The Practitioners Abode

 A page for exploring my interest in magick

[vosh-ne-dorit]

Elemental Meditation: Void

This is the final elemental meditation ill be covering for awhile. It can be a difficult meditation to achieve. Unlike the other elemental meditations ive covered this meditation does not benefit from being outside. In fact I find this easier to accomplish inside. Silence is the key here.

Find a quit comfortable environment. I find it better with dimly lit or even dark spaces. Sit however it suits you. Close your eyes and allow your body to relax. Imagine yourself falling into darkness letting your body relax further. If done correctly you will begin to feel disassociated with your body. Once this is done you should feel almost nothing around you and time can have no meaning. It is a state of perfect nothingness. After a short time in this state feel yourself rise back into your self. I often find a significant amount of time has passed when I return to my senses.

This mediation is a great foundation for other techniques. Projection, Clairvoyance and other such abilities can be far easier in this state. The only other recommendation is that you set some type of alarm to prevent yourself from staying in this state to long. 

[vosh-ne-dorit]

Elemental Meditation: Water

Ill be writing a form of meditation meant to strengthen a users connection to the five elements I mentioned a few post ago. The Fourth one ill cover is Water.  All these meditations work best outside due to their connection to natural energy.

For the water meditation I Like to sit along a beach or river with my feet in the water. Really any source of flowing water works though you may have to change the meditation slightly to suit it. Water is all about fluid motion so our goal is to mimic this with our energy. If along a beach I feel the ebb and flow of the water. Allow yourself to feel the energy to flow into you as the water flows towards you and let it flow out as the water flows out. If along the river I just let the energy flow through me freely with the water. I like to have some part of my body touch the water so I can easily feel the flowing energy. How much of your body you submerge is up to you. The secret to this meditation is to allow the energy to come and go freely.

[vosh-ne-dorit]

Shield Yourself

Shielding: A Concise Creation Guide Shielding: The art of protecting yourself from other entities. This post will be much longer and more in depth than my other posts in the creation guide category. This is one of the areas that I have quite a bit of experience with and will be covering it from basic techniques to more advanced ones. –**– Shielding is one of the first techniques a novice should learn in magick, and to do this one must ask what a shield is– a shield in magick is a simple protective device that is utilized to keep certain energies out. There are numerous types of shields. They can be focused around an object, a place, or person and depending on what it is focused on will change the execution and nature of the shield. Shielding focused on objects usually take on the forms of amulets or seals of protection. I have a guide on making protection amulets ill post at a later date.. While my guide was focused on personal protection, objects can too be made to protect whole places with similar methods. Seals of protection are usually made to seal a negative energy source away. Maybe you have a ring that has only brought bad luck but you don’t want to completely remove the ring from your life. One may put the ring in a box and then either put a seal on the box or carve one into it (doing both can help strengthen the seal). As the seal is placed onto the object one should visualize energy surrounding the box and hardening into a solid state. Usually a seal is broken when the box is opened; especially if the seal is physically broken such as a properly place paper seal would be (as paper seals are usually placed on where a object opens physically sealing it shut). Next, I will go into a little more detail on how to craft a simple seal. First one must find a container that can fit the object that is to be sealed away. This container should be sturdy, preferably made of wood and not a material that allows energy transfer easily, such as metal. If you do use metal try to insulate the contents from the metal. Now that the container is selected it is time to craft the seal. How this is done will differ a lot from person to person. I usually adorn the container with symbols that I have developed myself over the years. I encourage all practitioners to determine what symbols mean and convey ‘protection’ most to them. Many use religious symbols and others use well established symbols of protection from their beliefs. Ideally these will be engraved into the box itself, but they can be drawn on to the box but it is not nearly as effective. Beyond symbols be sure have a spell engraved into the box or paper seal which can improve the entire seal. I highly recommend writing this spell yourself instead of using a ‘stock spell’ as it will be more personable much stronger in the long run. An example of a spell would be something like ‘may all energy in this container remain still.’ I find simple is better when it comes to the spell, but if it comes down to it, it is up to your own discretion. If you are making a paper seal the process is essentially the same. Paper seals are often strongest if placed where the box or container opens. Now that everything has been constructed, place the object in the box. Completely close the container. If the container has a seal engraved or written on it, visualize energy flowing through you into the box as you close it. Wrap the energy around the box. I usually then infuse the symbols and the written spell with energy while saying the spell out loud to help direct the energy into the right places. This is followed by placing the paper seal, if one is available. If only the paper seal is available the process is essentially the same but most of the energy work is saved for when the seal is placed not when the container is closed. There are multiple ways to modify the above spell to improve its effectiveness. These are more advanced techniques but I won’t be covering them in nearly as much detail during the go around. One could engrave spells to make an object harder to notice. If hiding away the object permanently is desired one could bury it with salt and cast spells to try to keep people away. Inserting semi-precious stones, such as amethyst, can make the protection stronger. Shielding focused on places is perhaps the most common and diverse group of shields. There a multitude of purposes for having a locational shield and this can change how such a shield is created and maintained. One of the most widely used shields that is based on location is Circle. Most rituals call for the creation of a circle as the first step. It not only protects those encircled but also makes sure no other energy interferes with their rituals and practices. I have written a guide on the creation of circles on another site and will post it at a future time, Going further than circles almost all practioners end up shielding their homes and personal spaces. One of the most important things to think about regarding a locational shield is how long it should last. Many of the long-lasting shields use foci for the magical energy. Foci is plural for focus, this is an object that is the focus of the spell as the name implies. Pretty much anything can be a focus though items with certain properties work well with certain spells. A focus can be as simple as a piece of paper with a symbol and spell on it, to an actual ornate symbol carved into the wall. While more elaborate symbols usually last longer, there is some benefit for simple methods, being that they are usually easier to hide from those pesky people prying eyes. These foci usually help the shield remain strong and balanced. Foci should be infused with new energy at fairly regular intervals. It is important to remember, even though foci usually last longer, it’s not the only way to shield an area. Blessing an area is another form of shielding but doesn’t usually use foci. As shown below are so methods of shielding from most easy to most difficult—bear in mind that this really just depends on a practioners personal strengths and weaknesses.

