Why Does Godspousery Exist?

I’ve written two other articles on Godspousery – one before I became one, and one after. They talk about the historicity of the practice, and go into a little detail on how it all works… but neither really talk about WHY it exists. Someone recently asked me, “What, exactly, is the point of a god taking a human spouse? Why does the practice exist, and why has it been so prevalent throughout human history?” This was my answer.

So, the relationship is… different for every spouse, of course, but generally speaking – the gods don’t have a full form here. Not only that, but gods feed on faith. The less faith a god has, the less connection they have to us and our realm, and the less they can affect the world. That being said, the number of followers feeding a deity isn’t everything… the Christian deity isn’t able to do nearly as much as, say, a demon, because the beliefs about him are just too disorganized. He’s pulled in too many different directions. Generally, a god has a niche. They’re the god of “something.” and that thing is very specific. It can be broad or narrow, but it’s specific. The less specific, the more… dispersed. Power has to be collected in one place in order for it to be utilized.

There are debates on whether the gods existed on their own or if we created them. I don’t think it matters which is true. There are gods. How they came to be doesn’t matter so much as how they ARE.

There are layers of devotion. You can be someone who’s just part of a pantheon. Someone who acknowledges the deity/deities of that pantheon pays lip service to the rites, donates occasionally to temples relevant to their personal interests and needs, but is otherwise not very involved.

You can be someone who is devoted to a specific god, and while you don’t go to them for EVERYTHING, because you understand that gods do have their limitations, just as we do (and are flawed as we are), you tend to go to them for most things. You might be a person of the arts, so you choose Apollo as the god you focus most of your devotions on. The one you feed the most.

You might be someone who chooses to go a step further – instead of being just a follower of your god, you choose to be their representative. You choose to be a priest/ess of that god, or that pantheon. That’s got layers too – you can be one of all the gods, one of both all the gods and a specific god, or just a priest/ess of your specific god.

Priests and priestesses exist as intermediaries. They council the people. They offer services – health services, community and private rites, blessings. They serve the people as a god’s representative, but that service is always focused on the needs of the PEOPLE.

A spouse goes the opposite way. Spouses focus on the needs of the GOD… and the god returns that devotion with both power and responsibilities, and with protection.

Without priests as the voice, a god loses a lot. The faith becomes disorganized and the manner of that food being directed towards the god becomes likewise disorganized – but more than that, the benefits that the people gain from that deity begin to fail. As it fails, so does their faith, and as that faith fails, so does the god, in a vicious cycle that ends with the Sleep. There are a LOT of forgotten gods, Sleeping.

A spouse is like a priest but on another level. Instead of JUST being the Voice of a God, they are also the HANDS of that god.

A god can speak to the priesthood, and even to their followers, but they don’t live inside them. A spouse is a vessel.

3
[8:07 PM]
Spouses are often chosen because they’re already very much like that deity, either in one particular quality or in many. A lot of spouses of L*ki, for example, are trans or NB. They also tend to be passionate and thoughtless. There’s a lot of infighting among his spouses. He’s contentious with himself, him-against-the-world, but he has way too much fun being that… and so his spouses tend to be as firey, as quick, as flighty, and as angry. That being said, the shared qualities between a spouse and their deity may not be obvious at first glance. A god has many facets, and a spouse may exhibit only one, or may exhibit more than one, and it may be subtle or hugely obvious, but like calls to like – we all know why I’m married – I’m married to a messenger God, a god of teaching and knowledge – we are much the same, as I’ve always been. It’s just another dimension added. Not all of a God’s traits are positive… a spouse deals with every side, including the darkest, no matter what aspects they outwardly exhibit.

I do know that the marriage has… settled me down a lot. He’s very thoughtful, methodical. It’s… I’m a lot more stable than I used to be, emotionally. I see too much, so I get less stormy… but just as a desert storm can strip skin from bone, I’ve lost none of my edge, perhaps even gained more of one… but the vast expanse of understanding means those times are rare.

A spousal relationship is a MERGING. His energy is IN ME. Not IS me, but is IN me. It makes me… MORE. More me, really. There are times when I speak and it thunders. Those times were rare before him, but now, they are frequent. When he moves, I move, when I move, he moves.

And that power collected and directed, by us both, is used to directly affect the world. I’m not a voice for the PEOPLE. I don’t serve THEM. I serve Him, and only Him, and thus I serve MYSELF. My pure self…

Not that I AM him, but we are…

I don’t know how to explain it. His energy is merged with me. I am becoming more and more like him, but the base was there before him. I’ve always been this, but it’s deeper now.

That is what he gives to me. That power, and that boundless connection.

And in exchange, I serve, and I love, and I speak and do as he needs. Sometimes that means I serve his people, but mostly, I serve his OFFICE.

He’s a god of trade, a god of messages, a god of knowledge and teaching – so that is what I do.

I never used to be creative. Now I make physical things, magickal art, imbued with our power, sent out to change the world. It’s OUR power, too… my unique brand of magick but with his… kick.

I used to teach – answer any question I knew the answer to. Now I speak less, but when I am Called, then I hold nothing back. It’s the same but different.

I’m his, but he is also MINE. I walk with the footsteps of a god.
[8:08 PM]
~
There is one more type of relationship, though I don’t think relationship is the right word…

Some gods prefer not to have a spouse for something specific. We’re general. Sometimes a god needs a specific goal achieved, so they take a piece of their power that matches that goal, and they make it flesh. They create an Avatar. They become one of us.

If you really want to understand Avatars, you need to study Hindu mythology. Their gods litter the landscape and history with avatars.

A spouse is the closest thing to an avatar most gods are interested in having. An avatar can be damaged, which damages the god. A spouse can be damaged, but it won’t harm the god, because while they are one in a SENSE, they are still two individuals who are merely blended BECAUSE like calls to like. A spouse will never be an avatar, can’t be.

I don’t know if this is a good enough explanation about how a spousal relationship is 100% not an unequal thing. I might have given too much information and got you lost in the sauce, or I might have been too general and too vague for you to get it, but…

This is the best I can offer. I am the hands of my god, my steps are his steps, and I am cherished.

~fin

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Prosperity Mala

Blocked or Unbalanced Chakras

If your chakra is blocked or there is a problem with it, when you look at it or feel it, it will feel/look smudged, or you will feel pain associated with the area, or tightness, like a lump in your chest for a blocked heart chakra. Look for dark patches where the glow is diminshed or even extinguished.

If you can visualize your chakras and get nice sensations with those visualizations, chances are that your imagination is not in overdrive, but fairly accurate. If you’re concerned about the health of your chakras, simply do a cleansing and clearing exercise in addition to your usual meditation work, every time you work with them. Cleansing and clearing should be done daily, anyway. Trust me, if your chakras start having issues, you’ll know. It’ll start with emotional and mental issues, and swell into physical issues. There will be emotional swings, negative thoughts associated with the particular chakra, and then physical feelings – first almost like indigestion, slowly swelling to actual physical illness. You can check out google, as many websites mention the side-effects of having an imbalanced chakra and include the physical diseases… for example, if your solar plexus gets blocked enough to become unbalanced, you can end up with not only feelings of codependency and victimhood/powerlessness, but also diabetes and gall stones. See how it works?

I always SUGGEST to my chakras that they close after I’m finished working with them, but as with the elements and deities, it’s always a “close if you will, stay open if you must,” kind of thing. They’ll slowly dial back down on their own when they’re ready. Forcing them open or closed, and I don’t mean the gentle coaxing/asking but actual force, will cause blockages. Most meditations don’t mention closing them because most practitioners know that as you leave meditational space, and your brain ramps back up from theta levels to alpha levels, the chakras tend to close up on their own, because you’re becoming more connected to this here/now reality and less connected to your internal energetic reality. There’s less energy flow – not much, but it does become reduced – so they slowly ramp down. I, personally, prefer to, as a part of the meditation, just because I’m a neat and tidy kind of personality, ask them to close up before I begin to lift myself up out of that space. But that’s just me. It’s not necessary.

If you’re having pain in your body and a headache, and if you’ve already looked at all the possible physical causes – activity, environment, diet, etc (for example, sometimes pressure changes can cause headaches and body aches, and sulfurous foods like red wine and eggs can cause migraines), it is definitely time to check for energetic issues. Pain during energetic practice can be for several reasons, the two most common being blockages, and not being centered and grounded.

If you’re new to chakra work, you’re probably not ready for balancing work, which should only be done by a really advanced practitioner, because if you get it wrong, you can throw your whole system out of wack, and that’s not fun. One overbalanced chakra throws out another, and another, and another, until you get a domino effect that can end in a drained chakra – and then you have to go find a professional to jumpstart the poor thing back into life… and rebalance your whole system. So, definitely not for rookies.

The balls of white light exercise, with being grounded and centered, can also be supported by a third cleansing exercise, where you imagine a very fine net of cleansing energy undernieth your prone body. I like to make my net out of colors that are used in healing, like blue and green and purple – but white is fine. Raise the net up through your body, picturing it collecting all the muck as it goes. Take your time – be careful and smooth, and as thorough as you can be. Once you’ve raised the net up and out the front of your body, either send it back to the universe to be cleansed and repurposed, or imagine it going into the earth, to be cleansed and repurposed there. I like to use the phrase “I release this energy back into the ‘wherever’ to be cleansed and repurposed, for the highest good of all, with unconditional love.” You don’t absolutely have to, but it’s nice to know you’re suggesting/willing that that muck can do some good elsewhere, in a better form.

Dealing with Imbalance Within a Chakra

(This talks about the solar plexus, but the website linked also has a series of links to articles about the individual chakras which covers the physical, psychological, and spiritual issues associated with an imbalanced chakra. They are on the left side of the page, and I seriously recommend reading them all.

http://www.colourtherapyhealing.com/col … chakra.php

Read that link first. With an imbalance in the chakra, there could be physical side effects, so if you start to notice any of these issues:
•Diabetes.
•Pancreatitis.
•Liver disease.
•Peptic ulcer.
•Coeliac’s disease.
•Gall stones.
See a doctor. Immediately. Keep working on the chakra, but see a doctor.

That having been said, here are the exercises.

Grounding and Centering (Basics)
Even though it’s always referred to as Grounding and Centering, actually the best way to do this is always to center first. Grounding and Centering should be a daily practice for anyone who does any energy work at all… and meditation is energy work. Grounding and Centering should also be done EVERY TIME YOU DO SOME KIND OF ENERGY WORK. Before AND after. ALWAYS. I can’t stress that enough.

Just in case you’re still not sure what these terms are, or how to practice them, I’m gong to give you the barebones basics anyway… repeating the basics over and over is never a bad thing. A review even when you’ve been doing something for 20 years is always helpful, and new perspectives on an old practice can be useful and enriching.

Centering is, at its base, becoming aware of yourself. In most spiritual practices this involves connecting to the solar plexus, and the center channel running through all of the 12 major chakras, minus the hands. However, if you try to force yourself into your center, you’re going to slide off or around. Centering is more about relaxing, diffusing, and sinking in than about force. Your chakras will respond with equal force to what you are applying, so the more you try to shove your way into your navel, the more you will spin, and dislocate. So… go back to breathing and relaxation. When you’re relaxed enough, sink into your center. Become connected to YOU. Even if you don’t really know who you are anymore because life has changed so much lately, at the core of yourself, you are still YOU. Sink into that. There is, in all of us, a timeline… and when we look at the timeline, we can see how our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, actions and statements change over the years… but we can also see how our core selves stay the same. There are some things about us that never change. No matter the external pressures put on us, we are still ourselves.

THAT is what you connect to when you center.

