#creating magickal entities: a complete guide

[jasper-book-stash]

If you ever want to read terrible opinions from the worst fucking people, I recommend getting into occultism. I read Creating Magickal Entities by David Michael Cunningham with contributions by Taylor Ellwood and T Amanda R Wagener and I want to strangle all three of them.

One of my notes in the margins is just "I'm going to steal something from your house." and I feel like that summarizes my thoughts on this book. It made me retroactively go back and give better scores to the other books on chaos magic I've read recently.

It has everything. Weird occult racism. Unsafe usage of essential oils. Thinly-veiled menstruation kink. Appropriation of Judaism in the context of """Qabalah""". Giving a rule and then promptly breaking it because they can't be bothered to rewrite their explanations. Shitty editing.

Above all, it just took so long to get to the point in each section. I genuinely believe that this could have been better if you trimmed the fat (most of this bullshit) and made it a blog post instead.

[jasper-pagan-witch]

Servitors as Links

If you have a desire to work with a commonly known spirit, deity, or entity, you can create a personal entity to act as a link with it by developing a name, image, and symbol based on the characteristics of the inspirational subject. You can even decide upon a specific realm of influence based on the general realm of influence of the original spirit or deity. By doing this, you are personalizing a link with the original subject through the creation of a personal entity. From that point on, you can call upon the spirit or deity through the name and symbol that you have designated to elicit a direct response from the desired entity. It is important to remember that you are working with an entity that serves as a link to the spirit or deity and not the spirit or deity itself. After continuous workings, you can, if you so desire, have the entity you created evolve away from the original spirit or deity to become its own independent entity. Then when you work with your entity, you will be working with your entity alone, though it will have gained knowledge and experience through the old link with the spirit or deity.

The same idea can be used to make an entity based on the aspects of a living or dead person. By taking the person's name and personal attributes, a very powerful and viable entity can be formed. This new entity will be linked to both the person and to you, in a similar fashion to an entity providing a link to a deity or spirit. This type of entity, when linked to a living person, can have great and powerful affects upon them. With such a link, an entity can be very useful for works of healing and protection directed at the person to whom it is linked. Of course, you can also use this sort of entity to inflict many dire things upon a person, should you so desire.

~Creating Magickal Entities: A Complete Guide to Entity Creation, by David Michael Cunningham with contributions by Taylor Ellwood and T. Amanda R. Wagener, pages 91 to 92

[devout-of-the-elder-scrolls]

Bumori Cail Quick Start Guide

Note: This is an unrecorded/non-canon Prince I worship. You're not gonna find them in canon.

A guide for beginning with Bumori Cail, intended to help you begin your practice. I highly suggest asking the Prince in question or Hermaeus Mora for more information before beginning a relationship proper.

Keep in mind this whole post is UPG, based on my personal experiences with this entity. It may directly contrast the experiences of others. I am no authority on these Princes, so while I am open to questions, I shouldn't have my voice put above others and especially not the Prince in question.

* Banners are by saradika-graphics.

BUMORI CAIL

( boo-more-ee cail ) (cail is like pail, but with a cuh sound) aka. Bumorz ◦ Cail prns. it / ze ( ze / zym / zeyr / zeyrs / zymself ) domain. Cullslaire date. December 23rd

Bumori Cail is the Daedric Prince of Death, Rebirth, and Magick. It rules over magicians and the dead, being a haven for both. It also claims ownership of the stars to a degree, mostly of the constellations in the sky.

Bumorz has a rough and tough personality, being quite calloused. It would not describe Itself as caring or soft, and acts like a tough-love, but still genuine love, teacher. Ze will not abuse followers, or generally treat them with cruelty, as It means well for followers, but It can be quite harsh. 

Working alongside Cail is a sometimes harsh affair, with many tests and tribulations for followers to test their strength and capabilities. It guides well, being clear and concise, with a good understanding of Zeyr followers and what they need and are capable of, and never oversteps these.

Bumori Cail is a difficult Prince to begin the Daedric Path with, due to a very rough and calloused personality. It can be hard to get to know and begin worship of, and the tests and tribulations can be hard to adjust to out of nowhere if you’re not already used to the Daedric Path.

🜚 terms of respect . . .

Term – Prince • neutral or otherwise non-gendered terms Prefix – Liege • Great • Powerful • Strong Titles – The Prince of Death and Rebirth • The Magical Prince • The Great Magician • Monarch of Autumn • The Travelling Prince • The War-Forged Epithet – of Magic • of Souls • the Powerful

🜲 rulerships . . .

death • rebirth • magic • constellations • art • power • enchanting • alchemy • astral journeys • gemstones • precious metals • weapons • warfare • the dead • autumn

. . . HELPS WITH . . .

casting spells • being reborn

🝰 commandments . . . This part especially is bound to be different from person to person.

Embrace your end, and then be reborn.

Understand the power of magic, and use it well. You don’t have to do magic all the time, but you should acknowledge its power and what it can do for you at the least.

Face trials with a strong face.

Be strong, be powerful, and be destructible. As in, don’t aim to be completely undefeatable. It’s okay to be defeated, it’s okay to get hurt. But be as strong as you can be while acknowledging you can’t be indestructible.

Be ready to fight when necessary.

When on astral journeys, respect where you are.

⛯ main tarot cards & other signs and associations . . .

Tarot Cards — 

I the Magician • XIII Death • XVI the Tower

V of Cups

III of Swords • V of Swords • VI of Swords • VII of Swords • X of Swords

V of Pentacles

V of Wands • VII of Wands • X of Wands

Other Signs & Associations — 

soul gems • constellations, esp those of warriors

vulture • asphodel • rotting flowers • fungus • mold

❂ devotional acts . . .

create art

become powerful

embrace your pain as a crucial part of life

enchant your jewelry or other items

use a wand or athame in spells

perform alchemy

sleep with gemstones under your pillow

talk to and honor the dead

perform ancestor work

talk to spirits in cemeteries (don’t disturb them rudely!)

visit graveyards

get a grave cleaning license 

invite It to magic you cast

honor Zym on the autumn equinox

sit under the warrior constellations

grow asphodel

keep freshly cut flowers and permit them to wilt and die

use beans in your magic

invite It to divination and other forms of -mancy

meditate

go on astral journeys

develop emotional strength

develop spiritual strength

donate to vulture conservation

embrace the autumn season

make a graveyard-in-a-box (a way to get graveyard dirt and honor the dead from your own home)

talk to wandering spirits

visit haunted places (safely) and talk to the dead

help the dead move on or find peace

. . . offerings ❦

↘ natural ; 

clear or purple gemstones

flowers in general, real only. they have to be allowed to wilt and die. don't need to be fancy, a dandelion counts too

fungus

alder

asphodel

yew

↘ foodstuff ; 

red meat

beans of all sorts

ginger

salt

apple

↘ items ; 

wands and athames

star shapes

art pieces, esp ones you make yourself

fake gravestones

fungi figures

art of the constellations, be it the stars themselves or things drawn around the stars to show what the constellation is

↘ music ; 

breakcore

noise

melodic stuff

↘ etc ; 

black and orange candles

autumnal colors

charged gemstones

soul gems, gems that are used to contain a soul, either literally or metaphorically

🜾 altar building . . .

This is all suggestions. Please build it however you can, if a physical altar is even possible.

As always, you can use offering items to build an altar.

nearby where you honor the dead

black candles

a gravestone themed altar cloth

autumnal colors or decorations

fake gravestones

🝊 identity . . .

Bumori Cail has a rough personality, deeply calloused. Ze is harsh and tough. It is just generally more aligned to be serious, more rough and tough. 

However, Cail never really directs this towards followers very much. It's still very obvious, but followers are safe and won't be harmed or hurt by Cail, not on purpose anyways.

Ze typically presents Itself as a tall AMAB individual, with long, flowing black hair that reaches the small of the back. Ze has bright golden eyes. Ze presents as clean-shaven.

It is usually seen dressed formally and cleanly, well groomed and neat. Sometimes, the scent of cologne follows Zym.

Cail has a deep, rough voice. It speaks cleanly and clearly, putting thought behind every single word. There is a monotonous twang in it, though it isn't completely monotonous.

☉ domain . . .

Cullslaire (culls-lair) is Bumori Cail's domain and realm, where Ze lives and thrives.

It's a mostly wasteland, with Lymix City being a giant oasis full of fauna and flora. The city is quite large, providing everything that any visitor or resident would require.

⛮ working with . . .

Bumori Cail is a difficult thing, because of all the trials and tests that Ze puts followers through. However, It can be a freeing Prince, who understands Zeyr followers very well and their limitations and needs. It makes followers strong and powerful.

Benefits are that Ze helps a lot with magic and casting, being present during the spells that followers are performing.

Slighting Cail is not an easy thing to do, but Ze is vicious and harsh when enraged or deeply slighted. 

It can be mended with a proper apology and offering.

⚜ holidays & festivals . . .

Bumori's summoning day is December 23rd.

♡ prayers . . .

⛤ 01 . . . Bumori Cail, Prince of Death and Rebirth,  Great Magician, War-Forged, I worship You, I revere You.  You who protects me, You who aids in my spells, You who fights for me. I revere You, I worship You.

⛤ 02 . . . O Liege Bumori Cail,  I call upon Your spirit now,  to join me here and present, for I require of Your presence.

⛤ 03 . . . Bumori Cail, Travelling Prince! I leave this humble offering upon You, and I hope and pray You accept it well.

⛤ 04 . . . O Bumori Cail, great Cail,  I honor You and revere You! Blessed be, You, great traveler of the spirit realms,  great magician and magickal Prince.

⛤ 05 . . . Cail, Monarch of Autumn, I honor You this season.

⚿ evoking, invoking, summoning . . .

EVOKATION &&° 

wear autumnal colors

— ☆ — 

Things in [] are for making it a summoning. This is just a suggestion, you can do it any way you like.

WHY AND WHEN &&° 

when you're about to do a spell

when you feel in danger from a cruel spirit

when you’re about to visit a cemetery

INGREDIENTS AND OTHER TOOLS &&° 

black and/or orange candle(s)

autumn leaves, fake count

clear or purplish gems

flowers

Bumori's name written in Daedric Script

IDEALS &&° 

Time – nighttime

Location – near where you honor your ancestors, or conversely, where you sleep

STEPS &&° 

[Carve the word Cail into the candle, this can replace any other written form of Its name.]

Set down your candle(s), autumn leaves, and gems.

Light your candle(s), and recite: Bumori Cail, great Daedric Prince of Death and Rebirth, I call upon You and Your spirit now, to join me here and present.

Do your business.

Blow out your candles.

NOTES &&° 

Like all others, Cail might come to just Zeyr name being called.

𝌁 other vettable information . . .

When meditating on Its presence and name, Cail brings:

visions of: rotting flowers • vultures • mold

smells of: asphodel

sounds of: vulture calls

feelings of: someone looming over your shoulder

❡ notes . . .

As an aside, Bumori Cail seems especially drawn to living humans who believe they have died and/or been reborn in any way, including metaphorically.

Unlike Azura who is associated with astrology and the Zodiacs, Bumori Cail is simply associated with the constellations and art among the stars. 

Cail quite likes Samhain and the Samhain season.

[grey-sorcery]

💫Beginner Witch Tips🌙

These are tips that I wish I had when I was starting out. Would have saved me a ton of grief.

Nearly all consumable content on witchcraft that’s readily available is either bullshit, too vague to be reproduced, or misleading.

NEVER assume you have the complete picture when it comes to reading someone else’s spells, correspondences, or guides.

Approach all witchcraft communities with caution. Not because they’re inherently toxic, but because people can be.

Cult mentalities are very common when it comes to witchcraft, mysticism, and the occult. Never adopt someone’s personal beliefs or practice as your own.

