American Folkloric Witchcraft

The Sarf Ruth

2012-02-24T23:23:00.000-05:00

The Sarf Ruth is the Cornish term for "Fire in the Land". It is the dragon energy in the land -- also known as ley lines -- that flow to and from sacred places such as wells, crossroads, graveyards, sacred trees, etc.

This "dragon energy" is drawn up from ley lines by use of the stang, which in Cornish tradition is called a gwelen. Walking the ley lines is one way to walk the Crooked (serpentine) Path.

Although the Sarf Ruth is well documented in England (mostly through the work of Alfred Watkins), it is a phenomenon that spans the globe, and many cultures have beliefs in energy in the land. Often old sacred sites will tend to line up along a "straight track" on a map. Watkins developed a theory that these alignments were created for ease of overland trekking by line of sight navigation during neolithic times and had persisted in the landscape over millennia.

Dragons and serpents have long been associated with this energy, from Merlin's red and white dragons battling underground, to the eastern concept of kundalini.

Ley Lines in Southern Indiana

Local to us (here in Southern Indiana) are two notable dragon lines. One is the Lost River, a feature unique to our limestone-laden hills. The second is Indiana State Highway 150, also known as the Buffalo Trace. The Buffalo Trace was originally formed by millions of migrating bison. It later became an important land route for settlers in Indiana.

These two land features converge in an valley to the north of the small town of Hillham, Indiana. In one of these valleys is Our Haven Nature Sanctuary, where Laurelei and I attend many summer festivals. The energy there is intense and very healing. I didn't realize that these two ley lines met near Our Haven until I was writing this piece. I hope that my Our Haven family is as tickled as I am by this information.

Ladders, Rosaries, and a bit on Weaving

2012-02-20T23:37:00.003-05:00

Unique style of leather Witch's ladder

While the season is still under the auspices of the Black Goddess (herself a weaver of fate and magic), I thought I might like to write about a version of weaving magic that is rather central to traditional Witchcraft. I'm referring to the production of witches' ladders.

The simplest sort of ladder is a single string, thread or cord into which the Witch ties a series of knots. The magic of the Witch -- her power and intent -- is stored in each knot and can be unleashed at a later time.

The exact same type of ladder can be used as a devotional tool, a sort of Witch's rosary, in which she plans the steps on the ladder to lead to a devotional goal.

Of course, witchcraft isn't at all about doing things in the simplest manner, and we ARE a crafty lot. We enjoy weaving together numeric and color symbolism, and so our ladders tend to have more than one strand -- and often more than one color -- braided and knotted together. We include charms, beads, bone, feathers, and more to add oomph to our magic.

To the right is a picture of a drawing that was included in the "1734 Letters" that I printed from Joe Wilson's website in early 2000. While all of the writing is still available, I am a little dismayed that most of the pictures have entirely disappeared from the Internet. (The text at the bottom of each page clearly said, "Not to be sold under any circumstances for any purpose. Must be freely distributed.")

At any rate, this picture (labeled "THE KNOTS") shows three possible placements for "GIRDLES" -- or ladders. In Robert Cochrane's writing "On Cords," he describes the use of both devotional and magical cords:

"When worked up properly they should contain many different parts--herbs, feathers and impedimenta of the particular harm. They are generally referred to in the trade as "ladders," or in some cases as "garlands," and have much the same meaning as the three crosses. That is they can contain three blessings, three curses, or three wishes. A witch also possesses a devotional ladder, by which she may climb to meditational heights, knotted to similar pattern as the Catholic rosary."

Three colors, three braids in each color, three knots

This rhyme is often seen accompanying Witches' Ladder spells:

By knot of one, the spell's begun.
By knot of two, the magic comes true.
By knot of three, so it shall be.
By knot of four, this power is stored.
By knot of five, my will shall drive.
By knot of six, the spell I fix.
By knot of seven, the future I leaven.
By knot of eight, my will be fate.
By knot of nine, what is done is mine.

When making a ladder, you will typically work from the outsides toward the middle. So, your first knot is on one end of the cord, your second knot is on the other end, and your third knot is in the middle. If you have more than three knots (as in the rhyme above), you place new knots between established ones, still alternating sides. So, for instance, the fourth knot would be between knots 1 and 3. In this way, the placement of knots becomes an act of weaving, as well.

The Gandreigh

2012-02-20T15:52:00.001-05:00

A gandreigh is a riding pole used to fly out astrally to access different realms. The gandreigh can be a broom, a staff, a stang, or even a wand that the rider uses to send forth a fetch for the astral body to inhabit.

Nigel Jackson writes:

"The stick is the Gandra which is both the magic wand and stick that straddle the Witch of the North. It is a variant of the classic broom or forked stick of witches in Europe. The armies of the night-flying creatures on sticks are called "the gandreigh" in Old Norse. This applies to the flight of witches and the dead ghost hunting Wild."

The gandreigh is not used for physical flight through consensus reality, rather it acts as a world tree by which we can access levels of being through "flying" (or climbing) up and down the pole.

In our tradition the world tree is symbolized by the Spiral Castle, although the stang, staff, or broom is a personal tool which acts as an expression of this energy. It is the witches most personal tool and is usually destroyed upon a witch's death or given as a kuthun.

The Witches' Ballad - Doreen Valiente

2012-02-19T12:56:00.001-05:00

The Witches' Ballad

Doreen Valiente

Oh, I have been beyond the town
Where nightshade black and mandrake grow
And I have heard and I have seen
What righteous folk would fear to know!
For I have heard, at still midnight
Upon the hilltop far, forlorn
With note that echoed through the dark
The winding of the heathen horn
And I have seen the fire aglow
And glinting from the magic sword
And with the inner eye beheld
The Hornid One, the Sabbat's lord
We drank the wine, and broke the bread
And ate it in the Old One's name
We linked our hands to make the ring
And laughed and leaped the Sabbat game
Oh, little do the townsfolk reck
When dull they lie within their bed!
Beyond the streets, beneath the stars
A merry round the witches tread!
And round and round the circle spun
Until the gates swung wide ajar
That bar the boundaries of earth
From faery realms that shine afar
Oh, I have been and I have seen
In magic worlds of Otherwhere
For all this world may praise or blame
For ban or blessing naught I care
For I have been beyond the town
Where meadowsweet and roses grow
And there such music did I hear
As worldly-righteous never know

Pendulum Dowsing

2012-02-06T15:20:00.000-05:00

Divination is one of the traditional arts of a witch, and one of the simplest forms of divination is dowsing through the use of a pendulum. Pendulums can be purchased, or easily made. Any weight suspended from a chain or string can work as a pendulum in a pinch. Pendant style necklaces work well. I've also had success with a key suspended from a rubber band at the office! Of course, using a tool that you love and that speaks to your unconscious mind will improve your overall results. Any vehicle may get you to your destination, but many people still prefer luxury automobiles.

After you have selected your pendulum you will want to perform a simple exercise to attune your mind to the pendulum. Keep in mind that it is not any special metaphysical force that moves the pendulum, rather it is the small unconscious muscle movements of your hand. The "magic" behind the pendulum is that your unconscious mind is already attuned to the true outcome or answer to your questions.

To use the pendulum let the weight swing freely from your fingers as shown in the photo. Concentrate on the pendulum being very still. Then ask the pendulum to "Show me YES". Focus the thought of YES at the weight of the pendulum. The pendulum will begin to swing. Wait until the swinging takes on a regular pattern, such as side-to-side, forward-and-back, clockwise, or counterclockwise. This is your signal for yes. Now still the pendulum. Ask the pendulum to "Show me NO". Again, send the thought of NO strongly to the weight of the pendulum. Wait for the pendulum to swing in a regular pattern, this time different from the pattern shown as "yes". You now have charged your pendulum and your mind to receive yes and no answers through the pendulum.

For more detailed questions you may want to make use of a dowsing board, such as the one shown below. To dowse, suspend the pendulum over the point of the chart where the rays meet at the bottom. Ask the pendulum to be still. Then concentrate on your question, stating it aloud. Follow the movements of the pendulum to receive your message. It may be helpful to have someone record the results of the dowsing while another person uses the pendulum and asks the questions. If you have poor results with the board initially, do not be discouraged. With time and practice your skills using the board will improve.

You can also use pendulums to dowse for water or lost objects through the use of a map as the dowsing board. To find a lost object draw a rough map of your home, or the location where you think you lost the item. Divide the map into sections like a tic-tac-toe board. Focus on the item while moving the pendulum from one area to another. The pendulum will react strongly in the location of the lost item.

Pendulums are sometimes used to dowse in people's energy fields for blockages. Pendulums can be charged to react strongly (a YES response) to open chakras and other energy centers, and to produce a NO response when encountering a blockage or negative energy. This can be helpful when doing group healing work, as everyone present can "see" the areas affected, rather than relying on touch.

These are only a few common techniques for pendulum dowsing. The uses for a pendulum are limited only by your imagination. Pendulums are not only one of the easiest forms of divination to learn, they can be improvised in many situations with common objects. Thus, using a pendulum can be a basic and essential practice for your bag of tricks.

If you want to buy a pendulum, we have several handmade varieties available in our online Botanica. Also, most occult retailers offer pendulums at reasonable prices.

Charm of the Spiral Castle

2012-02-03T22:28:00.002-05:00

In a silver castle
far beyond the sea
grows a golden apple
on a silver tree.

On the Isle of Apples
through the pearly mist
stands a spiral tor-mound
on which the castle sits.

Waters flow upon the isle,
pools of life-in-death.
A sacred river circles it
the ancient stream of Lethe.

The castle spins between the worlds
to touch the vault of heaven.
Stars dance around its towers four
two Bears, one Crown, the Sisters Seven.

Upon the highest tower
with linen at her feet
spins the castle's Lady
in her uneasy seat.

Down below the castle
iron touches fire,
where Cain pounds at the anvil
all that we desire.

The Mighty Dead reside within --
Ancient, wise, and brave --
for those who walk the Crooked Path --
seek Rose Beyond the Grave.

Seek the turning castle
by right of Scarlet Thread.
It won't be found with mortal eyes
but ones hallowed by the dead.

~Natalie Black, Imbolc 2012

February Totems: Owl

2012-02-01T09:23:00.000-05:00

In the western tradition owl is inextricably associated with the quality of wisdom. This is due in part to its ancient associations with the Goddess Athena, and also with its large forward-facing eyes. In Welsh tradition, the owl is among the most ancient of animals, second only to the eagle and the salmon of knowledge. It was the third animal that Culhwch asks regarding the whereabouts of Mabon. Also in Scotland we find this rhyme:

I am coeval with the ancient oak
Whose roots spread wide in yonder moss,
Many a race has passed before me,
And still I am the lonely owl of Srona.

Whereas the salmon of knowledge offers a general kind of wisdom, the owl is symbolic of a more circumspect wisdom. It is objective and detached from the mundane. Owl watches and waits, in ruined castles, church towers, barns, and hollow trees. The owl is symbolic of esoteric wisdom and secrecy.

In folklore the owl is associated with death, night, and silence. The owl is much noted for its unique feather and wing structure which allows it to fly silently. The old magazine Puck records a folk rhyme that links the owl with slience:

A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?

Owls have acute hearing, and use a kind of echo-location to hunt their prey. The owl can be a symbol of both silence and the ability to hear those things that others might miss. An owl totem can be a sign that one would benefit from listening more.

One of the Celtic names for owl is "Cailleach-oidchce" (crone of the night), linking the owl with the Black Goddess as the Cailleach. The Black Goddess is the Lady of life-in-death and the call of the owl is seen as an omen of both the birth of a girl or the death of a man. This ability to foretell the future links the owl with clairvoyance and astral travel.

The owl is a bird set apart. She hunts at night, and is mobbed by other birds -- notably crows -- during the day. The Welsh point to the story of Math, Son of Mathonwy for the reason behind this. Blodeuwedd, the flower-bride of Lleu Llaw Gyffes, was transformed into an owl as punishment for betraying her husband.

"And because of the dishonor thou hast done to Lleu Llaw Gyffes thou art never to dare show thy face in the light of day, and that through fear of all birds; and that there be enmity between thee and all birds, and that it be their nature to mob and molest thee wherever they may find thee; and that thou shalt not lose thy name but that thou be forever called Blodeuwedd."

Another Goddess figure who was also transformed into an owl as punishment for betraying her husband is the Sumerian-Jewish Lilith. Lilith is also associated with wisdom, as folklore tradition makes her the serpent in the Garden of Eden who offered forth the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge to Eve.

To the Ojibwa tribe of North America the owl is a symbol of evil and death. To the Pueblo, it represented Skeleton Man, Lord of death and fertility. To the Pawnee the owl was a powerful symbol of protection. Owls are sometimes nailed, wings spread, over the doors of barns to protect livestock from evil spirits, both in North American and in European tradition.

In ancient Rome it was believed that placing an owl feather on the body of a sleeping person would allow you to discover all of their secrets.

February Totems: Willow

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

    The willow has very feminine overtones. It is strongly lunar in its energy pattern. Willows are found at the edges of streams and lakes, giving them the elemental powers of both earth and water. The willow is a water-loving tree and responds to the lunar cycle.

The Anglo-Saxon welig (willow) means pliancy, and withy branches (or osiers) are cut from the willow to weave baskets, mend fences, and form frames for coracles. A coracle is a small keeless boat fashioned from a basket of willow withies and made waterproof by the addition of a tightly stretched hide. No nails are used in the construction of a coracle, rather the entire boat is bound by weaving and plaiting.

    The willow is thought to have healing properties over diseases of a damp nature. It is considered as a symbol of fertility and the female cycle. A chemical called salicin is extracted from the bark of the willow and used for the treatment of pain and fever. It is similar in chemical construct to asprin.

    The willow can bring an awareness of your feminine side and is often associated with the Goddess Brighid because her festival of Imbolc falls within the influence of the willow tree. In our tradition the willow, also known by its folk name "the tree of enchantment", is sacred to the Black Goddess.

As trees of enchantment, willow groves were used by poets, artists, musicians, priest and priestesses as places on meditation and inspiration.

Wands cut from willow are known as "willie wains" and are said to contain the powers of water and the moon.

To make a wish, tie a loose knot in a willow branch on a living tree, and state your wish, charging the knot. When your wish comes true return to the willow, untie the knot, and make an offering of thanks for its aid.

Witches brooms are bound with willow, usually with birch twigs serving as the brush, and ash as the stave. These three trees are the trees sacred to and surrounding the month of March, sacred to Hulda, mistress of the broom.

Magic mists are raised in folk tales by aid of the willow, and many stories tell of willows that uproot themselves at night to stalk unwary travellers.

February Totems: Cat

2012-02-01T07:30:00.001-05:00

Cat

The Cat is an animal of mystery and magic, largely because she is more active and communicative at night. She is capable of observing multiple worlds (physical and non-physical) at one time without making decision or passing judgment. She is very independent, accepting affection on her own terms and warning of caution and respect. The Cat is also a symbol of guardianship, attachment and sensuality.

The Cat is shown in folk tales from around the world. In ancient Egypt, the Cat had special privilege. Bast was shown as a Cat or as having a Cat’s head. In Scandinavia, the Cat was associated with Freya (Goddess of fertility). Her chariot was pulled by the cats Bygul and Trjegul (Beegold/Honey & Treegold/Amber). Shasti (Hindu childbirth Goddess) was shown riding a Cat.

In Celtic world, warriors carried the skin of a wild Cat. The Cat’s qualities of curiosity, 9 lives, independence, cleverness, unpredictability and healing would have been helpful to a warrior.

Because Cat can see and work in spirit world (which lead to the Church torturing and killing thousands of cats in Britain and France) it was believed that witches could take form of Cats. This lead to the belief that a witch’s pet Cat was her familiar (spirit in the form of a Cat).

The Cat is associated with the Goddess and the feminine. Brighid had a cat as a companion. Cerridwen (as the great sow Henwen) gives birth to a wolf-cub, eagle, bee and kitten. The kitten grows into the Palug Cat – one of the 3 Plagues of Anglesey.

The Cat is a fierce guardian (guardian of Otherworldly treasure) in the immrama of Maelduin. And the Celts have many sightings of Cath Sith (Faery Cats), which are Big Cats.

The Airts: Elemental Quarters of the Spiral Castle

2012-01-30T23:33:00.000-05:00

The Airts of Traditional Craft correspond to different elemental quarters than those found in Wiccan and Ceremonial traditions. The Airts are based on old "Celtic" lore.

The North – Air

Values: Intellect, Thoughts, Inspiration, Communication, Flight, Divination
Colors: White, sky blue, black, silver
Symbols: Circle, bird, bell, flute, chimes, clouds, Sylphs, the Angel
Tools: Keek stone, flail, knives
Weapons: Staff/Spear
Musical Instruments: Reed instruments
Times: Imbolc, Midnight, Winter, Old Age
Places: Sky, mountaintop, treetop, bluffs, summit of a mound
Zodiac: Aquarius, Gemini, Libra
Sense: Scent
Power: To Know
Process: Chanting, Visualization, Reading, Speaking, Praying, Singing, Fragrance, Charms

The East – Fire

Values: Passion, Power, Will, Energy, Courage, Strength, Light
Colors: Red, orange, amber
Symbols: Triangle, lightning, flame, candle, Salamanders, the Lion
Tools: The lamp, wand, staff
Weapons: Sword
Musical Instruments: String Instruments
Times: Beltane, Dawn, Spring, Youth
Places: Volcanoes, ovens, hearths, bonfires, deserts
Zodiac: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Sense: Sight
Power: To Will
Process: Dancing, Burning, Candle-magic, Solar magic, Mirrors

The South – Earth

Values: Growth, Experience, Authority, Money, Physicality, Security, Nourishment
Colors: Black, brown, russet, green
Symbols: Square, cornucopia, scythe, salt, stone, Gnomes, the Bull
Tools: The casting bowl, pentacles, horns
Weapons: Shield
Musical Instruments: Drums
Times: Lammas, Noon, Summer, Coming of Age
Places: Caves, forests, fields, gardens, canyons
Zodiac: Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo
Sense: Touch
Power: To Keep Silent
Process: Burying, Grounding, Binding, Eating, Totemic magic, Wortcunning, Clay figures, Dirts

The West – Water

Values: Emotions, Intuition, Cleansing, Mystery, Sacrifice
Colors: Grey, turquoise, blue, indigo
Symbols: Crescent, shell, boat, anchor, cup, Undines, the Eagle
Tools: The chalice or quaiche, cauldron
Weapons: Helm
Musical Instruments: Chimes
Times: Samhain, Twilight, Autumn, Adulthood
Places: Oceans, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, wells, beaches, baths
Zodiac: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Sense: Taste
Power: To Dare
Process: Bathing, Healing, Drinking, Baptism, Charged Waters, Blood magic

A Charm of the Airts

Black spirits, white,
Red spirits, gray,
Come ye, come ye
Come what may.

Around and round,
Throughout, about.
The good stay in.
The ill keep out.

Faces of the Black Goddess

2012-01-30T23:09:00.003-05:00

Names
Kolyo, Cailleach Bheur, The Morrigan, (Morrigan, Badb, Macha, Nemain), Beira, Clíodhna, Nyx, Noctiluca, Bean nighe, Cleena, Mongfind, Hel, Hecate, Kali, Fata, Nicnevin, Gyre-Carling, Beira, The Moirae (Klotho, Lachesis, & Atropos), The Norns (Urdr, Verdandi, Skuld)

Station of the Wheel
North, Imbolc, February, Gate of Air, Storm Moon

Totems
Cat, Willow, Owl

Tools
Spear, Staff, Wand, Athame (Black Handled Knife), Scourge

Kolyo (meaning the "coverer" and "hidden") is Great Mother of All - Ubiquitous, Omnipresent, Immortal and Eternal. In Indo-European Paganism, it is She who drives the Divine Drama and gives birth to the Gods and Goddesses. The Supreme Spinning Goddess, She is the First Timeless Source who regenerates All. A Being and Power older than Time itself, Kolyo spins the threads of Fate.

The word cailleach (in modern Irish and Scottish Gaelic, 'old woman') comes from the Old Irish caillech ('veiled one'), from Old Irish caille ('veil'), most likely an early loan from Latin pallium ('cloak'). The word is found as a component in terms like the Gaelic cailleach-dhubh ('nun') and cailleach-oidhche ('owl'), as well as the Irish cailleach feasa ('wise woman', 'fortune-teller') and cailleach phiseogach ('sorceress', 'charm-worker'). Related words include the Gaelic caileag ('young woman', 'girl') and the Lowland Scots carline/carlin ('old woman', 'witch'). A more obscure word that is sometimes interpreted as 'hag' is the Irish síle, which has led some to speculate on a connection between the Cailleach and the stonecarvings of Sheela na Gigs.

The name may also be related to the Hindu goddess, Kali, who shares many similar characteristics

The Morrígan ("phantom queen") or Mórrígan ("great queen") (also known as Morrígu, Morríghan, Mor-Ríoghain, sometimes given in the plural as Morrígna) is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have once been a goddess, although she is not explicitly referred to as such in the texts.

The Morrigan is a goddess of battle, strife, and fertility . She sometimes appears in the form of a crow, flying above the warriors, and in the Ulster cycle she also takes the form of an eel, a wolf, and a cow. She is generally considered a war deity comparable with the Germanic Valkyries, although her association with cattle also suggests a role connected with fertility, wealth, and the land. She is often depicted as a triple goddess, but also as a goddess with five or nine aspects. The most common combination of three is the Badb, Macha and Nemain, but other accounts name Fea, Anann, and others.

Clíodhna (Clídna, Clíodna, Clíona, but sometimes Cleena in English) is a Queen of the Banshees of the Tuatha Dé Danann. In Irish literature, Cleena of Carrigcleena is the potent banshee that rules as queen over the sheoques (fairy women of the hills) of South Munster, or Desmond. She is the principal goddess of this country. It is said the wails of the banshee can be heard echoing the valleys and glens at night, scaring those who hear as the wail of a banshee is potent and instills fear in good people.

In Irish mythology, Nemain (or Nemhain, Nemon or Neman) is the fairy spirit of the frenzied havoc of war, and possibly an aspect of the Morrígan.

Imbolc

2012-01-27T05:52:00.001-05:00

(im-bulk or em-bowlk)
Also: Candlemas, Oiemalg, Bride's Day, Oimelc, Brigid's Day, Brigantia

Brigid Crosses

Imbolc, celebrated at the peak of winter around early February, is one of the four main fire festivals native to Celtic culture. The other festivals, commonly referred to in Neopaganism as the "Greater Sabbats" are Beltane, at the peak of spring, Lammas, at the peak of summer, and Samhain at the peak of autumn. Imbolc is usually celebrated on February 2nd and the night prior to it, although some celebrate the festival on its alternate date, astrologically determined by the sun's reaching 15-degrees Aquarius.

Origins of Imbolc

The earliest recorded instance of Imbolc comes from the Irish epic poem "Tochmare Emire", a part of the Ulster Cycle, where Cu Chulainn is attempting to woo Emer. Challenging the hound of Chulain to go without sleep for a year, Emer names the major calendar days, including:

"Imbolc, when the ewes are milked at spring's beginning."

The origins of Imbolc appear to be much older than the Ulster Cycle, however, as ancient inhabitants of Ireland built a number of Megalithic and Neolithic sites aligned with the sun on this day. Loughcrew burial mounds and the Mound of the Hostages in Tara, Ireland are two examples of these monuments. Here, the inner chamber of the passage tombs are perfectly aligned with the rising sun of both Imbolc and Samhain, so that the rising Imbolc sun shines down the long passageway and illuminates the inner chamber of the tomb.

Loughcrew Burial Mound

Etymology

Many neopagan texts state that Imbolc translates to "in the belly" or "in the mother" to signify the stirring and quickening of new life in the Goddess, but this is an incorrect translation. Although its linguistic origins are lost to time, Imbolc is thought to translate more accurately to "sheep's milk", or “in milk”. It is related to the Irish Celtic word folcaim, meaning “to wash”, and it is thought that Imbolc's Indo-European root word was related to both lactation and purification.

Themes

Purification is a reoccuring theme of this festival, and the fires associated with it. Saining, the process of ritually purifing something by exposing it to open flame, was common during this time, but in the form of small interior lighting, rather than the magnificent bonfires that were lept during Beltane.

Prehaps related to these purification aspects of the festival, or even the associations with a seed placed in the earth waiting to sprout soon after this time, Imbolc has become a traditional time for many neopagans to take oaths, or, in some traditions, undergo initiations.

Another aspect of the sacred fire highlighted during Imbolc is light. Imbolc takes place at the peak of winter, midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The days at this point in the year are growing noticably longer, and the return of this light, along with the promise of the spring it brings, is celebrated at Imbolc. This reverance for light was transferred to the lighting of candles when the church transformed Imbolc into Candlemass. Even today it is tradition in some parts of Ireland to light every lamp or candle in the house on the eve of February 2nd.

In addition to Candlemass, the Church called February 2nd the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was believed that women were impure for six weeks after giving birth. Since Mary gave birth at the winter solstice, she wouldn't be purified until February 2nd. Mary was supposed to have gone to the Temple at Jerusalem to make the traditional offering to purify herself. As she entered the temple, an old man named Simeon recognized the baby as the Messiah, and a "light to lighten the Gentiles." Thus the themes of light and purification were kept alive on Imbolc long after its Pagan origins faded.

The Goddess Brigid

Imbolc is also known as Brigid's Day and is associated with the Anglo-Celtic goddess Brigid, who was anciently honored throughout areas that now include Britain, Ireland, and Northern France. She was widespread and known by many name variations including:

Brighid by Hrana Janto

    Brighid (Modern Irish)
    Bríd (Reformed Irish)
    Bridget (Anglicanized)
    Brìghde/Brìde (Scotland)
    Ffraid (Wales)
    Berecyntia (Gaul)
    Brigan
    Brigandu (Gaul)
    Brigantia (Great Britain)
    Brigantis (Great Britain)
    Brigindo (Switzerland)
    Brigida (The Netherlands)



The goddess Brigid, presided over the hearth and the forge, over the inspiration and skill of sacred art and craft, and over the world of crops, livestock, and nature. In the Scottish Highlands every morning the fire was kindled with an invocation to Bride:

    "I will build the hearth
    As Mary would build it.
    The encompassment of Bride and of Mary
    Guarding the hearth, guarding the floor,
    Guarding the household all."

The 10th-century Cormac’s Glossary states that Brigid was the daughter of the Dagda, the “Great God” of the Tuatha de Danaan. It states Brigid to be a...

    “woman of wisdom... a goddess whom poets adored, because her protection was very great and very famous."

Since poetry was interwoven with aspects of divination Brigid was also seen as the inspiration behind divination and prophecy, marking Imbolc as a festival associated with prophecy.

Brigid the Bright One is said to have had two sisters: Brigid the Physician and Brigid the Smith, but it is generally thought that all three were aspects of a single triple goddess.

St. Brigit

The early Church could not very easily call the Great Goddess of Ireland a demon, so they opted to canonized her instead. She would become Saint Brigit, patroness of poetry, and healing. The church's explanation to the Irish peasants was that Brigit was actually an early Christian missionary, and that the miracles she performed misled the common people into believing that she was a goddess.

In some of the many legends about St. Brigit, there is a belief that she was the foster-mother of Jesus, Jesus having spent some part of his boyhood in Britain and Ireland, or that she was the mid-wife at his birth.

John Duncan's famous paining of Saint Bride

depicts two angels carrying her across the sea to nurse Jesus.

At her shrine in Kildare, a group of 19 priestesses kept a perpetual flame burning in her honor. In the twelfth century, Gerald of Wales wrote that when he visited the convent that there used to be twenty nuns keeping watch over the flame during Brigid's lifetime; but since her death, nineteen took turns, one each night, in guarding the fire. When the twentieth night came, the nineteenth nun put the logs beside the fire and said: “Brigid, guard your fire. This is your night.” In the morning, the wood was found burned and the fire still alight.

Brigid is honored on Imbolc, again by the kindling of sacred fires, since she symbolized the fire of birth and healing, the fire of the forge, and the fire of poetic inspiration.

Welcoming Brigid

On Brigid’s Eve, it was common during the eighteenth century to weave 'bride crosses' from wheat stalks, rushes, or straw, and place the weaving in a windowsill or from the rafters to give welcome to Brigid, who is said to walk the earth on this night. Ribbons were once tied to trees outside on Imbolc Eve so that they might be blessed by her wandering spirit to become powerful healing charms.

Corn Dollies

Welcoming Brigid was a common theme for Imbolc Eve, and even into the ninteenth century women on the Isle of Manx could be found weaving corn dollies into roughly human shapes, and dressing them in white lace and linen. These were then decorated with flowers, shells, ribbons, and crystals, with an especially bright bauble attached to the area over the doll's heart to signify the star over the stable in Bethlehem that led Bride to the Christ child.

