Gypsy Magic

Invocation To Mother Gaia

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Sat, 25 May 2013 12:30:00 +0000

This spell is best performed outside in nature, in a secluded private place free from interruption. It can also be done indoors if an outdoor area is not possible. You will need your ritual items and/or items to represent the four elements, a crystal, and also some food and wine.

Cleanse your self and space before you begin the ritual. This could include a ritual bath, smudging, or any other method of cleansing that is comfortable for you.

Stand facing east and say:

''I call to the forces of air

to watch over my rite and to offer assistance and protection and to protect me from harm.

Hail and welcome''

Bow your head and turn to face the south, say again:

''I call to the forces of fire

to watch over my rite and to offer assistance and protection and to protect me from harm.

Hail and welcome''

Again bow your head and turn to the west repeating:

''I call to the forces of water

to watch over my rite and to offer assistance and protection and to protect me from harm.

Hail and welcome''

After bow in reverence to the element turn north and say:

''I call to the forces of earth

to watch over my rite and to offer assistance and protection and to protect me from harm.

Hail and welcome.''

If you use ritual tools, place them in their cardinal points. The wand in the east quarter, the dagger in the south, the cup to the west and the pentacle to the north. Note: If you do not use ritual tools, use representations of the four elements. These can be actual elements, such as a bowl of water to represent water, a potted plant to represent earth, etc - or something else that is meaningful to you.

Above the wand (element of earth) trace the invoking pentagram of earth and say:

''I invoke the power of earth,

I invoke the power of Gaia.''

See the pentagram of earth being burned into the air glowing with a pure brilliant white. Feel the power in you rise, when you can feel the pentagram there move on to the dagger and repeat. Also repeat this with the cup and the pentacle - or with each of the elemental objects you have placed in the four directions.

Go to the centre and see the pentagrams flaming and glowing about you. Stretch you arms above your head and look to the heavens and in a strong, clear voice with passion say:

''I invoke the power of my eternal spirit.

Invoke the power of Gaia''

At this point visualize white beams of light coming from the pentagrams surrounding you and meeting at the crown of your head. Feel the power root you to the earth let it flow throughout your whole being.

After this face the direction of earth, the north, and say again with feeling and heart:

''I come here today to celebrate and invoke the power of Gaia as she is reborn into the maiden. With her she brings new life, love and change. The wheel of the year turns yet again. I invoke you Gaia.''

Turn to the east and pick up your wand. Hold it in front of you and say:

''I invoke the airy nature of earth free flowing but still solid and strong.

I invoke you Gaia''

Again feel your power rise. Place the wand down and turn to the south. Hold your dagger high and say:

''I invoke the fiery nature of earth volatile and destructive.

I invoke you Gaia.''

Pace the dagger down and turn west.Hold aloft the cup and say:

''I invoke the watery nature of earth, subtle, in movement and of power.

I invoke you Gaia''

Place the cup down and turn to the north. Pick up your pentacle and say:

''I invoke the true nature of earth, solid, dense, grounding, powerful.

I invoke you Gaia''

Stay facing north go back to the centre and stand beneath the point where the pentacles have met up. Look upwards and say:

''I invoke the earth aspect of of my spirit.

I invoke you gia''

Pick up the crystal and hold it in front of you and say:

''This crystal is part of me, it comes from the earth.

I invoke you Gaia''

Now for the last invocation. The energies around you will be chaotic and rushing all aspects of earth represented feel them and then stabilize them and when you feel that this has been done say in a strong, loud and clear voice:

''Gia your child speaks to thee.I ask for your help, guidance, power, and protection.You are nature.You are Divine.I celebrate you in all your forms.Gaia i invoke you come into me. This is my will and my power so mote it be.''

Repeat the invocation until you feel an immense force come from beneath you and enter into your being. A feeling of change and manifestation will take over you. DO NOT FIGHT IT. Also gia will give you a word of power which you can use in rites and spells. Once this word is spoken the invocation is over and you shall return to your normal state. Approach the food and wine and say:

''Now to eat and drink in celebration of the Mighty Mother.''

Once you have finished. Thank the elements and gia and close the circle as you usually would or in whatever way feels right. With the power given to you from Gaia, you may wish to change some into a crystal, amulet or talisman in honour of her.

Found at Spells Of Magic

Celebrating the Mother of the World

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Sat, 25 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

May 25 is the Chinese and Japanese Celebration of the Tao - The Mother of the World. In Taoism, a great spiritual tradition of the East, the Goddess is perceived as the mother of the world, the Way to the heart. On this day, burn incense to the Goddess and meditate on Divine Harmony. The whole philosophy of the Way (or Tao) in Chinese mysticism is essentially a respect for the truth in nature and her ways. It is also a belief that people must live in harmony with the Way and not destroy or interfere but, rather, flow with it. This, as they say, is:

"Holding fast to the Mother. She is the origin of all things and beings, born before heaven and earth. Silent and void she stands alone, does not change, goes round and does not weary, and is capable of being the mother of the world."

~Tao Teh Ching

From: The Grandmother of Time

Three Mothers Tarot Divination

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:30:00 +0000

The Three Mothers (Maiden, Mother, Crone) are not just symbols of the cycles of growth upon the Earth, they also represent phases we physically go through, cycles of events within our lives.

Sometimes we are uncertain as to where we actually are in a cycle of events. This can be frustrating and depressing. We may have to endure until the completion of the cycle, but it's comforting to have some idea of where you are in that cycle. If you are observant, wise enough to seek guidance, and willing to make changes, however painful, you can often shorten the cycle.

This divination ritual (which uses tarot cards) is best done during the waxing or Full Moon, but in a pinch can be performed any time. If performed during a Crescent Moon, it will predominantly point out the root beginnings of the cycle, possibly what started the events in motion. The Full Moon will tell you how the events went, or will go, during the height of the happenings. The Dark Moon reveals the outcome or ending of the cycle.

Spread a nice cloth on a table where you can sit and spread out your tarot cards. Light a white candle on each side of your working area. Burn a good divination incense. If you use charcoal and a burner, add mugwort to the incense. Sit for a few moments with the tarot cards in your hands. Breathe out all negatives, and breathe in positive energies.

Shuffle the cards three, six, or nine times, while thinking strongly about the cycle of events you wish clarified. Six and nine are multiples of three and therefore powerful. Divide the deck into three piles from left to right. Tap each pile three times with your fingers and chant:

One for the Maiden, free as the air;

One for the Mother, lovely and fair;

One for the Wise One, in her dark hall;

Harken, Great Ladies! Listen to my call.

Turn up the top card on the left-hand pile. Think carefully about it, as this card represents what set the cycle in motion. Turn up the top card on the center pile; this symbolizes the full-blown activity of the cycle. Turn up the top card on the right-hand pile; this is the ending, the winding down of the cycle. From these three cards you should be able to determine where you are in the cycle of events.

If you feel you can endure through the rest of the cycle, you need do nothing further. If, however, you wish to change or end the cycle, you will need spiritual guidance as to which steps to take. In this case, turn up another card on each pile, moving from the left to the right. These revealed cards should give you clues as to what action, if any, to take.

It is a good idea to make a note of the cards you turned up, in their proper order. In this way you can think about the things you need to do or change, and refer back to it if you have questions, or as things begin to unfold.

From: Moon Magick

Honoring the Three Mothers

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:30:00 +0000

The Three Mothers, or Triple Goddess, were known around the world. The Triple Goddess represented the three stages of human life: youth and puberty, parenthood and maturity, old age and wisdom; or body, mind, and spirit. This triad symbolizes the three phases of the Moon: Crescent, Full, and Dark. The goddesses were most often known by the titles of Maid, Mother, and Crone. The ancient Mystery schools, which were originally centers of Goddess knowledge, had three main steps or degrees.

The number three was a sacred number from the time of the ancient Babylonians on. Pythagoras wrote that the Universal Order had to manifest itself in threes. The ancient Chinese thought that three engendered all things. Even today, in numerology the number three stands for activity, creativity, talent, and knowledge.

The Celtic countries, in particular, honored this triad as the bringer of prosperity and a good harvest. The Celts considered the Horned God of the Forests to be Her consort and help-mate. During the month of May, especially at the ceremony of Beltane, wearing of the color green and freely expressing themselves sexually was widely practiced by the Celts. This practice became a real headache for the Christians when they took over. They tried to curb this custom by declaring that the color green was unlucky ant that sex was sinful and dirty.

We can look at the Three Mothers as more than sexual activity. They are symbols of the cycles of growth upon the Earth, the phases we physically go through in our present life, cycles of events within our lives.

Sometimes we are uncertain as to where we actually are in a cycle of events. This can be frustrating and depressing. We may have to endure until the completion of the cycle, but it's comforting to have some idea how much longer we must grin and bear it. The Three Mothers Tarot Divination can give you some insight:

From: Moon Magick

The Mothers of Arles

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

The Mothers of Arles is a French festival that runs from May 24 through May 28. This unique festival celebrating the triple goddess is still alive and well in France, celebrated mostly by gypsies. The "Three Maries of the Sea" recall the ancient goddess of life, death, and beauty. The gypsies gather from all over Europe and carry on their annual celebrations of the triple goddess. Three women dressed up as Mare, Tavobe, and Mary impersonate the goddesses, reaching the shore in boats.

In modern times, Sarah and Salome are the companions of Mary in this trinity. Fancy processions, gypsy weddings, trading of all sorts, fortune-telling, the leaping of cows (a survival from the ancient practice of bull leapint), dancing gypsy style, and candles give these days and nights their wild beauty.

From: The Grandmother of Time

Powerful Egyptian Healing Chant

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:30:00 +0000

The ancient Egyptians used this powerful meditation to infuse their bodies with light. Each body part was dedicated to a divinity who directed the flow of life energy. This meditation may be recited upon waking while standing in an eastern window facing the sun, or before sleeping while lying in repose. After deep relaxation, begin naming the parts of your body that you dedicate to the Divine:

My head is the head of Seshat,

filling with thoughts of the power of the Divine, remembering my soul's purpose.

My face is the face of Nefertum,

the golden child arising above chaos in beauty.

My eyes are the eyes of Hathor

shining in the darkness. I see love and joy in all things.

