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[kristabella]

From: The seaman's daily assistant : being a short, easy, and plain method of keeping a journal at sea ..., Thomas Haselden. Dublin, 1774.

VK553.H34 1774

[kristabella]

Illusory Protections

Part of a series - go to the masterpost to see them all

An illusory protection works by shifting perception, so that you or a place becomes hidden or appears to be what it is not; or so that people who think of crossing or approaching the boundary become confused, distracted, or befuddled. Illusory protections are close cousins with glamours, which cloaks a person, place, or thing so that it is perceived differently than it otherwise would be. Perhaps the most common way to use illusory protection is through mirrors, which not only tend to return energies (as with aggressive protection), but also functions to make whatever is behind it invisible; the aggressor will only see their own reflection.

Illusory protection benefits:

When dealing with a particularly obsessive or dangerous enemy, the best defense is sometimes to just get off their radar.

Your defensive protections need to do far less work if enemies can’t even find their way to your doorstep.

Illusory protections are particularly powerful against humans, and are very valuable for keeping people away from a certain place.

This is perhaps the best method to guard against unwanted divination from other practitioners.

For the ethically-minded, illusory protection created with mirrors is somewhat aggressive, but will only ever send back what was sent to you; this is a form of justice which is less outright offensive than a purely aggressive ward.

Illusory protection drawbacks:

Illusory protections change what other people feel and perceive. You have the chance of harming your personal relationships if you start layering yourselves with perception-warping magic. It can change how people feel about you.

Spells with too broad an intent may cause all manner of problems for you, such as people getting confused when you speak, not understanding your emails, or chronically misinterpreting your writing. People might start talking about you while you’re in the room, forget to send you invitations or calls, lose your homework or application, run into you in hallways - even get into car crashes with you, because they just didn’t see you. Even more seriously, your food delivery driver might not be able to find your front door. I recommend employing long-term illusory spells gently and slowly until you see how they work for you..

Illusory protection will not stop environmental energies (unless mirroring is employed), making it ill-suited for empaths or others who need space from environmental energies.

Illusory magic is a poor filter. Defensive protections are better employed to create barriers which let some things through, but not others.

Illusory protection is ill-suited against spirits and beings who are Lunar or already well-versed in the ways of illusion.

Where and when to employ illusory protections:

As a supplemental layer of your defensive protections, usually on the outside of it.

When you only want some people to be able to see or perceive an entryway or space for what it truly is.

When the best course of action is for all attention to be off of you.

When you need it to be impossible for someone to successfully, coherently interact with you.

To specifically ward against other practitioners performing divination upon you.

When it suits your sense of protection and wellness to be perceived in a certain manner.

How to employ illusory protections:

Enchant mirrors with smoke, water, or Lunar energy to confuse, distract, or veil - respectively. Hang them up pointing outwards, towards whatever force you want to repel away.

As part of normal aura imprinting or shielding, transform your aura or shield to resemble the energies you want others to perceive. This may be cloaking yourself with the energy of a gray stone, a horrific scary monster, mirrors like a disco ball, or swirling oil-on-water that confuses and distracts.

A jar spell which combines water, oil, and dye to create confusing or enchanting swirls may then be further enchanted to distract and confuse.

Smoke, especially derived from Lunar sigils or protective texts, may be wafted around the area needed to be protected. The more smoke, the better.

Stones or other objects can be decorated with the energies or scenes desired to be perceived, enchanted unto that purpose, and carefully placed around a boundary.

A witch’s ladder tied up with correspondences which cause confusion, distraction, or illusions may be hung over a doorway or threshold.

Special illusions can be tied into certain articles of jewelry or other items to be carried. This technique is greatly enjoyed by business people or those who sometimes have to really put a certain foot forward.

Illusory protection correspondences:

Elemental and physical water, and its esoteric symbols. This includes most waters, especially drawn from a natural source which hypnotizes you with its motion and flow. The direction of water in your path, often west. All semi-opaque stones, especially smoky quartz, moonstone, and obsidian. Stones and plants of a Lunar nature, including willow trees. Plants which cause psychotropic effects, including many plants from the poison path. Cannabis flower, leaves, or extracts are particularly useful in spells of confusion and distraction. Any curious object from nature which fascinates the eye is well-employed as a vessel for illusory magic. Silver in any of its forms works powerfully well in this type of magic. Mirrors of every variety, especially with sigils or symbols added to the non-reflective side. Dazzling, man-made substances, like glittery gel or lava lamps, will also be of service. Symbols which swirl around and lead the eye in a confusing maze or pattern. Animals which protect by trickery and obfuscation, especially by camouflage, such as owls, octopi, cuttlefish, moths and butterflies (and a huge variety of insects), chameleons and geckos, non-venomous snakes, frogs, and lizards (especially consider the liminal, watery power of the toad), hares, squirrels and many other rodents, and fawns. Smoke and feathers work to fill the air with illusions, especially the feathers of a bird which relies on camouflage. The smoke of cannabis in particular, while effective, may be distracting in the completion of the spell itself.