A Communal shield: I list this as the easiest because many do it without even realizing that they are doing it. That being said it may be harder to intentionally do it as it requires a large number of people. This type of shield is usually incredibly basic due to the untrained nature of those who often create them. That being said this can also be one of the most powerful. They are usually created by a large number of people praying and believing in the protective nature of a place. Most religious places have one of these up and it can be why you sense you don’t belong when entering them. That’s really all there is to these shields. Just know the strength of a shield can drastically increase with a focus or a more skilled practitioner guiding it. A Circle: while it may not seem that easy at first, the amount of ritual behind it and information of their creation leaves little for a novice to mess up, as long as they do their homework. Circles are often a group effort as well which can make them even easier. I go into more detail explaining the creation of a circle in the link below. A basic blessing: while these are usually weaker and less guided they are extremely simple to perform. Usually the more faith someone has in a deity makes these easier to perform. It requires nothing more than performing a sacrifice or prayer at an altar or an altar’s equivalent and beseeching a deity for protection over the place. An advanced blessing: this requires more time and materials. This can also function to banish negative entities or energy from a location. You will need some sage, salt, and ideally a proper sacrifice to a deity. First spend some time in prayer or contemplation. Figure out a route around the place that requires the least backtracking. Usually clockwise or counterclockwise around a house. The beginning and ending should be at the same entrance or window. At the start point begin by saying a prayer for protection and light the sage. Now walk around the inside of the place. Whenever you enter a new room say another prayer of protection then walk around the room. Continue to move throughout the place. Once you have returned to the start point with your energy try pressing all negative energy out. Maybe say a spell out loud such as “I banish all negative energy from this home.” When this is completed do to this entrance as you did to the other outside exits. Once completed all negative energy should be removed from the home and a shield in place. This shield not having any focus will disappear over time but with some skill it can last for years. A personal room focus shield: on a piece of paper wright out a personal spell of protection such as “may no negative energy touch this place.” If you would like to you can adorn it with symbols of protection. Having one main symbol can help focus the spell. Now Infuse this paper with energy. Walk around your room focusing energy into the paper and visualize the energy coming off the paper and forming a barrier around the room. When finished place the paper somewhere safe but fairly open if possible. Under a bed or end table can make a nice, quick access location. The power of this shield varies widely based on skill of the creator. My personal location shielding technique: over the years I have developed my own technique for shielding my location. I have used this technique on room, houses, and even vehicles. It is similar to the advanced blessing but uses no materials other than an optional focus (which will act like a battery). It also uses no divine aid instead relying completely on my own ability. This technique requires a lot of skill in energy manipulation so novices will likely get no results from it. I start by meditating and focusing myself. I then walk counter-clockwise (though clockwise would work fine) around the place I am protecting. I stretch my hand out along the wall and pull my energy along it. At each exit to the outside I draw my personal symbol. When back at the entrance I draw another symbol of protection and infuse it with a lot more energy. Ill then link that symbol to all others I have placed in the location. It is now the heart of the shield. Then with one hand in the air and one towards the ground ill pull all the energy both up and down to form a bubble. I then walk to the opposite side of the location. At this point I pull the energy together and draw another symbol (which I connect to the heart). The basic shield is now done. I usually modify it afterword by adding a something like a battery. I usually carry a small orb or stone that I regularly infuse with energy. This is then connected to the heart of the shield. I try to leave the battery in the same room as the heart to keep the shield strong for as long as I need. Another modification I have done was infusing the battery with the ability of absorbing ambient energy making it need far less recharging. A personal shield: Typically set around a person with the person themselves being the focus point. Many advanced practioners have a personal shield up pretty much all the time. This is especially true if they know they are in an unshielded location or are in an area with many other practioners they are unfamiliar with. These shields are generally weaker than object or locational based shields unless they are being actively fortified. Stronger personal shields can take a lot of focus to maintain which makes them less common, usually only a weak shield is maintained which is then strengthened when the caster feels uneasy or threatened. The biggest skills which effect personal shielding are energy manipulation and visualization. Practicing is really the only way to get good at it. The breath shield is probably my favorite way to teach newcomers to personal shielding. Breath shield: I have found that this is one of the easiest ways to learn the basics of shielding. To begin, sit in a comfortable position and allow your mind to relax. Now on every exhale visualize energy leaving your mouth and forming a barrier around you. Early on this may take some time don’t rush and allow this energy to crystalize in your mind. To help strengthen this energy every time you inhale, try drawing energy to your lungs. Once the shield seems to be in place push it out with each exhale. Do this till it seems overextended and weak. Allow the shield to dissipate, rest, and try again. Each time try to get the shield to go a little further. After enough practice it will become second nature to keep the shield up just like breathing. If you need to strengthen it just breathe more energy into it. That being said, when using this to protect yourself don’t try expanding it unless you absolutely need to. Expanding it in practice is simply to give you more control over the shield when you need it. A religious practitioner may also ask their deity(s) to keep him or her safe which can result in a personal shield. Looking at your pantheon to see if a deity is known for a protection and performing a sacrifice and/or asking for aid is all that really needs to be done. Doing this before taking risk is a common practice. There is another type of personal shielding that many tend to overlook. It can be incredibly easy to accomplish or it can be nearly impossible based on your mindset. Its main focus is to protect one from negative entities or curses. It follows the principle that these things need to sustain themselves with negative energy. All one must do is not be negative. In essence this starves these entities and curses, effectively breaking them. In other words be positive and you will be amazingly hard to curse. One weakness to this shielding is if there is someone actively supplying the curse with energy, but that’s rarely the case. 

