As I’m coming up to two years (!) of this blog, and three months of my etsy shop (not to mention the financial fun of the first month of school) I’m going to offer another sale. One random item will be marked down 10% every day (I’ll announce on twitter each morning and update this entry) and you can use the coupon code SEPT12 to get another 10% of everything in the store until September 26th. (Three days before and three days after the anniversary) And yes, those discounts can stack.
Currently marked down:
Buddhist Space Mala
Earth Mala – Buddhist
Air Mala – Buddhist
Wealth Mala
Medicine Buddha Healing Pendant
Fire Mala – Western
Spirit Mala – Western
Hands of Holy Fire
Stage magicians take good care of their hands, it’s a habit I didn’t leave behind when I left the field. One thing I’ve started doing in the relatively recent period is using a salt scrub on my hands. Let me tell you they are marvellous. They scrub off dry/hard skin, they coat the fresh skin with moisturizing oil, and bring blood to the skin so it can repair itself. Sure your hands are a bit greasy for a while, but they’ll be so soft after a few repeated uses.
That’s not all though, I find they leave my hands positively buzzing with energy for a while. Maybe it’s because of the increased bloodflow and the links between blood and internal energies. Maybe it’s because it opens the pores a bit, allowing a greater flow to occur, if you subscribe to the model linking those ideas. Maybe it’s all in my head, but that’s fine, my head is an awesome place to be.
I decided to actively use this in some of my work, so I created my Hands of Holy Fire Scrub. It’s simple to make. 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of salt (“free running” or small granules), and six drops of Abramelin oil, mix and store in an airtight non-plastic container. This makes enough for a handful (harhar) of uses. I find when I scrub my hands with this I get more than the general energy buzz in my hands, but a very specific type of energy, a “flaming” sort that I associate with my HGA. To solidify this I usually say a prayer as I’m scrubbing my hands.
I find it useful to localize this energy in my hands for various reasons. While it’s not my typical “flavour” for healing I find using it for energetic healing work has produced some great results. Also a lot of my personal style of magick is based upon gestures relating to my internal vision projection. (I’ve been told many times it looks similar in motion to the tech in the movie Minority Report, which I’ve never seen, but from the trailer I can see the resemblance.) While I can use this style without the Hands of Holy Fire (in fact I don’t think my gestures do anything on an external scape but merely reflect an internal process) I do find with it I sometimes have greater bruteforce against somethings. Occasionally I’ll meet something I can’t manipulate, but with the HoHF I can continue to work in a lot of cases. Along with healing just having my hands this way when doing a cleansing seems to be a bit more effective. Consecrating, or handling, ritual items associated with the Cosmos flows a lot better when I’ve used the scrub.
Looking at the common three part self model this is a good way of linking body with spirit and mind, you’re physically rooting and connecting to the energy through the scrub (as the material and the action). I’m sure this could be adapted in other ways, as another mode of condition oil application, allowing more control/form as the energy pools around your hands. The same scrub can be made with sugar instead of salt, which might work better for attracting magick. Of course always make sure that the condition oil doesn’t contain anything that would react negatively if applied to skin, blah blah blah.
As always, toy, tweak, experiment.
Probability Wave Tarot
(Before I start I’d like to make clear that while I slip into some physics jargon, I’m using it as a model, I don’t believe this actually works on the same principal as a probability wave, only that it makes a good illustration for what I’m discussing.)
When I use the tarot I don’t believe I’m seeing the future, I might be, but I don’t believe in a predestined future. Reality and time are far too mutable for me to believe in a single outcome. The cards show me a probable future, generally the most probable future based on how events have transpired and have the potential to transpire. Potential does not equal predetermination; some events may not come to pass as other probable paths may be taken, especially if people involved have knowledge of what is shaping up, just as using the tarot allows. By knowing the way the probable future looks someone can begin to change it, either through an active or passive Will, making it a self-fulfilling or self-defeating prediction.
Way back as I first began working with the tarot more seriously I started to tune into this concept, and called it probability waves (with the obvious nod to quantum physics). My image of the concept was of a point in time, floating in a sea of infinite possibilities, and various internal and external influences making waves in the sea, making various outcomes more probable than others. These waves can be interfered with though, other events causing them to change or “collapse” allowing a different possibility to become the most probable, and possibly come to be. I started to find a point in readings, where I could intuit a branch, or weakness, where the current Wave could be shifted to another one, to bring about a more preferable outcome. I could see the probable future before me, and I understood where the weak point was, that with a bit of pressure could shift it best from one outcome to another.
