Lion Heart

Invocation to Lord Hermes for Eloquent Speech and Critical Thinking

2013-04-24T10:24:00.001-07:00

Here is another invocation to Lord Hermes, this one is for eloquent speech and critical thinking:

“Lord Hermes, O Great One, grant me the gift of eloquent speech and of critical thinking. Allow my mind to be as swift as you my Lord. O Enchanted One, O Clever God! I do need Your assistance, refine my mind to be keen and sharp. May my thoughts spin gold and my tongue turn silver with ever word I speak. May I stay focused and be on top of all that shall happen this day and everyday. I seek Your guidance in my life, I seek Your Awesome and Terrible power of the mind and I shall revel in these blessings as I revel in Your love. It is to You I pray my Lord Hermes, Thy Will is God, Thy Will Be Done. Beatus Esse!”
—— Tytus Lionheart

Wiccan Inspiration: Magick Motto

2013-04-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

A magickal motto is a name or phrase that you instill into your daily meditations and prayers, this is so the motto integrates itself with your essence. Technically any quote or adopted name can be a motto such as "As Above, So Below" an ancient axiom that is a simplified explanation about how the microcosm reflects the macrocosm, or that the universe is reflected in its smaller parts. My name Tytus Lionheart, is a motto, Tytus is an old polish name meaning 'fire', the element I am most attuned to and a reflection of my personal nature, it is also a link to my past as my Grandmother was a practicing witch who escaped from Poland to America when the Nazis invaded. Lionheart is a testament to my adoration of the symbol of the lion; a symbol of strength, courage, loyalty and pride. All of these qualities are integrated into myself when I refer to myself as Tytus Lionheart, I mark my tool and talismans with this name. I represent myself to the online and Wiccan communities as Tytus Lionheart, so then these qualities are representing me. Mostly the motto is an insight, a revelation that you spend your whole life attuning yourself to, such as Aleister Crowley's motto "Love is the Law, Love under Will" from which he spent the rest of his years working this motto into his life and spiritual practice.
A magickal motto has been revealed to me as well, one given to me by my Higher Self and I have begun melding it into my practice, usually I end a prayer or invocation with this motto, “Thy Will is God: Thy Will be Done”- this motto is my combination of the principles in the axioms “as above, so below” and “do what thou wilt”. “Thy Will is God” reminds me that my soul is a part of the Great Spirit and I am a reflection of the Divine Will, there for my Will must be in tune with the Will of the Great Spirit. “Thy Will be done”; 'Will' here is that of True Will, True Will is attuned to the Will of the Great Spirit as should be accomplished through the work of the magician and witch. It also means that one should put to good use the abilities granted when one is attuned to their True Will, through the power of the soul connected to the divine, one should use that power for the benefit of others in need of such power. Examples of this are healing, divination, spirit communication, protection, spiritual guidance, path working, teaching magick, etc. It is also a reminder that learning and studying the occult and magick is not just for personal power but for the power of a community as well. It is important for me that I give back for all I have been blessed with. So then “thy will be done” is the Will of the Great Spirit which is always for the highest good and benefit of all.

Wiccan Inspiration: Celebrate Self

2013-04-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

Starhawk

“Celebrate Self and see Self everywhere”

— Wiccan saying about compassion (from “Spiral Dance” by Starhawk)

Invocation to Lord Hermes

2013-04-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

Here is an invocation I wrote myself to my patron, Lord Hermes also called Mercury:

image from www.gaiaonline.com

"Hail Lord Hermes, Gracious God of Magick, Market and Communication. Hail be to the Clever One, Whose keen mind can outwit man and god alike, Whose skill of thieving is but a testament to His brilliance. The Guide of Dead Souls, with compassion greater than any other God. Whose speed of travel is as fast as thought, Whose beauty has caught the love and grace of Aphrodite. Bless all that study Your ways my Lord Hermes, may all witches, magicians, priests, priestesses and wizards alike revel in Your secrets and be made masters of their craft and knowledge. Bless those that seek Your wisdom, O' Great One! O' Enchanted One! Guide us through our lives and aid us in our magick. Beatus Esse!"

---- Tytus Lionheart

Circle Casting by Tytus Lionheart

2013-04-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

The most important part of a Wiccan Ritual is the Circle of Art. The Circle is casted to act as many things: a boundary of sacred space to keep out unwanted influences, a battery that enhances magickal energy by building it up in a condensed space, as a place between worlds where one can visit gods, summon for the spirits of arcane origin or cast a spell into the universe. The circle is a symbol of the universe; it is a microcosm of the macrocosm, a reflection of the universe and its powers. All acts done within the circle are magickal ones that can bring about great change within and without. So then the casting of the circle becomes an important ritual for any Wiccan to learn and know. There are as many ways to cast a circle as there are Wiccans, I will give an example of my own circle casting technique, feel free to copy this one or to alter it to your own tastes just be sure to keep the basic components of the circle casting when making your modifications and you should have excellent results.

To begin you must first find a space where you and those participating will not be disturbed during ritual. Once the space is found you must physically cleans it, sweep away dirt, wipe away dust, clear away obstacles, you want a large enough working space to fit the circle which can be as large or small as the space allows. Just be sure you will be able to make your movements within the circle easily without obstruction. Now that the space is prepared make sure you have the following items:

· Athame (ritual knife *optional)

· 4 pillar candles of red, yellow, green, blue

· Matches/lighter

· Compass

· 2 small bowls; one filled with sea salt the other filled with fresh water

Place all these items on our in your workspace.

The instructions here are build on the basic formula for a circle casting, now as I have stated you may copy my ritual here or construct your own using this own as a guide but there are some basic principles of circle casting that must be adhered to for a successful casting. So you may change the incantations, you may change which direction you start in, you can even change the representations of the four elements but the basic components are best left unchanged.

Our first step, that is a basic in almost all ritual proceedings, is the cleansing of the space from unwanted, negative energy. Energy builds up in areas like dust and often it needs to be cleared away before a magickal proceeding can take place so this energy doesn’t affect the ritual workings. There are many ways to cleanse a space and you can employ whichever way is best for you but as long as you cleanse before you begin, this is important.

I cleanse a space by using Holy Water; in Wicca Holy Water is a combination of charged salt and water. The symbolism behind this is that salt represents the purest form of Earth and water is the main component to every living thing, so then mixing the salt into the water is a symbolic act of taking purity and spreading it into life (there are different explanations of this symbolism, this is just one). The instructions for creating Holy Water that I am about to unfold are a part of the Correllian Natavist Tradition’s teachings and they can be found at (witchschool.com):

How to Create Holy Water:

· Place your power hand (the hand you write with) over the water. Make three Tuathail (counter-clockwise) circles over the water, concentrating on removing and negativity from it. Say something like:

“Behold I cleanse you, O creature of Water, casting out from you any impurities which may lie within!”

· Visualize yellow-white light pouring down from your hand into the water, and forcing out negativity (which can be seen as black dispersing like dust particles).

· Now make three Deosil (clock wise) circles with your hand over the water. Say something like:

“And I do bless and consecrate you to this work!”

· Visualize the water being filled with, clear, blue-white light. Imagine the water filling with this light until it shines as brightly as if it were a blue-white sun within it.