Problems:
If, when you try to center, everything starts spinning around you, or YOU start spinning… it’s ok. You cannot stop the tide from flowing. But you can make it pause long enough for you to align yourself with it, become one with it, and join the flow. Don’t try to put up a wall and stop one spot. Stop the whole thing at once. You’ll “hear” a POP, almost like the sound a dislocated limb might make when it pops back into place… and then you’ll suddenly be centered.

If you find yourself slightly above or below your body, floating, and unable to sink into your solar plexus or central channel, I find that visualizing an old-style set of scales between where I am and where my center channel is, and KNOWING that those scales are representative of the balance of energy between myself and my center, is very helpful. I can shift the energy from one side to the other, until the scales come into balance, and again, POP, I’m in my center.

Grounding is acknowledging your connection to the world around you. Your body, whether you are an evolutionist or a creationist, is made up of earth. When it stops, it will go back to being earth. Whether you believe that the big bang happened or not, all things were created out of energy first, and became matter. All things come from the light that came after the darkness. If you’re of a scientific bent, then at the beginning, after the big bang happened, everything was so close together that light couldn’t shine… it was only after it cooled down a little and spread out that light flamed into being. When light flamed into being, slowly matter left over from the big bang coalesced into clouds, and then into stars, and then with the deaths of those stars, the byproducts created more dust, which coalesced into more stars, and eventually planets, and those planets eventually gave rise to us. We are connected, by this, to both the earth, the stars, and the moment the universe began. Without any of those things, we would not exist.

If you’re a creationist… well, Divinity created light, and then earth, and then man out of earth… And with the breath of the divine within man, man came alive. Therefore, as an artist cannot create that which it is not, you are light, and earth, and the spark of God. With grounding, we connect to those elements. We connect to, by either belief, the earth and the creative moment where we began.

Grounding is always done both ways… think of it like poles… you have a crown that’s connected to the divine, the center of the universe, the creative spark, the eternal wisdom, or however you want to look at it… and you have a root that is connected to the earth. I have to connect UP first, and THEN down, or I get a headache. Most people connect to Earth first, and then the heavens. Do it the way that is most effective for you.

Grounding begins with expansion. You are centered. You know that chakras, with the exception of the Ajna chakra between your physical eyes, all take in energy from the back, and express it out the front. The Ajna chakra, being the root of the subconscious, actually goes backwards and draws in from the front and expresses out the back… but we won’t be working with that chakra so don’t worry about it. To expand, you need to, while centered, draw in energy. Use your breath, and visualization, to open all your chakras, one at a time, and encourage them to draw in energy from the back, but the one you’re really going to focus on drawing energy into, from your crown down and your root up, is the solar plexus. All that energy, from your back, from your breath, from your crown down and your root up, needs to pool into your solar plexus, where you reside. This will result in a steady GENTLE expansion of that chakra. When the chakra has filled your whole body with yellow light, so that it is dripping off your fingers and toes, pouring from your hair, and your aura has become golden, then it is time to ground.

Send that energy up and down. You may do this one at a time, or both at once. The idea is to connect to the core of the earth, and the core of the universe, using YOU energy. Once that connection is made, you then draw universal and earth energies, back into your solar plexus and center again.

To do the earth grounding, visualize yourself sinking into the very core of the earth, where the molten iron boils. Find a place to stand in all this firey earth, and dig your feet in. You can picture roots if you like, but the idea is to become one with the earth. Your feet merge with that spot, so that you cannot tell where one ends, and the other begins. There is a balancing of energy – yours to the earth’s, and the earth’s to yours. When the energy balances and stabalizes, you’ll feel clean and refreshed, and ready for the next step, which will be UP. Come back up to your solar plexus, through your root, but STAY CONNECTED TO THE EARTH.

Now, look to the center of the universe, the heart of God, the source emanation, the big bang, or however you want to define it. Look for a core of light. The light is so bright, you can barely look at it. Enter the light, and repeat the same process, this time with your crown, that you did with your feet in the earth. Come back, maintaining your connection to the Universe, and center again.
This is the process of grounding and centering.

Grounding and centering should be a daily practice, even for a master-level practitioner. It should be done before and after any energetic work. Meditation, healing, spells, conjuring, and even has practical uses outside of the energetic world. Ground and center before a job interview, and afterwards. Ground and center before and after a party where you’ll be meeting new people, or being around people you don’t feel comfortable with. Ground and center if you’ve had a sudden fright. Ground and center when you have to have a heavy discussion with your spouse, or after a fight with your child. Any place where you are going to express emotional, mental, or spiritual energy, ground and center before and after. Going to run a race? Ground and center first. It’ll give you more oomph to hit the track and GO! And then ground and center afterwards, to help flush yourself out and calm down your body. Grounding and centering has multiple uses outside the magickal community, so don’t be shy about practicing it anytime you feel you need a little moment to collect yourself.

Problems: Most people don’t go deep enough. They connect only on the surface. As long as your visualization is clear and you’re intent is to connect to the cores you’re working with, this shouldn’t be a problem… but always aim for deeper and deeper. You will, with practice, grow out of shallow grounding.

Cleansing and Clearing (Moderate)
Now that you are correctly grounded and centered… it’s time to clear out the blockages. The first way is a general cleansing… It cleanse all your chakras, your aura, and all your bodies at once.
Picture two balls of white light… one arising from the earth, one from the core of the universe. They are as wide as your aura.

If you don’t know how large your aura is, stick your arms out to your sides like you’re about to do jumping jacks, but turn your palms towards each other. SLOWWWWWLY bring them together in front of you, paying very close attention to the moment your hands begin to feel sensation. It could be vibration, tingles, warmth, coldness, thickness, but you will feel SOMETHING. If you don’t… keep trying. The moment you feel your aura, you’ll know the size of your aura. Keep in mind that with meditation, grounding and centering, and doing other forms of energy work, including this cleansing exercise, your aura will grow. Check periodically to see if you need to make larger balls.

You can do this next step one of two ways. You can run the balls through one at a time, or you can do them both at the same time… the second way is more difficult to visualize, but much more effective. So… you have your two balls of white light, one from the earth, one from the universe/god/whathaveyou. Draw the balls into your body. As you do this, visualize all of your chakras spinning open. The earth ball starts 12 inches below your feet (remember you’re cleansing your aura and all three bodies with this) and the sky ball starts 12 inches above the gold chakra that’s six inches above your head.

Visualize your other two bodies aligned with your physical body for this. Don’t worry about seeing their chakras yet… that comes with practice. Just try to see the three bodies and how they intersect.

Now, pull the two balls of white light through your system. The head one goes down and out your feet, and into the earth. The foot one goes up and out your head, and into the universe. Do you remember the laundromat, with the washing machines with their glass doors? How you could see the clothes, the water, the soap, all being tumbled and tumbled as the washer cleansed the clothes? These balls are washing balls. They roll and tumble on the inside, and as they roll and tumble, filling your system with clean white light, they soak up all the ick, and keep it separated, so that when they finally go into the earth or into the sky, you’re clean, and the ick is gone. As you release the balls back into the earth and sky, say “I release this energy back into the universe, to be cleansed and repurposed, for the highest good of all, with unconditional love.” You don’t have to say it out loud, but the intent has to be there.

Next, remember I explained before about energy (except for the Ajna) being recieved from your back, and being radiated out your front? Well, when you cleanse a really bad blockage from a chakra, it helps to take a ball of white light, and run it through that particular chakra, in that direction… again, start beyond your aura, and move through the chakra, feeling for the clog. Let the ball of white light gather up the clog, cleanse, clear, and re-energise the chakra, and be radiated out the front. Say: “I release this blockage back into the universe, to be cleansed and repurposed, for the highest good of all, with unconditional love.”

Once you’re done cleansing and clearing… two things need to happen. First, let your chakras gently close up again. Second… I would recommend that you put up a shield of some kind to protect yourself from getting personal power blockages again. You can either collar the chakra, or ward your whole aura. Your choice. And then you have to start making choices to stand up for yourself. Be clear. Be respectful. But stop letting him push you around. Stand your ground. Don’t pick fights, but draw your boundaries clearly, and STICK TO THEM. Take back your power, and don’t give it away anymore. Read anything you can about personal responsibility and how choices and perspectives are entirely self-created, from decision to result. Then start making better choices, and changing your perspectives. Your world does not have to have you as the powerless victim. You are much greater, much stronger, much brighter than that. You are divine. You are stardust. You were there when the big bang happened. You were with the word when it created light. You are of the earth, and the earth is you. You, my dear, are power incarnate. Whether you accept that and begin to use it is up to you.

Balancing the Chakra (Advanced)
Finally, a blockage is usually a sign of imbalance, both in your mental self and your energetic self, and since you’re already working on resolving the situational/psychological issues that created the blockage, when you are ready, you might try this.

Sink into the chakra. Consider it, from back to front. Is there an imbalance in how much energy it is drawing in from the back, versus how much energy it is producing out the front, that might cause it, beyond your real-life issues, to become blocked? Use the scales imagery I suggested earlier. If there is an imbalance, correct it… GENTLY. Be VERY delicate. This is, as I said, an advanced technique. Use as LITTLE power as you possibly can. Think laser surgery, not civil-war surgery.

Now… what about left and right? Aside from the main channel that connects your solar plexus to your sacral and heart chakras, and runs through the rest of your center following your spine, there are two smaller channels that spiral around the center channel, cris-crossing in a DNA pattern, from one chakra to the next. Is the flow of energy from your solar plexus chakra flowing equally towards both these channels?

Is your solar plexus balanced well between your heart and your sacral plexus?

If you can see minor chakras, like the shoulder chakras, the hip chakras, and the like, how well is the solar plexus balance with those? If you can’t see them, that’s ok. Work on the balances you CAN see. Think of this like a tune up. When your chakras are correctly balanced, with themselves and each other, it balances everything else.

Of course, you need to keep in mind that just as your energetic system can affect your mental state and your physical body, your physical body and mental state can have an effect on your chakra system. Always, when working with your chakras, check to see the true source of the problem. Even if you need to do some kind of cleansing or tuneup work, clearing up the TRUE source of the problem will go a long way towards clearing up the issue… and leaving the real problem unresolved will mean you keep having to go back to the drawing board over and over again. Don’t just make the bed look pretty… change the sheets once in a while. lol

Finally, as a recommendation, you need to know more about chakras.

The Chakra Bible by Patricia Mercier
Working with Your Chakras by Ruth White
Kundalini and the Chakras by Genevieve Lewis Paulson
The Healer’s Manual by Ted Andrews

Those books should give you a well-rounded foundation on the chakra system and self-healing techniques. Even if you never lay hands on another person, it’s an excellent idea that everyone know a little about their own energetic anatomy and how to keep it tidy.

I don’t usually work with stones, but I do have a chakra stone kit somewhere… If you respond well to gemstones, you might consider getting a chakra stone kit with the some of the following stones:

Tiger Eye – Lower Chakras (1,2,3)
Red Jasper – Root Chakra (1)
Hematite – Sacral Hara Chakra (2)
Carnelian – Sacral Hara Chakra (2)
Orange Calcite – Solar Plexus Chakra (3)
Citrine – Solar Plexus Chakra (3)
Rose Quartz – Heart Chakra (4)
Aventurine – Heart Chakra (4)
Blue Agate – Throat Chakra (5)
Sodalite – Throat & Third Eye Chakras (5, 6)
Amethyst – Crown Chakra (7)
Clear Crystal Quartz – All Chakras

My kit also includes Kyanite for balancing and opening all chakras, Seraphinite for helping them function at their highest vibration, Selenite for the left palm and right palm chakras (one piece is clear, the other is white), a chunk of Silver for the silver chakra below the root, a piece of Jet for the chakra below that one, and a Gold bead for the chakra above my crown.