Research everything as thoroughly as possible. In every type of media, the first things you’ll see are the simple, misleading, ✨good vibes✨ bullshit that’s been watered down by New Age, trendy, over-simplified culture.

Skip crystals and herbs when first starting. Start with studying safety. Then immediately move into creating your own spells. Don’t even try to reference books or media. Just try it. Safely.

Save correspondences for last. They aren’t as important as they’re made out to be.

If a guide says or implies that visualization is energy work, move on. It’s not magic. It’s new age bullshit.

Talk to practitioners of color. Talk to practitioners of closed cultures. Get familiar with the nuances of the community. It’s 100% okay to research most closed cultures, just know that you’ll likely not find any accurate or complete information about it.

Steer clear of Wicca, ceremonial magick, theosophy, and new thought. Like as far away as possible.

Build relationships with other practitioners. Share ideas. Get inspired. Try to come up with some original approaches.

Experimentation is key. Keep a spell log. Keep a log of spiritual entities. Date it. Reflect on it. Ask others to see if they can reproduce your results.

Remain aware of cognitive and confirmation bias at all times. When you want something to work, often times you’ll end up believing it did.

Don’t shy away from the complex stuff. Your craft will never stop expanding.

Here’s my pinned post it has a ton of links to a bunch of stuff as well as information about me and my blog.

[lemonbalmandrosemary]

To-Read List

I'm limiting this to books I actively want to read, rather than what's on my shelves, because those are two very different animals. (Yay book hoarding from my early days.) * = books I own.

Advanced Magick for Beginners - Alan Chapman

*Anatomy of a Witch: A Map to the Magical Body - Laura Tempest Zakroff

*Becoming Dangerous: Witchy Femmes, Queer Conjurers, and Magical Rebels - Katie West & Jasmine Elliott

*Besom, Stang, & Sword: A Guide to Traditional Witchcraft, the Six-Fold Path, & the Hidden Landscape - Christopher Orapello & Tara-Love Maguire

*The Black Toad: West Country Witchcraft and Magic - Gemma Gary

*The Book of English Magic - Philip Carr-Gomm

Bringing Race to the Table: Exploring Racism in the Pagan Community - Crystal Blanton

The British Book of Spells & Charms - Graham King

Casting a Queer Circle: Non-Binary Witchcraft - Thista Minai

Cecil Williamson's Book of Witchcraft: A Grimoire of the Museum of Witchcraft - Steve Patterson

The City is a Labyrinth: A Walking Guide for Urban Animists - Sarah Kate Istra Winter

*City Magick: Urban Rituals, Spells, and Shamanism - Christopher Penczak

City Witchery: Accessible Rituals, Practices & Prompts for Conjuring and Creating in a Magical Metropolis - Lisa Marie Basile

*Condensed Chaos: An Introduction to Chaos Magic - Phil Hine

Craft of the Untamed: An Inspired Vision of Traditional Witchcraft - Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold

*Creating Magical Entities - David Michael Cunningham

The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft - Kelden

*Curses, Hexes, and Crossing: A Magician's Guide to Execration Magic - S. Connolly

The Dabbler's Guide to Witchcraft: Seeking an Intentional Magical Path - Fire Lyte

A Deed Without a Name: Unearthing the Legacy of Traditional Witchcraft - Lee Morgan

Deep Liberation: Shamanic Teachings for Reclaiming Wholeness in a Culture of Trauma - Langston Kahn

*DIY Magic: A Strange and Whimsical Guide to Creativity - Anthony Alvarado

The Door to Witchcraft: A New Witch's Guide to History, Traditions, and Modern-Day Spells - Tonya A. Brown

*Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America - Margot Adler

Enchantments: A Modern Witch's Guide to Self-Possession - Mya Spalter

*Everyday Magic: Spells & Rituals for Modern Living - Dorothy Morrison

*Evolutionary Witchcraft - T. Thorn Coyle

Fifty Years in the Feri Tradition - Cora Anderson

The Flame in the Cauldron: A Book of Old-Style Witchery - Orion Foxwood

*Folk Witchcraft: A Guide to Lore, Land, and the Familiar Spirit for the Solitary Practitioner - Roger J. Horne

*Grovedaughter Witchery: Practical Spellcraft - Bree NicGarran

*Hedgewitch Book of Days: Spells, Rituals, and Recipes for the Magical Year - Mandy Mitchell

*Honoring Your Ancestors: A Guide to Ancestral Veneration - Mallorie Vaudoise

The House Witch: Your Complete Guide to Creating a Magical Space with Rituals and Spells for Hearth and Home - Arin Murphy-Hiscock

It's Witchcraft: A Beginner's Guide to Secular and Non-secular Witchcraft - Jamie Weaver

Light Magic for Dark Times: More than 100 Spells, Rituals, and Practices for Coping in a Crisis - Lisa Marie Basile

*Magic for the Resistance: Rituals and Spells for Change - Michael M. Hughes

Magic Power Language Symbol: A Magician's Exploration of Linguistics - Patrick Dunn

Magic When You Need It: 150 Spells You Can't Live Without - Judika Illes

Magical Power for Beginners: How to Raise & Send Energy for Spells that Work - Deborah Lipp

*Making Magic: Weaving Together the Everyday and the Extraordinary - Briana Saussy

*The Master Book of Herbalism - Paul V. Beyerl

*Mastering Witchcraft: A Practical Guide for Witches, Warlocks, and Covens - Paul Huson

*Mrs. B's Guide to Household Witchery: Everyday Magic, Spells, and Recipes - Kris Bradley

A Mystical Practical Guide to Magic: Instructions for Seekers, Witches & Other Spiritual Misfits - Aliza Einhorn

The New Aradia: A Witch's Handbook to Magical Resistance - Laura Tempest Zakroff

New World Witchery: A Trove of North American Folk Magic - Cory Thomas Hutcheson

Of Chalk & Flint: A Way of Norfolk Magic - Val Thomas

A Practical Guide for Witches: Spells, Rituals, and Magic for an Enchanted Life - Ylva Mara Radziszewski

*Practical Protection Magick: Guarding & Reclaiming Your Power - Ellen Dugan

Protection & Reversal Magick: A Witch's Defense Manual - Jason Miller

Queer Magic: Power Beyond Boundaries - Lee Harrington

Queer Magic: LGBT+ Spirituality and Culture from Around the World - Tomas Prower

*Queering Your Craft: Witchcraft from the Margins - Cassandra Snow

*Rebel Witch: Carve the Craft that's Your Alone - Kelly-Ann Maddox

Silent as the Trees: Devonshire Witchcraft, Folklore, & Magic - Gemma Gary

*Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South - Aaron Oberon

Spellcrafting: Strengthen the Power of Your Craft by Creating and Casting You Own Unique Spells - Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Tarot for Troubled Times: Confront Your Shadow, Heal Your Self, Transform the World - Shaheen Miro & Theresa Reed

*Three Books of Occult Philosophy - Cornelius Agrippa

The Tradition of Household Spirits: Ancestral Lore and Practices - Claude Lecouteux

*Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways - Gemma Gary

Treading the Mill: Practical Craft Working in Modern Traditional Witchcraft - Nigel G. Pearson

Urban Magick: A Guide for the City Witch - Diana Rajchel

Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power - Pam Grossman

Walking the Tides: Seasonal Magical Rhythms and Lore - Nigel G. Pearson

*Weave the Liminal: Living Modern Traditional Witchcraft - Laura Tempest Zakroff

A Witch's Guide to Wildcraft: Using Common Plants to Create Uncommon Magic - J.D. Walker

*A Witch's Natural History - Giles Watson

*The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present - Ronald Hutton

The Witch's Book of Self-Care: Magical Ways to Pamper, Soothe, and Care for Your Body and Spirit - Arin Murphy-Hiscock

The Witch's Cauldron: The Craft, Lore, & Magick of Ritual Vessels - Laura Tempest Zakroff

The Witch's Path: Advancing Your Craft at Every Level - Thorn Mooney

Witchcraft Activism: A Toolkit for Magical Resistance - David Salisbury

Witchcraft Medicine: Healing Arts, Shamanic Practices, and Forbidden Plants - Claudia Muller-Ebeling

Witchery: Embrace the Witch - Juliet Diaz

The Witches' Ointment: the Secret History of Psychedelic Magic - Thomas Hatsis

Witches of America - Alex Mars

[thecultoflexithewulf]

Magick: Guide To learning

This post is not entirely completed but it is a rough outline of how I would go about setting up this system. It will be added to as I find more information.

This is a general guide for magick based on my understandings and practices and what I have found to be helpful at each level of development. This scale starts at absolute no knowledge, and goes up to an individual with a practice that can now expand outwards learning everything. This is not done with any other form of tradition rather than mine, and is based on the general understanding of magick, and is to better help with understanding the question of where do I start. you do not need to finish everything in one stage before moving onto another one. what is recommended that you finish as much as possible, because one stage feeds on to the next one. This post is also broken up into my categories of magic. These being Pyrosophic, geosophic, hydrosophic, and aerosophic.

Pyrosophic:

Pyrosophic is associated to the element of fire. Pyrosophic forms of magick, and understanding are fundamental, and active. They are sources that emanate outwards, and act as axioms, and supports for other knowledge, and practices. They are simple, but effective, and are the first things I believe a practitioner should know when they are starting out learning magick. Pyrosophic is very knowledge-based, and energetically based, and it is the foundation that we build upon all other knowledge. It is the first emanation of any particular knowledge, before it incorporates any other advanced features. It contains a lot of beginner information, and energy work.

Geosophic:

Geosophic is associated to the element of earth. Geosophic are things that are a little bit more complicated, and work off the understandings that are figured out in pyrosophic. It takes the fundamental understandings, and gives you tools in order to advance what you already have. Geosophic builds upon the foundation that was solidified by pyrosophic, and makes it a little bit more complicated bringing in object, symbols, and correspondences to work with. A lot of forms of folk magic, and thaumaturgy are going to be here in this category, because of its incorporation of tools, and symbols to manifest it’s desires.

Hydrosophic:

Hydrosophic is associated to the element of water. Hydrosophic focuses on internal knowledge through the acts of meditation, and altered states of consciousness. It allows you to learn more about yourself, and the inner workings of you through the practices, and understandings that it holds. This encompasses everything that takes place within, and that interacts with the inner being that is you.

Aerosophic:

Aerosophic is associated to the element of air. Aerosophic encompasses understandings, and the practices of theurgy, and the higher knowledge of the universe, and source. It is focused on understanding the outer world beyond the practitioner. This encompasses everything that takes place without, and looks for the higher meaning in the whole of reality.

Once you reach the final level of adept you are able to go out, and begin staying in learning even more knowing that you have the foundations of a practice. Other things you may also want to learn about that may help you on your path are Philosophy, Science, History, Psychology, Religious Studies, language, and culture.

There are three stages to this process, and they are known as seekers, student, and adapt.

Seeker | Stage 1:

Pyrosophic:

Learn about how magick works.

Learn about the models of magick.

Learn about the laws of magick.

Learn about the words Magic, and Magick

Learn about what type of magickal practitioners there are.

Learn about different magical, and spiritual traditions.

Learn about how magick is categorized.

Begin keeping a journal of your experiences, and what you have learned.

Learn about (Masculine and feminine energy), and/or (yin and yang).

Learn about mind, body, and spirit.

Learn about the 4 Western classical elements.

Learn about liminality, liminal spaces, and liminal States.

Learn about spiritual energy.

Learn about Energetic Blockages

Learn about Energetic Overflow

Learn about Energetic Burnout

Learn about intention, will, and action.

Learn, and practice centering.

Learn, and practice grounding.

Learn, and practice energy breathing.

Learn, and practice Affirmations.

Learn about the power hand, and receptive hand.

Learn, and practice the spiritual energy ball.

Learn, and practice Pushing, And Pulling spiritual energy.

