On day two of my Wicca book, it asked me to look at a set of words and write down what I knew about them, how the non-Wiccan world might view the words, and how I personally felt about the words. That was a simple task, I wrote down exactly as I was asked, and awaited my next assignment. On day three, I was asked to look back on all on what I had jotted down and pick one word that may possibly symbolize then majority of my feelings toward the words... And I have found myself pondering for the last couple days.
I noticed I always started talking about my catholic background and how I always justified hiding my pagan practices with the fact that my family found ways of reprimanding, or looking badly upon, or tabooing the practices. Mostly, it was done to pacify the Christian atmosphere... But I also did so in a way to search for a medium. A means by which I could possibly fuse my beliefs and make them all into one. There had to be a way that the way I was brought up, and this new path I had chosen to go into could coincide.
But why then did my practices lay dormant for almost five years? And three of these five years, why did I run around a church and surround myself with bible studies and Sunday sermons? I believe my word shall be FEAR. I spent three years advancing from 1st communion to confirmation... learning. You know, I almost chose to go to church every Sunday and sing in the choir over this beautiful world I have now dived into. But the words of the bible and harshly misconstrued in this day and age.
"Such 'wisdom' does not come down from up above but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil." (James 3:15) This is what is said of spell casting and speaking in rhyme. Of following moon and sun phases and reading tarot spreads... But how is something "earthly" considered unspiritual and of the devil? Evil exists amongst all of us, but the devil himself does not exist. And most certainly, practices of divination and spell casting are always done in good will, and never by dark forces if done by a true witch. And everything that we do is very much so spiritual, in fact, I have found that people that follow pagan paths, or even those such as Buddhism or Muslim religions, are more in touch with their spiritual selves then any Christian could ever imagine. Ohhhh! But it's ok for them to have earthly beliefs! "For those nations, which you will dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so." (Deuteronomy 18:14) In other words saying, it is okay for those other countries to remain ignorant and worship idols, for they shall soon be conquered, and even killed. Or this could even be seen as, "It's okay for them to do it. its just not ok for you to do it." But that is also not so. That could be misconstrued at meaning one could easily befriend a witch or a spiritualist... but read on.
"These are rebellious people, deceitful children, unwilling to listen to God's instruction." (Isaiah 30:9) The way I see it, I sat around and I listened to as much as I felt necessary. I was very willing. I am in no way of any deceitful mind, although I admit quite a bit rebellious. I take into great consideration God's word. There are some things worth taking in and grasping, such as some the ten commandments per example: thou shalt not commit adultery, not steal, not murder, not lie, thou shall honor thy mother and father... They are all instructions of God... which I dont mind following, so how am I in any way unwilling to follow His law?
I remember at one point when I was a teenager and I used to have my little make shift alter on top of my dresser, it pacified my grandmother to see a picture of the Virgin Mary in the Middle of my altar. To her it was me giving in to her nagging and having her believe I had reverted to the correct religious ways. In my head, I needed a goddess image. In my mind the way I saw it, if God is God, and the Virgin Mary is Jesus's mother, then that very well merits her Goddess position... In most christian religions she isn't even considered a saint! So her picture served as a mother image of the goddess to me.
When I started going to bible school and started learned how "terrible" of a sin it was to be, 1. Bisxual and 2. Of pagan practices, for one I was damned to hell for all eternity according to the Catholic church, and for another, there had to be something I could do about it! And here I thought God was all forgiving and of the sorts. I started changing the way i practiced my rituals once i started bible school. When it came to calling the guardians of the watch towers, I at one point started calling up saints instead, and when it came to spells and magic, I used God and His blessings and still to all harm none. I stopped using rhyme and started praying, visualizing and meditating while staring at candles. I found that my new ways, at least the visualizing and meditating, had a stronger effect on my matters at hand. But apparently, even this Way of doing things, is wrong. "Many will say to me 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out devils in your name, and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I shall tell them to their face, "I never knew you, out of my sight, you and your wicked ways! '" Matthew (7:22) Even if I performed my rituals in the name of God... In the name of Jesus, or in the name of saints or virgins... The sin still stands. I am still practicing a ritual, just like a witch would. I am still performing magic, which is wisdom of "earthly" types, therefore, of the devil.
Even if I were to become some born again Catholic, it would not be enough to be a devout Catholic! "Let no one be found among you... Who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritualist." Deuteronomy (18:10-11) Yes, my dearest witch family, it is a good thing that at this time of great study and contemplation I had no pagan relatives! Can't be one, can't be around one. See how that little quote above could NOT be so easily twisted to one's favor?