Figurines, amulets, names, or sigils representing gods and spirits whom are A) Lunar, tricksters, hiders, or illusion-makers, B) open to being approached by a person such as yourself, and C) are known to help if asked (or paid). This list includes Hekate, Loki, Hermes, Freya, Selene, and water elementals.

Prior Post: Defensive Protections

Next Post: Neighborly Protections

[kristabella]

Ideas for where to place amulets and sigils for protection.

Doors, door handles, the top of door frames etc. Most effective with guardians and the like.

Hung or tied on gates. Make a warning sign with a sigil or knot magic with ribbons.

Any entrances or exits, including ventilation, drains, holes of any kinds etc.

On window sills. These will catch light - make use of this!

Under lamps and on lampshades.

On shelves and hearths.

In pockets, in wallets, sewn onto clothing. If they are close to you, they will absorb body heat, many in witchcraft charge stones and the like with their own energy, so be wary of this if you have little energy yourself.

On animal collars! As they travel about, they carry protection.

On top of the loo, the sink or tied to the tap or on the shower-head. Be aware that the bathroom is not the cleanest of places and that water can do some damage to things like metals and stones.

Medicine cabinets and cupboards, protecting your medication and food is wise idea, it might be best to avoid strong smells with herbs and spices as this can be absorbed by some food.

The four legs or posts of a bed, I hang charm-bags alternating between sweet smells to help sleep and strong smells to ward things away. Half the battle of warding is feeling secure yourself!

Under your pillow or sewn into a blanket; a blanket or duvet can be a ward itself - as everyone knows, you pull your blanket over yourself as protection as a kid, we use blankets to shield from the cold and the feeling of a blanket weight’s makes you feel secure!

Your computer monitor or laptop, place something on it while it is off.

Bookmarks and bookends can acts as wards, especially in stories that can affect you psychologically  it is a good idea to ensure that scenes and images won’t haunt you in your thoughts and dreams.

[kristabella]

A Perpetual Spell to Increase Positivity & Luck

This spell is very similar to The Banishing Bin, except it’s purpose is to manifest what is desired, instead of banish what is unwanted. 

The manifestation box functions as follows:

write desired wish/outcome/intention on sticky note/paper

draw manifestation sigil over the words

fold up paper and store in manifestation box

burn/rip/recycle them on the waxing crescent or full moon

If you don’t have a manifestation sigil you’re currently working with, you’re welcome to use mine which can be found here.

This is a low spoons spell that is easy to conceal and can be personalized to suit your needs. I’m open about my craft to my family, so I display mine on my favorite altar, but you can just as easily store it in a drawer. You can use anything you like as a box, but I suggest it’s something aesthetically pleasing that you associate manifestation and positivity with. I keep crystals and coins that correspond with luck and happiness inside of mine. You could also decorate both the inside and outside with sigils and magical seals. The possibilities are endless, so make it your own and have fun with it! 

[kristabella]

hey chicken! do you have any tips on crafting a good return to sender spell? this is my first time doing one and i am completely lost

Hello Anon,

A classic remedy is to carve out the bottom end of a taper candle so that the wick is exposed, and then burn this candle upside-down. A suitable holder can be obtained by burying the former top of the candle in a deep dish of salt or dried rice, of course keeping it supervised at all times.

This candle is best dressed with very aggressive Allies, either applied directly to the wax, or gifted to the spirit of the spell and placed around the candle.

In a "return to sender" spell we might consider allies of a deeply protective and aggressive nature, the sort of powers that drive away the enemy unto the ends of the earth.

These powers might beneficially include rust, perhaps suspended in water for easy application, or rusty nails or sharp metal things arranged near the candle; basil; cloves; any variety of hot pepper (***best arranged near the candle; burning them can trigger asthma or other problems***); hematite; red stones; associates of Mars (the planet, or the god, whichever you feel best calling in times of need).