I originally posted this elsewhere. let me know what you think. If this gets some attention here ill post more in the future.

[vosh-ne-dorit]

Elemental Meditation : Air

Ill be writing a form of meditation meant to strengthen a users connection to the five elements I mentioned a few post ago. The third one ill cover is Air.  All these meditations work best outside due to their connection to natural energy.

For the air meditation it find it works best in a high open area. Flat open areas work as well. I like to do this on days that are fairly windy. Assume a comfortable sitting position. Allow your energy to seep from your body. as wind blows against you allow it to flow through you. visualize your energy mixing with the wind and dancing around you. Try to feel your surroundings with this energy. You should do this for at least 15 minutes. When done you should feel lighter and more aware of everything around you.

[vosh-ne-dorit]

Elemental Meditation :Fire

Ill be writing a form of meditation meant to strengthen a users connection to the five elements I mentioned 2 post ago. The second one ill cover is fire.  All these meditations work best outside due to their connection to natural energy.

For the fire meditation I find sitting up higher on a hill or in an open place works best. You should be in direct sunlight for best results. Sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and allow yourself to feel the sun on yourself. When breathing out push pent up energy out on your breath. When you breath in pull the heat of your skin inward warming your entire body. I like to visualize myself sitting in the middle of a great blaze while I do this. With proper breath control I find it easy to do this along time without overheating myself. You may do it as long as you are comfortable but I usually limit it to 15 or 20 minutes. 

Once you get the basics of this meditation down it is possible to warm yourself in winter using this technique for a nice length of time.

[vosh-ne-dorit]

Elemental Meditation :Earth

Ill be writing a form of meditation meant to strengthen a users connection to the five elements I mentioned in my last post. The first one ill cover is earth as it is probably my favorite. All these meditations work best outside due to their connection to natural energy.

For the earth meditation I like to sit in a wooded area. once such an area is found sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and allow your focus to drift downward. Feel the energy beneath you and visualize it flowing into the nearby trees. Now visualize yourself casting roots off yourself into this vast pool of energy and feel it flow into you. Continue doing this until you feel as one with the woods around you. This can take some time as earth energy usually flows slowly. Once you are happy with the results withdraw the visualized roots back into yourself. I like to thank the woods afterwards.

[vosh-ne-dorit]

The Elements.

In magick many beliefs follow the idea of the elements. In basic it is the things or energy that make up all other things. Different beliefs have slightly different elements or properties but for there are usually many similarities between them. Understanding of these elements aids in many of these beliefs spells and rituals. Im going to start with the Japanese system (since I know it better than most) and either talk about others at the end or on another day. These are based primarily of Japanese Buddhist philosophy. There are 5 elements that make up all things both internal and external. of these their are 4 Primary elements and 1 That is both a part of the 4 yet something much more. The four primary elements are the easiest to explain and see how it works. Ill list there more common name first then what that element truly symbolizes. Ill explain each and what that element makes within the body. As an addition ill try to explain how this element can be used martially and through spellcraft. Water- While this is called water it can actually stand for any liquid or fluid. Fluidity is the most important thing to this element. Constant motion yet still a semblance of unity. In terms of physics this would be liquids but once it turned gas or solid it would no longer be this element. Blood is commonly associated with this element. In martial arts someone who understands and utilizes this element will control momentum as if he was water in a glass. When a strike comes it pulls back only to counter with equal strength. In spellcraft this element is important for matters of control. Feeling the energy flow both within and outside of yourself. Directing this flow in many ways is controlling this element. Earth- Like water this element represents much more than earth. In many ways it is all solids. Resilient strength both physically and of will is a mainstay of this element. Bone is a common representation of this element. A martial artist who understands this element can move there body in such a way that it is resilient to force. It can be difficult to push or manipulate the martial artist body. In spellcraft it is an embodiment of willpower. Standing firm in your use of energy to have the desired affect. Air- All things of a gaseous nature. This element is all around us but often goes unseen. Where water maintains a unity this element does no such thing. It can spread anywhere and everywhere. In the body our respiratory system is a common depiction of air. A martial artist using air strike from uncommon directions or moves sporadically in way that are hard to detect. In spellcasting air is often hard to appreciate. It is a source of power all around being influenced by your will. Fire- Perhaps the hardest of the primary elements to explain. Fire is all things energy. It is a spark of life and passion. Often it is associated with heat. In the body our heart is often used to express fire. are martial artist who knows the fire element may strike fast and hard. It is a direct force. In spellcasting it is also a direct force. It flows from you into what your doing empowering it. The most important thing to remember is that all of these elements are connected. Without each of them you are doomed to fail. A body will not operate, a martial artist will not win, nor will a spell be cast effectively. The 5th element touches each of them but also is separate from them. It is everything and it is nothing. Akasha aka void, spirit. This element is the hardest to represent as it is all the primary elements above and more. In a way it represents the soul or unity of self. Our senses are tied to the akasha. In our body the eyes, mouth, ears, and mouth are common representations. A martial artist who understands the akasha can understand himself and his opponent. It will lend foresight in a fight. In spellcasting the akasha often represents a sixth sense. Clairvoyance and other things like it are tied to the akasha. This is just one elemental system.