My ears are the ears of Anubis,

hearing the messages of the Divine.

My nose and longs are the nose and lungs of Shu,

receiving fresh breezes that fill me with creative life energy.

My throat is the throat of Meret,

it's words are gentle songs.

My lips are the lips of Mut.

What touches them receives my blessing and thankfulness.

My teeth are the teeth of Serket,

strong and nurturing.

My neck is the neck of the Renenutet,

which supports me and connects my intellectual, emotional, and physical bodies.

My right (or dominant) hand is the hand of Khnum,

endlessly creative, giving life to things of beauty.

My left (or nondominant) hand is the hand of Anket,

receiving abundance from the bounty of the world.

My forearms are the foreamrs of Neith,

who weaves the destiny of one humankind.

My shoulders are those of Wadjet,

powerful, healing, and strong.

My chest and rib cage are those of Tefnut,

containing and protecting the delicate inner parts of myself.

My heart is the heart of Ma'at,

living in truth and keeping my life in balance.

My backbone is the backbone of Seth,

the foundation of the world.

My womb is the womb of Isis.

(alternatively)

My phallus is the phallus of Osiris.

My reins are the reins of Satis,

receiving abundantly what is needed and eliminating what is not.

My belly and back are the belly and back of Sekhmet,
source of my spiritual fire and power.

My hips and legs are those of Nut,
carrying me safely through the day and night.
Wherever I need to be, there I find myself

My feet are the feet of Ptah,
a firm foundation for all of myself.

My fingers are those of Orion and Sirius,
sparkling and brilliant, creating anew, rebuilding, tearing down, heralding new life.

My bones are the bones of all the living gods and goddesses,
the living Uraei that protects and energizes and life to its spiritual source.

There is no member of my body that is not the member of a divine being. My body knows what it needs to give and to receive. Thoth and Isis shield my body wholly, filling it with energy and radiating love. I am shining as Ra and Raet day by day. These are the words of power that live forever. As I rise and walk on earth, so do I rise and walk always in the realm of heaven, under the nurturing care and the divine power of the gods and goddesses.

From: Feasts of Light

The Egyptian Pantheon

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

This is a simple list of Egyptian gods and goddesses from Egyptian mythology, along with their titles and some of their attributes. The ancient Egyptians worshipped many gods at different times and in different places. Some gods changed in importance over time.

Amaunet (Amen) - Goddess of Heaven - wife of Ammon.

Ament (Amenti) - The Westerner; The Hidden Goddess; Goddess of the Land of the West; Goddess with Beautiful Hair - She welcomed all deceased people to the land of the dead with bread and water.

Ammit (Ammut, or Ammit or Ahemait) - The Eate;, Devourer of the Dead; Eater of Hearts; Bone Eater; Devourer of Millions; Greatness of Death - This is the crocodile goddess also known as Ammit the Devourer. She also assists Anubis with carrying out the Judgements,

Ammon (Amun, Amen, Amon) - The Hidden One; Lord of the Libyans; Lord of the Setting Sun and Moon; The Time Lord; Earth Father; Giver of Breath; Giver of Life, Vizier of the Humble, Who Answers the Voice of the Poor - The great god of Thebes of uncertain origin; represented as a man, sometimes ithyphallic; identified with Re as Amen-Re; sacred animals, the ram and the goose.

Amonet (Amunet, Amaunet, Ament, Imentet, Amentat) - The Mother Who Is Father - A primordial spirit composed of the two deities Ammon and Ammit.

Anat (Anath, Anta) - The Girl; Lady of Heaven; Mistress of All Spirit; Strength of Life; Lady of Mercy - A goddess of Syrian origin, with warlike character; represented as a woman holding a shield and an axe.

Anhur (Anher, Anhert, Onuris) - Skybearer, The Divine Huntsman - Very early aspect of Osiris, God of war, sun and the sky.

Anubis (Anpu) - Foremost of the Westerners - He is god of judgement of life and death, the jackal-god, patron of embalmers; the great necropolis-god.

Anuket (Anukis, Anoukis, Anqet) - The Clasper; The Embracer; Bestower of Life; Lady of Nubia - She is the goddess of river Nile and the cataract-region at Aswan; wife of Khnum; represented as a woman with a high feather head-dress.

Apep (Apophis) - Demon enemy of the Sun, the eternal enemy of Ra. He is a god of chaos and war.

Arsaphes (Herishef) - A ram-headed god from Heracleopolis.

Astarte (Ashtarte) - Lady of Heaven; Mother of the Blessed - A: goddess of Syrian origin; introduced into Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty.

Atargatis (Dea Syria) - Whale of Der - The great fish mother of Syrian origin, and adopted into the Roman Pantheon.

Babi - The god of baboons.

Ba Neb Tetet (Banabdedet, Banabdjedet) - The Soul of Mendes; Lord of Mendes; The Ram of Mendes - The calm cool headed ram deity who found a peaceful solution to the power struggle between Horus and Set.

Bastet (Bast) - Mistress of the Oracle; Great Conjuress of the Casket - The cat goddess with dominion over sex, fertility, marriage, magic, music, childbirth, and the pleasures of life.

Bes - Dancing. Lord of the Land of Punt - Bes is the dwarf god with leonine features; a domestic god, protector against snakes and various terrors; helper of women in child-birth.

Buto (Uajyt, Uatchet, Utchat, Per Uadjit, Uazit, Uto, Uraeus) - Eye of Ra; Lady of Heaven; Lady of the North - At times she was portrayed as a cobra, sometimes winged, sometimes crowned. Goddess of protection, hiding from evil. See also Wadjet.

Geb (Seb, Heb) - Father of the Gods - A fertiltiy Earth god, similar to the Greek Cronus, always shown with erect phallus. Presides over fertility, new beginnings, creation, and crops.

Hapi (Hapy) - God of the Nile in inundation; represented as a very fat man. God of the Nile, crops, fertility, water, and prosperity.

Hat-Hehit - Fish-goddess of Mendes in the Delta; sometimes represented as a woman with a fish on her head.

Hathor (Athor, Athyr, Het-Hert, Hat-Hor) - The Great One of Many Names; The Golden One; Lady of Malachite; Lady of Turquoise; Sady of the Sycamore; Lady of the Date Palm; Lady of the West; Lady of the Dead; The Womb of Horus; House of Horus; Lady of the Evening; My House in the Sky; Lady of the Uterus; Lady of the Vulva; The Womb Above - This popular goddess is the matron goddess of all women, the embodiment of the female principle. She has many functions and attributes.

Heh (Neheb) - God of eternity, longevity, and happiness. Shown as a man squatting on the ground wearing a curved reed on his head.

Heket (Heqet) - Giver of Life; Spirit of the Primordial Waters; Mother of the Spirits - She is the frog-goddess of Antinoopolis where she was associated with Khnum; a helper of women in child-birth.

Horus (Haroeris; Haru-Er, Harsiesis, Harpocrates) - The Enchanted One - Horus is the god of war, sky, and falcons. He is regarded as the son of Osiris and Isis, for the former of whom he became the avenger.

Imhotep (I-Em-Hetep, Imouthes) - He Who Comes In Peace - The deified chief minister of Djoser and architect of the Step Pyramid; in the Late Period venerated as the god of learning and medicine; represented as a seated man holding an open papyrus; equated by the Greeks with Asklepios.

Isis (Au Set) - The Great Lady; Queen of the Earth; Light Giver of Heaven; Mistress of Magic; The Many Named; Queen of the Throne; She Who Is Rich in Spells; Great of Sorcery; Redemptress: Star of the Sea; The One Who Is All; Mother of Gods - Isis is the divine mother, goddess of magic, marriage, healing, and motherhood. She is the wife and sister of Osiris and the mother of Horus. She is one of the four ‘protector’-goddesses, guarding coffins and Canopic jars; sister of Nephthys with whom she acted as a divine mourner for the dead.

Khephri (Kephera, Khepera, Kefri) - Father of the Spirits, He Who Becomes - The scarab-beetle god, identified with Re as a creator-god; often represented as a beetle within the sun-disk. A god of transformations, reburth, resurection of the body, reincarnation, and rebirth.

Khnum (Khnoum) - The Sculptor Who Gives Life; The Molder; The Divine Potter; Lord of Destiny; Father of Fathers; Mother of Mothers; Lord of the Cool Water - The ram-headed god of Elephantine, god of the Cataract-region; thought to have moulded man on a potter’s wheel.

Khonsu (Khensu, Khons) - God of the Moon; Traveller; The Navigator; He Who Crosses The Sky In A Boat; God of the New Moon - He is the moon-god, represented as a man; with Amun and Mut as father and mother, forming the Theban triad.

Ma'at (Maat) - Lady of Heaven; Queen of Earth; Mistress of the Underworld; Eye of Ra; Daughter of Ra; Lady of the Judgment Hall - Ma'at is the goddess of justice,order, truth, right, and orderly conduct; represented as a woman with an ostrich-feather on her head.

Mehueret (Mehurt) - Lady of Heaven; Mistress of the Earth - A universal Mother Goddess associated with night.

Menthi (Menthu-Ra, Mentu, Mont, Munt) - Sun god, often with a bull head. In his war aspect he personified the destroying heat of the sun. God of protection, war, and vengence.

Meretseger - She Who Loves Silence; Lioness of the Summit; Lady of the Necropolis - A protector of tombs and guardian of the Necropolis.

Meskhenet (Meshkenet, Meshkhener) - Goddess of Childbirth - Protects lavoring women and newborn babies.

Min - Lord of the Eastern Desert; Lord of Foreign Lands -The primeval god of Coptos; later revered as a god of fertility, and closely associated with Amun.

Mut - Lady of Heaven; Queen of Deities; Mother of the Mothers - The vulture-goddess who is the spirit of maternity. Her name means "mom." An extremely beloved goddess later represented usually as a woman.

Nefertem (Nefert-Temu, Nefertum) - The Lord of Fragrance - He is the god of the lotus, and hence of unguents, perfumes and fragrance; worshipped at Memphis as the son of Ptah and Sakhmet; represented as a man with a lotus-flower head-dress.

Nehebkau (neheb-kau) - A serpent god of the Underworld, dangerous to both the gods and humans. Death, cursing, vengence. Some-times represented with a man’s body and holding the eye of Horus.