All allies, including the flame of the candle itself, should be spoken to in a flattering and courteous manner. Each of them should be asked to apply its specific talents to chase the unwanted spell away, hounding it until it returns to whomever sent it, or if that person cannot be found, to chase it so far away that it can never return.

As a matter of targeting, especially go to lengths to describe why you think there is a spell against you or your client, any symptoms you suspect are related, and other relevant details that can pinpoint the spell.

Light the candle and burn it down.

Prayers of protection against evil are especially well-employed.

In cases of serious concern, multiple spells may be cast:

A general reversal or clearing-away of all opposing forces,

A specific reversal (as described above) of the worrisome spell,

A general protection against all ill-influence or poor conditions,

A specific protection against the effects of the worrisome spell and witches in particular

In cases where candle-burning is not possible, consider the symbolism of a candle burned "backwards," and how such symbolism could be applied to other physical components.

A witch hard-pressed for representations of reversal may have to settle for a spell to be bound, destroyed, frozen, or otherwise rendered harmless. Consider the utility of tying up a spell into a braid or a knot, trapping it within; the threads then buried, thrown away, dissolved in corrosive chemicals, etc.

I never recommend spells which are done only mentally, and I double never recommend them in cases where you fear enemy action. So: select some physical thing to be the "body" of your spell, and deal with it physically; in doing this, you exact powerful change.

Prayers to benevolent and protective powers, or at the very least powers who favor witches, are well served at this time.

General offerings of kinship to the spirits of the house and the land are recommended in all cases of potential enemy action.

All home wards and protective amulets are best fed, or created if they don't exist.

If effects of the unwanted spell appear to linger, no need to discount your reversal efforts, but you still may need to perform magical healing and uncrossing to soothe the roiled waters.

Perform divination as desired to help build spells and determine their outcome, but at all turns avoid paranoia that may advise great harm is upon you and your own actions are in vain. From time to time, divination does more harm than good.

[kristabella]

Maybe this is a dumb baby question but, How do you know if a spell works? I’m investigating different practices and all the spells are like… focus, luck, etc, like things that are supposed to either influence my interior state or encourage certain events to occur. But I can’t help but think that if magic was “real” it could do things that are obvious or immediately observable. Have you ever done anything you think was undeniably magic? How did you know?

Not a dumb baby question.

It works if it works! And you can test this.

Broadly speaking we can divide all practical sorcery into two categories: verifiable and unverifiable.

It's really hard to know if an unverifiable spell works. E.g., a spell for focus could often be explainable by the placebo effect. (Or, this lovely Guardian Animal Shielding exercise, which is a fun and relaxing thing to do).

But a verifiable spell is something that you should be able to test and see if your magic did or didn't work.

A good way to find sources of verifiable magic in your life is to observe relatively stable patterns in your own life which have been going on for months, and then cast a spell to directly change it.

An example might be always getting a bad parking spot at work - and then trying to get a very good parking spot.

Either you get to work and have a great place to park even though the whole lot is normally full, or you don't. The spell worked, or it didn't.

Yes, I've worked magic that is obvious and immediately observable. I've worked so much of it and some of it is so miraculous that I don't talk about it publicly because practitioners have a lot of hangups about what kind of magic they think is allowed to exist.

But more importantly I think that while wanting magic to be real, and sorcery to work, are very valid, just chasing that realness alone is probably going to lead you to a path of misery. Here are some of my thoughts on this: On witchcraft as spirituality

Here are some random stories:

At one time there were many arguments in the household due to home renovations (stressful!). I cast a spell to cause one person in the household to be more mindful of the situation. I cast the spell and stepped outside of my practice space. That person was, surprisingly, in the yard and started asking me questions about the exact issue I had just cast on. We ended up having a very long conversation and after that the arguments stopped.

Some years ago the neighbor was causing horrible ruckus and giving my partner awful anxiety, as he could clearly hear it through the old, thin window. I found a bit of thread and "tied up" the neighbor's loud sounds into a knot, and weighted it down with a rock on the windowsill. At this time I wasn't living with my partner, so I came back some weeks later to see the knot. I thought I'd get rid of it, but when I moved the rock my partner stopped me.

"You know what's strange? After you put that there, the neighbor stopped being loud."