Kundalini and chakra work:

What if your chakras are closed or damaged and you try to activate the kundalini energy? Can it make the chakras even worse or would it cleanse and repair the chakras?

There are two possibilities, and they depend on the types of blockages you’re dealing with.

The prevalent belief about kundalini is that it does actually cleanse your chakras. However, there is a lesser-known belief that kundalini can get stuck, and cause a host of difficulties – but it doesn’t get stuck in the chakras, it gets stuck in the nadirs – the ida, pingala, and sushumni. Essentially, if you’ve got a clog in your pipes, then kundalini backs up behind the clog, and causes a whole bunch of physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual issues – which is why cleansing the nadirs is so vital.

If you do have a block in the ida, pingala, and/or sushumni, alternate nostril breathing is the solution. It is 100% effective, within five minutes. It can also assist with moving blockages out of the chakras, through the nadirs, and out of your body and your aura, though with the chakras more work will be required.

Your chakras get blocked because of a bunch of things, but most often it’s mental. For instance, if you don’t feel safe where you live, you’re going to have a blockage in your root. If you have social anxieties, that’s going to be reflected in your sacral and solar plexus chakras, depending on the root cause of those anxieties… and so on.

What this means is that even when you cleanse and clear a blockage from a chakra, if you do not work on WHY it got clogged in the first place, THE BLOCKAGE WILL COME BACK.

This is why energetic healing often takes multiple visits to clear an issue – it’s a function of as below, so above – you cleanse the chakras, and then you do it again, and again, and again, until the original emotional block begins to fade because the chakras, your energy, and your mind, learn a new way to function without the block. It’s a lot like physical therapy to correct a postural issue. If you’re in pain, you change your posture. Eventually, the posture sets in, your bones and muscles and tendons adjust, and you acquire a permanent change, even if your original pain is resolved. This creates more pain in new areas. So you go to physical therapy to retrain your body how to stand, how to walk, how to sit – so that those new pains go away, too – but this takes time and hard work.

Blockages and closed chakras are exactly the same – it takes time and hard work to root out the psychological and emotional damage that caused the shut down and blocks – but just like any other emotional and psychological work, clearing one block may reveal another and another. The work is never truly done – but it’s important and you should absolutely do it for the sake of your mental health and happiness.

So… absolutely go for kundalini release – but remember that with all that emotional shut down you have in your chakras, kundalini release affects your mental state. You’re already unstable or you wouldn’t have closed off or blocked up chakras. It’s probably better to work on the chakras and then the kundalini.

You can do it the other way around – blocked chakras don’t cause kundalini issues – but I wouldn’t personally recommend it, because of the psychological effects of kundalini release. Just remember, the only blockages that affect kundalini release are in the nadirs, and that alternate nostril breathing will solve those.

Chakra Healing From Root to Crown

What follows is a live seminar I did on the chakras during an event called Parastock in 2013 – I’m not sure why it never made it into this blog, but here it is, now.

Close your eyes after reading this, and look for the root chakra. It will probably look a bit fuzzy. You’re looking for a reddish orb of energy that has four petals around it.

Another way to check your chakras is by feel. You have chakras in your palm. You can ask your spirit guides to open them, and rub your hands very briskly together for a few moments. As you pull them apart, you will feel them tingle. You can then wave your hand through your aura over the various locations of the chakras, and sense them with your palms. This will tell you information that drawing can’t… such as WHY a chakra has a certain thing going on inside it.

On hand Chakras: your dominant hand is all about projection and protection. Your receptive hand is all about drawing in, but also taps into self-knowledge. You can use your left hand to check your chakras and your aura to tell you things about what’s going on with you. To activate them, request that your guides activate them, rub your hands briskly, and stretch them apart slowly until you feel the chakras open. Your hands will heat up and tingle.

Now, close your eyes, and picture a ball of white light. Focus on this light as coming from the core of the universe. The intent is that this light is perfect for you – it’s for your highest good, it is unconditionally loving of YOUR energy frequency, and deeply healing.

The sacral plexus is orange, and has six petals. It is located two inches below your belly button and is centered between your back and front. All chakras are considered to be aligned with the spine, but this chakra can sometimes drift to the left a bit.
Locate your sacral plexus in the same way that you did the root chakra – either with activated palm chakras, or with visualization.

Between your root chakra and your sacral plexus, there are three main channels and two minor channels.
The central channel is the widest. It’s called the Sushumni channel. The outside two that wrap AROUND the chakras but do not connect TO the chakras are called Ida (right) and Pingala (leftI) nadir.
The two minor channels that directly connect the root to the sacral plexus on the outside of the sushumni are also called Ida and Pingala nadirs.

Remember to activate your palm chakras and use your visual techniques. Your channels will be white (sushumni) and offwhite or dark (ida/pingala)

The reason the Ida and Pingala nadirs are dark is because energy flows DOWN the ida and pingala nadirs, and the Sushumni is bright white because energy flows UPwards there. So check flow. Downwards is much more subtle and gentle. When you connect to the ida and pingala nadirs, you will feel your energy shift downwards, like grounding. When you connect to the sushumni, you will feel your energy rising, like kundalini. The channels take a bit.

So remember the white light I had you connect to and let flow through your root chakra?
I want you do do the same thing through all five channels between your root and your sacral plexus.

The sacral plexus is all about your connections – how you relate to the world around you.
Everything you touch is stored in the sacral plexus… which can make it very crowded. Outmoded ideas, and burnt in, tired patterns, are held here.
I call the sacral plexus the noun chakra. If it’s a person, place, thing, or idea, and you have ever related to it, it’s there.
It’s also a sexual chakra – but rather than your own sexuality… it deals with how you feel sexually about others. It also deals with how you relate to them sexually.
It’s about what you enjoy in life, when it’s healthy – the things that bring you pleasure. It’s also the seat of indulgence and addiction. This is the chakra that your feelings about the world come from.

One of the first self-care things that needs to be done with this chakra is… what are you holding there that is no longer useful, no longer serving your highest good, serving your growth as a person and as a spirit?
Bring in the white light energy… and SAY TO IT – “I release all unnecessary connections back into the universe, with unconditional love.” Know that the energy of those connections that is right now doing nothing but holding you back is going to be repurposed and directed towards someone else’s highest good now. And let go.

When you truly let something go out of your energy field, when you stop sucking it back in all the time, even if you’re surrounded by it, it no longer disturbs you, because it’s not inside you.
So keep weeding until your garden stops being soil that accepts those kinds of seeds. Your energy is programmable. You can teach yourself a new way to be, where things do not grow in you that you do not need.

We’re digging into the sacral plexus chakra. We’ve released the excess connections that are unnecessary and holding up progress. Now it’s time to clean up the mess that came from being stuck.
Again, bring in the light that we talked about, and let it wash through the entire chakra, cleansing, balancing, soothing.
Let it remove any stuck energy, and when you feel it’s a nice, strong, stable orange, we can move on to the channels above it.
It should also get a pulse to it.

Remember to draw that light all the way through, front to back.The opening that draws in, to the opening that pushes out. The front of the chakra – which is actually your back.

So the next step is to connect to the five channels moving to the solar plexus. The two that cross below the sacral and above the sacral (outer ida and pingala) the two that connect from the solar to the sacral (inner ida and pingala) and the central channel that flows up from the root through the sacral and now through the solar plexus (sushumni) all need to be checked and cleaned with the light.

The outer ida and pingala wrap around the chakra system like a DNA helix.

The inner ida and pingala, whose energies ALSO flow downwards, simply leap from chakra to chakra. The Sushumni, whose energies flow upwards is a river bed that gathers chakra energies like tributaries as it heads for the point above the crown where it fountains.

Both ida and both pingala nadirs terminate below your feet. They flow down your legs, and your arms. But that’s really technical and you don’t need to worry about it with a general cleansing.

The solar plexus is your center. It is your essential sense of SELF – just as the root is your sense of your body, the solar plexus is your sense of YOU. It is the seat of your self-confidence, and all your actions. Your belief about what you are capable or not capable of doing in the world comes from here. It’s all about achievable personal power. Willpower.
Having this chakra clear means you are able to be courageous, and take pleasure in your own accomplishments.

If you have issues with this chakra, you will tend to be a wallflower, but not in a positive way. An overactive chakra can make you egotistical and narcisstic. An underactive solar plexus will make you a professional doormat.

The chakra petals are an energetic fibbonaci sequence. 4, 6, 10, 12, 18, 3, 1000. lol
Time to bring on the light

The difference between the upper and lower chakras which separates them is that the lower chakras all deal with your physical self. The upper chakras all deal with your perceptions and interactions with the outside world. The root is your body, the sacral plexus is sex and relationships. The solar plexus is your views about yourself and your ability to act in the world

The heart is all about how you sense the world. The throat is all about how you communicate with that world. The Third Eye is all about how you see the world, and the crown is how your spirit connects to the spirits of the world. So all the upper chakras are externally focused.

Remember yesterday when I showed you how to open your perceptions, either by touch or by inward sight, to view your chakras?

Connect to your heart chakra. The heart chakra has 12 petals, is green with a rose outline around the outside, and as I said, is the seat of your emotional senses about the world around you.
This is how you interact intuitively with the world. The Third Eye is Sight – but the Heart is FEEL. There’s no point in being able to see the word if you can’t feel what your seeing actually means.
The heart chakra is also about love – but not just self-love, but being able to give and receive love with others, and the wider world.

When you are connected to your heart chakra, remember what I told you about connecting to the light that is the most balanced for you, the most attuned to your own highest good and your best purpose. This isn’t about white light, or anything like that. It’s about aligning yourself with your truest nature, your best balance, your most perfect you. Connect to the light that creates you as you create yourself… the blueprint, I suppose. It’s not going to be the light that anyone else is. It’s your light. Which means that if you work better with shadow – it will have the taste of shadow. It’s your light.

So bring that into you… and let it wash through the chakra. Remember that we’re going from the opening of the chakra in your back, and out the front. Let that energy wash through your chakra, setting everything to rights.
Look at what your heart chakra is right now… and then bring that intent in, and let that intent come through and fix everything up. And keep doing that until you know that your heart chakra is the best color and feel it can be.
You INTEND to connect to the light that is for your own highest vibrational good. The light that is the best light for you, and for your healing. When you put your mind into an intention, the very act of saying, “THIS is what I want,” is enough to call it to you. You are using a function of magickal WILL.
You are WILLING A CHANGE TO OCCUR. You are WILLING A CONNECTION TO A TYPE OF ENERGY.
This is why I suggest that while this kind of basic healing can be done by most people, real healing that can be used for others shouldn’t be done by just anyone, but someone who really knows how to keep their intentions pure.
Your heart chakra is between your nipples on your sternum.
Some people will feel it a bit lower, some a bit higher, but generally, it’s in the middle there. The thing is that the heart chakra isn’t actually a single chakra. It’s actually 7 chakras starting at the base of the sternum and climbing upwards in sequence to the hollow of your throat.

The throat is located just over your adam’s apple. Women and men have them – just feel for it if you’re a chick, because it’s not physically as obvious as in men. The throat chakra is a blue that is very changeable, but is frequently a whiteish blue – a pale blue to sometimes turquiose color. It has 16 petals. The throat rules vocality. It is “I Speak,” so is all about speaking your personal truth. Not THE truth – but your PERSONAL truth. If you’re not into self-expression, you probably have a muddy or even blocked chakra here.