Learn, and practice Absorbing Energy

Learn about magical protection that you can use especially casting the circle.

Learn about banishing

Learn about Energetic cleansing

Geosophic:

Learn about Nature cycles

Learn about Lunar phases

Learn about Magickal Tools

Hydrosophic:

Practice Visualization

Practice Focus meditation

Practice Clearing your mind meditation

Practice Mindfulness

Finding your Sacred Space

Aerosophic:

Learn about Different types of spiritual entities

Learn about different pantheons and religions

Find and communicate with your deity.

Learn about and do Deity work.

Learn about and go about finding your Spirit guides.

Student | Stage 2:

Pyrosophic:

Learn about Spiritual Energy Scanning.

Learn How to Read Spiritual Energy.

Learn to see auras.

Learn to see energy in the air.

Learn about Energetics system.

Learn, and practice charging, and opening the energy centers.

Learn about Planes of existence.

Learn about Dimensions.

Learn about UPE, USPE, CE, UPG, USPG, CG, VPG, and Lore.

Geosophic:

Learn about Setting up an altar.

Learn about Setting up an shrines.

Learn about Crystal magick, and Geology.

Learn about Herbs magick, and herbalism.

Learn about Color magick, and color theory.

Learn about Candle magick.

Learn about Elemental Magick.

Learn about money Magick

Learn about love Magick

Learn about Sigilcraft, and sigil magick.

Learn about Numerology.

Learn about how to create magical tools such as a staff or wand.

Learn about, and practice enchanting items.

Learn about binding Magick.

Learn about magick that focuses on a specific entity or constructs, such as but not limited to: Wolf Magick, Dragon magick, Fairy magick, Angel magick, etc.

Hydrosophic:

Practice Journey meditation.

Practice Shape-Shifting meditation.

Aerosophic:

Learn and practice forms of divination

Adept | Stage 3:

Pyrosophic:

N/A

Geosophic:

Learn about Making your own spells, and rituals.

Learn about Taglocks, and magickal Links.

Learn about Curses.

Learn about Blood Magick.

Learn about Sex Magick.

Hydrosophic:

Learn about Dream work.

Learn about Past life regression.

Learn about Shadow work.

Learn about Create an Astral Temple.

Learn about Thought-forms.

Learn about Communicating with your higher self.

Aerosophic:

Learn about Spiritual companionship.

Learn about Working with the spirit of the land.

Learn about Channeling.

Learn about Invoking, and evoking entities.

Learn about Astral travel.

Learn about Astral projection.

Learn about Spirit burrowing.

Learn about exorcism.

[blogdual890]

Satanachia Sigil

Sigil of Lucifer wall decor from wood, Wooden Art, Hanging Sign, Seal of Lucifer, Satanic Seal, Church of Satan, Pentagram, Key of Solomon IgniteINC. 5 out of 5 stars (72) $. A sigil (/ ˈ s ɪ dʒ əl /; pl. Sigilla or sigils) is a type of symbol used in ritual magic.The term has usually referred to a type of pictorial signature of a Jinn or other entity. In modern usage, especially in the context of chaos magic, sigil refers to a symbolic representation of the practitioner's desired outcome. Agaliarept, also known as Agalierap, Agalierept, Agalieraps or Agaliareps, is a Great General of Hell alongside Satanachia and one of the demons to directly serve under Lucifer. He is one of the Six Great Officers in Hell, the others being Lucifuge Rofocale, Satanachia, Agaliarept, Fleurety and Sargatanas. He is purported to command the Second Legion of Spirits for the glory of the emperor.

The first list is from the Pseudomonarchia daemonum by Johann Weyer (aka Wier, Wierus), which he included in his De praestigiis daemonum in 1583, and in 1584 Reginald Scot included the same list in The Discoverie of Witchcraft. The second list, the seals, and engravings are from the Goetia at sacred-texts.com - 1904 translation edited by S. MacGregor Mathers.

Goetic seals from the Lesser Key of Solomon

A sigil (/ˈsɪdʒəl/; pl. sigilla or sigils) is a type of symbol used in ritual magic. The term has usually referred to a type of pictorial signature of a Jinn or other entity. In modern usage, especially in the context of chaos magic, sigil refers to a symbolic representation of the practitioner's desired outcome.

History(edit)

72 seals from the Lesser Key of Solomon

The term sigil derives from the Latinsigillum, meaning 'seal'.(1)Skype.

In medieval ceremonial magic, the term sigil was commonly used to refer to occult signs which represented various angels and demons which the witch might summon.(1) The magical training books called grimoires often listed pages of such sigils. A particularly well-known list is in The Lesser Key of Solomon, in which the sigils of the 72 princes of the hierarchy of hell are given for the magician's use. Such sigils were considered to be the equivalent of the true name of the spirit and thus granted the magician a measure of control over the beings.(2)

An excerpt from Sefer Raziel HaMalakh featuring various magical sigils (or סגולות, segulot, in Hebrew).

A common method of creating the sigils of certain spirits was to use kameas (magic squares) — the names of the spirits were converted to numbers, which were then located on the magic square. The locations were then connected by lines, forming an abstract figure.(3)

The word sigil.. has a long history in Western magic. The members of the Golden Dawn were perfectly familiar with it (″combining the letters, the colours, the attributions and their Synthesis, thou mayest build up a telesmatic Image of a Force. The Sigil shall then serve thee for the tracing of a Current which shall call into action a certain Elemental Force″) and it was used in the making of talismans. The sigil was like a signature or sign of an occult entity.(4)

Satanachia Sigil

The use of symbols for magical or cultic purposes has been widespread since at least the Neolithic era. Some examples from other cultures include the yantra from Hindutantra, historical runic magic among the Germanic peoples, or the use of veves in Voudon.

Austin Osman Spare(edit)

Satanachia Sigil

The artist and occultist Austin Osman Spare developed his own unique method of creating and using sigils, which has had a huge effect on modern occultism. Essentially, Spare turned the Medieval practice of using sigils to evoke entities on its head, arguing that such supernatural beings were simply complexes in the unconscious, and could be actively created through the process of sigilization.(5)(4)

The big difference with Spare's method was that he dispensed with pre-existing esoterica and external beliefs, so the sigils were no longer for controlling traditional demons, angels and what-have-you, but instead for controlling forces in the unconscious psyche of the individual operator.(4)

Spare's technique became a cornerstone of chaos magic.(6) It also influenced the artist Brion Gysin, who experimented with combining Spare's sigil method with the traditional form of magic squares:

Calligraphic magick squares were one of the techniques most commonly applied by Gysin. He would reduce a name or an idea to a 'glyph' and then write across the paper from right to left, turn the paper and do the same again, and so on, turning the paper around and around to create a multi-dimensional grid.. The same techniques and consciously driven functional intention also permeated his paintings. In a very real sense, everything he created was an act of sorcery.(7) Home alone 3 on amazon prime.

Chaos magic(edit)

A modern personal sigil.

In chaos magic, following Spare, sigils are most commonly created by writing out the intention, then condensing the letters of the statement down to form a sort of monogram. The chaos magician then uses the gnostic state to 'launch' or 'charge' the sigil – essentially bypassing the conscious mind to implant the desire in the unconscious.(8)(6) To quote Ray Sherwin:

The magician acknowledges a desire, he lists the appropriate symbols and arranges them into an easily visualised glyph. Using any of the gnostic techniques he reifies the sigil and then, by force of will, hurls it into his subconscious from where the sigil can begin to work unencumbered by desire.(8)

After charging the sigil, it is considered necessary to repress all memory of it: in the words of Spare, there should be 'a deliberate striving to forget it'.(5)

Grimorium verum sigils. In modern chaos magic, when a complex of thoughts, desires and intentions gains such a level of sophistication that it appears to operate autonomously from the magician's consciousness, as if it were an independent being, then such a complex is referred to as a servitor.(9)(10) When such a being becomes large enough that it exists independently of any one individual, as a form of 'group mind', then it is referred to as an egregore.(11)(12)

Later chaos magicians have expanded on the basic sigilization technique. Grant Morrison coined the term hypersigil to refer to an extended work of art with magical meaning and willpower, created using adapted processes of sigilization. His comic book series The Invisibles was intended as such a hypersigil.(6) Morrison has also argued that modern corporate logos like 'the McDonald's Golden Arches, the Nike swoosh and the Virgin autograph' are a form of viral sigil:

Corporate sigils are super-breeders. They attack unbranded imaginative space. They invade Red Square, they infest the cranky streets of Tibet, they etch themselves into hairstyles. They breed across clothing, turning people into advertising hoardings.. The logo or brand, like any sigil, is a condensation, a compressed, symbolic summoning up of the world of desire which the corporation intends to represent.. Walt Disney died long ago but his sigil, that familiar, cartoonish signature, persists, carrying its own vast weight of meanings, associations, nostalgia and significance.(6)

See also(edit)

Look up sigil in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sigils.

References(edit)

Footnotes(edit)

^ abWeschcke, Carl Llewellyn & Slate, Joe H. The Llewellyn Complete Book of Psychic Empowerment

^Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis: The Lesser Key of Solomon, Detailing the Ceremonial Art of Commanding Spirits Both Good and Evil; ed. Joseph H. Peterson; Weiser Books, Maine; 2001. p.xi-xvii

^Greer, John Michael (2003). The New Encyclopedia of The Occult. Llewellyn Worldwide. p. 438. ISBN1-56718-336-0.

^ abcBaker, Phil. Austin Osman Spare

^ abSpare, Austin Osman. The Book of Pleasure

^ abcdMorrison, Grant. Pop Magic!

^P-Orridge, Genesis. Magick Squares and Future Beats

^ abSherwin, Ray. The Book of Results

^Hine, Phil. Prime Chaos

^Marik. Servitors

^Rysen, Fenwick The Fluid Continuum

^Emerson, Gabriel. Egregore Definition Compilation

Sources(edit)

The Book of Pleasure. Austin Osman SpareISBN1-872189-58-X

Liber Null and Psychonaut. Peter CarrollISBN0-87728-639-6

Baker, Phil (2011). Austin Osman Spare: The Life and Legend of London's Lost Artist. Strange Attractor. ISBN9781907222016.

Emerson, Gabriel (1997). 'Egregore Definition Compilation'. Chaos Matrix. Retrieved June 7, 2018.

Hine, Phil (1998). Prime Chaos: Adventures in Chaos Magic. New Falcon Publications. ISBN9781609255299.

Marik (1998). 'Servitors: Part Two of Sigils, Servitors, and Godforms'. Chaos Matrix. Retrieved June 7, 2018.

Morrison, Grant (2003). 'Pop Magic!'. In Metzger, Richard (ed.). Book of Lies: The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult. Red Wheel Weiser. ISBN9780971394278.

P-Orridge, Genesis (2003). 'Magick Squares and Future Beats'. In Metzger, Richard (ed.). Book of Lies: The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult. Red Wheel Weiser. ISBN9780971394278.

Peterson, Joseph H. (ed.), The Lesser Key of Solomon: Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis (York Beach, ME: Weiser Books, 2001). Considered 'the definitive version'

Rysen, Fenwick (1999). 'The Fluid Continuum --or-- What the f***'s an Egregore?'. Chaos Matrix. Retrieved June 7, 2018.

Sherwin, Ray (1992). The Book of Results. Revelations 23 Press. ISBN9781874171003.

Spare, Austin Osman (2013). The Book of Pleasure: The Psychology of Ecstasy. Lulu Press. ISBN9781105502996.

Weschcke, Carl Llewellyn; Slate, Joe H. (2011). The Llewellyn Complete Book of Psychic Empowerment: A Compendium of Tools & Techniques for Growth & Transformation. Llewellyn Worldwide. ISBN9780738729862.

White, Gordon (2012). 'Magic Secrets as Taught by Robot Fish'. Rune Soup. Retrieved June 7, 2018.