These symbolic goddess figures would then be placed in a 'bed', usually a basket or small box, alongside a peeled and beribboned wand of birch or willow. The bed of Bride was then set near the hearth. One of the women would then open the door and call out softly, "Bride's bed is ready.", to which the remaining women inside would answer, "Let Bride come in, Bride is welcome." Together all would then chant "Bride, Bride, come in." The next day, divinations were made in the patterns of the ashes of the hearth. To see a "footprint" of Bride in the ashes was especially fortunate.

Groundhog's Day

Today February 2nd is a time of weather prognostication, and the old Scottish tradition of watching to see if serpents or badgers came from their winter dens is perhaps a precursor to Groundhog Day. Alexander Carmichael's Carmina Gadelica preserves the rhyme:

    Thig an nathair as an toll
    La donn Bride,
    Ged robh tri traighean dh’ an t-sneachd
    Air leachd an lair.

    "The serpent will come from the hole
    On the brown Day of Bride,
    Though there should be three feet of snow
    On the flat surface of the ground."

In addition to the promise of spring, and prognostication, other neopagan themes common to Imbolc include the transformation of the Goddess from Crone to Maiden (the Maiden is usually symbolized by wearing a crown of candles), the nursing of the young sun God, the completion of 12 labors by the sun God, the and the peak of the Holly King's power. These differ according to various traditions.

The Spiral Castle Tradition

In our tradition Imbolc is the time we honor the Black Goddess at her peak. We see the Black Goddess as the Bean Nighe, the Morrigan, the Cailleach, and the weaver, spinner, and cutter of Fate's thread.

The Spiral Castle is turned to face the North Gate, place of Air, Winter has a strong hold on the earth in our area of the country, and the Lady of Fate, Battle, and Life in Death holds sway. The Wheel is about to turn to the light half of the year, and there is rejoicing for that hope, along with mourning for the things we have lost in the darkness.

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the infinite peace to you.

~ Adapted from Ancient Gaelic

Correspondences

Colors: white, red, brown, pink, lavender, silver, and light yellow
Herbs: Gardenia, Rose, Basil, Violets, White flowers, Blackberry, Myrrh, Angelica, Bay, Wisteria, Crocus
Foods: Sunflower seeds, poppy seed cakes, breads, dairy products, peppers, wine, tea
Taboos: Harvesting of any kind, including picking flowers is not allowed on this day

January Totems: Blackbird

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The Blackbird notoriously sings at twilight and dawn -- the liminal times -- making it a guardian of the gateways and between-places. This makes it an ideal totem of January, the time when one year ends and another begins.

Rhiannon's birds were said to be blackbirds, as they are enchanted birds of the otherworld. They were said to "wake the dead and lull the living to sleep", another nod to their liminal singing, and a hint that the blackbird is capable of the shamanic work of dreamwalking and spirit communication.

The blackbird, or ousel, is the first animal Culhwch asks regarding the whereabouts of Mabon, as it was the oldest animal that Culhwch knew of. Again, the blackbird stands as the gateway to the animals that remain in the quest: stag, owl, eagle, and salmon.

The blackbird in Culhwch's tale, here named the Blackbird of Cilgwri, answers that he is so old that he found a smith's anvil when he first came to Cilgwri, but that time was so long ago that the anvil has long since worn away from his pecking at it. The blackbird is especially sacred to blacksmiths. In Irish ghobadhu means both blackbird and blacksmith. The blackbird has the unique habit of bashing snail shells and nuts on stones, much as a smith would use an anvil. For these reasons, and his coal-black feathers, the blackbird is sacred to smith gods, such as Tubal Cain.

Blackbirds are territorial, and seeing two together is considered a sign of good luck. It is also good luck to have a blackbird build its nest on your roof, or anywhere near your home.

In North America the red-winged blackbird is perhaps the most iconic of blackbirds. One Native American legend states that the blackbird tried to warn the people of a village that a man had set the marsh on fire. The man angrily threw stones at the bird, wounding its wings and staining them blood red. Thus, the blackbird is a bringer of omens, and of self-sacrifice.

January Totems: Blackthorn

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As a storm of tangl'd Briars
I cast forth the spines of torment:
Byt weave of thorns I bar the Way!
Ye Strength of the Nail of the Cross,
All spirits foul be fix'd upon Thee.
Let Ghost and Flesh twain be punctur'd
And Darkness fall -- for thou Art bound!

~Viridarium Umbris: The Pleasure Garden of Shadow by Daniel A. Schulke

January Totems: Wolf

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In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain. These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. January's totems are Wolf, Blackthorn, and Blackbird.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Wolf (Faol) – guardianship, ritual, loyalty, free spirit, intuition, shadow
Blackthorn (Straif) – blasting magic, guardians, boundaries, no choice
Blackbird (Dru Dhubh) – territoriality, omens, enchantment, gateways

Wolf

The Wolf is associated with intuition, learning, the Shadow, faithfulness, and inner strength. The Wolf allows you to go beyond “normal” barriers to learn and grow. Wolf reminds us of the inner power and strength that come when we are alone, and it teaches us to know our deepest selves. Sadly, the Wolf is highly misunderstood and has often been shown as an adversary to humans in movies and stories.

This animal embodies many qualities of the hound, but with a wildness not to be found in the domesticated dog. It is valued for its affinities with humans. Wolves are highly social, friendly and intelligent. Several stories in various cultures depict wolves adopting human and divine infants to rear, and Wolves are often adopted as godmothers and godfathers.

The Celts would cross-breed hounds with wolves for a powerful battle dog. In the area of fighting, it is important to know that the Wolf does not fight unnecessarily. In fact, it will avoid fights if it can. Like a true Warrior, it does not have to demonstrate dominance, but can when called upon.

The Morrigan takes the form of a She-wolf and attacks Cu-Chulainn for spurning her amorous advances, and one of Cerridwen’s gifts as Henwen was a wolf-cub. The Wolf is an ally of the Horned One on Gundestrap cauldron. (And in many images, there is a powerful connection between the Wolf and the Raven.)

In magic and medicine, people have believed that a Wolf’s hide provided protection from epilepsy, and the teeth were considered lucky – rubbed on teething baby’s gums and worn as charms and amulets.

In the Americas, the Wolf is seen as the spirit of free and unspoiled wilderness. There are several types of Wolves in this part of the World – the Red Wolf, the Mexican Wolf, the Timber Wolf (or Gray Wolf), and the Arctic Wolf. In size, they are smaller than people imagine (about like a good-sized German Shepherd).

Wolves are very ritualistic and carefully defined rules. They have sacred territories and a hierarchical structure (alpha male and alpha female – a “pecking order”).

They implement complex communication using body language and facial expressions, which can help us conveying our moods and understanding others. They also have very complex verbal communication. Their howls have a variety of meanings, including conveying location, social uses, and for fun.

The Wolf can teach us the balance between authority and democracy. (True freedom requires discipline.) They are very loyal to each other, and within the pack the alpha male and female often mate for life. The whole pack is tolerant and careful of pups. Wolves can “adopt” if something happens to parents, and they will sometimes baby-sit.

Some of the other skills the Wolf can teach include choosing battles. (As predators, they only pick the old, young and sick.) They have great strength and stamina, being able to travel long distances to hunt. They don’t waste anything, which is seen in their gorging on prey. And they are very loyal, making quick and firm emotional attachments.

December Totems: Wren

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Wren

Of all of the birds venerated by the Celtic peoples, and associated with the Druids, the humble wren is the most revered. The wren was said to be crowned the king of the birds, after riding an eagle to the highest point in the sky, above all other birds, and then soaring above even the eagle! The wren is noted for its cunning for this stunt, and for the trick of building many false nests to lead away hunters.

Breton Druids claimed that it was the wren who first brought down fire from heaven, forever singeing its tail feathers, causing the wren to have its distinctive blunt tail.

There is a Manx legend of a mermaid who transformed into a wren, causing sailors to wear wren feathers when at sea to protect them from drowning.

The wren, mighty king of the birds, dies a king's sacrificial death each year on St. Stephen's day (December 26) when it is hunted by the "Wren Boys".

Irish tradition holds that the wren symbolizes the old year (the Holly King), while the robin symbolizes the year to come (the Oak King, born as the newly risen sun at Yule).

Originally, groups of small boys would hunt for a wren, and then chase the bird until they either have caught it or it has died from exhaustion. The dead bird was tied to the top of a pole or holly bush, which was decorated with ribbons or colored paper.

Early in the morning of St. Stephen's Day, the wren was carried from house to house by the boys, who wore straw masks or blackened their faces with burnt cork, and dressed in old clothes. At each house, the boys sing the Wren Boys' song. Such as:

The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
On St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze,
Although he is little, his family is great,
I pray you, good landlady, give us a treat.

My box would speak, if it had but a tongue,
And two or three shillings, would do it not wrong,
Sing holly, sing ivy--sing ivy, sing holly,
A drop just to drink, it would drown melancholy.

And if you draw it of the best,
I hope in heaven your soul will rest;
But if you draw it of the small,
It won't agree with these wren boys at all.

The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
On St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze;
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
Pray give us a penny to bury the wren.

Sometimes those who gave money were given a feather from the wren for good luck. The money collected by the Wren Boys was used to hold a dance for the whole village, known as the "wren dance".

December Totems: Goat

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Goat

The Goat was depicted in the zodiac through Capricorn – a time of year for culminating new moves or initiating them.

The Goat’s horns indicate an ability to perceive future and are also associated with weapons and defense. Its thick coat enables it to survive hostile conditions.

In Greece, Pan, Amalthea, and the horn of plenty are all connected to the Goat.

Another aspect of the goat is the mountain goat, who typifies sure-footedness and seeking new heights. It has thick wool and skeletal flexibility. Kids can stand almost immediately after birth, which shows their physical adeptness and strength.

The Yule Goat is one of the oldest Scandinavian and Northern European Yule and Christmas symbols and traditions. Originally denoting the goat that was slaughtered during the Germanic pagan festival of Yule, "Yule Goat" now typically refers to a goat-figure made of straw. It is also associated with the custom of wassailing, sometimes referred to as "going Yule Goat" in Scandinavia.

A Swedish custom that continued up to 1940–1960 in different parts of the country, was the Yule Sacrifice (Juleoffer) involving a person dressed as a goat which, after undergoing a mock-sacrifice, is resurrected. Sir James George Frazer described its performance as follows:

The actor, hidden by a coverlet made of skins and wearing a pair of formidable horns, is led into the room by two men, who make believe to slaughter him, while they sing verses referring to the mantles of various colors, red, blue, white, and yellow, which they laid on him, one after the other. At the conclusion of the song, the Yule Goat, after feigning death, jumps up and skips about to the amusement of the spectators.

Faces of the Holly King

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Names
Janicot, Woden, Odin, Gwyn ap Nudd, Arawn, Iuan, Krampus, Hod, Hob, Basajaun, Lucibello, Iu-Hu, Old Nick, Misrule, Pan, Baphomet, Scratch, Puck, Buccos

Station of the Wheel
Northwest, Yule, December, Glass Castle, Cold Moon

Totems
Goat, Holly, Wren

Tools
Glass Orb, Druid's Egg or Glain y Nidir

The Holly King is a speculative archetype of modern studies of folklore and mythology which has been popularized in some Neopagan religions. In his book The White Goddess, the author Robert Graves proposed that the mythological figure of the Holly King represents one half of the year, while the other is personified by his counterpart/adversary the Oak King: the two battle endlessly as the seasons turn. At Midsummer the Oak King is at the height of his strength, while the Holly King is at his weakest. The Holly King begins to regain his power, and at the Autumn Equinox, the tables finally turn in the Holly King's favor; he later vanquishes the Oak King at Yule. Graves identified a number of paired hero-figures which he believes are variants of this myth, including Lleu Llaw Gyffes and Gronw Pebr, Gwyn and Gwythr, Lugh and Balor, Balan and Balin, Gawain and the Green Knight, the robin and the wren, and even Jesus and John the Baptist.

Wōđanaz or *Wōđinaz is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of a god of Germanic paganism. Woden probably rose to prominence during the Migration period, gradually displacing Tyr as the head of the pantheon in West and North Germanic cultures.

Testimonies of the god are scattered over a wide range, both temporally and geographically. More than a millennium separates the earliest Roman accounts and archaeological evidence from the 1st century from the Odin of the Edda and later medieval folklore.

The name of Woden is connected to a Germanic root *wōd-, preserved in Gothic wôd- "possessed" and Old High German wuot "rage". Old English had the noun wōþ "song, sound", corresponding to Old Norse óðr, which has the meaning "mad furious" but also "song, poetry". Modern English preserves an adjective wood in "dialectal or rare archaic use", meaning "lunatic, insane, rabid". The earliest attestation of the name is as wodan in an Elder Futhark inscription. For the Anglo-Saxons, Woden was the psychopomp or carrier-off of the dead, but not necessarily with exactly the same attributes of the Norse Odin.

A celebrated late attestation of invocation of Wodan in Germany dates to 1593, in Mecklenburg, where the formula Wode, Hale dynem Rosse nun Voder "Wodan, fetch now food for your horse" was spoken over the last sheaf of the harvest. David Franck adds, that at the squires' mansions, when the rye is all cut, there is Wodel-beer served out to the mowers; no one weeds flax on a Wodenstag, lest Woden's horse should trample the seeds; from Christmas to Twelfth-day they will not spin, nor leave any flax on the distaff, and to the question why? they answer, Wode is galloping across. We are expressly told, this wild hunter Wode rides a white horse.

Meditation: Visiting the Holly King, Janicot

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Our tradition uses guided meditation to help impress certain symbols on our member's consciousness. Below is our Yuletide meditation. It takes place in the Glass Castle, which is the northwest area of our compass. It is the home of the Holly King, who we honor as Janicot. To use this meditation let yourself relax comfortably and picture yourself drifting downward and inward to the third realm, the lower realm. The third realm is a place of darkness and mystery. Let yourself sink down into the third realm and rest there peacefully.

Meditation: Visiting the Holly King, Janicot

You awake in a grove of holly trees at night. Frost has made the ground around you hard, and sparse snowflakes drift silently through the air. A full moon illuminates the grove and causes the frosty earth to look as if it were made of glass. It is cold enough to see your breath fog the air. Other than the sound of the frosty forest floor crunching beneath your feet the grove is entirely silent.

Despite the chill and silence you are certain that you can feel something watching you. You are startled to make out the shape of a large black goat silently standing between two holly trees near you. The goat watches you, motionless, except for the steady rhythm of breath. As he stares into your eyes you feel that you can hear his thoughts. The goat claims he has something important to show you. He moves towards you slowly and turns so that his side is facing you. He then asks you to climb on his back for a ride. You do this, silently and carefully.

When you are situated comfortably on the goat's back he begins to walk. Slowly at first he plods through the stands of holly, then trotting faster as the forest clears. Now through an icy meadow he runs at a full gallop. The cold wind whips at your clothing and snowflakes sting your cheeks. The goat charges faster still and ahead you can see the edge of a steep cliff. You cling to the goat's shaggy hide as he leaps over the cliff's edge.

You are surprised to discover that your steed is now flying. Swiftly through the night air you ride atop the black goat. He soars high above the holly trees. Higher he climbs and faster too. Into the snow clouds he flies, and across the mists above the clouds he carries you.

Through the mist you can see a sparkling castle. It appears to be made of glass or ice, and it shines like cut diamonds in the moonlight. From its turrets hang banners of pale blue and white. As you approach the castle you can hear the sound of a choir singing softly from within.

The goat alights on a snowy bank near the great mirrored castle doors. He says that he will wait for you outside. You ask him what place this is and he answers, “There are many names for this place. Some call it Merlin's Tomb. Others call it the Fata Morgana. I call it the Castle of Glass. It is the home of King Janicot and his glass orb.”

The doors of the castle fly open suddenly and reveal a glass staircase within. You enter the castle and climb the staircase. You are surprised to find that although the staircase is very long the climb is an easy one, as though you were floating. Yet, as you reach the top of the stairs you find that you are suddenly gasping for breath.

In front of you are two large intricately carved doors of glass covered in countless symbols. Among these you notice a wren and a goat. You move to touch the doors and they swing open at your gesture.

The room inside twinkles with pale icy light. In it you see a cloven-hoofed man with a long black beard and a crown of goat horns. He is seated on throne of glass and he wears fur hides. His eyes are dark and he regards you with a cool countenance. To his right is a table with a large glass orb hovering over it. To his left is a staff of holly bearing leaves, and berries. “I am called Janicot” he says. His voice is soft and low like thunder in the distance. You can feel your body chill when he speaks. The scent of pine and mint fills your nostrils. Your entire being is infused with piercing coolness and you feel shocked into alertness.

He smiles knowingly and gestures to the glass orb to his right. “This is the treasure of the Glass Castle.” You peer into the glass orb and can see a mist swirling within it. From the mist come shapes and symbols, some from your past, some from your present, and some from your future. The symbols evoke feelings of joy, wonder, sadness, desire, heartbreak, and deep love.

The symbols swirl faster in the mist, causing you to feel overwhelmed with emotion. Janicot laughs. His laugh is jarring and you can feel your mind spinning into multiverses you dared not dream of. Janicot steadies you with a sharp glance. “I have a message for you,” he says. He leans forward and whispers his secret message in your ear. [long pause]

Janicot bids you farewell and shakes your hand. Your flesh stings at his frigid touch. The room begins to fill with mist and you take your leave of it hastily. You hurry down the glass staircase and through the mirrored doors. The black goat waits for you on the snowy bank. You climb aboard his back and he launches into the air, accompanied by a flock of small brown birds. They are wrens, you realize, as you soar back across the misty moat. The black goat flies you beneath the snow clouds and down over the tops of the stands of holly. He lands gently in the same grove of holly trees where you first met. You settle in beneath a large holly tree and rest.

December Totems: Holly

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Entreaty Unto the Devil of the Hedge As the Lord of Holly

Holy, Holy, Holy:
Praise be the Skull-Tree of Cain!

O Blessed Head on Hulver throne
I call thee by thy Names Unknown:
Father of Good Death, Lord of Bone;
Green-crown'd as Man-of-the-Wold,
Bejewel'd with the Year's own Blood,
And corpses of the Kings of old.

Now rouse the Rustic Army all
The Wild Host shall heed thy call,
And fight where all thy shadows fall:
Then go thou forth in battle brave,
Raise thy rugged Hollin-stave
And lay the sun-gods in their grave.
Praise be the Skull-Tree of Cain!

Flesh and blood are born upon thee,
Flesh and blood grow upon thee,
Flesh and blood die upon thee,
Thou Holy Corpse of God.
For Redden'd is the thorn-thicket of Exile,
Blacken'd are the Bones of Sacrifice,
And Green'd the risen Skin of Man,
Mantle of the Sojourner,
Book of Wort-Magick Entire.

Holy, Holy, Holy:
Praise be the Skull-Tree of Cain!
Praise be the Skull-Tree of Cain!

~Viridarium Umbris: The Pleasure Garden of Shadow by Daniel A. Schulke

Invocation of the Circle: Doreen Valiente

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Doreen Valiente

By stang and cauldron, cup and knife,
By right of office that I hold,
Ye ancient powers of death and life,
Forgather to the circle's fold.

Kinship to kinship, blood to blood,
By wild night wind and starry sky,
By heathland brown and darkling wood,
To this our circle now draw nigh.

In likeness of a henge of stone,
Stand guard around this circle's rim,
While looming through the dark alone,
Stands in the east the Hele-stone dim.

I summon forth the fairy hounds,
Sharp-fanged, white-coated, red of ear,
To prowl beyond the circle's bounds,
And put intruders' hearts in fear.

Ancestral powers of this our blood,
We are your people, guard us well,
By earth and air, by fire and flood,
By magic mime and spoken spell.

Our craft's own Goddess I invoke,
And Ancient Ones of hill and mound.
With fire aflame and drifting smoke,
I dedicate this circle's bound.

By three times three,
Thus shall it be!

~Doreen Valiente, Witchcraft: a Tradition Renewed

This rhyme was specifically created for the Tradition of Craft that Evan John Jones outlines in his book Witchcraft: a Tradition Renewed. Thus, it calls for officers of the quarters "By right of office that I hold" and calls forth a henge of stone to guard the boundaries of the circle. Our tradition is similar in that we call forth the Sacred Grove of totemic trees of the Wheel of the Year when performing a full casting.

I personally love the verse about the Gabriel ratchets guarding the circle. This is easily my favorite chant for setting wards.

EJ Jones had Doreen write a second Circle Invocation for his book (he knew a good thing when he had it!) beginning: "By magic staff and flame of fire-light; Eldest of Gods, we call on ye anew!" Witchcraft: a Tradition Renewed is worth a read if you would like to see how the Craft of Cochrane continued to develop. It has influenced modern practitioners of Cochranian Craft, and contains many gems of liturgy, including Doreen's poetry and Bill Gray's lovely and useful Sangreal Prayer.

Lunar Magic

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As above, so below. Look into the sky and observe which phase the moon is in. Then you will know where you are in the growth cycle of each lunar month. To discover what phase the moon is in, hold your hands in front of you, cupping your thumb and forefinger into “C” shapes. If the moon’s curve fits into your right hand, the moon is waxing (growing from new to full). If the curve fits into your left hand, it is waning (fading from full to new).

Where is the Moon?

Why is the moon sometimes visible during the day? And why does the moon sometimes rise very late at night? The answers lie in what phase the moon is in, which reflects the angle between the sun and moon as seen from earth. For each of the eight moon phases, the angle between the sun and moon progresses in 45 degree increments. Each phase lasts approximately 3-4 days of the moon's entire 29 1/2 day cycle.

The new moon (or dark moon) rises at sunrise and sets at sunset. Astrologically, the sun and the moon are in conjunction. Because the sun's light overpowers the nearby moon in the day, and the moon is on the other side of the earth with the sun at night, she is not visible in the sky at all.

The crescent moon (or waxing crescent moon) rises midmorning and sets after sunset. She is the first visible sliver of moon, seen in the western sky in the late afternoon and early evening.

The first quarter moon (or waxing half moon) rises around noon and sets around midnight. Astrologically, the moon is square to the sun. She is visible from afternoon, when she is high in the eastern sky, until she sets in the west.

The gibbous moon rises mid-afternoon and sets before dawn. She is the bulging moon getting ready to be full, visible soon after she rises until she sets.

The full moon rises at sunset and sets at sunrise. Astrologically, the sun and moon are in opposition (i.e., opposite each other in the sky and in opposite signs of the zodiac). She is visible all night long, from moonrise to moonset.

The disseminating moon is the waning full moon getting visibly smaller. She rises mid-evening and sets midmorning. She is visible from the time she rises almost until she sets.

The last quarter moon or waning half moon) rises around midnight and sets around noon. Astrologically, the moon is square to the sun. She is visible from the time she rises until midmorning, when she is high in the western sky.

The balsamic moon (or waning crescent moon) rises before dawn and sets mid-afternoon. She is the last sliver of moon, seen in the eastern sky in the very early morning and late dawn.

Moon Magic

The full moon has been associated with magic and witches for millennia. The ancient Roman writer, Horace, made a reference to a witch drawing the moon down out of the sky.

Horace (Epode 17)---says the Witch Canidia "... must I, who can move waxen images and draw down the moon from the sky by my spells, who can raise the vaporous dead, and mix a draught of love lament the effect of my art, availing nothing upon you?"

Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon, has a picture from a Greek vase, supposedly from the

Ancient lunar magic on vase.

second century BCE. This depiction has some Greek lettering near both of the figures. The word on the left is translated as, "beautiful." The words on the right apparently translates as, "who [are] of the moon mistress."

Werewolves famously shape-shift during the full moon, and the cult of the werewolf has ties to the ancient witch-cult. Essentially, the full moon was a time to use the moon's power to enhance shamanic shape-shifting work.

In Aradia, The Gospel of the Witches Aradia, the holy daughter of Diana, left these instructions to her followers:

Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month when the Moon is full, then shall you come together at some deserted place, or where there are woods, and give worship to She who is Queen of all Witches. Come all together inside a circle, and secrets that are as yet unknown shall be revealed.

The traditional use of the phases of the moon for magic are as follows:

The new moon is the most auspicious time for banishing and neutralizing spells.
The days of and around the crescent moon are the most powerful time to work spells for growth and beginnings, which should manifest at the Full Moon.
The waxing moon is the best time to do a spell for growth, beginning new projects, initiation and enhancement.
The days of and around the gibbous moon are the most powerful time for spells of fruition and completion
The Moon looks full in the sky for two or three nights, and each of them are excellent for magic that depends on power flowing at its peak.
During the waning Moon, do spells to banish evil influences, lessen or remove obstacles and illness, neutralize enemies, scry, divine, and to remove harm. These influences become stronger as the moon darkens.

13 Moons of the Year

The 13th Moon, or "Blue" Moon can occur at any time during the year. A Moon is called Blue only when it is the second full Moon to take place that month (moon-th). The second New Moon in a month is known as a Black Moon. Blue Moons are considered to be stronger than regular Full Moons, and Black Moons are considered to be stronger than regular New Moons.

Below is a chart detailing the names associated with each of the moon cycles of the year. The "Witch" moon names are from The Witches Almanac. The "Calendar" names are from Llewellyn's Witches' Calendar. "Almanac" names are from the Old Farmer's Almanac, who claims that the names come from east coast Native American names. The "Celtic Tree" names are associated with the attributions from Robert Graves' The White Goddess.

The Moon names of our tradition are based on each of the sources listed above, along with a comparison to the totems and energies we honor at each month. Our lunar names are as follows:

January -- Wolf Moon

February -- Storm Moon
March -- Hare Moon
April -- Seed Moon
May -- Merry Moon
June -- Mead Moon
July -- Wort Moon
August -- Corn Moon
September -- Harvest Moon
October -- Blood Moon
November -- Frost Moon
December -- Cold Moon
13th Moon -- Blue Moon

Stang and Distaff

2011-11-06T20:37:00.001-05:00

Stangs from Cornish Witchcraft website

Evan John Jones claimed that Robert Cochrane informed him that there were three branches of witchcraft. These were said to be memorialized on a megalith detailed in Justine Glass's much-maligned book Witchcraft: The Sixth Sense for which Cochrane was a source of information. Though he intentionally provided Ms. Glass with misinformation throughout the book, he claimed until his death that the analysis he provided regarding the menhir and the Mysteries of Witchcraft were true. The meat of his analysis, available in full in Justine Glass's the book, is repeated as Craft teaching in Evan John Jones's work The Roebuck in the Thicket.

Traditional Mysteries

The first branch of mysteries is the masculine mysteries, centering on the legends of the Horn Child and the Sacrificial King (the Oak & Holly King stories). The second branch is the feminine mysteries, centering on the mysteries outlined in Robert Graves' The White Goddess and the weaving of Fate. The third branch, which Cochrane claimed was lost to time, were the Necromantic mysteries. These have been reconstructed somewhat by modern practitioners like ourselves in rituals such as ancestral worship and the Tapping of the Bone.

The stang, revealed by PIE etymology to be a "stick" or "pole," is perhaps the most complex tool of Traditional Craft. In it are contained each of the three paths of Craft.

The Stang and Male Mysteries

The most common interpretation of the stang concerns the masculine mysteries. The stang is often thought of as a simple representation of the Horned Lord or Witchfather, with its forked tines standing in for the horns of the God. Sometimes the skull of a horned animal is bound to the stang to reinforce this idea. This practice may have old ties to the use of horned animals as a substitute sacrifice for the King.

Many, if not most, versions of Cochranite Craft use the same elemental quarter associations that we have described here before. Furthermore, EJ Jones actually writes about a very similar deity association, as taught to him by Cochrane, to what we use here at AFW.

East = Fire, the birth of the sun, the seat of the Horned Child
West = Water, the place of the dead, the seat of the Master of the Wild Hunt, the Sacrificial King
North = Air, winter, the Dark Goddess
South = Earth, summer, the Light Goddess

In both the East and West, though not always specifically identified with the name Tubal Qayin, we can recognize him in his guises as the light-bringer and the lord of the dead.

East and West, Fire and Water, are opposed in the Traditional Witch's compass, as are North/Air and South/Earth. Elemental opposites are called into the center along roads of power. We very literally have a crossroads at the center of the compass. What's more, we have a Devil who stands there. He is the Witchfather, the Horned One. The stang, with its horns, is symbolic of Qayin himself and of all the masculine mysteries.

The stang is often dressed by hanging two arrows (sometimes with points up, sometimes with them down) on the shaft. These arrows are symbolic of the male msysteries, as well.

The Stang and Necromancy

The stang is also the world-tree upon which we travel through the three realms. It allows us to move from this realm to the land of the dead, among other places. It is a gandreigh that we use to ride to the Sabbat, to cast the caim, and to center the compass. These attributes make it a prime tool of magic, and one without which we would struggle to contact the dead. An animal skull upon the stang speaks of the masculine mysteries, but it also speaks of the Mighty Dead.

