#aidan wachter

[wellconstructedsentences]

Magic is an art of changing trajectories, of weaving fate into a form that works for us—a form that works with us.

Weaving Fate by Aidan Wachter

[zombiesun]

Falling in love is driven by many things, chemistry being a big one, but mind, soul, spirit , fascination, respect, desire all blend together to create a particular effect, that of focusing our attention on another. We look to the other, we note their posture, scent, curve of muscle and bone. We strive to understand their emotional state and the movement of their thoughts. These things are endlessly fascinating. We tend to deepen the bond via offerings. We offer them food, bring them coffee, and see if there is something they would like us to do for them and then do it. This is not entirely altruistic. There is an implicit desire for reciprocation in all of these actions. A hope that what we give will bring happiness or ease to the other, and that this will allow us to remain in their presence.

Aidan Wachter, Six Ways: Approaches & Entries for Practical Magic

[forbidden-sorcery]

Another belief I hold is that reality is very fluid, non-linear, and far less hard-edged and clearly defined than is generally accepted. This belief does not serve those who prefer everyone to only choose from a very limited set of roads or tracks. A society with only ten choices for how to live is far easier to manage than one with three hundred. This control process only works because some parts of our psychology prefer these conditions as well, with every option clearly stated, defined, and rated. Given that, how do we become less set in our ways? And how do we know what we would rather do instead? How can we tell what is native or intrinsic to us and what is not-us, but is more like a pattern overlaid on top of us?                 These questions are wound together like the roots of trees in a forest or neural nets. It’s hard to answer one question and take action on it without also knowing and taking action on many others. This can result in paralysis by analysis, where we think and think but never move. Whatever we are doing and experiencing now, we know. It may suck, and may even be debilitating, but we know it. We understand it. There is a kind of comfort there, even in painful or abusive situations. Better the devil you know. The always scarier option is to step off of the tracks, to leave the safe path, and to step into the void or abyss of uncertain outcomes. Will it be better? Worse? The same? This uncertainty keeps us locked in the groove until we get to a place where we decide: anything is better than this. That decision is the edge of the void, and it usually only comes from not being able to remain functional within the structures in which we find ourselves. We remain inside the groove or cage until the sense of being trapped becomes so oppressive that we no longer care if different equals better. We just want and need something different, because to stay the same is to relinquish our souls.

Aidan Wachter - Weaving Fate

[teetherzine]

"My approach blends psychological, spirit-focused, animist, energy-based, chaoist, ceremonial, witchcraft, and folk magic approaches to create the equivalent of a magical wardrobe I feel comfortable in. It also gives me the results I seek without as much of the backlash or strangeness that other ways I have tried have generated. It's important to understand that your mix or blend will differ from mine. This is beyond normal, it's actually the way it has to be. It's a lot like someone finding some old military pants, a pair of running shoes, and a sweet denim jacket and making them the center of their style. You might need fancy dresses, combat boots, and a fur cloak instead. Style matters, even if we only notice this when confronted by its absence. We'll have the best outcomes if we feel as comfortable in our magic as we do in our clothes. Failing this, both will chafe in time." Aidan Wachter // Weaving Fate: Hypersigils, Changing the Past & Telling True Lies

[onawinternight]

by Aidan Wachter, Weaving Fate: Hypersigils, Changing the Past, & Telling True Lies

[windvexer]

Any advice for unbinding yourself and reclaiming your power and connections spiritually ?

I know I keep recommending this book but Weaving Fate by Aidan Wachter is basically exactly this.

[hare-beneath-pine]

2023.09.09

Big working last night - consecration of my black book of (visual) art, plus the first painting in it. This is a general road opener with an area to place a small, separate sheet of paper with a sigil or petition for a specific situation.

Consecration was pretty simple, though I had to write what I was going to say... often I just speak off the cuff, but wanted to be a bit more precise in my language for this. Apart from that it was my usual feeding with incense and candle (a safe distance away from the book) plus three breaths. Here's what I said:

I consecrate you, my black book, With cover dark, with pages blank; White void before creation. By my word and by my will, May you live in the threshold Between this world and the Other. As your pages bleed and bloom, The lies I draw turn into truth, The dreams I paint persist in waking. May messages from other realms Adorn your pages by my hand: Wild whispers and weird visions. I consecrate you, my black book, With cover dark, with pages blank. Now feed upon creation.