This evolved into my Fractal Spread, in which I would map out options from a specific choice, and see what possible outcome looked the most desirable to me, and what I would have to do to achieve this. Instead of questions about what will happen, or “should I do”, I’d look at the outcomes for all my choices and make my decision based on what would arise. If the cards could reveal these Probability Waves, and I could affect them, why couldn’t I use the cards themselves to affect the Probability Waves, and begin to shape the outcomes I want in a tarot spread. This was the birth of my Probability Wave Tarot Working -which is still evolving and being refined. Now unlike a ritual with may have very clear goals, this working is more thematic. As tarot cards are open-ended and vague, you’re not necessarily creating specific events, but thematic environments for the value of the card to arise in. You can’t enchant for a specific lover (for example) but set up the situation for a lover to appear.
This working involves dealing out multiple cards, which are the most probable futures, and then turning face down the less desirable futures, in order to work against them, and attempt to “collapse” that probability wave. The model here is loosely based on the probability waves of quantum packets. That observing a phenomenon “collapses” it into reality, such as the double-slit experiment or Schrödinger’s hated absurd cat. I do the entire spread inside a Tesseract/Hypercube, because I feel that allows me to influence further than I would be able to without it, as well as it gives me a good focus and visualization for the arising and collapsing of Probability Waves. Now the actual method, the way I describe it, can take up a lot of space, so feel free to rearrange it depending on your available space, but try to keep the cards in an order you recognize.
I use the Tesseract in this ritual/working in place of a circle, though a similar idea to some models, it is something to contain, and focus the power of the working. It also works well in my head as using a four-dimensional shape helps me think of the working as being something a bit beyond and above the day-to-day world, and as the axis shifts and different faces appear I interpret that as fluxes in the probability. I’m sure other set-ups could work as long as you can link it to the model somehow. The only other container I know someone has used for this was a clock, but they focused on having one hand go forward, one backwards, and the other popping in and out of existence. Personally I feel that’s more on the timey-wimey side of things instead of probability, but if it works it works.
Deal a single card, this represents where you are now, this is the point in time that all the Waves extend to and from, in the image this is the bottom card. Now deal five cards face down above it. These are five of the most probable outcomes from your current position. (I find five is the magic number here, four seems too limiting and six too many) I like to draw with my finger a line from the single card to each probable future, tracing the connection forward through probable timelines. Turn them over and read the faces. Doing this starts to “narrow” the possibilities down, because the state of probability is beginning to be observed. Immediately turn over the most undesirable cards, and see that Probability Wave collapse. Feel the “door” to that future being closed, and trace the line back from the facedown card to the present card, undoing the connection to the probable future. Turn all the cards save one facedown until you have the most desirable card left.
Now deal another five cards face down above them, these represent the five most probable outcomes stemming from the desired outcome below. Again trace the probability line up into them, and turn them face up, then turn face down all the undesirable outcomes, collapsing that Probability Wave, tracing that probability line back down, and then turning face down all the lesser desirable outcomes, until you have one card face up, your most desired outcome.
Continue repeating this five card process until one of two things happens, you deal out five probable outcomes that are all desirable (a very good sign), or until you have eight probable future cards (so a total of 41 cards dealt out). I know eight seems like a lot, but you’ll understand why in a minute.
Take all the face down, undesirable probabilities, and place them face down in the centre of the Tesseract, I call this the Quantum Abyss, for no real reason, but it fits my focus and intent. Place them there with the intent that it will completely collapse those Waves, and keep those outcomes from coming to be. I deal each card down one at a time, and as I do I feel it “drop out” of our reality, down a well in space-time where it can’t come to pass. Then arrange the desirable outcome cards around this. If you went until you got five desirable outcomes, try to arrange them in a rough circle around the Quantum Abyss cards. If you went until you had eight desired outcomes, arrange them around the Quantum Abyss cards in the pattern of the inner Octagram of the Tesseract (this is using a 2D projection of a 4D shape, it looks like the image to the side). Place your current situation face up over the Quantum Abyss cards, it is already occurred/occurring and it’s observed (face up) so it doesn’t fall down the Abyss but seals it instead.
Visualise the Probability Waves of these cards flowing from these eight points into the shape of the rotating Tesseract, and banish/dispel the Tesseract to release the Working, and set it into motion. For me I find that works best by expanding it until it breaks apart, and everything that it has contained flies out of the explosion.