Often, a stang is outfitted so that it can hold a candle between its horns. The flame is said to be the Cunning Fire, the light shared by all Witches. When there is no candle, there is often a middle tine. This middle path, neither masculine nor feminine, is attributed to the Dead.

Our coven places skulls and bones (either crossed or uncrossed, depending on whether we intend to access the Dead or not) near the base of the stang, as well.

The Stang and Feminine Mysteries

The third branch of witchcraft, and the third use of the stang, is as a traditional woman's tool -- that of the distaff. The older versions of a spinner's distaff was either a two or three pronged "stang" ("stick"). The distaff and spindle were once the main daily working tools of all women, and Cochrane is very specific in his writings about the distaff being the main working tool of women of the Craft. The distaff is a traditional handspinner's tool used for holding raw fibers as they are spun into thread on a spindle. Robert Cochrane in his writing "On Cords" states:

“The so-called ‘sacred object’ held in such reverence by some witches was in fact a weaver’s distaff–and could easily be mistaken for a phallic symbol. The weaver’s distaff, bound with reeds or straw, appears frequently in rural carvings and elsewhere. It again has reference to the Craft and supreme Deity. It would appear that the witches were not in the least influenced by Freudian concepts.”

Sarah Lawless, in her excellent post about magical sticks, suggests from her studies that the distaff/stang wrapped in flax for spinning was mistaken for a broom in folklore and art. Quite possibly. The stang is certainly a tool for travel.

Laurelei's first coven/Trad, which was also Cochranite in origin, didn't always hang two arrows on the stang. Often, it was a single arrow, with a linen shirt hung from it. The shirt was either white or black, depending on the ritual or time of year. We cannot deny that the stang is the hayfork that represents the Horned God, but it is also the spinner's distaff (a symbol, then, of the Black and White Goddesses).The linen shirt on a single arrow is an allusion to the flax wrapped around the distaff.

When we view the stang as a feminine tool in the center of the magical space, the compass can be viewed as the spinning wheel of the Fates, our own Black and White Goddesses.

More Stang Lore to Come

Stay tuned for upcoming posts regarding "Magic and the Stang" and "How to Construct and Dress a Stang."

November Totems: Raven

2011-11-01T13:19:00.002-04:00

Fox – (Sionnach) trickster, invisibility, shape-shifting, diplomacy, wildness

Rowan – (Luis) protection against enchantment, psychic power, self-control

Raven – (Bran) underworld messenger, shape-shifting, trickster, initiation, protection

Raven

The Raven is the most sacred bird of the British Isles. Raven is a bird of magic and mysticism, shapeshifting, creation, birth and death, healing, initiation, protection and prophecy. Raven is great at vocalizations and can even be taught to speak. She can use tools, is not intimidated by others, is fast and wary, and does not make easy prey for other animals.

In the Near East, Raven is considered unclean, due to the fact that she is a scavenger. In Norse tradition, Odin had 2 Ravens as messengers (Thought and Memory). Furthermore, Odin was known to shape-shift as a Raven. In the Pacific Northwest, Raven was the bringer of life and order. She was the bringer of sunlight. Even in British tradition, Raven is seen sometimes as a bird of morning, sunlight and joy. In the tale of Beowulf, Raven helps Beowulf to victory.

Bran the Blessed, whose name means Raven, was sometimes known as the Raven King. He was beheaded in battle, and his head was buried in White Mount, which later became the hill on which the Tower of London was built. His head was placed to face the enemies and protect England from invasion. In fact, both London and Lyons had Raven totems. Furthermore, both cities were dedicated to Lugh who was warned of the approach of the Formorians by Ravens. Another legend claims that King Arthur became a Raven upon his death.

Ravens are often associated with death and the Underworld. The cries of Ravens are heard before death in battle, and Ravens are often said to bring messages from the Underworld. For this reason, they are bird of prophecy and divination. The Raven has the ability to see the past and the future, while living in the present.

In this way, the Raven is a bringer of Initiation, both little “i” and big “I.” Initiation is, after all, a death of one thing and the birth of another.

Raven is strongly associated with Morrigan (and one of Her particular aspects, Badb). Morrigan appears on the battlefield as Raven (or Scald-Crow), bringing havoc and fear in the enemy. Linked to their presence at or proclamation of Death, they are associated with deep healing (the kind of healing that comes from radical confrontation with the hidden), the type of healing offered by the Morrigan.

November Totems: Rowan

2011-11-01T13:16:00.001-04:00

Fox – (Sionnach) trickster, invisibility, shape-shifting, diplomacy, wildness

Rowan – (Luis) protection against enchantment, psychic power, self-control

Raven – (Bran) underworld messenger, shape-shifting, trickster, initiation, protection

Rowan

The Rowan is sometimes referred to as the “Tree of Life” or the “Lady of the Mountain,” this tree is thought to protect against enchantment. The wood of this tree was often used for rune staves (sticks which are engraved with the Ogham or runs and used as a divinatory tool) and as a divining rod for metal.

Also used as a generally protective talisman, the branches of the Rowan Tree are hung over the doors of houses and barns to protect the inhabitants. It is planted in cemeteries in Wales to guard over the spirits of the dead. Babies’ cradles are often made of Rowan wood, as it is thought to keep death and harm away from the young. Some references claim that Rowan wood protects one from the Faery.

The Rowan berry has a pentagram in its center and is red in color. A necklace strung of the berries is said to protect the wearer from harm.

Rowan indicates an ability to contain control of your senses, provides protection from harm and a protection when engaged in battle. The element associated with the Rowan is Fire, and its gender association is male.

Admission: The Way In

2011-10-28T16:32:00.001-04:00

This post will be relevant to potential seekers along the Crooked Path who are both in our local area (South-Central Indiana) and those who are not. As we've been receiving requests for more information about how one goes about joining the coven, messages of regret from cunning folk who live too far afield to come circle with us, and a wild boost of page-views for our "admission requirements" post, we feel that we would serve our readers best by sharing one or two of the (many) paths "in."

It All Begins with a Request ...

However it may work in other groups, we hold to an old tradition of expecting potential students to ask us for admission at each step of the process. Even if we know you personally and really think you'd be great, that choice -- and the leap of faith & fear that goes with it -- must be yours and yours alone. We've been there. (Laurelei's initiating coven even had the practice of denying potential members at least three times before granting admission, which added a whole other "gulp factor.")

Do not wait for an invitation from us. Even if we know, love and see you regularly, that personal invitation will not come. If you're not asking for what you need and want, it's because you aren't ready yet; and, honey, that's okay with us. You take your time. We've been sitting on this Tradition -- nesting and hatching -- for years.

Near and Far

If you live close to us, you'll probably be asking to join us through the first admission, which means Greening. That's a trial period for both you and us to figure out how well we work together, if you really want to walk THIS path, and for you to learn some of the very basics. You don't need much: a couple of binders and a flash drive. We need to have met you in person, since you'll be coming into our home and interacting with our family (including our children, who are at the Greening and Adoption stages, respectively). And, of course, that "formal request" mentioned in the requirements is a reminder that you need to have actually asked us to take your green cord.

What if you don't live close to us and you still want to walk THIS specific path, learn from US, etc? If you lived close, you would ask right now, but you don't. You live on the South Coast. What then?

Here's the thing: We can't really take vows with you from a distance, and there ARE vows at the Greening and Adoption. However, we feel certain that we can teach green- and red-cord materials at a distance, and we can offer you self-led variations of the Greening and Adoption rituals, as well. So, through the basic levels, anyone who wishes it can be taught, we feel, at the same level as a student we would take on here locally.

We would teach you individually. If there are truly several authentically interested individuals in pursuing this option, we might start a private e-mail group or something to facilitate communication, file-sharing, and camaraderie. Both Glaux and I would be your teachers and guides, just as we are for students in-person.

But then we come to the Raising ritual -- the point at which you become a full-fledged Witch. After all the time spent together on-line, we would probably have developed a sense of family, and Glaux and I feel that we would be willing to raise any Witches that we taught in this way. But we'd have to do it in person. The Raising involves trials and tests -- and Mysteries -- that we simply cannot convey except in person. Luckily, we have access to wonderful sacred ground in Southern Indiana (with our own cabin on it), where we can go to perform the Raising, if no other site presents itself.

How Long?

The time-frames suggested in the requirements document are a rough estimate. The Greening requires a "getting to know you" time, but it really shouldn't last too long, either. If you haven't decided, for instance, within a year to ask for Adoption, you probably have reasons NOT to ask that you should heed. (Think of Greening as being akin to childhood within a family structure. It's over in a flash, and by the end of it, you have a good sense of your own mind -- and skill.)

On the other hand, you may spend significantly longer than a year and a day wearing your Adoption red cord. There is a lot of material to cover, and we won't be surprised if it takes you more than a year to do it. It just can't take less than that. (Adoption is like young adulthood in a family/tribal setting. You are learning vast amounts of knowledge, gaining independence, discovering what draws your interest, making significant bonds with your peer and family groups.)

Once you've been Raised, and you have red, black and white cords, you will govern your own studies and perhaps begin your own coven. You don't have to jump right out and hive off. Feel free to stick around for as long as you need. Forever, if that's what you choose. (A "Raised Witch" is like a full adult in a family unit -- completely independent, held by bonds of love and kinship, a contributor to the internal workings of the clan.)

Getting in Touch with Us

Laurelei -- laurelei@asteriabooks.com www.facebook.com/laureleiblack
Glaux -- nataliewitch@yahoo.com Glaux on Facebook

Samhain Totems: Toad

2011-10-28T09:58:00.003-04:00

A witch feeds her toad (and rat) familiars.

The toad is a powerful symbol of transformation, as it grows from tadpole to toad. It has associations with fertility, magic, fairies, and Witchcraft.

The toad represented the uterus in ancient Greece, Rome, and Scandinavia. Because of this symbolism, the toad came to be the symbol for a midwife, thus leading to associations with Witchcraft.

In Basque country toads were said to be favored familiars, with witches going so far as to “baptize” their toads in cemeteries, and adorn them with velvet ribbons and bells.

Toads secrete a thick white poison through their skin. This “toad's milk” or bufotenine is sometimes hallucinogenic, and is said to be an ingredient in some ancient flying ointments.

In Shropshire it was said that the spirit of a well would manifest as three toads, the largest of which was to always be addressed as the “Dark Lord” – a manifestation of the God of the Witches.

Witches' marks are sometimes referred to as a “toad's foot”, and a birthmark shaped like a toad is a sure sign of witch power.

Toadstools are so named due to the toad's associations with fairyland, and with their hallucinogenic properties.

Doreen Valiente was a fan of the natterjack toad, and recommended them as pets and excellent familars. The natterjack toad has associations with the “yellow ringed” toad which produced the legendary Toad Bone amulet.

The Toad Bone amulet was said to confer many strange magical powers on those that carried it. It is related to the toadstone, a stone said to rest in the head of a toad. The toadstone could grant invisibility to its bearer.

Round about the cauldron go;

In the poison'd entrails throw.

Toad that under cold stone

Days and nights has thirty-one

Swelt'red venom sleeping got

Be thou first i' th' charmed pot.

-Macbeth, Act 4, Scene I

Links for more information:

http://www.shanmonster.com/witch/familiar/toad.html

http://www.shadowdrake.com/toad.html

Witch Ethics, Ardanes and the Rede

2011-10-27T17:05:00.002-04:00

I (Laurelei) was trained in a variation of Cochranite Craft, and we had no Ardanes (Witch Laws). Nor did we give oath to the Wiccan Rede. We did, however, expect each member of our Clan to spend time developing a personal statement of ethics that reflected his/her own moral convictions. The statement was not so much a codified set of rules, but an understanding that one has with oneself regarding what is right and wrong. Having looked deeply into that well, woe be unto the Witch who does not hold to her own moral standards!

The Craft (in its truest sense) does not offer a moral guidepost. It is a system of magic, a way of reaching out to the Unseen World and being more closely a part of it. The Black Goddess, White Goddess, Tubal Qayin -- do not look to them for your moral compass, for they are Nature's Compass, Magic's Compass. They are Powers, neither "male-" nor "bene-" (bad, good).

You are responsible and accountable to yourself, your family, your cuveen/clan, your community, your country and your world. How you keep yourself on your path is up to you.

That being said, as a piece of Craft Lore (and even as a starting place in thinking about your own ethics), it is interesting to look at the Ardanes and the Rede. Bear in mind that these pieces are modern constructs with occasional bits of arcana thrown into the mix. Some of the advice here -- for we can only truly consider it advice and not Law -- is worth a look. Other pieces seem very out of keeping with the Craft as we know it.

The Ardanes

The Ardanes or Ordains first appeared in Craft documentation in 1957, when Gerald Gardner presented them to his coven after a disagreement about his own interactions with the media while insisting on secrecy within the coven. No known record of them in any older documentation exists prior to that date. While it is possible that he received them from his own initiator and teacher, the mix of archaic and modern phrasing in the Ardanes would suggest that they were created at that time.

Doreen Valiente, among others, was suspicious of these Laws which (unsurprisingly) eventually led to her ousting from the coven by Gardner.

These Laws have had several iterations, and they vary amongst covens/Traditions who hold to them. Some are anachronistic, misogynistic, or oddly Christo-centric. A fairly close copy of the original Gardnerian Ardanes exists here.

The Rede

Many, if not most, Witchcraft traditions use the Wiccan Rede as the foundation of their code of ethics. The first published form of the Wiccan Rede is a couplet that appeared in 1964 by Doreen Valiente: “Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill, An it harm none, Do what ye will.” Rede is a Middle English word meaning “advice or council,” while, in this case, an is an archaic conjunction meaning “if.” Other versions, including much longer poems, have been written since then, but this is the basic tenant of Wiccan ethics.

Much exegesis has been written on this topic, and debates are continually waged within the Wiccan and Witchcraft communities over the exact meaning and execution of these few words. On the one hand, the Rede seems simple enough. It is a mandate to do no harm, much like the Golden Rule or the Hippocratic Oath. On the other hand, words like “harm” and “will” can be seen as vague or amorphous to members of disparate traditions. Is “harm” the same or different than “hurt?” What about “will” and “want?” Or is “will” closer to True Will?

Then there’s the question of self-defense. Is it ever okay to harm someone if they’re attacking you? A common psychic shielding technique involves mirroring negative energy back to its sender. If this causes harm, have you violated the Rede? The logic for any of these questions can get rather circular as you ponder them, and if you follow a debate of this sort online, it will often do just that.

Some traditions use other similar creeds (but with different implications) as the basis of their moral and ethical codes. One prominent standard, though not Craft in origin, is the Law of Thelema which says, “Do what thou will shall be the whole of the law. Love is the law; love under will.” Aleister Crowley wrote these words in 1904, inspired in part by the writings of Francois Rabelais in 1543. Rabelais had said, “DO AS THOU WILT,” because men who are free are inclined to virtue and disinclined to vice. Here, we are absolutely talking about doing one’s True Will and not simply doing the whim of the moment.

Ultimately, we encourage you to pursue a line of *independent* thought regarding ethics and a Code. In other words: know what YOU believe to be ethical behavior and hold to it. Remember that ethics and morals are not really about being held accountable to a power higher than yourself. If you believe an action is wrong, and you proceed in doing it, you will
pay a price for doing it.

Ancestor Altars

2011-10-27T09:31:00.000-04:00

The Samhain season is a wonderful time to create an ancestor altar in your home. This can be a permanent dedicated space to honor your Beloved Dead year-round, or a temporary set-up for use during Samhain.

To create an ancestor altar you will need:

A skull (this can be a ceramic imitation skull, a candle in the shape of a skull, a drawing of a skull, or any other representation). Search the stores for Halloween decorations and you should find something suitable.
A covering for the skull. This can be a handkerchief, a hat, sunglasses, or any item that suits you.
Photos of deceased loved ones and ancestors.
Items you associate with your Beloved Dead. These may include antiques, gifts from your loved ones, or inherited items.
An offering area, such as a small plate on which to burn incense and spirit money, or to leave offerings of food, liquor, ghost water or other items.

During the Samhain season lay a compass and cast a caim with yourself and your ancestor skull within. Ask your the Mighty Ones to send forth your Beloved Dead to inhabit your skull for the season of Samhain, that you may honor your ancestors and share in their wisdom.

After the rite is complete, take the skull to your ancestor altar and cover it. When you wish to speak with your Beloved Dead remove the covering and make your offerings to the spirits.

Here is a recipe for Ghost Water, which is a traditional potent offering to the spirits of the dead.

Ghost Water

At midnight on the night of the full moon (the full moon before Samhain is ideal) go to a graveyard with a glass container of spring water. Leave the spring water on one of the graves in the cemetery, making sure that the light of the full moon falls on the spring water. Remove the water after midnight but before daybreak. Bottle and label the water, and use it as an offering on your ancestor altar. Some witches like to add a splash of anisette liquor to the Ghost Water when making the offering. Good anisette will produce a milky cloud in the water, like unto a spirit manifesting.

Graveyard dirt is another ideal offering to the dead. I have a dear friend who is very interested in her family's genealogy. She spent one Samhain season collecting dirt from all of the graves of her ancestors that she could locate. The resulting jar was massive and fairly sung with ancient power. Powdered mullein or patchouli are often labeled "graveyard dust", and these too make a nice offering, either with or without actual graveyard dirt.

Other offerings to the dead include incense (a Samhain blend or an ancestor blend will work well) and spirit money. Spirit money is imitation money, such as can be found in children's playsets. It is burned with prayers that the Beloved Dead have all they need in the world beyond this one.

Keep your ancestor altar clean and make offerings regularly, disposing of any old offerings in living water or at a crossroads.

Your ancestors deserve your respect and remembrance. Samhain is the ideal time to create an ancestor altar for seasonal use, or as a permanent place in your home and in your life.

You can read more about The Ancestors at this blog post.

Ghost Water, Graveyard Dirt, and many other ritual supplies are available through our Etsy store.

Forgetting Human, pt. IV (guest post by Robin Artisson)

2011-10-26T18:33:00.000-04:00

Part IV:

The Spirit-Language and the Sorcery of Sense

-The Secret Granary and the Cup That Must Be Broken

-Red Dragon, White Dragon: The Book of Fate and the GrandGrimoire

-A Spirit Trap Governed by Sun and Moon

-Tunnels for the Ghost-Wind

-The Sorcery of Bodily Sensation and Sight

-The Shimmering Wind and the Wraith Prayer

-The Soundless Language and Conjuring the Familiar

Th’ treasure-hordeof old is more than mere gold

It is th’ art thatconstrains th’ rain to speak again

It is th’ art thatpries open th’ hidden eyes

It is th’ art thatmakes bloom th’ rot-dead tree

& leaps th’Hedge that never dies.

-The Resurrection of the Meadow

The Secret Granaryand the Cup That Must Be Broken

For all of the people out there who are looking to spiritualsystems, whether exoteric or esoteric, or who look to sorcerous systems andmetaphysical pursuits to make themselves into better people, find peace,increase their overall well-being, to them I say "keep looking and goodluck." Exoteric religions alone among those various interests may givesomeone the impetus or inspiration they need to become 'good' (at leastaccording to some specific definition unique to the religion) but the rest ofthose pursuits aren't really about that.

The practice of Sorcery, in any of its genuinerecensions, isn't primarily about moral growth or peace and tranquility, thoughsome people may, by happenstance of Fate, find some element of that inside it.But you can't come looking for that, or you really won't find it, and for animportant reason.

Sorcery is impossible to pin down, just like the wind.Few people have the constitution to deal with such an insubstantial Art, suchan unpredictable and indescribable metaphysical reality. But far fromdiscarding Sorcery, or the pursuit of it, most people take the other route-they just change it to suit them. By changing it, by telling the wind that ithas to be earth now, they actually lose it altogether, but they keep holding onto something they describe as "sorcery". You'll know these peopleeasily, if you keep your mind on the wind- they tend to talk a good deal, butyield nothing in the way of tangible results.

Can the intangible yield tangible results? I must say, itcan; but its results are often very subtle. Don't feel let down- when itsresults aren't subtle, they are as visible and unquestionable as athunderstorm. But sorcery, like wisdom, is good at hiding, and good at avoidingpeople who aren't yet ready to be like the wind. It scorns the people ofinflexible concepts, who have to have everything explained and "lockeddown"; it looks kindly upon the people of fire and wind.

And this insubstantial nature of Sorcery is moreprofoundly insubstantial than you think- sometimes, right when you think youdon't have it, is when you discover that you do. Sometimes, or oftentimes, inmy experience, the unplanned workings, the unplanned and rather spontaneoustrances, visions, conjurations, and works are the most powerful.

That should trouble anyone who wants a formula-book; formulabooks are only good for one thing- they orient the mind and the desire towardsthe sorcerous worldview and aesthetic. After that, if you are lucky, the magiccomes and begins to find you, largely spontaneously. Our friends in"Golden Dawn" type magical lodge-working are champions at planningout every detail of a magical work; for the wicked life of me, I can't begin toimagine how that can be "magic" as I have come to understand it. Itmay be an almost yogic sort of mind-conditioning, a transformative practice insome ways, but certainly not sorcery in the ancient and visceral sense.

If it's authentic sorcery you want, as the ancients hadit, you have to be able to do impossible things- like tying the winds together,or making a dead tree come back to life. Maybe braiding the hair of a toad, orcapturing the sound of a cat's footfall in your left hand might be called forat times.

These "impossible" tasks force a person's mindinto a helpless quandary, which is right where you want to be. Paradox? Ofcourse. But an initiatory one. Ordinary people don't want to be confused orhelpless or befuddled. The sorcerer knows how to adjust to those kinds ofsituations and make them work, because like air, like the wind, they can takeany shape, move around any obstacle, fly over any mountain, cut through anyperson, and, over time, even wear the great mountains down to sand.Helplessness can be strength. Silence can be noise. Death can be life.

You should welcome challenges, as a test of sorcerouscunning- an opportunity to learn and sharpen one's subtle skills. The problemwith the above mentioned "sorcerous tasks" isn't that they may beimpossible, but that you are reading them and thinking about them whileconnected to your red fetter- the body. In reality, the body isn't a trap,isn't a fetter, but until you learn to use your white body, your wind-body, thewitch's flying fetch, your thinking is centered in a very material-seemingsense to a world with a few simple rules- rules that don't include "tying"gasses or clutching at sounds.

In that limited way of seeing, the body seems like a bigweight holding you down, and limiting you to space, time, gravity, and thenever ending struggle of wealth versus poverty, and health versus illness. Butthe wind body- it can transcend the apparent rules, quite easily, as easily asa breeze passing by you in the night.

The soul, the wind-body, is a granary full of grains ofpower. Countless powers- countless capacities, many which have never been namedbefore- all gathered inside that silo of a body that you bathe and feed andgive medicine to when it feels bad. Ever notice how taking care of the ordinarybody is precisely like keeping a pet? We respond quite carefully to our bodilypains and wants, but never to our soul's needs and wants, at least, not often.Unlike your body-pet, the soul won't die on you one day. However, unless you'vegotten used to living and experiencing the world in that sorcerous wind-body bythe time you die, you will miss your pet greatly, and be pained by it- maybeconfused, maybe lost.

The soul is the secret granary of witchery. But everycollection of great grains needs a silo to house it, so the body is an anchorto completeness. There is no "soul=good, body=bad" logic to be foundin real sorcery. There is no "ignore the senses" logic, either, as wehave seen. The senses are tied to the body, making your body, like your soul, asorcerous vessel. It's just a vessel that has a particular destiny, while thesoul has another. For this meeting we call a lifetime, a full being hasexpressed itself, and that is a being of fearful terrors and many wonders.

If you're only living from the red body, the body ofblood and tissues, sorcery is just a bunch of words and lame, weird ideas.There is no explanation for it that will suit you, at all. When you engage thewhite and the red, soul and body, you start to realize the uncomfortable truth-Sorcery has no actual "hard and fast" rules. It doesn't work on a"logic"- it works because the world is sorcerous, and you by natureare also sorcerous, and because in such a nature, strange things occur prettyregularly.

You have to pay attention to their occurrences- they flowhere and there, mostly unpredictable, but sometimes not- and leap into theirweird flowing. You have to be ready to have faith- some sorcerous occurrencesare signaled by subtle events that lead up to them, and you have to take achance at them. You have to learn to recognize, to be very aware, very awake,very attentive, with all your senses.

Every real sorcerer is a master or mistress ofopportunity. They don't miss much. And I know what they are all looking for-the secret that makes magic really work- something I call "the authenticmoment", or the owl's blink. An "owlblink" is also a folkloricname for a curse or a harmful hexing; but, as a swift, silent, suddenoccurrence, which really can't be predicted, it is another name I give to themagical "authentic" moment.

And this moment, which happens when it will, is one ofthe sources of your real power to bring about sorcery. It is a moment in whichmany insubstantial threads all get tied together and coincide just right, justperfect. You've experienced them before, trust me; but the more aware and awakeyou make yourself, the more you see with the soul, the more you'll see thatthese special moments are moments when anything can really be possible.

This is the final truth at the bottom of the bag ofsorcerous cunning- the authentic moment is something you search for, somethingyou can live in joyful anticipation of. You can't search for it withoutinspiration, without a passionate love for the aesthetic of sorcery, themystical, and the insubstantial. You have to be excited for this kind ofstrange pursuit. You have to love it. And, without even planning it, you'llfeel that sorcerous moment coming for you- there, at night, alone, as the windspound the trees outside, your imagination will suddenly flare up, quite outsideof your control, filling you with visions of the Pale People moving quietlythrough the crust of the Earth outside, and you'll want to go to them.

Some of them look like dead people you've known; othershave unearthly beauty, and some unearthly ugliness. You'll feel like you're aslight as a feather, a leaf on the wind, and you'll dream of just flying throughyour window on the wind, to fly right into their company. You'll have insightsabout things you needed insights on. You'll have spontaneous emotionalreactions. And just like that- maybe in minutes, maybe in an hour, you'll be"you" again. Things will seem more ordinary again. But you will knowthat it was very real; it doesn't feel the same as what you might call "anidle imagination"- you felt the chill in your spine; you know that, for abrief moment, or series of moments, your soul went away, and danced withotherworldly things. And this experience can never be repeated.

No real sorcerous work is ever repeated precisely as itwas done before, just as no wind blows the same way twice, and no river flowsthe same way in the same place twice. To grasp the Sorcerous, authentic momentis to drink from "The Cup That Must Be Broken"- the ancient vessel ofsacrifice that was destroyed as soon as it was used. That sacrifice was neverrepeated, always new, always evergreen, any time it was done.

No authentic sorcerous work is "repeatable"because the conditions that made it possible at the moment it was possible aregone forever. New conditions may arise in the future- you may even conjure upsome of those conditions, when you get powerful- but they'll be different eachtime, too. And there are so many conditions, seen and unseen, that create everyauthentic, sorcerous moment. You can't grasp them, or the magical moments,unless you first become aware of them. Becoming a seer, using the senses andsoul properly, is thus required first, before a person becomes a"doer", a worker of the Art.

Red Dragon, WhiteDragon: The Book of Fate and the Grand Grimoire

The most obvious set of conditions which have the mostprofound impact on the "mysterious moments"- and a profound impact onevery moment of your entire mind- is the Land itself. And right back to irony,when we talk about the Land being so important, we are also talking about acollection of powers that is everywhere obvious and apparent- so how comes itthat people completely forget to notice it? When you can answer that question,you'll be well off. It's not that the land excels in making itself invisible;it doesn't need to! It's confident by now that people largely won't see it atall.

And yet, the spirit of every place- wherever you happento be right now- is creating the atmosphere that your mind totally relies upon.You can't feel anything, think anything, perceive anything, without the place,the location of perception, the location that you are a part of. The texturesof the place- its sounds, its colors, its smells, its contours, its people, itsbuildings, all of it- these are sorcerous things, and your senses are yourconnection to it. It fills you, constantly, and yet, most people never give ita second of attention.

David Abram says it best, when he says:

"Each place has its own mind, its own psyche.

Oak, madrone, Douglas fir, red-tailed hawk, serpentine inthe sandstone,

a certain scale to the topography,

drenching rains in the winter, fog off-shore in thesummer, salmon surging in the streams -

all these together make up a particular state of mind,

a place-specific intelligence shared by all the humansthat dwell therein,

but also by the coyotes yapping in those valleys,

by the bobcats and the ferns and the spiders,

by all beings who live and make their way in that zone.

Each place its own psyche.

Each sky its own blue."

This should be all you need to read, to get out andreally engage the spirit of your place, wherever you are. As you do this, asyou open your senses fully to everything around you, you'll discover that youcan slip over to everything inside you, too- because in reality, inside andoutside are parts of one unified realm of experience.