I wasn't going to sit in a church and question my views on spirituality for the rest of my life... I viewed it differently before Wicca or paganism had anything to to WITH ME. I always saw things differently... Life and the world around me makes sense away from church...
I mentioned at the beginning of this journal entry that my word for day three will be fear. I've had such a great fear of moving forward in Wicca and the pagan path for so long. Fear of having myself a permanent altar, of practicing my rituals outside ad being seen along with candles and incense burning and being questioned; scared of not practicing the right thing or not reading the appropriate material, of simply doing something wrong! Fear of just being me and going with the flow... and letting things happen. Fear is what will be melting away when I do the exercise tomorrow. I will be letting go of all restraint that I have on my self and be more free about my spiritual and religious ways. I hope that my wishes become so.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Confusing Words
In day 2 of Timothy Roderick's Wicca: A Year and a Day, Roderick asks to look at a set of words and to explore my comfort and understanding of the word, as well as imagining how each word might impact other people who are not involved in the path of Wicca. I was to commit my feelings to this exercise and write them down for tomorrow's exercise.
Wicca: I first came across this word when I was in grade school. And when I first came upon it, I thought of earth magick, shamanism and gypsy magick. At first I used to interchange the word "paganism" with Wicca. Growing up both of these words were taboo to use in a Catholic household. Wicca was immediately accociated with witchcraft and magic. As I got older and became more educated, I learned the beliefs and traditions within Wicca were one of the oldest earth religions/traditions around, even before Christianity.
Witchcraft: To others, witchcraft is magick, hexes, charms, vodoo... I've never been comfortable using this word. One question that always follows after a non-wiccan finding that you are Wiccan is, "Do you practice witchcraft?" and my answer is often ,"no." But what is the true definition of the word? In the sense that an outsider is asking, the answer would be no. But if another witch were to ask the same question, the answer would not be the same. Or would it? Because of how I was brought up, witchcraft=magic=evil, and I've always had a hard time with the word.
Power: The energy someone can put out or bring in during a prayer, charm, spell, ritual, meditation, or visualization. Or simply the strength of someone's aura or person. There is potential power within everything.
For example: some people have a very strong eye (look or gaze), and can accidentally (or on purpose) put out ill will to someone, making them ill. In Mexican lore this is called giving someone the evil eye. This usually happens when older women never had children and really yearn for them, so they sometimes accidentally give the evil eye to an infant. When someone knows they have this "strong gaze" as they call it, its a good idea to not let the adult yearn to hold the infant, the mother should let the adult hold the baby. Because of things such as the evil eye, there are tiger's eye bracelets for infants sold in high volumes in many latin american botanical stores.
Ritual: There is ritual in everything that we do. Some of us have to have a cup of coffee and read the news paper every morning before we do anything else in our day. Perhaps its more indepth then that... you wake up, turn of the coffee maker, take a shower, get dressed, then read the news paper. And it has to be done the same time every time. It's known as "routine", but in itself, it is a ritual. From a religious standing oint, every time a Catholic or a Christian goes to church... it is ONE BIG GIANT RITUAL. They call it mass or worship... but its a ritual. It happens once a week, its repetitive, you praise the lord, repent, and thank him and you leave. Some pagan religions have esbats (moon ritual) and sabbats (pagan holidays or seasonal equinoxes). Anyway, on these days we also like to "worship" and give thanks to our Gods and what not. We also do this in the form of a ritual.
When other people see people who follow the path of Wicca, they might view the word "ritual" as a "magical" type ritual. In other words, if it's a ritual that is being done, we have to be up to some hocus pocus.
Magic: People often assume, that because you follow a certain path, you automatically know of magic. Or that you do it. But what does that even mean!?! Can I pull a rabbit out of a hat and make people dissappear in boxes? Can I can someone in half and put them back together again? I like to see our magic, as more like spiritual energy. When someone of a non-pagan or non -wiccan path ask me if I do magic, I almost always reply with, "When you pray is it magic?" When I walk around my little patio 3 times clockwise to open my circle and welcome the corners and I sit in front of my table, I don't sit there and make demands! I am asking the Gods for a request and I'm also letting the universe know that my intentions are to harm none.
Magic coincides very much with power. The results of the magic you put out depend on how much power you exert in the magic it self, whether in the form of a spell or charm, or during a ritual of some sort altogether.
Occult: Anything to do with the new age or neo-pagan culture.