As always this is a Working that is ever evolving, so I will occasionally do it again for the same idea a week after, to reinforce events, and take care of other probabilities that are arising. I also do this to watch how things are shaping up from it, and how to further refine the technique. I encourage people to contact me with feedback, and I encourage people to take their tarot decks, and instead of using them as passive messengers of the future, turn them into the active transformers of the future. (And hopefully this didn’t seem too random for people)
Skrying the Tree – Temptations – Milara
After making contact with Tzamaron and being “freed” from my job as a messenger I began working my first, and only, retail job. It seemed so odd to most people (myself included) I went from being a social worker with a fairly good name in my niche areas (geographic region of the city, as well as known for teaching about Intersexed individuals, transsexual/transgendered people, and queer issues, as well as safer sex) to working a job a bit above minimum wage in the biggest mall in the province.
It was odd, but it was oddly perfect too. I’m a big geek, and here I was working at a store selling board games, where I got huge discounts on board games, and I worked on a great team. I’ve never made friends with co-workers save at that job, we just clicked, and years later I’m still friends with a few. It was a place, and a job, that I loved. So it was obvious to me that Tzamaron had helped me shift into the realm of Venus, friends, passion, fun, it was clear. Even still it took me a while to get around to skrying cause I was just enjoying myself too much and so busy with life.
I set up my temple, again candles, incense, music, glyph on the mirror. Calling to Sh’miral the way was open and I climbed the Tree until I reached through the vastness to the Sphere of Venus. When I felt it present I called for a door, a copper heptagon door appeared* with a shimmering green glyph of Venus on it, like a heat mirage. I knocked, thrice, once, thrice, and the door opened.
*Someone asked what the doors were against, what they opened into. The answer is nothing, the door stood alone in space, and could be moved around, but it opened into the Sphere.
I found myself standing on a balcony of a house on a cliff face overlooking a sea. Without having to call I heard the clicking of shoes (high-heels?) on the stone behind me. Turning around, no, not high-heels, bird claws. The Angel before me was hybrid, bird-like lower legs, human torso, wings instead of arms, and an Eagle head. Her voice was melodic and quite human though. She introduced herself as Milara. I expressed confusion over her appearance, as at that time I associated Venus with Earth. “All of us are all Elements, but when compared to others one shines clearer. Compared to my Sister (Clarshitel) I am Earthy, but compared to one yet to be found I am mist in the air.” After some discussion on that she explained Her place. “I rule from on high, the ways of the windy mountain are mine, I am the highest Sphere on this level, to reach beyond me is a great leap. The lower Spheres I watch over, and the higher Spheres I join.”
Milara the Angel has the same value as high and lofty, appropriate to me for a bird-like angel ruling from a mountain top. Her name also has the same value as branch/tree and praise, which mean nothing on their own, but connect to other Names.
The Name of Her Sphere is Feonin and shares the same value prosperity/fertility (an Aspect of Venus’s Sphere), shout, and rejoicing. Shout and rejoicing seem to link to praise, forming a theme almost between the Names.
The Order of Angels under Her rule are the Chilmarit which gematrically links to breeding, and offspring, a very Venusian link, as well as sprouts or buds, which forms an interesting link back to Milara as a branch/tree.
Lastly the God Name that gives Form to these powers is Shero which enumerates the same as Taurus the Bull and the Fixed Earth sign ruled by Venus, the Pillar of Mercy which is the Pillar on which Venus rests. It also equals topmost, echoing Milara’s description of Her position with the lower Spheres. Lastly it equals Asherah, which is a complicated word. Asherah is form of the Name Astarte or Ishtar, Mesopotamian Goddess of fertility, sexuality, and war, who also was represented by none other than Venus. Asherah though was also the early partner for El/YHWH before His cult became Henotheistic, and later Monotheistic. Asherah continued to be represented in early temples of His cult by a single tree or wooden pillar, another interesting link to the tree/branch/bud imagery of the Names. (Note: At the time I didn’t know about Asherah, I learned about that in University which is yet to come in this story)
So firmly in the Sphere of Venus, enjoying my life, having fun, and fairly carefree. Good job, good friends, lots of board games. Surely there is no problem with this…
Wednesday Webshare: Ghosts, Gnostics, and God-Fights
Tsem Tulku Rinpoche (formerly known as the Neon Lama) answers some questions from students about ghosts from a Vajrayana Buddhist perspective.