Neith ( Nit) - The Oldest One; Nurse of the Crocodiles - This goddess of Sais is represented as a woman wearing the red crown; her emblem, a shield with crossed arrows; one of the four ‘protector’-goddesses who guarded coffins and Canopic jars; identified by the Greeks with Athena.

Nekhbet (Nekhebet) - Lady of the South - The vulture-goddess of Upper Egypt, presides over maternity, childbirth, life and death.

Nephthys (Nebt-Het, Nebthet, Nebhet) - Lady of the House; Lady of Life; Lady of Darkness; Lady of Death that Is Not Eternal; Mistress of the Palace, The Revealer, Mistress of the West - Nephthys is the river goddess, sister of Isis; one of the four ‘protector’-goddesses, who guarded coffins and Canopic jars; with Isis acted as mourner for Osiris and hence for other dead people.

Nun (Nu) - god of the primeval chaos.

Nut (Nuit, Nu) - Mother of Stars; Queen of Heaven; Mother of the Deceased; She Who Holds a Thousand Souls; Mistress of All; She; Who Protects - Nut is the goddess of sky and stars, represented as a woman, her naked body curved to form the arch of heaven.

Osiris (Auser) - Lord of the Far World - Osiris is the god of the underworld and the afterlife. He is identified as the dead or mummified king; also a god of the inundation and vegetation.

Ptah - Lord of the Sky; Lord of the Two Lands; Lord of Truths; Lord of Sunrise; Father of Fathers; Power of Powers - He is the god of creation, creator-god of Memphis, the patron god of craftsmen; equated by the Greeks with Hephaestus.

Ptah-Seker-Osiris - a composite deity, incorporating the principal gods of creation, death, and after-life; represented like Osiris as a mummified king.

Qebhut (Qeb-Hwt, Aebehout, Kebehet, Kabachet, Kebhut, Kebechet) - Goddess of the Water of Life - The goddess of purification, also is known as the wandering goddess or the lost child, she presides over the magical reviving power of water.

Ra (Re, Phra, Amun-Ra, Akmun-Rah) - The Creator; The Supreme Power; The Only One; Great Father; Father of the Gods; Sun God - Ra is the god of the Sun, head of the great ennead, supreme judge; often linked with other gods aspiring to universality, and king of the gods until Osiris took over his throne.

Rait (Rat, Tat-Taiut, Rat) - Lady of the Heavens; Mistress of the Gods; Mistress of the Heliopolis; Mother of the Gods; Goddess of the Two Lands - Goddess of wisdom and knowledge, shown as a woman wearing a disk with horns and a uraeus.

Renenet (Renenutet, Renenuter, Ernutet, Thermuthis, ) - She Who Rears; The Nourishing Snake; Lady of the Double Granary - Goddess of harvest and fertility; represented as a snake or a snake-headed woman.

Renpet - Mistress of Eternity - Goddess of youth, springtime, the year, and the general idea of time.

Reshef (Reshpu) - god of war and thunder, of Syrian origin.

Sarapis - A god introduced into Egypt in the Ptolemaic Period having the characteristics of Egyptian (Osiris) and Greek (Zeus) gods; represented as a bearded man wearing the modius head-dress.

Satis (Sati, Satet) - She Who Shoots Forth; She Who Runs Like an Arrow; She Who Pours - This Nile River spirit is entrusted to maintain balance and peace at the Nile's first cataract, the traditional border between Egypt and Nubia.

Seker (Sokar, Socharis) The guardian god of the door to the Underworld.

Sekhmet (Sakhmet) - The Mighty One; The Terrible One; The Powerful; The Beloved of Ptah; Dark Sister of Bast; Great of Magic; Lady of Terror; Lady of Action; The One Before Whom Evil Flees; Mistress Dread; Lady of Flame; The Scarlet Woman - Goddess of lions and fire also goddess of vengeance, a lion-headed goddess worshipped in the area of Memphis; a fiery manifestation of the Eye of Ra. She represented the destroying power of sunlight and was the goddess of war and battle, physicians and bone-setters.

Selket (Serket, Serquet, Serqet, Selqet, Selquet, Selchis) - Mistress of the Beautiful House - A scorpion-goddess, identified with the scorching heat of the sun; one of the four ‘protector’-goddesses, guarding coffins and Canopic jars.Protectress of marriage, goddess of happy marriages and married sexual love.

Seshet (Seshat, Sesheta) - Lady of the Builder's Measure; The Great One; Lady of the House of Books, Queen of Construction; Goddess of Writing - The goddess of writing and measurement, the divine keeper of royal annals.

Set (Seth, Sutekh, Sertesh) - Great of Strength; He Who Is Below; Lord of the Desert; Lord of Chaos and Disorder -God of deserts, storms and violence, evil, and chaos also later version ruler of the underworld. He is brother of Osiris and his murderer; the rival of Horus; equated by the Greeks with Typhon.

Shai (male) / Shait (female) - Sometimes a goddess, sometimes a god. This deith had a role like a guardian angel presiding over destiny and fate.

Shu - Lord of the Sky - God of Air and the North wind. Connected with the heat and dryness of sunlight. Shu and Tefnut - his twin sister- form the first pair of gods in the Heliopolitan ennead; shown often as a man separating Nut (sky) from Geb (earth).

Sobek (Suchos, Sebek, Sobk) - Lord of Dark Water; The Hidden One; He Who is Shut In - Sobek is the crocodile-god, worshipped throughout Egypt. An aggressive guardian who repels and devours malevolent spirits who threaten his devotees.

Tatjenen - The primeval earth-god of Memphis; later identified with Ptah.

Taweret (Thoeris, Taurt, Ta-Urt, Apet, Opet, Rertrertu) - Mistress of Talismans - The hippopotamus goddess, a beneficent deity, the patron of woman in child-birth and goddess of fertility. In her darker aspect she was the goddess of darkness and revenge.

Tefnut (Tefenet) - The goddess of moisture, dew, rain, and mist. She is said to live at the bottom of the underworld. She and her twin brother - Shu - form the first pair of gods in the Heliopolitan ennead.

Temu (Tem, Atem, Atum) - Dark Eye of Ra - Personification of God in human form and of the setting Sun. Father of the human race, he helped the dead. In one of his forms he was worshiped as a huge serpent.

Thoth (Tehuti, Djehuti) - Lord of Divine Words; Lord of Books - Thoth is the ibis-headed scribe of the gods, the god of wisdom, inventor of writing.The ape as well as the ibisis sacred to him.

Unnefer (Wenen-Nefer, Onnophris) - a name meaning ‘he who is continually happy’, given to Osiris after his resurrection.

Wadjet (Udjat, Edjo, Buto) - Lady of Flame; Lady of the North; Lady of Heaven; Queen of Holy Spirits - The cobra-goddess of Buto in the Delta, a goddess of protection, appearing on the royal diadem, protecting the king. See also Buto.

Wepwawet (Upuaut) - Opener of the Ways - the jackal-god of Asyut in Middle Egypt; a god of the necropolis and an avenger of Osiris.

Note: A lot of time and effort went into this post, please give credit and a link back if you share it. Thanks!

The Goddess Iambe

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Through creativity and humor liberty and joy, playful Iambe soars free from judgement. She relishes laughter, merriment and mirth to restore feminine strength and connection to her inner self.

Mantra: Play
Gemstones: Fire Agate, Pyrite, Sunstone, Agate, Jasper, Lapis Lazuli
Her Story: In Greek stories, Iambe is a wild goddess of sacred sexuality who used poetry and witty comebacks to entertain others.

Her Modern Energy:
Through creativity, humour and liberty, playful Iambe is free to be true to her Self. She relishes laughter and merriment to connect with her source of feminine energy. It's in the release of sadness or fear that female sexuality and joy is restored.

Shakespeare recognized Iambe's creative genius and emulated her style - her iambic pentameter verse - in his plays. As both Shakespeare and Iambe knew well, it is easy to get swept away with such a seductive rhythm. It's no wonder it has survived to this day.

Reconnect With Your Inner Iambe:
Rock in time to an iambic pentameter beat, feel the connection to the earth's rhythm as you rock to and fro, and become lighter and lighter in your outlook.

Also, play on words... Iambe can be thought of as: I-AM-BE.

Affirmations:

I am sooooo funny
I'm having so much fun!
I adore my womanly shape
I feel absolutely supercharged
I feel healthy and alive on a ho-ho diet
Giggle and chuckle, chortle and shout, laughing helps me let it all out! (say this in iambic pentameter)

What Would Iambe Do?
If she were in your situation, she would use creativity and humour to break free from strict society expectations. She would rock in time to the rhythm of life and become lighter and lighter in her outlook along the way.

From: What Would Goddess Do?

Gemini Begins

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:30:00 +0000

Themes: Communication; Creativity; Art; Humor; Playfulness

Symbols: Paired Items

Presiding Goddess: Iambe

About Iambe: Iambe means "speech," indicating this goddess's intimate connection with the art of communication. In Greek stories, Iambe always had a witty (and sometimes satirical) comeback. This may be why she was credited with creating the writer's bane of iambic pentameter verse (a metered verse with two distinct accents). In mythology, Iambe used this form of poetry to cheer up Demeter, with tremendous success.

To Do Today:

Astrologically, the twins personify individuals who have dual natures: they are filled with charm and creativity but also seem elusive, like Iambe and her poetic method. You can remember Iambe and learn more about her style today by reading Shakespeare, one of the few humans to master it (or perhaps rent one of the recent Shakespearean movies).

If that's not your proverbial cup of tea, use this invocation to Iambe as a prayer, part of a ritual, or whatever is appropriate for you:

Iambe, I sing your mystic poems.

From dots and titles, the magic's sown.

With celestial pens, you scribe each spell,

and lessons in joy, may I learn them well.

Iambe, your metered muse confounds,

yet where'er it's spoken, magic abounds,

full and fierce, potent and free,

and when I hear it I know, that magic is me!

From: 365 Goddess

Gemini Oil

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Add the following essential oils to 1/8 cup of a base oil. Visualize as you mix and smell. For best results, don't use synthetics.

4 drops Lavender
1 drop Peppermint
1 drop Lemongrass
1 drop Sweet Pea Bouquet

Wear as a personal oil to increase your own powers.