Pagan: Any non-christian religion. I learned growing up that I could keep the Jehovah Witnesses of my doorstep by telling them my family was pagan and not interested. The Mormons were a little more stubborn, but it worked the JWs. I also learned that when I was going to bible school, my teachers didn't like it when you tried to tell them paganism was older then the bible. Pentagram necklaces made you pagan. If you were pagan you were automatically a witch. If you were a witch you can do magick and you were evil. When I was in high school the goth clique would claim they would worship satan and wore upside down pentagrams... it would piss me off, having already learned quite a bit about Wicca and paganism, and I myself holding the pentagram in high regards. I think to be pagan is to me a spiritual child. To follow Wicca is to have an affinity towards the earth, but to be pagan is a broader spectrum, a more spiritual spectrum, it has no specificity.
Spell: When I was a teenager I was more into the sense of doing everything "right". I had an altar that changed with the seasons, i did everything according to the moon changes, I even at one time performed spells the correct way. In a ritualistic manner and I even spoke in rhyme. But everytime grandmother from dad's side came to visit... she'd tear down my altar, tell my parents i was performing dark magic and worshiping other gods and it was a sin. So I learned to meditate and visualize. I put away my altar eventually. I didn't use any tools past incense and a single candle... In a sense I reverted to prayer and visualization. And I learned that visualizing only makes you concentrate more on the matters at hand, and it makes you really be conscience of your spiritual surrounding, making whatever it is that you are trying to accomplish more efficient in ones effort.
Earth Religion: Any religion that doesnt necessarily worship idols or gods, but instead has a great respect for nature and all of its metaphysical properties and energies. People from the outside very often say, "They worship the ground they walk on." And they say it as merely a joke. We ask to take before we clip even a single rose from a bush. Im basically killing a bud by cutting it off its branch... its life source... why wouldn't I be thankful for the beauty I have been allowed to take with me? I love meditating on the grass when its a lil hot out cause the grass's energies keep me cool... and you gotta thank them for that when you get up and walk away! I just sat my 200 pound self on all these lil strands of grass that kept me cool for the most part, why not thank them? People from earth religions thank the earth for everything that comes from it, which in essence is pretty much everything.
Wicca: I first came across this word when I was in grade school. And when I first came upon it, I thought of earth magick, shamanism and gypsy magick. At first I used to interchange the word "paganism" with Wicca. Growing up both of these words were taboo to use in a Catholic household. Wicca was immediately accociated with witchcraft and magic. As I got older and became more educated, I learned the beliefs and traditions within Wicca were one of the oldest earth religions/traditions around, even before Christianity.
Witchcraft: To others, witchcraft is magick, hexes, charms, vodoo... I've never been comfortable using this word. One question that always follows after a non-wiccan finding that you are Wiccan is, "Do you practice witchcraft?" and my answer is often ,"no." But what is the true definition of the word? In the sense that an outsider is asking, the answer would be no. But if another witch were to ask the same question, the answer would not be the same. Or would it? Because of how I was brought up, witchcraft=magic=evil, and I've always had a hard time with the word.
Power: The energy someone can put out or bring in during a prayer, charm, spell, ritual, meditation, or visualization. Or simply the strength of someone's aura or person. There is potential power within everything.
For example: some people have a very strong eye (look or gaze), and can accidentally (or on purpose) put out ill will to someone, making them ill. In Mexican lore this is called giving someone the evil eye. This usually happens when older women never had children and really yearn for them, so they sometimes accidentally give the evil eye to an infant. When someone knows they have this "strong gaze" as they call it, its a good idea to not let the adult yearn to hold the infant, the mother should let the adult hold the baby. Because of things such as the evil eye, there are tiger's eye bracelets for infants sold in high volumes in many latin american botanical stores.
Ritual: There is ritual in everything that we do. Some of us have to have a cup of coffee and read the news paper every morning before we do anything else in our day. Perhaps its more indepth then that... you wake up, turn of the coffee maker, take a shower, get dressed, then read the news paper. And it has to be done the same time every time. It's known as "routine", but in itself, it is a ritual. From a religious standing oint, every time a Catholic or a Christian goes to church... it is ONE BIG GIANT RITUAL. They call it mass or worship... but its a ritual. It happens once a week, its repetitive, you praise the lord, repent, and thank him and you leave. Some pagan religions have esbats (moon ritual) and sabbats (pagan holidays or seasonal equinoxes). Anyway, on these days we also like to "worship" and give thanks to our Gods and what not. We also do this in the form of a ritual.
When other people see people who follow the path of Wicca, they might view the word "ritual" as a "magical" type ritual. In other words, if it's a ritual that is being done, we have to be up to some hocus pocus.