Speaking of ghosts, are you dead and lonely? Do you want someone to fill your nights with long walks through walls? Then check out Ghost Singles, where you can find the love of your life…so to speak.
Having trouble believing in your magick? Maybe that’s cause it doesn’t take long enough? People are more likely to believe in spells that take longer.
Help out the Occult Guide by listing occult places of interest (My bedroom isn’t marked oddly enough)
There is a Noah movie coming up (I didn’t know either, the drunk scene at the end has me worried) and it’s going to include giant Angels called the Watchers, and as someone a fan of the Watcher myths, this has me intrigued.
Since I know some readers will find interest in this, Polyphanes from Digital Ambler gave a run-down on a lot of books on geomancy if you’re trying to figure out what to start with, or if that book is worth getting.
An interesting look at Judaisms (yes plular) and their view of demons.
Ebay cans the sales of spells and potions and divinations. It’s a move I’m torn about. On one hand have you read 95% of the magick listings on ebays, super-powerful-haunted items to kill friends and give you that good ass? On the other hand the day before I started listing stuff on ebay. (Though for readers I say stick with my etsy) My stuff is in an odd place, cause it’s physical craft items, just with stuff done to it.
Smite (or SMITE?) is an upcoming multiplayer online battle arena game where you play as Gods from diverse pantheons battling each other. I must admit any game where I can play Kali and kill Ra, Zeus, or Odin is a winner in my book. (Since it took me a while to track down, this is the current system requirements for the game but as it is still in beta this may change. If I get a beta key, or when they game comes out, I’ll share my profile information so I can slaughter my blog readers)
Looking to integrate spirituality and technology? A comic on why Siri shouldn’t be your psychopomp. Though in Siri’s defense a lot of Tibetan words are tricky
Looking for a non-threatening Thelemic icon for your desk at work? How about Hello Kitty Aleister Crowley?
Marvin Meyer, a Biblical and Gnostic scholar and translator died last week at the age of 64. I have several of his translations and enjoyed them, and the understanding and passion he put into them.
To counter that downer; a short four minute film on a young demon conjurer. I appreciate the fairly authentic seals, also Demon Summoning for Kids really is a book idea I should get working on… how intelligible should a child’s speech be before you start teaching them conjuration?
Skrying the Tree – Challenges – Tzamaron
Fear not, the next entry has essentially no story element
So my experiment was moving along at a quick pace, and confirmations through divination, visions, gematria, and the evocations of others all seemed to say I was actually getting somewhere with it. At this rate I figured I could finish in just over two months.
I was still unemployed, but neither Sh’miral or Clarshitel were really the type of Angel to help with that, but next on my journey was the Sphere of Mercury. I set up the same way as before, appropriate amount and colours of candles, incense, music, with the glyph of Mercury drawn on my skrying mirror. Remembering my lesson last time I called on Sh’miral and he escorted me up through Timarin, the Lunar Sphere, and from there directed me into the dark toward the Mercury Sphere. I felt like I travelled for ages, and nothing happened, so I forced a door to appear, a brass octagon with an orange shimmering glyph of Mercury on it. I knocked, once, thrice, thrice, once, and the door opened. Darkness there, and nothing more. Trying everything to produce light, or someone to talk to all failed. So I returned to myself, and tried two days later. Different experience, but the same result, nothing. I even tried my original method, using the Qabalistic Angel to make contact, and “jump” from there. To no success.
I set up all the props, and dove into the mirror escorted by Sh’miral, who seemed happier than last time, maybe he was just trying to cheer me up. When I shot through the dark to Mercury I quickly felt reality “thicken” and I called forth the octagonal brass door. I knocked, and it opened. It was a garden, flowers (mainly orange) hung on everything, birds and bees flew around rapidly, there was a buzz, a sense that everything was moving. I called for the Angel of the place to meet me, and a voice from behind, with a very strange accent, caught my attention. I turned and was facing the Angel, who was a light-skinned young man in an orange, blue, and black suit. I’d say he was the most human Angel on my trip so far, except his hair-style was that of the Centauri from Babylon 5. We talked, I asked the usual questions for the Names, and I got them. Then I asked a month old question. “Why couldn’t I find you before?” “Little one, all is a machine, a cog cannot demand for the gears to turn as it wishes, it must wait until the right time to revolve. The Earth and Moon are close to you, but I am farther, you couldn’t just come to me, you weren’t ready, you had to immerse yourself in my qualities, live a Kirahlian (Mercurial) life for a time. Only then could you come here.” I asked how I did that, I haven’t had time in the month of the hell job. A smirk grew across his face “I am a great many things, but I am Communication, Messages, and Commerce. For the last month you have been a Messenger between bankers, and businesses. You were the winged messenger flying across your city’s financial heart, keeping it beating. You lived in my Sphere, bankers, messages, communication, as well as deceit and trickery in many of your packages. It was only when you had lived in my Sphere in your life, could you come to my Sphere here.”