· Now turn to the salt. Place your hand over it and repeat the above instructions like you did the water but when you cleanse the salt with yellow light say:

“Behold, I cleanse you, O creature of Earth, casting out from you any impurities that may lie within!

· Then when you make the Deosil circles with the blue white light say:

“And I do bless and consecrate you to this work!”

· Visualize the salt being filled with the blue-white light until the light shines like a blue-white sun within it. Now say something like:

“Behold, the salt is pure! Behold the water is pure! Purity into Purity then, and purity be blessed!”

· Add three pinches of salt to the water and stir clock wise visualizing the whole mixture as shining a bright white light.

· You have now made Holy Water!

Take the Holy Water and walk Deosil (clock wise) around the area of your working. As you go around the area, asperse it, that is to say, sprinkle it with the Holy Water. As you do this imagine the area being flooded with yellow light. Let the yellow light fill the area, going out in all directions for a good distance. This is the act that actually sends out the negativity, so focus on it as strongly as possible.

· As you asperse the area you may wish to say something like:

“Behold I cleanse and purify this space.”

When you’ve made a full circle, replace the Holy Water to the altar. Turn to face the inside of the circle and say:

“I bless and consecrate this space!”

Now visualize the area being filled with blear blue-white light, so it is wholly filled in all directions.

You have just cleanse and blessed your ritual space. You are now ready to cast the circle.

Casting the Circle:

The traditional method of casting a circle is with the use of a ritual tool called an athame (Ah-THAH-may) which is a ritual knife. If you do not have one that is fine because all you really need is your pointer finger of your power hand (the hand you write with), in the ritual outline when I use the word athame just replace it with the word finger if you are not using an athame. Before we begin place the four candles in their proper places, each of the candles represents an element: red is fire, blue is water, yellow is air and green is earth. Using your compass; place the red candle in the south, the blue in the west, the green in the north and the yellow in the east.

· Begin in the East, point your Athame outward past the elemental candle. The boundaries of the circle is not limited to the space of your room, it can become much larger, since the circle is made of energy it is not blocked or hampered by walls, so make your circle a comfortable size. Just be sure that the area you cast the circle in is cleansed and that no other people will be wandering through it.

· Visualize a beam of red light shooting from the tip of your athame and ending at the area you are pointing at.

· Focus hard on this light and now begin to trace a circle with the red light, walking Deosil towards the south side, keep focusing on the red light.

· The most important thing is to focus on the circle boundary being strong, but if you want to say an incantation to help with visualization you can say something like:

“Behold, I do cut a space between the realms; a Circle of Art, to focus and contain the power raised herein!”

· Continue this way pass the west side then the north and back to the east. See the red line connecting to its starting point in the east.

· Now raise your athame and visualize the circle expanding into a dome above you and say:

“As Above,”

· Now lower you athame, pointing it to the ground, visualize the dome of red light extending below you, so that you are encased in a red sphere of energy and say:

“So Below!”

You have just casted the circle. Now it is time to call the Quarters also called the Watchtowers. They are the elemental guardians and they aid us in our magick so that its manifestation is more successful, they control the flow of energy into the universe.

· Walk to the eastern yellow candle and light the candle saying,

“Hail to the Guardian of the Watchtower to the East, power of Air and intellect! Be here with us in our circle and give to us your blessing and your aid in our work. Hail and Welcome!”

· Visualize a pillar of yellow light rising up before you from the yellow candle.

· Now go to the south, light the red candle while saying,

“Hail to the Guardian of the Watchtower to the South, power of Fire and Will! Be here with us in our circle and give to us your blessing and your aid in our work. Hail and Welcome!”

· Visualize a pillar of red light rising up before you from the red candle.

· Now go to the west, light the blue candle while saying,

“Hail to the Guardian of the Watchtower to the West, power of Water and emotion! Be here with us in our circle and give to us your blessing and your aid in our work. Hail and Welcome!

· Visualize a pillar of blue light rising from the blue candle.

· Now go to the north, light the green candle while saying,

“Hail to the Guardian of the Watchtower to the North, power of Earth and silence! Be here with us in our circle and give to us your blessing and your aid in our work. Hail and Welcome!”

· Visualize a pillar of green light rising from the green candle.

You have successfully invoked the four Watchtowers to guard and aid your Magick Circle. The Magick Circle is now cast. Now you must invoke Deity and then you can proceed with the body of your ritual or spell.

The invocation to Deity should come from your heart and from your own words especially if you are working with a specific God or Goddess. If you wish you may use this general invocation to the Great Spirit from which all Gods and Goddesses come from:

“Holy Mother-Father God, Universal Force of life Which sustains all things, be here with us now and aid us in our work. Give us your blessing and your guidance, I pray to you with love and gratitude for your aid!”

Now at this time you would proceed with the body of your ritual or spell, performing any magickal act that needs to be done within the circle. Once finished its time to deconstruct the circle, first you must Devoke the Gods:

“Holy Mother-Father God, Great Spirit of the Universe, thank you for being here with us during this rite. The working is over, I offer you my love and bid you Hail and Farewell!”

Now we must depart the watchtowers starting in the North this time and walking Tuathail (counter-clockwise). In the North stand before the green candle and pillar of light, say:

“Guardian of the Watchtower to the North, thank you for being here with us during this rite. We thank you for your aid but the rite is now over. I offer you my love and bid you Hail and Farewell!”

Visualize the Green pillar of light descending into the green pillar candle and then snuff out the flame (do not blow it out!). Continue doing this for each of the Watchtowers and candles; saying thanks to the watchtowers and biding them farewell, seeing the pillar of light descending into the candle and then snuffing out the candle. Do this until you get to the east and once that candle is snuffed pick up your athame and point it out wards towards the east where the circle of art is. Visualize the red light of the circle being sucked into the athame while you walk Tuathail around the circle while saying:

“The rite is over, the spell complete; this ring of power shall now dissipate. So Mote It Be!”

Continue absorbing the circles energy with your athame until you are back at the east.

You have just casted and dismantled a magick circle.

There are many variations to this as I stated earlier. Instead of four candles you could use the four Ace cards of the Tarot (Swords is air/east, wands is fire/south, pentacles/coins is earth/north, and cups is water/west) or you could use physical objects of the elements (Candle for fire, rock for earth, shell for water, incense for air). Whatever works best for you, just be sure to stick to this format: Cleanse space, set up altar, cast circle, call Quarters, invoke Deity, perform body of ritual/spell, devoke deity, bid farewell to quarters, and then absorb the circle. You can personalize this as much as you want just be sure to keep this basic structure intact and your circle casting should be successful.

Wiccan Inspiration: Work Prayer

2013-03-30T07:56:00.000-07:00

“My Lord and Lady, Grant me the strength and energy I need to fulfill my responsibilities at work with passion and honor. Let me be a shining example to others and may my service be as though I am serving you my Lord and Lady. So mote it be!” — Work Prayer (I say every time I am about to start my shift)

image borrowed www.iso.org

Wiccan Inspiration: Morning Prayer

2013-03-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

O gracious Goddess, O gracious God,
Lend me health, strength and love
During thus coming day.
Assist me in all challenges ahead.
Share your divine wisdom.
Teach me to repect all things.
Remind me that the greatest power of all is love.
Blessed be.