Magic: People often assume, that because you follow a certain path, you automatically know of magic. Or that you do it. But what does that even mean!?! Can I pull a rabbit out of a hat and make people dissappear in boxes? Can I can someone in half and put them back together again? I like to see our magic, as more like spiritual energy. When someone of a non-pagan or non -wiccan path ask me if I do magic, I almost always reply with, "When you pray is it magic?" When I walk around my little patio 3 times clockwise to open my circle and welcome the corners and I sit in front of my table, I don't sit there and make demands! I am asking the Gods for a request and I'm also letting the universe know that my intentions are to harm none.
Magic coincides very much with power. The results of the magic you put out depend on how much power you exert in the magic it self, whether in the form of a spell or charm, or during a ritual of some sort altogether.
Occult: Anything to do with the new age or neo-pagan culture.
Pagan: Any non-christian religion. I learned growing up that I could keep the Jehovah Witnesses of my doorstep by telling them my family was pagan and not interested. The Mormons were a little more stubborn, but it worked the JWs. I also learned that when I was going to bible school, my teachers didn't like it when you tried to tell them paganism was older then the bible. Pentagram necklaces made you pagan. If you were pagan you were automatically a witch. If you were a witch you can do magick and you were evil. When I was in high school the goth clique would claim they would worship satan and wore upside down pentagrams... it would piss me off, having already learned quite a bit about Wicca and paganism, and I myself holding the pentagram in high regards. I think to be pagan is to me a spiritual child. To follow Wicca is to have an affinity towards the earth, but to be pagan is a broader spectrum, a more spiritual spectrum, it has no specificity.
Spell: When I was a teenager I was more into the sense of doing everything "right". I had an altar that changed with the seasons, i did everything according to the moon changes, I even at one time performed spells the correct way. In a ritualistic manner and I even spoke in rhyme. But everytime grandmother from dad's side came to visit... she'd tear down my altar, tell my parents i was performing dark magic and worshiping other gods and it was a sin. So I learned to meditate and visualize. I put away my altar eventually. I didn't use any tools past incense and a single candle... In a sense I reverted to prayer and visualization. And I learned that visualizing only makes you concentrate more on the matters at hand, and it makes you really be conscience of your spiritual surrounding, making whatever it is that you are trying to accomplish more efficient in ones effort.
Earth Religion: Any religion that doesnt necessarily worship idols or gods, but instead has a great respect for nature and all of its metaphysical properties and energies. People from the outside very often say, "They worship the ground they walk on." And they say it as merely a joke. We ask to take before we clip even a single rose from a bush. Im basically killing a bud by cutting it off its branch... its life source... why wouldn't I be thankful for the beauty I have been allowed to take with me? I love meditating on the grass when its a lil hot out cause the grass's energies keep me cool... and you gotta thank them for that when you get up and walk away! I just sat my 200 pound self on all these lil strands of grass that kept me cool for the most part, why not thank them? People from earth religions thank the earth for everything that comes from it, which in essence is pretty much everything.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Where to start?
For quite some time I have found myself in quiet the dilemma. I didn't know where to begin my learning when it came to my "born again" interests in the pagan path, to be non-specific. And I don't mean to be specific because my interests have been over spirituality over-all! I find something beautiful and compelling about even non-pagan paths.
In my mind, it's like, I was brought up around a catholic environment, but I saw beyond the biblical scriptures. I saw the mysticism behind the incense burning, the bread and the wine… and during Christmas, the four white candles and that ONE purple candle (or was it vice versa)… And aside from the religion there was always grandma… and her wonderful little herb garden. Or in my grandmother's case… 4 lemon trees, 2 lime trees, 2 avocados, a mango, a peach, a prune, tomato gardens I planted myself :), guava trees… then there was aloe vera (savila), chamomile(manzanilla), peppermint(yerba buena), hemp (I never made the connection of it actually being marijuana.. all I knew was grandma was secretive about growin it, and she stuffed those leaves in bottles of alcohol and let them sit, and it was like a tincture. She would rub it on her knees for arthritis, and thats pretty much all it was for.) And OMG it would drive me mad when my grandma would drive me around the town hunting down good looking eucalyptus trees… So I could run out and grab some perfectly green leaves. (-__-) I grew up around two grandmothers who had teas and herbal remedies they swore up and down was a family secret recipe against a certain ailment(its on the internet g-ma!), and boiling pots and the smell of sage in the background. And why is it that I have weird aunts that are always showing off how authentic and big and beautiful their "molcajete" is?!?
"Look hears my room, bathroom, kitchen… oh, and this is my beautifully decorated mortar, which i just crushed some fresh blah blah blah in the other day to make some blah blah blah!"… always… without fail.