Source: Mystic Ways Wiki

Visit the Crystal Fountain

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Sun, 19 May 2013 12:15:00 +0000

The Crystal Fountain is a place of peace and tranquility, you can visit whenever you feel stressed or tired. Here you can ask a question and seek the answer in the waters.

Lie down comfortably, with your arms by your sides and your legs uncrossed, close your eyes and take several deep breaths. Visualize yourself walking through the woods on a Summer's evening. The trees along each side of the path are Oak and Ash and Elm, and they move softly in the gentle night breeze. The air moving through their branches seems to whisper a welcome. The ground beneath your feet is soft and mossy, and cool. You slip off your shoes to make contact with the earth. Above you the sky is a deepening blue and the Full Moon lights your way.

As you walk, you hear the sound of running water, and through the trees you glimpse a small stream, tumbling over rocks and macing music which complements the night. Turning a bend, you see a small waterfall descending into a pool almost at your feet. Take a step towards it and kneel at its edge. Reflected in the rippling waters you see the face of the Moon and below the surface stones and crystals of differing colours. Gazing at the Moon's reflection you ask your question and then, dipping your hand into the waters, you withdraw a stone. Look carefully at the stone and remember it. Now give your thanks to the Moon and the waters, and return to the here and now. Remember the stone and seek the answer to your question through its meaning.

Note: This is a really nice meditation for cleansing and healing as well. Instead of asking a question and dipping your hand into the waters, step into the water and ask to be healed and cleansed. Take plenty of time to relax and allow the magickal waters of the crystal fountain to cleanse and heal you. When you are complete, take time to relax as you return to the here and now. And as always, be sure to express your gratitude.

From: The Real Witches' Year

Simple Purification Ritual

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Sun, 19 May 2013 12:05:00 +0000

What follows is a simple purification ritual that can be used on crystals and stones, and other sacred objects. This rite is best done at sunrise or during the day, on your altar (if you have one) or on any table that can be used for this purpose.

Fill a basin with pure water and place this to the west on the table or altar. Next, light a red candle and set this to the south. Light some incense and place this to the east. Finally, place a dish or flowerpot filled with freshly dug earth to the north on the altar. In between all these objects, set the stone (or stones) to be purified.

When all is readied, still your mind and pick up the stone in your projective (dominant) hand. Turn your attention toward the bowl of earth. Place the stone on it and cover with fresh earth. Say something to the effect of:

I purify you with earth!

Leave the stone there for a few minutes, all the while visualizing the earth absorbing the stone's impurities. Then remove it, dust it clean, and hold it in the incense smoke. Pass it nine times through the smoke, from the right to the left, saying words like these:

I purify you with air!

Next, quickly pass the stone through the candle's flame several times, saying:

I purify you with fire!

The fire burns away all negativity. Now place the stone in the water and say this or your own words:

I purify you with water!

Visualize the water washing it clean. Leave the stone in the water for a time, then dry it with a clean cloth and hold it in your receptive hand. Is the stone "clean"? If not, repeat this simple ritual as many times as necessary, until your are sure it has done it's work. Afterward, store the stone in a special place. It is ready for use in magick.

From: Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic

Spiritual Spring Cleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Sun, 19 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

From May 19-28 is the time of the Greek festival of Kallyntaria and Plynteria, a time that is also known as a time for "spring cleaning". Most of us have already started our spring cleaning in various forms, but this particular time of the Sacred Year is dedicated to spiritual cleaning - the cleaning and nurturance of the sacred places.

The Greeks were good at that, and they called this festival Kallyntaria and Plynteria, by which they meant making a special effort to clean the sacred statues of the goddess and god. With all that incense burning and dust gathering, the sacred images get pretty dirty, and you had to take them to be washed in the nearest rivers or lakes, submerging them and letting them reunite with the life-giving waters. Afterward, the women dressed the goddess in her jewels, with much ceremony, and paraded her proudly back to her home in the temple. No singing or fun was allowed during this procedures. These festivals were solomnized because it was work, not play.

The same principle applies to us today. Let's get those brooms out, and wash the house from top to bottom, really giving it an old fashioned purification. What could be more natural than to transform the old custom of spring cleaning into a religious devotion!

For modern Pagans/Wiccans, now is the time to strip down all the old decorations and adornments of your alter or personal magic space and to do some spring cleaning. If your alter has statues or images of the particular God or Goddess (or both) take them to a local river or stream (if you live near one) and bath the statues in the rushing water. If you are no where near a river, you can use either spring water from bottles, or rushing water from your sink. If your statues and tools are not made of material safe enough for getting wet, then pass them over pine, frankincense, myrrh, or sandalwood incense. You can also use both water and incense to cleanse your magical wares if you feel it necessary. Clean the dust and and clutter your alter may have accumulated in past celebrations. If you still have Beltane items on your alter, now is the time to remove them and gently store them away for next year.

Celebrate this time of cleaning by partaking of refreshing drinks such as fruit juices like lemonade or limeade. Foods can be on the spicy side, incorporating garlic, onion, and spicy peppers for both purifying and cleansing. Don't forget to offer some to the Gods :).

From: The Grandmother of Time and Witchbook

Peppermint Healing Spell

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:19:00 +0000

Place peppermint leaves on top of a photograph of the person who needs help healing. (This could be a picture of you, if you wish.)

"Charge" a blue candle with your desire for perfect health for the person in the photo. (This has to do with anointing the candle and "charging it" with your desire while preparing it) Carve the candle with the individuals name, along with a good health symbol. (I like to use the symbol for the Red Cross)

Burn the candle beside the photograph. When the candle has burned down, dispose of the peppermint leaves outdoors in a bush, under a tree, etc...Repeat as needed, with fresh peppermint leaves each time.

Spell by Rose Ariadne

The Elements Of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

In the Goddess tradition, as in many other earth-based traditions, the elements that sustain life are sacred. The four elements of life - air, fire, water, and earth form a circle, with the fifthe element, spirit, as its center. Each of the first four elements of life represents one of the four directions. For us, air is the east, fire is the south, water is the west, and earth is the north. In your circles, you must work with the correspondences that feel right to you.

The elements teach us about ourselves. Air, fire, water and earth represent our minds, our energy, our emotions, and our bodies. When we face a problem or a challenge, we can ask ourselves whether we've looked at it from the point of view of each element. What do we think? What energies do we notice? What feelings do we have? How are our bodies affected? What does our inner spirit tell us? The circle of the elements of life helps us to remember to consider the whole, not merely one part, of any question or decision.

When these four elements of life are present and in harmony, the fifth element, spirit, or center, is created. Spirit is what we call conscience, character, intuition, or the small voice inside. In Goddess tradition, this is the place where aquired knowledge and our innate wisdom meet and are touched by the Goddess to form an inner spirit, a sense of direction that steers us away from harm and toward our life's purpose.

In the task of raising children in Goddess tradition, we find that just as the four eleemnts earth, air, fire, and water connect to make the sacred circle, these elements, when translated into human attributes, make the child a whole vibrant person. Our goal, as people who are rooted in the world view of the Goddess traditions, is to rais echildren who are empowered. Empowerment is that combination of self confidence, independent thought, intuition, and egagement with the world that enables us to live by our princicples and stand up for what we believe in. By creating an environment that empowers our children and ourselves, we strive to create a culture based on concern and compassion, rather than apathy and indifference.

In the following sections we discuss each of the five elements and their primary associated qualities as they relate to child rearing and self-development. We focus on realistic goals and common sense strategies that we can all draw from, regardless of our personal preferences on a number of issues.

Fire

All life on earth depends on the energy of the sun. Plants use that energy directly to live and grow. Animals must eat plants or other animals. But directly or indirectly, we are all sustained by the sun.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is brightest and hottest when it shines at high noon from the south. Therefore south is the direction we associate with fire.

Fire is also the element that warms our houses and cooks out food. the hearth fire is sacred in every earth-based tradtion, for fire is the living heart of the home. Before, television, people would gather before a fire to tell tales and sing songs during the long nights of winter, We still love to sing around a campfire or chant over a ritual fire in the center of our circles.

Fire is also dangerous. Like all thing of power, fire demands respect. A curtain wafting across a candle can burn down a home. The summers are dry where we live, and a careless match or stray spark can ignite a wildfire that may burn thousands of acres and hundreds of homes. Learning to knowfire means learning how to use fire safely and how to put a fire out. Fire reminds us that we are all responsible for each other's safety.

Fire is the symbol of human energy as well as the sun's energy. Health, strength, enthusiasm, and passion are qualities of fire. When we direct our energies, when we focus on a goal, we use our will, one of the powers we find in this eleement. Fire is connected to all forms of magic that direct energy, especially healing and protection.

The time of day connected to fire is, of course, high noon, just as the season is high summer. The colors of fire are red, orange, and bright golden yellow. The lion, because of its bright golden color and wild, dangerous power is often seen as a symbol of fire. So is the dragon, with its fiery breath. Legends tell us that salamanders could live in fire - but don't test the myth with any of the ones you may find!

Brigit, of course, is the Goddess of the sacred flame of poetry, healing and the forge. Pele is the Hawaiian Goddess of the volcano. Hestia is the Greek Goddess of the hearth. Lugh is the Celtic sun God. Wayland Smith is the ancient God of the forge. Set is the anceint Egyptian God of the hot desert sun. There are many more Gods and Goddesses of fire. On our altars, a candle flame brings the presence of fire to our rituals. The tool of fire in our tradition is the wand, which is used to direct energy, and wands are oftenmade of wood, which burns. You can make a wand of your own by cutting (with adult help if working with a wee one) a small branch from you favorite tree. Be sure to ask the tree's permission, and leave an offering.

Water

Life began in water, in the currents of the primeval ocean, and living things need water to survive. Our bodies are mostly water, and our blood is similar to seawater in its chemistry. Water carries nutrients to all the cells of our bodies and cleanses our wastes. Clean, sweet water is sacred to all people who honor life.

Water moves in a great cycle around the globe. Rain falls on the earth, bringing life to plants, soaking the soil or collecting in streams and rivers that flow to the sea. The great tides and currents of the ocean sustain sea life from the tiny plankton tot he great whales, influencing the weather, wearing away the shore. Water evaporates from the surface of the waves, forming clouds that bring the rain, and so the cycle begins again.