Probably this is quite influenced by Aidan Wachter (as is this whole thing), though I haven't read him in a few months.

The painting was a little more complicated and I'm not 100% pleased with the results. Trying to be nice with myself since I'm a novice painter and have never painted ritualistically before.

Process-wise, I entered a light-medium trance through song (Station to Station on repeat baby) and swaying/dancing - thanks to those who suggested that. I didn't prime the paper as much as I normally do, which had a negative affect on the brushstrokes - didn't pre-prime because I didn't want any marks on the book before consecration. Future paintings will be primed and taped before the working. I also think I'll prep a palette with liquid retarder pre-trance or in a light trance next time. Grabbing and mixing colours on the fly feels very intuitive but I haven't internalized enough colour theory to be happy with the result on an aesthetic level.

Results-wise, I have mixed feelings. I like the general composition and the central sigils magically and aesthetically, and I'm also happy with the inclusion of a thumb print to tie it to me. My annoyances are aesthetic - not happy with the quality of the brush strokes or the lack of unified palette.

Shortly after finishing this painting last, I had a strong visualization of the palette and brush strokes I "should have" used. I've primed and taped the next page and am planning to do a second road opener painting with these improvements. I feel like I should leave this painting in the book though, as it leads to the next one.

[prettyqueerwitch]

My Spiritual Book TBR's

This is mainly for me to have a comprehensive list but also might help others in finding books to read!

Marked ♡ means I own the book

Read

• Witchery by Juliet Diaz

• The Green Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

• Witch, Please by Victoria Maxwell

Currently Reading

To Be Read

♡ The Altar Within by Juliet Diaz

♡ Plant Witchery by Juliet Diaz

♡ Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes

• Encyclopedia of Witchcraft by Judika Illes

• Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints, & Sages by Judika Illes

• Moon Magic by Diane Ahlquist

♡ The Moon Book by Sarah Faith Gottesdiener

♡ Magical Healing by Hexe Claire

• The Long Lost Friend by John George Hohman

• Hex and Spellwork by Karl Herr

♡ Witchcraft Medicine by Claudia Müller-Ebeling, Christian Rätsch, and Wolf-Dieter Storl

• How to Study Magic by Sarah Lyons

• Love is In The Earth by Melody

• Radical Remedies by Brittany Ducham

♡ Spiritual Ecology by Multiple People (Llewellyn)

♡ A Witch's Shadow Magic Compendium by Raven Digitalis

• The Witch at The Forests Edge by Christine Grace

• Six Ways by Aidan Wachter

♡ Honoring Your Ancestors by Mallorie Vaudoise

• Year of The Witch by Temperance Alden

♡ Weave The Liminal by Laura Tempest Zakroff

♡ The Book of Candle Magic by Madame Pamita and Judika Illes

• The Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton

♡ Folk Witchcraft by Roger J. Horne

♡ Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer

♡ The Spiral Dance by Starhawk

• Spells for Change by Frankie Castanea

• Utterly Wicked by Dorothy Morrison

♡ Of Blood and Bones by Kate Freuler

♡ The Little Work by Durgadas Allon Duriel

• Entering Hekates Garden by Cyndi Brannen

• Entering Hekates Cave by Cyndi Brannen

• Nordic Runes by Paul Rhys Mountfort

• The Book of Spells by Ella Harrison

• Plants of the Devil by Corinne Boyer

♡ Besom, Stang, and Sword by Christopher Orapello, Tara-Love Maguire

♡ Inner Witch by Gabriela Herstik

♡ Psychic Witch by Mat Auryn

♡ The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish

• Blackthorn's Botanical Magic by Amy Blackthorn

• Astrology for Real Life by Theresa Reed

♡ Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom

• The Trotula by Monica H. Green

• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

• Bringing Race to the Table: Exploring Racism in the Pagan Community by Crystal Blanton, Taylor Ellwood, and Brandy Williams