As Catholic the most "religious" of all always was the most superstitious… Don't ever go inside a circle of mushrooms cause the evil will take you? wtf? Sound at all familiar to faery rings, though not in a sense evil? Break a mirror you get seven years of bad luck? Don't walk under ladders… Don't wear red on your period… Wear tiger's eye to protect from the evil eye. If a baby is touched by the evil I the mother must crack an egg into a bowl and place 4 toothpicks in the bowl and place the bowl under the crib, in the morning if the sticks and the yolk have arranged themselves to form a perfect EYE, the hex is gone, if not the same thing must be repeated the following nights until the eye appears… to cure a flu with a bad fever… swallow one garlic clove with a teaspoon of olive oil, and drink some chamomile tea, and grandma gave you some special stomach massage, and you were set. And growing up, all these things fascinated me!
So now to the point! Finally right? haha. I for a time wasn't exactly sure in which direction I wanted to take my further advancement in my spiritual path. Quite honestly, there is still a lot more I would like to learn about other religions, but the fact of the matter is… that I'm not looking for religion. I am an earth child, and I am looking to become more attuned to my inner self and the earth around me. Through hiking, geocaching, gardening, and learning more about herbs, crystals, and gems and all their both healing and magical properties.
So I am starting with herbs… with which in time will come the making of oils, incenses, sachets, brews. Since we are in a fairly new apartment, I can practice by learning protective mixes and using them in my home. Ive got Scott Cunningham's The Magical Household, and the Complete Book of Incense, Oils, & Brews to help me along in my learning.
I finally got my Wicca: A Year and a Day! Cause what more to get in tune with your green self then traditional Wicca! I shall set out on a hunt for my 1st 30 days of tools next week!
In my mind, it's like, I was brought up around a catholic environment, but I saw beyond the biblical scriptures. I saw the mysticism behind the incense burning, the bread and the wine… and during Christmas, the four white candles and that ONE purple candle (or was it vice versa)… And aside from the religion there was always grandma… and her wonderful little herb garden. Or in my grandmother's case… 4 lemon trees, 2 lime trees, 2 avocados, a mango, a peach, a prune, tomato gardens I planted myself :), guava trees… then there was aloe vera (savila), chamomile(manzanilla), peppermint(yerba buena), hemp (I never made the connection of it actually being marijuana.. all I knew was grandma was secretive about growin it, and she stuffed those leaves in bottles of alcohol and let them sit, and it was like a tincture. She would rub it on her knees for arthritis, and thats pretty much all it was for.) And OMG it would drive me mad when my grandma would drive me around the town hunting down good looking eucalyptus trees… So I could run out and grab some perfectly green leaves. (-__-) I grew up around two grandmothers who had teas and herbal remedies they swore up and down was a family secret recipe against a certain ailment(its on the internet g-ma!), and boiling pots and the smell of sage in the background. And why is it that I have weird aunts that are always showing off how authentic and big and beautiful their "molcajete" is?!?
"Look hears my room, bathroom, kitchen… oh, and this is my beautifully decorated mortar, which i just crushed some fresh blah blah blah in the other day to make some blah blah blah!"… always… without fail.
As Catholic the most "religious" of all always was the most superstitious… Don't ever go inside a circle of mushrooms cause the evil will take you? wtf? Sound at all familiar to faery rings, though not in a sense evil? Break a mirror you get seven years of bad luck? Don't walk under ladders… Don't wear red on your period… Wear tiger's eye to protect from the evil eye. If a baby is touched by the evil I the mother must crack an egg into a bowl and place 4 toothpicks in the bowl and place the bowl under the crib, in the morning if the sticks and the yolk have arranged themselves to form a perfect EYE, the hex is gone, if not the same thing must be repeated the following nights until the eye appears… to cure a flu with a bad fever… swallow one garlic clove with a teaspoon of olive oil, and drink some chamomile tea, and grandma gave you some special stomach massage, and you were set. And growing up, all these things fascinated me!
So now to the point! Finally right? haha. I for a time wasn't exactly sure in which direction I wanted to take my further advancement in my spiritual path. Quite honestly, there is still a lot more I would like to learn about other religions, but the fact of the matter is… that I'm not looking for religion. I am an earth child, and I am looking to become more attuned to my inner self and the earth around me. Through hiking, geocaching, gardening, and learning more about herbs, crystals, and gems and all their both healing and magical properties.
So I am starting with herbs… with which in time will come the making of oils, incenses, sachets, brews. Since we are in a fairly new apartment, I can practice by learning protective mixes and using them in my home. Ive got Scott Cunningham's The Magical Household, and the Complete Book of Incense, Oils, & Brews to help me along in my learning.
I finally got my Wicca: A Year and a Day! Cause what more to get in tune with your green self then traditional Wicca! I shall set out on a hunt for my 1st 30 days of tools next week!