Wiccan Inspiration: We Don't Worship

2013-03-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

“As Wiccans, we do not worship Deity. We love them, we honor and respect them, we pray to them and ask for their help as needed. Deity does not need or want our worship.”— Correllian teachings

Wiccan Inspiration: Hekate

2013-03-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

“When faced, fear becomes power” —Lady Hekate

Book of Interest: Witch School First Degree by Rev. Don Lewis

2013-03-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

Experience has taught me that doing “book of the week” articles was strenuous, so then I started “book of the month”, which also turned out to be shamefully hard to keep up with. I noticed that many people want reviews on books of magickal studies because said books can be rather pricey. In this observation I am bring back book reviews but I am making no promises as to when I will be posting a new review. The new title of this posting series is then “Book of Interest”, books I find to be worth mentioning. Much of my magickal knowledge comes from mentors and books, the books I will be posting will be judged by my own experimentations and opinions. They do not reflect my feeling towards the author or any who enjoy their work the reviews are merely my opinion.

Here is how its going to be set up: I will explain the book briefly (for further detail on each book buy one and read it), then I will give my notes on the books, the books level of study (Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert), I will rate the quality of the book using a point system from 1-5; 5 being the highest score. For courtesy sake I will also rank the necessity of the tome (Don't need, Must have, Great for Covens, Great for Solitaries, Workbook, Grimoire). For ease of use there will be a summary of the books rating/ranking to be used as a quick reference.

To kick off the Book of Interest posting series I would like to mention the works of my traditions First Degree workbooks. First Degree is a level of initiation within Wiccan groups, it is typically the first level of priesthood within the Wiccan religion. Now I am not trying to ‘convert’ anyone to my tradition or claim that the tradition I follow is the only way. A large part of my current workings and practices is based around the teachings of this book which is a manual for attaining magickal and spiritual development. The book itself says it is merely a workbook through the wiccan system and one can take the teachings and go on their own path or they can continue within the traditions system. The tradition is called the Correllian Natavist Tradition and the book is part of their Witch School (at www.witchschool.com) written by the head of the tradition, Rev. Don Lewis-Highorrell.

Witch School: First Degree by Rev. Don Lewis

When I first got the book it was after I had taken a couple online classes at Witchschool.com. I wanted to further my magickal training and after getting the book and going through the lessons, that’s exactly what I’ve done. From simple grounding meditations to powerful chakra workouts, magickal and psychic development is a main focus. There are many Wiccan aspects to this book because it is a workbook for a wiccan tradition, but those can easily be augmented for those that don’t vibe with the wiccan system. Overall the book compels one to add their own individuality to the practices, making the rituals and meditations much more personal and enriching. Each lesson has a magickal exercise, a spell and god/dess information. The book is definitely great for beginners, especially those interested in Wicca and paganism. I give the text 4/5 for ease of use and enriching material.

Summary: Level-Beginner Topic-Wicca, Magickal Developement Star-4/5 Necessity- Work Book

Book of Shadows: Candle Colors and their Magickal Purposes

2013-03-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

Candle Color Correspondences

Pink: Love, compassion, calm, peace, attraction, friendship, happiness, relaxation. Pink can be burned to for rituals designed to improve self-love. Ideal for weddings, hand-fastenings and all forms of union.

Yellow: Critical Thinking, study, purification, luck, confidence, divination, communication, eloquence, travel, Money*. Yellow is the color of the element Air. Yellow be burned during rituals to heighten visualization abilities. Program a yellow candle to stimulate your conscious mind and burn it before studying for any purpose, let it burn during your studies. *Money is here associated with yellow because of the association with Air and Lord Hermes/Mercury, god of merchants and trade.

Red: Courage, strength of will, power, passion, lust, passionate love, anger, maintaining health, bodily strength, physical energy, sex, protection and defensive magick. This is the color of the element Fire. Red is associated with life/death since it is the color of blood.

Green: money, wealth, prosperity, healing, luck, joy, employment, fertility, growth (not only spiritual growth but the growth of plants/crops). Green is the color of the element Earth.

Blue: calm, meditation, blessings, healing, psychic, peace, patience, happiness. Blue is the color of the element Water. Blue is associated with the ocean, all water, the realms of sleep including dreams.

Purple: purification, blessings, extreme psychic and spiritual energy, protection, justice, power, extreme healing energy used for severe illnesses and injury, meditation. Purple candles can be burned to enhance spiritual activities and to increase your magickal power. Purple is associated with the Higher Self and is the color of the element Spirit.

Orange: attraction (to attract things, people, ideas,etc.), courage, energy (adds energy), interviews, social events. Burn to attract specific influences or objects.

White: protection, purification, all purposes. White contains all colors. It’s linked to the Moon. White candles are usually specifically burned for purification and protection rituals, but white candles can be used to substitute any color and can be used for any magickal purpose.

Black: Banishing negativity, absorbing negativity, protection. Black is the absence of color, in magick, its representative of the night and of outer space. Black candles can be burned for casting out baneful energies or to absorb illness and nasty habits.

Higher Self and Spirit Allies: The Ritual of the Genius/Juno

2013-03-25T08:54:00.001-07:00

"The Higher Self is the part of you that lies above your conscious mind. It has access to knowledge and abilities that your conscious self does not, and it is not troubled by the fears and anxieties of the material world. Higher Self is an aspect of your soul, which is immortal and experiences many lifetimes. Higher Self is not a separate part of yourself, but rather a different level. The Higher Self is the part of you that becomes an Ancestor or a Spirit Guide after death, and it has that same ability now. It has knowledge and ability far beyond the conscious self, and it works always for the good -that is its nature and it cannot do otherwise, not because it is prevented from doing so but simply because it would never occur it the Higher Self to do ill." (from Witch School First Degree)

"The ancient Romans called the Higher Self the GENIUS (masculine.) or JUNO (feminine.). They considered the Genius-Juno to be the Divine part of each individual. Every person was encouraged to be in touch with the Genius-Juno and to move in sync with it." (from Witch School First Degree)

RITUAL FOR THE GENIUS OR JUNO

You will need:

*some incense (any kind that you particularly like)

*a candle or candles. Your favorite color or any color you like.

*a glass of water, juice, wine, or other beverage.

*a picture to represent your Higher Self. It can be a photograph or drawing of your self, or a drawing representing the qualities of your Higher Self.

Set up an ALTAR using these elements. The altar can be anywhere that you would like, and will be

taken down when you are done (or left up to use again, if you wish). You can set it up any way that seems good to you.

Begin by Releasing. Let all of the tensions and anxieties of your day flow out of you, as is discussed in the EXERCISES section of this lesson.

Now light the candle(s). Focus on the flame and concentrate. Make your mind still, so that you are not thinking of anything else but what you are doing here and now.

Light the incense.

Now say;

“I invoke You, O Higher Self.”

Now try to imagine the image of your Higher Self before you. You can imagine It looking just as you look in the flesh, or as you would like to look, or might see It as a cloud of beautiful white light. Or some other image may come to you -one that you haven’t thought of yourself, but which the Higher Self Itself has chosen. It doesn’t really matter because the Higher Self doesn’t have a physical form, and the image is only to help you communicate with It better, by giving you something to focus on.