Every time you make a real sensory connection with yourenvironment, you unlock a spool of sorcerous inspiration that can make"the authentic moment" recognizable by you. The place where you are,itself, can lead you down the sorcerous trail of whatever you need to find,discover, or accomplish, whenever you need to do it. This is one of the mostpowerful secrets of the sorcerous art. Andit hides, like all great secrets, in plain sight, in plain sound, in plainscent, in plain feeling. We call them "plain" just out of reflex-even in our writing- but when I say "plain" here, I mean anythingbut. In reality, every sight, every sound, every smell, is a sorcerous powerintensifying itself in you, and you in it. If you don't know this, if you can'tretool yourself to experience it this way, sorcery will remain beyond yourability.

When you can open yourself to this new (and very old) wayof seeing, you'll discover that every moment can be the "authenticmoment" of which I spoke of before. It's a matter of being inspired, andseeing the secret beauty and wonder in everything, at every moment. It soundstiring, or hard- and it sounds like such a thing might rob the sense of wonder fromthings, but I've found that it does just the opposite. The power of thisstrange world is infinite. It doesn't ever "get old". Just as you cansee the full moon rise a thousand times, or watch the sun set a thousand times,and never get tired of it, so we can tell that this Nature, this reality, is apool of infinity that is really inexhaustible.

And when you can open yourself to this way of seeing, inconscious conjunction with your immediate surroundings, your environment, theland beneath you (and sometimes above you) and the kingdom of the winds we callthe sky- you can begin to "move out" from the central location of theseeming body and begin engaging reality in a very intense, broad way.

People talk about books of magic with some great respect;there's no doubt that our Medieval and Renaissance texts about magic containmany treasures- despite its heavy reliance on Christian metaphysics, thegrimoire entitled "The Arbatel" has much to offer to the discerningwitch, at least on the level of natural wisdom in dusty corners. But the entireconversation on grimoires becomes tiring, quickly- written words on dusty pagesdon't have souls, the way spoken words, animated by living wind do. And booksstay the same, while the souls who created them change and fly away in gusts ofdeath's wind.

The greatest grimoire is the legendary "GrandGrimoire"- and if you want to find it, and the secrets it contains oftaming the Red Dragon and the White Dragon, you're fortunate; you're standingon it, or at least, sitting on something that's in a building that's standingon it. While many books may purport to be the “Grand Grimoire”, only one thingis the true grand teaching book ofsorcery.

The Red Dragon is the body; it is also the Land. TheWhite Dragon is the great world-wind, it is the little winds that trace themeadows and hills- and it is your soul. Red and White are the two"colors" of the powers of Nature, and entwined, they create life andpower. They are the two serpents entwining the Caduceus staff, one of theMaster's most ancient symbols; they are the two prime forces of everything. TheGrand Grimoire is the Land itself; it is nature- the same "book",precisely, as the "Tablets of Fate" or the Book of Fate, held andread by the Bloodmother, the Ancestress of all life, the Lady Below the Earth,the Earth-Indweller.

Sorcery's deepest secrets are inscribed in the Land. Theyare etched in the bark of trees, and they are announced in the gurgle ofstreams and rivers. Learn to read these things, and there's nothing you can'tknow. The wind carries these sorcerous secrets; the earth hides them in herbosom, and yet, to eyes that really see, there's no real trouble finding them.You'll have more troubles really using your eyes to their fullest potentialthan you ever will with generous Nature revealing her treasures.

I can share with you a secret given away by Nature, aspell, as it were, from the pages of the Book of Fate, which is the Book ofLife and Death, really. As I said, Nature hides things, but to the eyes of thecunning, she gives. Things are moving intensely in your experience, every day,and they are chanting a song to you, reciting spells, offering you help. Theway the sun and the moon appear to move on their ancient roads is one example.

Poetry should rule these matters; of course we"know" now that the sun doesn't move; that it only appears to becausethe earth moves. But the deeper point is this: perspective is what is real toeach individual. Individuals have to deal with the story their senses aretelling them; they have to grasp it. The sun appears to move sun-wise, deosil,or clockwise in the sky. Nature has brought about a situation in which the sun-the chief emblem of warmth, triumph, and security- appears to move in a waythat humans can imitate. And, taking the deep hint from Nature, they haveimitated it since time immemorial. They have turned "right ways" withthe sun to bless, to protect, to cleanse, to purify, to banish evil.

The moon follows the sun and sets like it. The sun is rulerin the Above world, the world of clarity and light. The moon is the ruler ofthe Underworld, the world of murky surrealness and darkness. That's how itlooks to people not in trances, of course. In the Great Reversal of trance,these two things are juxtaposed, and the moon "takes to the sky", andthe sun becomes a radiance in the darkness below- because the mind is thrustinto the unseen by trance. The mind radiates it's mindful light in the unseenmirk. Outwardly, the world becomes more indistinct and not as illuminated (themoon being in the formerly light-filled sky symbolizes this)- so in a weirdway, every night-time, every time the moon moves above and the sun dips below,is a trance of types. This is why night is the sorcerous meeting-time par excellence.

But Sun and Moon are the great luminaries, the rulers ofseen and unseen, and their right-ways motion enforces right order, theexistence of balance and the vacancy of harmful powers. Some powers can't bedriven away by the sun; but they can be driven away by the moon, or forced intoanother state of being. Some powers can resist the moon, but they can't resistthe sun. So, any strong apotropaic workingneeds the power of sun and moon, of light and dark, of seen and unseen, toreally be universally effective.

A Spirit TrapGoverned by Sun and Moon

So here's one for you. It takes a bit of preparationwork, but it's strong, very strong. Naturally, you won't ever do it the sameway twice, really, not precisely, and you'll want to find "themoment" for the work that's just right. But certain aspects of this workare tied to certain events in the world. When you have workings that are tiedto certain worldly events, you have a ritual.Ritual work can be sorcerous, if sorcerous seeds grew it in the first place,and if it maintains that spark of life and imagination that is required toreally fill its sails with ghostly wind. And I think that this one meets thosequalifications.

On the day of a full moon, take an all-day candle outsideand make a flame on it, when the sun is high above and shining down strong.Slip into the forgetting trance and speak with the soul of the sun, and thesoul of the flame. Ask the sun for a portion of its great and awe-fullpresence, and using your breath, breathe some of the sun's power into you (moreon this in a minute) and breathe it out into the flame- not too hard, lest youkill the flame. Then, put that candle away in a safe and sheltered place,because that flame must be kept burning all day, to be used later that evening.It cannot go out for any reason. Any candle lit from it maintains the flame andthe solar force, just in case you have to "transfer" the flame toanother candle.

When the full moon of that day rises, take a fine silvervessel or a crystal glass vessel, or an earthen vessel full of water- cleanwell water works best- and sit it under the moon, shining down on it. Use yourforgetting trance to speak to the soul of the moon and the soul of the water-ask the Moon, and the Terrifying and Majestic Queen Below the Earth before whomall demons tremble, to bless the water with the power to command the harmfulpowers of night.

Then, go inside of your house, put a nice sized hunk offresh bread in the center of a white or yellow triangle drawn of flour, andunder the bread should be a black piece of linen, or burlap, or some other darkscrap cloth, three true copper pennies next to the bread, and under that cloth,a cord- it should be black, but yellow or natural color works, too.

Walk in a clockwise circle around the area with the breadand the rest of those things at the center of it. This is best done in the mainroom of your home, or of the house you are working upon. Carry that Sun-flamewith you, three times clockwise, and as you move, carrying this little sun,command all harmful spirits and demons and wicked powers that exist in or nearthis home, or who dwell in the bodies or souls of any present, or who troublethose who sleep in the home, to enter the bread and copper before you all inthe name of the Soul of the Sun, the majestic power of right-turning. Tell thepowers of the place that you offer this bread and copper to ransom the peoplewho dwell in the house, and tell the powers that cause accidents and suddenstrokes of ill fortune that if they are present, that they must yield to theright-turning power of the Sun and enter the bread, to feast there.

Then, place the candle down to the east, and get thewater. Carry it clockwise around three times, and, as you walk, make the samecommands and requests as above, except this time in the name of the Soul of theMoon, and in the Name of She Before Whom All Spirits Shake in Fear, and AllDemons Tremble. Tell the powers that cause accidents and sudden strokes of illfortune that if they are present, that they must yield to the power of the Moonand the Queen Who Holds the Keys of the World, and enter the bread, to feastthere.

Then, put the water down to the west, and catch the breadand pennies up in the cloth, wrap them quick, and start "binding" thewhole mess with the cord which should be there. Bind it around nine times ifyou can. Then, quick as you may, take the whole bound bundle away from thehome, swiftly, and either take it to a distant crossroads, or to a runningriver (preferably one that runs in a direction away from the home) and eitherleave it at the crossroads, or toss it in the river. Walk away without lookingback- if any wicked power compelled by your work "sees" into youreyes as you walk away, it may return easily with you- the eyes are the gatewayof the soul, after all.

As it is, compelled by the Sun, Moon, and the TerrifyingOne, it probably won't be at liberty to just go- and the crossed roads or theriver will force it away into the Unseen with great and final force. If youhave neither crossed roads or a river or good stream to use, you can hang thebundle in the branches of a distant and large oak tree, or bury it in sand ormud somewhere, as far from your home as you may. A nice bog disposal neverhurt, either.

I'd do this once a month, if I were you- it's more thanjust about spiritual protection; it's also about being protected from accidentsand disasters around the home, the kinds that can kill people or maim them. Thesame powers that can cause accidents around the living area can follow you andcause them in the rest of the world, too.

This working borrows the two right-moving celestialpowers and binds and banishes with them. A simple work, taught to anyone whocan see the sky with sorcerous eyes. I always use the copper coins because theyare Venusian in nature, attractive and seductive to spirits, and they offerblessings from the greatest of Enchantresses herself- but they aren't strictly necessary.Just the bread and cords and cloth would suffice. In lieu of copper coins,fresh rose petals might be nice. So would fresh rosemary. Anything you thinkmight bait this "spirit trap" well.

Rituals are odd like this- if you are really engaging theproper "moment", in that inspiration, things can happen you don'texpect; even this ritual may not "go" like you'd expect. So long asthe Sun-touched fire is there, and the Moon-filled water is in the rite, and aslong as they make deosil circuits, all is well. This is one of the workings Iread off the pages of the Grand Grimoire, and I'm very pleased with it. Andthere are countless more.

This work is a “ritual” (as I said) because it is tied tothe occurrence of the full moon- the ultimate “authentic moment” that makes itpossible can’t occur except when the moon is full. The moon’s own ancient cycleanchors this sorcery into a ritual form, makes it less “wild” than other formsof sorcery. I’ve spent a good bit of time talking to you about how unpredictableand unrepeatable sorcery was, and then immediately taught you a form of sorcerythat seems rather measured and repeatable! Sorcerous irony, again. But this is ritual sorcery, as I have said, and thustied to some repeating aspect of nature which, though it repeats, maintains theinfinite depth and inexhaustible power of nature. Not all sorcery will be this way; in my ownlife, most isn’t. Most seems to plan itself, happening suddenly, without merealizing it was about to happen.

But there’s something else that needs to be mentioned-something dark, something disturbing to most. Every act immediately invokes itsopposite. This is true for non-sorcerous acts, as it is for sorcerous ones, andthis simple fact is as deep as a bottomless well. You *never* truly know all ofthe ultimate outcomes of sorcery, because the Weird of this world is like avery deep and murky pond. For everything seen, I have often said, “nine thingsare unseen”- and casting a rock into a pond, sinking it to the depths, canprovoke unseen changes deep below. There’s a hint of danger here. On top of this fact, is the magical andsorcerous reality of “transference”-a fact of life and sorcery that has been present in the mystical life of humanssince the dawn of human cultural time.

Transference is a topic that is so very nuanced andcomplex, that I can’t cover it in detail here, but I can say this: the malevolent spiritual powers “trapped” inthe above-described spirit trap aren’t destroyed by your trap. They are transferred to it, and thence tosomeplace else- washed somewhere by a river, scattered somewhere (or ontosomeone) at a crossroads; they can be transferred to a tree, to the winds thatblow through its branches, to spirits in the ground, to deeper places in theunseen, but still, they go somewhere.

Can you be certain that your ill fortune, banished fromyour house, won’t become someone else’s’ ill fortune? You can’t be certain ofthat. And according to the beliefs of ancients as far apart as Brazil andScotland, transferred powers almost certainly always go to someone else, humanor non-human, and discharge their malevolence onto them. They find someone orsomething who is too weak to resist them; they find new homes, and dischargetheir malevolence there. I can’t tell you that this always happens, personally, but I think it often does. Life andreality is a system; it is a fully connected interaction system of massiveproportions. Ripples in the pond of life always have to go somewhere, andaffect everything else.

Does that change your opinion of this simple buteffective sorcerous working I just described? Of sorcery generally? Does ithelp you to understand why witches in the past, though valued by some, werefeared by many or most? I don’t think it was the witch they feared as much asit was the sorcery, the magic- strange, unpredictable, and there was always thedread that something “bad” would or could happen to them which might not havehappened otherwise, had the witch not been around.

These are important questions to ponder, and I hope youwill. You never perform sorcery in a vacuum. Everything is affected by it,often in many unseen ways. If you could see the full impact of sorcerousactivity, you would certainly have a new respect for it, a new awe, and a newhesitation that you might not have felt before when you utilize it. This isanother branch of the “game of power” that begins to challenge everything youthought you knew before. Are you still going to play?

What looked like a “good” working, a protective working,can now seem like an evil one, a dark one, one that comes with a cost. Well,get used to it; aside from the omnipresent reality of moral ambivalence thatsurrounds all sorcery, comes the reality of the hidden cost of it. They saynothing’s free, and as usual, “they” are quite right.

Tunnels for theGhost-Wind

Now, we’ve reached a turning point. I’ve spent a gooddeal of time discussing the subtle science of the soul and the senses, tragicmisuses of the sacred technology of writing which caused a real shift in ourminds, bodies, and cultures from the past, and focused on a basic and powerfultrance technique, more powerful, I think, than any you’ll find anywhere. Italked about the Witch-Master, his Holy Wind, and his servitors. I then talkedabout the strange spontaneity and deep mystery that is the nature of not justsorcery, but of the soul, and of nature itself.

Lastly I have discussed not just a working taken from theearth and sky of the Grand Grimoire, but the perilous and disturbing reality oftransference, an important topic for any sorcerer to consider. We’ve come along way. But now things change- from this peak, high in the windy sky ofsorcerous insight, we must plunge to the great finish of this treatise.

I’m going to stop being quite so open-handed about thesematters, and now leave it up to you to tie the strands of these invisible windstogether. In the next sections, leading to our conclusion, I am going topresent further keys to sorcery, the sorcery of the soul and wind, but in anabbreviated form which I trust you will have no trouble accessing to theirfullest extent, if you can apply all I’ve said so far. What I am about to saywill complete the previously granted understandings of the sorcery of breathand wind, culminating in the “Wraith Prayer”- the formula, learned by me fromthe seen and unseen, which can apply to all I’ve said here, and to any sorceryanywhere, and bring it to full fruition.

The Wraith Prayer is not just a formula for flying,though it can be used for that. It is also a formula for spirit-contact, fortouching the soul, and for talking in the soundless language, the language ofspirits. It is the last and most important secret that I have gained from yearsof this life occult, and this strange world. The understanding of the wraith-work, and all that I’ve said here, all theseuses of the soul and wind, is the true dividing line between what I recognizeas witchery and sorcery, and all the other things that sometimes pass forwitchery and sorcery today.

I must begin right where we are now, in the soul, mind,and body. Any study of the soul, mind, and body of human beings is ananthropology, and so what follows are necessarily notes on a sorcerousanthropology. But any study of the soul, mind, and body of humans becomes astudy of the soul, mind, and body of everything else- like the Land itself,because everything is intensified in everything else. Start walking or flyingin a human mind or body, and you will find yourself in a tree or a root, or ina mountain, or in the sky somewhere. All is in all- an oft-repeated and alwaystrue sorcerous fact, from time immemorial.

The land has tunnels in it- caves, fissures, openings,holes, which lead to the Underworld and into the reaches of the Unseen. Yourbody does, too. Tunnels in the land, tunnels in the body- this is a fact and aperspective that you hear little these days, and probably for good reasons.People who are half-aware of the power of natural tunnels and openings in theland always seek them out (rightly) to get access to the Underworld, but ifthey suspected, or knew, that their own bodies were entrances to theUnderworld, they might find themselves dangerously close, all the time, to thatmighty and mysterious realm.

When I say that your body has tunnels, I mean also thatyour souls have tunnels- but during life, the body and soul, the red dragon andthe white dragon, the red serpent and the white, are mixed together. Every timeyou breathe, they mingle, and you can feel this happening. Because of thismixture, the entwining of serpents, the “tunnels”, which are actually points offorce in the soul, meet the body at certain predictable areas, at least ifyou’re a human being. And these tunnels are direct entrances to the Unseenworld, more powerful and immediate, it seems, than a natural tunnel in a forestsomewhere, under a tree. But never build too much of a division in your head-the land’s body has tunnels, and so does your body, because we are one with theland.

And just like the winds of the world blow in and out ofthe tunnels in the mountains and land, your own soul, your own wind, blows inand out of your tunnels, all the time. These sorcerous openings found throughyour body are points at which your soul travels in and out, and the points atwhich spiritual beings can enter you and communicate with you- or enter you forfair or foul purposes. Also, as we shall see, these points are points at whichyour soul communicates with the souls of others, reciprocally, and secretly.These are points that you can learn to sense, explore, and use, to “fly in andout” of yourself.

Spiritual damage, blockages, hindrances, and intrusionsin your body and soul lodge themselves in these tunnels. They do it to otherpeople’s souls and bodies, too- so knowing what I’m about to say will help youin countless ways, to help yourself and others… or hurt them. Because knowingthese things will make you capable of both; no healer isn’t a potential agentof harm- and no person who can bless is ever without the capability of cursing.More sorcerous ambivalence, and more “soul searching” for all.

There are many tunnels, but certain points on the bodycorrespond with the major ones- ones you should know about. Two of the mostimportant are found through what you call your head- the skull-hole, and the foreheaddoor. The skull-hole, at the top of your skull, is the tunnel that yoursoul mainly uses to “leave” and “reenter” your body anytime it does- it mayperceptually, at times, “leave” the body by the mouth or chest, but that’s aseeming- at birth, it chiefly came in through that opening up there, theopening (as we will see) of a “chimney” or central channel that runs verticallythrough the soul-body.

Contact with the unseen happens at lot in the skull hole,and treasures are hidden in it, as with all these tunnels- in this case, thetreasure of your connection with the rest of reality or nature itself.

Connected withthis skull-hole are the mysteries of life and death- of birth and death, forwhen your final breath exits that corpse, it leaves by the chimney-hole at theskull-roof, just like it came in. While you are sleeping, the skull-hole is oneway that your soul slips out quietly while you’re dreaming, though it can leavethrough other tunnels, if it leaves at all, for not all dreams are foundoutside of the body. Most, as we will see, are found in the tunnels within you,during sleep. But the image of the witch flying up a chimney on her broom orflying-pole, to achieve her aerial liberation and go among the unseen powers,is full of much meaning and potency, particularly when you begin to make theseconnections.

The forehead tunnel has made its famous mark throughouthistory, appearing as the legendary location of the “third eye”, though mostpeople place it a bit high on the forehead- it’s actually closer to between thebrows of your face. Centered in this real vortex of power is a person’s entirecapacity not just for healthy ordinary perceptions and general sense use (thesense of sight, especially) but for extraordinary sight- soul-sight, as itwere. You might call it “wind-seeing” or the “other sight”, but it isn’tsomething radically apart from the senses as we ordinarily experience them; itis an intensification of the senses, such that all is seen, as we discussed indetail earlier in this work. A person with hindrances in their soul locatednear this area often suffers from headaches and eye malfunctions; but more thanthat, they lack the capacity to “see” in the extraordinary sense, which is mostpeople who do not engage the senses properly.

Other “major” tunnels in the body are the throat-cleft cave, the heart tunnel, the sun tunnel, the blood stringhole, and the serpent hole. Thethroat-cleft cave, found right where you’d expect, is the region of thesoul-body that corresponds with communication, both the ordinary types ofverbal communication (singing, talking, whispering) and the extraordinarykinds, such as hearing or speaking with the inner ears and voice (thespirit-language that we will discuss soon) and what is called “channeling” orpsychism these days. It is also thewell-spring of creativity in a person. Unexpressed emotions, particularlyanger, colludes this tunnel.

The heart tunnel, which acts as a bridge in the bodybetween the higher and lower tunnels, is the center of the human capacity foraffinity- with one’s self, others, and the world as a whole, and the home ofall refined emotions, like love for another. It is the home of intimacy andaffection, and it is occluded by grief, primarily. Those who “sob” while cryingare expelling force from this tunnel. Those with low self-esteem or intimacyissues are very likely dealing with an intrusion or blockage at this “soulregion”. The harmony one can feel, between self and world, self and other, andself and one’s own body and soul, is a gift of this tunnel’s ghostly presencewhen it radiates itself healthily.

The “sun tunnel” is found somewhere near the solar plexusregion on the body, and it governs the use of power by the body, the allocationof power to the body and soul, and to the assertion of power- those who havethis region colluded by various means are often tired, listless, and withdrawn.Those who are empowered here can command others easily- control and commandaudiences, lead people, and assert their presence and will on others.

The blood-string hole, also called the moon tunnel or thehare tunnel, is somewhere about two inches below the navel. Raw emotionsemanate from it, anchored here by the body-soul mixture- the wild power ofsexuality and reproduction, the capacity for fertility, and sexual attraction.Sexual traumas from the past occlude this tunnel, more often than not; but likethe serpent hole below it, its condition judges the basic overall health of thebody. Those who can use their winds (as we will discuss) to flood this tunnelcan command sexual attraction over others.

The serpent hole, about an inch above the anal opening,is the deepest tunnel in the body, and it opens facing the earth. It is thestorehouse-point of greatest power in the body-soul. Its great power- or thelack thereof- is the chief occult determinant of the health of the bodyoverall, and any challenge to your bodily survival is met by the power of it.Fears are therefore attached to this tunnel- those often paralyzed by fear,worry, or uncertainty are being dominated by this aspect of their body-soul bysome occlusion. Through this tunnel, the only true “grounding” technique thatever worked can be performed; the red serpent of the land and body contacts thebody-soul here, chiefly.

I give these very basic and general notes about thebodily tunnels because they will be useful to you once you study the next bodyof lore I give here, and which I will give now- the use of the breath and windsfor an ancient bodily and soul purification. Later, I will discuss simple bypowerful bits of sorcery that utilize the tunnels. But first things first- andremember, all these “strands of wind” build on one another; it will be up toyou to tie them together, however you will.

As this treatise continues, and as you know andexperience more, my descriptions become less lengthy and full. Soon,generalized formulas will really be given, because working with the senses andsoul directly, you don’t need much more than that; the Unseen regions of yourmind and body will “fill in” the details. Don’t worry that this won’t happen-let the symbols and colors and imagery given lead you, and trust in the powerof these things, as they have great antiquity.

The nine breathspurification, a sorcerous tactic that I teach now, is very ancient.Originally from Central Asia (as was the teacher who taught me), it goes backto one of the world’s oldest shamanic systems of belief and practice. When Irealized the connection of this technique to the movement of the windy soul inand out of the body, I realized its applicability to European witchcraft, asidefrom the many powerful benefits it has all by itself to the body and soul. Iadopted it as a sorcerous working to my repertoire.

After months of doing it, I realized its enormous power,and the way that it truly transforms a person’s ability to gain trance, leaveand return to the body, and be free of spiritual intrusions and damages done tothe soul by spirits, but also to be free of things that we let ourselves becomeunconsciously attached to (things that don’t actually matter, but hold us back)and things that we learn to hate and become angry about. Being angry orhateful, as an emotional experience, is natural. But as I have pointed outcountless times before, not all natural things are necessarily healthy for usin the wrong amounts, or at the wrong times and places (hurricanes are alsonatural, for instance.) Hate and anger, more than most intense emotions, can blocka person’s sorcerous potential, and inhibit the soul.

But then, so can the secret things we allow to obsess us-those nagging attachments we make to people, places, things, conditions- andwhich we largely become unconscious of. Being unconscious of unhealthyattachments means that they go on ruling you from the dark regions of yoursoul, inhibiting you in multiple ways you aren’t aware of- but the results canbe disastrous. For us, the chief disastrous result is in how your soul simplycan’t be moved “out of body” or in how sorcery becomes impossible for you.Also, an emotional roller-coaster can be caused by your own secret hang-ups.

The last obstacle (aside from anger/hate and secretattachments) is the soul-damage done by hostile and malevolent spiritual powersto the body and soul. And as strange as it may sound to us today, just aboutall of us are harmed in various ways by such powers, without us realizing it.What we DO realize is the final outcomes of that damage- our unhappiness inlife, our loss of health, our sense of being “dis-spirited”, our persistentignorance that leads us to ignore our connection to the rest of the world, orignore the aerial freedom represented by soul and breath and wind.

This has nothing at all to do with Christian “demons”coming after us and trying to take our souls. The world is pulsing full ofspiritual beings, and not all are pleasant or helpful. There’s no conspiracyhere to hurt you, as a human; a spirit may hurt you just because you wanderedthrough its territory, in the same way a bear might, in the woods. Gettingaround corruption and degradation- a quick drive or walk through a blightedinner-city ghetto or a very poor neighborhood where despair and poverty hasgiven way to violence and crime can result in the same thing, as malevolentpowers are often near such places.

Even a pristine place somewhere in a forest, far fromhumans, may be home to a non-human person that’s just vicious or savage. Justliving these days, in a world polluted in more than one way, can result in many“nicks and cuts and scratches” on the soul- or outright bleeding- that youmight not be aware of fully. And I haven’t even gone into attacks sent againstpeople by witches or sorcerers!

And, fortunately for us, there is an ancient techniquefor using the breath itself- and the soul- to cleanse the soul and body, andundo these sorts of blockages and damages. You can’t do it once and expect itto be a done deal; I’ve done it for months daily and discovered that whileevery use of the technique helps, the “damage” and blockages often take a whileto get “smoothed out”. That too, is the price of living in our mad world today.But the need to get started is definitely there! Your sorcerous power, clarity,and insight will increase, I guarantee it.

This technique requires you to see the three chieffactors of the soul-body. You know about tunnels that lie along the verticalaxis of the body already. Now, understand that the “vertical axis” of the body,deep inside the body, is a “spirit trunk” or a channel, running from yourserpent-hole to the skull-hole. When you visualize it, you should visualize itas blue in color (this is not a modern new age “visualization” technique; it isactually very ancient.) It is about as thick as a cane. This channel is ofenormous importance to what we will talk about soon- flying- so roll with thisstrangeness! On either side of this spirit-trunk, are two thin veins- thedragon or serpent veins.

One is red, and one is white (no surprise!) If you aremale, the red vein begins at your left nostril, curves under your skull, andgoes down the left side of your body alongside the spirit-trunk, and “goesinto” the spirit trunk down around the region of your blood-string hole. Thewhite vein begins at your right nostril, curves under your skull, and goes downthe right side of your body, where it also meets the spirit-trunk about thelevel of the blood-string hole, two inches below the navel. There is a threeway junction there, where these three channels meet. The serpent-veins arethin, like veins, but must be thought of as tubes. If you are female, the redand white veins are reversed in you! This is very important. In women, the redvein begins at the right nostril, and the white at the left, and they travel downthe body and meet up in the same way at the juncture down below.

The red channel is the home of all blockages andhindrances related to attachments. The white channel is home to all theblockages and hindrances related to hate and anger. And the blue centralchannel is the home of all spiritual damages done to us by spirits themselves,or sorcerous attacks generally. But there is much, much more to this. That bluecentral channel, which does merge with your tunnels, is the most central “home”of the breath and soul- or at least, it should be; the problem with damages andhindrances is that the breath of you, and the soul of you, gets shunted aroundand trapped in various places that are not the central channel. This causes allthe morbid states of mind that we have to suffer under- and the disorganized,chaotic way we dream at night. Blockages and hindrances in this system stop youfrom being able to undergo soul-flight, and can also (most tragically) stop youfrom dying with any ease or peace, causing the soul to have troubles “exiting”(as it were) or forcing you to become bound to the body or some place at death,or to some nightmarish subtle condition, as subtle as breath- remember, the“landscape” of the spirit world and afterlife is, after all, a subtle landscapeof windy, shifting reality.

To do the purification, you start by purifying the whitechannel, then the red, then the center. I’m going to give the instructions asthough you were male; if you are female, alternate your fingers and nostrils forthe appropriate channels! It’s really very simple. The man raises his fingerand closes his right nostril, and inhales through the left nostril, steadilyand strongly. This forces air to move in through just the red serpent vein, andit goes all the way down to the three-way conjunction place. The teacher saidthat you could visualize the air coming in as green and spiritually clean air,but that isn’t strictly necessary. Then, the man takes his finger away and letsthe right nostril open, and closes the left nostril, and breathes out, forcingthe air to exit through the white serpent vein to the right. As it comes out,it is expelled as a cloud of lightish blue colored tainted air. This is donethree times, thus cleansing the white channel.