Friday, September 2, 2011
The Wonders of a Magickal Household :)
I have been in Houston, Texas since July 29, 2011. And what is the significance? One asks as they are reading this. Well the significance being that I moved to Texas with the biggest hopes of finding, or being able to build my own serenity in a sense. My ultimate goal being; practice and learn more about my religion.
One month in... and I got mad at myself the other day because I thought I hadn't done a single thing towards my goal. A month! All starting with my forgetting to put a travel charm on my luggage before the flight... something so simple and quick. FAIL!
Last week my boyfriend turns around and looks at me and says, "Babe you have been aware of your goals subconsciously! You had me driving all over town for a green candle and crazy scents for some 'healing crap' remember?" Oh yeah... I needed my damn green candle! I am very specific! "And you didn't let anyone into the new apartment until you went in by yourself and 'blessed' it." Yes that is true... "You've been looking into herbs that will grow in our patio. You hung a charm outside our door for who knows what..."
The only way I can explain it, is that when magic is a part of your nature, somethings just come to do naturally. Does that make any sense? After years and years of having some things engraved in us, they are second nature. But then there are things that pop out of nowhere sometimes... and it's like, "How the hell did I know to do that?!?"
Instant Purification!
There are a lot of little things that I do that to him are a bit odd. Among them being one thing I did just most recently. I went out side to smoke a cigarette in my patio. It had been a very nice day. Out of nowhere something odd happened, it was just a BAD feeling.. I immediately ran inside the house a took out one myrrh and one cinnamon incense stick... lit them, and started waiving them in my right hand, as if bringing in towards me. I did this to each room and bathroom, and then when I got to the patio, I switched hands, went to the left and changed directions of the waiving. I was waiving away and out all the negative and bad energy from my home... then I left the two incense sticks burning outside on my patio.
Long Distance Healing
Given that I haven't been able to find any reputable occult stores in Houston, I was very limited on what I could do in either of the cases mentioned above. I had a long distance friend who had contacted me and needed my help. To keep details short, she asked for help in the form of a healing charm or spell. I had done one before, though many years before, I remembered most of the ingredients and began my 4-day witch hunt. (HA!) But don't think I waited these four days to direct any energy towards my friend either! Any chance I got, or that she randomly popped into my head, I took a minute to direct my healing energies in her direction. I also had her burn both a blue and purple candle empowered by her with lavender oil... She's into meditating, so I told her to use the flames as a center and focus her thoughts on being healthy and without pain. I also suggested constantly burning myrrh.
Now... when I finally had all of my supplies: 4 white taper candles to represent the 4 directions (placed at the 4 corners of my table), 1 pillar green candle (placed in the middle of my table), sandalwood oil (for white candles) and lavendar oil (for green candle), 4 gems, and Cinnamon Incense (only because this is all I had available. I would have preferred Myrrh and Sage).
I'm only placing 4 gems, and not specifying, because for learning purposes, you should look for stones and gems that pertain to your ailment in particular. And sometimes the stone that would pertain will get to you in the mail, and you feel no energy from it. I bought 10 different gems and picked the 4 that a felt most attuned to me. (Again I don't know if this makes sense... in any case, my choices were lapis, aquamarine, moss agate, and rhodochrosite). Each gem is placed at each corner of the altar (table). (It's a good idea to empower your gems by carrying them with you or holding them for short periods throughout the day, or days before ritual takes place.)
My rituals are always silent, and more meditative then anything. If I have room to move around, such as my living room (I have discovered haha) I can create a bigger circle and prance around the room if I choose. But when its my usual tiny lil patio space, its lotus position on the concrete, centered on the box out line that I call my table. (^_^) Ive got my 4 corners and my center, that's all that anybody really needs. To purify my ritual space I simply light my incense and walk around the perimeter of my little patio slowly, as if I were in a walking meditative state, in a clockwise direction, until I come back around. I like to go all around 3 times, it's a small patio, but since I do no speaking, I feel it really helps get my energy through better. Once I have purified my space I sit down at my altar and consecrate and empower my supplies, which is in this case my candles and my gems. The gems should already be empowered, so they may be placed at the corners (place them where it feels they want to go, I'm not very familiar yet with elemental and astrological correspondences). I began empowering with my East candle, moving clock wise to South, West, North. When empowering the candles it important to visualize the guardians of that specific tower, and asking them to help in delivering the task at hand. Once I get to my green candle, the visualization is PURELY on the task at hand. In my case purely on healing my friend and ridding her of all pain and envisioning her in good health.