I looked at the disrupted rock, which was to "weigh down" the spell, and immediately the neighbor started yelling. I put the rock back, and about 30 minutes later he piped down again and stayed quiet.

Years later, after many calls to the police from many people in the neighborhood with no traction at all, I used the Justice tarot card in a spell and that neighbor was permanently removed from the home within a couple of weeks.

At one time, I was trying to do a distance energy reading for someone. But something was wrong; I couldn't see clearly. In fact it looked like they were consumed by a black void... then presently a lighter blue color was around the blackness, then white, then dark blue. It was no energy I was familiar with and I double-checked with the person that they had no magical protections to stop me from Seeing them.

"Oh, the only ward I didn't take down was my nazar." 🧿🧿🧿🧿

I have Very Silly Tendons, and in the morning I usually have a painful limp for several minutes until my foot stretches out. That is, of course, unless I remember to do a very simple energy exercise the night before. Then my foot is as loose and supple as a bowl of buttered noodles.

Once, I cast a spell using the planetary energies of Mercury in order to secure a good deal on a used van. I put in very specific requirements, and asked that if I tried to buy a van that didn't meet these requirements, that the elementals would stop me and not let the deal go through. Immediately after I cast the spell I found a van which was disqualified from the list, but I reallllly wanted it. I contacted the Craiglist seller, who didn't respond for a couple of days, but the listing stayed up.

The next morning my friend contacts me. She says she had a dream that yellow tornadoes came and told her to give me a message; that I was making a mistake.

Well if you know Mercury, then you know yellow airy energies are really his thing.

I immediately set up the spell again, retracted my requests, and apologized for going against what I said I wanted.

The seller contacted me within the hour, and I got the van.

[kristabella]

Learn to Start Reading Lenormand in Literally 5 Minutes

What, how, why, who, where, when… Lenormand can answer any kind of question you can think of.

But it does so very matter-of-factly. When you want a short and sweet response, that is great. But when you need elaboration, tarot offers more weight.

I perform a Lenormand grand tableau every year. But the rest of the time, I do a simple a three-card spread. Just read the cards like a sentence. Weave their meanings like thread.

“WHAT can I look forward to this week?”

Meanings: Cross = Problem, Scythe = Sudden, Coffin = Ending

Answer: You can look forward to a problem coming to a sudden end.

“HOW does she feel about me?”

Meanings: Anima = Woman, Ship = Yearning, Heart = Love

Answer: She is yearning for your love.

“WHY do I feel sad?”

Meanings: Child = New beginning, Ring = Promise, Mountain = Delay

Answer: You feel sad because the new beginning promised to you is delayed.

“WHO can help me achieve my dream?”

Meanings: House = People close to you, Dog = Friend, Key = Key

Answer: Your closest friend is the key to achieving your dream.

“WHERE did I leave my phone?”

Meanings: Coffin = Box-like container, Bear = Mother, Tower = Building

Answer: You left your phone inside a drawer in your mom’s apartment.

“WHEN will I meet my soulmate?”

Meanings: Lily = Winter, Snake = February, Rider = First card in Lenormand

Answer: You will meet your soulmate this winter, on the first day or in the first week of February.

[kristabella]

Thought Forms/Psychic Projections

Nonphysical entities that exist in the mental or astral plane and are created purely from thought. Every thought generates vibrations in the aura’s mental body, which assumes a floating form and colors depending on the nature and intensity of the thought. These thought-forms are usually seen by clairvoyants and may be intuitively sensed by others.

Theosophists and clairvoyants place thought-forms in three classifications: the image of the thinker; an image of material object associated with the thought; and an independent image expressing the inherent qualities of the thought. Thoughts of a low nature, such as anger, hate, lust and greed create thought-forms that are dense in color and form. Thoughts of a more spiritual nature generate forms possessing a greater purity, clarity and refinement.

Thought-forms can be directed towards anyone, but to be effective they must latch onto similar vibration form the other person’s aura. If they are unable to do so, they can boomerang back to the sender. Thus, one who directs evil toward another runs the risk of having it return.

Acording to Judy Hall, thought forms account for a high proportion of apparent spirit attachment. When people focus strongly upon something or have powerfully negative thoughts, they create a thought form. In addition to being the product of your own mind, thought forms can arise from other people’s perception or expectations, or from religious or other authoritarian dictates, and may also arise from books or films – many authors will tell you how their characters develop a life of their own and step off the page. Thought forms either lodge themselves in the mental part of the biomagnetic sheath, an internal thought form, or, as external thought forms, inhabit the lower astral realms - a place very close to the earth plane where most spirits first pass after death of the body.

