[snowy-equinox]

Confusing Wariness for Malevolence

I'm writing this in a new apartment surrounded by half-unpacked boxes and tubs. Moving to South Carolina has been a journey, but our new place is starting to become a home. I've been feeling out the spirits I'll be living with, which led me to a realization of one of the black-and-white ways we talk about spirit encounters.

The spirits in my new home make me uncomfortable. They are unnerving, and cause a twinge of fear in my stomach. I know many would feel that fear and immediately get their banishing salts out. After all, we talk about malevolence and benevolence in spirits as hard categories, and often categorize spirits based on our first impressions. As soon as a negative emotion (like fear) is tied to a spirit encounter, we cry "bad!" and try to remove that spirit.

However, we need to remember spirits are not people and may not have a concept of civility or politeness when meeting others. Human neighbors may be wary, but will mask it in politeness and gifts until they know you better. Spirits do not necessarily have this code, and may act in ways more befitting their discomfort.

Remember, malevolence is the act of causing harm. A malevolent spirit would see new people in their space and think "Oh, new playthings!" Think of them like a mountain lion, quietly stalking until they're close enough to maim you.

While the spirits are currently causing me distress, they are not malevolent. I can sense no intent to hurt me. The distress stems from their wariness. Someone new has just entered their space, and they don't have the societal rules of civility that we do. Like a feral cat, they are watching me from the corner, puffed up and hissing when I look their way. If I approach them, they very well may harm me, but it's defensive, not malevolent.

I have a feeling that once my altars are set, and my offering routine has resumed, they may become allies (or at best, neutral roommates). As spiritworkers, we should remember the circumstances around our meetings. Do not write off potential friends as enemies because they do not embrace you like a human would.

[snowy-equinox]

It has been two months since I wrote this. With my routine of weekly offerings, my relationship with the house spirits has improved. Just today, they asked for a small offering of water. In my experience, once spirits start to ask for little offerings, your relationship is stable.

[psilocervidae]

Green + yellow + orange is a highly underrated colour combo

[psilocervidae]

Look at her don't you love her

[flamingkorybante]

“Pray with your body. Ask with your body for the frenzy and it will be given to you.”

— Agdistis

[holy-mountaineering]

Some of the book purchases from the last few months or so.

[setheverman]

what’s the mood for july?

[aeonlamb]

[fullafag]

[kropotkindersurprise]

[saturnsreturn88]

Jupiter talisman allegedly owned by Joseph Smith Jr. in the above image and a Mars dagger shown below which belonged to Hyrum Smith, speculated to have been inherited from from their father Joseph Smith Sr. Both artifacts were made according to Agrippan mechanics.

[saturnsreturn88]

"Like Baphomet, the Quinotaur represents the union of opposites. His name includes both the name of Cain (“Quin”) and the name of Abel or Baal (the bull, “taurus”, or “taur”), perhaps indicating a line of descent stemming from both figures. His aquatic qualities represent not only the sea associations of Satan and Cain, and the entire family of sea-gods and sea-kings from which the Merovingians ultimately descended, but also the fish associations of their more recent and illustrious ancestor, Jesus. Thus the Merovingian blood was connected not only to a figure representing archetypal evil (Satan), but also a figure representing archetypal good (Jesus). This is reflected in the dualistic symbol of the Cross of Lorraine, used by Merovingian descendants of the royal house of Lorraine, and by the Knights Templar." - Tracy Twyman, The Merovingian Mythos and the Mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau The Columbine Files reveal a variation of the Cross of Lorraine in the drawings of both Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

[fernthewhimsical]

Hi fern!

I have a question about how you see kabouters as related to the fae world! Do they uphold the same rules as the fae world at large as often described, don't give your name, don't take something if they offer it to you, Ect [the common rules talked about when talking about fae] i personally don't associate these rules with kabouters at all. I think it's still good advice to follow regardless but i was wondering how you feel about that? Are there rules you do or do not associate with them? Have a nice day!!

- wolf

Hey Wolf friend!