Once all my candles have been empowered and placed in there positions in the altar, I take a minute to ground all on my energies, I then start lighting all my candles, starting with my East (top right corner), and moving down clock wise, ending with the green pillar candle. Once all the candles are lit, its time to meditate and focus on where I want all of the energies of this ritual to go. I think of this as a moment of deep envisioning and prayer. I am envisioning my friend becoming better in health and no longer being in pain, but I am also asking the Gods to please help my friend become better, as I am sending my own energies to help her as well. I attain this deep focus/visualization for as long as possible, and once I can no longer keep my focus, I thank the guardians and Gods and Goddesses for aiding me in my ritual, and I start blowing out the candles. I start with my green pillar candle, then my East candle, and move counter-clockwise. To close the circle, using the same incense as before, which should still be burning, I move around my entire patio space 3 times counter-clockwise. I then put away all of my materials and I am done. I felt it only necessary to do the ritual once.
House Blessing
All I had when we moved into out new apartment... was a cinnamon incense stick... That's it. No candles, no herbs, no crystals or gems... NADA. I anointed the cinnamon stick with sandalwood oil and empowered it with positive thoughts and goodwill toward our new home. Such things as no arguing, a steady income, no burglary, no negative energies, only positive thoughts and good business energies... all things of the sort.
I lit the insence in the center of the inside of the house. I take a moment to ground and center my energy and then start moving slowly in a meditative walk along the perimeter of the inside of the entire house in a clockwise direction, keeping all of the positive aspects that I want to come into my new home. Go in and all around every room, closet and restroom. All positive thoughts and energy directed towards the entire household.
Once every room in the house has been covered, I go to every door and window. At every door and window, I first outline the opening clockwise, draw a pentagram in the air in the middle of the opening, and then outline the opening counter clockwise. I did this to ensure no bad energy or spirits try to enter the household.
Everything is done with the incense sticks, pointing them as if they were a wand, per say. Once the perimeter had been purified and the openings had been "secured", my new apartment was finally ready for move in! Now starting at the center of the house again, I move along the perimeter counter clockwise along the entire house. I return to the center, ground, and the circle has been closed.
----------------------------------------------
The last thing my boyfriend told me was, "And you have a wish-list on Amazon with all the new magic books you want. Future reading?" INDEED! I have much to learn still... I cant be pulling shit out of a hat all the time! And Myrrh and green candles sure as hell aren't the answer for everything! Haha.
So after running a few errands today I decided to purchase my new book for the month. The Magical Household by Scott Cunningham & David Harrington. That along with my already lovely collection of occult texts should lead up to some interesting future journal entries! (^_^)
One month in... and I got mad at myself the other day because I thought I hadn't done a single thing towards my goal. A month! All starting with my forgetting to put a travel charm on my luggage before the flight... something so simple and quick. FAIL!
Last week my boyfriend turns around and looks at me and says, "Babe you have been aware of your goals subconsciously! You had me driving all over town for a green candle and crazy scents for some 'healing crap' remember?" Oh yeah... I needed my damn green candle! I am very specific! "And you didn't let anyone into the new apartment until you went in by yourself and 'blessed' it." Yes that is true... "You've been looking into herbs that will grow in our patio. You hung a charm outside our door for who knows what..."
The only way I can explain it, is that when magic is a part of your nature, somethings just come to do naturally. Does that make any sense? After years and years of having some things engraved in us, they are second nature. But then there are things that pop out of nowhere sometimes... and it's like, "How the hell did I know to do that?!?"
Instant Purification!
There are a lot of little things that I do that to him are a bit odd. Among them being one thing I did just most recently. I went out side to smoke a cigarette in my patio. It had been a very nice day. Out of nowhere something odd happened, it was just a BAD feeling.. I immediately ran inside the house a took out one myrrh and one cinnamon incense stick... lit them, and started waiving them in my right hand, as if bringing in towards me. I did this to each room and bathroom, and then when I got to the patio, I switched hands, went to the left and changed directions of the waiving. I was waiving away and out all the negative and bad energy from my home... then I left the two incense sticks burning outside on my patio.
Long Distance Healing
Given that I haven't been able to find any reputable occult stores in Houston, I was very limited on what I could do in either of the cases mentioned above. I had a long distance friend who had contacted me and needed my help. To keep details short, she asked for help in the form of a healing charm or spell. I had done one before, though many years before, I remembered most of the ingredients and began my 4-day witch hunt. (HA!) But don't think I waited these four days to direct any energy towards my friend either! Any chance I got, or that she randomly popped into my head, I took a minute to direct my healing energies in her direction. I also had her burn both a blue and purple candle empowered by her with lavender oil... She's into meditating, so I told her to use the flames as a center and focus her thoughts on being healthy and without pain. I also suggested constantly burning myrrh.