It hadn’t hit me that I was a messenger, or how Mercurial my job was. I respectfully asked though if I could be “released” from that Sphere, as the job was horrible. He told me to carry a resume with me that week, that I had prayed over, and he would find me another job appropriate to him, something fun, intelligent, and that I would love. I went to work that week, eyes open, knowing for sure if he was legitimate I’d know the opportunity when I saw it. Wednesday, Day of Mercury, I was sent out to my area of the city, first time that far east, to the mall. On the way back from the delivery I passed one of my favourite stores “Mind Games” and while there was no hiring sign, I walked in, and asked if they were hiring. Not at that location, but another one, but they’d fax my resume. I left it there. On Friday, Day of Venus, I got a phone call, Monday was an interview, Wednesday the following week I was hired. In a week and a half from my conversation with my Mercurial Angel, I had gone from a job I hated as a messenger, to my favourite job working at a store selling board games, science kits, brain teasers, and educational games.
Gematria again provided insight into the Names I was given, and friends confirmed the nature of the Angel. Ironically my Centauri was not the only sci-fiction appearance he has taken, someone else saw him as a Ferengi, with all the Mercurial traits one would expect.
The name of the Angel is Tzamaron, the “tza” is an odd sound, between a sha, ta, and za. It’s sharp and harsh, almost like a quick snake hiss followed by “ah.” His name has the same value as Tongues, and Tziruph. Tongues are the organ of language, ruled by Mercury. Tziruph is a way of encoding or decoding something in Hebrew by a simple substitution cipher, something that is also very Mercurial.
Kirahl is the Sphere of Mercury. I was given three spellings for that Sphere, a true one, and two to illustrate the point. The true spelling is the same value as “to use magick,” “sage,” “intelligences,” and “horns.” All very Mercurial in their nature. The other spellings had the same value as “words” and as “Enoch” the scribe of Heaven. To further test it, I tried another spelling that would still work in Hebrew, but the value was boundary, and I had trouble linking that, I couldn’t just make up gemantric values and have them work.
The Sheno are the Angelic order of this Sphere. Their name is the same value as thought, idea, and number.
Lastly the Godname to form and compel the forces of Kirahl is Phorahlin, pronounced for-Ah-lin. Without using a final nun, the Name equals “the teaching”, with the final nun, the Name equals cunning, and witchcraft.
Several weeks earlier I started this experiment and lost my job, with contacting Tzamaron my life shifted, I went from working a career that I largely enjoyed, to a job that I absolutely loved. I had confirmed Tzamaron’s integrity by vision and corresponding events in my life, then later on with other’s working with him. I also learnt that I couldn’t rush this initiatory experience. The Angels of the Spheres had their own plans for me, and I had to earn the right to visit them. I was humbled, it was not up to me, it was up to them, I had to be worthy to progress, I had to live their Spheres and earn my access.
As with all the Angels, especially the planetary ones, I have a very short “prayer” I use to call on Tzamaron, though its effectiveness is more reliant on our relationship than the power in the words. Every Wednesday when I give him my daily offering I say “Hail unto Tzamaron, ruler of Kirahl, leader of the Sheno, in the Name of Phoralin I call you here, and ask that you work with me, and walk with me.”
Review: Financial Sorcery – Jason Miller
Financial Sorcery: Magical Strategies to Create Real and Lasting Wealth – Jason Miller
New Page, 2012, 224pp., 9781601632180
We’ve all encountered that person who asks if magick works, why aren’t we all rich? We all probably have our own answers too, but when we pause to think about it, it is a good question. Why do so many occultists of varying stripes have trouble with money? We summon lovers, find jobs in odd places, protect our homes, and yeah magick the money to get us out of trouble, but outside of that emergency most of us have trouble with money or money magick.
“[T]he magic itself is fine: our spells usually work … The problem is in the application of our magic … …The attitude for most people seemed to be that when everything was okay, it was better not to give much thought to money at all.” (14) As Jason points out when people try money magick outside of emergencies, it’s often for exceedingly unlikely goals like winning the lottery. I’m in that boat. I’ve experimentally tried my hand at the lottery to no notable success, and while I’ve done great with having enough money to get by while in school and then some when I shouldn’t have the money, it’s always been that survival emergency money magick mentality.