Be Well 

[vosh-ne-dorit]

Altar Creation Guide

An altar creation guide

 "What is an altar"? An altar is a space which is used for three main purposes in common modern practice. These are: as a place to make sacrifices to deities, as a place of worship, as a place to cast spells and channel energy. Often in the latter two the place also serves as a place to leave ones ritual tools in times of nonuse.

 I am often asked "what should be sacrificed on an altar"? That largely depends on what you are worshiping. Someone for instance who is making an offer to elemental air may burn incense at the place. Someone who is worshiping an ancestor may leave a food item that the ancestor in question liked. It all depends on the purpose of the altar.

 Now on to construction. A traditional altar is usually made from stone and is adorned with symbols of the faith it represents. an example would be a Christian altar which is draped in crimson and has crosses on it plus more. Altars are cleansed spaces that have been blessed. Altars do not have to be set in one location. they can be moved.

 Picking a space or object to act as an altar. Despite tradition altars can be set up on almost anything. I wood tabletop might serve as an altar or even something as simple as a board you slide under your bed when done. Once you have where the altar is going to be set up the question becomes what should I put there.

 Most altars have a few common objects that help in channeling energy. These are a bowl or place to burn sacrifices such as incense. A place for candles. A chalice for liquid offerings. A symbol appropriate for the religion. Some have stones attributed to the deities that the altar is dedicated to such as bloodstone for Christianity. Most altars have a cloth to separate these items from touching the base the altar is made on, aka the table/board.

what else goes on the altar is again based on the deity of the altar. For altars that don't follow a particular deity many of the above items would be great for the altar as well as things that represent ideas you believe in. Things such as athames and wands are often put there as well.

 when you have everything together it is time for a ritual cleansing of the items and area. There are many ways to cleanse areas so I wont cover it here. if you have any question please ask below.

 Once the area is cleansed it can be blessed. this is an important part of altar construction but it can vary greatly on belief. For this article ill show a simple elemental blessing as well as giving tips for other belief systems. For the elemental blessing the first step is obtaining something to represent the four elements. An example would be a lit candle for fire, water in the chalice for water, burning incense for air, and a rock for earth. I would then say an elemental prayer while directing energy in the area to push back the negative and retain the positive. The prayer is most useful if written by yourself. You may also decide to hold each object that is going to be on the altar and bless them each separately.

 When my prayer has been said and the items and space blessed I would take each of the offerings and bury them in the night. In This way a show an end to the ritual and I don't use those objects as blessings again. This above is just an example of my own beliefs but are not truly necessary to do and each belief has different ways of ending a ritual.

 Other belief systems follow similar methods but replace the sacrifice with some appropriate for it and change the prayers. Those who follow deities may ask that deity to come and protect the altar or in other ways the person may dedicate the altar firmly to the deity.

 The altar is now finished.

[vosh-ne-dorit]