Then, for the next three breaths, the man closes his leftnostril, inhaling as before through the right nostril only, down the whiteserpent vein, and before exhaling, he switches his finger, letting the leftnostril come open and pushing closed the right, expelling the air through theleft nostril only. That wind comes out as a pinkish colored tainted air,cleansing the red serpent vein. By this point, you’ve done six breaths, andcleansed the white and red serpent veins.

Then, you inhale deeply with both nostrils, taking theclean air down both channels to the three-way conjunction, and when you exhalefrom both nostrils, you must ‘see’ and feel the air rising up your blue centralchannel, and coming out of your skull hole, out of the top of your head, as asmoky, grey and black and ashy-colored smoke. Three breaths of that, and you’vereached nine breaths, and purified your central channel, removing the harm doneby spirits. Now, your winds- and your soul- can move more freely through thesubtle bodily system, and workings of sorcery will be stronger- particularlytrance. Feel free to do the purification as many times as you want, wheneveryou want; it doesn’t take long, and a few per sitting per day can changeeverything. There’s no such thing as doing it too many times. You will veryshortly see the massive benefits of this work, internally and externally.

The Sorcery ofBodily Sensation and Sight

Now, before I get to the “peak” of this work, in which Iattempt to tie together- in my own way- so many of these sorcerous strands foryou, let’s talk about the body and the sense of sight. This is one of myfavorite conversations (though sadly, not one I can have here at the length Iwant) because I’ve had so much profound experience with the sorcerousutilization of the body itself. We’ve talked a lot about the breath and winds,the soul and the like. We’ve talked a lot about the “white dragon”- but now,the red dragon needs her due. And here, we come face to face again with simple,ancient, and profound methods of sorcerous experience that can unlock manysecret doors, and pluck so many grains from the secret granary. It’s almostoutrageous to imagine that such simple and subtle things could have hidden fromus, right in plain view, for millennia, and yet, here we are. It’s reality.

When you’re dealing with the body itself, the redserpent, you’re also dealing with the land and its great red serpent, becausethe body is as much a part of the land as a boulder or a tree. As I pointed outbefore, there are tunnels in the land, and tunnels in the body. But you’re alsodealing with whatever is in the land- like the Underworld. The flight down, thesinking down, the descent to the underworld is deeply connected with theconscious experience of the body. The Underworld is not just a big void underthe “ground” that you see with your eyes and feel with your feet; it is also thedepths and darkness of the immediate sensationof the physical body.

This term is very important- sensation. You have a bodily sensation, only you probably don’tfeel it very often. And this bodily sensation- the feeling of all of you, thefeeling of being you, the feeling of having a body- is sorcerously powerful.We’ve all learned to ignore it, all our lives, and yet learning to be aware ofit again is easy. The reason why it is powerful is because it is the anchor ofthe soul, the feeling of being a “being” When you are alive, your wind-soul andyour body are mixed together fully; every in breath lets you feel the “mixture”happening. Your flesh is permeated by wind and life-vitality, the same way thesorcerous Master himself permeates the solid, dark land. This is how the mostMercurial being in existence is also so Saturnian.

So the body can be used to “sense” or experience thatsoul, because while you’re alive, the body and soul really can’t bemeaningfully divided. This is the key understanding. Now, go sit downsomewhere, and put your feet on the floor. Close your eyes. Can you feel thepressure between your buttocks and legs and back between what you’re sittingon? Easily you can- but take a deep breath, relax, and really examine thatpressure, and that heat. It feels different in those places than in the places(like your face, or the tops of your hands) that aren’t touching and pressingagainst something.

Look into that pressure and heat. Deep inside, you’llnotice a tingle, or a vibration or just a deep “sensation”. It’s easy to feelwhen you’re standing up, and just your feet are pressing against the ground.It’s easy to miss because you’ve become so used to ignoring it. Look again.Feel again. Any place that you press some part of you with weight againstsomething, there is a pressure, a heat, and a deep sensation, which can feelmany ways, but at first, it is always subtle.

When you feel it- and it is EASY to feel; don’t try toohard- you must focus on it and realize that this sensation isn’t just in theplaces where you’re experiencing pressure. It is all over your body, in everycell of you, every iota of you. Go to a place where there is a “boundary”between where your body is pressing on something, and a place where it isn’t,and examine the boundary. The sensation seems to ‘stop’ at the boundary, but inreality, it doesn’t. It’s on the “other side” of the boundary too. It has tobe, because that deep, pervasive sensation is the feeling of the red dragon, ofthe body, charged with the vitality of soul. Every tiny bit of you has it- youare buzzing with it, all day, every day, all your life.

What usually happens is that people start to feel it allover- and it’s really rather effortless once you focus on it- and then, theirwhole body starts to tingle and the buzzing of pleasant, dark life is all overthem, right where it always was anyway. Welcome! This is a surprising andpowerful sorcerous initiation. Bear in mind that when I say “sensation”, I amnot talking about the tingling of nerve endings, as you get when you slap yourhands together hard and then hold them close together. That’s the sense oftouch. Sensation is something that is one step deeper than sense, just thefeeling of being you, of having a body and soul mixing and buzzing with life.

Once you have your whole body buzzing and tingling withsensation, congratulations- you didn’t make it happen; it was always there; youjust became aware of it again, probably for the first time since you were aninfant. And guess what? This sensation doesn’t stop with you. The air has it.The wind has it. Trees have it. Rocks have it. Other people have it. All ofreality is endowed with this vitality. You are connected to everything, as Isaid before, and this sensation of the body, like the vitality of the breath,is another way to experience it.

You can sit there and, in deep experience of sensation,open yourself to another person, or an animal, or tree, and start to feel theirsensation. And most importantly, this sensation, like the wind that is part ofit, isn’t isolated to your body. You can “sink” into it, and go down, down,down, into your body, and into the Underworld at the exact same time. To sinkin sensation isn’t hard at all; sitting there, focusing on NOTHING but yoursensation, it almost starts to happen automatically, so long as you focus onnothing but this. It seems slow and heavy and sluggish at times, or perhaps atfirst; but in reality, it is very free and strong.

When you die, your outward senses fail, but thissensation remains. It sinks down into the Underworld, and on to whatever dreamsmay come. Before you were born, that’s precisely what you were- this intensefeeling of sensation, in the great dark pool of sensation that IS theUnderworld, connected to everything, within everything. Breath is part of this-as the soul-breath is exhaled from the body at death, the interior experienceof sensation intensifies and “moves away” from the body into aerial liberationand flight to the depths. At conception and birth, you arose from the deep,sensation and soul-breath vitalizing the forming body.

Let me tell you about two of the most profound uses forthis special and easy-to-attain sorcery. First off, just becoming aware ofsensation- something you can do while walking around, talking to people, typingon your computer, or any time- is a form of trance. If you’re standing in lineat a store, you can do it by focusing on your feet, finding that sensation downthere, and then becoming aware of it gradually or quickly all over your body.You can “greet people” in your sensation, by focusing on it as you stand infront of them and sinking down into it a little bit, and feeling theirsensation. It’s a subtle way of greeting someone, but a real one- you arecontacting them on a subtle level.

Pay attention to how you feel when you are in contactwith your sensation, because your body and soul will send you messages andfeelings, sometimes of great importance through it. How other people arefeeling, or whether or not they are dangerous, or lying, or what they conceal,can be broadcast to you through it, as feelings. Danger that has not yet arisencan be sensed by you, if you are in touch with this bodily sensation.

And most importantly, the dead who are in the Underworldcan be found in it. They can communicate with you through it, if you “sinkdown” to them through it- which is really just a matter of focusing on nothingbut the sensation, sinking, sinking, while focusing on their names andvisualizing their faces in life. You will “reach” them, though the depth of thetrance to do this causes you to essentially lie down and appear to be asleep,unmoving. And other beings, too- the Master, the Queen Below, the familiars-they can be met in just the same way, following the same method. Like thebreath, the body is the only sorcerous “tool” you could ever need.

Trouble sleeping? Not anymore. Lie down tonight, focus onyour bodily sensation (it’s easy to find when half your body is pushing againsta mattress) and then, when your whole body is a-buzz with the vital power ofyour soul, which is the sensation, just focus on nothing but that. Withinminutes, you will fall asleep- I promise. This is a secret sorcerous “cure” toinsomnia, but something else too- the dreams you have when you do this tend tobe vivid and meaningful. It can be used as a dream oracle. The trick is tofocus on nothing but the sensation, and just let go, just sink into it, andinto the whole world. You can’t let yourself think about other things; if youfind yourself doing that, re-focus on the pervasive and everywhere obvioussensation. It’s relaxing, and powerful. It also destroys stress, and makes aperson more intuitive and calm, the more they perform this simple, organicwork.

This technique had a name among the ancient Greeks- itwas called incubation. It was used by the ancient Iatromantoi-shamans to healpeople, but also to journey into the unseen world and talk to spirits and thedead. You will discover that it still has healing power- if you are ill,incubate. Sink. You will either feel better, or you will, in trance, meet withbeings who can offer you a way to heal yourself, or just have visions showingyou what you must do- or feelings, intuitions telling you what to do. Thistechnique goes back to the foundations of western civilization, and has manylayers of power and use which you are free to now explore. But for me, thegreatest use is this: it is a way of using the body to know the soul, and toknow one’s connection with all things, and reach out to all things. It is thepure primordial essence of sorcery.

Let us shift to the sense of sight now. I have saidbefore that our senses are magical connections between us and everything else,and I quite meant what I said. Our entire experience intensifies itself in us-our experience of everything in the world- and we intensify in those things.Our senses are the channels by which we come to knowledge of this process.Sense isn’t just side-effects of sense-organs like eyeballs or ear drums. Thesenses are deeper things than that, and sensation is one layer deeper thanthem.

If you are hearing a song, that is a hearing connectionbetween you and the song that is intensifying in you, and the “you” that isintensifying in the song. If you are seeing a bird, that is a seeing connectionbetween you and the bird that’s intensifying in you, and you in the bird, simultaneously.It’s a circle; the senses describe a perfect circle that contains the things wecall “sense organ, sensing person, and object of sense”, making them all onewatercourse, all one mysterious reality.

So why not use that sight in new ways? What could you be“looking” for out there? There’s only one thing you can find- yourself, out there. Read carefully:looking at the world enough- really looking- that’s what you’ll find: yourself.You have a presence in everything you see, just as it has a presence in you.And if that is the case, why just be “over here” in this red serpent thatyou’re feeling? Your red serpent is “out there”, too. This white serpent youhave in you, breathing in? It’s exhaled, shooting out there, too. Use youreye-vision as the bridge! It can reach miles that your breath can’t immediatelyor so quickly reach!

Go sit outside, and look, really look, with the piercinggaze. You probably already did this when you used the forgetting trance- andyou need to use that again! Engage that sense of sight, without concepts toblunt it! Gaze into a tree or boulder nearby. Really look INTO it. Your eye“sight” may stop at the bark or the rocky surface, in which you can now seedetails you might have missed before as your sensory visual mind really “grabs”it, intensifying in you, but you can “look” further still. Imagine that you arefocusing on a point a few inches into the tree or rock. You “see” the surface,but “look” deeper, set your focus point inside it. It may take hours, or evendays of doing this, or perhaps only an hour, or minutes, depending on you- butsomething’s going to hit you like a ton of the same boulders or trees you mightbe looking into- you’re going to find yourself in there.

Urge it on. Your piercing gaze, your eye sight, isalready a connection between you and whatever you’re looking at. The connectionis full and established. Now, “feel” yourself “in” there. Feel what it would belike to be a tree or a rock. Keep staring; be easy, but firm. Be focused; beconsumed with just the object that you are using the gaze on. Ignoredistractions; be consumed in the vision. Soon, the conceptual walls between“you” and “it” will start to collapse, sometimes even violently!

What happened for me the first time I accomplished this,was as so: I was staring at a pine tree, about 15 feet from me, a real big one.I gazed at it first, letting my soul tell me what “point” to focus on- andyou’ll have to “feel” that point; then, I locked onto that point and wouldn’tlet go with my eyes. As the tree intensified in me, and I in it- remember,there was no conceptual mind at work here, I was just in the pure experience ofthe sense- I started to feel like I was “over there”, in the same place as thetree.

It was gradual, but it grew stronger, and then, I couldsense what was about eight feet around the tree in every direction. I felt likethere was a circle, about eight feet in diameter around me, full of leaves, andfallen pine cones, and even a bird, picking at the ground- and then, I realizedthat I was sensing this because this was what was around the tree. I was in twoplaces at once! On the one hand, I was staring at the tree from a distance, andon the other hand, I was sensing as though I was the tree. It made sense to methen, how witches were legendarily supposed to have the power to appear inother places aside from where they bodily were- because this particularcapacity, this sorcerous effect, tears open the intense, participatory natureof reality and sense.

David Abram learned this very same technique from a Nepaleseshaman, and he covers the instructions that Shaman gave him in his book“Becoming Animal”- and he does it with more detail and panache than I can dohere, so read that book! The shaman-teacher of Abram told him that to do thisexercise with animals, one had to either focus the gaze- the “being inside”gaze- on a point a little low on the chest of the beast, or on its back, nearthe bottom of the back of its neck. Those were the two places that animalscould be “sense entered”, or in which you could find yourself in them, andAbram, upon achieving his mastery of this art, was able to enter a raven andexperience its flight.

These things are very powerful, ancient, simple, organic,and (most importantly) possible foryou, this very day, in the next few weeks or months, if you are subtle andclever enough to gain anything from my words here, or from Abram’s great works.In the simple power of the soul, all of these wonders are possible. This iswhat it means to re-member your humanity. It is to re-member your participationwith everything, and why forgetting thehuman is such a horrendous loss.

The ShimmeringWind and the Wraith Prayer

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for- and which Iknow I’ve been waiting for- a chance to tie these things all together. It mayseem like I’ve taken you on a brief tour of many corners of the sorcerouscaverns and forests of the world, and that’s really what I’ve done; my brevitycan be turned into an endless tome of sorcery by you, your soul, and yoursenses, using these intriguing and traditional starting points.

To “shimmer” is to have the awareness outside of thebody, in the windy, aerial release of the soul; it is to achieve soul-flight.It has many degrees; it doesn’t have to be a full-on “out of body” experience,though it can be. How far you can take it depends on one thing, above all: how far your desire can reach. A personcan “shimmer” only a little, almost as though they “breathed out” the awarenessor the soul a short ways from one of their tunnels- usually the skull-hole, theforehead door, or the throat-cleft tunnel. In that state, one can see andperceive the world with soul-eyes. Of course, this isn’t the only way to dosuch a thing; just sinking into sensation, or using the piercing gaze as Iinstructed before, or using the forgetting trance that engages the senses withpower can achieve another sort of soul-sight, or soul experiences. So, in thisforest there are many paths to extraordinary experiences. This Art is never“just this or that.”

Take our tunnels, for instance. A person comes to youterrified about something- genuinely scared out of their wits. Sit them down.Do your nine breaths purification, then sit in front of them, the front of yourbody facing the front of theirs. Breathe in, and concentrate your breath intoyour spirit trunk, the central channel. Keep doing that. With every in breath,it “goes into the channel”, fills it, and sinks down a bit to the bottom. Withevery future breath, it does the same, but it begins to accumulate “down there”and get higher and higher. When you have a lot of breath concentrated in yourspirit trunk, breathe out and force it up into your forehead tunnel. Use yourwill to ‘send’ the sorcerous winds there, and fill that tunnel with a howlingwind. Keep “breathing into” that tunnel.

Now, the next few times you breathe in, let the air“scour you and hollow your body out”- so that you feel like there’s not muchleft of your body, only that windy tunnel floating up around your forehead, andthen, as you exhale, “blow yourself” up into the forehead tunnel and come outof the front of it. It’s like your head or your awareness will be sticking outof your forehead, or looking down that tunnel.

Now, look at the other person’s soul body. It mayresemble them a bit, or a lot- but it’s their tunnels you need to be lookingat, specifically their serpent hole, where fears reside. You’ll discover thatin this subtle state, you can easily “float closer” to the person. Float yourunseen face close to their serpent hole and look in. Don’t bother with what yousee now; you can see many things, secret things, but the Art of removing evilthings from those tunnels- or putting them in- is not for discussion now. Inthis instance, speak into their tunnel.Whisper with your unheard voice that they should calm down; not be afraid; thatall will be well. Whisper into that tunnel well and then tell the tunnel thatyou are done speaking, and go back into your body through your forehead tunnel.

And then, that piece of sorcery is done. You may besurprised at how quickly they seem to feel better, at least a bit. Of course,“speaking into the soul tunnels” can be done at any tunnel, for any reason-such as encouraging a person at the soul level to feel passionately, sexuallyattracted to you (whispering into the blood-string hole). That might be seen asdark sorcery; as sorcerous seduction, and well, opinions aside, it is what itis. I merely point it out to show how the tunnels I mentioned before can beused as vessels of sorcery and communication, with the secret winds.

If you think that unseen beings- or sorcerers powerfulenough- can’t “elf shoot” a person, drill them with “elf shot” or unseen (butdeadly) ‘arrows’ of malevolence, I must say, you just aren’t thinking aboutthis correctly- and if you didn’t guess that whispering horrible, terrifyingthings into a person’s serpent hole couldn’t give them nightmares, or degradetheir mental health, you’re really just perhaps too nice for this business. I’mnot saying you have to do those things, but know that they can be done, andare.

And not just by humans, as I said- the “Faery Host” orthe Aerial host of the dead and the beings of the unseen, led by the Elf-Knight(The Master) makes it a cyclical habit of flying about the world on storms andwinds and selectively killing the souls of human beings and animals, to collectthem into the “Company of the Storm”- and witches in the past, like IsobelGowdie, found that they could become a part of that ancient company. Theyaren’t killing to be evil; they are manifesting Fate, and strengthening “Themover there”. Others will be born to replace those taken by the Wild Hunt.

“Killing” the soul is possible- but what it means is thata fatal injury is inflicted on the soul-form on the subtle level, which leads,a while later (usually not too long, depending on the power of the attack) tothe physical death of the person. A person may be “dead already” in the Unseen,but not be aware of the fact. This is one of the reasons why people, intraditional folklore, “see their fetch” leaving them a short while before theydie, in dreams and in visions, quite often.

Now, here is the formula of the Wraith Prayer. Rememberhow I said I would give it as a skeleton, and allow you to give it flesh withyour own soul (another sorcerous paradox?) I hope it gives you much joy andinsight. I hope it doesn’t lead to your death or the deaths of others, but thatmust be listed as a possibility.

The Wraith Prayer, or Fetch-Sending Formulaof Four Parts

(The Master Keys to Trance and Flight orLiberation from the Red Body Fetter)

I. Perform the Nine Breaths Purification

II. Engage the Forgetting Trance and enliven the sensesto pure sensing power (Sensory Soul Intensifies, White stage) Really get asense for how your whole environment around you is intensifying in you, and youin it- how much this “world around you” IS your state of mind at present, andyou are in it.

III. Engage the Bodily Sensation (Body Intensifies, RedStage)

IV. Breathe in the World-Wind, concentrating it in theSpirit-Trunk. As you breathe in, feel the white soul and red soul, the breathand body, mixing and combining fully. As you breathe in after a bit, feel the“Great Wind”- the world-wind, the Master’s kingdom- “pushing in” to you,filling you, lending you your human life and mind, and when you breathe out,feel your personal wind, your soul, being “pulled” out into the World-Wind.This technique, the “bellows breath” should be done for a while, until you feelthe “Great Wind” as though it were a mighty person or being, or collection ofbeings, noticing you. Then, take a deep breath, and as you exhale make thesound “eh”- the same sound made by “e” in the word “set”. Drag it out, slowly-ehhhhhhhhhh- and end with a hard “t” noise. “tuh!” Doing it a few times isbest, but every time you do it, let your flesh and soul become one with thesound.

At this point, youshould have a strong sense of connection between everything- sensory connectionwith environment, a “feeling” connection with everything, a strong sense ofyour own body, and in the central channel or Spirit Trunk, you should feel that“you” can “look and speak” up through your skull hole, or look down and speakthrough the serpent hole. Above and below should seem open to you. You shouldstart to have a sense of “liberation” of “I can move or be discoveredanywhere”- you may find your mind darting off, your soul moving about like it’syearning to be free, or just flying already. Or you may just feel that allthese things are possible. Most often, you may feel that you’re in more than one place at the same time-sitting or standing there, but also being “near you”, behind you or beside you.

From this point, you can work as you see fit: you areready for anything. Using your breath, you can send a howling wind into any ofyour tunnels, or, if you wish to engage full spirit flight, you must firstconcentrate a lot of wind into the Spirit Trunk (described earlier) and then,“scour and hollow out” the body with breath, and then- lastly- with oneforceful out breath, once you feel like you aren’t “much left” bodily, blastyour awareness out of the skull-hole on the top of your head- “ride the wind upthe chimney” and out of you.

You may feel like some part of you is still “in yourbody”, at the same time that you feel like you’ve “gone up and out”- or, youmay feel that you exited through your mouth as you breathed out- even if itfeels like you “exited” through your mouth, it’s okay; you actually went out(if you went out) through the skull hole. And the feeling of being “in two places atonce” is normal and natural at first, and throughout your career doing thesethings. Just gently “focus over” on your other breath-self, and you’ll more andmore be able to experience what it is experiencing. Remember, to “fly around”,you only need the air and wind- and that’s everywhere. It connects your wraith,your flying fetch, to everything.

The SoundlessLanguage and Conjuring the Familiar

I thought I might end with some notes about the SoundlessLanguage, and the art of real invocation. Saying words out-loud is powerful;they are given life by your soul-wind, and have sorcerous value. But I havediscovered that after such words are said- or even if they are not said- myfamiliar spirits and Magistellus don’t respond as strongly unless I use thesoundless language- the heart language- to call them. And when you have donethe wraith prayer and are no longer “just a body”- when you have a strong senseand connection with the Spirit-trunk in you- you are in a perfect position touse this soundless language.

And it’s quite simple- you don’t use words at all. Youuse feelings. It’s hard to describe, it works in several ways. Let yourselfsink down the spirit-trunk and come out “under” you a bit, and “inside” of thewhole world under you- and “feel” into the whole world whatever it is that youwant to communicate to the spirit you are trying to conjure. That sounds funny,but it works- if you want your familiar to come to your presence, to fly downyour skull hole and take up residence inside you, or fly into you some otherway, you go down, exit a bit, sink into things, until you feel that connectionwith everything (the whole world, seen and unseen) and you just long for thespirit. Feel wanting, feel the genuine longing you have for it to be near, andit will come.

It’s liberating to not have to “say” anything- just letyour feelings “speak” for you. If you are troubled because you can’t pay yourrent, and are about to be homeless, and working to find extraordinary resourcesto get around this problem, even prayers to the powers can be translated intothe language of the heart, into the soundless language- let yourself feel thesorrow and depression and frustration of your situation, and present it tothem- “feel it out there”- They already know what’s wrong; this is another wayof communicating “I need help!”.

“As far as desire can reach…” The longing for the Masteris an invocation to him, just as it is for the familiar powers or themagistelli. They will “come up” from the depths, and enter you, or hover nearyou, or “feel” closer, perhaps below you, but near you. If they will come, Imean; I can’t speak for what other spirits may or may not do for youpersonally.

Another way of communicating with the unseen which I findprofoundly powerful doesn’t even involved having to do the Wraith Prayer- justbring up your awareness of your bodily sensation, and “speak”- whisper- “intothe sensation”. Speak consciously into your sensation, and you will discoverthat it “echoes” into the Unseen quite strongly. Remember- your bodilysensation is a tiny bit of sensation thrust up from the great ocean of powerthat is the Unseen and the Underworld, and is connected to it. Speaking intothe depths of your sensation is like speaking into a portal directly into theworld-depths.

The Stang on the Hill (or, The World Tree, or the Spiral Castle)

2011-10-24T09:52:00.001-04:00

The Spiral Castle Tradition doesn't actively work with a "world tree" image, per se. That is to say, we don't use the image of a tree to serve the purpose of what the World Tree does in the cultures in which a World Tree is found. However, both our Spiral Castle and our stang upon the ancestral mound (which sits in the middle of the physical space of the compass as we work magic), serve exactly the same purpose, as I believe you will see.

Background and Purpose of the World Tree

The mythology and function of the World Tree seems to be a universal theme in cultures all over the world. References to a World Tree (or Cosmic Tree, Tree of Life, etc.) can be found in the Scandinavian, Finnish, Baltic, Hindu, Shinto, Native American, Mayan, Siberian, Hebrew, Christian, Egyptian, Mediterranean, Byzantine and Celtic spiritual beliefs and practices (to name only a few – the most easily discovered).

The World Tree takes many forms, extends in to many realms, is associated with many animals, but essentially has the same function in each culture. It always, no matter which version of the world tree is being described, connects the realms of existence in a sort of pathway that is (or is a symbol of) the act of creation. Through it, communication and the gaining of knowledge is possible. It is a symbol of both the macrocosm (the universe) and the microcosm (the person). It is infinitely complex and surprisingly simple.

Connecting the Realms

The World Tree connects the realms of existence as they are seen and numbered according to a particular culture. The most common representation of this seems to be the idea of three realms (sometimes being divided into three sections). The Upper, Middle and Lower Realms – usually described as the heavens, Earth and the Underworld; or the Land of the Gods, the Land of Men and the Land of the Dead.

Communication/Messages

Many of the Gods receive messages from animal or spirit beings who travel up and down the tree. Likewise, shamans and priest/esses the world over are said to have the ability to climb the tree to gain the knowledge/wisdom of the other realms and to communicate with both Deity and the dead. This allows them, then, to bring back the advice or wishes of the spirits that guard and protect human life. Indeed, one of the shaman’s or priest’s responsibilities has always been to know the wishes of Deity (in whatever form it takes) and to communicate those wishes and wisdoms to the people.

Consciousness Unit

There is a body of evidence that suggests that the World Tree is a depiction of the “Consciousness Unit” (or CU) – sometimes also called the Collective Unconscious (though I think that is a misnomer since so many spiritual seekers are, in fact, conscious of it). Those who have been trained in out-of-body, meditative and astral techniques have all witnessed a similar structure that can be described as a tree. However, in some cultures, it was described as a mountain (hill, mound, Tor) or a tent (or in our case, a castle).

It is generally seen as nested spheres of energy or consciousness – one structure that houses several others, which house yet more. Although the people who saw it were all likely to have seen exactly the same structure, they used different words to describe it when they were once again in the physical world. This, of course, would all be based on cultural and linguistic limitations and understandings. The most universal description is that of a tree.

Priestly Training

In many cultures, there is the pervasive use of the World Tree as a tool for the training and initiation of preists/shamans. Though the ceremonies differ somewhat, many of them involve a time of sacrifice upon the tree. Others require that the initiate climb the tree (either physically, spiritually or both) to seek information or to trace the steps of creation/wisdom. It is, of course, not surprising, then, to think of Odin’s 9 nights on Ygdrassil as a sort of initiatory model – leading to the use of vision quests, the witches’ cradle, and the actual climbing of a tree as part of the priest’s initiatory process. (The Hanged Man in the Tarot could be said to be suspended from the World Tree to seek a new perspective or initiation into greater mysteries.)

Stars and the World Tree

There is a great association between the World Tree and two specific celestial bodies. The first is the North Star (Pole Star). In many cultures, this star is said to be the pin or tack at the top of the World Tree. (It reminds me of the star atop a Christmas tree, though the association would have been much older than Christianity. It was probably a part of the Cabalistic mysteries, and therefore absorbed unwittingly into the Christian mythos. Or, which is more likely, since I have seen no reference to the Pole Star in the Cabalistic World Tree information I found, it was probably assimilated from the older Indo-European practices and beliefs. Perhaps the Yule tree used in so many Germanic tribes was, in fact, an echo to Ygdrassil.)

The other celestial body associated with the World Tree, specifically in Mayan culture, is the Milky Way. Of course, I take some liberty in referring to an entire galaxy as one celestial body, but the idea is understood. In some descriptions, the Milky Way is called the World Tree. In others, it is seen as perpendicular to the World Tree.

In fact, the Mayan calendar is said to spring from the World Tree. It is this same calendar which, with the Mayans’ uncanny mathematical understanding of the “wobble (or precession) of the Earth’s axis, dates the Winter Solstice of 2012 as the point when the next cycle of that same wobble will begin. It is on this date that the North Star, from the Earth’s point of view, will point directly into the center of the Milky Way.