That’s not what this book is about. There are sections about it, a sigil for getting some money fast, and a chapter on emergency magick, but for the most part it’s about prosperity and abundance. Repeatedly the message Jason gives is cut debt and expenses, increase income, and grow wealth. Emergency magick, is bad magick. Strategic magick, is good magick.
In this book Jason introduces a wide range of information regarding financial sorcery. Drawing on various traditions we’re given a list of figures to work with, from Vajrayana to Ceremonial Magick, from Catholicism to Taoism to African Diaspora Religions. Frankly I never like the section in books where the author lists a bunch of figures and says go work with them, but they’re not offered “as is” but more as a sample of who is out there, and that we should find whatever figure of prosperity we can to work with and develop a relationship with.
In Jason’s usual manner this book is a mix of different traditions and technology, as well as heavily grounded in practical magick and real world activity. Most chapters that explain how to do something magickally also give some options for the mundane side. Looking to get in a bit of extra cash in a crunch? Jason gives a website to sign up for focus groups in your area. Needing to manage and understand your expenses better? Here is a website that tracks all your money so you know where it is going. Most of these resources are only for Americans, the Canadian version of the focus group site has five focus groups listed across the country since March for example, but can give you a starting place to work from, ideas to look into.
Jason sets out to analyze our perspective on wealth and wealth magick, and by intelligently understanding and strategizing from there help the reader build stable and lasting prosperity. He takes us through daily offerings to spirits to help keep the gears going, to 16 Lightning Glyphs of Jupiter –a collection of 16 sigils for financial magick with all sorts of practical and specific applications–, to understanding how we hold ourselves back from financial freedom, to killing debts, to getting jobs and promotions, to starting our own business, to investing. Step-by-step through big picture and little detail magick Jason works to get the reader to a more prosperous place in their life. While not an advanced book in regards to technique –anyone with basic magickal/meditation experience could make use of the book– it is advanced in the strategy and process. Whether you’re drowning in debt, just getting by, doing well, or just looking to do better this book will have techniques, technology, and ideas that are relevant to you. Unlike most things in life, money will always be there, and it is always something we must deal with, so I really can’t think of anyone this book wouldn’t benefit, and would recommend it to most anyone.
And of course, if you like this book or just want to know more about the author you can check out his blog here.
Climbing the Tree – Threshold – Clarshitel
(Don’t worry, they all won’t be as story like, it’s just the first three that set the stage, and a few others down the line.)
So after asking Sh’miral to “open the way” for me I lost my job. Having completed skrying into the Earth Sphere of Almak, getting positive feedback from friends in my experiment, and of course having plenty of time without work I decided it was time to move onto the Lunar Sphere.
Having more experience with Lunar forces I set out nine purple candles, drew the sigil of Gabriel on my skrying mirror, lit my incense, and began chanting. I brought myself to the Lunar Temple, and called upon Gabriel, who told me I was expected, and the path was the same as before, but more difficult. While I had left the Earth, I was still of it, reaching to the Moon and beyond required crossing a Veil, the most subtle and fickle Veil on the Tree. I knew the trick from last time, and I found the connection point, that rippling between realities, I stepped into it, turned away from everything and was falling. Perhaps I was flying, or shot from a cannon, there was movement, fast, and yet had the sense of going nowhere. I tried to take control, force myself to exit somewhere, to call a door to me. Nothing, it was movement that wouldn’t end. I felt like the other Sphere was right there, but I just couldn’t reach it.
Suddenly I jerked to a stop, and a hand on my shoulder “You’ll never get anywhere at that rate. The Ways are endless if you don’t have an open door.” I turned and found myself facing Sh’miral, he was larger, darker than before. I asked if he can help. “I can always help you find the Way, call on me when you Climb, you don’t need to jump from one Tree to another anymore, you’ve been given access, use it.” With this I fell again, briefly, a silver nonagonal door with a purple liquid glyph of the Moon stood before me. With three sets of three knocks the door opened to me. Inside was an amethyst crystal cavern, lit by glowing urns placed around it. A sound between bells and bubbling water filled the air. I called out, asking if there was anyone there. The white-blue water flowed from cracks and flowed up into the form of a woman, early Yaksha/Apsara in her appearance.