Speak to the Higher Self. These words are only to give you a basic form; you should speak from the heart.

“I attune to my Higher Self. I move in harmony with my Higher Self. I am at one with my Higher Self. Oh Higher Self, I ask You to help me to see and understand the lessons of my life, give me clarity and courage to learn them, and help me to learn them with ease and joy. I rededicate my self to the purposes for which I entered this life and ask You to guide me through them.*”

Lift up the glass. Imagine a bright white light shining from it, as though it were glowing.

“O Higher Self, I offer You this glass in token of the love I bear You.”

Now drink the liquid. Imagine the white light entering you along with the liquid -spreading out through your chest and giving you a pleasant warmth.

Put the glass back on the altar.

Now take a few minutes and meditate while the candles and incense burn, and the offering stands. Imagine your Higher Self strong and healthy and happy. Concentrate on It. In this way you are sending the Higher Self energy and strengthening your bond to your It.

When you have finished, say;

“O Higher Self, I pray that You have enjoyed this offering. I give you my thanks and my love.”

Now put out the incense and extinguish the candle. It is an ancient belief that you should never extinguish a candle by blowing on it -Rather you should use a candle snuffer, pinch it out with your fingers, or extinguish it with the side of a blade. This is because blowing on the flame is considered disrespectful.

You should also wash the glass under cold running water and imagine white light flowing through it along with the water. Say;

“I cleanse you,”

Concentrate on the water and white light removing all excess energy from the glass.

*You can also use this invocation by itself, anytime you feel a need to attune to the Higher Self. --- (From Witch School First Degree)

Lately I have been working a lot with my Higher self, I didn't use to do things like this but it was a part of a training lesson for my first degree priesthood. I made contact with my Higher self through an invocation ritual where my Higher self presented itself to me. I always had a familiar bond with cats and I have been fascinated by lions specifically, since I was a child. I always knew my spirit ally would be a lion, but I was not expecting this: my Higher self appeared to me as a lion with a mane of fire, two long horns and large angelic wings. I was not afraid when the lion roared, I knew it was only displaying its power. I held up a medallion of a lions head and told my Higher self that this was to be my link to it. Every time I wear the medallion I feel the presence of my Higher self. We've been working together for about 2 months now. I have discovered that I don't need the medallion to communicate with my Higher self, I can contact him through my solar chakra. I also discovered what my Higher self wants to be called, he told me telepathically he wants the name Lyon (LEE-on), We both thought the spelling with the "y" was fancy. He is friendly and likes to play, he is also very powerful as he has shown me more than once. When I call on Lyon he appears to me usually on my right side and we have merged effortlessly during my "shamanic walks" or journeys through out the city practicing my auric and astral viewing powers, with Lyon my astral and auric viewing are intensified, my sense of smell increases when we merge and my actions become quick, strong and very catlike. Lyon protects me, I know that's why he made contact with me was to start protecting me, I think from other spiritual entities.we haven't been working with one another long but I already feel like we've been together my whole life. We are great friends now, I call on Lyon for help in magical training and workings, I call on him for protection and I call on him just to have a friendly presence by me when I get those feelings of loneliness. Lyons presence in my life is a message from Spirit, this I know, but for what I still haven't Figured out.Lyon and I are still discovering each other, or more Like I am discovering him.

Drawing of my Higher self used in ritual

As I started working with Lyon I started wondering about other spirits and consulted my divination stones to see if there were other spirit allies willing to work with me, I asked for an animal totem to make a sign, that night I saw a neighborhood cat my fiancé and I call O'maley the alley cat, right outside my door, O'maley has never come to this part of the hood, he walked right up to me, put a pae on my leg and stared into my eyes, I then said "ok, I get it." And that's how I understood that Cat spirit is one of my guides. I haven't worked with Cat much. I mostly work with Lyon but cat does help me in many ways too.

Through the ritual of the Genius/Juno, you can meet an important magickal ally in your pursuit for self transformation, power and enlightenment. The Higher Self will always be there to aid us and protect us and some believe it will be there long after we are dead to continue our souls journey to the Goddess.

The Horned God

2013-03-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

“I am the strength of the righteous, who gives the gift of strength unto the heart of men who would be righteous. But know that unlike the Goddess I do demand sacrifice, for behold, the price of freedom is often high and yours was purchased by the sacrifices of those who came before you. Hear the words of our forgotten Father, he who stands against injustice and beckons men to come forth into his service. I call upon your soul to rise and come unto Me. For I am the soul of nature that preserves and protects life in this Universe. Let my worship be in the hearts of the just, for behold all acts of justice are my rituals.” — Charge of the God (the Horned One; The Father)”

Wiccan Inspiration: Highest Ideal

2013-03-25T08:25:00.004-07:00

“Keep pure your highest ideals; strive ever towards them, let nothing stop you or turn you aside." --- The Charge of the Goddess

Queen of Heaven

2013-03-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

Hail to the pale moon light, whose love shines down on all us wretched beings. The Moon Lady looks down to us tortured creatures and is unconditional in her compassion. Raise your filthy hands to her and watch as they become clean by her Grace. For she is the Mother, how could she not but care for her children? No matter where are bodies may be or in what form or condition, she will put us aright. She will shine through us and set our hearts a glow. Send all woes and fears to her and she will transmute them to joy and courage if you let her. Behold! The goddess of the Night Sky, her glory is our happiness, her purpose is our well being. For she is the Queen of Magick and her power can be found within every living being. You are loved, you are protected, you are blessed.
—Tytus Lionheart

www.thesacredfeminine.com

Wiccan Inspiration: All is Alive

2013-03-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

“A Wiccan experiences all that is as alive and conscious of itself as itself, not with our consciousness, necessarily, but self-aware. Everything, including the chair you sit in, the pictures on your wall, the sidewalk outside your house, everything, literally, that is, is aware. Everything that exists is also able to be aware of you, and can respond to your attention.
Everything, every object, plant, flower, microbe, and star, seeks value fulfillment. Everything, whether natural or created, has a purpose for being, and wants to express that purpose. Brooms want to sweep, beds want to be slept in, houses want to shelter and protect”
—-Correllian Teachings

alexgrey.com

Successful Necronomicon Spell

2013-03-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

For those wishing to know what spell book I am referring to please click here. Otherwise read on:

So for those who may not have known I am a well rounded practitioner of the magickal arts, that being said I have tried my hand at various different spells and magickal paradigms. I have even experimented with the Necronomicon. It is my belief that the Necronomicon Spell Book is a powerful simple grimoire that can aid any practitioner in their magickal endeavors. Whether you believe the legends of the Necronomicon as prescribed in it's various definitions and histories or not, it doesn't really matter. The Necronomicon is an awe inspiring text that many claim has great power. Just as many claim it to be a hoax, even others still believe it to be an evil dreadful tome that can unleash unspeakable cosmic horrors upon the earth. All of these "beliefs" are just that, the emotionally charged presumption of certain individuals and groups who shun the book from fear or ignorance, mostly both. The only thing that should be believed about the Necronomicon is that countless people, including myself, have had immediate and amazing results after charging the various seals within the Necronomicon Spell Book. It is a tool, like the athame or the wand; it may have some inherent power, but the real magick comes from you.
Will you get amazing results from invoking the seals of the Necronomicon? Yes, if you allow it! If you put the serious work behing the ritual workings then I see no reason why you shouldn't have your prayers answered. The same could be said about any grimorie or spellbook. All are intended to create change in accordance to magickal Will. There in that last sentence lies the key to working successful rituals from the Necronomicon and in fact all magickal proceedings. In order for you to chieve magickal results, YOU MUST WILL IT!