External thought forms appear to have separate and distinct life and energy - and may interfere in the lives of human beings, typically by masquerading as a ‘guide’ who spouts rubbish rather than sound guidance or a figure who appears during meditation or quiet moments. Internal thought forms are usually experienced as a derogatory inner voice or obsessive thought.

How to recognize a thought form

It may resemble you but it doesn’t feel like you or have anything to do with what you really want or who you are inside.

It looks, talks or behaves exactly like a character from a film or book, especially a horror story.

It has very little substance to it, seeming more like a caricature

It gives you negative messages such as ‘that’s a bad thing to do’, ‘you’re not good enough’, ‘it’s all your fault’, ‘you’ll never be/get what you want’, ‘you don’t deserve’, ‘you’re too clever for your own good’.

The guidance it gives is inappropriate and fallible.

Dealing with thought forms

To remove an external thought form, programme a large piece of one of the crystals below and leave in a room to do its work. Internal thought forms can be quickly dissolved with a crystal placed over the third eye as they tend to be stored in the brow chakra or just behind the ears. Use a Selenite Wand to detach them or place one of the following crystals over the chakra for ten minutes. Banded Agate is excellent where the thought form has been implanted by a guru or is the result of a distorted, contaminated implant of ‘healing’ symbols – follow up with a Brandenberg Amethyst to replace it with a pure program. Aegerine over the third eye is excellent for mental obsession or possession where you can’t get someone out of your mind.

General crystals for dissolving thought forms:  Labradorite, Aegerine, Iolite, Clear Kunzite, Smoky Amethyst, Blue Selenite, Herkimer Diamond, Smoky Citrine, Brown Jasper, Citrine Herkimer, Pyrolusite. Celestobarite

Crystals for undue mental influence/attachments: Smoky Amethyst, Blue Halite, Yellow Phantom Quartz, Limonite, Pyrolusite, Aegerine

Crystals for entity attachment to the third eye: Larimar, Smoky Amethyst, Shattuckite, Pyroluscite, Smoky Phantom, Brandenberg Amethyst, Celestobarite, Laser Quartz, Petalite

Crystals for entities attached to places: Marcasite, Smoky Amethyst, Larimar

——————————————————————-

In Siren’s Experience:

If created from positive thoughts and feelings, thought forms can also be good company. I have a thought from that I sincerely view as a friend, a friend that has helped me through a lot of tough experiences in the past. It’s really up to you to determine whether your particular thought form is worth keeping or warding off. 

The guidance it gives is appropriate.

It is original in its design.

It is seen with clarity.

It gives you positive messages.

It feels “right”.

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[kristabella]

Light & Dark: How Do You Find Balance?

Are you a good witch or a bad witch?“ Glenda, the "good” witch of the North, asks Dorothy. Over the years I have had non-Wiccan friends ask me that same question, although not quite as direct as Glenda. But with the power to awaken sleepers from a field of poison poppies, I suppose she doesn’t need to beat around the bush. I have encountered people who have asked roundabout questions, mostly to reassure themselves, like, “I know you’re not a black witch, you only do good right?” So often I am tempted to play into their fears with a response like, “Oh yes, I am a good witch unless you make me angry, then lookout!” I do however restrain myself, because if my response increases their fear, I could be violating our “Harm None” rule. My response to that type of question is that I use both the powers of light and darkness in my life to achieve positive outcomes. This answer always leads to more questions, or at least a puzzled look. The puzzled look is my favorite response, which is just the devil in me (pardon the fictional reference), although I do try to thoroughly explain my answer. Non-Wiccans and novice Wiccans often have difficulty with the concepts that state: dark forces are not evil forces, and, that to live in a truly balanced way, one must incorporate the forces of both light and dark into their life. This usually requires a shift in the perception away from concrete black and white thinking to one that requires a blending of the two. But this shift is critical if one wishes to live in accordance with the philosophy that we are all truly on paths to oneness with Divinity". The view of opposing paths and warring forces of good and evil must be shed. Such a perception is based in fear, and fear will never lead us to oneness.