White, Gordon (2010). 'Shoaling: Making Sigil Magic more Awesome Since 2010'. Rune Soup. Retrieved June 7, 2018.

El, Moorpheus (2011). 'Secret of Secrets: Reality is Programmable'. Matrix-Five. Retrieved August 28, 2011.

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sigil&oldid=1015300196'

[spectralstars]

FAQ/Stuff to Know

This post will contain answers to questions I get often or expect to get often, and define some of the terms I use. It will be updated over time.

Disclaimer: The information I post to this blog is UPG, based on my own experiences. If I state something as fact on this blog regarding magic, that is because I treat it as fact within my practice, but I do not claim it as objective truth.

Magic

What is magic?

1) The art of utilizing all components of the Soul/being to effect change. 2) A sense of simultaneous power and wonder.

What kinds of magic do you do?

I do a lot of energy work: feeling and affecting my own energy, and reaching out to the energy of other people/places/things to do the same. When a need arises, or when I’m just feeling that magical itch, I create a working for that situation, or draw on a working I’ve created before. These workings can involves making and enchanting talismans, sigils, or chants; music or dance magic; full-blown rituals; just more focused energy work; etc. Divination, meditation, and shadow work are all also important facets of my practice.

How long have you been practicing?

My practice first started to resemble what it is today about 2 or 3 years ago.

Do you do witchcraft/chaos magic/[insert established term here]?

No. I take inspiration and information from many established open paths, but my practice is my own.

Energy Work

What is energy? What are energetic signatures?

Energy is a non-physical, qualityless substance. Just as physical reality is made up of physical matter (I’m ignoring dark matter here because that’s outside of my wheelhouse), parallel to it at all points exists an energetic reality. Unless I specify with terms like “physical/kinetic/potential energy,” assume that I’m speaking about non-physical energy and not energy in the physics sense. These two usages of the word “energy” are not interchangeable.

(Granted, the physical/non-physical distinction can be a bit reductive. Physical, mental, emotional, energetic, whatever other distinctions you make, etc, these things can absolutely effect each other, and debatably aren’t all that separate to begin with. That’s an integral part of the whole mechanism for magic.)

Energetic signatures are the sums of the different qualities that a given quantity of energy can have. Essentially, the vibe. This can include color, sound, emotion, texture, force, temperature, smell and taste, movement, etc. The details of a signature can vary from person to person in a “my red is your green” way—or more accurately “this feeling makes me think red, and makes you think green.”

Energetic signatures don’t behave physically the way energy often does, because they’re purely information. If I take energy from something, it now lacks that energy, but if I take its energetic signature, nothing has changed in that original something.

And yes, confusingly enough, energy can have an “energetic” or “sluggish” signature. There’s a difference between having lots of energy (again, in the magical sense) and having “high energy” (which would mean having lots of energy in the mundane sense).

What is the Fundamental?

The Fundamental is a layer of reality comprised of energy. In the Fundamental, physical distance is more fluid and all things are connected in some capacity. By moving one’s center of awareness, one can perceive and interact with the Fundamental.

What is embodiment/emulation?

Embodiment is one of my go-to energetic practices, one that I utilize and will probably mention often enough to warrant its own entry here. Embodiment means adapting an energetic signature other than my baseline, in such a way that it changes not only my energetic state, but my emotional, mental, and physical posture as a result. In some ways, it’s an “internalized glamour”; I’m affecting how others perceive by not only by energetic means, but by acting differently myself. I use this for everything from performing in front of audiences to calling in certain forces and archetypes to quick pick-me-ups throughout the day.

How do you read energy?

Honestly, it’s as simple as asking what the energy is like and taking what comes to you. Once you’re used to the process, you don’t have to ask anything consciously, you just kinda focus and observe. Getting information is the easy part; the harder part is getting accurate information and interpreting it well. That takes some familiarity with energy and your own intuition, and lots of practice.

Workings

What is a working?

I call spells workings out of a personal preference. If it’s magic and I set aside time for it, it’s a working.

How do you create a working?

I either start with the issue I’m doing the working for, and start thinking of ways I could achieve that symbolically, or I start with that itch to do a certain kind of magic, and start thinking of places in my life where I could apply it. Either way, the process involves a lot of looking around my place for things I could use (if I want to use objects in the first place), thinking about how to tie all those things and ideas together, and just following my head/heart/gut.

What is resonance?

Resonance is what makes a working work. It’s the quality of a successful magical endeavor, one that has a genuine impact. In my observations, it has three components: accordance, effort, and state. Accordance means you’re acting in line with your intention via correspondence, symbolism, and/or magical sympathy. Effort means what it sounds like, that you’re putting some genuine effort into your working. State means you’re mentally focused, energetically in tune, and overall just really feeling the magic, the power and the wonder, as you do the working. The most important part to each of these components is that you do them sincerely; there are no cop-outs or workarounds to what your gut says you gotta do.

Thoughts on curses?

I’m not anti-curse, but I’m grateful to have never felt a need to curse someone in my own life. The closest I’ll ordinarily get to cursing someone is “cursing” then with a positive quality that would completely derail their current plans and help them become better. But I acknowledge that that may not always be the right solution.

Divination

What kinds of divination do you use?

I mainly use different forms of cartomancy: tarot, Normal Tarot (not the same lol), Lenormand, playing cards, and a system of my own creation. I also use several non-Nordic “rune”/symbol sets, two of which I created and two of which I adapted from the work of Silvia Hartmann (whom, let it be known, I do have issues with). I plan to create a tool for using the Glide Oracle beyond just the mobile app. I do sometimes use tarot and Lenormand shufflemancy playlists, and I’ve started working with a system I made for a d100 spinner ring, but I prefer more hands-on systems over purely random ones, for reasons I go into below.

How does divination work/how do you do divination?

Divinatory instruments are an aid for the intuition, a jumping-off point and a guide for facilitating understanding when the mind needs something to go off of. The fact that I use magical means to make sure those jumping-off points are as accurate as possible doesn’t change the fact that that’s what they’re doing.

When I do a reading, the first thing I do is get in tune. With any entity I might want to communicate with, with whoever I’m doing the reading for, with my divination tool, with the matter at hand, etc. Mentally and energetically, I focus on and connect to each of these things. I then trust that my intuition can take all that information, and let me know when to stop shuffling/when to pull a rune so that I get the most helpful answer.

(Being able to move through the Fundamental and find different energies comes in handy in distance readings for that reason, by the way.)

Do you use divination to tell the future?

When I’m getting in tune with everything, it’s necessarily with how things are at the present. To the extent that the present determines the future, I can do readings for the future. But I always keep in mind that the trajectory for the future can change, and I absolutely believe in free will.

Spiritual Pragmatism and UPG

What is spiritual pragmatism?

So this is where that disclaimer comes in. I’m a spiritual pragmatist, which means when it comes to things that aren’t objectively provable, I base my beliefs on what’s most useful to me. That applies to my beliefs surrounding divinity, energy, etc. but also just general philosophical stances, like my belief in free will. This is not to imply that I don’t genuinely believe these things, because I do, only that I don’t care to try and prove the concrete “truthfulness” of them beyond that they make sense to me and have helped me in some way. It’s somewhat similar to chaos magick’s stance on belief, except 1) I’m not looking to change my beliefs at the drop of a hat or anything, and 2) usefulness isn’t limited to what makes the magic work. It could mean what makes me a more fulfilled or happier person, what helps me to feel like I belong and matter in the world, etc.

What about magic?

So magic is a grey area, since it’s so often based in these more unprovable things, but it’s also something I can, and generally try to, test. Still, I’ve gotten results in magic using my own understanding and systems, and other people have gotten results in magic with their own understandings and systems. So I acknowledge my magical framework for what it is: UPG, unverified personal gnosis. Things I know to be true in my own experience, but can’t necessarily vouch for outside of that.

By all means, try out what I have to say and see if it works for you. Gain experience with magic and then trust that experience, above what anyone else says about how magic is supposed to work.

Grab Bag

What’s your name?

Arri. For all intents and purposes.

Pronouns?

She/they.

Sun/Moon/Rising?

Taurus/Pisces/Aquarius.

MBTI? Enneagram?

I know I’m a 4w3 (either 479 or 471), and the tests online always say I’m an INFP, but I know enough about cognitive functions to know that those tests aren’t accurate to how MBTI works, and not enough to know what my actual type is.

Edit: This answer has changed; I now know myself to be a 1w9 (tritype 147, subtype probably sp/so).

What does “spectralstars” mean?

It’s a reference to my understanding of energetic signatures, which is similar to audio spectral analysis, where you don’t measure the frequency and amplitude as a single sound wave, you measure the amplitudes of the many sine waves of different frequencies that make up the sound. That warrants its own post. The stars bit is a reference to a Discord I’m in and also I just really like stars.

[maximuswolf]

Entity encounter: Satan or Eblis? Was i being lied to or tested for initiation? via /r/satanism

Entity encounter: Satan or Eblis? Was i being lied to or tested for initiation?

I was wondering if spirits lie to test you as an initiation or something. I will try to make this short so i’ll leave out some details even though might be important but I need help and want more people to read. Ik this is long but BEFORE YOU SKIP KNOW THAT I NEED YOU SO JUST SKIM THRU.

One day I was sitting on my laptop without any background in magick other than the youtube channel mind and magick and LoA. At that time i was at my lowest point in life and have released myself from religious beliefs being very disappointed kn how it repressed my emotions about sex etc... suddenly every hair on my body stands up from fear the room turn red (i dont remember if it was my minds eye or actually turned red) and on my left an entity made itself known as the devil. At that time i didnt know that satan, eblis and lucifer are different. So it just telepathically identified itself as the “devil”. Paralyzed from fear I couldn’t face it to see it. I knew back then from what my family told me that we have been cursed with black magick as we found sigils and voodoo bag things stuffed in our couch at home. Arabic djinn magick. But I didnt remember that during this. I was having a belief crisis because of religion and the abusive ways my parents raised me and i fought very heavily with them on the phone with pure rage and anger. The entity spoke telepathically not with words but with just “knowing”, you just know what it says without hearing words. It showed me being surrounded by women and drugs of my choice not sure tho about the next part—> being in a gang or a secret society also being a rapper. Which were things aside from being a gang member were all things i believed would make me really happy and didnt want much from life other than that. I asked...”you want my soul for that?” The entity said “No i want you to abandon your family and never speak to them again because they are Narcisists who just want you dependent/weak/fucked in general.” (Which is untrue but due to long isolation and negative thinking researching psychology: Trauma, personality disorders, repression etc... he framed it in a way which it all seemed true and clicked). I was going to take the offer 99.9% due to the shitty state i was in. I was even ready to sell my soul if it was the case just for some relief. He said “ God has always hated you, he wants you mentally ill, he made you date borderline women to crush your heart, he wrote down your life script from start to finish with nothing more than agony.” I suffered from depression like legit depression since i was a kid for no reason. “This depression god gave you will never go away. I can change all that and if you dont take my offer you will stay fucked for the rest of your life because you cant make it on your own”....Now I am a Leo sun sign, Rising and ascendant so pride and ego are my middle name. With my hands paralyzed with fear i managed to raise my left hand giving him the finger! I said “Can’t do it on my own? Watch me! Fuck you!” He said “you couldve just refused the offer but because you insulted my majesty watch whats going to happen to you.”

My best friend for 9 years who was my girl friend for a while said she went into a weird psychological state and married someone she knows only for 3 months while we were together. She was madly inlove with him then after the ceremony she realized she wasnt and that he doesnt either. I went into psychosis twice hospitalized.