The starry connections to the World Tree are significant for the Tradition at hand, as well. In Robert Cochrane's writings, pay attention to his references to "Caer Ochren." They are in close concert and connection to the statement "I am a Hill," which he follows up with a description of a castle of seven gates, upon a gloomy hill, turning to the elements.

Crosses and Mountains

I am grouping crosses and mountains together because I see them as two similar, perpendicular derivations of the World Tree concept. Mountains, specifically, have been mentioned in several works as other ways of seeing the CU (the thing that the World Tree represents – that is to say “everything.”)

I only go into this idea of perpendicularity because its recurrence seems significant to me. In fact, the World Tree itself is sometimes described as vertical, sometimes as horizontal. Perhaps it is both, in a sense. Or, it could be, as the Cabalists have described it, that there are two different trees that are essentially one World Tree. The Tree of Life, in this line of thought, is vertical, and the Tree of Knowledge is horizontal. (They are depicted as columns running between certain spheres.)

This perpendicular meeting between two poles/columns/pillars is the symbol of a cross. It is balance. It is life hinged on wisdom, and wisdom hinged on life. It is the cross of sacrifice as seen in the Christian mythologies. It is the equilateral cross of the elements in the Celtic cosmology. It is the tree on which Odin hung. Moreover, it is the crossroads at which magic and initiation happen.

Then there is the mountain, whose base is the horizontal axis. The line from the base to the peak is the vertical axis. In some cultures, a specific mountain has been their World Mount. And mountains the world over have been deemed as sacred. In fact, many cultures have created mountains as representations of the concepts embodied within the World Mount/World Tree concept. The Great Pyramid of Egypt is a prime example of this, while the Celtic Tors are examples known to many others. The sacred mountain connects the realms just as the World Tree does. The Torprovides access to the three realms. Medieval witches, too, were said to fly to Bald Mountain at Samhain for their great revel.

The Animals of the World Tree

Typically, eagles are said to dwell in the uppermost branches of the World Tree, with other birds living in some of the lower ones. Deer and horses are associated with the trunk of the tree, while snakes are seen twisting around the roots.

Although these images are fairly consistent throughout the various cultures, the Norse Ygdrassil houses all of them, and a few others. Specifically, there is an eagle at the top (which associates the eagle in my mind, then, with the Pole Star). Between the eagle’s eyes perches a hawk. There is a dragon that is twisted among the roots, as well as other snakes and serpents who help him gnaw at those roots. A certain squirrel delivers messages between the Dragon and the Eagle, who are feuding. Other bringers of messages associated with Ygdrassil are the ravens who bring messages to Odin of Midgard and Niflheim (the middle and lower realms). There are also stags, a goat, and a hart who roam the branches and trunk and eat the leaves of the tree.

Interestingly, the name of the tree means “Odin’s Horse” (because he rode it to attain enlightenment). This is interesting because so many of the other World Tree mythologies have sacred kings or gods tethering their horses to the trunk of the World Tree. Furthermore, the word Cabala is derived from the same Latin word as the word for horse (equus). (I know it seems like a stretch, but the Spanish word for horse is caballo, and the Italian is cavallo,which certainly show the progression of the word into derivations.) Therefore, horses are largely associated with the World Tree. So much so that at least one version of the World Tree is named as a sort of horse -- a means in itself of "traveling."

Stang-Rider

Just as a priest or shaman is trained to ride the tree, so is a witch or anyone of us of sorcerous ilk trained to ride the stang, walk through the Spiral Castle, fly on the broom. The broom, after all, is fashioned from a forked staff -- a stang at its heart! These tools are aids in achieving soul flight, in fully experiencing the world around and within us, before and behind us, below and above us. In a great many ways, they are all the same tool, just fashioned in a different package.

John Barleycorn Must Die

2011-10-24T08:06:00.000-04:00

One way to think about the Year Wheel is to look at the balladry figure of John Barleycorn. The stations of his life, as marked int he verses of the song below, are the Sabbats -- at least the ones dealing with planting and harvesting.

John Barleycorn Must Die!

There were three men came out of the west,
Their fortunes for to try.
And these three men made a solemn vow:
John Barleycorn must die.

They've plowed, they've sown, they've harrowed him in,
Threw clods upon his head.
And these three men made a solemn vow:
John Barleycorn was dead.

They've let him lie for a very long time,
Till the rains from heav'n did fall.
And little Sir John sprung up his head,
And so amazed them all.

They've let him stand 'till midsummer's day,
Till he looked both pale and wan.
And little Sir John's grown a long, long beard,
And so become a man.

They've hired men with scythes so sharp,
To cut him off at the knee.
They've rolled him and tied him by the waist,
Serving him most barb'rously.

They've hired men with the sharp pitchforks,
Who pricked him to the heart.
And the loader, he has served him worse than that,
For he's bound him to the cart.

They've wheeled him 'round and around the field,
'Till they came unto a barn,
And there they've made a solemn oath,
On poor John Barleycorn.

They've hired men with the crabtree sticks,
To cut him skin from bone,
And the Miller, he has served him worse than that,
For he's ground him between two stones.

And little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl,
And the brandy in the glass.
And little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl,
Proved the strongest man at last.

The Huntsman, he can't hunt the fox,
Nor so loudly blow his horn,
And the Tinker, he can't mend kettle nor pot,
Without a little Barleycorn.

You can hear a snip (or, rather, 3 snips -- I swear it isn't a re-mix) of my favorite version of this song at PayPlay. While most versions of this song sound like dirges, this particular version relays what I feel is the joy of spring and the celebration of harvest. Yes, the words are "John Barleycorn Must Die," but I suppose I like singing these lines with a big toothy grin.

Samhain

2011-10-24T00:56:00.000-04:00

Samhain is the point in the Wheel that is directly opposite to Beltane, and the intents behind the holiday and the season are, subsequently, directly opposite to those of the fertility and mirth of Beltane. However, they are connected along the road that leads through the center of the compass, and they are both presided over by Tubal Cain, denoting their inherent connection and potency. In the case of Samhain, Tubal Cain guards the Western Gate of the compass, the gate that leads to the western sea and the immortal lands -- the Lands of the Dead. This is his quench tank, an alchemical mate to the forge fire of Beltane's East Gate.

Samhain is one of the portal times during the year, and it is one that many Pagans credit as the strongest portal time. It is a time when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is the thinnest, and communication and passage between the worlds is easiest. It is a time to commune with deceased ancestors and loved ones. Though we should honor and rever our ancestors throughout the year, this is the perfect time of year to set aside sacred time to honor those who have passed.

Of course, since the veil is so thin, it is also expected that some rather nasty spirits might enter through the veil at this time, which can cause folks to be wary. Guardians of various types have been placed at doors and windows and hearth (all the entry ways into the home) to keep unwanted and unwelcome spirits out. The custom of dressing in costume comes from the idea of disguising oneself so as not to be recognized by unfriendly spirits.

Furthermore, it has long been a time of remembrance. The ancients had a deep respect for their ancestors, and this was a time to remember the deeds of forefathers and foremothers. They would recall the names of the people in their lineage and honor them with feasts and gifts. The ancestors would have a special place in the home during this time.

Samhain is contemporarily considered to be the last festival of the harvest, and we have encountered two schools of thought as two how this plays out. One says that Samhain is the final grain harvest and that it was imperative that farmers have all of their crops harvested before sundown on Samhain night. If not, tradition held that whatever was left in the fields belonged to the Sidhe. (We've also seen this said about Fall Equinox, but that simply couldn't apply to American crops.) The other indicates that, in Britain, Samhain would have been past the final grain harvest and would have been into a time that we might consider a "blood harvest" -- the time for slaughtering livestock before the winter comes. Technically speaking, we like the mytho-poetry of both schools of thought. However, we are trying to be practical about the Craft that we practice and the area where we live. In Indiana (where we literally live surrounded by fertile farmland), the harvest cycle has looked like this:

* Lammas -- call it "loaf mass" if you like, but it's not grain we're pulling in; it's tomatoes and squash -- the first ... veggies!
* Fall Equinox -- apples, more veggies, early corn, early wheat, early soy -- It'll be another week or two before the grains are really ready.
* Samhain -- the rest of the grains have been or are being harvested now. It's a race. November really is too late. As for the "blood harvest?" Maybe so.

Samhain Traditions

We celebrate Samhain as season, a "month" unto itself -- a two week period extending from October 15th until Octiber 31. This is a time for us to honor our genealogical and spiritual ancestors. We seek guidance from them, insight about the lessons from the pervious year and advice for work to be done in the coming year. We are making provisions within ourselves for the winter months ahead. This is a time of reflection on death and rebirth -- contemplating beginnings and endings. As such, it is a time of introspection, reflection, communication with the Otherworld and Underworld. It is a time of profound spiritual growth. (It can be quite intense.)

We begin the cycle by Welcoming the Ancestors. In this ritual, we bring our skulls in token of all our ancestors – biological, spiritual, and otherwise. We then empower these skulls to be a vessel in which our ancestors can be manifest during the 13th month. Part of this ritual always includes a “genealogy chant” said by each person in attendance. (Women may name their mothers’ mothers, for instance as far back as they have knowledge of. Men may do likewise with their fathers’ fathers. Or, there could be a blending.) We work with skulls as a means of "tapping the bone" -- tapping into the knowledge, wisdom (hence, the skulls) and power of our Mighty Dead. (As a note, human skulls, though *somewhat* available as curios, are extraordinarily expensive and are NOT necessary for this work. What you want is something realist -- either in look or material. Go for a realist replica from a science shop, a crafty skull of some sort, a Halloween prop that won't make you laugh, or an animal skull -- real bone, just not human.)

In the same general time-frame as the Welcoming the Ancestors ritual, we also empower our pumpkin guardians. Sometimes this is done as a group, and sometimes we do it individually. Whatever the case, one pumpkin is chosen for each member of the household, carved and empowered to protect that person and the home from harmful spirits during the 13th month. Some of the families choose an extra pumpkin to protect the family as a whole, as well. These are place outside the door and lit each night at dark during the duration of the 13th month.

The Dumb Feast is a ritual feast held to honor the ancestors. The entire ritual (from the point of laying the compass to eating the feast to finishing the ritual) is carried out in silence. A portion of the food from each person’s plate should be reserved for their ancestors. Their skull is placed in honor next to or in front of each person.

Individual dark mirror, cauldron, and skull trances -- We strive to do a great deal of individual meditation and trance-work with our cauldrons, dark mirrors and skulls, since they are among the key symbolic tools we associate with this Sabbat.

Requirements for Admission

2011-10-22T13:21:00.006-04:00

After years of working this path, tweaking it, living with it, and loving it, we have decided to open ourselves up to those who would like to walk the crooked path with us locally (within the South-Central Indiana area). Here, then, are our requirements for admission.

Greening – green cord

For children of the family at the age of reason, and for potential new members to the coven.
Creates an informal bond between teacher and student.
Before Greening the student should :
- formally request to join the coven
- obtain a binder for handouts and personal research notes
- obtain a flash drive
During Greening the student should:
- learn to raise, form, move, and ground energy
- create or obtain a stone bowl
- begin their personal crane bag
- choose a coven symbol
- begin a personal home altar
- attend at least 2 rituals (Sabbats or Esbats)
- obtain a ritual robe (either white or black, depending on the time of year)
Greening lasts through a 6 – 12 month period, or until the age of puberty.

Adoption – red cord, bone ring

For children of the family at the age of puberty, and for formally joining members to the coven.
Creates a formal bond – the Red Thread – between the student and all members of the coven.
During Adoption the student should:
- Memorize the year wheel
- Obtain the three knives
- Read:
  - The Robert Cochrane letters
  - The White Goddess by Robert Graves
- Read two of the following:
  - Masks of Misrule, Call of the Horned Piper, & Pillars of Tubal Cain by Nigel Jackson
  - Mastering Witchcraft by Paul Huson
  - The Witches’ Bible by the Farrars
  - Sacred Mask, Sacred Dance by Evan John Jones
  - The Roebuck in the Thicket by Robert Cochrane and EJ Jones
  - Witchcraft: A Tradition Renewed by Valiente and Jones
  - The Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton
  - The Witching Way of Hollow Hill by Robin Artisson
- Perform a link cutting
- Write a statement of personal ethics
- obtain an ancestor skull
- create a staff
- obtain a cauldron
- make an incense
- make and amulet and talisman
- make a scrying mirror
- design and make a Witches’ Glove
- become proficient in three forms of divination
- create a totemic fetch
- acquire a familiar (plant, animal, or spirit)
- perform contact and possession with a Deity
- lead a ritual
- complete red cord checklist
Adoption lasts a minimum of a year and a day, or until the age of majority.

Raising – red/white/black cord, witches mark

For children of the family at the age of majority, and for naming the student as a witch.
Marks the student as a fully-fledged witch.
During Raising the witch should:
- obtain tools, weapons, and other paraphernalia related to the compass
- read and study as suits their interest

Beneath the Rose

2011-10-21T22:58:00.000-04:00

Most private meetings of curveens are conducted in implied secrecy. The traditional "laws" of the witches, the Ardanes, state that neither the covenstead nor the members of the coven ever be revealed to cowens, or those who are not of the Craft. These precautions are taken for the safety of our kind. Just because witches are not being hunted for profit these days does not mean that the world is entirely free of the persecution of witches.

As for secrecy, there is a deeper level for us, symbolized by the placement of a rose on the altar or within the compass. This is known as working "subrosa", which is Latin for "under the rose".

There are several theories as to why the rose has come to symbolize secrecy. One is that the Egyptian figure of Harpocrates was associated with the rose, and because of his classic gesture of holding a finger to his lips, he came to be seen as a figure denoting silence.

Another legend holds that Aphrodite, who the rose has always been sacred to, gave the rose to her son Eros who then passed it on to Harpocrates, who the Greeks interpreted as the God of silence. Eros was said to have given Harpocrates this rose as a token in hopes that his mother's many sexual indiscretions would remain a secret.

Paintings of roses on the ceilings of Roman banquet rooms were also a reminder that things said under the influence of wine (sub vino) should also remain sub rosa. In the Middle Ages a rose suspended from the ceiling of a council chamber similarly pledged all present (those under the rose) to secrecy.

The rose is a symbol of both the Black and White Goddesses of our tradition, and denotes the secret of death-in-life and life-in-death that they both represent, yet cannot be fully explained, but only experienced.

Samhain Totems: Elder

2011-10-19T06:15:00.000-04:00

The Elder tree is associated with death and rebirth. The 13^thmonth is a time of endings and balances, and the Elder is a tree of balance.This tree is never called into the compass, but it is recognized where it stands(outside the sacred space). The Elder is usually found at the opening to barrows andpassages to the Underworld.

This is atree of the Faery. If one cuts down this tree without seeking the will of theTree Spirits and of the Faery, a blight or curse will fall on that person. Herwood is never burned as it is considered bad luck to do so. This injunction is remembered in one of the couplets from the modern Wiccan or Witches' Rede: "Elder be the Lady's tree. Burn it not, or cursed you'll be."

In some parts ofthe world the Elder is considered as a protection against snakes and thieves.

The Elderprotects one from harm and psychic attack. It represents change and transition.The elemental association for the Elder is water, and its gender association isfeminine.

The Elder issacred to thevarious guardians of crossing over from one life to death and from death backinto life.

The Witches Rune

2011-10-18T23:05:00.002-04:00

Doreen Valiente (Ameth, 3*) and
Patricia Crowther (Thelema, 3*)

The Witches' Rune
by Doreen Valiente

    Darksome night and shining moon,
    Hearken to the witches' rune.
    East, then south, west then north,
    I come here to call thee forth.
    Earth and water, air and fire,
    Work ye unto my desire.
    Wand and Pentacle, Cup and Sword,
    Hearken ye unto my word.
    Cords and Censer, Scourge and Knife,
    Waken all ye into life.
    Powers of the Witches Blade,
    Come ye as the charm is made.
    Queen of Heaven, Queen of Hell,
    Lend your aid unto the spell.
    Horned Hunter of the Night,
    Work my will by Magick rite.
    By all the power of land and sea,
    As I do will, so mote it be.
    By all the might of moon and sun,
    Chant the spell and be it done.

The Witches' Rune
(Alt. Version)

    Come ye as the charm is made!
    Queen of heaven, Queen of hell,
    Horned Hunter of the night
    Lend your power unto the spell,
    And work our will by Magick rite!
    By all the power of land and sea,
    By all the might of moon and sun
    I call the Earth to bind my spell.
    Air to speed it well.
    Bright as Fire shall it glow.
    Deep as tide of Water flow.
    Count the elements fourfold,
    In the fifth the spell shall hold.

Samhain Totems: Crane

2011-10-18T22:45:00.000-04:00

The Crane is an ancient and powerful symbol to many cultures. To the Chinese, it is a solar symbol, one of justice. It is also a modern symbol of wildlife conservation (and a deeper spiritual practice, too, of recovering what is becoming extinct within the self). The Crane represents longevity and creation through focus. In Celtic lore, Cranes are often associated with the Underworld and are thought to be heralds of war and death.

Cranes are protective/secretive parents. They lay two eggs, but raise only one, which gives them the connection to focus and undivided attention. They are also associated with perseverance due to the fact that they will stand for hours looking into the water and waiting for the right time to strike at fish. The Crane can help us to concentrate without distractions. They also represent longevity of life span. There is a crane, for instance, on the island Inis Kea who has been there since the beginning of the world, and it will stay there until the world’s end.

The Crane symbolizes “secret knowledge” which is represented by the Ogham script of the Celts. This form of text is said to be based on the shapes of the Crane’s legs as they fly, and one can say that learning the secret knowledge of the Crane is learning to read the “book of nature.” The phrase “Crane Knowledge” indicates the knowledge of the Ogham alphabet, but it also implies an understanding of the world that goes deeper and has connections to many Realms – including past-life knowledge, predicting rain storms, etc.

The Crane bag is the Druid’s medicine bag (in which he carried his Koelbren lots – or carved Ogham staves). The Crane Bag is a symbol of the fetal sac or womb and has connections to the things we carry from one life to another. Certain Gods are said to have carried a Crane Bag. Manannan’s contained his own shirt, a strip from a whale’s back, the King of Scotland’s shears, the King of Lochlain’s helmet, the bones of Assail’s swine and Goibne’s smith-hook.

The Crane is often a guide to the Underworld, whether at the time of death or during an inner journey. These birds are often shown in groups of threes. For instance, three cranes protect entrance to Annwn, three cranes appear on a bull’s back in several drawings, and three cranes guard Midhir’s castle. Furthermore, cranes are said to dance and fly in circles (and are, therefore, said to be the basis of the triskele symbol).

Horse and Hattock

2011-10-18T22:35:00.000-04:00

"Emen hetan and Ab hur, ab hus seem to be calls; as does Horse and hattock, horse and go! Horse and pellatis, ho, ho, ho!"
~Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland

"I haid a little horse, and wold say, "Horse And Hattock, In The Divellis Name!" And than ve vold flie away, quhair ve vold, be ewin as strawes wold fiie wpon an hie-way. We will flie lyk strawes quhan we pleas; wild-strawes and corne-strawes wilbe horses to ws, an ve put thaim betwixt our foot, and say, "Horse And Hattock, In The Divellis name" An quhan any fies thes strawes in a whirlewind, and doe not sanctifie them selues, we may shoot them dead at own pleasour. Any that ar shot be vs, their sowell will goe to Hevin, bot ther bodies remains with ws, and will flie as horsis to ws, als small as strawes. I was in the Downie-hillis, and got meat ther from The Qwein Of Fearrie, mor than I could eat. The Qwein of Fearrie is brawlie clothed in whyt linens, and in whyt and browne cloathes, &c; and The King Of Fearrie is a braw man, weill favoured, and broad faced, Ther wes elf-bullis rowtting and skoylling wp and downe thair, and affrighted me."
~Ancient criminal trials in Scotland: Volumes 2-3 by Robert Pitcairn

There is a piece of Scottish folklore concerning a Laird Duffus who was walking in his fields one day when he heard a series of voices in the wind crying forth "Horse and Hattock!" Curious, he too shouted "Horse and Hattock!" and he was immediately lifted into the air. He flew to a dark room filled with fairies. They danced, sang, ate, and caroused all night until at last Laird Duffus fell asleep. The next morning the Laird found that he had been sleeping in the cellars of the King of France! He was clutching a finely wrought silver cup, which he attempted to return to the French King. The King, however had never seen the cup, and allowed Laird Duffus to keep the cup, saying it must be fairy work. The cup was passed through the family for many generations, and was always known as "the fairy cup".

The "Hattock" in "Horse and Hattock" seems to mean hat or cap, and the phrase itself is similar to saying "Hold on to your hats!"

Variants on the phrase include "Hupp, horse and handcocks!" and "Up hors, up hedik!" In addition to flying on broomsticks, or simply levitating through the air, Horse and Hattock is said to be able to transform ragwort into a fine steed. Indeed, "as rank a witch as ever rode on ragwort" was a common phrase among the Scottish peasantry.

In folklore fairies fly through the air on horses, or by gossamer wing. Horse and Hattock seems to be the standard Scottish enchantment for joining them on their flights, and those that fly with the fey are surely witches.

Forgetting Human, pt 3 (guest post by Robin Artisson)

2011-10-03T18:05:00.001-04:00

Part III:

The Amnesia Ploy and the Game of Power

-The Awful Truth

-Lose your Mind, Regain your Senses

-They Leap for My Soul

-What Her Other Voice Said to Me

-Rediscovering Spirit in the Lost World

-The Master of Spirits and the Magistellus

"There must be some kind of way out of here,"
Said the joker to the thief-
"There's too much confusion;
I can't get no relief…”

“No reason to get excited,"
The thief, he kindly spoke-
"There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke;
But you and I, we've been through that,
And this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late."

-Jimmy Hendrix, “All Along the Watchtower”

The Awful Truth

It is night now, and I was just outside again, under my familiar trees, and a wind blew through, manifesting itself as these wind-persons do. This wind-soul being was a singer, singing of the darkest and richest things that live in the reality of the soul. In my own soul’s experience of it, I felt afraid, a little- the awe-inspiring fear you sometimes get when something or someone of great power and wisdom comes too near you.

The word “awful” actually means precisely that- “awe-full”, or full of awe; the “awful truth” of the wind is the awe-inspiring truth about where our Ancestral ghosts and Gods really are, and where they still dwell. That wind-person went silent and vanished suddenly, and I knew that it was reminding me about why I’m writing the words here, and thanking me for reminding myself and others about what exists within the soul, and in the wind and sky.

The powers that live and exist alongside us want to be known by us. I don’t know why; but I can guess several things. Firstly, they are kin to us, ultimately, as we are all born from the same origin- this mighty and sacred Nature that appears to surround us, but is also within us. Also, our destinies are completely entwined with the sacred beings seen or unseen. Those two reasons are enough; but it also reminds me to say what must be said when we talk about the other-than-human populations of sentient life: they are living their lives, and we are living out ours, all of us in our own Fateful and Fated duration.

We humans are not the “pet projects” of the Gods or spirits; they don’t exist to stop our tragedies or change the things in our world that we don’t like. The Ancients knew this well enough. What we can gain from interaction, from “spectral intercourse” with the unseen, is wisdom, and that is treasure enough- and power enough to seemingly change the things about ourselves and our world that our souls long to change. Some powerful spirits (even ones called “Gods” by our Ancestors) have, at rare times in what we call our “history”, entered directly into the dimension of human life and changed things, tilted the outflowing of our world, gave us gifts, changed the course of human life forever. Why they did it is anyone’s guess, but our history, our bodies, and our minds bear the marks of their ancient passage.

For years, that was what I longed for- conversation with the unseen, with non-human persons and powers. It didn’t take me long to realize that another conversation was blocking me- the ongoing and maniacal dialogue of thought that filled my head, and leaped wildly from one thought to another, one concern to another, one word to another word. My habit of living in my thoughts, and not consciously living in the actual world that my thoughts were only a tiny part of, had become a fungus that grew and overtook my mind and life.

Words and thoughts and concepts came between me and what I wanted and needed so much. I begged the Unseen to not be silent, to not evade me, to reveal itself to me, but now I know that its silence came from only one place- the fact that all my begging was just me begging my own confusion for something it could never give me.

I finally came up with a way around this ominously subtle and pervasive problem- a trick, really, but a sorcerous trick. It was my familiar spirit, granted to me on the windy power of the Master of Spirits, which appears sometimes as a woman, and at other times as an owl, who taught me this technique; and this very tactic ended up being the “straw that broke the back” of this beast. And it had nothing to do with literally “going around” anything, but plunging into the center of something- the center of reality itself. And what is reality? Reality is what is happening to you at this very sensory moment, in all your senses.

You don’t have to gain something special to use this cunning bit of sorcery; you have to lose something- you have to lose, just for a while, your memory of your language.

Most people laugh when I say this- and write it off instantly as impossible. But as I have well learned, it is not impossible, and in fact, it even becomes easy if you stick with the technique, and it becomes easy in a surprisingly short amount of time. There is a reason why it should; the most profound level of your mind is geared for this already.

When you were born, you had no language. In a non-verbal way, you experienced reality directly, in a direct and uncensored sensory manner, while you were a baby and a very young child. This was how you experienced, fully, every day, up until the time your cognitive-linguistic matrix was imprinted into your mind through the absorption of enough experience of others using language, and the encouragement of your first language teachers.

But the deepest layer of you, previous to that, is non-verbal, and certainly non-alphabetic, and fully sensitive to the sensory world precisely as the world exists. The deepest layer of you has no “filter” of words, either spoken or written; it only has pure sensory clarity. This is the true “sorcerous sensorium”- the chamber within your mind and soul where mysteries are unveiled and beheld naked and free of adulteration. It is the psychic sanctum where the unspeakable things (those things which can never be captured with words) are shown and known in a non-conceptual way. It is a forest and a vault of stars within us.

And this “deepest layer” can be drawn to the surface by the technique I have come to call, after all these years, the “Amnesia play”, or, more humorously, the “Amnesia ploy.” Bear in mind that the main “inhibiting factor” of our cultural programming which leads to our habitual spiritual blindness isn’t the spoken word, but the written word and the ghostly abstractions of mind that it creates- however, this technique cuts to the deepest places, before both kinds of language. In a direct way, it takes you back to the origins of your mind.

Lose your Mind, Regain your Senses

Go to an outdoors location where you can really be alone. This can mean your backyard, if you have one, and if you have a reasonable expectation of privacy there, without distractions. Or, it can mean the lonely corner of a park, or just the wilderness in whatever capacity you can reach it. As you develop in your ability to use this technique, you’ll be able to use it anywhere. But start in seclusion, and outdoors.

To utilize this technique, you will need to start with your imagination- the imagination being, after all, the aura cast by the deepest divinely inspired core that glows at our centers, and in the “center” of every iota of flesh or dirt or stone or wood. That same ember radiates, subtle and unseen, from the core of every iota of water or fire, and is fanned bright by the wind from the “bellows of the smith”- Old Quayin himself, the spirit Heth, or the spirit-artificer whose mysterious relationship to human creativity must be spoken of later. That bellows- a device that makes wind- is also the breath in us, and in the world. Shortly put, the divine creativity is not apart from the human creativity. The imagination is not a pool of “made up” delusions or dreams, but a capacity for creation.

You must focus the power of your imagination, your capacity to create new realities, and invoke a scenario in which you can truly immerse yourself in a special kind of fantasy, a very believable fantasy in which you imagine yourself to be the victim of a very powerful amnesia. You have to let yourself slip into the role, suspending your disbelief and letting this imagination come to life. Few of us have a very hard time suspending our disbelief when we get absorbed into a two-hour long movie; we can let movies- even very improbable ones like silly horrors or flashy fantasies- take on a reality in our heads, for the purposes of absorbing ourselves in them and enjoying them; this is far, far easier.

When you find yourself in a good, safe, and secluded outdoors place, sit down (if you can) and close your eyes. Take a steady, calming breath, and prepare yourself to imagine that, when you open your eyes, you are coming out of a coma, or just coming back to consciousness after being unconscious for an indeterminate while. In this imagination exercise, you don’t know who you are, because you have full and total amnesia- you don’t know who you are, where you are, nor do you remember what language you speak. If English is your primary language, then for the duration of this technique, you cannot think in English, nor speak in it. Try to avoid any place that has signs- seeing English words (or spelled out words) will make this difficult.

To make this work, you really have to slip into the role, and accept it fully- really let yourself, for just three or four minutes, really believe it. Go as far into belief as you can.

Now, look around. Just look at your surroundings. Remember- you can’t do anything but look, and hear, and smell, and feel, and touch. If an oak tree is near you, or right in front of you, one of the likely first reactions you’ll have will be to think “oak tree” when you see it- but if you catch yourself doing this (and everyone does it a lot in the beginning, without even meaning to) simply remember that you can’t be thinking “oak tree” because you don’t remember speaking any language, and thus, you can’t think in that language. You’ll have to remember this a few times before your mind finally concedes and “goes along” with the imaginative exercise.