So, in my personal opinion and experience, the "standard" rules of engaging with the Fae are pretty specific to the rules of the Irish. Welsh, and Scottish Fae. This does not mean that they are not a good rule of thumb, but in my opinion they are not universal.

When it comes to kabouters, there are some things we know of them in folklore, which is the best source to find any rules of engagement. I don't have the spoons to find the exact folklore, but they all come from Verhalenbank. Some things for the kabouters specifically would be:

they love cooked potatoes, going so far as to steal them. When the farmer replaces the potatoes with rocks in retaliation, the kabouters disappear and are never seen again

they love helping people, finishing works like cobbling shoes or making clothing. They do not accept payment however, when a woman made small clothing for the kabouters, they again disappeared.

the same with being watched, when a couple stayed up to check who was finishing their work, they caught the kabouters in the act. Which was fine, until they were spotted and they -- guess what -- disappeared.

This is why I mostly don't interact directly with them and let them be. I am not sure if they are the Fae that help here around the house, but I don't particularly want to find out, lest they vanish. So instead I make general offerings and give thanks (yes, in my experience you can thank Fae as an appreciation of their gifts) in a more general way.

[maeviuslynn]

Issue 3 of Modern Occultist Magazine features Lon Milo DuQuette, Maevius Lynn, John Michael Greer, Thumper Forge, and Gavin Fox. Read the full magazine online here: https://modernoccultist.com/the-magazine

[dianasson]

From Nummits and Crummits by Sarah Hewett

[portalibis]

"The psychologist Carl Gustav Jung makes the figure of Melusina correspond to his concept of the Soul. In the Clavis Artis tables, the serpent-woman appears to play the role of soul mediator between the body and the spirit, and for this reason she is also identifiable, in alchemical language, as a mercurial serpent, the principle from which the three basic substances of the Paracelsian alchemy: sulphur, mercury and salt."

Telegram / Facebook / Sacred Ibis fb group

[spiritroots]

“Give Me the Crown” Commanding Hoodoo Powder

I’ve adapted this recipe for commanding powder from Roots, Stones, Sticks, and Bones by Stephanie Rose Bird. It can be used to create a general aura of confidence and persuasiveness around you to influence others or to boost your control over a particular person or situation in your life.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon dried orange peel

2 tablespoons dried marigold petals (calendula)

1 teaspoon dried van van (vetiver)

1 tablespoon dried lemon verbena

1/8 teaspoon frankincense essential oil

1/8 teaspoon myrrh essential oil

1/8 teaspoon vetiver oil

1/8 teaspoon neroli essential oil

5 tablespoons arrowroot (may substitute cornstarch)

2 tablespoons baking soda

1 tablespoon ground Queen Elizabeth root (orris)

Tools:

Grinding tool (coffee grinder, mortar & pestle, etc.)

Measuring spoons

A mixing spoon

A clean glass jar, bottle, or another container - ideally one with a shaker top or wide-mouthed jar

A clean bowl

A funnel (optional)

Instructions:

1) First grind up the orange peel using your grinding tools, then add the marigold petals, van van, and lemon verbena. The powder mixture should be as fine as possible. While grinding up and mixing these ingredients, focus on how you use this powder. Feel as confident and in control as possible.

2) Pour the powder into your clean bowl. Place your hands in and massage it, letting the grains run through your fingers, while you recite Psalm 114 or any prayer that represents the intent you want for your domination powder.

3) Add the essential oils to the bowl and mix well.

4) Take the arrowroot and Queen Elizabeth Root in your hands. Hold them close to you and try to feel their energies and spirits. Spend some time communing with them and tell them exactly what you want them to do.

5) Grind up the arrowroot and Queen Elizabeth Root, then add them to the bowl with everything else. Now add baking soda and blend it all together well.

6) If you have an ancestor altar, you may want to ask your ancestors to add their power to the blend. Create a petition paper by writing your name and the names of those you intend to dominate on the paper as well. Include the specifics of what you want them to do. Then place the bowl with the mixture on top of the petition paper and let it sit on your ancestor altar overnight.