Our society loves dichotomy. “Black or white, good or evil, beautiful or ugly,” are just some examples of the thinking of a dichotomous world. Even though Wiccans also view much of life as a dichotomy, the difference lies within the perception of what one is viewing. We can look at Divinity and break it down into a God and Goddess; however, we know that these two aspects of the divine form a whole, complete, and perfect union. Just as the light and dark aspects in the human psyche form the complete person. Unfortunately, there are many in the world who can only see dichotomy as two opposing forces in a constant state of war with one another. For them there is no stepping back to view the larger picture; mere are only opposites struggling for supreme dominance.

The question of whether dark forces are evil is answered within the definitions of the two. I define evil as an aberrant thought or action that willfully and maliciously inflicts harm and causes suffering. “Evil” thoughts and actions are: human in origin, involve conscious thought(s), always have the intent to inflict harm, have no regard for the sacredness of life, and are always born from fear. Dark powers, on the other hand have hand, have absolutely nothing to do with harmful acts performed by humans. They exist naturally in conjunction with the forces of light to form a unified whole. The power available to us, whether it is light or dark, is completely neutral. How one uses that power determines if it is intentionally harmful, and therefore evil.

For one to embrace both the light and the darkness, and thereby live a balanced life, one must know both. The energies associated with the light are those of creation, growth, and healing. They are active powers that add force to will. The powers of light are revealed in the Goddess of fertility and birth and the young God of the woodlands and animals. Creation is the loving extension of oneself to form something beyond our definition of self. Utilizing the divine light of the Source, energy is combined and fashioned to produce something new and unique. This same divine energy can be used to heal, revitalize, and empower that which is in need.

The knowledge that comes from the light is readily available for those who truly wish to seek it. The desire to learn, combined with keen observation skills, contemplation, and an open heart, are the keys to accessing this information. Take a walk in the woods; look, listen, feel, and learn from our greatest teacher — nature.

The powers of darkness include the need for rest and rejuvenation, facing and banishing one’s fears, and searching for knowledge that is hidden by the black veil. It can mean treading on unknown ground in order to find and face your fears, or in the acquisition of occult knowledge. It is allying oneself with the dark powers of the Crone and the Sage; the power to go within for answers and to obtain knowledge of death and the afterlife. There is nothing “evil” to be found here. There is no evil in the night, or within the restful solace of winter, or in the darkness of the new moon. Dark power is half of a whole, to be utilized in proper proportion with the light to form a complete unit.

All life requires rest, be it a good night’s sleep, a long winter’s hibernation, or the rest that physical death brings to the spirit. Without the balance of this stage in life, we would surely burn our precious energy in the blink of an eye. Rest is the dark power that balances activity. It is a natural law, and therefore a reflection of divine law. There is nothing to fear during this rejuvenation stage. I personally embrace this concept and celebrate it every chance I get on the weekends by taking a long Saturday afternoon nap.

Facing and banishing one’s fears is most likely a lifetime pursuit. Most of our real fears lurk in the depths of our subconscious mind. The ones that we can name off the top of our heads are mere surface fears. Bravery and conviction are required simply to look for these elusive subconscious creatures. Not only are they hidden from conscious thought, they are excellent at masquerading themselves as noble attributes and sensible rationalizations. Banishment of one’s fears is an excellent example of the use of dark power for a positive outcome. Don’t be too hard on yourself if it takes time; if you banish your fears quickly, you most likely have just fooled yourself.

The search for knowledge in the darkness is a meditative practice. When we still the chatter of our own ego, we have the ability to hear messages from our higher spirit, our guides, the deities, the God and Goddess, and the infinite Divine Source Itself. A ritual meditation on the night of the new moon, where we call upon the power and assistance of the Crone and Sage, can give us a wealth of information.

Standing in the twilight is a state where we see both the light and darkness; embracing both, but consumed with neither. It is being in a place where you can see the value of the light, the darkness, and the unification of the two forces. There is beauty in the light blue sky of a summer’s day. There is beauty in the star-filled heavens of the night. But the most spectacular beauty of all comes at dawn and dusk, when the forces of light and dark blend together to create a masterpiece of divine proportions.

As Wiccans, we have one foot in each of many worlds: the light and the dark, the physical and the spiritual, the conscious and subconscious, the mundane and the magical. It is a lifetime balancing act, but one well worth the effort. To live a life between light and darkness is to live in balance with yourself and the world around you. There is no need to merely survive from crisis to crisis, the ultra¬high to desperate low. There is no need to cast judgments born of fear, which proclaims one thing good and the other bad. We embrace the beauty and value of the whole and the individual components from which it is made.