The summers are very dry where I live, so the first rains of winter are especially sacred. Suddenly new life appears. Seeds sprout, and grasses begin to grow. Our winters are often very wet, and rain comes down for days and days. Dry streams spring to life and rivers widen their flow. In flood years, we see the imense power of water to break through obstacles and carry away anything that blocks its flow. In drought years, water becomes extremely precious to us, and we learn to guard every drop carefully.

Water also represents our feelings and emotions. After all, our feelings flow and change like wtaer. We can bathe eah other in love and appreciation, but we can also rage and storm like the ocean waves crashing against the shore. When we honor all our feelings, the ones we think of as positive and those we think of as negative, we can choose how to act so that our emotions feed life. When we know our anger, we can choose to act peacefully. When we admit our fear, we can choose to act with courage.

For us, water is in the west, the direction of the ocean and the rain. Its time of day os the gray twilight, and its season is autumn, when the rains return. The colors of water are blue, blue- green, and gray. All water animals ~ all fish and sea creatures, including dolphins, whales, and the wise salmon ~ are symbols of water.

Tiamat, the ancient Babylonian sea seropent goddess, was mother of all the Gods. Aphrodite, Greek Goddess of love, is also Goddess of the sea. Brigit carries the power of the holy well along with the sacred flame. Oshun is the Yoruba Goddess of the river and of love, art, and culture. Yemaya is the Mother Goddess of the ocean. Ba'al is the Canaanite God of storms and the returning rains of winter. Tlaloc is the Toltec God of rain. Mananan mac Lir is the Welsh God of the sea, while Poseidon is the Greek ocean God, whose horses are the wild waves.

On the altar, the symbol of water and traditional tool is the cup or chalice. Seashells, water-smoothed stones, and images of water creatures can also be used.

Spirit

We have gone around the wheel of the elements and visited all four directions. Now we come to the center, the place of that mysterious fifth element we call "spirit," although we could just as well call it "mystery." The center is the place of change and transformation, and this element is not so much of a physical presence but the sense of connection that puts us in touch with the great powers of life and death. Spirit might also be called "relationship," as the center is the place where we connect with the Goddess and God, with our traditions, and with prayer, blessing, meditations, and personal practice. Another name for this section might be "core values," for here we contemplate ethics, right and wrong, and our responsibility to be healers, peacemakers, and protectors of the earth and her peoples.

Spirit is timeless. It corresponds to the whole cycle of the day and night, the whole wheel of the year, and the realm beyond time. Its color is clear ~ or the rainbow, which contains all colors. All the Goddesses and Gods can be considered as aspects of the center.

The traditional tool of the center is the cauldron, the magic soup pot that combines the earth/metal of the container, the fire below and the air to feed it, and the water within to bring about transformation. The drum, which holds the heartbeat of a circle and keeps a large group unified, is also a tool of center. Many symbols can be used on the alter to represent spirit. One of our favorites is a mirror, for our connection to the sacred must be found inside each one of us.

Earth

The Earth ~ Rocks, minerals, and the living soil beneath our feet. Plants draw energy from the sun, but they are nourished by the earth. Seeds are planted beneath the ground to begin their lives. The dead bodies of animals and plants are taken back to the soil to feed new life.

We think of earth as a solid thing, but soil is amazingly complex. A square foot of good garden soil is like an underground city full of space, caverns, crystalline arches, and mineral bridges, all teeming with life. Soil contains air, so that life within can breathe, and carries water to sustain billions of soil creatures and feed the roots of plants. When we truly understand the marvelous world below us, we can protect the soil from erosion by wind and water, and learn to help build new, rich soil where plants can grow. Gardening, tending trees and plants, and caring for animals are all ways to honor and protect the sacred earth.

The earth is the element that stands for our bodies. Our physical bodies are sacred, and we must take care of ourselves as we take care of the earth. All the food we eat, all the things we make and do and use, are part of this element. Because good soil is often dark, the color of the earth is black and its time is midnight. The green of living plants and growing things is also a good earth color. Its direction is north, the one quarter of the sky where in the Northern Hemisphere the sun never travels, and its season is winter, the time of darkness when seeds sleep beneath the ground. Plants, trees, and all land animals, especially big ones such as bulls and bears, are symbols of earth.

Gaia (GUY-yuh) is the ancient Greek Goddess whose name means "earth." Demeter was the Goddess of grain and agriculture. Eriu was the Irish Goddess who gave her name to the land itself. In many Native American stories, Corn Mother is the sacred being whose body feeds the people. Cernunnos is the Celtic Horned God, the God of animals. The Green Man in all his aspects is the God of plants and trees. Ogun is the Yoruba Lord of the forest. Robin Hood is an old English forest God. There are many, many more Goddesses and Gods of earth, of particular plants and animals, and of sacred places.

Symbols of earth for the altar can be stones, crystals, rocks, or living plants. Leaves, grain, fruits, flowers, and vegetables can also be used. The traditional tool of earth is the pentacle, a five- pointed star in a circle, often inscribed on a plate or made of metal. Its five points stand for the four elements, plus the fifth, spirit. They also stand for the five senses, for our five fingers and toes, and for the human body with legs apart and arms uplifted to invoke the Goddess. The circle around it stands for the wheel of life. For us, the pentacle is a symbol of wholeness and balance, and of the ancient mysteries of our tradition.

Air

Every Moment of our lives, we must breathe in order to survive. Air carries sounds and scents, and its clarity allows light to pass through so that we can see. Air is invisible, except when other things move in response to its motion, when the wind makes branches dance and leaves fly, or bends the grasses down as it passes.

We share breath with all life. Like other re-blooded creatures, we breathe in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide,which is used by plants and trees to transform the pure energy of the sun into food for all living things. Plants and trees give off oxygen, which we breathe in, and so a balance is sustained. We honor air as the breath of the Goddess and the gift of our most ancient fellow living creatures.

In our tradition, we associate air with the east, the direction of dawn or sunrise. Because air is invisible, we identify it with the parts of ourselves that are important but cannot be seen: our mind, our vision, our thoughts, and our dreams. Air represents knowledge and understanding, which we gain by looking closely at what is around us. Air is connected with springtime, the dawn of the year. The animals of air are, of course, birds and all flying insects,such as dragonflies and butterflies. Air's colors are pale pinks, yellows, and whites.

Some of the Goddesses of air are Iris, the Greek Goddess of sunrise and the rainbow, and Oya, Yoruba Goddess of the whirlwind and sudden changes. Boreas is the Greek God of the wind; Hermes is the power of thought and communication. Elegba, th Yoruba trickster, translates human language into that of the Orishas, the great powers of the universe. All could be invoked for the gifts connected with air.

Symbols of air to place on your altar might be feathers, incense or other good-smelling things, fans, pinwheels, or kites. In our tradition the tool of air is the athame, the Witch's knife. It stands for thepower of the mind to seperate things, to say: "I am me and you are you and we are not the same." Clearly, a knife is an inappropriate tool for young children. Substitutes might be a pair of scissors or a pen (the pen is mightier than the sword).

From The Elements Of Life by Starhawk

Elements of Magick

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Magick has often been defined as an art but seldom as a science. In reality it is both: an art because it is the expression of human ingenuity in adapting natural things to man's use, and also a science, because it is knowledge attained through study and practice.

Before the magician can shape the world according to his desires he must undergo lengthy and careful training. The esoteric schools, occult societies, primitive initiations, and long periods of apprenticeship that are absolute requirements for many magickal groups are the equivalent of the concentrated courses of study demanded by major universities before they confer a degree.

Although there are persons who are naturally gifted with psychic powers, they still must learn how to direct and concentrate their will in order to practice magick effectively. Misdirected or uncontrolled power can be very dangerous and can result in severe damage both to the personality and the physical welfare of the magician. The psychic energies released by the practitioner of magick must be effectively directed and earthed. Otherwise they will try to manifest themselves on their own, and since they are blind, instinctual forces they will often do so in completely unexpected and terrifying ways. For this reason, self-control is one of the most rigid demands of magic and to acquire it the would-be magician must be subjected to rigorous trials. Primitive initiation rites are examples of the severe tests to which the magician must submit themselves before they can practice magick effectively and without fear.

The dangers of practicing magick are quite real because the forces that are the plastic moulds of the magician's will are an inherent part of the mind and of nature. The magickal premises are far from being false. They are not the result of faulty logic on the part of the magician but rather an accurate adaptation of natural laws to the workings of magick.

Frazer, for example, whose famous work "The Golden Bough" has become a classic on primitive magick, considers magick to be a "false science and an abortive art". Although his analysis of the principles of magick is essentially correct, his comprehension of the true meaning of magick falls wide of the mark, for magick as a science is based on the Laws of Nature, which are immutable and eternal.

No amount of scholarly speculation is going to affect the Law of Gravity or the Laws of Adhesion and Cohesion, or the affinity between positive and negative poles, and these are precisely some of the Laws upon which magickal scientific premises are based. Likewise, magick as an art is not subject to the whims of the magician. Nothing will happen in the material world, magic or no magick, which is not in accordance with the Laws of Nature. To adhere to these laws is the constant care of the magician, for to break a natural Law can result in total spiritual and mental disintegration.

What the magician does that scholars do not like is to anthropomorphise the forces of nature, identifying them as gods or spirits. This is done purposely to absorb these forces into the magickal personality, the better to control them. The primitive sorcerer does this instinctively; the serious student of magick, consciously. But both the educated and uneducated practitioners of magick are concerned with the same thing - to control nature and subject it to their will. Without proper control there is no magick, only trouble.

The period of study for the true magician lasts a lifetime. This, which modern occultists call "the great work", is never really completed on this earth. Even when a magician reaches the apotheosis of knowledge and power, achieves his/her greatest aspiration and becomes one with God, they must still continue working, this time for the benefit of creation as a whole.

During the first stages of a person's training in magic they are a neophyte or beginner, till outside the temple's doors. (The temple in this sense means the edifice of esoteric or secret knowledge.) As the studies continue and the neophyte's awareness increases, the door of the mysteries opens for them and they then undergo the first of many initiations. From this moment onward they are known as an Initiate in the Mysteries.