The throat is all about communication, both within and without. If you don’t listen to yourself, or you don’t listen to others, if you don’t speak deeply or honestly, if you avoid confrontation or prevaricate… you have an issue here.
Because the throat is all about speaking your truth, any time where you are deceiving yourself, this chakra is going to take the fall… and because it’s smaller than some of the other chakras, when it falls, your whole outlook on the world falls with it. A recursive chakra here will actually turn you into a mouse just as much as a poorly developed solar plexus. They often feed each other.

Not angry confrontation, but… have you ever felt something deeply, and ignored your feelings because you wanted to keep the peace around you, or didn’t want to deal with confrontations with your friends or family? That’s a throat chakra issue. Speaking your truth is about speaking those feelings – not about shoving them in people’s faces, or about forcing them to your way… the throat is all about letting EVERYONE have their personal truth, as long as they let you have yours.

If you refuse to speak up when there are issues, calmly and clearly, but just clam up instead and put up with things that don’t work for you, you’re going to have all kinds of addictions that are about jamming that chakra up. It’s not about speaking what you think. It’s not about speaking what you’re taught to think. It’s about standing up for what your soul believes to be true. Standing up for your heart.

When you speak from a spiritual place, you speak calmly, and you state your thoughts and feelings, and then you let go. It’s not aggressive, it doesn’t hurt others, or if it does, it’s only because of their attachments to lies, not because you are deliberately hurting them. You speak your truth and let it go. That is how to keep the throat chakra pure.
I tell people in situations where they cannot speak, that they must remain true to themselves, and speak the truth to themselves. They must be as honest as they can be with others, they must be honest in their actions… and whatever they cannot be honest about, they must be honest somewhere else. Tell a tree. Tell a sheet of paper. Whisper it to the wind. Tell the truth to something. It will help.

So now, connect to your throat chakras, and see what they are doing. If you see any blurring or blemishes, any places that are too dark, ask them why, what are they withholding. Listen to your truth. When you are ready… bathe it in that light, and cleanse it.
If your throat chakra is hurting you, ask it why, where the blockage is, or where you are underactive or overactive, and what you need to do to resolve it. That’s one thing that people seldom do that they really should do the most… talk to your chakras. ASK THEM TO TELL YOU WHAT’S GOING ON

Time to work on the third eye. The first thing you all need to know is… it’s not your third eye.
Your third eye is indigo, and has two petals. It rules the unseen world, the inner world, but also the astral world. What you see in your mind and what you see with magickal and psychic senses comes from here… but only what you SEE. Secondly, the third eye is actually the fifth eye. It’s located in the center of your forehead. Below it is your fourth eye, below which is your third eye at the bridge of your nose, and then your second eye is your left eye, and your first eye is your right. Above the fifth eye, you have two more eyes, the last one being at the hairline.

The fifth eye is also vastly different from your other chakras in that it is centered in the middle of your brain, in darkness, and also in that it’s start is on your forehead, and it’s petals bloom out the back of your head… so when working with this charka, instead of going from the back of your body to the front, you go from the front of your face to the back of your skull.

So everyone knows what the “third eye” looks like and what it does and where it’s located? At the curve of the skull as it heads towards the crown. Think… if you put your hair in a ponytail, it would be around that area. Hair is actually the third eye’s antenna

When you feel you have learned about any possible dysfunction, make a note to yourself about what’s going on and a solution… and then bring in the light to cleanse it. Remember that with this chakra, you go from the forehead to the back of the skull and out, not from the back of the skull out the forehead.

The final chakra is the crown chakra. It’s located at the fontinel of your skull. It is VERY large, larger than your hand. It has 1000 petals, and is white and purple. It covers from the hairline at your forehead, a whole cap around the top of your skull. The crown is all about knowledge.

The crown is all about being calm, being strong, knowing your own self and your own way. It’s also about being deeply connected with universal oneness. It’s about being in tune with everything in the world. The crown touches everything, and then the eye and the heart interpret it, and feed that interpretation back into the crown for you to understand.

Everyone, connect to your crown now, and look for any issues, or anything that you’re doing RIGHT… because the crown is all about rightness.
Keep in mind that the crown isn’t about losing sight of yourself, or losing your own boundaries or definitions of self. It’s not about becoming nothing. The crown is the seat of yourself, as you fit in the universe, just as much as it’s the seat of the universe as it fits in yourself.

A lot of people who work the LHP tend to think that the upper chakras will pull them off that path… that isn’t the case. If anything, the upper chakras can refine how they decide to act, by telling them about how they think and feel about the outside world, and how it returns the favor – they reinforce choice, rather than taking it away and forcing universal connections. You can’t force something that is omnipresent. You are in the universe. You can’t get more connected than that.

One last thing… ask your crown how your connections to source and yourself are. Ask to see those connections and make sure they are all in, and functioning correctly.

When you’ve all connected to your crowns, and made sure that everything you need to know is understood, bring in the light, and this time, wash it from your crown, all the way down to the soles of your feet and into the earth. At the SAME time, bring a SECOND light up from the core of the earth… and run it through your root and all the way up, out your crown, and into the center of the universe. When you feel completely refreshed, balanced, poised between heaven and earth… you can relax, center, ground, and call it done.

I told you I was tired and would forget something… If everyone would check their idas and pingalas and sushumni from their sacral up, that would be a good thing. Run the light through all five channels.

Patronage in Demonolatry

NOTE: Throughout this article, I have used patroness rather than matron. This is a deliberate choice on my part. Matron means married woman. Patron or patroness means supporter, guardian, protector. It is VERY important to understand what a patron is, and what they are supposed to do in your life, what they are supposed to be to you.

Full Definition of patron
1a: a person chosen, named, or honored as a special guardian, protector, or supporter
a patron of the arts
b: a wealthy or influential supporter of an artist or writer
… the unspoken contract between artist and patron …
— D. D. R. Owen
c: a social or financial sponsor of a social function (such as a ball or concert)
a patron of the annual masked ball
2: one that uses wealth or influence to help an individual, an institution, or a cause
a patron of the city library
3: : a master (see MASTER entry 1 sense 2g) in ancient times who freed a person he had held in slavery but retained some rights over that person

History and Etymology for patron
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin & Latin; Medieval Latin patronus patron saint, patron of a benefice, pattern, from Latin, defender, from patr-, pater

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patron

matron noun
ma·​tron | \ ˈmā-trən \
Definition of matron
1a: a married woman usually marked by dignified maturity or social distinction (see DISTINCTION sense 4a)
b: a woman who supervises women or children (as in a school or police station)
c: the chief officer in a women’s organization

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matron

As matron simply means married woman, and patron means the person who helps me be successful in my chosen path… and the people who are female who do that same thing are typically called patronESSES…

You can see why I choose to not call a female demon or deity a matron.

Now on to the meat of the topic.

The books written by Connolly and other famtrad demonolators are pretty solid on this – you only get one, and that one is for life. There are a lot of people who come to demonolatry from other neo-pagan traditions – those traditions permit more than one patron/ess (though if you’re walking a reconstructionist path, historically speaking, most cultures participating in polytheism would also agree that a person could have only one patron – for example, in Greece, a person who traveled a lot on business was likely to consider Hermes their patron, and would look to Him in all things – this person might make offerings to Poseidon if making a sea voyage, but would also make offerings to Hermes at the same time), thus they decide to have more than one demon patron/ess. However, that’s not how demonolatry works, and I honestly am not sure how that works in actual practice, either. I suspect that modern polytheists confuse mentors and patrons, not truly understanding the difference.

There ARE going to be times in your life when your patron/ess steps back, allowing a mentor to take point for you. This does not mean that mentor has become your patron, nor does it mean that your patron has abandoned you. It does not mean that your patron or patroness has ceased to protect and guide you. It means that for right now, the best guidance is going to come from the mentor demon. This may be where the confusion lies for polytheists coming into demonolatry from a neo-pagan practice. This mentor demon may stand in for your patron for a time, but standing in for one is not becoming one.

In demonolatry, there are a variety of reasons to choose a patron/ess.

• A lot of people look for a patron or patroness that balances them. They look at something they’re lacking, and choose a patronage that will fill that gap.

• Another method is to choose the demon whose sacred days match your birthday – for example, my King’s days are from June 11th to June 20th. While I didn’t know at the time that I chose Him as my patron, this happy accident actually helped confirm to me that I made the correct choice.

• People may also choose a patron/ess who matches their element.

• There’s also the way of picking your patron as someone who specializes in the work you are most called to – assemble a list of demons who all worked in domains you feel the most draw to and work with each of them to see how you mesh, until you find the one best suited to you and your Work.

Once you have made your decision, then ask the demon you have decided on. There’s a very specific ritual to asking a demon to become a patron/ess, and afaik, the people claiming to have multiple patrons have not used this ritual. If you’re working with more than one demon, those demons are considered MENTORS in demonolatry, not patrons. Do NOT do the ritual until you’ve spoken to that demon and they have also affirmed they would like to be your patron or patroness. If the demon tells you no, LISTEN. Why did the demon say no? Ask them, do further exploration, meditate. If the demon suggests you work with another specific demon, pay attention to the recommendation.

If you have doubts about your choice, LISTEN. Are you just not ready? Is there something you feel is missing, or not quite right about your choice? Why do you have doubts? Where do they stem from? Address the root of your doubts, and then move forward with the new information. This may mean that you decide this demon is not the best for you, or it may mean that you decide the timing is wrong. Whatever the reason for your doubts, just as if a demon tells you no and you respect that decision from them, respect your own internal decisions. No means No.

It’s important to understand one thing in all of this. You Do Not Have To Enter Patronage. It’s a big decision – especially since in Demonolatry, you only get the one. So if you’re not sure right now… you do not have to choose right now. There are plenty of people who have mentors, but no patrons. There are people who do not have mentors OR patrons, but simply have companionship with a chosen few as family.

Take your time. Meditate on it. Work with the demon you’re considering. Work with others who fit your criteria – a demon of the night who matches your birthdate; other demons who match your element; demons who also match your primary path focus, demons who fill a gap in your being. Most practitioners recommend that you work with a demon for at least a solid year before you decide to ask them to become a patron for you. I don’t personally recommend a specific length of time, as each person’s needs are different, and you know yourself best – if you only need a few weeks before you’re sure, then you only need a few weeks. The one thing that is most important to this process is knowing this is a major decision that will impact your entire life moving forward, and it is PERMANENT. Give it the appropriate amount of weight when deciding.

What exactly is Qliphoth Pathworking?

Let’s talk about why the Qliphoth is not for dabblers, and why someone who says they went through 3 spheres and 9 pathways last night is either smoking the bad shit, out and out delusional, or seriously in for a Really Bad Time :tm:

I think the biggest issue with the Qliphoth is how many people do not understand what it really is. The basics are that it’s the shells left over from the creation of reality as we know it. It is the shadow tree, the tree of death, in opposition to the Qabalistic tree of Life. To work with it, a basic understanding of hermetic and/or Jewish theology is necessary. The Qliphoth, like the upper tree, has 10 spheres and 22 pathways connecting them, and then the hidden sphere which Crowley suggests you use as a portal between the two trees – Da’at.

For us, the basics of the Qliphoth are that it’s shadow work, but it’s…. you’re not just working through your OWN shadow, but the spheres are shadows that the whole world has within it. Like, you may not be an addict, but addiction is a problem of humanity as a whole – so there is a sphere for that worldshadow. It’s dangerous work because the worldshadow is so big, it can swallow the unwary whole – you may work with that sphere and end up BECOMING an addict.