• God Against the Gods by Jonathan Kirsch

• Pure Magic by Judika Illes

• Folk Magic by Mari Silva

• Witches Herbal Primer by Amy Cesari

♡ New World Witchery by Cory Thomas Hutcherson

•Magical Folk Healing by DJ Conway

• The Pagan Book of Days by Nigel Pennick

♡ Lady of The Night by Edain McCoy

♡ Spellcraft for a Magical Year by Sarah Bartlett

♡ The Complete Lenormand Oracle Handbook by Catlín Matthews

♡ Natural Magic by Pamela Ball

♡ Rebel Witch by Kelly-Ann Maddox

♡ The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need by Joanna Martine Woolfolk

♡ Mastering Magick by Mat Auryn

♡ In-focus Crystals by Bernice Cockram

♡ The Complete Grimoire by Lidia Pradas

• The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells by Judika Illes

And that took a while but we're done! Will probably update this as I go <3

[hadit93]

Hey, I hope you're doing well.

Do you think birthdays can be a good time for rituals of self improvement or career? Especially if the bday is after one's Saturn return (you can guess how tumultuous life is at this point).

If yes, can you suggest any spell or ritual to do on someone's bday to manifest the life they want for the coming year? Or maybe let go of everything that doesn't serve one's higher purpose on the day before the birthday?

Thanks in advance, and happy September 💙

I would say so, yes. I tend to work long term magic on or around my birthday. I always take stock of my life also- I tend to do a tarot reading every six months that details the next six months- but my birthday is in June and so these roughly line up to my birthday and new years automatically!

You could do many things. You could write a list of all the things you want to let go of or move away from and anoint the paper with a banishing oil. Burn the paper and bury the ashes in a graveyard or throw in a river. Then on your birthday you could write what you want to do in this next 12 months, what you want to manifest. Be realistic of course, but also, don't be too conservative! Anoint the paper and a candle (White maybe, or a colour that corresponds to your main goal) with an appropriate oil- this could be an attraction oil, an oil of the deity you work with, or a condition oil that is associated with a particular goal. Make a petition to whatever concept of Spirit(s) you work with. Wrap the petition up, seal it with thread, and place it in a jar. Regularly add things to it that line up with your goal. These could be sigils you activate and place in the jar, items of power you find and want to bring into your life, business cards of a business you want to work with etc.

Repeat the next year.

I have never done this, it is just a thought that popped in my head, although, I may do this myself! Perhaps I will wait for new years eve and perform on new years day.

Another thing you may be interested in is creating a black book in the sense of Aidan Wachter's 'Weaving Fate'. This acts as a hypersigil you utilise to influence your entire life. A birthday after a Saturn return would be a great time to consecrate the items and work with such magic.

I wish you luck, and have a happy birthday!

[ivy-kissobryos]

Hello Ivy! First let me say I absolutely love the pictures you post about your work, they're very beautiful and have made me realize how little I understand of planetary and sigil magic 😅 I have to ask, how do you normally go about planning a ritual? do you follow one source, or make up your own thing based on multiple sources? Do you have any recommendations for people wanting to learn more of this kind of magic? thank you! and have a nice day/night

Hi, thank you so much for your kind words!

Since I live in Thailand (many of the western herbs are hard to get) and share a house with others (for now, this will change in a few months), my ritual space is limited and I live right in the heart of an urban city, so I can’t just find a secluded area on a hill or in the woods like I used to back when I was in the UK.

This means that I have to adapt most rituals to suit my living situation. So, to answer your question, most of the time I rarely do anything 100% by the books, unless the ritual as written within the original text is quite simple. I tend to mix rituals from different practices together sometimes too, syncretizing things if I am able (and divining beforehand if my ritual will still work with the additional changes or adaptations).

Likewise, most of my rituals are spirit-inspired or spirit-led too. As in, sometimes I would just reach out to my spirits and ask them “hey, I want to do this thing. Any advice?” and see how they respond.

For beginners, I would recommend the following:

The Elements of Spellcrafting: 21 Keys to Successful Sorcery by Jason Miller

Six Ways: Approaches & Entries for Practical Magic by Aidan Wachter

If you’re looking specifically for things to do with planetary magic, then you can’t go wrong with Agrippa or the Picatrix! Although, I would also recommend these two as these are the first two books that introduced me to planetary magic:

Secrets of Planetary Magic by Christopher Warnock

Seven Spheres by Rufus Opus

Hope this helps!