Sometimes a person may decide to study magick on their own, perhaps because they are unable to find a suitable teacher or an esoteric group to their liking or perhaps because they are meant to be alone. In this case, what are magickally known as "hidden masters" are believed to come to the help of this lone individual and guide them telepathically during their studies. These masters exist in what are known as the inner planes, and are advanced souls who have chosen to forgo their right to spiritual bliss in order to teach and guide those individuals starting on the magickal path. When the time comes, this learner is directed from the inner planes in choosing the appropriate initiation into the mysteries.

At other times, when a person is seeking magickal knowledge and is unsure about where they should start, these same masters will direct them to a suitable teacher or group on earth. The meeting between teacher and disciple will take place in what might be called a coincidental manner. All magicians know, however that there are no coincidences in the physical or spiritual worlds, and that all so-called fortuitous happenings are in reality predesigns of the all-seeing cosmic forces. Shortly before he died, Jung had been busy studying what he called "synchronicity", a human phenomenon that explained the occurrence of coincidental happenings as the result of the interrelation of cosmic forces in the time-space continuum, a part of the unconscious that blends past, present and future into eternity.

Many years after the first initiation, and after many years of practical work in magick, the initiate finally becomes an adept. This means they have realised their Will and found true knowledge. The adept is a wise, highly spiritualised human being who is nevertheless in total control of the material world. As an individual they have perfect mental, physical and spiritual balance. They never lose control, because their personality has been synthesised into perfect equilibrium.

The process of magickal training is very similar to the process of psychoanalysis, which aims at the harmonious balance of the psychic elements within an individual. The difference with magick is that it constantly searches for synthesis, not only within the mind and soul of the magician but also without, in nature and the material world. The magician seeks correspondences and identification between themselves and everything that exists. When they achieve this identification the magickal process is completed and they are a wo/man of power; they have realised the god within themselves.

From: The Complete Book of Spells, Ceremonies and Magic

About Astral Projection

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Astral projection (out of the body experience) is a popular area of occult literature; for traveling to see other worlds and places while the physical body sleeps or is entranced is an exciting notion. Astral projection is not dangerous. It is as safe as sleeping. Most dreams are probably unconscious astral projections, anyway. Although there has been quite a bit written on the subject, astral projection is difficult for many people. The main difficulty is the tendency to forget dream consciousness upon awakening. Accordingly, the successful practice of astral projection requires work.

Modern psychology discounts the idea of actual out of the body experience (that the spirit temporarily vacates the physical body). However, the idea is very ancient. The Tibetans have an entire system of yoga (dream yoga) based upon astral projection. And here we have an important assumption: you are involved in an out of the body experience (at least to a degree) whenever you dream. What sets it apart from a full out of the body experience is your hazy consciousness during the experience and poor recall afterwards. Many people forget most of their dreams completely. Learning astral projection requires a kind of inner mental clarity and alertness.

Dreams are a door to the subconscious which can be used for psychological and spiritual insight, and sometimes for precognition. Dream content is influenced by external sounds and sensations. For example, a loud external noise (such as a train) will likely appear in your dream (if it doesn't wake you up!). Dreams are also influenced by events of the previous day, by your moods, and by suggestion.

Everyone normally dreams 4 or 5 times a night (about every 2 hours). The longest dreams occur in the morning. Everyone dreams. You are more likely to remember the details of your dream when you first wake up. By keeping a dream diary you will improve dream recall. Have writing equipment or a
tape recorder at your bedside for this purpose; also a light which isn't too bright. Suggest to yourself several times before you go to sleep, "I will awaken with the knowledge of a dream." Then when you do awaken, move quietly (sometimes just turning over drives the idea away).

Remember first, then write the dream down, and then add as many details as possible. The next day check for objective facts and expand if you can (by remembering 'what happened before that'). Once you start remembering your dreams in this way, it will become easier to do so. (If you are unsuccessful at this, and *really* want to remember your dreams, you could arrange for someone to sit by your bedside all night long with a dim light on. Then when he sees your eyes moving back and forth -- rapid eye movements, a sign you are dreaming -- he can wake you and ask for a dream report.)

FORMS OF ASTRAL PROJECTION

Astral projection may be subdivided into three basic types:

mental projection,
astral projection (proper)
etheric projection.

Your out of the body experience may shift between them. Mental projection is really simple clairvoyance ('remote viewing'), and 'traveling in your mind'. Imagination plays a key role. The experience of mental projection is not particularly vivid, and you will more likely be an observer than a participant. Nevertheless, mental projection is an important 'way in' to astral projection proper.

During mental projection and astral projection you are able to travel through solid objects, but are not able to act directly upon them or to move them (if they are in the physical world). This is not true during etheric projection. Whether it is simply subconscious expectation, or whether it is a true etheric projection which in theory means that part of your physical body has been relocated with your projection (the etheric or vital part) may be difficult to determine. Etheric projections generally travel at or very near the physical world. There are even cases reported (very, very rare ones) in which the entire physical body is transferred to another location (teleportation), or cases in which the physical body exists and acts in two separate places at once (bilocation)!

But our primary interest is astral projection proper, and mental projection to a lesser extent. Astral and mental projection are not confined to the physical world. Travel in the mental and astral realms is feasible, and often preferred. Nor are astral and mental projection restricted to the realm of the earth (you could even go to the moon and planets).

STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

The electrical activity of the brain has been observed and classified with EEG (electroencephalograph) equipment; signals picked up from the scalp by electrodes, then filtered and amplified, drive a graph recorder. Brain activity has been found to produce specific ranges for certain basic states of consciousness, as indicated in 'hz' (hertz, or cycles/vibrations per second):

delta -- 0.2 to 3.5 hz (deep sleep, trance state),
theta -- 3.5 to 7.5 hz (day dreaming, memory),
alpha -- 7.5 to 13 hz (tranquility, heightened awareness, meditation),
beta -- 13 to 28 hz (tension, 'normal' consciousness).

As you can see, some form of physical relaxation is implied in the alpha, theta, and delta consciousness. These states are in fact reached through deep breathing, hypnosis, and other relaxation techniques. Out of the body experience occurs during these states, and delta is probably the most important for it. The problem is really, as we have said, one of maintaining mental awareness and alertness while experiencing these altered states. Experimental subjects hooked to an EEG do not show a discrete change from drowsy to sleep; it is very gradual.

At the threshold between sleep and waking consciousness is a drowsy condition known as the hypnogogic state. Out of the body experience seems to occur during this state, or a variant of it. By careful control of the hypnogogic state (not going beyond it) it is possible to enter out of the body experience directly.

BASIC TECHNIQUES

Most methods of astral projection are methods of conditioning. Some form of trance or altered consciousness is always involved. No one ever projects consciously while fully awake (some may think that they do). Although there are many techniques used to produce an astral projection, they boil down to nine of them. They all sort of overlap.

Diet -- Certain dietary practices may aid in out of the body experience especially at first. These include fasting, vegetarianism, and in general the eating of 'light' foods as discussed in a a previous lesson. Carrots and raw eggs are thought to be especially beneficial, but all nuts are to be avoided. Over-eating should be avoided. And no food should be eaten just before an out of the body experience attempt. If you intend to practice during sleep, for example, allow 2 to 4 hours of no food or drink (except water) before bedtime. In general, we see here the same kind of dietary restrictions advocated for kundalini yoga.

Progressive muscular relaxation -- This is one of the basic methods used in hypnosis and self-hypnosis. Physical relaxation can assist one in attaining the requisite trance state. These techniques involve beginning at the toes and tensing, then relaxing the muscles, progressively up the entire body.

Yoga and breath -- Yoga, mantra, and breathing exercises similarly aim at physical relaxation. The practice of kundalini yoga is particularly relevant, since it is concerned with altered consciousness. In fact the arousal of kundalini requires a similar state of consciousness to out of the body experience.

Visualization -- This involves a type of extended clairvoyance or picturing of remote surroundings. If you can experience the feeling of being there, so much the better. Although this technique is essentially mental projection, it is possible to deepen mental projection into astral projection through (you guessed it!) visualization.

Crowley taught a similar technique:

visualize a closed door on a blank wall,
imagine a meditation symbol on the door,
visualize the door opening and yourself entering through it.

And J.H. Brennan describes similar techniques wherein the door is shaped and colored like a tattva, or alternately, a chosen tarot card is visualized and the student visualizes entering into it.

Guided imagery -- In many respects similar to visualization. Except in this case, there is a guide (or perhaps a voice on tape) directing you by means of descriptions. As with visualization, mental rather than astral projection is most likely.

Body of Light -- The old Golden Dawn technique. Imagine a duplicate (mirror image) of yourself in front of you. Then transfer your consciousness and sensation to the duplicate ('body of light').

Strong willing -- Sort of like creative visualization experienced in the present. That is you express your strong desire to project through your willpower while you visualize yourself doing it.

The Monroe techniques -- These are a series of steps developed by Robert Monroe:

relax the body,
enter the hypnogogic state,
deepen the state,
develop the sensation of 'vibration',
separate from the body.

The Monroe Institute has developed some cassette tapes which are claimed to help in this.

Dream control -- This is one of the most important techniques. It involves becoming aware that you are dreaming. There are several ways to do this:

Oliver Fox says to look for discrepancies in the dream to realize you are dreaming. One occult student I know of visualized a white horse which he could ride wherever he wished to go. After a time, when the horse appeared in his dreams it was his cue that he was actually dreaming/projecting.

Don Juan tells Castaneda to look at his hands while he is dreaming. And even the tarot and Cabala may also be used as dream signals. Another method is to tell yourself each night as you go to sleep, "I can fly"; then when you do, you will know you are dreaming. Once you know you are dreaming you can control your dream/out of the body experience and go anywhere you want. Repetitive activities will also likely influence your dreams. For example, if you are on an automobile trip and spend most of the day driving, you will probably dream about driving.

You can condition yourself to be aware you are dreaming by doing a repetitive activity many times (walking across the room or a particular magick ritual, for example). Then when you dream about it, you will know you are dreaming.