Now that that has been said I wish to share some amazing results with you when I summoned the 15th seal, the spirit called ZIKU:

15.The Fifteenth Name is ZIKU

This power bestoweth Riches of all kinds and can tell where treasure is

hidden. Knower of the Secrets of the Earth. His Word is GIGGIMAGA

After charging the 15th seal of the necronomicon spell book, the spirit called Ziku, I received money that day which was dire as I and my fiancé had gone a few days with no food, we were being evicted from our home and we had no money for our medicine either. After the first charge I nearly cried during the prayer after the incantation because I needed to have money come into my life so I could feed my fiancé and myself, I got $75 dollars sent to me for no particular reason by a family member hours later. I charged the seal again (do not charge the seal for more than three consecutive nights, it says that clearly in the spell book but all you have to do is rest on it for a day then you can charge it again, and its best done during a waxing moon) these next couple of times I prayed that my fiancé and I would have a windfall, that we would receive a large amount of money, enough to sustain us a new apartment and the money for schooling so I could get a better job to support us. Today I got a call from my lawyer who was helping me in my workman comp case against Walmart. The case has been moving so slowly for over a year now but all of a sudden Walmart calls my lawyer and settles, I got over $10k, she even stated how surprised she was that we got this money so quickly and suddenly. She even said the phrase "this all seemed to have come together quickly, as if by magic". On top of that we started getting revenue from some other projects and now we have a new apartment in hollywood we are moving into in just a couple days, we both have some exciting job opportunities and I'm getting sponsored to go to college for graphic/web development. Everything I prayed for to Ziku came true! I am so grateful that I was wondering if there was a way to say thanks for all Ziku has done for us, are there certain offering rites that pertain only to the spirits of the necronomicon? Would love to know about any info on that.

I post my results here purely for information sake. I noticed that a lot of people are letting their preconceived notions and fears of the necronomicon spell book affect their judgement about the spells. They are not evil in the least, but they are powerful and should be practiced with respect and knowledge. I have been practicing the occult and magick for over 7 years now and I must say that out of all the grimories out there the necronomicon spell book is perhaps the easiest to employ. Would love to hear some other stories and personal experiences with this spell book, the successes, the failures and all the in between.

Beatus Esse,
T.LH

Wiccan Inspiration: Journey

2013-03-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

This is a fun little thing that has got a lot of attention on my tumblr (http://www.tumblr.com/blog/tytus-lionheart), basically I will be posting inspirational material geared towards the beliefs of Wiccans. Since I am a Correllian Wiccan, a lot of my inspirational posting will probably be teachings from my tradition, or they could be teachings that reflect the beliefs of my path. If anything I hope that these posts ignite inspiration with in you and awaken your heart to magick while opening your mind to wonder.

Wiccan Inspiration
“It is the quality of the seeker’s desire to find truth, not the road chosen, that leads the seeker to God.”
—-Correllian Philosophy

image borrowed from www.mscareergirl.com

Magick 101: Beginners

2013-03-22T20:44:00.001-07:00

Magick 101: Beginners

“There is no such thing as coincidence only inevitability.”--- XXXholic

Aleister Crowley was one of the first to popularize the modern spelling for magick, he did this to create a grammatical difference between the arts of spiritual magick and that of stage magic. Magick as prescribed in the spiritual sense is defined as “The art and science of creating change through the force of will, or desire by means not yet fully understood by western thought and knowledge.” So then we know that magick is an art form and a spiritual science that creates needed change through acts that modern science has yet to understand. Yet it has been a secret practice through many hundreds and thousands of years by mystics, witches, magicians, priests, and wise ones. Magick is no longer such a secret; it is a readily available tool for anyone who wishes to use it, a tool that is said to have been given to us by God to better our stances in the different realms of existence.

The first step in starting your magickal practice is to learn what Christopher Penczak in “City Magick” calls “the Three R’s: Reality, Rapture, and Ritual.”

Reality: There are different levels of reality, not just the physical, immutable, perceived reality that we have been trained to accept. “Perception is the key. Perception is 9/10ths of reality. The other portion of reality is affecting us, but we are unaware of it…We are multidimensional by nature, existing in this world and many others [simultaneously].” “Once you understand that there is more to reality than meets the eye, then you can start experiencing the other realms through meditation, magick and [spiritual] journeying,” (quotes from “City Magick”).

Rapture: Everybody has a different key to unlock their magickal abilities. Everybody has a different path to walk, different intentions for magick and spirituality. Some traditions share techniques while others are completely different and varied as the number of devotees and practitioners. “Forms of trance can be the key to personal magickal work. Light meditative trances lowers your brainwaves from beta level, your normal waking consciousness, to between seven and fourteen cycles per second, or alpha level. While in this altered state, you can activate your psychic senses, perceive energy as color, light or sound and make changes in the physical world by shifting these newly perceived energies. You enter a new relationship with reality by altering your perception. “Gnosis” is another term for this phenomenon. Meditation is a simple and effective way to alter your perception of reality.” Meditation trains you to quiet your conscious mind and allow your subconscious to transcend normal reality and make a connection or Union with the divine forces. (Quotes from “City Magick”)

Ritual: All forms of magick; be they religious, ceremonial, witchcraft, folk, or city magick, consists of making something happen, a change that needs to occur. By causing change though will power on the subtle levels of reality, you make change occur here in the physical world. “Ritual is a tool to accomplish change. Some rituals are pretty powerful in themselves, but in essence, any ritual is simply a way for you to contact and raise energy. You then program this energy with an intention (or will, desire,etc) and the energy fulfills the intention you give it”, so briefly speaking, casting a spell is simply programming energy with an intent and then releasing this energy to cause the needed change to occur. (quotes from “City Magick”)

To summarize, Magick is an ancient tool used to bring necessary change into a person’s life. Magick is used by incorporating what Christopher Penczak calls “The Three R’s: Reality, Rapture and Ritual.” In order to use these concepts and conduct magick you must be open to altered states of being (reality), you must have energetic catharsis or energy generation (rapture), and you must have a way of directing the built up energy (ritual).

Honestly after your first couple of spells you start to understand the manipulation of energy a lot easier and you begin to realize how all of life is just a flow of different energies. Magick is our tool to manipulate the natural energies of life to better ourselves, through healing, protection, luck, love and self transformation. There are no limits to what can be accomplished through the arts of magick.

Now remember it doesn’t matter how elaborate or simple your ritual or spell casting is, what does matter is the focus of your intent and the release of built up energy. With that in mind let’s talk about a basic type of spell I use all the time:

Candle Magick

“With a spark of fire, I awaken my desire!”