7) When ready, pour the contents of the bowl into your glass jar, bottle or another container. Apply it to your body with a duster or sea sponge as needed.

Note: Feel free to reblog and boost this post, but in practice, it’s only intended for actual use by black rootworkers (folks of African descent).

[halfhornedgod]

Hedge Crossing and Spirit Flight, But How?

The difference between them and how to fly step by step.

[noise-vs-signal]

Diagrams from the “Philosophus Lecture” of the Golden Dawn. The numbered green text in the second image refers to each diagram.

“Whatever the etymological origin of the word ‘magic’ may be, the mage is the finder and founder of images. Magic consists in fathoming the great Imagination”.

Images and text from “Mage and Image: An Essay on Hermetic Mutation with Coloured Reconstructions of G. … D. … Wands and Sceptres“ by Steffi Grant (1963).

Reprinted in “Hidden Lore: Hermetic Glyphs” by Kenneth and Steffi Grant (2006).

[caput-larvae]

Relating the geomantic figures to the Behenian stars + 1

[This is a post from an old blog of mine.]

After obtaining some experience with both systems, I started to notice some similarities between the applications given by BM Bodleian MS. 52 for the Behenian stars and the correspondences for the geomantic figures.

Below I make an attempt to relate the two, adding the star Fomalhaut (as it is one of the Persian royal stars), based on imagery, magical uses and planetary attributions. I don’t have any specific objective with this exercise, but I think it’s interesting and even esoterically uplifting to think about the close relationship between a terrestrial and a stellar system.

Algol (Caput Larvæ)

Associated with Saturn and Jupiter. Algol “brings hatred and courage, preserves the members of the body, and grants vengeance over anyone you wish”. For its malefic traits – including the designation as “Demon Star” – I associate this star with the figure Cauda Draconis, which is Saturnian and Martial.

Alcyone (Pleiades)

The Pleiades are given to the Moon and Mars and “preserve the eyesight, summon demons and the spirits of the dead, call the winds, and reveal secrets and things that are lost”. Even though their current longitute assigns them to Gemini, they are a cluster in the constellation of Taurus. Agrippa’s talismanic image for this star is a “little Virgin, or the Figure of a Lamp”. Thus I associate it with Puella, which is Venusian.

Aldebaran

It’s associated with Mars and Venus. It’s one of the Persian royal stars and it’s assigned to the Archangel Michael. According to Agrippa “under Adlebora, they made an image after the likeness of God, or of a flying man.” It “increases riches and brings honors”. For its military correspondences I associate it with Puer, which is Martial.

Capella (Alhayhoch, Hircus)

It’s associated with Jupiter and Saturn. It “exalts men to honors, and brings them the favor of kings and nobles, and heals toothache, and is very medicinal”. Its image is of “a man willing to make himself merry with musical instruments”. I associate it with Laetitia, which is Jupiterian.

Sirius (Canis Major)

It’s associated with Venus. Its image is of a “Hound and a little Virgin” and “it bestoweth honor and good will, and the favor of men, and Aerial spirits, and giveth power to pacifie and reconcile Kings, Princes, and other men”. I associate it with Conjuctio, which is Mercurial, due to its usefulness for communication and reconciliation. Interestingly, the image for the star is reminiscent of Hecate, a goddess of crossroads.

Procyon (Canis Minor)

It’s associated with Mercury and Mars. It “grants the favor of God and man, gives men the favor of the spirits of the air, gives great power over magic, and keeps men healthy”. It’s image is of a “cock or three maidens”. I associate it with Caput Draconis, which is Venusian and Jupterian.

Regulus (Cor Leonis)

It’s associated with Mars and Jupiter, but it’s a star in the constellation of Leo. Its image is of “a Lion or Cat, or the Figure of an honorable Person sitting in a Chair” It “takes away anger and melancholy, makes men temperate, and grants favor.” I assign it to Fortuna Minor, which is Solar.

Alkaid (Tail of the Great Bear)

It’s associated with Venus and the Moon. It “has power against enchantments and against dryness and gives safety in travel, and if it be put together with wolf’s teeth it makes hunters proficient”. The image is of ” a pensive Man, or of a Bull, or the Figure of a Calf”. As it’s related to travel and hunting, I associate it with Via, which is Lunar.