I left her place, taking her Seal with me, and returned to myself. As usual I distributed the Names and Seal to some people involved with the experiment to get their impressions. I turned back to the Gematria, because it worked last time amazingly well, that was probably a fluke though.
Clarshitel, Angel of the Sphere, her name was the same value as Mother, Veil, and Hidden Wisdom. She had called herself the Mother, Gabriel had mentioned the Veil of the Moon was different, and it was harder to cross, and Hidden Wisdom is appropriate for the Moon in general and the attribution of the High Priestess.
Timarin, the Sphere of the Moon, if spelt without a final Nun is Cancer, and with a final Nun is Heavens, Sky, Ruach. Cancer is the sign ruled by the Moon, Heavens and Sky are appropriate for the Moon, but also for anything visible in the sky, but Ruach is the part of the Soul that is housed in or represented by the Moon.
Shaqaran, the class of Angels of the Sphere and children of Charshitel. Their Name is the value of Natron, Mem, and Water. Natron is the only one slightly out of place, it was used in mummification to remove water, but that’s the only link I could think of. Mem, the letter of Water, and Water, are both tied to the idea of the Moon, but also in the way Clarshitel presented herself and her realm to me.
La’andras is the God Name ruling and forming the forces of the Sphere. It’s value is that of Man and Ishim. The Ishim are the Angels of Yesod, which was the only real link I had.
I was trusting more than Gematria to confirm these Names, heck, I’d say I started using it almost as a lark, just to see. Again though I had good confirmation, three out of the four Names strongly linked to what they should, and the fourth did relate. Perhaps there is something to Gematria.
While waiting for responses I was failing to find a job, but I figured the Angel of Mercury could help me out there…
Like all the Angels I encountered, once contact was made establishing a low-level connection again was easy. Whenever I need to open up “simply” to Clarshitel, such as when I make my offerings to her on Monday morning I call to her “Hail unto thee, Clarshitel, Ruler of Timarin, Mother of the Shaqaran, in the Name of La’andras I call you here, and ask that you work with me and walk with me.”
Inspirational? Interesting Facts About Kalagni
Twice recently I’ve received the Inspiring Blogger Award, which surprised me, cause of all the words I’d use to describe it inspiring isn’t what comes to mind, unless you’re dealing with the origin of the word. The first came from Dying for a Diagnosis which houses an eclectic mix of discussion on mental/physical wellness of the author, and where they intersect with spiritual and kink. The second came from The Crossroads Companion written by someone who while I don’t know what label they use strikes me as a cross between a Hermetic magickian and an ecstatic witch, also fun and crafty type of person.
One of the rules is I have to nominate seven other blogs. I’m going to skip that. Check the list to the right (which needs to be updated severely), or pay attention to my Wednesday Webshares to see what is interesting me.
Last rule was to post seven interesting things about myself. Figured why not, you don’t always get a sense of who someone is through their niche writing, so interesting things, trying to avoid heavy woogity.
1. I have long blue hair that currently is just shy of reaching my belly button. I’ve had blue hair for almost twelve years at this point. Currently I’m like Marge Simpson, I have a surprising amount of white hair for my age, but the blue hides it nicely.
2. I’ve died several times (I’ll only discuss two). I choked on the umbilical cord and fluids during birth, came out deep blue (as my father points, the same colour as my hair), and was dead for roughly fifteen minutes before they revived me. My original name was something horrendous, but during that time in panic my mother changed my name to keep herself occupied. To this day I maintain I refused to live with the original name. I drowned when I was four. It was my first Near-Death Experience. I didn’t see the light, instead I saw a Dark Woman and black flames. At the time I coded her as Maleficent (how else would a four year old understand that?) but I’ve come to understand Her as Kali.
3. I used to be a stage magician, and somewhat of a prodigy. I don’t mean I knew a few card tricks, and some sleight of hand. I was a full blown making things float, people disappear, cutting women in thirds type of magician. Fortune favoured me and I actually trained with some big names, and used to attend, and later teach/counsel at a summer camp for young magicians. For the most part I’m fine that I stopped performing, I donated about $1000 worth of equipment to the camp, but occasionally I miss it. On that note, never ask me to perform.
4. As a child I had a belief in reincarnation, even when I didn’t understand the concept. Twice in early grade school I identified people who knew from another place/time. One I identified as my brother from a life in Ireland, the other was someone I worked with in an American life. In both cases I didn’t get the concept of reincarnation, that whole death and rebirth thing, so I explained it as “We used to be X back in Y, and we were sent forward here.” I had no idea of the mechanism of being sent forward, nor why I didn’t remember those lives that much and was suddenly a child rather than an adult.