You’re confronting both your own shadow AND the worldshadow, at the same time… it’s hard work, and it’s risky AF if you’re not careful about it. It’s rewarding AF, and I think that anyone on this path should head that direction eventually… but I also think that there are… prerequisites for doing that kind of work. If you manage to work through the entire world shadow, it gives you a freedom, a space between you and the world, that most people don’t usually have. You stop being attached to so much, you take control of so much… it’s really empowering to not be burdened by the worldshadow… but you pay a hefty price for grabbing for that freedom when you’re a “filthy cas.”

The Qliphoth is one of the few things that is so not for dabblers it’ll wreck them for trying. You’re not just doing this work for yourself… the work is expected to raise the community with you. Godhood isn’t about the power you will be able to wield – it’s about how you will use it. The misunderstanding is that It’s seen as edgy, dangerous, so dabblers want to do it for street cred – they just see the egoic aspects.

So. If you intend, truly, to work your way through the Qliphoth, understand it’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be smooth. It’s going to be, at times, EXCRUCIATING, and you should TAKE YOUR TIME.

And in my mind, working with the Qliphoth also has some basic requirements for practice (aside from already being familiar with the basics of ritual pathworking):

First – a good solid understanding of qabalah will help. Working both trees at once is often recommended for those who have difficulty remaining stable.

Second – learn as much as you can before you begin.

Third: take your time. (I can’t stress that enough.) If you find yourself being overwhelmed or begin to self-destruct, stop immediately, and connect to the appropriate sphere and pathway of the tree of life, and remain there until you stabilize.

Basically – be practical, patient, and studious.

Build a library of information you can work from. For me, personally, I bought several books on the Qliphoth, as well as some books on Qabalah, and my process is to read a lot, and then work out what will work best for me from all these sources.

For the Qabalah, I strongly recommend “A Garden of Pomegranates” by Israel Regardie, and Chicken Qabalah by Lon Milo Duquette, as well as Godwin’s Cabalistic Encyclopedia.

For shadow work, I recommend:
Dark Moon Mysteries by Timothy Roderick – wiccan-centric rituals for shadow work. If you’re not wiccan, the rituals can be adapted to suit. Good for beginners
Of Blood and Bone by Kate Freuler – shadow work and also “dark” witchcraft. Good for mature practitioners.

For the Qliphoth, the books I’m reading from are as follows:
Qliphoth: The Complete Series by assorted authors, published by Koetting and BALG
Qablah, Qliphoth and Goetic Magic by Thomas Karlsson
Tree of Qliphoth (Temple of Ascending Flame) by Asenath Mason
Abaddon: Angel of the Abyss (BALG collaboration again)
The Shadow Tarot by Linda Falorio (If I were to ONLY recommend one book, it would be this one)
Sacred Magic and the Qlippoth by Frater R C
Qliphotic Wor(l)ds by Cort Williams

Working with the Elements: The Basics

When you cast a traditional ceremonial circle, part of that involves “calling the watchtowers.” The watchtowers are spirits which guard the entrances to the elemental planes. When you get deeper into the path, you stop calling the guardians, and you start calling the elementals themselves (some paths skip the first step, or make the first step the second instead), though elementals for a beginner are NOTORIOUSLY fickle – they have short attention spans and don’t often stick around for a full ritual. To overcome this issue, instead of JUST calling the elementals, the PLANE is invited as WELL… This is why the pentagrams are cast at each of the four directions.

When you cast a pentagram, you follow it with a pushing movement with your athame (or wand or finger) striking the direct center of the pentagram. What this does is open the pentagram like a flower, a portal, a doorway. If you have developed your sight enough, when you open the pentagram with that push of power, if you do it correctly, you may actually SEE the elemental plane on the other side of the pentagram. You can also use the elemental tatvas, or the elemental triangles, to do this.

This is the first step in working with the elementals in a stable way. You open that gate and invite the elementals to join you in your circle, in your ritual. The reason the tools of magick exist is to give those elements and elementals a focal point with which to gather and hold them. Swords/athames for air elementals, wands/staves for fire elementals, chalices/cauldrons for water elementals, and salt/iron for earth elementals. The objects gather elemental energy, which both focuses that element, and encourages the focus of the elemetals.

The ones that are hardest to get to stick around for a ritual are air elementals. Sylphs are just flighty as fuck and while I have achieved a rapport so they’ve actually stuck around for a full ritual once or twice, the truth is they get bored VERY easily, so giving them something to keep them occupied until you need them is a very good idea. If I need sylphs to stick it out for a full ritual, I generally do the ritual outside, and I put ribbons all over the place for them to play with.

Salamanders and undines (fire and water respectively) are both more likely to stick around, but they’re also more judgemental than sylphs – if you fuck up, they’re gonna let you know, and they’re gonna make you pay for it. However, earning their loyalty has been the highlight of my occult life. Undines are emotional, and can be vindictive and patient. Salamanders are quick to anger and quick to forgive small shit, but they’ll burn your life down if they think you deserve it. The danger level is the same, just the personalities are different and the reasons for the danger.

The most stable and easiest to work with are the gnomes, earth elementals. They’re almost impossible to rile (though trust me, don’t. Just… DON’T), they are the most likely to stick for a full ritual even at the beginning, they’re EXCELLENT teachers.

The elemental PLANES which you can open a doorway to via the pentagrams are what you’d be working with here though. It’s much easier.

When you call the elemental plane, and open the pentagram, you’ll feel that realm join your circle. For me, it started with a swirl of energy rapidly tracing the circle. With experience, you start to discover differences, experience the small energetic shifts that happen when you do it right.

When you call Earth, the air will suddenly feel heavy, weighted. You’ll feel REALLY grounded, and you may feel slow, like it’s hard to move. This is why earth is always called last.

When you call air, you’ll notice a quickness, a lightness to the energy. There’s a clarity that comes with air – energy moves better, and your focus improves immediately. This is why Air is traditionally called first. It just works best that way, supports the entire process of casting a circle.

When you call fire, you may feel hotter, like the temperature rose inside your circle. You will also probably feel like someone’s now pushing you to move. There’s a force to fire, a drive. Fire is the backbone of a ritual, because it’s the main source of energy for it.

When you call water, you may feel the temperature cool down. Water is like that sudden dip in temperature when the sun finally sets. Your skin may feel a little clammy. You will also probably notice the sense of… steel in your energy. Water is the dedication to a purpose. Fire is the get-up-and-go, and water is the feeling of PURPOSE.

Working with the elementals can teach you a lot about magick – the elementals themselves make good teachers, but also working with the elemental planes themselves can help you begin to see how the energetic world around you is put together… and knowing how something is put together helps you take it apart and then rearrange it in new ways to suit your needs.

In Celtic shamanism, there’s a practice of actually journeying to these planes, via your own energetic system. In Hindu and Chinese practices, the energy centers of the body are associated with specific elements – you can use these centers to travel to those planes, just as you use an elemental pentagram, and this leads to tremendous access to personal power and personal healing.

The central pillar of the human energy system, the central pillar of the Qabalistic spheres, Yggdrasil, all of these are the same thing, at the elemental level. When you climb the tree from within yourself, or from outside, via the elemental planes, or via pathworking the spheres, you begin to see the connections in a new way.

Each system is a closed one – that is to say, it is reliant on a cultural understanding, and is a cultural representation of the mystical world. However, we are all human, we all exist in the same world, albeit in different locations and in different circumstances. Every practitioner who has described the magickal world has done so through their own cultural lens… BUT they are all describing the same thing, and the deeper you go into any practice, the more you begin to see the bigger picture, the interconnectedness of all things.

The elements, the elemental planes, the elementals, which form the foundation of all western magickal practice, are the first step along this journey, and a vital part of understanding the Western magickal world.

Raven Review – The Goetia Devils

The Goetia Devils by Rev. Cain was purported to be a book documenting demons from the Ars Goetia in a new way – from a Left Hand Path perspective, the book was supposed to offer information about the demons gleaned during Rev. Cain’s long career as a practitioner.

To say I was disappointed is perhaps a bit of an understatement… I was also more than a little confused. The book contains four pages for every demon – one with their seal, one with their correspondences, and two pages that are basically an “about me” entry. Most of these are about 8 sentences long. Each sentence is treated as its own paragraph, which is how he managed to get two pages out of it.

EVERY “about me” page starts out the same – The name of the demon and a comment about them being an honest devil (I did find ONE that said he was a dishonest devil after some digging…). “Leraje is an honest devil…” “Marbas is an honest devil…” etc. The information IN the “about me” pages is rather sparse, basically talking about how great the demon is, what other demons think of them, and what they’ll do for you if you call on them. While the book claims to be unique and “not a reinterpretation or translation of the infamous Ars Goetia grimoire,” pretty much everything in here is found in that grimoire, just restated without any of the Christian overlay. For a “first hand insight into the world of the Goetia hierarchy – their truth, oft-neglected and abandoned to the annals of time,” I find little insight and a lot of fluff.



If you are a beginner with demons and want a book that explains the goetic demons from a theistic satanist perspective, and you don’t want to own a copy of the Ars Goetia, this book is definitely for you. Personally, I had hoped that a book coming out of first-hand insight from a practitioner who’s worked for years with these demons would have a bit more flesh to its bone.

I find it completely underwhelming. My final thought? Cute, and someday dusty.

This has been a Raven Review.

Raven Review: Into The Dark Demon Oracle Deck

Into the Dark is a Demon Oracle deck, featuring all 72 demons from the Ars Goetia, along with 7 extra demons, Belphagor, Claunek, Pazuzu, Leviathan, Shatan, Set, and Lucifer. It also has a single card, with a three-card layout and suggested meanings for the positions.


First impression? The box is SHIT. Seriously, the deck is brand new and the box is already fucked up before I got it out of the plastic. This deck will require you to purchase a box for it.

The box is also too big for the deck – yet another issue with it.

The cards feel NICE. They’re the size of an average tarot card – 12cm by 7cm ( a little under 5″ in length and a little under 3″ in width). The coating makes them a bit difficult to shuffle – my first shuffle, instead of sliding into each other neatly, half the cards slid against each other and ended up standing upright instead of sliding in sideways. This problem can be solved by use – as the oils from your hands build up on the coating and as the shuffling wears it away, this problem will get better. The card stock is average… they’re on the flimsier side and may get bent as they age.

The deck is very plain – there’s no images, and the backgrounds are just your average freebie backgrounds from wherever.

It doesn’t come with its own book, but because of the cards, it’s actually unnecessary. Each card has the name of the demon, a main meaning, the demon’s seal, and an explanation.
Ok, shuffled for the first reading. Mostly was able to keep control of the cards, so the coating isn’t as bad as that first shuffle made me think. The MOMENT the deck was ready and wanted me to stop shuffling, I had a physical sensation against my skin and up my spine – good sign, the deck has some power to it.

First thought? The reading is WAY too simple for me to actually understand and relate to anything in my life right now – I’m clearly going to have to research these demons in order to read with this deck, not just go by what the cards say…

However, if I ignore the meanings at the bottom of the card and just focus on the key words at the top, the meaning becomes obvious. The deck is labeling me. “We know you. This is You.”

So, very simple communication. Not a bad thing, but not ideal for a situation where you need more. I think this deck would be very good at either single card or three card pulls – probably I’m going to end up using it as a “daily draw” deck. Wake up in the morning, pull a card to see what energies I’m working with that day.

Final notes – this will not be a deck I use to read for others with. I can also see some practitioners actually using the deck for the seals, in rituals. As it has both Lucifer and Leviathan, it’s useful in calling the corners for LHP practitioners. I think the cards are the same length and width as the Connelly decks (yup, just checked, they are exactly the same size) so if you want a deck with both the goetic demons and the dukante demons, you can have it right here.