Now... when I finally had all of my supplies: 4 white taper candles to represent the 4 directions (placed at the 4 corners of my table), 1 pillar green candle (placed in the middle of my table), sandalwood oil (for white candles) and lavendar oil (for green candle), 4 gems, and Cinnamon Incense (only because this is all I had available. I would have preferred Myrrh and Sage).
I'm only placing 4 gems, and not specifying, because for learning purposes, you should look for stones and gems that pertain to your ailment in particular. And sometimes the stone that would pertain will get to you in the mail, and you feel no energy from it. I bought 10 different gems and picked the 4 that a felt most attuned to me. (Again I don't know if this makes sense... in any case, my choices were lapis, aquamarine, moss agate, and rhodochrosite). Each gem is placed at each corner of the altar (table). (It's a good idea to empower your gems by carrying them with you or holding them for short periods throughout the day, or days before ritual takes place.)
My rituals are always silent, and more meditative then anything. If I have room to move around, such as my living room (I have discovered haha) I can create a bigger circle and prance around the room if I choose. But when its my usual tiny lil patio space, its lotus position on the concrete, centered on the box out line that I call my table. (^_^) Ive got my 4 corners and my center, that's all that anybody really needs. To purify my ritual space I simply light my incense and walk around the perimeter of my little patio slowly, as if I were in a walking meditative state, in a clockwise direction, until I come back around. I like to go all around 3 times, it's a small patio, but since I do no speaking, I feel it really helps get my energy through better. Once I have purified my space I sit down at my altar and consecrate and empower my supplies, which is in this case my candles and my gems. The gems should already be empowered, so they may be placed at the corners (place them where it feels they want to go, I'm not very familiar yet with elemental and astrological correspondences). I began empowering with my East candle, moving clock wise to South, West, North. When empowering the candles it important to visualize the guardians of that specific tower, and asking them to help in delivering the task at hand. Once I get to my green candle, the visualization is PURELY on the task at hand. In my case purely on healing my friend and ridding her of all pain and envisioning her in good health.
Once all my candles have been empowered and placed in there positions in the altar, I take a minute to ground all on my energies, I then start lighting all my candles, starting with my East (top right corner), and moving down clock wise, ending with the green pillar candle. Once all the candles are lit, its time to meditate and focus on where I want all of the energies of this ritual to go. I think of this as a moment of deep envisioning and prayer. I am envisioning my friend becoming better in health and no longer being in pain, but I am also asking the Gods to please help my friend become better, as I am sending my own energies to help her as well. I attain this deep focus/visualization for as long as possible, and once I can no longer keep my focus, I thank the guardians and Gods and Goddesses for aiding me in my ritual, and I start blowing out the candles. I start with my green pillar candle, then my East candle, and move counter-clockwise. To close the circle, using the same incense as before, which should still be burning, I move around my entire patio space 3 times counter-clockwise. I then put away all of my materials and I am done. I felt it only necessary to do the ritual once.
House Blessing
All I had when we moved into out new apartment... was a cinnamon incense stick... That's it. No candles, no herbs, no crystals or gems... NADA. I anointed the cinnamon stick with sandalwood oil and empowered it with positive thoughts and goodwill toward our new home. Such things as no arguing, a steady income, no burglary, no negative energies, only positive thoughts and good business energies... all things of the sort.
I lit the insence in the center of the inside of the house. I take a moment to ground and center my energy and then start moving slowly in a meditative walk along the perimeter of the inside of the entire house in a clockwise direction, keeping all of the positive aspects that I want to come into my new home. Go in and all around every room, closet and restroom. All positive thoughts and energy directed towards the entire household.
Once every room in the house has been covered, I go to every door and window. At every door and window, I first outline the opening clockwise, draw a pentagram in the air in the middle of the opening, and then outline the opening counter clockwise. I did this to ensure no bad energy or spirits try to enter the household.
Everything is done with the incense sticks, pointing them as if they were a wand, per say. Once the perimeter had been purified and the openings had been "secured", my new apartment was finally ready for move in! Now starting at the center of the house again, I move along the perimeter counter clockwise along the entire house. I return to the center, ground, and the circle has been closed.
----------------------------------------------
The last thing my boyfriend told me was, "And you have a wish-list on Amazon with all the new magic books you want. Future reading?" INDEED! I have much to learn still... I cant be pulling shit out of a hat all the time! And Myrrh and green candles sure as hell aren't the answer for everything! Haha.
So after running a few errands today I decided to purchase my new book for the month. The Magical Household by Scott Cunningham & David Harrington. That along with my already lovely collection of occult texts should lead up to some interesting future journal entries! (^_^)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)