5. I’m not an emotional person at all, but there are two things that will always get me to cry. A VNV Nation concert, and Sleeping in the Light, the final episode of Babylon 5. At some point during a VNV Nation concert I’ll cry, just a little, but it will happen when it sweeps over me. In Sleeping in the Light, when John and Delenn say good-bye, when John “dies,” and when Babylon 5 blows up, all of those scenes make me cry for some reason.
6. My family has lived in the Toronto area for almost two hundred years (1820s). One relative owned 400 acres just west of what is now downtown (at the time it was outside of the city limits), another owned the 200 acre farm that was bought to become the first non-Catholic/Anglican cemetery in the city, and it is now Mount Pleasant cemetery, a must see if you’re in the city. Currently the house I sit in is one of two pieces of property owned by my family, being a small three bedroom house. I don’t know how the 400 acres vanished, but I’m not amused.
7. I play the theremin. When I first started I ran a youtube channel filming my progress of learning, but my speakers died, then my mic, and I got out of the habit of doing it. I try to practice regularly but I doubt I play more than twice a month at this point. For me it is the most difficult thing I’ve ever tried to learn (I even wrote an A paper on it in my psychology of learning course) because it is so freeform, and I’m…a set of contacts and face paint away from being Data. Theremins have no set notes, they exist on a spectrum in the air with nothing marking them, and where the notes are shifts as you play due to the instrument warming up, ambient temperature, humidity and things in close proximity. It’s exceedingly frustrating, I love it. (On that note I plan on learning on playing the saw, which also has a similar issue of not quite having set notes) I won’t link to a video of me playing, but instead to Grieg with the first performance of a theremin I ever saw and that wom my mechanical heart.
Creating and Consecrating Ritual Chalk
Also titled
Magick Chalk: Beyond Mary Poppins
I was asked by some magickal associates of mine to share the ritual and recipe for my magickal chalk. Magick chalk? You read right, so before I begin, why in the hells would you need magick chalk?
The primary use I have for my consecrated chalk is creating magickal circles, specifically circles like the Heptameron style, used to invoke the Divine forces and establish stability and authority before a major magickal working. When I clear out a space, I generally like to draw a line and protective glyph at the door to keep things out. (I could do the same without anything, but I like grounding it into the physical) Writing petitions, drawing sigils, really anything you could write for in magick works well with the chalk. As a note, this type of chalk may scratch chalk boards, but works well on stone and pavement, and even dark or tough cloth. My portable summoning circle is a huge piece of denim and it works on it.
The ingredients are simple:
1 tablespoon eggshell dust. (Wash and dry eggshells from a few eggs, I was told six, but I just collect and use, and grind into a powder. I use my magick coffee grinder for that, use a strainer to get only the finest particles.)
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon hot water (at least, I’ve had to use up to five in some cases)
½ teaspoon ash from a copy of the Headless Ritual written in dragon’s blood ink (One sheet of paper produces 1/2 tsp of ash, if you want to make more chalk at once use a small amount, but I don’t recommend using less than 1/8 tsp)
(A few drops of food colouring if you want, but the ash will muck up the colour)
Simple, stuff we all have lying around. Mix the water, flour, and ash into a paste, then mix in the eggshell. It’s a balance, but add a bit of water if too dry, and a bit more flour if too wet. It should be like a clay or dough. Mix it up. Roll it on a piece of wax paper to get it into the shape you want. It could make several pieces, or one depending on how thick you make it. I suggest thicker, as it is less likely to break that way. Roll a piece of paper towel around it, and let it set and dry for a few days.
Why do I use the Headless Ritual in making this? I’m sure most people know the basic history, it was originally used as an exorcism (which makes it highly appropriate for drawing warding and protective glyphs), but the structure is that of a powerful invocation. That’s why in the Golden Dawn and Thelemic traditions it got rephrased into calling to, and connecting with your Holy Guardian Angel. This part of the invocation I feel makes it ideal for all the other uses of the chalk.
To consecrate the chalk, on Sunday in the hour of Mercury, or Wednesday in the hour of the Sun, or any good Solar/Mercurial moment, I place the chalk on my altar. Lighting the candles I perform the ritual, and again command the force to reside in the chalk, to bless it, enliven it, to make spirits obedient unto it, to make it the most badass piece of chalk.