[caminodelermitano]

Ritual para reclamar nuestro poder/energía ⚡️

Este ritual es uno que he hecho (y en este momento estoy realizando) que me ha arrojado muy buenos resultados, luego de un buen tiempo haciéndolo me siento muy feliz en mi propia compañía, más conectado conmigo mismo y no me dejo influenciar fácilmente. Es un ritual que leí y tomé de referencia de Six Ways de Aidan Wachter.

Nosotros tenemos una cantidad de energía personal limitada, y en varias circunstancias hemos sido víctimas donde otros vienen a quitarnos nuestra energía, o conscientemente tomamos la decisión de darle esa energía/poder a otro, esto puede suceder cuando dejamos que pasen por encima de nuestros límites, cuando damos más de lo que realmente estamos dispuestos a dar, o en relaciones unilaterales. Esto puede suceder en vínculos amistosos, afectivos, familiares o laborales.

Este ritual nos ayuda a alivianarnos, perdonándonos por dejar que estas situaciones sucedieran, o fueran a suceder, luego llamamos a toda esa energía que perdimos y la reclamamos, finalmente cerramos bendiciéndonos, y damos gracias a los espíritus y energías que nos ayudan y protegen.

Ingredientes

Una foto nuestra (puede ser impresa, sino la pones en tu celular mientras haces el ritual).

Una vela (de cualquier color que nos haga sentir empoderados, puede ser blanca.)

Agua

Recipiente para el agua

Algún perfume, aceite esencial o hierbas (rosas secas funcionan muy bien).

✨Ritual✨

Es recomendable hacer este ritual dos veces al día (en la mañana y en la noche) por todo un ciclo lunar, puedes seguir haciéndolo todo lo que tú desees. Pero la constancia en este ritual es el que hace el cambio.

Consigue una foto tuya impresa (o no). Colócala en tu altar (cualquier superficie plana sirve como altar) junto con un cuenco de agua fresca, una vela y un poco de incienso.

Puedes añadir al agua pétalos de rosa secos triturados, pero una gota de un aceite esencial o un spray de un perfume favorito también funcionan, y por supuesto agua sola funciona muy bien.

Enciende la vela y encienda el incienso.

Tómate unos minutos para calmarte, centrarte y relajarte. Respira un rato y empieza.

Perdónate a ti mismo y tus fracasos, en voz alta (Repite cada parte tres veces y te puedes echar el agua en partes importantes del cuerpo como: manos, pies, cabeza, templos y puntos energéticos -chakras-):

"Me perdono, mis fracasos, cada uno de ellos, presente, pasado y futuro.

Después de haber hecho esto y haber sentido lo que hayas sentido, llama de vuelta todo tu poder, aquel que se haya desprendido de ti de cualquier manera(Repite cada parte tres veces y te puedes echar el agua en partes importantes):

"Llamo de nuevo todo mi poder, todo el que me quitaron, todo el que regalé, todo el que perdí. Lo llamo todo de vuelta a mí. Como era, como es, como será."

Bendícete a ti mismo, y dé las gracias (Repite cada parte tres veces y te puedes echar el agua en partes importantes) :

"Aquí y ahora, siempre y en todo momento cómo un avatar de lo Inefable me bendigo. Doy gracias a los poderes que me ayudan y me protegen, les agradezco su ayuda, su protección y sus infinitas bendiciones. Como fue, como es, como vendrá."

Recomiendo decir todo en voz alta, y si no puedes, al menos susurrarlo, pero usar la vibración nuestra voz ayuda darle mas poder a nuestro ritual.

Espero que les haya servido si hacen el ritual me avisa cómo les va, y recuerden seguir el camino del ermitaño.

[caraecethrae]

"Animism suggests that we are equally surrounded and enfolded by spirit-beings. The individual and clan-spirits of the rabbits, the pack rats and the snakes all have a stake in things. As do the dead of the land, the faerie hosts, all the invisible people, the Others. The land spirit itself. Add in the wind, the rain, and the sky spirits.