What you are really doing is using force- the subtle and fluid force of imagination- against the calcified and habitual mind of concepts. It seems like it would be impossible, when you just think about doing it, but actually trying to do it proves that it is easier than first thought.

Now, here’s what I discovered in my many attempts at this tactic. I discovered that, once I really slipped into the role of the amnesiac, my senses suddenly became more powerful and vivid- they seemed to reach out and grasp the world in a strong new way, and I seemed to be “seeing” things again for the first time- like the trees, for instance. They seemed “closer” to me somehow, more vivid, different- I was having a “pure seeing” experience, and my eyes were really examining the forms of the trees quite intently, and no words or labels were being automatically generated in my mind to stop the intensity of the exploration. I was fully open to the trees, the sounds, the grasses, the birds I saw- I was filling them all with such an intensity of alertness, a depth of looking and hearing, that I felt tremendous power, tremendous force in it.

And those things- those birds, trees, grasses, sounds- they “came to me” too- my eyes and ears didn’t just “go to them” or “capture them”- they came to me. Each one seemed to be “presenting itself” to my senses, strongly. I saw that this whole process isn’t what we think- it isn’t a “linear” process, in which your senses “go out there” to capture things that passively wait- instead, all things move into one another simultaneously, and intensify themselves within one another.

Why this great simultaneous intensity of knowing all things within all things? Because you are not isolated off from this world- you are fully drenched in it, and fully a part of it. Nothing is simple and linear, but mixed and full and spiraling, circular, whole. I became lost in the tangle of the senses and the world; my whole mind became the green world around me, and I began to experience something even more amazing, which I will write more about in a moment.

Should you ever find yourself in such a situation as this amnesia scenario sets up, truly lost in the world without memory, your senses would rally to try to explore your world immediately, trying to make sense of it, trying to figure out what’s going on, and trying to figure out if there’s any danger here. You would be very curious, without the words to frame that curiosity or scaffold it- you would become a sensory explorer, immediately in tune with the environment in a very profound way. The deep parts of you, the hyper-alert animal senses, the bodily organism in tune with its entire environment, all would emerge fully to guide you through the situation.

You are forced by this technique to really see and experience the world, and not to fall back on “thinking” in a linguistic way about the world. Your internal, analytical dialogue is silenced, and only your senses remain to inform you. As your senses really sharpen and open up, you discover the “piercing gaze” of the Witch- the first taste of the Sorcery of the Senses which I will expand upon more later. That old hagtessa who was feared in the past for her disturbing eyes, her burning gaze, gives us a folkloric manifestation of the sorceress who was able to really see- and she missed nothing. You will discover that when you really look, more than just ordinary sight begins to rise up in you.

And with luck, this is what you will be able to accomplish using this technique. But you will simultaneously be accomplishing much more. Because when you really “see” purely, or hear the birds and wind suddenly very purely, without the conceptual mind to categorize it all away with words for you, something subtle, and then later forceful and dramatic begins to happen- something beyond your new vividness of the senses.

The true core tradition that stands behind all Sorcery is found in the senses and the use of the senses. And this tradition is full of two things in abundance- ironically, it is full of subtlety; ironic that such a sense-bound and tangible Art should also deal with subtlety, but it does. The depths of the senses are the gateway to real subtlety.

And this Art is bound up with paradoxes- the “fair is foul and foul is fair” paradoxes that the Bard himself once gave voice to. Using this technique, you are literally forgetting everything to remember more- to “re-member”, to put the members of another body back together again, the body of the sorcerous clarity of the sense-animal that you are. You are losing your mind, literally; you are losing the conceptual mind, and thereby regaining your senses. Forgetting is remembering; loss is gain.

And now, you are delivered to the core of the sorcery that I’ve woven into these words you’re reading now- because using the written word, the very thing that helps to create a mind that can’t experience sorcerous reality, I have undone the power of the written word. Turning the power of words against themselves, I have used words to show you a way beyond words, written or otherwise. Sorcerous Irony!

They Leap for My Soul

What follows is a private journal entry that I created the day after I had my first very powerful “breakthrough” with the “Amnesia ploy.” I put it here to illustrate a few of the themes that emerged for me, and which can emerge for any who engage the technique thoroughly.

“Sitting there, I felt the presence. Everything was gradually then suddenly filled with a stark, dark, and deep living presence- both as a whole, and in each tree, and even in a stone I carried outside with me. And “my” animals? My two dogs? They were leaping against my legs as usual trying to get up on me, and for the first time, that didn't annoy me or bother me at all- because I knew now what they were leaping for. I saw their souls. I communicated with their souls and the world-presence without words, just at my heart level.

The dogs were leaping at my soul. They don't see the "human". They only saw my soul, and they only show their souls- they have no words, like we do, to come between them and the presence, between them and their souls: what they show, how they act, how they live, that's their souls. We humans, living in our thoughts and not in our senses and souls, we don't sense our souls, and so we experience the dogs as nothing but humans looking down on animals.

But this time, it was different- I realized that what the dogs were delighted to see in me, and what they were trying to get close to, was my soul. They don't have any conception that I am white, brown eyed, a therapist, a father, a son, a centrist, a sorcerer, an animist- none of that. They don't see it; they don't have the power to. They experience me as a soul, a power, a natural power, sprung like they are from this massive presence. They show their souls, freely and honestly- they can't do anything else. These "animals" are the most honest things, these dogs- they can't contrive some abstraction that takes them away from soul.

It filled me with a joy I cannot describe. It wasn't a dog in my hands; it was a presence, a soul, unique and so full in the moment; a little person, happily trying to share its own presence with mine. It WAS a dog, of course, but not a dog as I had habitually seen before, when I didn't see from the soul perspective.

I felt deep; like I had a new depth. Anything I had thought deep before now seemed shallow by comparison. I felt like this depth couldn't move, and didn't die- that if I died at that moment, I'd stay in this presence, both that of my soul, and the presence of everything around me, and the greater presence that seemed to be deepest of all. I just knew that if I died right then, it wouldn't change much at all. Before, I felt a kind of wonder or uncertainty about death; that just faded away. That weird calmness about it has faded a bit, but if I went outside now, and got "back into" this, I think it would return- the feeling caused by this presence is unmistakable.

I feel like I've encountered my soul for the first time today. It's all in the senses, not in thinking. All those abstractions in our heads are a madness in the head: there is no heaven, hell, judgment, salvation, God, devil, none of that. I could feel and "hear" with my heart, as though a communication was just filling me, that the ancient presence I was feeling was all there was, and the other presences (the trees, the animals, other beings) and my own soul, my own presence (which seems to have some ability to "be with" other presences, just by interpenetrating them, "going into" them) was the totality.

These presences- the presences concealed by yet fully a part of sky, earth, trees, animals, and the more mysterious things that had no physical representation, but which I could still sense- these are the Gods and they are the only Gods that have ever been, I am sure of this now. And the greater "wholeness presence"- I don't even know what that is; it feels like the power that I called "Fate" before.

That's it. It was like a great joy, a great peace, a great relief. And it all came from giving that "amnesia ploy" another shot, bolstered by my understanding of how words have stopped us from having a real sensory experience, and stuck us all in our heads, in thoughts and abstractions.

I'm just overwhelmed by it. The abstractions born from written words are not truths. They are traps, confusions, living in emptiness, not touching the world and the presence. Our senses are themselves sorcerous connections between us and everything. "We" aren't even what we think we are; we are souls, and this soul is a deep thing, not really a white man or a therapist, or anything like that. Those ideas are just tumbling around in it, but they don't touch it.

From this day forth, I am not using the written word to do anything but unseat and undo and overcome what the written word has done to everyone. My own writings are going to undergo a rather serious change. I don't even want to write much anymore.

I can’t help but say it- this is the way of things. We're all supposed to be here, and what we've done to lose our sense of our own souls and the presence of what can only be described as the sacred wholeness was misuse written language. I feel like I've rediscovered a part of me the size of the ocean, or bigger- like my soul’s been missing all this time. No more tastes! I feel so... loving towards things, my children, my animals... friends... the trees and grass... Even that rock I was holding, when I saw with full sensory experience, with my soul, was a little being, a person, so unique and living, feeling alive in my hands. There is a love inside me, raging and fighting to escape me, like it won’t be satisfied until it has joined the whole world.”

What Her Other Voice Said to Me

I discovered, in the days that followed, that the Amnesia ploy could be used anytime, anywhere. I could “quickly” use it, almost as if I was just tasting it for a few moments, to gain instant insights into subtle things unseen. Of course, I’ve used the technique for a very long time now, and the “small” uses of it are dependent on the “full” use of it, the sessions I put aside daily and nightly, when I let myself slip into the Presence. The more you do it, the better- there is no reason to try and over-structure this into a ‘schedule’. At any time you find yourself walking outside or even sitting in your own home alone, you can slip right into it.

Using the technique, I was able, for the first time, to directly “talk” to the spirit of my own house. A stone that I had taken with me when I came home from Maine (after living there for 8 months) was suddenly, under the influence of this subtle soul-state, able to reveal its own soul to me, and to appear in my hands as a sentient little being, reaching out to communicate directly to my soul.

Part of what you need to remember when you do this is that I’m not talking about using your senses less, but more- it was by gaining this state while holding the rock in my hands, against my body, and gazing at the rock with my fully utilized eyesight, that I was able to “see” the soul of the rock- outwardly, the rock certainly didn’t change shape, but in another way that I cannot explain (and which no one could explain) I “saw” the soul of the thing- it was like the rock suddenly “intensified” in presence, and seemed to swim with life in my hands. That’s the most I can say.

I am a soul-healer by profession. I’m speaking literally as well as figuratively here- I am a psychotherapist, and I work with many people every day and help induce therapeutic transformations in their lives, in the midst of countless terrible problems. But that term I just used to describe me- “psychotherapist”, literally means “soul healer” in Greek. Today, we take it to mean something more like counselor-clinician. And I am that. But when I gained the power of engaging my soul, and the soul of everything else, I became much more powerful in my “ordinary” profession as well.

Actually, I became dangerous, to put it halfway humorously. I was eager to deepen my engagement with the soul of this world and all the spirits and souls that I could meet, and there are more of these powers in this world than any of us could fathom. I began to realize that this new power could open up new dimensions in my professional therapeutic practice. I knew then how therapy or therapeutic contact could happen without a single word passing between me and my clients- that I could speak soul to soul with them, and create the therapeutic radiance that healed, directly from my soul to theirs.

So, with typical mystical zeal, I went to work and met with a favorite client of mine, someone I already felt pretty comfortable with. In our session that day, while she was talking, I slipped into the “forgetting trance”- and I did it so well that, for a brief moment, her words to me seemed to sound-blur into just noises that I couldn’t understand, but my senses sharpened- I saw details about her skin I hadn’t noticed before, the way bits of her hair waved in the air conditioning inside, and the color of her eyes. And in that depth of extreme focus, it happened- her soul emerged and spoke. It “told” me what it really feared.

The entire time this spectral communication was happening, I was busy behaving to my client just as I ordinarily would- she never saw or felt that I had done, what I had heard or taken from deep inside her. But I told her what her soul said. I didn’t say “Hey, I just talked to your soul and it said such-and-such.” I just told her what I now knew, and she stared wide eyed at me and exclaimed “yes! That’s absolutely right! I wish I could have said it like that myself!”

From that day forward, I always took a bit of time to slide into the soul-level and converse with the deeper aspects of clients, friends, or anyone I was around. Most of the time, I just sat passively learning things that I often decided the person would rather consciously hide. I thought about all the people who are so obsessed with learning to “read minds”, when to be a soul-reader, a soul-talker, is far more powerful.

At my level of attainment, I can boast this: people can lie with their words, but their souls don’t tend to lie. If I am properly prepared, in the subtle state of perception, I can hear words that are concealing lies because the soul of the liar accuses them. However, another sorcerer who has a connection to their soul may be able to mold it into a deceptive aid to their lies- this much is worth mentioning. But the average person running around out there, on the surface of life only? Their souls give them away.

I would like to say a few words about the nature of soul-communication, which I will expand more on in the next section of this treatise. One of the initial stumbling blocks I hit in “soul communication” was the fact that I imagined- wrongly- that the “communication” would happen like a regular conversation, or like words appearing in my head. It doesn’t. If you try to force it to be that, it fails. What a person must do is let go- really let go of the notion that “communication” has to be with words of language, and let the meaning and deep knowledge of what is being exchanged arise in the heart and gut level of the body.

This kind of conversation is so easy, it’s hard- because you want so dearly to take a more active role in the conversation. But it’s easy because all you have to consciously do is stop trying to be a part of the conversation, and let your soul do what it naturally does, and let the other powers communicate directly to your soul as they naturally do. You just let that conceptual mind step aside, confident that the conversation can and will go on without it, and let it happen.

When I started getting “strong” messages, it felt like my body was lighter or heavier suddenly (this is power moving in the soul- it feels bodily sometimes, like tingling in the flesh) or it felt like my face suddenly was tingling or gripped with an intensity- and then, at that moment, I “knew” exactly what I had just been “told”. It didn’t come in words, but in a charge of profound “knowing”. And this was just the beginning- with practice, one realizes that a communication is happening all the time, and not just from “you” to “everything else”- things, beings, persons seen and unseen- are coming to your soul and talking all the time. While most come for reasons that seem either inscrutable or friendly, some don’t come for such good reasons.

On the whole, I must say that we are not surrounded by evil and threats from the unseen world as constantly as some of the panic-mongers in our world say- like Christians, who have, since the beginning, hated the idea of spirits and the unseen world and who demonized them (and it) quickly. The Unseen world is no more dangerous, necessarily, than this world is; and yet, this world is a bit dangerous at times and places, and that remains true in the unseen. And in the same manner that you protect yourself in this world, by letting your intuition guide you away from dangerous-seeming or feeling places, or being careful to only go to familiar places or to explore with care, the same can be said for the unseen. There’s no reason to be needlessly paranoid, except of course, when paranoia is the right response.

Devote a month to what I have written to you here, and you will discover what I discovered. These are keys to an extraordinary experience which works, organically, powerfully, and simply. This is how the soul is found, felt, and how it communicates with everything- even the world-soul itself.

Rediscovering Spirit in the Lost World

With this great door of soul opened, things began to happen rapidly for me. When the soul awakened, the breath awakened- and far from just the rhythmic gasping of life, my breath became a sorcerous power and a bridge to power. The Game of Power had begun for me, a game played out in feelings and in relationships with beings seen and unseen. Now that I was aware of them, they knew it- and began to change in how they interacted with me.

A person who gains access to new ranges of subtle awareness- not any awareness divorced from the physical body and senses, but fully rooted in them, intensified in them, begins to live in the soul, to encounter the living, airy, rushing presence of the soul. This is our reality; this is the treasure so powerfully apparent and with us all the days of our lives- and the thing that nearly all of us don’t directly experience. When you do experience it, a new life really begins; it is a genuine initiation, a “rebirth” from one perspective. Many people have their doubts about it because they can’t believe that such a legendary treasure, and such a key and root of real power, can be so “easy” or so close, or so simple.

This is a consequence of how we have been taught- by the abstraction mongers- to believe that “true” spiritual attainments are always “high” achievements, complex achievements, or difficult achievements. Few people these days, obsessed as we are by illusions of grandiosity, can understand that the best achievement of all is hiding in plain sight, in plain feeling, and is (in reality) very simple. Part of us already knows it- we love to point out how the simplest pleasures are the best, or how easy it would be to have a simple life; we intuitively know that the over-complexities that define our modern world are problematic and filled with anxiety. Deep inside, without knowing how we know, we are aware that simplicity and the truth are hand-in-hand, and we long for it, a simpler, cleaner, easier way of being.

Our obsessions with over-complexity lead us to the final test- the effort to overcome our mental addiction to what “spiritual achievements” must really be like. The conceptual mind that fantasizes about grand ascensions and exploding arrays of color, vision, and complex understandings occurring when a person “makes it” to the truth, must give way to the mind of the senses, and all its peace, simplicity, and calmness- all of the depths that we have longed for, and not the distant “heavens” of hallucinatory abstraction.

And in those simple but profound depths, we begin to meet with, and start to converse with, the Ancestral powers. They begin to make us remember what was lost when the wisdom of the land and the wisdom of the senses was lost.

Many modern Pagans and people calling themselves “witches” have an enormous focus on the notion of the feminine divine. The “Goddess” of Wicca went on to define, for many, the re-emerging hope for a more earthy and sensuous experience of what we call the “spiritual”. The great “Goddess” ideas that so many people worship tend to quickly fall into a trap of near-monotheism, as well as fall into some of the same errors of abstraction and metaphysical complexity that originally destroyed the true old ways. But these “goddess” worshipers are onto something real, without understanding how.

While there is more than one “Goddess” out there, the ideal of the feminine divine, or the physical world (the earth) and the Unseen world being experienced in primarily feminine terms, is based in a very old reality. All that I have been talking about in this treatise is grounded in the feminine. The idea of the sensual body, the bodily senses, the return to a condition of mind which is directly in touch with the tangible world, and the feelings and the soul, all of it is part of a “primary mode” of being which is both ancient, and aligned to the intuitive and feminine aspects of our nature.

The Earth isn’t just a ball of rock; it is, in fact, the body of a Goddess. We would be foolish to assume that this “Earth Mother”, known in every Pagan culture extant, is the only Goddess out there, or just one more manifestation of a supreme feminine force, but that’s another matter.

We are dealing with the mysteries of earth, and flesh, and feelings, and senses, and intuition- all feminine powers. The forces that stole us from these things- the abstracting minds and powers that turned us away from the senses, away from nature, are in fact considered by most occultists to be “masculine” qualities, and the philosophies born of these hallucinations and abstractions are the masculine-centered monotheisms that we all know and loathe so well.

Coming back to the senses and the body is a return to the true and well-hidden (but fundamental) “Goddess spirituality” sought by so many. It may be easier, and more accurate to say “earth spirituality” or “land-based spirituality” or even “sensual spirituality” than to say “Goddess spirituality”.

Of course, for whatever truth there is in this comparison between the masculine and feminine, it is still an over-simplification. The true masculine aspect of nature itself, and of our beings, is not a thing of abstractions and transcendence. Anyone who believes that the masculine is limited to what we now know is a delusion of the mind, is carrying on the delusion in themselves. We have already arrived at the root of the real “masculine mysteries” earlier in this work, but we did it unannounced.

The Master of Spirits and the Magistellus

In ancient Greece, when people died, it was believed that their psyche, their soul, escaped from them as an escaping breath. And this aerial thing, this breathy soul, was like wind, because, as we have seen, it is a kind of wind. And one God among the others had the duty of coming to guide the soul to the Underworld- a God who was himself connected with flight, the winds, and the tricky, inconstant nature of the winds and airs. His name was Hermes, and in myths, he is depicted with winged sandals- winged feet- which gave him the power of aerial flight.

He was the messenger of the Gods; he moved between the world that was seen, the world of men, and the world of the Gods unseen, to do the bidding of his father, Zeus- the God of storms, light from the sky, winds, thunder, and rains. He was the herald of all the Gods, the being who connected the mortal world with the immortal world, and saw that communication happened between them. But he was more than all this, too- Hermes was a sorcerer, a tricky and cunning sorcerer. His deceitful character from the mythologies is not in doubt; but magic? What we today call “Hermetic magic”, which was once a widespread and varied school of sorcery that spread all over the Ancient world, before and after the rise of Christianity, was precisely what its name states: The Magic of Hermes.

Hermes’ connection with wind and breath and the released breath-souls of the dead, and the journey to the Land of the Dead runs parallel to his role as the Logos- the word, the spirit of the word, the messenger, and the creator of magical words. Our descriptive term for an in-depth exploration of the deeper meanings of things- a Hermeneutic explanation- comes from this God’s name. And before this ancient non-human person that Greek history remembers as “Hermes” was all these things, he was the God of boundaries- the boundaries between one kingdom or territory and another- boundaries that were marked by his Herms, which was the name given to phallic stones, or to cairns of stone built to mark boundaries.

It is no surprise that he was the God that crossed all boundaries, as he was also the God who had the power to maintain them. The boundary between the living and the dead was the greatest of boundaries that he could cross- or guide others into crossing.

This being, this powerful sorcerous spirit with connections to the land and the phallic power of nature, and connections to the wind, the gusts of spirit, ghosts, and the Land of the Dead, was identified by Classical writers with the ancient Nordic and Germanic divinity Odin- himself a sorcerer and the chief and Master of sorcerers. Odin’s connection with the Underworld and the oracles of the dead is well known; he was most known, however, for his gift, to mankind, of language- particularly the sorcerous language of the Runes. The word “runa”, from whence “rune” derives, means “secret” or “mystery”- but it has connotations of a whispered mystery, a whispered secret.

Today, we think of the letters of the various “Runic alphabets” as “the runes”, but the true Runes were mysterious utterances, spells, known by Odin, and taught to his followers, who were mostly sorcerers and people desiring power, either magical or political, or desiring victory over enemies. This magical connection between the characters of Hermes and Odin is met in the connection they both have to magical words, and words generally- they are “logos” Gods, word-Gods, givers of language, and thus, in a sense, givers of civilization, to man. Earlier I talked about the dangers of the written word, and discussed the difference between phonetic alphabets, and alphabets that were pictographic. The Runic alphabets are pictographs- each letter refers to some aspect of the world of the senses, like gold, or cow, or ice, or hail. Thus, the Runic script avoided the “abstracting danger” of phonetic alphabets.

Odin is believed to have his origin in an ancient storm god- a grim spirit of storms and winds, who was linked to the dead. His name refers to a “wild fury”, as only the winds and storms can deliver- and as only the inspired soul, the soul “in-spired”, or “filled with windy respiration” can understand or manifest. To be “inspired” sorcerously, or inspired otherwise, is to be “in breathed”, to have the spirit of inspiration fill your soul. Odin’s capricious, tricky, and ominously unpredictable nature is well known to students of his lore; like the winds, he appeared to be not only “wandering everywhere” on the earth, (Odin was the great wanderer who moved all over the earth) but dangerously unpredictable at times.

The wind and the storm gives motion and vitality to the world, in the same way that the soul gives motion and vitality to your body. The spiritual power that I am discussing, the ancient and timeless non-human person who stands behind the ancient cultural iconic figures of Hermes and Odin, was not depicted as phallic and chthonic, or called “Allfather” for no reason! But as we investigate the ways these ancient cultures, in southern and northern Europe, were experiencing the Spirit of winds, words, and ghosts, we start to come to another realization: the breath-giving and guiding Master of Spirits is still among us, still blasting around the world, just as he always was, and always will be.

And in the mysteries of modern Witchcraft, this means everything. Because this important being stands behind Witchcraft in the same way (and for the same reasons) that he stood behind sorcery all over Europe in ancient times. He is the “Witchfather”, the creative and deceitful spirit that inspires not just poetry and song and epic, but spells and sorcery. He is the spirit with mastery over the ghost-roads, the guide of the dead, met at the Crossroads between this world and the next- and of voracious sexual character. As Christian missionaries were certain that Odin was the devil himself, this being falls into that terror-ridden category, too. Leading his “wild hunt” on the storm and through the sky, gathering souls to himself, Odin prefigured the legends of the Devil’s hunt with his hellish hounds.

And whether or not you realize it, you have a daily relationship with this power, immediately, and distantly. This isn’t “just” mythology; this is a truth that is stranger than any fiction. This is reality- the reality that has been hidden under the “myths” that we’ve all been taught to disregard, since the time we disregarded our souls and discarded them, too.

The ancient pact between you and this ancient being of winds is remembered in your breath. This power, this spirit, transcends the cultures that once called him by various names. He was around before those cultures, and is still dwelling in our world, still doing what he always did, chiefly guiding the dead to the depths that they attain upon dying. But to those sorcerously inclined, and those who have rediscovered their souls, he can communicate and interact to their benefit- or their harm.

Because nothing is certain, really, not in this world or the next. This is true for the character of spirits, even the very powerful ones, just as it is true for human beings. Gaze into the character of humans for long, even yourself, and you’ll see the inconstant flow of emotions and opinions that you have, in the past, allowed to change you without warning. You’ll remember the friends or family you might have let down. You probably weren’t trying to be evil or flighty, but it is part of our nature, and the nature of everything. Things change, and with the wind, that reality is even more present. Thus, the “Game of Power” is played out- and the roll of Fate’s dice determines the character and abilities and propensities of every being, seen or unseen, from moment to moment.

The only hope of the wise is to be like the wind, able to stir and fly and flow and change at a moment’s notice, to be like reality, and not try to make stone where there is water, or make earth where there is really air. To say it another way, if you are in touch with the airy and subtle force of your soul, you should be able to become a “Turnskin”- a shape-shifter, like the ancient Gods were known to be.

“Shapeshifting” has many meanings, but here, I mean to alter one’s mind and soul to suit whatever Fateful conditions happen to emerge to you at the moment, so that you can navigate them with ease, as opposed to allowing the change to tear down whatever illusionary solidity you were clinging to. To make an even more straightforward example, you should become “mercurial”- like Mercury, the Roman divine equivalent of Hermes. To be “mercurial”, like Mercury, is to be changeable and transformative.

Now, I will release a bit of information, won by me from the pages of occult history, but also from the Unseen. This bit of information will be greatly expanded upon in another writing I will prepare in the future regarding the Secret Working of the Crossroads; but for now, let me loose a little secret about how the Master of Spirits, our Witchfather, communicates with individuals. Every covenant of sorcerers or Witches in the past was believed to worship the Devil, by our Christian cousins. Cult-centers in the Pagan world were well known to have their own individual Gods or Goddesses, sometimes of a very local character; this is true polytheism, after all.

Now I know, after a long time, that Witches across Europe that were truly in touch with the Master and who truly managed to evolve a conscious relationship with him (and there are countless ways to do this) did in fact have their own “devil”, their own unique “Master” who dwelled with them and aided their sorceries and protected them. Was it “THE” Master? Probably not.

A cursory study of ancient Hermeticism (allow me to recommend the superb study “Hermetic Magic” by Dr. Stephen Flowers) will reveal what other books on the topic of historical polytheology have said- that the Gods of the Pagan world were served by other, lesser daimons. The term “Daimon”, before the Christian church turned it into “demon”, simply meant “divine being”.

Every God or Goddess of national character- the popular Gods of the national mythologies- were not only “Great Daimons” themselves, but also served by beings who were spiritually attached them, merged with them somehow. The Gods and Goddesses had messengers and beings who worked in this world on their behalf- not unlike the many “angels” which surrounded the Hebrew God (the word “angel” comes from Greek, and means “messenger.”)

If you met her, could you tell the difference between Aphrodite, and a daimon who appeared on her behalf, and who had a similar nature to her Queen and Mistress? Probably not. Any daimon, no matter how lacking in power they may be relative to the greater powers, can appear to mortals as a being of incredible majesty and power.

And these daimons who serve the “Great Daimons”, or the Great Spirits who are closest to the greatest and most elemental powers (like the daimons who serve the Lord of the Winds) are one with the will of their masters, fully drawing upon the mysterious Godhead of their Masters. In other words, when the Master of Witches was truly contacted by mortal sorcerers, and appeared, or came among them to teach them or do his bidding, it likely wasn’t him personally, but one of his daimons, one of his servitor spirits- not THE Master, but a “Little Master”- what occult history has called a “Magistellus.”

To gain the attentions of a Magistellus is a great step forward in power and connection for an individual Witch or Sorcerer, or for covenants of the same. To have a reciprocal relationship with a Magistellus of the Master represents one’s living connection to the conscious mind of the Great Spirit-Master that stands behind the Art of operative Sorcery. The Magistelli are teachers, protectors, and they appear to have much of the character and nature of the one they represent.

Using the work of the Crossroads I have personally gained the attentions and friendship of one of the Master’s servitors, who even now remains close to me, guiding me largely in the capacity of a divinatory familiar. His appearance to me- both as a human being, and a stag/deer- and even the meaning of his name, and the occult significance of the sounds that make up his name- show his alignment with the Sphere of Mercury, the Hermetic current, as well as his chthonic nature.

The figures of wild, hairy, goatish/horned/antlered spirits have, since time immemorial, served the Master. They appear all over in folklore and in occult systems; the satyrish spirits, most of them goat-like or shaggy, always a bit dirty, showing their connection to the Saturnian earth itself- the “Seirim” of Hebrew lore, the wild men of the woods of many European legends, the Bodaich-Pucks of the British isles; each appearing like a little Pan, or a little phallic demon, in the image of the traditional “devil” of Christianity. They are the Windy and Chthonic Master’s servitors, just as randy as he, but every bit as “mercurial” and wise as he. They are the daimons of the ancient spirit some Greeks knew as Hermes, and who has become our “devil”, and his servants his “demons”.