Although all these techniques may appear straightforward, they all require effort. Astral projection is generally learned.The astral world is the "ghostland" into which one passes after death. It is sometimes possible to visit with the dead, or you might be called upon to reassure and assist those who have just passed over (died) or those who are consciously projecting for the first time. Many spirits, elementals and ghosts exist in the astral world. The magician should feel comfortable there.

Tibetan belief is that through proficiency in out of the body experience you no longer need reincarnate after death. The astral world is extremely changeable and subject to your thoughts. Your will can control your movements in the astral world, and if you seem to be going somewhere non-volitionally ('astral current') it is probably your true will causing it anyway. You might also experience heightened magical ability while in the astral realm.

Author: Phil Hansford

The Banishing Ritual

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

One of the most basic and useful ceremonial rituals of magick is called the *banishing ritual*, or lesser ritual of the pentagram. A pentagram (or pentacle) is a five-pointed star with the point up. The banishing ritual is helpful in psychic protection and healing since it forms a protective barrier against malevolent forces. The psychic barrier it creates can be made to permit entry of desired (constructive) forces and the exclusion of negative ones. Thus, the banishing ritual is an essential first step in almost any formal full magick ceremony.

The ritual requires that you use a magical implement or "weapon", such as a ceremonial knife, wand, or simply point your index finger, to "draw" the pentagram in the air at each of the cardinal points (four directions). Also, you will be chanting ('vibrating') some Hebrew names of God.

Holding your magical weapon and facing east, extend your arm out straight in front of you. In this ritual you will use the full sweep of your arm to draw the pentagram in the air. Follow the description below by beginning at the lower left and sweeping your magical weapon up toward the right, etc. as shown. Do not bend your arm at the wrist or elbow. While you do this, visualize the lines and eventually the star as vibrant white, floating in the space before you. You are projecting energy to do this, and the result will be a gleaming 5-pointed star floating in the east; visualize this as vividly as you can.

Now you will energize it further by piercing the center of it with your magical weapon and vibrating (speaking slowly in a slightly lower than normal pitch, remember) "Yod-He-Vau-He".

Then turn slowly to the next cardinal point in sequence, and as you do so, with your arm still extended in front of you, visualize a white line connecting around to the cardinal point. Trace a similar pentagram with the appropriate words and following the same procedure:

South -- Adonai Tzaboath
West -- Eh-Ei-He
North -- Agla.

Now complete the white line drawn back to the center of the eastern pentagram. Note that the cardinal points must be followed in a clockwise order, and the pentagram must be drawn in the manner illustrated; to do otherwise would change the function of the ritual. The result of all this should be a large bright white pentagram visualized hanging in mid-air at each of the four directions, all tied together by a bright white line. You could now, for example, visualize the pentagrams moving out to the circumference of your home, thereby protecting all within.

There is also a somewhat simplified version of this ritual in which the pentagram is traced only once overhead and then is energized with one of the four names, such as "Eh-Ei-He". Oftentimes the simplified version is sufficient, but naturally the effect of the full version is more complete.

One of the primary uses of this ritual is to ward off psychic attack -- that is, when another is (consciously or unconsciously) attempting to harm you, cause sickness, accidents, bad dreams, emotional upset, or to force you to do something against your will. Fortunately this doesn't happen very often. The world of the magician is fairly safe for the pure of heart. Psychic attack usually depends upon vulnerabilities. If you are not vulnerable you are safe. Thus unificaition with the true will is the greatest protection possible. And the use of the banishing ritual is never hurtful. You can even use it to hold off negative aspects of yourself.

Author: Phil Hansford

About Psychic Healing

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Psychic or spiritual healing is a human potential we all possess. Some people are especially good at this. It is probably easier to heal someone else by occult means than yourself. In addition to healing in the presence of the person, there is 'absent healing' in which the healing occurs at a distance.

Note that there are some who maintain that influence on another person without his specific knowledge and permission (yes, even in healing and helping) is black magick. (After all, everybody is living according to his own true will, so that healing or helping someone without permission is affecting his will). This means it is important to tell the person what you are planning to do and to ask his permission. The theory of psychic healing is that sickness is characterized (although not necessarily caused) by a deficiency and imbalance of vital energy. Psychic healing transfers energy from the healer to the sick to repair and rebalance his energies.

If an inept healer overdoes the process, or if he doesn't take the precaution to 'disconnect' himself afterwards, he may find himself becoming sick due to energy drain and a linkage to his subject. Similarly, the healer should always be in a good state of health or he could unintentionally transfer his illness to the subject.

Psychic healing should always be combined with medical care and treatment. It does not replace doctors, medicine, or hospitals, since different levels (worlds) are involved.

The basic methods of psychic healing are:

creative visualization
prayer
ritual

Creative visualization is one of the easiest techniques. Mild illness may yield to only one or two treatments; serious ills will require many treatments over time. In creative visualization, we visualize the person being well. It may be helpful to utilize the appropriate color from the aura chart (such as bright apple-green, rose pink, or white) sent as a beam to the person or as a cloud surrounding him. This technique can be extended to include a simple kind of yoga in which we feel energy sent as we exhale explosively; the energy sent either via the breath or from one of the chakras such as the solar plexus.

Prayer is also a simple technique. This can range from invocations to a specific deity complete with offerings and candles to a recitation of the 'Lord's Prayer', the 23rd, and/or the 91st Psalms.

Channeled healing energy - such as Reiki, and other systems - are essentially a combination of visualization and prayer.

A banishing ritual is helpful in psychic protection and healing since it forms a protective barrier against malevolent forces. The psychic barrier it creates can be made to permit entry of desired (constructive) forces and the exclusion of negative ones. Thus, the banishing ritual is an essential first step in almost any formal full magick ceremony. Here's a link to a Simple Banishing Ritual

Note: Sometimes in absent healing it is helpful to arrange a time for treatment in advance, asking your subject to be in a receptive state of mind and to sit back and close his eyes.

Author: Phil Hansford

Subjective Experience and Magick

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

'The universe is a projection of ourselves; an image as unreal as that of our faces in a mirror....We cannot affirm any quality in an object as being independent of our sensorium, or as being in itself that which it seems to us. Nor can we assume that what we cognize is more than a partial phantom of its cause.'

~Aleister Crowley

Your awareness of the physical world and of your place within it is mostly based upon the physical senses (hearing, sight, smell, touch, taste). These five senses continually send information to the mind, and it is up to the mind to select and interpret them. If you could not do so, your senses would overwhelm you and be meaningless. Selection and interpretation of your sensory inputs is essentially an automatic, mostly subconscious function of the mind. The program or map which the subconscious follows as its reference point is called a 'model'.

The model is a subconscious mental photograph of how you believe the world looks (ie. worldview, mindset, or belief system). It was built up from an early age by your religious and cultural background through interaction with family and others. It contains your experiences, attitudes, and habits. And whether you realize it or not, most of your behavior, thoughts, feelings, and habits are based upon and conditioned by that model; even personality.

The model is one of the mind's master programs. Change in behavior generally requires a change in the model. These limitations built into our way of thinking cause our perceptions to be subjective. That is why Hindu philosophy looks upon the world as illusory (maya); the world itself (object) is not an illusion, however from our viewpoint through perception (subject) it is.

Thus we are all conditioned by experience. Except that our perceptions, hence our experiences, are first conditioned and limited by the model. Our perceptions and experiences tend to conform to what we expect. We tend to misinterpret or ignore things which do not match our preconceived notions about them. This is automatic.

THE TRUE WILL

The forgoing demonstrates how it is that there are so many different versions of 'truth'. One's particular view is almost arbitrary. Although numerous religions, philosophies, and occult systems abound, they do not contradict one and other as much as it might appear. Rather, they describe the same (universal) reality taken from different perspectives. For there can be no ultimate truth in the physical world. We can only base our actions upon assumptions and agreements. All experience is subjective.

I like to think of the universe as something indescribable, perhaps a 4-dimensional 'thing'. As soon as we attempt to put it into our 3-dimensional knowledge-base, something changes and we only see an aspect of the big picture. Just as a photograph can only show us a flat *representation* of a greater thing, so it is with any attempt to describe *spiritual reality* in physical terms.

Yet, there is a separate reality within each of us which is often ignored unless we seek it. This inner self is in magick called the 'true will'. The true will is the center of consciousness and identity. It is the 'real you'. Everything else is an interface or link to it from the outer (illusory) world.

Since that interface is based upon our model, it is conditioned and may sometimes produce false information. 'Do what thou wilt' (Crowley) is an axiom of magick; for the true will expresses our exact desires. And what we truly want ('down deep') we tend to automatically get. This isn't always in our best interests, since the true will can be conditioned (tricked) by the illusion; and then we might desire and obtain that which is not ultimately good for us. (Karma strikes again!) The task of the magician therefore is to awaken his awareness of the true will, to be free of conditioning, and thereby to transcend maya. ('My will unconditioned is magical' -- Spare).

HAPPINESS IS BEING HAPPY

There is no great secret to changing behavior or habits. It is largely a matter of determination. It requires that you ignore the 'pull' of the model when you strive for changes within yourself. The model is, after all, a collection of 'habits', some of which must be unlearned for permanent change to occur. There are two ways to do this: direct, through will power and awareness alone -- observing and acting out in an unattached or indifferent manner; and indirect -- through conditioning such as affirmation, self-hypnosis, and magick. Meditation may help too, by relaxing tension and conflict.

Emotions follow physical expression: smile and act happy and you will tend to feel and be happy. The same is also true for other emotions. Also, emotions can be purposely used (or programed) to replace other emotions. Using this technique, a magician is somewhat like an actor in that he learns how to turn his emotions on and off at will. Note that this is not 'faking it'; the magician is probably more in touch with his true feelings than most people. And for these reasons we say that happiness is being happy.

SYSTEMS OF MAGICK

Magick always involves self-hypnosis. However, it may be more than that. For one thing, there are objective forces involved (or so it would seem). Deities, spirits, and cosmic force can have an independent existence. And the repetitive physical movement sometimes involved in ritual can itself generate PK force. On the other hand, it could be argued that all of this is subjective to the magician. Or that the deities and spirits are nothing more than archetypes or cosmic patterns which the magician energizes with his own vitality. Perhaps all magical effects could be produced through hypnosis alone. But the effects are certainly real.