Algorab (Ala Corvis)

It’s associated with Saturn and Mars. Its image is a “Raven, or Snake, or of a black Man cloathed in black”. It “makes men angry, hateful, daring, and evil-speaking, causes wicked dreams, drives demons away, and protects men against demons and evil winds.” I associate it with Tristitia, which is Saturnian.

Spica

It’s associated with Venus and Mercury. Its image is of “a Bird, or of a man laden with Merchandize”. It’s useful to “increase gold, accumulate riches, bring victory in lawsuits, and free men from evil and anguish.” For its relation to prosperity, I associate it with Acquisitio, which is Jupterian.

Arcturus (Alchameth)

It’s associated with Mars and Jupiter. Its image is of a “Horse of Wolf, or the Figure of a man dancing”. It “carries away fevers and restrains the flow of blood”. I assign it to Amissio, which is Venusian, due to its association with health.

Alphecca (Elpheia)

It’s associated with Venus and Mars. Its image is of ” an Hen, or of a man crowned and advanced”. It “makes men chaste, and grants friendship and honor with God and man”. Since it’s associated with purity, I assign it to Albus, which is Mercurial.

Antares (Cor Scorpii)

It’s associated with Venus and Jupiter. Its image is “man armed, and with a coat of Male, or the Figure of a Scorpion”. It “gives men healthy color, grants good memory and intelligence, makes them appear wise, and banishes demons”. Since it belongs to Scorpio and carries Martial imagery, I relate it to Rubeus, which is Martial. The fact that the star gives healthy color reinforces the association.

Vega (Vultur Cadens)

It’s associated with Mercury and Venus. Its image is of a “vulture or hen”. It “grants favor with beasts, protects from scabies, that is, against demons, nocturnal phantoms, and fears”. I associate it with Carcer, which is Saturnian, due to the bird’s similar nature and the star’s protective quality.

Deneb Algedi (Cauda Capricorni)

It’s associated with Saturn and Mercury. Its image is of a “Hart, or Goate, or of an angry man”. It gives “favor in lawsuits, improves the home in which it is kept, keeps it [the home] secure, and increases all manner of riches”. I associate it with Fortuna Major, which is Solar.

Fomalhaut

This star is associated with Archangel Gabriel and it’s one of the Persian royal stars. It belongs to Piscis Austrinus. For its watery associations I relate it to Populus, which is Lunar.

Sources:

Hermes on the Fifteen Stars

Bronze English Fomalhaut Talisman For Fame, Honor and Spiritual Change

Behenian fixed star

Of the Images of the fixed Behenian Stars.

[satyrmagos]

Last year, I wrote a couple blog posts on how to get started experimenting with astrological magic. The tradition is old and deep and complicated, but your initial forays into it don't have to be (and, frankly, shouldn't).

All my astrological images and talismans and rituals started with something like these:

On The Uses of Astrological Images

and

A Bare Bones Astrological Ritual

[space-queen]

what advice would you give in terms of engraving complex images on small mediums such as gemstones for those who are less artistically inclined?

[satyrmagos]

my two big pieces of advice for that are: 1) look at extant magical gems (there are SO MANY from the Roman world) for inspiration

and

2) mistrust the written sources

as a full time professional artist, a jeweler and lapidary with 25 years experience at the bench, who can't carve those images with modern tools and lighting and magnification, and comparing the written descriptions to the aforementioned Roman examples, I simply do not believe that ancient magicians were carving the complex images they describe on tiny stones with the tools they had available (just note how many images have color notes that couldn't possibly apply)

elaborating on that:

do as much as you can in advance of the ritual

focus on the spirit contact aspect

focus on visualizing and articulating and vibing with the image as described

trial and error will teach you which rules/taboos apply to you and which don't

[antiquitiesandlabyrinths]

Prayer to Djehuty

The rest of the prayer can be bought on a mainly donation-based service here: https://ko-fi.com/s/fd1111d41d