I’m not blown away by the deck, though. It doesn’t really have anything special that puts it above another demon deck, the art doesn’t wow me… it leaves me kinda meh, though I can see the potential practical uses.

If you’re interested in this deck, it’s available on Amazon.

This has been a Raven Review.

Shadow Work in Ritual

Today, let’s talk MAGICKAL shadow work.

Why did I clarify? Because there actually are two types of shadow work – the Jungian kind, which is psychological in nature, and, obviously, the OTHER kind.

Most of what people in pagan circles do these days is Jungian. HOWEVER…

There are still magickal traditions for shadow workings.

The Descent of the Goddess – a cycle in multiple religions, and a map for shadow work. I wrote about this with a particular focus on Psyche and Cupid, but you can also use the story of Inanna. I’m sure there are others but those are the two that come to mind right now.

The Tree of Death – pathworking on the tree of death will force you to focus not only the worst of yourself, but also the worst of humanity, and conquer it or be corrupted by it. It’s SIGNIFICANTLY more dangerous than the Descent, but it, also, is an initiatory magickal practice of shadow workings.

Shamanic journeying to the Underworld/Otherworld – while every culture and tribe is different, descending into the realms of spirits or the realms of death require you to face challenges along the way. “Face your fears, face your enemy, face yourself.”

There is a practice in Chaos Magick where you evoke your demons and conquer them – evoking your inner Andras, for example. This does require you to believe that spirits and gods are mental constructs, aspects of the self rather than real, separate beings, but for me, thinking of it in terms of “I’m invoking my INNER Asmoday” rather than the REAL Asmoday worked quite well.

Finally, there is Chöd – the Buddhist practice of allowing aspects of yourself to be devoured and transformed, transmuted, and thus reintegrated.

These are the ones off the top of my head. What are some magickal shadow working traditions that you are familiar with?



Want to join the discussion? Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/hpC5tuTGBb

Crystals – A Beginner’s How To

The first thing you need to know about crystals is that they’re ALIVE. They have personalities. They have thoughts. I know that sounds weird, but it’s the best perspective to have with them. Treat them like people, and when you actually want to work with a specific crystal, take time to make friends with it. Get to know its personality. You might want to wear it for awhile, meditate with it, sleep with it.

My basic steps are, when my new friend arrives, I greet it, and try to feel it out – does it just want to rest, does it need cleansing, does it need charging? Determine its immediate needs and meet them. Once the crystal has been greeted, and its immediate needs met, I then keep it on my person for at least 24 hours, to allow my energy to saturate its aura, and its energy to saturate mine. My next step is to meditate with the crystal to get to know it better. I go to my personal astral temple, and invite in the crystal’s spirit, where we can talk. At this stage, I may learn the crystal’s name, or we may agree on a name. I will meditate with a crystal many times, getting to know its personality. Basically, I’m learning about it the same way I learn about any other friend – we talk about stuff that interests the crystal.

The more you work with it, the easier it will be to recognize that particular stone’s spirit and personality. Once you’ve got a decent bond going, THEN you can start asking for stuff. A lot of people tend to skip everything before this step, and I won’t hold it against you if you do, too, but your crystals will definitely work BETTER if you treat them like the spirited vessels they are. Crystals have souls, they have thoughts, they have opinions and if you treat them like it, the results are gonna be faster and stronger than if you just go straight to programming them. It’s better to work with the grain than to force it.

Once you’ve become friends, it’s time for charging or “programming” your crystal. Essentially, you’re choosing a crystal that aligns with your desired result, and you’re giving it energy and instructions so it will radiate its purpose into your life. First, you need to choose the RIGHT crystal for the job. You want to choose a crystal according to its purpose, because just like a crystal with an opinion may fight you, a crystal that has nothing to do with your needs simply won’t work at all. You cannot use selenite to ground you – that’s not what it does. All crystals emit a natural energy that does specific things – think of it like training – you don’t ask a doctor to represent you in court or fix your car – you don’t ask a crystal for wealth to protect you from psychic damage.

Here’s a good list of crystals for a beginner’s collection, and their basic purposes.

Clear Quartz for Balance and Healing
Smoky Quartz for Cooperation and Breaking up negativity
Rose Quartz for Unconditional Love and Comfort
Titanium Aura Quartz for Energy
Amethyst for Meditation and Psychic Abilities
Citrine for Confidence and Prosperity
Green Aventurine for Adventure
Aquamarine for Instant Calm
Tourmaline for Strength and Balance
Black Tourmaline for Protection
Opal for Full Spectrum Healing
Sunstone for Finding Your Way
Topaz for Calming Your Temper and Dispelling Poisonous Energies, Thoughts, and Emotions
Green Jade for Harmony and Luck
Lapis Lazuli for Inner Vision and Friendship
Carnelian for Creativity and Courage, and Manifesting your dreams
Agate for Balance and Wealth
Jasper for Grouding and Shamanic Journeying
Chrysocolla for Personal Truth and Deep Wisdom
Bloodstone for Healing and Self Esteem
Garnet for Vitality and Glory
Moonstone for Adventures and New Beginnings
Tiger’s Eye for Courage, Confidence, and Amplifying other crystals
Black Obsidian for Absorbing Negativity from the Environment
Selenite for Healing and High Vibrations
Kyanite for Shadow Work
Celestite for High Vibrations and Calm Contemplation
Rhodonite for Heart Healing
Amazonite for Courage and Releasing Trauma
Azurite for Intuition and Playfulness
Iolite for Third Eye Activation and Inner Strength
Calcite for Energy and Sexuality
Apatite for Social Ease and Calm Communication
Howlite for Insomnia and Divine Inspiration
Kunzite for Breaking Down Barriers and Recovering From Painful Memories
Lepidolite for Restoring Balance and Flushing Toxicity
Angelite for Quieting the Spirit and Finding Your Inner Self
Apophyllite for Clearing the Mind and Body of Negative Debris
Sodalite for Creativity and Communication
Malachite for Breaking Bad Ties and Money
Pyrite for Manifestation
Labradorite for Protection
Fluorite for Earthy Guidance
Hematite for Reducing Stress and Worry, and Protection from Psychic Attack

Now that you’ve chosen your crystal, it’s time to program it.

Cup the crystal in your hands. Rub your fingers on it. Feel the energy of the crystal, and feel your own energy. Consider what you want the crystal to be doing. Focus your energy, and ask/tell the crystal what you want, and feed that energy into the crystal. The crystal will “reply” when it starts doing the work – you’ll feel it CHANGE (and I cannot explain that, you will have to experience it), and you’ll feel it start to push energy back at you. Some crystals, because of their crystalline shape, will end up with a pulse, and others don’t – you’ll need to experiment. If you get a crystal that pulses, you’re gonna want to work with the crystal to smooth out the energy, because if you don’t, the crystal may shatter.

A crystal shatters when too much happens too fast… the crystal either takes in too much energy, or emits too much, and woops, now you have a broken crystal. I’ve had crystals break when I’m charging them because I pushed too much energy – didn’t listen when the crystal started to push back, I’ve had crystals shatter when I’ve pulled too hard on their energies – demanded a bit too much from them, and I’ve also had crystals shatter if I get super stressed. Emotional flares and crystals do not get along, nor do energy flares and crystals.

Once you’ve got that energy pushing back, once you’ve got any pulsing smoothed out, then you’re done.

You’ll want to offer energy to the crystal regularly, and cleanse it frequently. Moonlight, cold running water, smudge smoke, even your breath can be used to cleanse and recharge a crystal.

Keep an eye on it. If you did the first part, took the time to get to know the personality and bond with the crystal’s spirit, you won’t have to keep as MUCH of an eye on it, because the crystal will speak up and you’ll know, but if you didn’t bond with the crystal, you may miss the signs until it shatters, so pay close attention to your crystal friend, and make sure they stay cleansed and charged… and give them some time off every now and then.

No one works 24/7 for long before they either quit or die.

Let’s talk about cleansing our babies after a hard day’s work.

When cleansing a crystal, it’s important to know what your crystal can handle. Check online before cleansing ANY crystal to make sure it won’t be damaged, or leak toxic metals, when being cleansed by your chosen method. For example, I would NEVER cleanse any crystals made of gypsum, like Selenite (thankfully, selenite doesn’t NEED cleansing, but still – best be aware) because gypsum is water soluble, meaning if you put the stone under water, it will MELT. There are some gemstones that are altered by fire, and some that are bleached by the sun – so you can’t use those methods to cleanse them. There are some crystals which can be corroded by salt. When working with any crystal, it’s important to know its makeup, and when cleansing it, it’s important to use that information to cleanse the crystal safely, without damaging the crystal in the process.

My cleansing process is adaptive because I’m allergic to sage. There are several smokes that you can use to cleanse a crystal – sage, palo santo wood, copal resin. You can also cleanse a crystal by putting it into salt, by running water over it, by running it through a candle flame, by putting it in sunlight or moonlight, or by using other crystals to cleanse it. Most popular are amethyst clusters, black tourmaline, and selenite.

The safest method of cleansing a crystal is to buy yourself a selenite bowl specifically for the purpose, or by using an amethyst cluster. A disk of clay or a bowl of dirt also works well, though these two methods take awhile, which is why most practitioners use the smoke from white sage or palo santo – but allergies can make this method less preferable. To cleanse your crystals using the clay, selenite, or amethyst method, rest the crystal you want cleansed in the bowl or on top of the amethyst. Leave it for however long it takes. Things cleanse faster in selenite. You can also make a cleansing grid of these crystals.

Speaking of crystal grids… let’s talk the basics here. Crystal grids merge sacred geometry with our earthy friends – essentially drawing universal energy currents into the material world. While the concept is fairly simple, crystal grids can be immensely complex in execution, and they often feel overwhelming to beginners, so I’m going to break this down into really simple steps.

First, what do you want a crystal grid for? Crystal grids do what crystals do, except that instead of having to wear them, you simply have to be in the room with them, because a crystal grid supports the crystals and boosts their effects and range. General grids are created for abundance, cleansing, protection, love, healing, wealth and prosperity, sleep – the basic needs of a practitioner.

Once you’ve chosen your purpose for the grid, it’s time to choose your layout. While a discussion of sacred geometry is beyond the scope of this article, I do recommend you explore this article: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/sacred-geometry and this one: https://symbolsage.com/sacred-geometry-symbol-meaning/ – the first article explains the basic concepts, and the second has a few examples which are used in making crystal grids, such as the Seed of Life and the Metatron Cube. They both explain things far better than I could. Layouts of grids are as important, because choosing the wrong layout won’t HURT, but choosing the RIGHT layout will really boost the effects.

Next, you need to choose the crystals you intend to use – go back to that list I posted earlier, and choose a few crystals that align with your needs. You’ll want one crystal to be your center crystal, and you’ll want multiples of the other crystals to act as spokes on the wheel – the main crystal will be your antenna, drawing in universal energies and also radiating out your intention to the universe. The other crystals will draw energy from this main crystal and radiate it into your area. You may want to consider the colors of the crystals, and what pleases you aesthetically, as well – but make sure that the crystals you choose meet the needs of your grid’s purpose.

The crystals will then be laid out in a pattern – your focus stone at the center of your grid, to attract, focus, and amplify the energies you need from the universe.