Great complexity is not necessary in magick. Although basically magick is a medieval system of symbolism (in a modern context), any cosmological system will work from Cabala to Star Wars. We usually use the medieval one in magick because it is convenient and traditional, and because it seems to fit our thought processes well. Traditional symbols have greater emotional effect on the magician than modern ones because of his familiarity with them. What really matters is that the model of the magician be understood and programmed, and thus that the model and the cosmological system do correspond.

Author: Phil Hansford

Apollo's Grain Oracle

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:15:00 +0000

Although he is most famous as the solar-affiliated lord of medicine, music and prophesy, in the guise of his familiar, a mouse, Apollo also guards grain. Through this venue, he provides another oracle. Once upon a time, this system of divination, known as "aleuromancy," was available if one made a donation at Apollo's shrine. This ancestor of the fortune cookie, is easily reproduced at home.

Whether this oracle tastes good or is even completely baked depends entirely on whether you plan to eat the oracle once its answer is received.

Here's how it works:

Make a very simple bread dough from approximately one cup of flour, one egg, and one quarter cup of water. Write your choices or alternatives on slips of paper. Place each within a ball of dough. Each ball must appear reasonably identical. Bake these balls so that they're sufficiently hard. When they cool off, request Apollo's blessings, then select a ball and an oracle. The oracles that are not chosen can be left outside in an area frequented by field mice as an offering and a thank you.

Adapted from: The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells

Apollo Love Spell

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:10:00 +0000

Apollo is a spirit of omnivorous sexuality. His romantic desires for men and women are equally strong; what seems to be the bottom line of attraction for him is beauty, intelligence, and talent, rather than gender. His is a complex myth. Classical Greek mythology paints him as the handsomest, most talented, most clever spirit of all, yet the women he pursues inevitably run from his embrace. Apollo had better luck with male lovers, with whom he had happy, successful relationships. Request his assistance, especially with someone who's hard to get.

Here's how:

Carve and dress a large yellow or gold candle and dedicate it to Apollo. You can use any love drawing oil. Roll the candle in powdered Saint John's Wort. Burn it and make your appeal.

Apollo's sacred creatures include crows and mice. Significant or surprising appearances may signal your response.

From: The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells

The God Apollo

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:05:00 +0000

Other names: Apollon; Apellon; Phoebus; Apollo; Aplu
Titles: Lord of the Storehouse; Lord of the Sun; Distant Deadly Archer; Descended from the She-Wolf; Wolf-Like;
Motto's: "Know thyself" and Nothing in Excess"
Planet: Sun
Plant: Saint John's Wort; Bay laurel; Apple trees; Mistletoe (especially on apple trees): Poplar trees.
Number: 7 (he was born on the seventh day of the seventh month of the old Delphian Calendar)
Animals: Wolf, griffin, mouse, rat, dolphin
Bird: Raven, carrion crow,
Gem: Amber

Spirit allies: Artemis, Leto, Hyacinth

Apollo is the Golden Boy of the Olympian pantheon, a spirit of healing, hunting, music, poetry, and prophecy. He radiates such dazzling charisma that he was eventually venerated as a solar deity. Although he never completely took over Helios' functions, Apollo overshadowed him.

To call someone an "Apollo" is to imply that they are blindingly handsome. He is a beautiful killer. Apollo is a master healer because he is a master of epidemic, plague, and disease, lifting and inflicting as he wishes. He attacked the Greeks with plague during the Trojan War. Apollo is blamed for sudden death. His arrows kill instantly.

The most familiar Olympian myth explains that Apollo was born on the isle of Delos, where his mother, Leto, one of Zeus' many conquests, was hiding from Hera, Zeus' jealous wife. However, Apollo is also described as coming from Hyperborea, a land to the north. Alternative myths suggest that Apollo and his mother arrived in Greece together in the form of wolves, or that Leto, in the form of a pregnant wolf, made the trek alone, giving birth to Apollo in Greece.

Hyperborea's location has never been identified, nor is it clear if it is even an actual physical destination or a spirit realm. One theory suggests that it is in the extreme north, near the Arctic Circle. Another suggests that Apollo comes from Rugen Island in the Baltic, first encountering the Greeks via amber trade routes. Alternatively, he is originally a Hittite spirit from Anatolia (Asia Minor), perhaps the underlying reason for his support of neighboring Troy.

Apollo is the Greek male deity with the greatest number of male lovers. In general, his relationships with men are happier than those with women. Apollo is the patron and sponsor of young men, teaching them music, divination, and various sports.

Apollo does not have an official "wife" or female consort. Although incredibly handsome, brilliant, rich, and royal (not to mention a god), most of the women he pursues flee from him, some committing suicide rather than submit to him. Others don't flee but meet fatally tragic ends anyway. What's going on?

On closer examination, the women Apollo pursues are rarely mere mortals. Although now trivialized as Nymphs or princesses, many were powerful goddesses. The big three of the Olympian pantheon - Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon - all "marry" female deities, thereby cementing their own right to power. Apollo's path to power, on the other hand is reminiscent of the character Sylar from the television series, Heroes. He absorbs and takes over the power of others. For example, having killed the serpent at Delphi, Apollo becomes able to manifest as a snake.

Apollo's veneration spread to Rome, where he was initially worshipped as a healing spirit: a Roman Temple was dedicated to Apollo Medicus in 433 BCE. Veneration of Apollo became widespread after Augustus Caesar claimed him as his personal patron. In return for Apollo's favor, Augustus built him a magnificent temple on the Palatine near his own palace. Apollo, who is the spirit with dominion over colonization, became the face of Western civilization and was praised as the calm, rational Lord of Reason (as opposed to his half brother, Dionysus).

The Romans carried Apollo with them through Gaul, identifying him with the many Celtic spirits associated with therapeutic baths and springs. Apollo assumed the identities of many, including Belenus and Grannus. He was married to local goddesses like Damona, Ianuaria, Rosmerta, and Sirona. In Celtic Gaul, Apollo is worshipped as a healer specializing in eye disorders. Apollo restores physical vision and bestows second sight.

Apollo protects his devotees and their cattle and livestock. He is loyal to those he loves. Apollo is a master healer who can heal anyone except those he himself has slain. He is the spirits' doctor too, helping them when they are ailing.

Favored people: Healers, musicians, psychics, diviners and mediums, good looking young men, philosophers, Leos, those who protect and care for wolves.

Manifestation: A breathtakingly handsome young man with long golden hair. He assumes the guise of his sacred creatures, traveling as a wolf on land and a dolphin at sea.

Iconography: Frequently depicted naked or near naked, Apollo is always envisioned as young and never with a beard like Zeus, Poseidon, or most other Greek male deities.

Attributes: Bow and arrows; lyre; the wreath of laurel leaves that he wears may be understood as Daphne's hair.

Sacred Places: Delphi; Delos; he had shrines in Anatolia (now modern Turkey) and Italy; Apollo is associated with various healing sanctuaries in Gaul, especially Burgundy.

Altar: Apollo's altar should be neat, clean, orderly, and not cluttered. He is a gregarious spirit: surround him with those he loves, especially his male lovers, Leto and Artemis; and add images of wolves, mice, and ravens.

Offerings: Wine, incense, gifts of solar imagery. Petition with intense 7 day vigils.

Sacred Days: The seventh day of each month is sacred to him; this is literally the seventh day of the solar calendar and also the waxing half moon of the lunar; Roman games held in Apollo's honor were celebrated from July 6 - 13.

From :Encyclopedia of Spirits
Art by: Pearl Whitecrow

Happy Birthday Apollo!

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

According to some pagan calendars, May 14 is listed as the Birthday of Apollo. However, according to the mythology, Apollo was born on the seventh day of the month Thargelion. Wikipedia goes on to say that this was according to Delian tradition, and that according to Delphian tradition, it was the seventh day of the month of Bysios. The seventh and twentieth, the days of the new and full moon, were also held sacred to him.

If the exact date is important you you, I'd suggest you take a look at the Wikipedia article on the Attic Calendar which gives the names of the months and their approximate times in the year. For the purposes of simplicity, I would suggest that the 7th day following the New Moon in May (May 16 in 2013) would fit the criteria and make for a fine day to celebrate the birth of the God of Light Apollo.

Who is Apollo? Here's a brief profile:

Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto. His twin sister is Artemis. He is the god of music, playing a golden lyre. The Archer, far shooting with a silver bow. The god of healing who taught man medicine. The god of light. The god of truth, who can not speak a lie.

One of Apollo's more important daily tasks is to harness his chariot with four horses an drive the Sun across the sky. He is famous for his oracle at Delphi. People traveled to it from all over the Greek world to divine the future. His tree was the laurel. The crow his bird. The dolphin his animal.

Source: Wikipedia

Ice Saint Toxic People Banishing Spell

noreply@blogger.com (Shirley Twofeathers) — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:10:00 +0000

In southern Germany, the eisbeilige - the iceman days - is the brief cooling trend in May. The "ice saints," Mamertius, Pancratius, and Servatus, were celebrated on may 11. Along with Cold Sophie, these "strong lords" are pagan figures who were turned into Christian saints were said to bring cold weather during planting season. They'd kill a budding tree or a field of sprouting wheat the minute they touched it with their frosty fingers or blew on it with their freezing breath. Farmers learned early on not to set plants out until after the ice saints had come and gone.

Sometimes we find ice saints in our lives, people whose presence chills our blood and infects our happiness with frostbite. They're self-righteous, hypocritical, and extremely annoying. They're bigger control freaks than we are and insist that a household chore or a ritual has to be performed "their way or the highway." Sometimes they threaten physical harm. Sometimes they're psychic vampires who steal our energy. Sometimes they're thieves who steal our stuff or our work.

They're all toxic people. We need to get them out of our lives. One banishing technique I like - but which must be done with finely focused aim and a strong intention to harm none - is to put the ice saint right where he or she belongs: in the freezer.

Write the person's name and behavior on a piece of paper and bind it with black thread and thirteen knots. Say out loud exactly what the ice saint does that is toxic. Say out loud that you want to bind the behavior. You're not out to injure the person, just to protect yourself and get him or her out of your life.

Put the piece of paper in a little jar, fill it with water, and put it in your freezer. Then take real-life action to get the ice saint out of your life.

From: Pagan Every Day