The most popular form of magick is candle magick; it’s practical, visually stimulating and has infinite uses. The best types of candles to use are unscented, traditionally only beeswax candles were used but this is not necessary, as long as the candle is unscented and practical (in size, shape and color) then it’s perfect. The candles I use have the nick name “Spell Candles”, they are four inch candles that are the perfect size for candle magick. Most metaphysical and occult sites and stores carry them along with the proper size candle holders. Candles are perfect for magick because they can hold energy and won’t release it until they are lit. They are also great for focusing on your intent while the candle burns; this adds energy and direction to your spell. As with the cords used in knot magick, candles of different color can add to specific magickal goals. There are four steps to performing an effective candle spell. One, choose the appropriate candle(s) for the spell at hand. Make sure you have the correct colors, quantity,etc. Two, anoint or “dress” the candles, this prepares them for the magickal working at hand, you can use an essential oil that suits your magickal purpose (like patchouli for money) or for general purposes olive oil works for any spell.

(Image from Buckland’s “Practical Candle Burning Rituals”)

To anoint a candle you rub it with oil, rubbing it into the candle from the center to the end.

While dressing the candle you should be focusing on your magickal intent, concentrating hard on the subject. Three, say your affirmation. Affirmations are a great way to stay focused on your magickal goal. An affirmation is a solid statement about the purpose of the spell for example a candle spell for love would have an affirmation that’s something like “I am open to loving energies, loving energies are attracted to me. Love has found me!” such is an affirmation which is used to help one stay focused on the magickal intent. The fourth and final step to effective candle magick is to enchant the candle (that is infuse it with programmed energy) and then light the candle. The magick will do its work sending your desired need into the universe.

This is just a basic spell for you to practice. Once you get the hang of the Three R’s and see how those concepts fit into every magickal act, you can start to make spells of your own. This brings us to the most important tool you can have in your magickal studies, a journal. Yes, write about every meditation, the date, the time, the moon phase, the weather, what ritual you did, the performance of the spell, the results, etc. I promise you the journal will become your most prized magickal possession. Fill it with poetry, art, spells, and dreams. The Journal will become a spell book and later a written record of your magickal pursuits. You will see what phases of the moon aids your personal power, what times are better for certain spells. The journal is a must have for every student of the magickal arts.

Short Color Chart for Candle Magick

Red	Power, Strength, Lust, Fire
Orange	Energy, Attraction, Luck
Yellow	Divination, Success, Concentration, Mind
Green	Money, Healing, Love, Happiness
Blue	Dreams, Healing, Meditation, Water
Purple	Spirit, Healing, Psychic, Magick

This ends this article on Magick 101: Beginners, I hope it was informative and helpful, especially to new seekers. I will be posting more material on Natural Magick so be sure to give me some great feed back and let me know what you, the readers, like and want to read.

Beatus Esse,

T.LH

Elemental Magick

2013-03-19T11:16:00.001-07:00

Elemental Magick

By: Tytus Lionheart

The four elements, Earth, Fire, Water and Air, are believed to be the building blocks of creation and all that exists are believed to be composed of the four elements within them. This should not be taken literally but rather it has always been understood that elements refer not to the physical substance of Air, Fire, Water and Earth, but to the qualities represented by them. When our ancestors claimed that all of creation is made of the four elements, they were using them as a way of describing the different states of matter, like in physics: air is gas, water is liquid, earth is solids and fire representing the only other thing something can be besides matter which is energy. Magickally the qualities of the elements have numerous correspondences:

Elements:	Direction:	Color:	Items:	Spiritual Context:
Air	East	Yellow	incense, feathers, fans	Thought, logic, speech,
Fire	South	Red	candles, matches, charcoal	Motivation, activity, aggression
Water	West	Blue	water, shells, coral	Feelings, sensitivity, visionary reflection
Earth	North	Green/Brown	soil, salt, stones	Fixed form, tenacity, perseverance. Everything described as solid and tangible.

The elements represent or describe fundamental principles but it’s important to always remember that within magickal tradition, they always interact with one another in close conjunction. This meaning that no single phenomenon in the entire universe is the embodiment of one single element. Everything is composed of a combination of all elements together in varying amounts.

The correspondences chart is a useful tool for magick, the philosophy behind these ideas is the theory and practice of “sympathetic magick”. Sympathetic magick can be summarized as “like attracts like”, which also ties into the ancient axiom, “As Above, So Below”, that is, the Universe is reflected in each of its smaller parts and vice versa. So then using an object that corresponds to air, taps into the powers of air and attunes your spell to the qualities of air energy.

Attuning to these energies is a large part of the teachings of Wicca. The idea is that each of the elements has a quality that can be absorbed into your being bringing you into balance with the elements and thus with Nature and the Universe, a main goal for many Wiccans.

We connect to the elements by opening our senses to them:

Elemental Meditations:

These meditations will help you open your being to the spiritual essence of the elements, these meditations act, a) as a way to connect to the energy of each element so that you can utilize the powers of the elements in your magick b) as a means of forming a bond with the elements absorbing their teachings and attuning ourselves to their energy and thus to Nature or the Universe.

Air Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable position, it is best to be outside, try choosing a space where you will not be disturbed. Ground your energy. Close your eyes and take three big slow breathes on your third breath visualize the air your are breathing in to be yellow, filling you with yellow light, when you blow out, you blow out negativity seen as black smoke leaving your body through your breath. Continue to do this until you’re completely filled with yellow light. Now slow your beathing and see the yellow light shine within you, know that the air you breathe is the same air that was in Ancient Egypt, Greece, the Neolithic age and in modern France as well as the whole world. Air connects us all and gives all things life. It is through sound waves in the air that we are able to communicate be it through speech or electronics such as computers and cell phones. Ponder on all of this then when you have finished connecting to the element of air ground the yellow energy into the earth and release any excess energy. Be sure to record your experiences in a journal used for spells and meditations.

Fire Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable position, it is best to be in side during this ritual, choose a space where you will not be disturbed. Light a red candle and Ground your energy. Gaze at the flame (you may have to look past the flame if your eyes are sensitive) See the flame expanding outwards all around you, the fire in surrounding you and you begin to glow a red light. See your whole self as surrounded in a sphere of fire and you are absorbing its energy into a red light glowing from within you until you are filled with the red light from head to toe. Feel the heat of the fire all around you, Fire is the spark of life, the energy force that animates life. Fire is our Will, our desire, our energy it is a strong force of change burning away the old to make room for the new, bring this quality into you. Once you have connected with the element of fire, ground the red light into the earth, dissipate the fire sphere visualization and release all excess energy. Snuff out the flame of the candle, DO NOT BLOW IT OUT! This is an affront to the element of fire, only snuff out the candle. Be sure to record your experiences in a journal used for spells and meditations.

Water Meditation:

Sit comfortable in a space where you will not be disturbed. Have a glass of fresh water with you. Ground your energy. Visualize the water is shining a bright blue light, the light surrounds the glass of water in a sphere of blue. Lift the glass and drink the water, all of it, seeing yourself being filled with the blue light from head to toe. The water you drink is the same water that the ancients drank, that our ancestors cross over to come to a new world, that sustains life all over the world. The Earth is mostly made of water, water is within our bodies, it is within every part of life. It cleanses us, washes away all the filth allowing use to be refreshed and clean. Ponder on this and once you have connected to the element of water ground the blue energy into the earth and release all excess energy. Wash the glass, seeing white light washing over the glass, say “I cleanse you”. Be sure to record your experiences in a journal used for spells and meditations.