Athame Creation Guide

A ritual knife creation guide A ritual knife can be known by many other names but one of the most common is athame (this is often associated with the wiccan belief but not limited to it) For the purpose of this article ill refer to the knife as an athame. to create an athame it is important to understand what an athame is. The athame is a common tool (though not required in all beliefs) used by many belief systems to aid in spell casting. The two main uses of the knife in most modern traditions are to cut or guide strands of magic( for this reason it is often used in casting a circle) and as a focus for magical energy during spell casting. An athame is sometimes associated with an element and this is usually fire or air. When you can use the knife is important to consider as well. there are two prevailing beliefs that are opposite of each other. One is that the knife should only be used for magical purpose and uses other than of a magical nature can weaken the athame. The other goes opposite that in saying that you should use the athame in all things to increase your familiarity with it. Ill leave it up to the reader to decide which they believe for themselves as there are fairly solid arguments on each side. Now that we have covered what an athame is and when it is okay to use it we can move on to construction. This differs greatly from many other tools a practitioner may use (such as a wand) because more often then not the knife is not made for or by the practitioner. This is most likely because the average practitioner is not skilled in the ways of forging. This is not to say there is not benefits to forging your own athame it is just rarely done. That means the emphasis here should be on finding the proper knife to make an athame out of. Which knife is a proper knife for an athame? An athame usually has a few specific traits but not always. They often have a black handle. This handle is sometime decorated with various runes or sigils. I believe the black handle is done more so out of tradition but some beliefs may say differently. They often are double edged. This actually has a practical application as they are often used to complete certain gestures that are made easier by having a double edged blade. As an important side note a boline is traditionally a white handled knife used for minor physical task such as herb cutting, so if you use a white handled knife as an athame that may illicit confusion. Once you have acquired a knife you want to be your athame it is now time to magically form the tool. This is usually started by a ritual cleansing then blessing of the knife. There are many ways to cleanse your tools and it really is something that should be done after ritual use. I can go into some cleansing methods if there is some interest (please comment to let me know) but for now ill skip this step and move to blessing. Blessings can also be done in a variety of ways. ill explain one method a practitioner can use. Begin by forming a paint or ink for use in drawing symbols. (again this is not required in all methods) You can get paint from many areas which you can add things to imbue your knife. For someone who focus on nature magic you may make your or add bits to the paint. another common method is to add a drop of your own blood (please read side note below if you decide to use blood) to the paint but this is only if your comfortable with such things and is not a must do. after adding what you will to the paint to make it your own it is time to imbue the paint with energy. You can do this by holding your hand over the paint and visualizing energy flowing out of you and into the paint. Well done you have your paint. As a sidenote im going to take a second to talk about safe blood magic. Its important to remember that you don't need much to see an effect and you don't gain more effect with more blood. I would never use a knife to cut yourself to gain blood as you can easily go to deep. If this is something you want to use then please consider getting a finger pricker (forgive me if there is another name im drawing a blank) used by diabetes patients to test blood sugar. These are possible the safest means of getting blood and as long as they are kept clean they will stay that way. now that you have your paint its time to imbue the knife. I usually hold the knife in my hand by the handle and see a connection form between myself and the knife. I then use this connection to envelope the knife with energy. I continue to do this till I feel the knife is ready. I then draw symbols on the knife that will help gear the knife towards its purpose. This can be things such as deities symbols that are important to you to runes from varies cultures to give the knife certain traits. It can be chaos sigils or even personal symbols that connect the knife to you. as your doing this continue running your energy through the knife. Its done when you feel it is done and the knife is now your athame. as you use your athame in ritual work the bond between you and the knife should increase only making it more useful as time goes by. One last note. a ritual sword is often used as an athame for larger rituals or group rituals. They serve much the same purpose in most traditions. As I said before there are multiple methods of imbuing an athame but this is one of the more common.

[vosh-ne-dorit]

Spellbook BOS Creation Guide

For this post ill cover a personal Spellbook, or as some call them Grimoire or Book of Shadows(BOS). There is a difference in the term. The key difference is the audience. A grimiore is meant to be read and understood by others while a book of shadows is a personal thing, almost like a journal. In this post I'll focus on the Personal spellbook or Book Of Shadows. For simplicity ill refer to this a BOS from this point onward. The key tenet of a BOS is that it is for yourself. No one else need understand it, but it should seem completely readable to you. Organize the book based on your ideas. This will be a slightly different article as I'm going to give ideas for a decent BOS but the ultimate choice how you organize it is up to you. First the general creation. Any notebook will due for a BOS but I find a hard back journal to be the best possible option. This helps with the durability of the item. Ideally you should like the look and feel of this book but they are usually simply places of knowledge not power like a staff or knife so this is actually less important. If you wanna go all out you could even get a lockable journal to keep your BOS private. Decoration your journal with runes and other such things can help give you a connection to it but its not really necessary for it basic functions but can give other benefits not immediately apparent. An example is to bless it as a substitute altar. Some also use a BOS as a focus for spells. While it is possible to create a BOS through digital means I find it often better to keep such things physical to prevent accidental date loss and to help with mobility. Also a physical medium give the ability to write symbols and sigils into your book as you need to. As said above a BOS can also be enchanted to help with other things. The BOS main purpose is to be a magical journal. To get the most out of it you should write the things you have done and the noted effects. Its a great place to figure out how to word a new spell your working on, or what your latest dream was and possible meanings. Info you constantly use is a great edition to a BOS. An example is the elemental affinity of zodiac signs or maybe your interpretation of the tarot. If your worried you may forget info or you simply want to keep all the material you commonly use in one place it nice to keep it in your BOS. That's really all there is to them. Its one of the most basic tools to PR practitioner of magic but it can also be one of the most important. As your craft grows so should this tome.

[tarot-dreams]

Death. Two of Wands. Ace of Swords.

Put an end to struggle. Cut your ties with all that holds you back. Visualize yourself as one who is free of sorrow and heartache. Make your way toward the light of a new day. Let dawn be your guide.

[vosh-ne-dorit]

This really hit home for me today. I just took the steps to get a new job. Ive been with my last one over a year but I really need to move forward.