In my biological animist view, we are all cells within the vast body that is the Field. We hunt in order to eat, or simply because hunting is our nature. Some cells gather together to aid one another, some to cast each other out or destroy each other. Some cells are mutations, diseases, dysfunctions, and need to be purged if the larger being is to thrive.

As I am only nominally aware of most of the physical life in and around me, I tend to be even less aware of the spirit ecologies I live in and move through. I am suffering from a huge disability in my ability to sense them. So it is for most of us."

From Six Ways Approaches & Entries for Practical Magic-Red Temple Press (2018) by Aidan Wachter.

[enbyzombies2]

suddenly really want to create a daily schedule to stick to again. save me aidan wachter

[teetherzine]

"I still think the same thing today. High, Low, Black, White, Folk magic, witchcraft, shamanry, religious, atheist, or anti-religious, I've met all kinds of magicians who were succesful in their work. While there are many approaches to magic, I think of them as styles more than fully discrete things most of the time. Many folks gravitate to an existing style early on and stick with it, like Wicca or Thelema. Others mix and match various pieces to create something of their own. If we think about how clothing takes a few general forms like skirts, pants, dresses, and shirts, which we each combine into many expressions to suit our needs, this is a similar concept." Aidan Wachter // Weaving Fate: Hypersigils, Changing the Past & Telling True Lies

[attitude-rains]

Six Ways, by Aidan Wachter

It’s been a little while since I’ve done a book review, but today I want to share with you my thoughts on the book Six Ways, by Aidan Wachter. As you may have read in my reflections on July, I went through this book thanks through a book club in one the communities I frequent. Perhaps this review will tell you whether this book is worth your time and effort or better left aside as you focus on…

[windvexer]

heyyy heyyy Chicken, hope ya doin all good out there in the woods and in the worlds, vertically and laterally! so! another anonymous question time.

suppose one finds that they cant clair-this-or-that, they dont gets them visions or signs or shivers. like they be deaf or blind or incapable of any imaginations. like what they say? no internal dialogue something. inner twilight and darkness.

cant go to magical otolaryngologist or oculist (almost written occultist haha) because there is none.

what to do to unlock? how to?

Hi! I'm not sure if I understand you. It seems to me like you're discussing a wide range of things which I don't always believe are correlated to one another.

Aphantasia isn't, as far as I'm aware, the same thing as having no internal dialogue. Psychism isn't the same as receiving signs, and while may be related to intuition, isn't the same thing; people can have visions without having psychism or intuitive experiences.

You are incorrect to say that there are no magical otolarynologists or oculists. Practitioners who are able to diagnose and heal spiritual maladies do exist, and good ones aren't so hard to find as we may imagine.

However, just because someone doesn't receive visions/signs/psychic input/intuition, doesn't mean that anything is actually wrong.

An example is someone who doesn't exercise and can't lift a 100lb weight going to a doctor to be diagnosed for their lack of ability. There is no medical issue. There is no reason to suspect a medical issue.

The problem with a lot of common exercises, spells, etc., is that they are predicated on the idea that everyone is able to experience thoughts visually and linguistically.

I'm generally set on the idea that however a person normally experiences their own thoughts and processes the world around them is also how they should go about connecting with magic and psychism and so forth.

Being a visual thinker doesn't give people the ability to be psychic, you know?

A while ago I got frustrated with the ubiquitous use of "visualization" as a term in spells and exercises and replaced it with what I called OBFUK (observe, believe, feel, understand, or know). To me, this helped me understand the purpose of "visualization," because the way it's commonly used, I really don't think it's that much about imagining pictures.

In general, I believe that when most people talk about visualization, they're talking about some mish-mash of aligning intent towards purpose and then focusing on that real hard.

I'm re-reading Weaving Fate by Aidan Wachter and one thing I like about this book is that he focuses on the idea that during the mindspace exercise, you really don't have to see or feel anything. It's suffice to tell yourself, "I'm walking down the stairs. I enter into a corridor. I walk until I find a special door."

How would a person experience psychism and spiritual knowledge if they don't have inner dialogue or visual thoughts? Well, quite the same way they already experience their thoughts, I imagine.

Since you've brought up a ton of various things in your ask, I'm not sure if there's any way for me to say "here's how to unlock." Not that there's any one-size-fits-all program anyway. Sorry if I've understood your meaning.