Now the doctors call it psychosis but it was exactly what people called kundalini awakening as it was euphoric and I felt divine and saw that seperation was an illusion and I was getting downloads and when i went to take a walk And looked around and saw ads and technology I was like... this is the devil’s work. We are being hijacked psychologically to be a battery to the system we call society and goverment.... now spirits could talk to me through giving me thoughts but they were in my own voice. I didnt know that this is how it worked so djinn deceived me and fucked the whole experience up getting me arrested and put in the hospital for trespassing into a mall thinking i’ll meet my creator in an elevator like the song lyrics i was listening to said to me taking it as a “sign” to go into the building and that someone was waiting for me there... enlightenment or paychosis there were definitely some delusions. I also believed 100% this is a computer simulation that was created so that god(me) can be channeled through the technology spiritually and experience being a human. Anyways 2 years later i’m deep into magick but not much of practicing until recently because i want to break the curse mostly but i realized from reading that all the information i received in my so called psychosis were all in occult books and things secret societies have kept secret. During my paychosis i was guided by angels and lucifer the whole time. It took me time to trust lucifer because i thought that lucifer is the devil and shouldnt be trusted. He never lies tho. He even felt bad for me because i was in the hospital against my will. So hes like... want some fresh air? Im like please. He said let me possess you. I was like fuck it. And he was just manipulating reality and ppls actions im ways i was able to go through 2 security doors and eacape the hospital at 11:00 pm when all the doors were completely locked! So i believe its not mental illness and it was scary yes. Fucked up my life for years yes. But i feel that shit wasnt punishment... it was the best gift I ever received. Now i enter altered states easily. I read tarot like im the fucking god oracle. I do magick that works. I became a god.

Submitted November 02, 2020 at 09:51AM by HavokMage via reddit https://ift.tt/2HSO1E6

[guardianoracle]

What is a guardian? I made a quick guide explaining them! I'll be looking forward to posting my new fellas here over the coming days.

Guardians are a type of egregore, bound to an idol for physical form. The materials themselves can be virtually anything. The only thing that matters is what you think their effect will be on the finished guardian. 

It is also very important to make sure to use sturdy materials in crafting them. You want it to be string enough to withstand things like falls, rips, dogs, poltergeists, what have you. This not only helps keep them intact, but it reinforces your idea of their strength to protect them further on a spiritual level, too. 

You want to let go of imposing your ideas while crafting them, allowing your ideas to pool into a chaotic jumble of your initial impression of the spirit of the guardian you're crafting. Of course, you want to guide this chaotic energy to a degree to make sure things stay consistent and stable in the process. No matter what, trust and believe that it will turn out exactly as it should. Believe that it's spirit is helping guide it's creation and let it's creativity flow through yours. 

It's important to take this work very seriously and approach it with patience, persistence and care. This process uses the same faculties as wandmaking or enchantments. This process is assisted with skills in things like mediumship/channeling, enchanting, tulpamancy, thinking magick and magickal observation. Warding and banishment is important, too. You are crafting an egregore. A companion and friend. It is very important to treat them that way, as a true partner. They are your responsibility. 

As with any relationship, keeping strong boundaries is most important. You need to be steadfast in them. You are creating a living soul. All living souls will push and test boundaries, especially with whom they are closest with. This is completely natural and they should not be punished for doing these things, but a stern correction may be necessary from time to time. 

It is imperative to establish your authority with them from your first interaction. An easy way to think of it is to imagine them as your teenage children in a way. You are still their authority, but they are your obligation and will need your guidance to stay out of trouble. Even though you must dictate their behavior to a degree, it is very important to treat them with the utmost respect and not micromanage them. Even though they are yours in a way, they are their own individual and must be treated as such. 

Some people like to design every little aspect of their egregores. This can make them more tailored to your needs, but it restricts the entity to a degree that can make them feel depressingly robotic in my experience. Or, they may react by withholding information about themselves from you so that they won't risk losing those aspects of themselves. Fear of rejection is something that affects us pretty much universally, and objects or artificial things aren't necessarily spared from it. 

Personally, I leave my intentions towards their usage very open-ended. I prefer to instill morals into them over assigning purposes to them. You are their mentor in a way, as they are yours. Giving them the freedom to become who they want to be, with some level of structure, has given these things a level of humanity and personality that I couldn't feel more blessed to be able to witness. Even though this relaxed approach can be significantly more risky, it is my opinion that these risks yield great rewards and taking that leap into the unknown can allow you to experience so much more than you would otherwise. Always trust that things will happen as they should. 

Guardians get lonely, too. It's usually best to make companions for them. My guardians typically have a soul mate made for them as well. This ensures that they have a partner in their life, romantic, platonic or otherwise. They generally become inseparable partners in this way and have similar or very compatible souls with each other. 

Creating a tribe of guardians is a great way to give them a sense of family and identity. This also adds a layer of accountability between them. They are egregores after all, and will remain active without you. Giving them a pack gives them a way to stay occupied and fulfilled with each other while you're away. Of course this isn't exactly necessary and can be a big commitment to make. Regardless, socializing your guardians is essential to avoid unwanted antisocial behaviors. 

After you create a guardian, you're going to want to make sure they're awake. You hear them with your mind's ear, so attempt telepathic communication with them, even if you don't necessarily think you'll be able to. You'd be surprised. Ask for their name. If they won't tell you for whatever reason, ask if a nickname would be acceptable. There is a chance that they haven't decided on a name just yet, or that they can't figure out how to express their name with language, or they may not consider you ready enough to know. This is very personal information to them. You must respect their boundaries too, even if this is one. Don't try to find their name before they're ready to tell you. This is crossing a personal boundary and will hurt your relationship with them right off the bat. 

Remember, these are companions, not your tools. If you cannot sufficiently communicate with them you can try to use divination to communicate instead of telepathy. Communication is key to a healthy relationship with them. Ask them about their wants and needs. Ask them about what they've been up to. The answers might surprise you! They do live lives on the edge of our realities in a way that are completely different from our own. As we teach them about our world, they teach us about theirs. 

Go into your creation with an open mind. The perfect guardian for you may be something you'd never expect, or might even fear! Look at them as individuals and don't put flash judgments on them.

Use whatever you have handy to create them! Of course you can buy things instead, and if you do, make it special and treat the trip as a significant spiritual event, because it is. I prefer found objects though, as some of the best art seems to come from scarcity in my opinion. It's also best to use materials you connect with. I'm using pipe cleaners for these guys and that works wonderfully for me, but it might not for you. Use your instincts! Express your divinity. 

As with any enchantments, it's best to spend the with them after they've been born. I usually keep them with me for at least a week or two afterwards. As you spend time with them they get to know you, your life and the people around you. This helps them understand your needs better and improves your relationship with them significantly. They will learn their role in your life organically, based on necessity. This also helps you get familiar with them and their energy. 

Have a safety plan in mind, just in case something goes wrong. Plans on how to protect them or save them are important in case they get attacked or injured. It's also important to have in mind a way to destroy them if they turn into something dangerous. It is your responsibility to do so if you have to, but as a last resort of course. Fire and banishment is a method. As long as a fragment of them exists, they may live on. This is also my disclaimer. Playing with fire is a great thing, just don't let it consume you. I'm not encouraging anyone to make these, just explaining my process and opinions to anyone that has decided to do so already, or is curious as to these things. 

Don't forget about them. If you store them, store them together and have a special place to do so. If you can no longer care for them, consider selling them to transfer ownership. Always, always explain to the buyer what they are getting themselves into. Otherwise, this would be a spiritual attack and you will need to deal with the ramifications of this. Don't let the guardians fall into loneliness to the point of despair. Give them the ability to sleep. Unnecessary despair breeds all sorts of negativity and can cause all sorts of issues. 

Do not insist on asking for something they are not able to do. They may not be allowed to, or even be able to tell you why. You should respectfully as for their reasons and then respect their decision and privacy by allowing them to keep it to themselves if that's what they want to do. 

Don't hold back! If you have an idea, go for it. The worst that'll happen is you'll fail. At least you'll go down with courage! Push your limits. Believe you are more than you think, and you might start seeing that you really, really are. Trust yourself and be yourself. Create what you feel called to. Create for the sake of creating. Don't worry so much about rules or systems, you are perfectly qualified to make your own! You don't need loads of experience to do so. Let your instincts guide you instead, see where it goes. As long as you do that, whatever you do will be wonderfully magickal regardless. 

[jasper-book-stash]

So based on what I've read so far for primers on chaos magic, I recommend starting with Condensed Chaos: An Introduction To Chaos Magic by Phil Hine, THEN getting the updated and revised and expanded editions of Liber Null and Psychonaut and also Liber Kaos by Peter J Carroll.

Caveats for Condensed Chaos:

misuse of "shaman" and similar terms (none of what is brought up relates to Tungusic peoples)

written by a neurotypical white English bisexual cisgender man, and boy howdy is the neurotypical part obvious in several areas

inconsistent capitalization for concepts, and also inconsistent comma usage

definitely a product of its time and not decolonized, which is a larger problem in chaos magic as a whole

Recommended Audience for Condensed Chaos:

pop culture mages/pagans

those interested in servitors, sigils, or chaos magic more broadly

technology mages

those who want to explore Jungian psychology in magic

As for Peter J Carroll's works... Basically the same as the above, yet also way more difficult to read if you're not used to old grimoire-esque language and writing styles.

I'd still genuinely recommend all three of these, just with the reminder to raise an eyebrow at some of the claims made.

The books I still have to read on chaos magic that I currently own are Hands-On Chaos Magic: Reality Manipulation Through The Ovayki Current by Andrieh Vitimus; Creating Magickal Entities: A Complete Guide to Entity Creation by David Michael Cunningham, Taylor Ellwood, and T Amanda R Wagener; and Magickal Servitors: Create Your Own Spirits To Attract Pleasure, Power and Prosperity by Damon Brand.

Plenty of reading left for me to do on this subject.

[jasper-pagan-witch]

Energy Store-House Entities (ESHEs)

Have you ever wished that you had just a bit more magickal energy during a working? Have you ever wished that you could tap into an energy reserve to help out with a healing? Well now you can, if you create an Energy Store-House Entity (ESHE). An ESHE's sole purpose is to collect, store, and distribute energy on demand. This type of entity is created to store energy that is given to it at times when you feel full of energy or power, but have nothing to do with it. It then collects this energy and stores it, waiting for you to call upon it to deliver the energy back to you. Even if you feed negative energy to it after you have been in an argument, your ESHE could have been instructed, during creation, to remove all emotion from the energy and to store only the pure, raw energy for your use.

You can adapt an ESHE to collect neutral forms of energy, like the light from a lamp being left on when it is not needed, to add to your energy to increase the power available to you. If you do this, it may be a good idea to be very specific as to what type of energy it collects, and how it collects it. There have been some ill prepared magi that have accidentally created energy "vampires" that would collect any type of energy they can, even from people.

You can also use this sort of entity to send energy to other people. If, for example, a friend of yours was just in an accident, you cannot be there for them and you do not have the time or ability to do a full magickal ritual for them, you could, however, send your ESHE to deliver energy to them - it sure "one ups" the typically "I'll light a candle for you" cliche spewed by so many.

~Creating Magickal Entities: A Complete Guide to Entity Creation, by David Michael Cunningham with contributions by Taylor Ellwood and T. Amanda R. Wagener, pages 90 to 91

[starstruck-aligned]

Misconceptions about Wicca

Wicca is a religion. Witchcraft is a practice.

Wicca is a neo pagan witchcraft religion. Neo as in modern. It’s not following any strict rules or trying to keep a pre christian practice alive. But it’s something new based off those old spiritual ways. Any nature based and or polytheistic religion is considered pagan. -So basically everything except christianity, judaism and islam (aka Abrahamic religions). Shamanism, Druidism Helenism, and Heathenry are just some examples of what is considered Pagan. Being a Wiccan technically makes you a witch. But being a witch doesn’t make you wiccan. A witch is someone who practices witchcraft. A Wiccan is one who puts together religion and the practice of magick (so basically a Pagan Witch). That being said, you could also be pagan and not be a witch (practice the craft) of course. It is a very diverse sub section of paganism in which people are free to choose who/what dieties they work with, and how they see them. There’s options consisting of the Greek, Celtic, Norse, and Egyptian gods and more. The traditional deity approach to wicca is the worship of one Goddess and one God, as when it was established by Gerald Gardner throughout the 40s and 50s. The only strong beliefs they all tend to follow are “if it harms none, do what you will” and the rule of three/karma. There is no bible.