Dark powers, as well as light, should always be used for positive outcomes and with harm to no one, including yourself. When using these natural powers in your life, always make sure your intentions are a projection of love, and not an act of fear. When you stand in the twilight with a clear view and a loving heart, the world around you shall blossom with endless visions. The black and white boundaries you thought existed will fade to shades of gray, and judgments you once held as irrevocable truth will dissolve into obscurity. It is a place of wisdom and peace, where you see that all that surrounds you is actually part of you.

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[kristabella]

Prayer of Thanks to Njørð

[[written by a member of the Godsring and shared with permission]]

O Guiding God of Wind and Sea, of Work and Travel, of the Web that holds the World together. We offer You our deepest Thanks, and pray that You accept our Offerings, in the Spirit in which they are meant.

We thank You for guiding the Gods into a new Era of Peace. We thank You for guiding our Ancestors on countless Ocean Journeys. We thank You for providing the People with the Bounty of the Seas. We thank You for providing us with an Example of Steadfastness and Hard Work.

Hail Njørð, King of the Wanes!

[kristabella]

THE TRANSCENDENCE OF FORM There is One Boundless, Immutable Reality…One Absolute Being…One Creative Principle. It is All That Is. There is nothing more and nothing less. It is Beginning without time or space. Each moment, each point (each quanta) is total and complete. All of Creation is the Absolute manifesting in various forms, densities and dimensions. The vast universes are the body of this Absolute Being…evolution is its method. All things are within It…It is within and conditions all things. Nothing is separate…all life is connected in this Oneness. You and I share this Supreme Identity…We are each identical with it. In essence we are one.

[kristabella]

Calming Milk Potion

This is a potion that when drank, totally calms you and puts you in a peaceful and relaxing mood. Best used when fired up over a frusterating situation.

You will need the following items for this potion:

Milk (skim, 1%, 2%, whole, lactose free… Any will work) 

Brown sugar 

Honey (or banana) 

White sugar 

A pot 

A stove 

A wooden spoon 

A cup for afterwards

Set the pot on the stove and fill it with 1 & ½ cups of milk (you can use more or less, you’d just have to equal out the ingredients). Turn the stove on low, and let the milk start to just slightly bubble a little bit.

 Then you poor 1/3 of a cup of brown sugar into the pot and stir for about 15 seconds, Now pour ¼ cup of white sugar in and stir for another 15 seconds. Then you pour in some honey (however much you want or think you need)or if you don’t have honey, you can substitute for 1/3 of a banana (If you use the banana, make sure it’s mushed up and stirable, but still just a little chunky).

Let it sit for about a minute and then turn the stove off and let the potion cool. After it’s a little cooled off but still warm, pour it in a cup and say this spell before drinking:

 ’’Calm me down, safe and sound Bring me peace, so my mind’s at ease As I say so Mote it Be.“ 

Before taking a sip, be sure to thank the God and the Goddess. After you swallow, imagine pure peace flowing through your body. 

[kristabella]

Franz Aepinus – Scientist of the Day

Franz Ulrich Theodor Aepinus, a German/ Russian mathematician and experimental natural philosopher, was born Dec. 12, 1724, in Rostock, on the eastern Baltic coast of Prussia (where Tycho Brahe much earlier had lost part of his nose in a duel).  

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[kristabella]

Talisman of Saturn, from Folger Shakespeare Library MS V.b.26 (The Book of Oberon), c. 1577-1583.

[kristabella]

The Dard [French folklore]

Supernatural monsters that suck the milk out of cows are surprisingly common throughout European folklore. I suppose it was a way for farmers to explain why a perfectly normal, healthy cow suddenly didn’t give any more milk.

In the Vienne region of France, stories were told of a strange creature called ‘le dard’. According to Desaivre’s 1882 description, this animal was a snake with the head of a cat, a short tail and four legs. A furry mane ran along the creature’s spine.

Though the Dard is not venomous, it can deliver a vicious bite if provoked. In addition, these creatures are known to make a hideous hissing sound. They suck milk from cows' udders.

Curiously, some farmers in the region claimed to recognize the Dard’s likeness in the decorations on the columns of certain churches, though it’s not mentioned which ones.

Source: Ellenberger, H., 1949, Le monde fantastique dans le folklore de la Vienne, Nouvelle revue des traditions populaires, 1(5), pp. 407-435. (image source: me, hence the crude pencil drawing. I figured I could probably draw a cat’s head, right? Such is the folly of man!)