[vosh-ne-dorit]

A Wand or Staff Creation Guide

A Wand and Staff Creation Guide. For this post ill walk you through the creation of a Wand. A staff can be made the virtually the same process. As a general note this is only one method. There are many methods that are used and another may work better for you. Before you create a wand it is important to understand its use. A wand is ultimately used to direct and manipulate energy. This can be used to focus energy to one point or to radiate energy in all directions. I sometimes hold my staff in both hands with the base on the ground and use to just to feel the vibrations of energy around me better. In many beliefs it is also used as a focus increase energy. It is usually associated with either air or fire. It is not used for all beliefs and some practitioners simply use a finger instead of a wand. Finding the material for the wand is the first step. Wands are most often made of wood but stone and metal wands have also seen use. Since wood is both the simplest and most common material used ill focus on the for this Creation Guide. The type of wood can be a difficult decision for most. There are two methods for this. You can look up the properties of varies woods and build a wand suited for a particular purpose, or if for general needs I usually go for a wood that I feel a connection with. An easy way to find a wood you connect well with is to simply touch the tree and allow your energy to flow through it. If it feels easy to move your energy through or just has a sensation of feeling "right" then your good. Once you find the wood your going to use its time to harvest it. I recommend giving thanks to the tree and leave an offering if you wish. With this done You can go about harvesting the wood. Some people prefer to do this during certain times to maximize the effect of the wand. I recommend researching your own sets of beliefs to find the best time for harvesting. The length and thickness requirement is fairly subjective. Pick what looks comfortable to use and sturdy. I recommend a length at least from your wrist to your elbow. A thickness of at least half an inch is fairly durable. It should be fairly straight to ease the flow of energy but slightly curved and gnarled wood are usually fine. I like for the wood to taper at one end but this really isn't necessary. Some people attach a stone to the wand to aid it in various ways. If you do this you should pick a stone that amplifies energy and doesn't hold it back. Now for some choices. Bark some love it, Others hate it. I have never minded bark so I usually leave it but some feel it is better to remove it. Ultimately this is up to you. If you plan to carve runes or paint it removing the bark would make that easier. Its possible to go all out at this point if you have the time and the skill. Carving it to your specifications and staining or polishing the wood. Once the general cosmetic work is done its time to bless and tie the wand to yourself. There are multiple ways to bless a wand. Ill list a few here. One way is to place it on an alter to your deity(s) and say a prayer and blessing to the deity while giving an offering. You can carve runes into the knife while empowering them with your own energy. If you use blood magic a drop of your blood could be used here to strengthen your bond to the wand (Please look at the sidenote below if your planning to use blood magic). If you plan to paint the wand you could infuse the paint with something connected to yourself (such as blood or saliva) before painting to connect it to you. As a sidenote im going to take a second to talk about safe blood magic. Its important to remember that you don't need much to see an effect and you don't gain more effect with more blood. I would never use a knife to cut yourself to gain blood as you can easily go to deep. If this is something you want to use then please consider getting a finger pricker (forgive me if there is another name im drawing a blank) used by diabetes patients to test blood sugar. These are possible the safest means of getting blood and as long as they are kept clean they will stay that way. However you plan to do this once you are finished the wand will essentially be done. As you use it, it should build a better connection to you becoming easier to use. If you have no crafting skills you can bless a store bought wand. You should still test these to make sure your compatible. A Staff is essentially the same thing. The main benefit a staff has over a wand is it makes group rituals a little easier. Getting a proper piece of wood for a staff can also be difficult and extra care should be taken not to hurt the tree. Please feel free to ask any questions

Have a nice day

[the-arcanes-mystic]

∆Cleansing Yourself Masterpost∆

There are many, almost endless ways to cleanse yourself spiritually. For some, there will be ways that are the most comfortable for them personally, and this is perfectly fine!! Others may even adapt to creating their own and/or mixing more than one technique together. These listed here are some that I’ve personally created, came across or been told about by either friends or guides. I hope they can help or inspire!! \(^.^)/

Sage/Smoke: Typically one of the most common ways to cleanse yourself is to burn some sage or insence and allow the smoke to wash over you, cleaning out and restoring your personal energies. 

Salt and Water wash: This wash is fairly well known to my knowledge, simply mixing salt, (sometimes sea salt, depending on your preference) and as pure of water as you can get your hands on. If pure water is not readily available, you can use rainwater, or bless and charge normal water, either with energy, Reiki, the moon, the sun or a blessing spell. (NOTE- you can charge or bless the water anyway, but it may bring peace of mind to those who don’t have access to pure water.) 

Milk, Honey and Lavender Bath: Another fairly known one as far as I know, but the ingredients are decently obtainable and isn’t only great for cleansing, but relaxing and replenishing. The portions can be any which parts you prefer, but I personally would tend to use- ½ cup Milk, 1 Tablespoon honey and ½ cup Lavender buds/ or 2 drops Lavender essential oil. 

Rose Water: A pretty popular cleansing technique. Buying or making your own rose water to bathe in is very calming, cleansing and serene. Just a cup or two of this water should work, depending on your personal preference. 

Blessed Bath or Shower: You can bless or charge the water before getting in, or as it’s flowing over yourself. This can be achieved through energy work, affirmations or spellwork. It’s a nice touch and in this case very helpful if you charge some candles and let them burn as you bathe, the candles constantly charging and sending cleansing energy to the water as they burn.