Those who work with me in the flesh are under the Sigil of this Magistellus of mine, the “local devil” of our little Witch-cult. This represents, to me, a very majestic achievement of my time as a sorcerer; the work that I used to obtain communion with this being, and the name he gave me, and his sign, which he taught me, are closely guarded secrets of my Art. I can say one more thing about this Magistellus of mine- once, and long ago, he was a human being like us, but through his experiences and efforts, became what he is now.

A request to the Master himself can be delivered by the Little Master, who is always near the human covenant; and if the Master consents, his representative is who “does the dirty work”, if you catch my drift. In folklore, we see the “Devil” riding in his hunt with his faeries, or elves, or spirits, and sometimes his hounds- all representations of his servitor daimons. To be a “hound” of the Hunter is to be more than an astral canine; it is a symbolic way of referring to the servitor spirits of the Huntsman generally.

We know this much about THE Master. Despite his aerial connections- which the early Church knew of well, when they stated, in the bible, that their true “enemies” were the” powers of the air”- he is of supremely chthonic character, merged with the earth itself and the Underworld. He is not just a windy ghost; he is fully merged with the flesh and blood, and with the earth itself. His lurching phallus and connection with the randy goat and the ramping buck is not a mistake.

He is the intelligence behind the furious force of the phallus, wanting to sink deeply into warm, fertile space to increase the massive field of life-force that spreads everywhere. And yet, for all that, for all his goatish jests and black sense of humor and strange, red, almost obscene-seeming personality of Misrule, he has a purely “aerial” form as well, almost angelic and ethereal; he, the Turnskin Lord, can appear any way he likes. Supreme in wisdom and cunning, he never leaves those who go to him for genuine advice wanting for the wisdom they sought. He is the cemetery-lord, the Prince of Elfhame or the Underworld, Prince among the Alfar, the Elves, who are the spirits of the dead. He is obscene and pure, wild and noble or refined- the beginning and end of each of us, in the breath. He can take you flying, if he chooses.

But his ways are ultimately inscrutable to most of us. His concern for human beings is well known- and why? I can only assume it is the breath and soul connection we have to him. Else, I can’t imagine why he and his servitors should spend so much effort on guiding the recently dead- or the sorcerously alive- into the depths and helping them to find their Fateful portions.

Whatever his reasoning, our reaction as humans should be a mixture of caution, awe, and thankfulness to his strange presence. Because despite all I’ve said so far, one thing remains for those who really gain the vistas of the soul, one knowledge that is difficult for many to accept. The spiritual powers that exist, the presences that are living “out there”, and the “Great Presence” which I know as Fate, which is the real origin of us all, spirit or man- these powers are not batting their eyelids in love with mankind. We don’t face a world that prefers us, or loves us more than any other part. This is hard for many to hear, especially thanks to the teachings of Christianity.

Love certainly exists; touch the soul for a moment, and you’ll touch on a great love. You know love between yourself and your beloved friends and family. But every being in this world has its own destiny- and that is true individually as well as collectively. We humans are not the “pet projects” of all the spirits or Gods unseen. They do not exist to pull our arses out of whatever fires we may find ourselves in, or put ourselves in. What help you might gain from them will not come, typically, from some sense of duty they feel towards you as a human, but from what friendship you engender in them from your soul-level effort, or from some interest you might awaken in them by your cunning deeds.

Think here of Odysseus and his relationship with the Goddess Athena herself- she admitted to him in one of her personal visits to him that she saw in him a kindred spirit, a person of such great cunning, that she knew she had to protect him. It was merit that won Odysseus such a blessed relationship with such a powerful non-human person, not some sense of universal love for humanity on her part.

And there is something both awe-inspiring, and awful, about Fate itself. And this ground we walk on? She is not just a nurturing mother who gives us vegetables or fruits to eat; she is also a devouring power, just like Fate. Nature isn’t just kindly; it can kill individuals or entire hosts of humans and animals, with ease. Everything in your experience, seen or unseen, is laced with a certain hint of danger, an uncertainty. Even when I realized that my soul wasn’t vulnerable to “death” as I had once thought, I realized that death was still close at hand, and would swoop down one day- perhaps soon- and thrust me into the depths of soul.

And the “Great Presence” that I felt (described earlier in my journal entry) wasn’t going to stop this from happening- in fact, it had something to do with why it was happening. These powers don’t have our human agendas. They don’t put our particularly human needs or wants first and foremost. This is the final lesson of Fate: in a world of many beings, seen and unseen, the needs and wants of one particular kind of being are never the center stage. The world is never just about you, nor even all of your kind. Even the spirits- and even the Master- have their own road under the influence of Fate. The lesson here? You aren’t as important as you have been taught to think by your anthropocentric world with its anthropocentric religions, sciences, and cultures.

Your real importance comes not from your cultural understandings (which are all aspects of the conceptual mind) but from your soul, and your real place in the great whole of things. We don’t tend to know our true place, but we can discover it. But whether or not we discover it consciously is of smaller value than we think- because come what may, the winds of life and death are going to blow you to your place, move you there, steadily. You might discover that as you “moved” on the winds of life and death, you were always in your “right” place. This is Fate’s promise- and she makes it not just to human souls, but to all souls. She strips away our empty and illusionary hopes, but gives back the real and the immortal.

So go along with what the world is doing. Don’t put yourself in its way, and don’t let fond but false hopes give you the wrong idea about what spiritual beings really are- or what you are. Using the “forgetting trance”, the “Amnesia ploy”, start communing with the Unseen in a more direct, sensory way, if you’re bold enough.

Be ready for the Game of Power that will wake up in you and around you, and take it day by day. Don’t be fearful. If you’re playing it, you’ve already found a soul in you, and win or lose, that’s a good thing to find. Now, you stand to gain relationships of power in the Unseen world that can change you further- carry you beyond just a mortal who knows the soul, to a mortal who flies among the ancient spirits and powers, and gains favors and wisdom from them. Flying- and communication with the unseen, as well as the sorcerous use of senses to affect many transformations- is the discussion we’ll be having in the next section of this treatise.

October Totems: Salmon

2011-10-01T20:32:00.002-04:00

Salmon

The Salmon is the “Oldest Animal” in Welsh mythology and is critical in the search for Mabon. Salmon is a symbol of wisdom, inspiration and rejuvenation.

The Salmon will return to place of its own birth to mate (often with great difficulty) and is, therefore, a reminder that we need to journey back to our own beginnings to find wisdom. The Druid quest is for wisdom and knowledge, leading eventually to the Oldest Animal.

It swims in the well of wisdom (Connla’s Well) at the source of all life, a sacred pool that has 9 hazel trees growing around it. Fionn MacCumhaill received the wisdom of the salmon when he was cooking the fish for someone else. The juice splashed on his hand, and he got the knowledge of the fish when he sucked the burned spot.

October Totems: Hazel

2011-10-01T20:28:00.001-04:00

Hazel

The Hazel is deciduous and grows to the height of a small tree/large shrub – 12-20 feet tall. Hazels are plentiful in copses, oak woods, and hedgerows, and they thrive in damp places near ponds and streams. Their bark is smooth and light brown with lighter brown specks that are the pores of the tree. They have tough, elastic stems and slightly heart-shaped, asymmetrical leaves.

Hazel’s magical associations include fertility, wisdom, marriage, divination, healing, protection, intuition, dowsing wands, individuality, finding the hidden, luck and wishes. Hazel’s atmosphere brings exhilaration and inspiration, and it has been called the ‘Poet’s Tree.’ It has associations with faerie lore and entrance into faerie realms. It is aligned with the element of Air and with the feminine.

Hazel is one of the “Seven Chieftain Trees” of the Celts, and the unnecessary felling of hazel trees brought the death penalty in Ireland.

The Hazel is considered to be the Tree of knowledge for the Celts. Its nuts are ultimate receptacles of wisdom. Hazelnuts were considered the food of the Gods.

Hazel was used in combination with other woods (oak, apple and willow) for various magical purposes, and it has associations with love divinations and love wands (possibly due to the shape of the leaves).

Because it is plentiful near water, Hazel is associated with wells and springs. For example, nine hazels of “poetic art” surrounded Connla’s Well, the destination and home of the first salmon. Magically speaking, silver snakes and silvery fish dart around its roots, which signifies swift energy. Hazel brings speed through the air and water.

In Cornwall, it was used for dowsing (to find water, ley lines, thieves, murderers and treasure). In France, it was used for beating the bounds (to define the boundaries and make sure they didn’t fall into a state of neglect). In Wales, twigs were made into wishing caps.

Hazel’s healing qualities were used to cure fevers, diarrhea, and excessive menstrual flow. The kernels were used for clearing cough and head congestion. The nuts were used in divination rituals, especially concerning love.

Hazel wands or rods bring poetic and magical inspiration. They can also be used as “talking sticks” for order in large group discussions. The Druids also believed they could achieve invisibility from hazel rods fashioned in a certain manner.

Forgetting Human, pt 2 (guest post by Robin Artisson)

2011-09-28T12:26:00.000-04:00

ForgettingHuman:

A Treatiseon Finding the Soul, the Witch-Flight,

And theLanguage of the Spirit-World

Contents

I. Non-EuclideanIntroduction

II: ForgettingHuman: The Wind of the Soul and the Loss of Ancestral Wisdom

III: The AmnesiaPloy and the Game of Power

IV: TheSpirit-Language and the Sorcery of Sense

V: Well of Boneand Pool of Blood: The Real Treasure of the Ancestors

This work is kindly dedicated to Laureleiand Glaux,

To anyone who’s ever dreamed of flying,

And to David Abram, in gratitude.

* * *

Part II.

Forgetting Human: The Wind of the Soul and the Loss ofAncestral Wisdom

-A Great Sorcerer Known to Me

-Tearing Apart the False Gods

-The Deathless Wind

-The Deadly Change

-The High Priests of Hallucinations

-Home Again Where We Always Were

A Great SorcererKnown to Me

Let me start this next part by telling you about mygreatest human teacher. His name is David Abram, and let me start by sayingthat if you've not read his books andif you happen to have twenty extra dollars at this moment, stop reading, go toAmazon.com, and order his two books. The first is called "The Spell of theSensuous", and the second is called "Becoming Animal: An EarthyCosmology." Mr. Abram doesn't know me; he didn't put me up to this tomarket his books. I've only learned from him by reading his words.

But his words have done more for me in 18 years to awakenthe sorcerous power in me and in this world around me, than any other writtenwords. Without his books, I really, really feel like I would be not as deeplyinvolved in sorcerous mysteries as I am now- and trust me, I'm arse deep. I'mdeep in something so amazing, no words can ever encapsulate it- but it was Mr.Abram, along with a few select others, who put the seeds in my mind thatbloomed into a forest of mystery and wonder.

Abram's books are about so many important things to us, Ican't even begin to do it justice; but needless to say, if you are a lover ofthe modern revival of Pagan religion or mysticism, or of sorcery, you willdiscover from his books why we live in a world where the old tales of Gods, ofFaeries, of Elves and Trolls, of Heroes and Monsters, seem so absent ofmeaning, and why this world seems so empty of anything but human intelligences (ifI can call them that) and some animals wandering here and there.

More importantly, Abram, a real sorcerer himself, canplant the seeds of real magic in you that may tear your soul out of your bodyand cast you into the cauldron of initiation- a cauldron that looks, outwardly,a lot like the stand of trees behind your home, or at the local park, and a lotlike the river near you, or that river in your dreams.

I say, with no reservations whatsoever, that Abram's twobooks are the most powerful grimoires of Art that I have ever had the Fatefulprivilege of reading and learning from. So please, take my advice, and letthese books enter you, at the soonestpossible date.

Following the guiding thoughts of Abram, I will begin bytalking briefly about why we can't find our souls, and why most of us livewithout them every day. If you want sorcery, the power to talk to entities thatother people can't see, the power to know the Truth about people and places andto drive away illnesses and wicked other-than-human powers, and speak to thewind itself, you need your soul. Many talk about "working tools"-even me in the past; but the real, most fundamental tool is not a blade or acup, not a book nor a candle, but a soul.

Tearing Apart theFalse Gods

A lot of people tell me that they have gained a lot ofinsight from previous books that I've written. I talk about soul in thosebooks, in many ways. But I wish- like all writers- that I could go back andchange a lot of what I said in my books. I have evolved in my understanding andpractice since those books were written. A lot of what is in them is still justas true as rain or sunset, but a few things, to me, are clumsily worded or tooover-complicated. And that reflects my insight and skill all those years ago.You are a work in progress, just like I am. What I'm going to talk aboutbriefly here (and what people like Abram greatly can expand upon for you) issome of the stuff I wish I had said before.

Let me now proceed to tear apart so many things that somany people believe today, and which they allow to inform their deepestthinking. Souls are real, and we all "have" one, or should I say, wecan all experience something that I am calling "soul"- we can leaveflimsy social constructs like "ownership" or "possession"out of this. And we humans aren't alone in this soul experience; animals,plants, rocks, winds, storms, rivers- they experience something I am calling"soul", too. And they each do it just as intelligently andconsciously as humans sometimes can.

And this "soul" I'm talking about is not an"immaterial" thing; it is not invisible, transcendent, "abovethe world", non-material, beyond conception, none of that crap. Because that kind of thinkingreally is crap; or, to use the term I've become fond of, that kind of thinkingis a hallucination. It is a very oldhallucination that has been with humans for a very long time. And we lean somuch on it- every Christian or Muslim you may know who believes that the bodyis “poor fleshy” material that dies, but the soul is an eternal, timeless,immaterial "thing" that somehow drifts on to a heaven or a reality"apart" from the natural world of stones and rivers and fires, is hallucinating.

These people- our idealists, our “transcendental”thinkers- are living a life of abstractions and ideas in their heads. They arenot using or experiencing the soul, nor are they tapping into immediate reality,the true and real world of soul and experience. They are drifting through thisworld without really experiencing it fundamentally and fully. They are livingin a delusion, a hazy hallucination. They always have been, for thousands ofyears.

The isolation and separation they feel from thisbeautiful and powerful natural world, full of spirits and Gods and souls, andtheir impoverished, maniac desire for a "transcendent" God, who isfar above all these "mortal" things, is the result of ahallucination- ironically, these desires and hallucinations are the true"false gods" that people waste their lives devoting themselves to.

Not one of us is going to die and suddenly "riseabove" the material world, or the senses, nor will any of us plunge into"eternal" torment. The sensual world, what you are experiencing thisvery moment, though possibly dimly, is what is real, what was always real, andthe only thing that will ever be real. And "your" soul is part of it;it was always part of it, and will always be part of it.

The Deathless Wind

Your soul isn't immaterial; it is actually a wind, abreath, an airy-seeming process of power. It infused you from the time of yourdevelopment in the bloody cavern of the sacred womb; it surged into you throughthe open communion of your new mouth when you took your first breath (though itwas there before, too) and it will gently or harshly slip from you when thetime has come to die, to return to the world that it was drawn from in thefirst place.

As I have said before, and will die saying- you didn'tcome "into" this world from somewhere else; you are something thatcame from within the depths of this world, and when you die, you don't leavethis world- you go back into this world in a new way.

You aren't going to be whisked away to a heaven highabove the clouds, though the aerial, breath-like soul may in fact fly the windsof the sky in freedom when you die- just as it does now, and can do now withyour full consciousness, if you are cunning. Your soul is a traveler, like thewinds. It isn't still, quiet, and passive. And here is something else you needto know: the world itself has a breath, a soul. And your soul came into youfrom it, and goes back into it, all the time, in life and in death. Every timeyou breathe in, the world enters you, as breath. And when you breathe out, youpay the toll back.

Your process of respiration is a living, sorcerousconnection between you and not just the sky, winds, and storms, but the breathin the ants or owls or cats that might be in your back yard, along with everyanimal everywhere in the world. And spirits unseen? Yes, your breath and theyare moving in the same massive medium of world-wind- you are connected to them,whether you see it or feel it or not. Your soul and your breath, which arevery, very similar, are already flowing in and out of every other thing thatexists.

The ancient languages tell us all we need to know- theGreek word for soul was "psyche", which means (you guessed it)"breath". It is related to the word "psychein", which means"to breathe" or "to blow". Even among the ancient Hebrews,the word for soul or spirit was "ruach"- which means breath. It wasthe breath that their God "breathed" into Adam and Eve to make themconscious, living humans. Even one Latin word for soul- "anima"-which is where we get the words "animal", "animation", and"animism", comes from the Greek root "anemos", meaning"wind". In ancient India, the term for soul, "atman" (whichis related to our word "atmosphere") means "breath". TheLatin word for "spirit"- spiritus- means "breath".

So how in the hell did we get from a worldwide andancient understanding of the soul as something that was an extreme, tangiblepart of this world, into an understanding of the "soul" as somethingtranscendent, not part of the world, immaterial, or just "mind"?Today, when we say "psyche", we think "mind"- andpsychology, the science or study of the mind, is well known. But the term"psychology" literally means "science or study of thesoul", if you go back to the origins of the words.

Good luck finding many psychologists who think ofthemselves as soul-scientists! Most of them are materialists who think that themind has nothing to do with an old, superstitious term like "soul".They don't think that the mind is a "wind" or a breath or a tangibleentity; to most, mind is believed to be an invisible epiphenomenon of thebrain, which vanishes forever at death- coming from nothing, and going tonothing (as if such a thing could ever be possible). It is true, as true as theroaring of the ocean: when you forget the air, when you forget the soul, you forget the human, the very thing thatendows us with what we fondly call "our humanity".

The Deadly Change

Why are we so ignorant of the wind and soul? How did themost obvious thing get lost? How was such a tangible and ancient connectionwashed away? Abram's explanation, which is incontrovertible, is that writtenlanguage screwed us all out of the magic that was our birthright- and whichstill may be again.

Written language? What? The very thing I'm using now?Yes. And I tried to warn you about it earlier, and I can repeat that warningnow. Why should written language- specifically phonetic language- be such anissue? Start to understand this by recalling that the first human cultures,including those of our own Ancestors, were oral cultures, not alphabetic orwritten-word cultures. They passed their lore and wisdom and culture downthrough the generations via repeated stories, sacred stories, all memorized andpreserved. They lived, as Abrams puts it, in a “storied world”, a world thatwas rendered understandable by stories and words that referred to the thingsand entities of this world and human experience- but the introduction ofwriting created a new possibility, a radical new possibility, of a new sort ofperception.

Our Ancestors lived in the mind of the senses, which is another way of saying they lived intheir souls. They were each fully a part of this sensory world, and fullyutilized those senses we all have, but so few of us really use anymore. Thesensual absorption with places, smells, feelings, emotions, tastes- all thesethings the Ancestors experienced with nothing between them and the experience-were real portals of communion with real powers that are tangible- andstill with us.

The senses are not "flawed, limited" things aswe have been taught to see them by Platonists, and later by Christians whodoubt and look down on the body and sensuality- the senses are, in fact,sorcerous powers that connect us to this world, to one another, and to spirits,and to everything. Used properly, the senses are the gateway to every sorcerouscapacity you could dream of, or which legends have been told about. And thesenses don’t just vanish with death; they deepen,in much the same way they don’t vanish when the body is in deep sleep, butexist on in shadowy or strange dream states.

When a traditional storyteller told his people a story,he said where it happened- and those people knew the place. They had beenthere, lived there, smelled there, seen there, tasted and touched there. Theyknew about the animals in his story, the people in his story. Storytellingmagic is always local, at least in the old days. Even Homer told of places andpeople and things that his listeners understood perfectly well- they knew whatthe salty wind of the Aegean Sea felt like; they all knew what the funeralpyres told of in the Trojan War looked like. There were no"placeless" stories, no purely abstract stories in the ancient bard’srepertoire. We have plenty of those now, though!

The stories of the ancients, told in ancient times, alwayscame to you from the senses of another, from a living body, mind, and voice,and through your senses, directly to the soul. The words of the story are givenlife from what? Breath. And breath andsound and wind was thetransmission-medium that brought it to you. The stories of a people actuallyevolve over time- as a people change, grow wiser, more wary, bolder, or changewhere they live on the land. Stories had souls- were soul, were power.

But what do written words do? Sit on paper, and neverchange. The voiceless story of paper speaks in what appears to be a timelessway from the paper. The ideas you get from the story on paper don't come to youon the wind of soul; they appear, abstractly, in your mind from the invisiblespeaker who may have written it. That speaker never changes; he always says thesame thing. And this creates something that never existed before: an alphabetic, abstract mind or alphabetic intellect.

With the ancient Hebrews, their decision to begin usingwritten, phonetic language caused a disastrous change- the words on paper, in"sacred books", became the new source of Ancestral wisdom, not theLand. Not the living powers of animals and winds and hills and rivers, but abook- and to go to anything but the book was to engage in "idolatry."People didn’t go to the oak tree to listen to its voice; but they read aboutoak trees and think about them in their heads. They began to read about hownature was just a crust created by some greater, more unknowable andtranscendent being, and how nature was just here for man.

Christianity and Judaism and Islam are based on thewritten word. Their religions spread alongside "literacy", just asmonks in Medieval Europe were the only literate persons in most areas, for along time. People must accept the new technology of the written word, and allthe abstractions in the mind it makes possible, before they can accept these religions. They are literally the "People of the Book"- just as theycall themselves.

And where they go, and convert, and teach, the Landitself appears to fall silent, and the wind becomes just empty air, no longer amedium of ghosts and spirits; the Land becomes barren and cut off from peoplewho once went to it for all power and wisdom. This is very much why our HeathenAncestors believed that the land-spirits, the land-wights, fled from Christianchurches and the presence of Christianity.

The Heathens were the peopleof the land- precisely the meaning of the word “heathen”- and they wereoverrun by the people of the book. Thepeople of the book, no longer having access to the mind and soul that candirectly experience Gods, spirits, and Ancestral powers, just scoff at theempty-seeming world that they are trapped into seeing, and state, with haughtyassurance, that the “heathens” were delusional to believe in so many Gods, orto pray to their Ancestors.

Pagans had the written word before Christians or Muslimshad it. And in some places, it had started to destroy even their connectionwith the fundamental and organic truths of life. So long as a language usesletters or symbols that refer to real things in this world, all is safe-ideographic or pictographic writing is safe (like modern Chinese, or ancientEgyptian hieroglyphs!) because the word for "blue" in languages likethat is almost always a depiction of something in the real world that is itselfblue. But phonetic writing is different- only letters, which have no referenceto things in the real world, and only exist as ideas.

English is a great example of a phonetic alphabet- so, gofind me an "A" out there in nature! Or an "L"!"A" is only an idea that links to a sound in your memory and a shape,and if you get enough of these sounds together, they sound like whole words.But neither the letters nor the words "exist" outside our minds, orin some written form.

To have such a technology around- and the ancient Greeks,after a point, got it, as did the ancient Hebrews- is an interruption of millenniaof Ancestral oral culture, and it disrupts more than you can imagine, by makinga dangerous new sort of "mind" possible. I'm not suggesting thatwritten language is itself evil; but what can come of it, of its strangemind-sorcery- can do evil things. We never used it carefully; we were unwise,and it stole our souls, as many magical technologies can if those who wieldthem are not careful.

The High Priestsof Hallucinations

And now you have just a taste of what "reallyhappened"- how the soul, the psyche, went from being a wind, to anabstraction of mind, a concept. Now you have a taste of how and why the"mind of the senses" got covered up by a new kind of mind- the "mind of concepts". You know nowwhy people began to imagine that they were "more" than this body,which they felt abstracted from, more than this "world" which theyfelt "apart from"- written words, a powerful and magical technologywith many dangers, made this possible.

Truly, for us Westerners, the original death-blow wasn’tstruck until Socrates and Plato made it possible. Using the new mind madepossible through the new technology of the written word, Socrates began adeadly new way of thinking and seeing. He wasn't content, when he asked someoneto describe what "virtue" was, or "bravery" was, to hearthem give a real-world example of those things- which is what his audiences alltried to do. He demanded that they tell him what VIRTUE was or what BRAVERYwas- he demanded that they rise above the tangible, lived examples of thosethings and tell him what they "purely" were. All of the examplesgiven of bravery, he reasoned, were not bravery, but isolated manifestations ofsomething that must unify and transcend them all.

I hope you can see how deadly and disastrously unwisethis is- Socrates, like the later Plato, was convinced that "trueknowledge" was not of experiences in this world, but of abstractions;"true knowledge" was about the "pure" ideal of “virtue”that existed out there, on some transcendent plane, and only manifested itselfin this world as examples of virtuous behavior.

To be brave in war was an example (they said) of theideal of true "bravery", the pure concept of immortal"bravery" which existed in some other world, and only"appeared" here in a temporary, unsatisfying way, anytime someone wasbrave. "Genuine knowledge", they said, was about "eternal"things, not temporal things. The "soul"- which he and Plato carefullystole from this world and lifted into a hallucinatory "transcendent"world- was likewise taught to be an "eternal form" beyond the povertyof lived experience, far beyond the land, the rivers, the sky, the cracklingfire in the hearth.

All of this, which sadly is the basis of Western philosophysince their time, and the very thing that gave Christianity its entirephilosophical basis, was based on hallucinations, the many hallucinations ofthe mind of concepts, born in the abstracting force of written language. Noneof it has ever been real. There are no "Platonic forms"- there is no"ideal world" out there, which this world is just a flawed shadow of,and the senses of our bodies are not unreliable, flawed things.

The so-called "philosophers" were wrong. Theywere confused by a new sort of mind that gave them abstract toys to play with,but it was all just mind noise and empty discussion, which divorced people fromthis world of reality. Bravery is precisely what you experience when someone isbrave- and that is all. It doesn't exist in some intangible way"beyond" brave actions. Love is what you feel and experience when youinteract with those you love, or with your own soul and other souls; it doesnot exist beyond that. It doesn't need to exist beyond that, to be an ongoingaspect of our experience, or of nature, which will exist in every situation ofinteraction, ever.

Plato and Socrates said the senses couldn't be trusted,as they were mortal and limited. In truth, our Senses are divine gifts of theGods, and sacred, and can be the only vessels of "truth" that we canhave, or will ever need. We only need to return ourselves gently to the sacredsensual world- the real world- and stop being lured off to the la-la-land ofabstractions posed by these early hallucinating philosophers- men (like Plato)who broke with their traditional religions and cultures, and distancedthemselves from Gods and spirits, calling them "superstitions", anddrifted away from their own Ancestors- and from all the Ancestral wisdom thatwe today thirst for.

Home Again WhereWe Always Were

When we rediscover the world of the senses, and escapethe mind of abstractions, get away from the concepts that trap us, werediscover the soul. The soul has always been here; you've been breathing it inand out all your life, without understanding that you had your treasure, yourpower, with you always. You were probably taught in school that air was"just air", just a simple gas, an invisible but important substancefor us- but nothing sacred. It wasjust what it appeared to be; it was nothing packed with spiritual powers, andcertainly not a really tangible medium connecting you to both the world ofstones and fires and water, and to the spirit world!

Take some time, if you can, to understand what I came tounderstand years ago, even before Abram- that you have been trapped, since yourformal education, in the mind of concepts which was engineered in you by ourschools and our alphabetic culture. Your soul was taught right away from you,without people even meaning to- because the people who taught you, if theybelieved in souls at all, thought that your soul was "apart" fromyour body, and ultimately, that what happened to your body didn't matter,compared to what happened to your "eternal soul". Welcome toalphabetized culture!

Written language, and the sort of mind of abstractions itcauses to us now, is what stands between you and the truth behind the legends,folktales, Gods, myths, and magic of the true ancient times. Literacy andlanguage literally stands between you and the direct experience of your world. Thisis why you can't see those “mythical” things, why you can't go among theFaery-rade (itself a thing that the legends say rode on winds through the sky)and why you can't come to the feet of the Gods or Goddesses. The “mind ofconcepts”, which has many uses today, and which we are forced to live“primarily” in, covers your mind of senses and the soul like a crust, blockingit.

Luckily, it can be cracked and you slip through thathedge, through that crack, and can engage the mind of senses, the soul beneathit- without having to do away with it completely. Thus, you can live in twoworlds at once, the hallucinatory world created by abstraction-mongers, and thereal world of power. You’ll discover there that the beings of myth and legendare as real as the wind you felt on your skin the other day, or the heat of thesun, or the sound of rain. They aren’t just “archetypes” or “visualizations” or“aspects of one mysterious divinity”, nothing like that. They are persons, likewe are. They can be experienced, too, like another human person can be, or ananimal person can be.

Language and abstraction now stands between you and theworld that you're a part of, and now, I'm going to show you a tactic forbeating that little illusion in the mind. Pay attention. You might win a soulout of the deal. After all, we have quite literally, thanks to the mind ofabstract concepts that rules us, "lost our senses"- and more to thepoint, lost our souls. And some of us can feel that, feel the pain of that. We thirst;we want to find what was lost so long ago. And I'm happy to report that we can,if we are strong and clever.

Coming next:

Part III: The Amnesia Ploy and the Game of Power