goes by the name khat al raml and many others. From this name it was translated into Greek as Geomancy meaning “earth divination” It reached it’s heyday in Europe during the middle ages and the renaissance, and like many other occult arts, dwindled with the flowering of the Age of Reason. During it’s hey day, it was widely practiced and a number of authors wrote treatises about it, even more so then most other methods of divination. It was mainly very easy to use, unlike astrology which required complex calculations and instruments to view the sky, or other methods of sortilege, like card reading, which means you needed to have cards on hand (which not everyone did). At it’s simplest all you needed was some kind of blank field that you could use to make dots which could be used to count and create the figures that build a geomantic reading.
There are sixteen figures used in geomancy. During the middle ages and Renaissance in Europe, these figures were identified with astrological forces, with each classical planet being given two figures, and two more figures attributed to the North and South nodes of the Moon. Each of the figures are composed for 4 lines, which will have either one or two marks. One mark is an indication of active energy in that line and the presence of that force. Two marks are the indication of passive energy of that line, and the absence of inactivity of that force. From top to bottom the lines are named Head, neck, body, feet. They are also identified with the four classical elements from top to bottom of Fire, air, water, earth. These lines and their elemental values, combined with the planetary symbolism, help to give depth to a reading, but also in understanding the symbolism of each sign and it’s interaction with the world and with other signs.
The two methods of using the figures were in generating charts. The oldest and most traditional method is known as a shield chart, which requires one to generate 4 figures, however you wish to do that. These four figures are identified as “mothers” and from them the rest of the figures of the chart are created, about 11 or 12 figures, depending upon the inclusion or exclusion of a final figure. From the mothers one generates 4 daughters and from the mothers and daughters are generated the Nieces, which are then used to generate two witnesses, which are combined to form the Judge. The Judge is considered the answer to the question, sometimes with an additional figure formed by combining the judge and first mother to form the Reconciler, which makes a total of 16 figures used in the chart. Additional methods of shield chart interpretation help to give more precise and particular answers through the relationship of the judge to other elements in the chart.
From the shield chart, a second chart can be generated, known as the house chart. This chart is based upon the 12 house system of astrology, where each sign is placed into a house. The most basic ordering is taking the 1st mother which is given to the first house, 2nd mother to the second house, 3rd mother to the third house etc… There are other methods of assigning figures, depending upon whose treatise you read, or your own insight from gaining proficiency and skill with it. From the house chart it is also possible to answer questions, which can further influence the indications given in the shield chart and also given more depth and precision to a reading.
I came into geomancy a few years ago when I discovered a newly published book by John Michael Greer. It talked about Earth magic and divination, and as I was very much feeling the earth magic vibe, I was very intrigued by the book title. That introduced me to this method and I quickly took to practicing it and using it as often as I could, in order to become proficient with casting charts and understanding the signs. I also was very taken to how simple the signs were, which can be easily used in making talismans for magic, calling upon the forces symbolized by the geomantic signs.
There does seem to be a rebirth for geomancy occurring right now. While this practice did disappear in the West (although it did survive in some interesting ways and get small revivals during other blossoming of interest in the occult) there are a good number of sources available. Quite a few books have been written, as well as academic research into it as a item of historical interest. It also seems that in Arabic countries, the practice of geomancy has never fulled disappeared. It also bears some resemblance to I Ching, but also methods if Ifa divination. Whether they are related, or only bear passing resemblance is not fully decided or clear yet to researchers. There are some geomancy groups in existence right now, which can be found in Yahoo and also on facebook, where people can share techniques, and get assistance with their interpretations of charts they have cast. Another great resource and modern intrepid explorer is Polyphanes over at Digital Ambler. His work with geomancy is quite fantastic and he does contemplate it in order to advance this once forgotten divinatory art.
In the Anglo Saxon Futhorc there are two G runes. One is pretty well known, as it is part of the re-created Elder Futhark, whereas the other one, whose inclusion as part of the Northumbrian extension, is a bit of am mystery of it’s presence.
The first one, appearing in the First aettir is Gebo or Gyfu. The gift. Part of my understanding behind this rune is the idea of exchange that creates connections. By exchanging gifts, you become friends, family, lovers, business partners, Governments and people that are governed. Connections are made. Contracts are agreed to. To be human, is to participate in the exchange of creating a social unit, a social unit which can be varied, diverse and complex, as you try to understand the exchange that you have with everyone, who all have different exchanges with each other. When the exchange fails to happen, when the gifts are not shared, is when that connection falls apart, and the social order separates. Sometimes this leads to divorce, or ending of friendships. Other times it creates wars between nations, or revolutions between people and their government. Thinking that you are independent, self made, or not reliant on other people is a mistake, because we all, in fact, rely on others all the time, and in this day and age, sometimes that exchange is so assumed or expected that it has become invisible, and thus forgotten and disrespected. Respect the exchange. Share your gifts. Only be sharing will betterment of yourself and others come about.
The second G rune, that of Gar, which means Spear. The spear was the oldest and most widely used weapon among Northern peoples. Lacking widespread availability of iron, swords were rare and usually reserved for the wealthy, and typically made of other metals. When Iron and steel swords became available, it was usually through trade with other cultures. But spears were easier to have and produce. Only the spearhead needed to be metal, and depending upon the length of the staff, it could be a weapon for close combat, or useful and dealing with distant foes or even keeping foes as a distance.
Yet, at the same time, the spear could be a metaphor for many other things. It could be a symbol of the world tree, a pillar around which all of creation is upheld and revolves. It could also be the spear that marks the turning point of the heavens, now days identified with the star Polaris. The axis of the sky and creation, which everything either revolves around, or is turned by. The point of the spear is the center of all creation, the source and end, the beginning and ending. All potential and all realization exist there, and can be found. But it is also a blank slate, a tabula rasa. Nothing is written, but could be. There is only possibility and potential that can be formed and realized. So what will you do? Where will you go? What shapes and forms will you give release to and how will it change and affect you? Now you can create anew, just be sure of what you are creating.
RUNEWORKER 