Exploding Energy Roses: This is a wonderful way of cleansing oneself of negativity and energy clutter. Simply get into a comfortable position and allow yourself to slip into a meditative state, once there, imagine and visualize each of your stresses, worries and energetic clutter that has clung to you, see them form into roses, becoming something manageable and force them to surrender their power over you, give them colors, detail, and texture. When you’re satisfied with your roses, focus on each one and explode it, let go of the negativity that it had once been and release every thought and emotion tied to it. 

Energy Comb: Get into a comfortable position and slowly allow yourself to achieve a meditative state, imagine the energy in any way most comfortable for you. An actual comb shape, energy hands, tendrils, energetic water washing over you or a sheet of energy, whatever you visualize, see it scan and filter through your metaphysical body, getting rid of negativity and energy clutter from your day and life. 

Reiki Cleansing: For this cleansing, some knowledge of the use of Reiki is required. If you are familiar with the workings of Reiki, simply activate your hands using the power symbol and hover your palms over your body, starting from your head and moving down to your feet in a brushing or soothing motion. Trust in yourself and open up to the universal energy as a conductor of it, allow it to work it’s way into your energetic body, sorting through the negative energy clutter and filling in any holes that may have been created or left behind by the negativity. 

Angel Vacuum: Getting into a comfortable position, either sitting up or lying down, slowly slip into a meditative state as you focus on your breathing. Once your body and mind have relaxed, call upon Archangel Micheal and Archangel Jophiel. Ask them to assist you in cleaning out the energetic clutter in your life and metaphysical body. Visualize Micheal either placing his hands on the top of your head (at your crown chakra) or imagine him linking a vacuum tube to it. Either way you visualize it, relax yourself and allow Micheal to clean your energy as Jophiel comes behind each cleansed space and refills the holes left behind by the negativity with light and love. Once they have finished, thank them for their help and continue to relax and embrace your cleansed energy until you are ready to come back to the present moment. (NOTE: you can ask if they would leave the vacuum, so for example if you do this in the morning, you could ask if they’d leave it throughout your day. This can significantly decreases the onslaught of energy clutter that you’d normally gather over the course of your day)

[vosh-ne-dorit]

I am a big fan of the blessed bath or shower myself. It really recharges me.

[vosh-ne-dorit]

Amulet of Protection Creation Guide

To start off we must answer the question "what is an amulet of protection" Well interestingly enough it need not be an amulet nor does it have to be limited to protection from spirits or entities as is often thought. Thoereticaly it can be made from anything and can protect from many things such as negative energy or positives such as helping in the healing process. Its important to remember that even with the stoutest protection things can and will get through, its protection not immunity. One of the first things you can do is decide what you want to amulet to help protect from. Will it aid you or a friend in repelling negative energy? or are you and a friend experiencing some weird stuff that may be an onset of a haunting? Are you or a friend prone to getting sick and want something that might help avoid the next bug? Using the questions above can guide you in your choice. Protection amulets are not necessary limited to the above options though. you could even try protecting amulets that protect from 2 or more things though they might not be as effective. Once you have the focus of your protection amulet decided its time to move to the actual physical construction phase. Finding something to make a amulet out of can be the hardest part. Ideally it is something that the person who is receiving the amulet all ready has a strong attachment to. any worn necklace or ring could be used (I wouldn't recommend just plain clothing) or even something like a lucky penny that person always carries. If there is nothing like that then you should pick something that already carries the symbology of protection that the person who is receiving may be able to attach to. Stones such as amethyst can be something you could use for example. Ill talk about an item I recently made for a friend to explain further. My friend was having some weird dreams at night and was unable to sleep. When she woke up she would also feel like there was something in the room with her. This was a persistent happenstance so I acted. I decided to make an amulet that would feed on negative energy around the room (mostly her own) to repel negative entities. She didn't really wear any necklaces at that point though she did love the color green. I decided on using raw emerald which I had tumbled I had laying around as the foundation of the amulet. I did this both for the stone calming properties as well as my friends love of green. The next big step is figuring out if the item will be worn or simply carried and if worn how? The easiest is definitely carried but that's not always the most effective. I would recommend a silver chain or a chain that appears silver as this has some protection qualities of its own simply in the symbology of the color. There are many kits out there that can be used to form your own jewelry and they come at many different price points. Your chain doesn't have to even be made of metal it could be rope or leather for instance. you could make it a ring, earring, hairpin, anything really. Once you figure out what you want you can put it all together. In my previous example I used a light steel chain for its silverish appearance. I attached the stone to a steel loop which was attached to the chain. Now that the physical construction is out of the way its time to make it an amulet of protection. This can be done by your self or with a group of people and works best with a group of the receivers friends. Its important to keep in mind the reason for this items creation. Now hold it in your hand or if with a group of friends place it in the middle of the group. Use energy manipulation to pull energy through the object focusing on what you want it to do. Use techniques like visualization to help with this. Marking it with symbols or sigils of protection can aid in the process. Its important to visualize the energy being able to leave the stone to aid the receiver in question while doing this. If you follow a deity or more importantly if your friend does you may ask that deity to aid the object in protecting the receiver. Following my example above Me and the receiver went to enchant the stone. Being duel purpose made this more difficult though. What I decided to do was pour energy into it over several days before the receivers' friend arrived. Now on the day of enchanting we both sat around it and focused of the ability to absorb negative energy and for this to act like a battery. We both carved our personal symbols of protection into it lightly with our athames. These symbols were to light to see on the stone but just the act of drawing them helped in the objects creation. I then spent a few more days pouring energy into the object when the receivers' friend arrived again. at this point we did the same as above but focused on the ability to repel negative entities. and tied this into the negative energy drain. The purpose was to eat the receivers' fear while removing the source. There you go you now have a basic protection amulet. If you have any questions at all or want to add anything please feel free to ask or write. Its important to remember that there are often multiple ways of doing something in magic so someone else's method may work better for you if this one fails. Good luck and be well