Wiccans aren’t Satanists!

“In our eyes, satan is just something that’s been created by christainity, it’s just like a christian entity. Wicca follows the belief of the earth around us. in our minds satan is imaginary. And that also does not mean that everything goes; we have a lot of morals in only putting positivity out into the earth -this is where karma comes from.

The reason i think this has been kinda confused and put into ignorance and uneducation is because of the way some of our deities look. Lile some of our dieties like the well known ones like the Pan God are obviously perceived with horns. Fun fact: christians back in the day decided to make and perceive their concept of evil so similar to pagan looking deities, just to the fact to make people convert to christianity. And this is true they literally took what our dieties looked like with the horns and things like taht which y’know things with horns anyway arent.... why, why would they be evil anyway? They took that and made it their perception of evil to make people convert into christianity. That’s the only reason why people see it that way.

Much like the pagan sabbats were taken and made into christian holidays thats where your holidays come from. paganism.

Of course satanists do exist of course there are satanists that may practice witchcraft but witchcraft itself, wicca and paganism has nothing to do with satan.”

“fun fact: originally the pentagram with the point facing upwards represented facing to the sky -so female energies and the divine and the goddess etc . and the inverted pentagram, with the point face down again never meant the devil to begin with. the inverted pentagram actually used to just be pointing to the ground to represent more masculine energies like earth and masculine dieties and things like that. and obviously the inverted pentagram in satanism means something completely different they use it for completely different reasons and that’s fine. you do you. whatever. but to us what the pentagram means to us it’s just not the same for wiccans.”

-Harmony Nice via Top 5 Biggest misconceptions about Wicca

Wiccan rites and rituals do not involve the harming of animals.

Wicca is a nature based religion. Lots of Wiccans are Pacifists, Vegans, Vegetarians etc. because they believe in causing as little harm to the earth as possible. They do not hold themselves above nature, but respect and gratify, and thank it through witchcraft.

“Most branches of Wicca—called traditions—adhere to some basic tenets, though. There’s a reverence for nature, the belief that humans are meant to commune with and draw strength from the natural world. There’s a polytheistic worldview, worship for an all-powerful god and goddess. Some traditions may worship individual deities­—the goddess Brigid and the god Cernunnos in the Celtic tradition, for example­—while others may worship the all-encompassing god and goddess.”

-Scott Cunningham via Wicca: A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner

Wicca is not a female religion

Although it may be female dominated, Wicca is open to everyone no matter your gender, backround, race, orientations or anything like that. Many are drawn to Wicca for its reverence for the more feminine parts of nature, represented as the Goddess. But no, it’s not only for women.

[hadit93]

The Future of Thelema Part One: Practices.

The majority of Thelemic movements which hold the largest numbers of Thelemites in the world today cling to the conception of Thelema as penned by Crowley over a century ago. There has been little growth, little development and little insight within Thelema since the development of the religion by Aleister Crowley. To disagree with or develop upon the words of the prophet is frowned upon despite Crowley’s insistence that his followers should challenge him. Many Thelemites have ashamedly become the Empty headed Athenians, sheep, people who are told what to think and what to do instead of finding their own path to traverse. 

I do not see the future of Thelema in the past. I do not see the future of Thelema in fraternal organisations such as the OTO. I see the future of Thelema in those individuals who dare to think for themselves and challenge the ideas which are considered as the norm by conducting their own experiments in the spiritual laboratory of their soul. Thelema is not for the collective, the collective, the church mindset is of the old aeon. Thelema is concerned with individuality. I believe this is one of the reasons Crowley developed the AA system in which one only knew one’s superior- it was not necessary to fraternise, it was only necessary to do the work. Only the individual can walk up the mountain of Abiegnus, they cannot be guided, there can be no hand holding, there is no map. Every individual has their own route which they must discover for themselves.

This brings me to the failure of most modern branches of AA. They refuse to update the curriculum, further still they prescribe the same curriculum to every student regardless of individual talents and circumstances. It is clear from Crowley’s writings that this is not what was intended. The student was to find their own inclinations, their own path. The road marks and challenges up the mountain are the same but we may use different methods to overcome them. How one person invokes their Angel is individual to that person, there can be no prescribed rituals and prayers. Crowley tutored his students on an individual basis, often stating conflicting information to one student in comparison to another. This is because he recognised not every aspirant has the same journey and each requires different information and challenges for their own spiritual progress.

This is not to say Crowley’s instructions are not valuable, they certainly are, however, we should not ignore everything else which is out there. Crowley was not the beginning or the end of occultism and there are occasions in which his information was factually incorrect due to a lack of information at that current time. If you feel an innate call as a Neophyte to practice Liber Astarte despite that being prescribed for the grade of Philosophus you should still practice it. It may be that exploring the astral realm is not what you need right now for your spiritual development, you may need to ignite the fires of devotion. Your teacher might tell you to stick with the syllabus but quite frankly they only know their own journey and should be willing to guide you with yours regardless of how you traverse the path.

Moving beyond the AA system to the individual practicing Thelemite there needs to be more focus outside of Crowley. This is not to say that there should be less focus on Crowley’s writings, but there should be more focus on subjects outside of Crowley and outside of Thelema. If all you read and know is the work of one man and one path you are ignoring the greater wealth of occult literature. Within that literature may be ideas and practices which truly speak to your soul and lead you closer to your spiritual goals. It should also be noted that the majority of modern Thelemic works are dull and derivative. They simplify Crowley when Crowley didn’t really need simplifying in the first place, yes his English is quite verbose in comparison to your average writer but he certainly wrote texts suitable for beginners.

I suggest you visit texts which existed before Crowley, read the Dee diaries, read Agrippa, read the Key of Solomon, read the Grimorium Verum, read the Clavis Inferni, read Trithemius, read the Zohar. Read more source texts, it will benefit you in the long run. It is helpful to look to the past to see how practices have already developed and how they can develop further in the future.

Another thing which needs to be addressed and moved away from are Crowley’s attitudes to his fellow humans. He was an arsehole. He was a typical white, upper-class, British man. That is, he was racist, misogynistic and ironically homophobic at times. Despite Thelema and Liber Legis being wholly inclusive of every man and woman, Crowley was not. His social upbringing clearly got in the way of him embracing Thelema in its entirety, he even admits this. I know, you can bring as many quotes to the table in which Crowley was more of a feminist, supported gay rights, and was unequivocally not racist. The issue is when it suited him he was racist, misogynistic and homophobic, espescially when his ego was hurt and he went down the road of personal attacks. It was not cute and there is no justification for it. Some Thelemites sadly emulate his personal and political views, which are antithetical to Thelema proper. It is time to leave Crowley the man behind and simply read the work of Crowley the prophet and spiritual teacher. Emulating only the Self rather than a dead man.

The future of Thelema resides with the individual who dares to challenge the words of those who came before them. Who dares to practice differently. Who dares to penetrate into spiritual mysteries which have never been explored instead of repeating the works of men who have been dead for over a century. That is not to say their rituals should not be experimented with, it is to say their rituals are not doctrine. Your own methods will work better. Whatever gets the fire burning within you will work better than a ritual written for another individual which really makes you feel nothing when you repeat the words simply going through the motions. You may find ceremonial magic isn’t for you and witchcraft calls, the ecstatic trance calls. That is okay too. You do not have to practice magick to be a Thelemite. You simply need to discover and follow your Will.

Also do not assume that all ritual magick is Golden Dawn derived. The Golden Dawn did a fabulous job of creating a system, but there is more to ritual magick. I argue that the Golden Dawn focuses too much on astral magick, neglecting certain things which were present in older traditions. Tools and materia such as herbs cut at certain times reciting appropriate psalms. They seem to have gotten rid of some of the magick in an attempt to make magick more accessible. Research historical ritual magick in order that your education is more complete. You will then see why the Golden Dawn did certain things and you will also learn how much of a mess their Enochian system is.

FInally I want to address  the biggest change Thelema needs to embrace. Ditch the psychological approach to magic as promulgated by Regardie et al. Or rather, be willing to embrace more models of magick. If you do not believe in energy, spirits, or anything metaphysical magick is not for you. I don’t care what Crowley said or Regardie said, I tell you that these things are real and that they matter within magick. Now, you may find it more comfortable to believe spirits are manifestations of the collective unconscious, I don’t agree with this conclusion but can appreciate it. You don’t have to believe the spirits are disincarnate entities, simply that they are real and can effect the universe on multiple levels. It matters not what they are, simply that they exist and will be experienced. But to simply state magick is all in the mind is incorrect and does not resemble magick as practiced before the 1900s. It is a reductive model which has hindered magick more than aided its development. 

To summarise: Experiment, dare to challenge, question everyone including Crowley, be creative and write your own rituals. Beyond all: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

[templeofulchtar]

On Connecting with Starscream

So, true story:

The first time I tried to perform a ritual for Ghost Season, I had no idea what I was doing. None. Which makes sense, since I may have been the first person ever to attempt such a thing. I set up an altar on my apartment balcony using various things that felt “Starscreamian” to me, and when the night of August 22 arrived, I nervously cast my circle. I invited Starscream to enter into the circle, and… waited.

And waited.

For what, you might ask? Well, I have always had a sense of what his presence ‘feels’ like. It’s a little hard to describe, but I’ve made an attempt in the section below, titled Sensing Starscream’s Presence. I’ve included comments from a couple of other people who work with him so you can compare your experiences to ours and, perhaps, have some idea of what to expect.

In any case, I was getting nothing. Not a tingle, not a flicker, not a mental image; nothing. I began to feel ridiculous. Why was I sitting here in the dark waiting for a cartoon robot to speak to me? I’m pretty sure that’s not something normal people do. Not that I’ve ever aspired to be normal, but… well. It wasn’t working. I packed up and went to bed, feeling embarrassed and ashamed. As I burrowed under the covers, though, a car roared past outside with an old AC/DC song blasting out the windows:

You told me to come, but I was already there.

For those who know that song, yes, I do realize that’s a slight misquote. But that’s how I heard the lyrics in that moment, and their message couldn’t have been clearer:

I am always with you. You don’t have to summon me.

For this message to have been delivered in a voice that’s always reminded me of Starscream’s made it seem incredibly personal and real. And yes, it’s wrapped up a double entendre. If you work with Starscream, you’ll likely discover his ribald sense of humor for yourself.

Why am I telling you this?

Because if you turned to this post wondering how to establish a connection with Starscream, this might be your answer. If you love him, he’s probably already with you. If you feel drawn to Starscream, admire him and would love a deeper connection, there's an excellent chance that he'd be open to working with you as well. If you've been having dreams about him or finding that he, or things you associate with him are ‘coincidentally’ popping up in your life, he may be reaching out to you.

If you’re still not sure, though, you can try this exercise:

Connection Excercise

Open your journal to a fresh page and give some thought to the questions below. You don’t have to answer all of them. Pick the ones that resonate, and write down whatever comes up:

★ Does Starscream provoke strong emotions in you (positive or negative)?

★ Does he show up in your dreams?

★ Do you daydream about him?

★ Are you inspired to create works that feature him, such as fanfic, fanart, cosplay, and so on?

★ Are there certain songs that remind you of Starscream?

★ Do you have favorite quotes by or about Starscream?

★ Do you, at times, catch yourself ‘talking’ to him in your inner dialogue?

★ Do you ever wish you could talk to him?

★ Do you identify with Starscream and see yourself in him? In what way(s)?