Earth Meditation:

This is best done outside on a path of green or dirt. Choose a space where you will not be disturbed. Ground you energy. Take three deep breathes and then focus on the ground beneath you, feel its stability, its solidity, this is the world to which you were born. Visualize green energy coming up from the earth and entering into you from toes to head. Once filled with the green energy, feel the strength of your muscle, visualize the bones beneath them, your bones will be here long after your flesh has rotted away, push this green light into your bones. You are now filled with the strength of the earth. The earth is persistent, strong and wise, take in those qualities within yourself. Once you have connected with the element of earth, ground your energy. Be sure to record your experiences in a journal used for spells and meditations.

Elemental Spells:

Once we understand the energy of each element we can implement their power into our magick by calling onto the element during the spell. Thus Elemental magick utilizes…well…the elements of course!

Air Spell:

A General Air Spell

Ground your energy. Take a Sharpie or marker and go for a walk, preferably and most desirably on a windy day. During this walk acquire a large fallen leaf, the drier the better as it will fly easier. Draw a symbol or write a phrase that represents your desire for example a spell to help in quitting smoking might have a picture of a cigarette with a slash through it in red ink or the phrase “I Will smoking out of my life” or even “Banish Smoking”, be sure to be focusing on your goal while your write the symbol or phrase. At this point I would like to give a tip when it comes to the wording of incantations or magical phrases, you should not use negative connotations in your formula such as, “It is my Will to NOT…” because very often the unconscious tends neither to recognize nor understand this “not”, and you might end up getting the opposite result than that which you originally desired. So that said lets move on, with your leaf and its symbol/phrase drawn on it visualize the leaf surrounded by yellow light. Focus on you desire while envisioning this yellow light around the leaf and shape it into a sphere surrounding the leaf. Now find a hill in a windy spot and look towards the sky at the edge of the hill still visualizing your leaf surrounded by a yellow sphere and focusing on your intent say aloud: “To the powers of Air I summon you, be here with me! I call upon your aid in my work, grant me your power!” See the leaf turning a brighter yellow and hold it up to the sky say aloud your desire, in keeping with our example you may say something like, “I Will smoking out of my life!” Now release the leaf to the winds, the spell is done. You can take a moment to ground then go about your business confident your spell has been cast and is already beginning to manifest. Be sure to record your experiences in a journal used for spells and meditations.

Fire Spell:

A General Fire Spell

Ground your energy. Have a source of fire ready and available such as a bonfire, fire place or candle. As in the Air Spell we shall write down our desire as a symbol or phrase but this time using paper. The charging should this time have red light visualized as a sphere around the paper focusing hard on your intent. Now while visualizing the red light and focusing on your intent say your desire out loud then throw the paper into the flames, release the energy. If you are using a candle be sure to have a heat proof container ready for the burning paper. The spell is done. End the session and ground your energy. Be sure to record your experiences in a journal used for spells and meditations.

Water Spell:

A Water Divination

This is best performed on a full to new moon; the moon itself corresponds to the element of water. Ground your energy. On a clear night take a bowl of fresh water to a place where it can reflect the moons light, concentrate hard and see the middle of your forehead, where your Third Eye Chakra is, as glowing purple or dark blue sphere in the center of your forehead, know your psychic self is open and become aware. Gaze into the bowl and let your intuition flow. Focus on your question, if you have one you will have an answer. Or just be open to things to come, some inner path workings. Pictures or thoughts may enter, write them down and interpret what you saw. You are the best judge of what symbols or thoughts came to you since they are your thoughts. So trust your own intuition first before that of others. Whatever your psychic endeavors are, the element of water can assist and even boost your practice. When done ground your energy. Be sure to record your experiences in a journal used for spells and meditations.

Earth Spell:

A Stone Spell

Stones have long been used in magick as they are a direct link to the powers of the earth. Stones, and indeed all things, have a vibrational frequency that can be read and used in magick. In order to read the vibrational frequency of a stone hold it in your writing hand, feel its texture, its temperature, its weight. Hold the stone tightly then loosely in the middle of your palm, you should feel a slightly pulsating in your palm and fingers. If the pulse is strong and fast this is a “high” vibrational stone. If it is subtle and slow this is a “low” vibrational stone. Now you can use them in magick, High vibration stones distribute energy quickly and should be used in magick that either send out a need or bring them to you. Low vibrational stones are great for grounding and protection as they distribute energy slowly and over time. Charge the stone with your magickal intent seeing the stone surrounded by a sphere of green light, say a loud your intent and visualize it strongly while holding the stone in your writing hand and staring intently at it. Once charged you can add the stone to a mojo bag and carry it with you, or you can bury it near your home (this is especially useful for protection spells). Ground your energy afterwards. Be sure to record your experiences in a journal used for spells and meditations.

So then these are the elements used in Wicca and magick. You can see how the elemental system is useful to magickal workings and spiritual betterment, opening ourselves to the magick and power of the elements can be rewarding on many levels. I urge readers to look more into Elemental Magick, for new seekers I usually refer them to the works of Scott Cunningham. His elemental spell books are very helpful and easy to follow, “Earth Power” and its sequel “Earth, Air, Fire and Water”. Keep practicing and studying, “the journey is the goal” as the Taoists say.

Blessed Be,

T.LH

Sources:

· “Money Magic” , “Practical Sigil Magick” by Frater UD

· “Witch school: First Degree” by Rev. Don Lewis

· “The Urban Primitive” By Raven Kaldera, Tannin Schwartzstein

· “Earth Power”, “Earth, Air, Fire and Water” by Scott Cunningham

Money Brew

2013-01-27T18:47:00.000-08:00

Money Brew

Need:

· Green bottle half-filled with fresh water

Add handful of enchanted*** herbs such as:

Tytus Lionheart Money Mixture:

· 2p** Cedar

· 2p Ginger

· 1p Dill

· 1p Clove

· 1p Basil

· 1p Vervain

· 1p Nutmeg

*charged with desire or magickal intent

**p = part

Cap tightly and leave in sunlight all day*. At dusk sniff water. If scent is strong, strain and add to baths, wash hands with, anoint money charms and so on. If not strong enough yet, chill overnight then replace in sunlight next day.

*minimum of 4 hours if need be.

***To charge the herbs add them in a vessel according to the desired recipe (like the one above). Now using your hands mix the herbs together while focusing on your need for wealth and money and riches. See yourself already in possession of these blessings. Now move your hands to either side of the vessel and visualize a ball of green money attracting energy coming from your hands and forming around the vessel of herbs, say these or similar words:

“I charge you herbs of magick, herbs of power,

To bring wealth and riches in all its form,

As I do Will, so mote it be and it is so.”

Build more power by tensing all your muscles while visualizing your intent upon saying the above incantation, now push all this energy into the green ball of light by slowly releasing your muscles from your feet up, finally “push” this energy into the herbal mixture. You have just enchanted herbs with the purpose of attracting money.