[vosh-ne-dorit]

An Energy Meditation

Here is another meditation that is a favorite of mine. It is used to build skill in energy manipulation.

Find a comfortable place to sit.

every time you breath out push your energy out around you. When you breath in pull the energy back inside you. 

Repeat but each time push the energy out farther. I usually do this for about 15 minutes.

If your having trouble getting your energy moving I usually visualize my energy on my breath which then envelopes me.

Let me know if you have any questions below.

[vosh-ne-dorit]

Circle Creation Guide

First, as always, what is a circle? A circle is a method of protection that helps prevent entities from reaching the practitioner or those with him/her. It is also used to filter out negative energy and only allow positive energy in the workspace. There are numerous ways to cast a circle but for this article ill follow a more Wiccan Route. Even within the wiccan tradition there is more than one way to cast a circle so I would advise research into your tradition and make changes as necessary. When do you cast a circle? Many traditions cast circles for all or most of there ritual work. Some traditions Don't use circles at all. I generally recommend them whenever facing a strong negative force. which can be from summoning, banishment, or some other darker aspects of the craft such as curses. Where can a circle be placed? A circle can be placed basically anywhere. Some traditions have sizes for the diameter of the circle but for this method any size will do but I do recommend at least a couple feet for one person and for a small group 7-10 feet may be more appropriate. What Materials do you need. For this method you will need an athame or sword, something to represent each of the four elements for offerings water, fire, earth, and air. For water I usually use water in a small bowl, for fire ill use a lit candle usually, for air I use incense, and for earth ill use a stone. bring salt for the actual circle itself (if you desire to draw it out you do not actually have to). Starting the circle: Some people prefer to draw the circle out in salt or other materials. Do that first if you want. I usually only do so when I expect great confrontation. After you have a circle of salt and materials move everything you will need during your ritual inside the circle. If you can help it you don't want to leave a circle once cast. Now for the casting of the circle. Its important that only the one casting the circle stand inside it at this point. everyone else should be outside the bounds of the circle. once done put down an offering a each cordial direction. East is air, south is fire, west is water, north is earth. Early Blessing or prayer: At this point a prayer is said to the head deity that the person in charge follows. Usually it goes something like: Oh Great ---- Please come and grant this circle and all those within it your protection. Protect the ----- coven during this time. The prayer itself can change depending on tradition and belief and it is always best to write such things yourself to have more impact (unless your tradition has carefully worded prayers it uses). as I don't follow any deities I usually say an elemental prayer myself. Evoking Watchtowers, Guardians, and deities. Different traditions evoke different things at the 4 points of the circle. I would recommend looking into your specific belief to see what they follow. For this one ill invoke the watchtowers. After the initial prayer walk to the east. Say something like "Watchtower of the east, Guardian of air, I call you forth To watch over this circle and all those within". As your saying the prayer draw a pentagram into the air with your athame. At this point light the incense in offering. Head clockwise and repeat the prayer for each of the watchtowers changing the prayer slightly with each one. With this step coming to an end the circle is cast. Allowing others into the circle: In the method I use the person in charge of the circle moves to the east edge and uses his/her athame to cut open the circle at that point. now people can come in. As they do the person in charge asked them "how do you enter" Each responds in there own way and honestly. They the walk counter clockwise along the inside to the circle to sit or stand equally spaced out. When the last person is through reseal the circle. by pushing the energy together and visualizing a gap closing. If anyone needs to leave the circle cut open a door with your athame and close it once done. Closing a circle: When the ritual is done its time to close the circle. Starting east thank whatever you evoked and dismiss it. It may go something like Watchtower of the East, guardian of air, I thank and dismiss you at this time". Once done with all four watchtowers go to the center of the circle. Thank and dismiss whatever you evoked at the start. Now at this point the circle is gone. I usually take each of the offering and bury them though this isn't usually necessary. And there is how you cast a circle. let me know if you have any questions. I originally wrote this for another site. Be Well

[vosh-ne-dorit]

How I like to meditate.

Ive been meditating a long time and ive done it numerous ways but this is my favorite method.

Go outside, it doesn't matter were really though quieter areas work best.

Close your eyes and allow yourself to relax.

Listen to the noises around you.

Pinpoint the farthest noise you can hear and focus on it.

Think about what it could be and what it is doing.

After a short time listed again to the noises around you and try to pinpoint a different noise farther away then the last.

Keep repeating this for as long as you like. I usually do this for about 10 minutes before work and it helps relax me for a long day. As a side benefit it seems to help hearing.