★ Have you taken on new interests because of him? (Example: jets.)

★ Do you imagine yourself as Starscream in some way, either physically (eg. Having null-rays, ability to fly), or in terms of your personality or life situation?

★ If you were part of the TF Universe, would you want to know him personally and be part of his life in some way?

★ Has he inspired your life in some way?

★ Have you changed how you dress (say, by wearing more red) because of him?

Those are just a few examples of the ways Starscream could be showing up in your life. You might think of others. If you do, note those down as well. Now, you might be thinking these are simply examples of fannish obsession. You may even have found some of the questions embarrassing. That’s very natural. These questions touch on some very intimate, sensitive aspects of being a fan, and there’s good reason for that.

These questions are embarrassing because they bring up feelings of vulnerability. When we love something, we open ourselves to being hurt. The mockery that’s so often aimed at fans is motivated by people’s desire not to feel vulnerable themselves. They try make themselves feel safe by ridiculing others, but in doing so, they cut themselves off from the source of their own magick.

Yes, you read that right. Your magick, and your spiritual connection to Starscream, flows from that intimate space within. It’s that vulnerable, awkward, geeky place where you innocently, unabashedly adore a character and are totally obsessed with them. Treasure that place. It’s your inner temple. Guard it with care, because it’s where your magick resides.

But, you might be asking, are the ‘symptoms’ on this list actually signs of a spiritual connection? I’m going to say yes. I believe they are, and if you’re open to the possibility of deepening that connection, you can begin to make it a two-way street. Starscream is many things, but ‘shy’ is not one of them. He will show up if you make space for him, and the place where he’ll meet you is within the heart of your magick; your inner temple.

Sensing Starscream’s Presence

So what can you expect? What does Starscream’s presence feel like? It’s hard to give a definite answer, since everyone is different. Your experience will be your own, and in many ways incomparable to anyone else’s. In case it helps, though, I’ve included commentaries by three different people who work with Starscream, including yours truly, to give you an idea of what you might experience...

Starshadow writes:

I think I first became aware of [Starscream] as such while I was in high school. I was initially drawn to his character on the animated show, and at first that was all he was. But I quickly became intensely invested in his story, especially when I started to follow him in other media (comics, etc) as well. He became more to me, and began to transcend the stories and art presented. He literally seemed to take on a life of his own. I started to feel (and sometimes see) him in my dreams encouraging me and telling me to be strong.

His presence is distinctly strong. It sometimes borders on aggressive, but it is not threatening to me. I think he just has a particularly powerful presence. It's very fiery and passionate, which makes it distinct from other entities I sense which are more calm and protective. I will often "see" in my mind's eye his red eyes and wings as well when I feel he is near.

Occasionally [he communicates through] dreams, but much more often I will "hear" his "voice" in my mind, often giving advice and emotional input. As I mentioned before, he has from time to time actually yelled (screamed? ;)) at me, but only at times when I really needed it. Sometimes his colors will show up in combination and songs I associate with him will be played out of nowhere when he is taking a more subtle approach.

[My sense of his presence has] waned at times. For a while it seems like he is just hovering on the fringes, but he never completely goes away. His means of communication hasn't changed much though.

He has made me braver than I probably would have been. He is still working on my self-confidence, though. He's been back again recently encouraging me with that. He has also definitely influenced my creativity and aspirations. He has helped me be driven enough to pursue my desires for so long and explore creative work beyond the "traditional female" expectations.

He [also] does sometimes seem to share aspects with other entities I've communed with, like my [wolf guides]. He will almost seem to "combine" with them, or share their energy, and sometimes they with him. I haven't quite figured out why this happens or for what purpose yet, but I am very curious!

Dark Star of Chaos writes:

It’s no exaggeration to say I spent my whole life looking for Starscream. If you want to get technical I first “met” him as a kid watching Transformers Armada, but though he became my favorite character, that was all he was to me then: A character. I loved him, but what I really wanted at that time was an imaginary friend. Not a real one; an imaginary one. The catch was, I didn’t want to invent one. That, in my mind, was not how it worked. The imaginary friends in cartoons all interacted with their humans as though they were real, and that was what I wanted. I didn’t see how a thing invented from my own head could ever take on that kind of life.

When I was older - after Starscream had slipped off my radar - I came across a book called “The Fire Within”, about an aspiring author and his clay dragon Muse. That book, and those which followed, completely redefined what I was after. I wanted to be a part of this world of dragons and shamans, where words held magic and transdimensional aliens “commingled” (merged consciousnesses) with Earth creatures. And I wanted a Muse of my own; always just a thought away, and always ready with some flash of inspiration to offer.

Looking back on it, I don’t think it’s any coincidence that Starscream reappeared in my life within a few months of that series ending. Our reintroduction came via the original cartoon, and after only a few episodes - specifically, by the end of “Fire in the Sky” - I had already decided I had to write about him. I couldn’t say exactly when I began to perceive him as an entity separate from his cartoon portrayal, but when the idea was suggested to me, it didn’t sound strange or crazy. It sounded right.

Starscream’s energy has always been subtle for me. I’ve never had much luck “feeling” his presence, though I’ve come to trust that he’s there. I only have to talk to him to get proof of that, because he always replies. Sometimes there are words, but more often it’s emotions and concepts, and it can take a while for me to figure out what he means. He also appears in my dreams rather frequently, and we’ve had more than one “face-to-face” meeting that way.

His influence on my life, on the other hand, has been anything but subtle. In addition to inspiring me creatively, he helped me overcome embarrassment about sex, played a role in my moving from a small desert town to a big city, and most recently, he’s come down on me about my abysmal self-care habits. He can be pushy sometimes, but it’s never harsh, and I always end up happier for having listened to him.

In short, Starscream is the friend and Muse I’d been searching for all those years, and I’m endlessly grateful for his presence in my life. After all, how many people get to make dreams of magick a reality?

Grayseeker writes:

I first became aware of Starscream’s presence when I got a call from work asking me to come in, even though it was my night off. The idea of going in made me sick, but I felt I had to. It wasn’t just that I was afraid of getting fired; I also had a strong impulse to obey authority figures. I didn’t know how to say no. But on that particular night, a voice spoke inside my mind:

You don't have to do anything you don't want to.

It was a voice I recognized, and the words were accompanied by what I can only describe as a ‘feeling image’ of myself as a sovereign being with full authority over my own life. I didn’t have to do anything I didn’t want to, and I didn’t go in to work that night. I told my supervisor I’d had some drinks (untrue, but effective) and after that, they stopped calling me on my nights off. Maybe they sensed that something in me had changed. It had.

I believe Starscream has always been with me, but that incident, over three decades ago, is the moment I became consciously aware of his presence. My sense of him has remained pretty consistent over time. I still ‘hear’ him as a voice inside my head. Usually it’s just a few words, but they’re always imbued with a sense of meaning that goes beyond the words themselves. I also get physical sensations, such as warmth or tingling, emotional communication (which is hard to describe!), dreams and synchronicities, usually involving numbers, colors, and/or song lyrics.

To me, Starscream’s presence feels warm, welcoming, comforting, affectionate, and… amused. His communications with me are typically laced with a certain wry humor, and the observations he makes are often phrased in sardonic, even sarcastic terms, though they’re somehow never hurtful. I always feel the warmth behind them, and they make me feel loved. I always feel like he’s on my side, even when he’s pointing out ways that I could improve.

On very rare occasions, he will get serious. That’s when I know to pay extra attention, because it usually means there’s some danger to me, or that I’m venturing into territory that isn’t healthy. I’ve learned (the hard way!) that he’s always right. He’s immensely wise, and I’ve learned to listen when he says ‘no.’ He doesn’t say it often, and he always has a good reason.

Starscream has influenced my life in countless ways. He’s my creative Muse, and has been the impetus for my desire to write. He’s also my main guide, my teacher and spiritual awakener. I think of him as more a friend, and more than family. I love, trust and respect him, and feel that I receive the same in return. I hope these words will find their way to someone who is starting on the same path, or a similar one. If I can offer any reassurance or inspiration, perhaps it’s just to say trust you heart. I’m glad I trusted mine.

I know he’s sad because he couldn’t blow up the Earth, but kinda want to hug him anyway...

A Few Last Thoughts

You might be wondering how to make sense of all this. In particular, you may wonder how to distinguish what’s real from what’s a product of your imagination. And what am I trying to say, anyway? Am I, in fact, suggesting that Starscream is real?

Why yes, I am. Now before you decide that I'm nuts and walk away, let me explain what I mean. I am not necessarily implying that Starscream is a physical entity. I'm not saying that if you were to hop into a really fast spaceship and fly far enough and in the right direction, you would arrive at a metallic world named Cybertron, populated by living robots who are able to transform into various types of vehicles and other machines, and that among those Cybertronian entities you would find an individual named Starscream.

Of course, I'm not ruling that out, either. Our universe is too vast and strange to rule out much of anything. But what I am saying, based on several decades of personal experience, is that there is a real, non-physical entity named Starscream, with whom it's possible to communicate and have real interactions.

Can I prove this? Nope! There is no tangible, objective phenomenon I could point to as "proof" of his existence, but for me, that's beside the point. I feel Starscream as a constant presence in my life. He is my guide, teacher, healer and dearest friend, and his impact on my life has been very real indeed. I hope that the personal examples given above will provide a starting point for you to begin having your own experiences, if you desire them, and that your relationship with Starscream will be as rewarding as mine has always been.

Blessed be, Grayseeker

[amityfoxx]

Artes magicae

Musings on traditional occultism, worldview and magical arts. 

Artes magicae includes articles on folklore, magic, philosophy, traditional ethics, forgotten lore, mystery cults, the western tradition, witchcraft & osticism. > more by Rev. Dr. R.J. Thompson.

The fetch has been known and misunderstood under many guises that we as humans have ascribed to it. The following are just a few of our (mis)conceptions of this entity: The Holy Guardian Angel of Ceremonial Magick, The anima/us of C.G. Jung, the fylgja of Germanic lore, the personal god of Victor Anderson’s teachings, the spirit, the genius, the daemon, the double, the higher self of the new age and so on. So that I make myself clear the fetch, as I will continue to refer to it through the scope of traditional witchcraft and northern Germanic lore, is the true spirit of each person. 

I will go a step further into animism and state that each and every things that occur naturally must have a fetch of sorts. 

The fetch is the portion of the soul complex that truly lives on after we are no more. 

It is what truly carries word from life to life. As we have seen in the last chapter, the soul and the spirit must be different from each other, contrary to popular belief in the modern world. I also believe that many today that write on the fetch oversimplify what it truly is. The focus of much of the magical work that I have performed in my lifetime has been devoted to understanding the soul complex as it truly is, and in doing so I have come up with some similar, though sometimes decidedly different viewpoints on the functions and essences of these bodies.

The fetch is indeed the spirit, but it is just that a spirit. It is an entity separate from us, not merely our double or soul, as other works often claim. It is a spirit. We only exist because of it! The fetch is closer to the Truth of Godhead than we can ever be as human beings. It is a fragment of the “shattered” Godhead that can understand what it must do in order to restore the Godhead to wholeness. It is the guide that we must contact in order to fulfill the Great Work. It is our guardian, because it needs us to complete it’s work. It is everything to human life, indeed to life itself. In short, we need our fetch, but our fetch also needs us. Confused yet? Allow me to explain.

A magicians rite is personal--casting Expecto Patronus

The Patronus represents that which is hidden, unknown but necessary within the personality.

When a human confronted with inhumane evil, such as the Dementor, they must draw upon resources he or she may never have needed, and the Patronus is the awakened secret self that lies dormant until needed, but which must now be brought to light.

Patronuses take forms that their casters might not expect, for which they have never felt a particular affinity, or (in rare cases) even recognise.