The next layer of the grid are the way stones – crystals which take the energy from the focus stone, amplifying and modifying it – waystones are optional, and are often quartz points or other stones that act as batteries and amplifiers, or crystals that “edit” the focus crystal – for example, if you choose to make a grid for compassion, and your focal crystal is rhodonite, you might want your waystones to be chrysocolla, azurite, and apatite, for personal truths, playfulness, and communication respectively. Adding these waystones will fine-tune your grid, in this case to allow you to be compassionate within a social situation.

Your next layer will be your desire stones – these gather the energies of the focus stone and the way stones, and tune that energy to the desired purpose and outcome of the crystal grid. In this case, you might choose green aventurine or malachite for their connection to the heart chakra.

The final step is creating the pathing of energy for the crystals. The crystals are laid out on your grid, and the energy follows the path of the lines of the grid, spiraling from the center focus stone, through the way stones, out to the desire stones. This path is important, because it connects the stones to patterns of life using sacred geometry. This is why it’s best to use a physical map – there are TONS of grids you can print straight from the internet, but you can also buy grid boards, mats, and cloths.

Now for the actual building process – you’ve chosen your purpose, your crystals, and your grid design. First, cleanse your crystals and the grid. Next, begin to lay out your crystals in the grid, charging and programming each crystal before placing it. Start with the focus stone, then lay out the way stones around it like spokes of a wheel, and finish with your desire stones as your outer layer. Finally, activate the grid – I use a bell, but you can use your voice, a wand, a pendulum, or just your energy. Come up with a simple statement of your intention for the grid, and using your chosen tool, charge the grid as a whole, while speaking your intention out loud. Once it activates and begins to radiate energy, you’re finished.

Any time you come near your crystal grid, take a moment to bask in the energies its producing. Once your intention is fulfilled, carefully take down the grid, thanking each crystal as you remove it. Cleanse your crystals and let them rest.

And that’s the basics of crystal work! OH – one final important piece of information. Get yourself a book on crystals if you intend to advance yourself beyond a basic understanding. I have two that I use almost religiously.

Love is in the Earth by Melody. You can get the hard cover or the paperback, but the hard cover has images of the crystals, and the paperback does not. Everyone needs this book if they intend to pursue crystals as a focus of their practice. It covers the geological information of each crystal, in the hardcover includes full color glossy images of each crystal, has the correspondences of each crystal (such as its astrological associations etc), and a full breakdown of its uses. Some crystals may have more than 10 pages of information.
The Book of Stones by Robert Simmons and Naisha Ahsian – while it doesn’t cover the ground that Melody’s book does, it does cover enough for most practitioners, and it has beautiful images of the crystals, so many people who go the cheaper route of Melody’s paperback choose to use this book as a supplement because of the images. This book also has commentary on each crystal by the writers, discussing their personal experiences with the crystals.

Other books I recommend include:
The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall – decent images, and very simple explanations of the uses of each crystal – excellent for a beginner, includes basic how-to information for working with crystals.
Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magick – a small amount of images in a center insert, but this book covers the basics of working with crystals in detail, and also includes a decent list of crystals and their associations.
The Essential Guide to Crystals, Minerals and Stones by Margaret Ann Lembo – glossy pictures, instructions on how to work with crystals, including grid works, decent appendices offering crystals by purpose. Each crystal has a picture, a list of their associations and correspondences, and a break down of their uses for mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual purposes.

These three books are excellent for beginners or anyone who just wants to add crystal work to their magickal tool-kit, but who doesn’t intend on it becoming their specialty.

The Magick of Sound

Today I’m thinking of the importance of music to shamanic experience.

Music, in and of itself, is a journey. “Music makes you feel thoughts.” Music has the ability to make you feel things, and those feelings evoke thoughts, ideas. It’s our first language, really.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epqYft12nV4

For shamanic journeying, it’s pretty important that the drum beat used be the same rhythm as your heartbeat. This does two things… first, it syncs you with your body, sinks you INTO your body, and thus creates a very strong connection TO your body… and second, it creates a state where the mind and the heart are in tune with each other, encouraging a really deep state of relaxation.

There’s a song that I frequently recommend for people with anxiety or sleep disturbance issues, and that’s Macaroni Union’s song, Weightless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfcAVejslrU

Weightless was actually composed by scientists. The rhythms in it are the same rhythms that your heart and breath take on when you’re sleeping – and the tones of Weightless are designed to encourage your body to sync up to that rhythm naturally.

Music has a strong effect on the body. No doubt you’ve been near a sub-woofer at least once in your life, and have felt the bass notes beat their way through you – felt that pulse in your blood and bones… and there’s truth to that statement – it’s not a metaphor. Bass beats actually affect your heart and blood, your pulse, and the vibrations also affect your skin, muscles, bones.

I can think of three other instances where you’d notice it, though to a MUCH lesser experience. Earthquakes, gunshots, and elephants in oestrus or musth. Earthquakes are often preceded by a deep, low vibration, one below physical hearing, but which affects your body. It can make you feel nauseous, and experience a deep sense of anxiety and doom. Some people are so affected that they cannot stay in one place… the shattering psychological need to “GET OUT” and “MOVE NOW” are just overpowering. The reason gunshots are so deadly is because when they impact, they ripple. The force of the sound wave impacts the body and a pulse goes out, waves go out, so that not only is the impact penetration site affected, but the whole body. This is why some people, who are not very injured, can still die of shock to a bullet wound. Elephant bulls in musth produce very deep tones, again lower than the human threshold. These tones are meant to travel hundreds of miles. Females in oestrus also produce these tones, though at a higher range – their tones only go about 50 miles out, where a male’s tones can travel over 500 miles. If you’re near an elephant in musth or oestrus, you will feel it in your body just as you do an earthquake, with similar results.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIc6GB_WQAk

Listen to these drums. They are the same rhythm as your heart beat at rest. You can feel them in your chest, and if you relax, you can feel your breath rate change. You can feel a shift in your sinuses, and even in your brain waves, if you’re paying attention. You can feel your mind slowing – honing in on the sound of the drums.

Sound goes much further than this, though – it’s not just that your consciousness can be altered by sound, but sound is communication. When you hear a cat meow, a dog bark, when you hear a baby cry, or a car’s horn. When you hear the sound of birds in the morning, or crickets at night. When you hear, the world is communicating with you.

Even people who cannot hear receive communication via sound waves… though their ears don’t translate those sounds into their brains, their skin does. Their bones do. Their blood does. Remember the bass from the sub-woofer. The feel of someone walking across the floor, and the pattern of those steps tells a person who is deaf who is walking, and where they are in the room. Vibration is communication at an instinctive level… and communication is a journey.

When something is communicated to you, your thoughts and feelings are impacted. You build up a map of the world through communication – a map that is changing all the time, though it has a rough permanent structure. When you learn multiple languages, you gain multiple maps that are interconnected.

One of the unique things about neurodivergence is the incredible maps such people make in their heads. They see connections that others don’t – it’s an instinct. It’s why you often end up with savants. Synesthesia is an excellent example of this – because sounds, letters, numbers, SO many different things, are linked in ways that neurotypicals do not experience.

And at the base of all of that connectivity is communication – sound.

Without a drum, a shaman will focus on their heartbeat, using their own internal drum to travel with. Take a moment, right now, and listen to your own heartbeat. Listen to your breath. What is your body communicating to you? Can you follow your heartbeat home?

Take a moment, today, to explore the world of sound, the world of communication. Take a journey while standing still, doing nothing more than listening to the world.

What will you discover?

Tiktok Witches vs Grimoires and Traditions

This is a new age. The age of tumblr witches, of pinterest mood boards. Of tiktok witches.

It’s an age that’s hard for me to find footing in. People no longer read books to discover new ways to practice – or even just to educate themselves on the foundations.

Etsy is full of candles and kits (some of those candles y’all have seen me freak out over in other servers, because they have things in them that make them deadly to burn and I just can’t even with that nonsense but I digress).

I was taught witchcraft as a kid. My first entity evocation was when I was 2, and my dad evoked an angel in the living room. It’s been a part of my practice, a part of my life, for as long as I can remember.

When I was 8, a portal opened in my bedroom closet, and my dad had to come in and close it, and seal the closet, and I’ve honestly been unable to sleep with an open door into a closet ever since, because the things that came through were so terrifying. Whenever I move to a new location, the first thing I do is evoke a quetzalcoatl dragon who I’ve worked with since I was 11. He comes in and seals my closets for me, and I pay him in energy.

My first books on witchcraft outside the family, my dad gave me when I was 16 and told him that I had decided this was my path – in my family you don’t get books on the subject until you’re of age, and you formally dedicate yourself.

Our family grimoires were left in New Zealand – they were buried with dad’s great aunt, Eve, because no one believed dad was responsible enough to deserve them, and he was her only apprentice when she died. No one else in the family wanted to carry the tradition.

So those books are gone, and honestly, dad wasn’t really that responsible – that’s a whole different topic, though.

So I’m 16, and we don’t have the family grimoires. Everything I know is stuff he remembers from Eve, which I’ve just been exposed to my whole life, so kinda soaked up like osmosis.
The books he gave me were: Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft (affectionately known as Uncle Bucky’s Big Blue by people in the know), Ed Fitch’s A Grimoire of Shadows, and Cunningham’s A Guide to Solitary Witchcraft

Yes, they were all wiccan books. It was the best he could do at the time.

Since then, my library has grown astronomically. I have over 1000 texts on magick – not just books from this new age of wicca, but I’ve also collected english reprints of grimoires from all over the world and all over time.

I study constantly, I learn new things every day. When google became a thing when I was 22, I started doing serious research (you have NO idea how hard it is to do serious research when your local library has two books on witchcraft and they’re both trashy novels, and the chances to see a real grimoire would require more money than god and a trip to another country).

This new age that we’re in now though… Google has been forgotten. People don’t buy books anymore. People don’t study like I did, and still do.

This is the age of the tumblr and tiktok witch.

Those of us who are as old fashioned as me… we tend to look down on these new kids on the block. Remember that time when a bunch of tiktok witches decided to curse the moon?

We don’t exactly take them seriously…

But I think that’s a mistake… for two reasons.

One, magick has always evolved with the times. Once, only spirits taught magick, and only to specific people the spirits decided to initiate. Then, the gods taught magick to those who were willing to become priests and priestesses. Then, religions codified magick into systems and mysteries. Eventually, as writing became more and more prevalent, the grimoire was created, a record of personal practice which could be passed down with fewer mistakes than word of mouth. And with the advent of the printing press, even hand copying errors were done away with.

Magick became a solid thing – it was done by rote, as the books said. There were innovators, who created new schools of magick, took the wisdom of the ages, of multiple grimoires, and built on them to create new systems, or polish old ones. We got theosophy, the golden dawn, thelema.

And eventually, we got Wicca, and there was an explosion of new paths being created, based on the old and the modern. People started exploring, reaching back in time. They started creating reconstructionist paths.

For a while, you couldn’t blink in a book store without finding 20 101 books on witchcraft. Finding anything more advanced was pretty impossible, but every public practitioner ever published at least one 101 book. New practitioners were starving for content, desperate for more…

But they still didn’t look to ceremonial and grimoire traditions.

This new age is the age of tumblr and tiktok and facebook. Information is everywhere… including inaccurate information.

Witches and wannabes are everywhere. There’s a LOT of inaccurate information, with a sprinkling of facts, scattered like jewels in a coal mine. The issue is obvious – if you’re new, you cannot tell the difference between a shit and a daisy.

This isn’t to say that tiktok and tumblr can’t be resources – I’ve seen some truly amazing stuff, truly innovative stuff. Things that have made me think, “Huh, why didn’t I think of that!”

BUT…

I’ve also seen a lot that makes me scream and want to pull my hair out.