Herb of the Month: Star Anise

2013-01-05T20:36:00.000-08:00

Common name: Star Anise

Folk name: Chinese Anise

Parts used: leaves, oils, bark, seeds

Planet: Jupiter

Element: Air

Zodiac: Pisces, Sagittarius

Gender: Feminine

Goddess/ God: Buddha, Quan Yin

Medicinal uses: The fruits and foliage yield essential oil for medicinally promote appetite and digestion and to relieve chest complaints, rheumatism, and flatulence. Japanese Star Anise (Illicium anisatum) has cardamom-scented, poisonous fruits, used externally in Asian medicine. Its flower lacks scent and the leaves are a poison.

Folklore: The seed and pods are used as a spice in Asian cookery, notably as an ingredient of Chinese five-spice powder. The Japanese Star Anise is revered in Japan and planted near Buddhist temples, where the bark is burned as incense.

Magickal Effects: psychic awareness, calm, peace, luck

Magickal uses: Inhaling the scent of the dried fruits while sitting quietly can awaken your psychic abilities, allowing your subconscious to unlock its secrets. The Star Anise was made for incense with its pungent scent, especially incense used for meditation. The herb can also be used in luck spells especially in the form of a sachet; just add some of the strong smelling seeds/fruits in an orange sachet with the correct enchantments to unlock its luck attracting abilities (Your need and intent should be the enchantment let that energy flow into the star anise then carry them with you in the sachet.)

Knot Magick

2013-01-02T11:47:00.001-08:00

Knot Magick:
“I’ll tie up my hopes and dreams to carry them with me”
This is one of my favorite types of spell casting. Knot magick is simple, inexpensive and can be used for any magickal need one can think of. Knot magick goes way back to at least 4,000 years, in fact cuneiform tablets were produced in the Near East describing various types of magick involving the use of knots* (“Earth Power” by Scott Cunningham pg.91)
The theory behind knot magick is that tying the knot can be a magickal act which brings into physical form an abstract idea, magickal intent, conception or thought.
Essentially, you hold your cord (natural fibers and yarn work best), you calm your mind and focus on your intent, visualize your goal already coming to fruition, now hold this image as much as possible building energy by tensing all the muscles in your body. When you can no longer keep a clear image and you’ve built enough energy, tie the knot while simultaneously relaxing all your muscles. Congratulations you’ve just casted a knot spell.
Like all simple spells you can build upon this for more specific energies and better concentration on your magickal intent. This can be done by using various colors of strings to symbolize specific purposes, for example: Pink for love and compassion, Red for strength and courage, Yellow for luck and critical thinking, etc. Whatever the color means to you then that is how you should use it symbolically towards your magickal purpose. Here is a simple knot spell I created to bring Luck:
Lucky Bracelet Spell
Items Need:
-Yellow Yarn
-Lavender oil (I find that patchouli works great as well but if neither are available olive oil is fine)
Instructions: First make sure you will be undisturbed for a few minutes. Now quite your mind, some find taking a relaxing bath or shower helps clear your mind, but just taking a moment to breathe and still your thoughts is enough. Hold the lavender oil and give it a whiff, think of your goal at hand and dab the yarn with some of the oil. Now hold the yellow yarn, know that yellow represents luck and critical thinking. Stare at the yarn and begin to focus on your intent, visualize yourself being happy, and living fulfilling moments in your day to day life, “feel” the luck already with you, you can accomplish anything because your are so lucky. Now as you are visualizing this, build up personal energy, tense your muscles slowly saying these or similar words three times with feeling: “Luck and Happiness is always with me, I am lucky!” now tie the yarn around your left wrist (the left hand symbolically represents receiving energy), as you tie the knot say the words again for three knots releasing all the energy you built up while doing so. You’ve completed the spell! Now when you really need a boost of luck or you need to think on your feet just sniff the bracelet and let your spell do its work.
**Note: if bracelet gets too dirty just cut off and keep in safe place DO NOT UNTIE KNOTS! You can also burn or bury the cord to make sure the knots never come undone.

Self = All

2013-01-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

As well as cultivating a healthy relation with yourself and your power, you must cultivate a healthy relation with others and their powers. You would be surprised as to how much we all influence each other even in the most seemingly arbitrary ways. Which brings me to an important Occult law:

Self = All

(image borrowed from: http://brandonsutton.com/)

You are beautiful just for being you, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Be good to yourself and compassion for others will grow. Take care of Self and see Self everywhere.

We should be collective individuals instead of being individually collected. Stand for others, yes, but stand for you first. You are what is in your life, whatever takes place in your daily trials takes place within you and becomes a part of you. Once you start cultivating a love of Self, you begin to understand pain, strife and what it takes to become happy. You then understand struggle and will see that same struggle in others who share this life all around you…and you will love them and help them, because in doing so you are loving and helping yourself.

Beatus Esse,

T.LH

Divination Stones

2013-01-02T00:18:00.002-08:00

Divination Stones

I am not usually one to dabble or work within the arts of divination. I use my tarot cards for spell craft, and runes for inscription. I mean I've learned a bit of astrology but again this mostly works in spell craft for me. I never have been totally interested in divination but then earlier this month I was looking over one of Scott Cunningham's published spell books, "Earth Power" I believe. Under the section of Stone Magick Cunningham talks about how stones (and indeed all things) have a certain frequency to their vibrational tone and how based on these frequencies, one could determine the proper magickal use of a stone. One of the examples was the making of Divination stones. To determine the vibrational frequency of a stone, hold the stone in your projective hand (the hand you use to write) and hold it tight, feel the stone. Notice the weight, the texture, the temperature of the stone. Now hold the stone loosely in your fist and be still. You should feel a pulsating within your palm and fingers. If the pulsating is quick and strong it is a high vibrational stone. If the pulsating is slow and subtle, it is a low vibrational stone. This may seem to take a long time but once you know what the vibrations feels like, it should take only seconds. Now that that’s settled, let’s talk about how this works for divination. Take a light colored high vibrational stone, this is "Yes". Now a dark colored low vibrational stone, this is "no". And a uniquely colored or shaped mid-vibrational (meaning having a frequency between the other two stones), this is the "indicator". Hold the stones in your hands focus mentally on your question and roll the stones like dice. The stone closest to the "indicator" is the answer.

So I was intrigued, none the less, and went about my stone supplies to find the needed vibrational stones:

The first to the left is a high vibrational stone which mean "yes". The middle is a medium vibrational stone which is the "indicator". The last to the right is a low vibrational stone that means "no".

I then set about asking the stones three questions a week. I would write down the question and date/time it. I would write the outcome as well along with date and time. Its seems the stones are very accurate (in their own way), and the outcomes seem to be dependent on the intensity of the question being asked. Even though these stones are just for yes and no questions they can reveal a great deal about many things. As a tip, the proximity of all three stones can give a more detailed answer. The answers I am getting seem to have a certain pattern that involves the energy of time, space and self. Definitely my new favorite divination project, the results are scary accurate.

***But always remember: “There is no such thing as coincidence only inevitability.” and “Once you know your destiny, you always have a choice.”

Happy Casting!

Beatus Esse,

T.LH