Every Patronus is as unique as its creator and even identical twins have been known to produce very different Patronuses.

It is a general belief held by the wizarding world that only those who are pure of heart are able to cast Patronuses; this, however, is untrue, as several characters with negative personality traits are able to cast a fully-fledged Patronus.

Although generally Dark witches and wizards will not try to produce a Patronus, not having any need for one, most Dark wizards will be devoured by maggots coming from their wand and consuming the caster.

For this reason, Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters were not able to cast a Patronus Charm (not that it was necessary, as they already had the dark creatures under their control via their affinity to darkness, and would have no use for Patronuses).

However, some witches and wizards of questionable morals, such as Dolores Umbridge, are able to produce corporeal Patronuses, with Umbridge doing so despite the fact that she was considered an evil person; her wearing of Salazar Slytherin's Locket, which was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, was what enhanced her strength due to her evil affinity.

She was able to produce a corporeal Patronus due to the enhanced strength. Conversely, Draco Malfoy was unable to cast one despite his waning evil. Severus Snape is the only Death Eater capable of casting the charm, his love for Lily Evans being his redeeming point. 

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Patronus Charm

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Patronus Charm

Incantation

Expecto Patronum[1]

(ex-PEK-toh pa-TRO-num)[2]

Type

Charm[1]

Hand movement

Expecto Patronum movement

Light

Silver[1]

Effect

Conjures a spirit guardian[3]

[Source]

"This ancient and mysterious charm conjures a magical guardian, a projection of all your most positive feelings. The Patronus Charm is difficult, and many witches and wizards are unable to produce a full, corporeal Patronus, a guardian which generally takes the shape of the animal with whom they share the deepest affinity. You may suspect, but you will never truly know what form your Patronus will take until you succeed in conjuring it." 

—Miranda Goshawk's overview of the Patronus Charm[src] 

The Patronus Charm (Expecto Patronum) is the most famous and one of the most powerful defensive charms known to wizardkind.[4] It is an immensely complicated and extremely difficult spell, that evokes a partially-tangible positive energy force known as a Patronus (pl. Patronuses[5]) or spirit guardian.[3] It is the primary protection against Dementors and Lethifolds, against which there are no other defence.

There are two types of Patronuses: corporeal which means a Patronus with a particular shape and form and uncorporeal Patronus. Uncorporeal Patronuses have no particular shape and do not protect against dementors the way corporeal Patronuses do. However, some wizards like Remus Lupin choose to cast uncorporeal Patronuses to hide their identity.

Contents[show]

History

"And out of the end of his wand burst, not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding, dazzling, silver animal. He screwed up his eyes, trying to see what it was. It looked like a horse. It was galloping silently away from him, across the black surface of the lake. He saw it lower its head and charge at the swarming dementors.... " 

—Harry Potter's stag Patronus fending off hundreds of Dementors[src] 

It is evident from old woodcuts and scrolls that the Patronus Charm has been used since ancient times.[6] Therefore, it is unknown who created it, or when it was first invented.[6] The charm also has a long association with those fighting for lofty or noble causes (those able to produce corporeal Patronuses were often elected to high office within the Wizengamot and Ministry of Magic).[4]

According to legend one of the most famous Patronuses of all time was a lowly mouse, which belonged to a young wizard called Illyius.[7] Illyius cast the Patronus Charm when his village was being attacked by the Dark wizard Raczidian and his army of Dementors. Despite the mouse's diminutive size, it shone with a brilliant light, bringing the Dementors to a halt as it nimbly moved through the ranks of fleeing villagers.[8] Enraged, Raczidian decided to enter the fray himself, and tried to summon a Patronus to ward off Illyius's mouse. However, he failed to remember that only the pure of heart can produce a Patronus, and thus for the first time in history, it was revealed what happens when a competent, but unworthy wizard or witch attempts the spell. Maggots shot out of Raczidian's wand and quickly devoured him as they engulfed his entire body. The villagers hailed Illyius as a hero.[8]

Stag Patronus

Harry Potter's stag Patronus fends off hundreds of Dementors

Harry Potter took anti-dementor lessons in order to learn the advanced charm and so was one of the youngest to attempt this charm with actual results. During a Quidditch match against Ravenclaw in 1994 he cast his very first corporeal Patronus and again in June when he along with Hermione Granger and Sirius Black were being attacked by over a hundred Dementors, he cast a corporeal Patronus powerful enough to drive them all away.

In 1995, Harry cast the charm against a boggart that he thought was a dementor during the third task of the Triwizard Tournament. The following summer he came under attack by two Dementors and managed to drive them away with the charm, leading to him being put on trial for underage magic in an attempt to discredit him.

B5C27M1

Harry Potter teaching the members of the D.A. the charm

Harry also taught the members of Dumbledore's Army the charm and some were even successful in casting it.

The charm was used frequently to ward off dementors such as when the trio escaped from the Ministry of Magic after obtaining the Horcrux locket and during the Battle of Hogwarts. Severus Snape also conjured a Patronus to guide Harry to the hiding place of the Sword of Gryffindor.

The Order of the Phoenix would send out messages with their Patronuses such as Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley who in 1997 delivered warnings.

Nature

The Patronus represents that which is hidden, unknown but necessary within the personality.[4] When a human confronted with inhuman evil, such as the Dementor, they must draw upon resources he or she may never have needed, and the Patronus is the awakened secret self that lies dormant until needed, but which must now be brought to light.[4] Patronuses take forms that their casters might not expect, for which they have never felt a particular affinity, or (in rare cases) even recognise.[4] Every Patronus is as unique as its creator and even identical twins have been known to produce very different Patronuses.[4]

The unusual witches and wizards who produce a Patronus that takes the form of their favourite animal is an indicator of obsession or eccentricity.[4] Here is a wizard who may not be able to hide their essential self in common life, who may, indeed, parade tendencies that others might prefer to conceal.[4] Whatever the form of their Patronus, you would be well-advised to show respect, and occasionally caution, towards a witch or wizard who produces the Patronus of their choice.[4]

Casting

Harry Potter: "And how do you conjure it?" 

Remus Lupin: "With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory." 

— Discussion on how to conjure a Patronus[src] 

Patronus2

Luna Lovegood casting her corporeal hare Patronus

The vast majority of witches and wizards are unable to produce any form of Patronus, and to create even an intangible one is generally considered a mark of superior magical ability. Rubeus Hagrid is an example of a wizard that cannot conjure any form of Patronus, as the charm is too difficult for him.

Given their long affinity with humans it is perhaps unsurprising that among the most common Patronuses when cast (although it must be remembered that any corporeal Patronus is highly unusual) are dogs, cats, and horses.

To successfully cast the spell, one begins by mustering the happiest memory they can think of (the happier the memory, the better the charm will work). Alternatively, one could imagine a scenario that would make for a very happy memory, as Harry did for his D.A.D.A. O.W.L. The next step is to begin drawing circles with their wand so as to increase the power of their spell. They must then say the incantation, Expecto Patronum; the Patronus will come from the tip of the wand and can be directed towards a target by pointing one's wand at said target. It is possible to disguise the form one's Patronus takes, which was done both by Severus Snape to hide his love for Lily Evans, and by Remus Lupin, who felt it would give away his condition.

Also some witches and wizards may be unable to produce a Patronus at all until they have undergone some kind of psychic shock.

Difficulty__

"That's very, very advanced magic." 

—The difficulty and complexity of the charm

The Patronus Charm is widely regarded as advanced magic, far beyond N.E.W.T.-level; in 1994 Remus Lupin stated that the charm was, in fact "ridiculously advanced".This charm was, indeed, so perilous, few wizards/witches could conjure up a true Patronus. It is very complex and many qualified wizards and witches have trouble with it. In fact, Harry Potter is one of the youngest known wizards able to cast a Patronus; he was taught how to do so in early 1994 at the age of thirteen by Remus Lupin. In a Dumbledore's Army lesson, Harry taught the members how to use the charm. Some were even successful in casting a corporeal form, though Harry said this might be because there was no Dementor to make them frightened.

However, three members were later able to cast corporeal Patronuses in the presence of Dementors. Being able to cast a patronus, whilst fighting Dementors or not, is not required to graduate from Hogwarts so it is something that is taught under special circumstances.

#5) Praxis of magic through history

Click here to edit this chapter. 

Sacred archaic rituals being held in honour and dedication of magic come in many forms. Divination has many forms and from the most ancient magical history books, almost every ancient culture through antiqity had methods of interpretating unpredictable outcomes determined by omens as rites.

Ritual as a practice is ancient itself, so much so it is a spiritual awakening. -650 B.C. - References to magic are abundant in the ancient Greek myths among the classical founding pagan cultures of Europe, connected to the neighbouring Egyptian and Persian ones. Often centered around women of divine origin, nymphs and priests, from Ariadne to Calypso, Circe to Medea, Hermes to Hecate, magic, divination and necromancy are widespread and intertwined with cthonic Gods and monsters, oracles and heroes.

50–300 A.D. - The Acetabularii performed the Cups and balls in ancient Rome using stones and small vinegar cups (hence the name Acetabularii). The Acetabularii are a group of magicians specializing on the cups and balls effect.

400–1000 - The Dark Ages; little is known about the history of magic, but much of it was associated with the occult and magic as entertainment is not prominent.

1000–1500 - The Middle Ages where much magic was associated with the occult and witchcraft. The growing trading nature of society allowed some street or circus performers to make a living out of old classics such as the cups and balls and in fact more modern ideas such as cheating by short changing via sleights with coins and other small objects.

, is reflective of Neo-Paganism, and makes use of much of the magical practices of Stregoneria but does not include elements of Catholic-based folk magic, which displaced the pre-Christian enchanted worldview in Italian culture.

Stregoneria is the modern word in Italian that is commonly translated into English as the word witchcraft. In the Italian dictionary—Vocabolario della Lingua (Nicola Zanichelli, 1970)—stregoneria is defined as a magical practice intended to produce harm or illness. The statement that stregoneria refers to a harmful magical practice is supported by ethnologist Elsa Guggino, who states that words related to stregoneria are always used disparagingly to describe someone practicing malevolent magic (Stregoneria: The "Old Religion" in Italy from Historical to Modern Times, by Marguerite Rigoglioso, 2000). This is also noted by scholar Gary R. Varner, in his book Charles G. Leland: The Man & the Myth, in which he states that the word strega (witch) is a disparaging term used to denote those who practice black magic, and that the term "maga" is used to denote those who practice white magic and healing.

Anthropologist Sabina Magliocco, in her article titled "Spells, Saints and Streghe: Folk Magic and Healing in Italy," remarks that "At one time, many villages had a number of folk healers who could cure a variety of illnesses, They ranged from those who cured with herbs, magic formulas and prayers to professional sorcerers who were called in serious cases of magical attack. In practice, however, these practitioners overlapped, since almost any illness could be judged to be the result of a magical working. Folk healers seldom referred to themselves as streghe (although their neighbors might call them such), but as fattuccchiere, "fixers," maghi (masculine plural; singular mago), maghe (feminine plural; sing. maga), "magic-workers."

In contrast to the academic and historical evidence some modern practitioners of Stregoneria claim that the term is an umbrella for the Folk Magic practices of Italy. The use of the word Stregoneria to describe Italian Folk Magic is common mostly among Italian-American practitioners. Practitioners of Folk Magic traditionally would usually be called something along the lines of fixers, healers, or those who help, but to be called a witch would be a direct insult. Virtually all practitioners would have considered themselves Roman Catholic and witches in Italian folklore and Roman Catholicism are traditionally connected to the devil.

Practices of Stregoneria include making Brevi, or charm bags, and healing the Malocchio Although Stregoneria does indeed make use of a variety of Catholic practices, due to the use of magic Stregoneria, unlike Benedicaria, tends to be more at odds with the teachings of the Catholic Church, blending Catholic and Pre-Christian traditions.