[kristabella]

An ancient Babylonian spell for protection:

Two double bands of white cloths upon the bed on the platforms as a talisman if he binds on the (right) hand, two double bands of black cloth if he binds on the left hand, the bad demon, the wicked Alal, the wicked Gigim, the bad Telal, the wicked god, the wicked Maskim, the phantom, the spectre, the vampyre, incubus, succubus, nightmare, wicked sorcery, the philter, liquid poison, that which gives pain, that which hurts, that which is evil, their head upon his head, their foot upon his foot, they never seize him, they will never return. Spirit of the heavens, conjure it! Spirit of the earth, conjure it!

[kristabella]

A Guide to Training Your Intuition & Ability to Feel Energy

People have many different beliefs about what makes witchcraft work and energy is often something that figures into that. Whether it be drawing energy from certain sources, manipulating a cosmic energy, or drawing upon your own energy. This energy is also linked to intuition - that when we perceive something intuitively, it is an ability to make sense of energy.

But feeling energy and intuition is often treated as if it is… well, intuitive. It’s not uncommon to second guess yourself, wonder if you are really feeling what you are feeling, and wonder if you’ve created some kind of placebo effect.

Perceiving energy is a sense, and all of your senses can be trained. Blind people develop an enhanced ability to hear because they are in a situation that allows them to train that ability. I always thought I was terrible at distinguishing flavors, but as I learned to cook and used certain spices over and over again, I found myself able to pick out those flavors - even when subtle. By constant exposure, I trained myself to distinguish.

I also put a great deal of effort to improve my sense of touch - I wanted to be able to tell fabrics apart just by touching them. It turns out this is a very trainable skill. Go to a thrift store. Just go down a rack and touch every garment in the rack. Make a guess in your mind about what fabric it is, and then check the actual material label. If you do this over and over again, your guesses will become more accurate until you can accurately predict what the material labels will say. It’s a skill that can be systematically practiced.

The same thing can be done to develop your intuition/ability to feel energy. Sexing chickens - determining if a chick is male or female - is considered to be a form of trained intuition.

The mystery is that when you look at the vent in the chick’s rear, some people just know which are female. It is impossible to articulate, so the Japanese figured out how to teach this inarticulable knowledge. The student would pick up a chick, examine its rear, and toss it into a bin. The master would then say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ based on his generally correct observation. After a few weeks, the student’s brain was trained to masterful levels.

This is also very similar to the way that machine learning works. By feeding an algorithm lots of similar input over and over again and telling it what that thing is it can begin to distinguish the features that belong to one label or another.

Here is an exercise you can try.

Take a coin. With your eyes closed or in the dark, flip the coin. Try to have it land in a confined area. Hover your hand over the coin. Don’t touch it, just hold your hand over it. You may first want to start with your hand pretty close over the coin. Make a guess about which side has landed upward based on what you feel.

The check your guess. It’s okay if you were wrong - it doesn’t mean that you lack a special ability. The wrong guesses are just as important for developing your ability as the correct guesses. It is important to know what something “doesn’t” feel like.

If you repeat this process often, you will actually get better at it.

You may want to use something else besides a coin. If you have a strong connection to crystals, you might want to try a carved crystal disk or something like that. I have never been able to feel much off of crystals; I’ve often felt a strong connection to metal so I chose a coin. You might try it with tarot - choosing between two different cards. I tend to take a scientific approach to magic, but we don’t really know enough for things to be wholly scientific. So your abilities may vary depending on your medium of choice.

This is a nice exercise because it gives you a way to check your intuition and improve it. When I do the coin exercise, I don’t really ‘feel’ any energy on my hand. I don’t 'feel’ a strong sensation or buzzing or anything tangible. But there is still some sort of energy I perceive - maybe even on a subconscious level. A sense of what side is facing up just seems to occur to me, and then I check and find it correct. It’s the same sort of mystery as chicken sexing - often chicken sexers can’t actually describe what it is they perceive. They just know.

I think a similar tactic could also be used for divination. Make predictions about things. Write those predictions down. Then see if they come true. People might be inclined to use a process like this to disprove predictive or psychic abilities - but don’t let wrong predictions put you off. Instead remember that getting things wrong (especially early on) is important for training your model of what feels 'right’ and 'wrong’ intuitively. You will guess wrong at first, but by repetition it is possible to train up your accuracy.