In the world of the internet, where anyone can claim expertise with little to no proof otherwise, it’s hard for someone new to the “scene” to know who to trust. There’s no foundations taught to these newcomers… instead they find people they like the look of, like the content produced by – and they put those people on pedestals, and woe betide anyone who tells them information counter to their god.

It’s important, I think, for us to support those content creators who provide accurate information and real support. It’s important for us not to shit on these new practitioners, and these newfangled ways. Magick has always grown, adapted, to human technology, and this is no different. It’s important to support this growth, and to explore the new and different, refresh our craft rather than stifling it.

But it’s also important to provide information that counters the bullshit, in a way that this younger generation can interact with. If we don’t reach out to them using their language, we will not be able to preserve the things we know work, and offer foundations from which these new practitioners can launch their practices and fly further, push the envelope.

Two generations ago, a new type of magick came onto the scene – chaos magick.

There’s a lot of misunderstanding with the younger generation about what chaos magick is – they think that summoning a pokemon thoughtform is chaos magick. They think that using pop culture in their practice is chaos magick.

They’re not wrong, but they’re not always right, either.

Chaos magick is the practice of learning everything you can about magickal systems, and then breaking those systems down to their base, and experimenting with the results. Chaos magick is “we’ve always done it this way, and we know that works, I’ve done it this way… but what happens if I change this one thing about that way?” Chaos magick is a SCIENCE.

I practice chaos magick. I studied multiple grimoires discussing the methods of evoking demons… and I looked at what was common to each ritual format, and what was different. I then took the basics as I understood them, worked with those basics (and the originals), and eventually came up with a seriously pared down version. My version does away with almost every tool common to them all.

THIS is chaos magick. And I don’t stop there… I continue to experiment, I continue to test the limits. I continue to “muck with” what works, to see what I can do differently and still get results.
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Tiktok witchcraft, tumblr witchcraft, pop culture witchcraft, and conjuring pokemon, can ALL be chaos magick…

Except that it often appears that the people who are claiming to practice it DO NOT UNDERSTAND MAGICK TO BEGIN WITH.

It is incumbent on those of us who DO know magick, and know it well, to support these new practitioners, this new medium for dispersal of information and tradition, so that this new generation and the ones yet to come have the foundations they need.

There are so many practitioners out there who make mistakes and suffer, and walk away out of trauma. There are so many out there who try spells over and over, and get nowhere, and then decide that magick isn’t real. There are those who try unsafe practices without a proper framework, and thus are deeply hurt by the results, and flee back to the safety of the known, and take with them extreme prejudice.

Just yesterday, I ended up in a discussion about sex magick, where the person who was asking questions about the topic was absolutely convinced that sex magick is crafting spells that force people to fuck you against their choice. It took more than two hours to untangle that belief and get that person to see the correct definition and framework…

And I don’t know if we were successful.

I believe this is important. I believe that these new witches need us. I believe that if we do not help them… if we continue to denigrate and shame them…

We are failing them. We are failing our craft. We are failing our own skills.

It’s time for us to stop looking down on the new… and to start stepping up to the plate, joining the discourse in positive ways, and stemming the tide of misinformation.

Books are wonderful… I’ll never stop buying books…

But books aren’t how people learn anymore. They don’t have time. We need to do better.

The Fool – Day 3

The Fool is both the outsider and the god of a tarot deck – both its creator and participant. When you look at any other card in a tarot deck, you are looking at the Fool, going through that situation, dealing with those energies.

When you see the Hierophant, you are looking at the Fool learning about society, laws, and traditions. When you see Justice, you are seeing the Fool learn about universal laws, about equilibrium. When you see the Tower, you are seeing all that the Fool has built up about himself, the story he has told to hide his reality, being torn down, so that the Fool has no choice but to face his delusions, recover, and find his true self. When you see the 3 of pentacles, you see the Fool, learning a trade. When you see the 10 of Cups, you see the Fool joyous in the arms of the family he’s created for himself…

And that right there is another secret.

The Fool creates the tarot by his existence.

Out of nothing, out of the egg, comes the One – and with his coming, physicality exists, and the ability to control and manifest reality. The One divides, and there are two – and with her coming, the hidden world arises. The Two unite, and the Third comes into being – Creation, manifested with both an inner and an outer reality… and from that Creation, many.

When we consider the Fool, we must always remember his numerical value – both the nothing, and the everything – 0 and 22. We must remember that while he is always outside the deck, without him as a key player, the deck itself would not be. We must remember that, just as 2+2=4, so the Fool is the Emperor, the Law, the boundary, the structure, that binds the Tarot, and the universe the Tarot taps into, to reality.

When the Fool appears, it is both an invitation and a warning – you are invited to be a Fool, step outside your role, even drop your role, break free so that you can move to a new position… but you are also beholden to your creations, your positions past, present, and future… and as always, the Fool is chaos, raw potentiality… and you will move and be moved as a pack of cards, will-ye-nil-ye – The Fool doesn’t know what he’s doing… that’s the point of him.

The Fool – Day 2

The original Fool card was a madman and a pauper, a homeless beggar, a lunatic. Less than 100 years separate the bedraggled and insane fool from the kingly advisor, the prodigal son.

It’s important to remember that. The Fool is both – the court jester who can always tell the truth, and the vagabond street prophet ranting about the End of Days – the innocent youth with the riches of family to support him as he flings himself over the abyss without care – the dispossessed elder who was swallowed by it.

What’s true for either is that no one actually believes the Fool… not even Himself… and yet everything he says and does comes from a place of deep truth, universal truth. Otherwise, where would the ground beneath his feet COME from?

No one can understand how he always lands on his feet, how no matter his circumstances, the world will support his every next move… not even him… and yet, it is so.

This enables him to be everything and nothing – the fool is an egg, a singularity, a locus of potential… and it’s a fine line between infinity and insanity.

Surviving and Recovering From Magickal Attack

I realised something today.

When writing my comment about my work with angels, I referenced my work with Cassiel, which took place in 2013. When I looked up the working, I discovered that date…

I died in March of 2014 from a series of magickal attacks over a period of MONTHS. The attacks started in October of 2012, and did not let up until I had nothing left. In February of 2014, two of the worst of the attacks happened, and I did not survive them.

I keep thinking to myself, “I should be doing better than this. It’s been ten years now. I should be doing better!”

Except that it’s NOT been ten years.

Time stretches for me in weird ways, and I am often confused. ” A long time ago” is always ten years or more, no matter how long it was in reality, because it’s convenient and my brain just doesn’t do time anyway.

But this has a pretty negative effect on my psychology sometimes.

For example, when my recovery from psychic/magickal attack seems to be so slow.

I was catatonic for over a year, nearly two. That means that it’s literally only been five years since I came out of it.

I’m still dealing with the physiological problems associated with the catatonia… why wouldn’t I still be dealing with the mental and emotional issues as well? These things take TIME.

Five years isn’t that long.

I liken being magickally killed to a house fire.

Say you love cooking. Not like it, but truly love it. Love it so much you visit cultures all over the world to learn how they cook, and to try their ingredients out. You make your own recipes. If alien cultures existed, you’d head out into space simply to discover their foods.

In your home, you have a gas stove that you cook on. One night, an arsonist comes along, and burns down your house, with you in it.

No one comes to help. You drag yourself out, barely alive. You end up in a hospital, in a coma, on a ventilator because your lungs are crap now. You have no skin, so they can’t even do grafts. You have to stay in that coma while your skin slowly regenerates.

You eventually come out of the coma. Your lungs are still crap, and you don’t look anything like you used to. Your skin is raw and scarred. You hide yourself as best you can… and try to go back to normal… but you DIED. Everything you were is GONE. When you look in the mirror, you don’t see that person. You see someone new, and sometimes can’t make sense of anything at all.
You remember how much you loved cooking. You have a new house, a new kitchen, a new stove. You stand in the doorway, looking at that stove. You can’t step foot into the kitchen without a panic attack. All you can do is look, and remember. And hope that one day, you’ll find a way to step into the kitchen. Just one step. One step would be progress.

Sometimes, you look into that kitchen, and you just cry. Because you can’t do it. You can’t take back this thing you loved, that made you you, that defined your whole existence.

The arsonist stole from you, and nothing will ever be what it was.

Tarot – The Fool

The Fool: Tarot Illuminati

Correspondences:
Element: Air
Planet: Uranus
Hebrew Letter: Aleph
Kabalistic Path: 11 (from Kether to Chokmah)

The ground is created as he moves forward – there’s no need to hope, trust, or believe – the simple act of moving forward creates the ground on which his next step falls. It’s not even that he knows the ground will always be there, so much as it’s never occurred to him that it could be any other way. To even consider it would be preposterous.

No matter what happens in you life, there is always room to take another step. No matter where you go, there will be ground beneath your feet.

The Fool is without labels. When we look to the other trumps, we look at ourselves and say, “I’m the Magician.” “This is a Tower moment.” We look at others and hear them say, “That person is a man, woman, fat, skinny, smart, stupid, wise, foolish…” The Fool says “I am not that. I am free. I am nothing.”

No matter where you are in life, whatever stage, the Fool sets you free, of labels and phases, to move to a new stage. The Fool is the antithesis of stasis – it is spinning movement where stagnation fails.

The Fool is silence – that pregnant silence of an indrawn breath, before speech or action. It is not the speaking or the acting… it is the pause before, the preparation, the potential, the possibility.

The Fool reminds us: “All the power that ever was or will be is here NOW.”

The Fool is tied to breath, which is life. The Fool is the Source, spanning the Abyss of the Void, a strike of lightning creating All That Is, out of the Self which is No Thing. The Fool is also foundations and firmament. You cannot create that which you are not.

Sources:
Tarot Fundamentals by Berti, Goodwin, Graham, Katz, McElroy, Minetti, and Moore
Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack
Tarot Wisdom by Rachel Pollack
Tarot Deciphered by Chang and Meleen
Wisdom of the Tarot by Paul Case
Tarot Revelations by Paul Case
The Book of Tokens by Paul Case
Allegories of the Tarot edited by Anetta Ribken

Deck: Tarot Illuminati by Kim Huggens and Eri,k Dunne

The Naked Heart Tarot Cloth – A Raven Review

It’s been quite a journey, trying to find a tarot cloth. Too small. Too rough. Not silk when it says it is. Too flimsy. Made of velvet. (That last one is a personal objection – I have four cats – velvet ends up SMOTHERED in cat hair no matter how hard I try to keep it safe and clean.) I now have two cloths from Etsy, one cloth from Walmart, two cloths from Ebay, and finally, the winner, a cloth from Amazon. I’m not going to review the failed cloths because it would take too long, and the process of finding one I loved left me pretty frustrated and grumpy. Eventually, I bought a silk scarf to store my cards in… BUT… I’m going to review this one product because it’s amazing as a reading cloth and I HAVE to share with you all the greatness that comes from one piece of appropriately sized cotton cloth.

The Naked Heart Tarot Cloth

The cotton is soft – that’s important for cards with certain coatings – a cloth that’s too rough will scratch the coating and eventually wear it off. However, it’s also got enough resistance to it that your cards won’t be sliding all over the place.

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It has, as you can see, card positions all over the place. It also has a pendulum center (and yes, I prefer my pendulum to give yes and no – no is circling, and yes is either still, or up and down so that works for me – if you’re used to another way, just ignore the center bit), directions and astrological positions clearly mapped out, and comes with a booklet containing 11 spreads, instructions on how to use the cloth, and instructions on how to create your own spreads.

I LOVE this cloth.

If you’d like to purchase your own, I found mine on Amazon, and I’ve included that link above for you.

This has been a Raven Review