What is magick?

Magick is the science and art of using the subconscious mind to make powerful changes in the material world.   In more specific terms, magick is using conscious stimulation (i.e. rituals, symbols, gestures, chanting, lighting, incense, orgasms, etc.) to harness latent powers within the subconscious mind (i.e. gods, genii, intelligences, angels, daemons, etc.) to make changes in our bodies, our minds, and the world around us.

 Magick is the science and art of transforming one energy into another in a way that increases the quality and enjoyment of our lives.

In addition to teaching us how to get what we want, magick also teaches us to understand what it is we want.

In magick there are four traditional elements.  Fire, Water, and Air, and Earth. The wand symbolizes fire.  It is our desire, our Will, our energy.  The wand allows us to get what we want, while the Cup allows us to understand what we want.  The other elements, Air and Earth, are their children.  Air, represented by a sword, symbolizes our mind and intellect, and Earth is where all our dreams are manifested.

The Caduceus

Mercury (Hermes), god of magick and writing,  carries a staff called the caduceus, which is a pictorial representation of all he stands for, including his job as protector to merchants, thieves, and liars.
It is interesting that the medical association has erroneously taken the caduceus as their own, which has nothing to do with medicine.  The symbol that should be associated with medicine is actually the Staff of Asclepius which has only a single snake and no wings.

Wand of Hermes

Staff of Asclepius, God of Healing

Along with his caduceus, Mercury also carries a money-bag.  As master of magick and the spiritual world, he still firmly understands the concerns of the material plane, and is quick to exploit its laws for his own advantage.

I find it funny and ironic the medical association is now firmly associated not with the wand of the great healer, but that of the great trickster, prankster, and thief.

What is better? High Magick or Wicca?

This, of course, is a trick question.  High magick is not better than Wicca, nor is Wicca better than high magick. I’ve always found the categorization of magick into “low” and “high” to be counter-intuitive in practice.  Low magick, witchcraft, Paganism, etc. is supposed to be more in touch with nature, using more natural items in the rituals, and tends to work with large groups.  Often high magick is thought to be expensive, sometimes solitary, but ultimately very erudite.  Supposedly it’s the magick of the learned upper class instead of the “common folk.”
In the modern practical world of magick, all this breaks down. The overlap between magickal systems is vast and great.  Some high magicians choose to go skyclad and perform magick outside like a “Pagan” and some Wiccans are better with the complexities of Enochian than a sterotypical “high magician” trained in Golden Dawn.   Both Wiccans and high magicians have been known to dabble in the Goetia, though traditionally it is a high magick grimoire through and through.  And as far as the expense of items? Most accomplished magicians I know buy some things, find others, and basically just use what works.
Even the history of Wicca and high magick blend.  Both high magick and Wicca can be traced to Crowley, but in the case of Wicca, there is the influence of Gerald Gardner’s legacy which helped shape it into something quite different than Thelema. So while differences abound, their common history, and even many of their underlying principles are closely related–even down to the similarities between “casting a circle” and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.
In modern magickal circles, I feel there is a push towards not only mixing and matching magickal systems in an effort to find what works best, but also at looking at the nuts and bolts of magick, and not just the superficial trappings of various styles.  Whether using high magick, shamanism, chaos magick, voudou, or medieval grimoires, an astute magician learns to take what works from any source and leave the rest behind.  A true magician is never pedantic and always evolving, taking, learning and growing from all magickal and spiritual systems of the world.

Middle Pillar Ritual

 

The goal of the Middle Pillar Ritual is to open up your major energy centers (chakras), and then raising and circulating as much of that energy as possible.

The chakras run up and down the middle pillar of the Tree of Life, and relate to specific points on the body.
I downplay the visualization of the traditional colors.  This is not to say visualizing each sphere as a specific color isn’t useful, but only that it can be distracting to sensing the actual energy.

Not everyone visualizes, feels, or senses the chakras in exactly the same way.  Some people will see and feel the chakras, while others will get only the vaguest sense of their presence.  For success, just assume the chakras are there while you repeat the chants.  Your experience of each energy center will grow with time.

         Please note that there are many types of yoga and many ways of working with the chakras.  The Golden Dawn skipped two common chakras for example (Ajna and Manipura), and there are other chakras used in Tantra that we aren’t specifically using here (such as the Bindu chakra on the back of the head.)  You may add or remove chakras as you actually feel or sense them, but all you need for practical magick are five given in the following ritual at my Magick & Hermeticism forums:

 The chakras are energy centers running up and down the center of our bodies.  The word itself comes from the Sanskrit “wheel” or “turning.”

The chakras can be “worked.”  This means through breath-control and visualization they can become more enlivened with magickal energy.

Chakkra	Location on Body	Location on Tree of Life	Color	Name to Chant
Sahasrâra	Top of head	Kether	Violet or Bright White	Eh-heh-yeh
Ajna	“Third eye”	Daleth/Gimel	Indigo	None[1]
Vishuddha	Throat	Daath	Blue	YHVH El-Oh-Heem
Anahata	Chest	Tiphareth	Green, Yellow or Gold	YHVH El-oh-ah V’Dah’Aht
Manipûra	Gut (navel)	Peh/Samech	Yellow or Red	Mah-nee-pur-uh
Svadisthâna	Groin	Yesod	Orange or Red	None
Mûlâdhara	Base of Spine/ Feet[2]	Malkuth	Red or Black	Adonai Ha-Aretz

 http://whatismagick.com/

http://tinyurl.com/8k5cwcs

History of Pumpkin Carving

The tradition of pumpkin carving began not with carving pumpkins, but carving turnips, beets, and potatoes. Hundreds of years ago, the Irish were the first to create "jack o' lanterns" which became synonymous with the tradition of Halloween, which dates back two thousand years when the celts celebrated November 1 as the new year when harvesting began and winter came, and also death. The name jack o' lantern is actually Jack of the Lantern, referring to a mythical character named Stingy Jack who played tricks on everyone and even with the devil. After Jack died, he was refused from entering heaven. Amazingly enough, he was also refused from entering hell - the devil would have nothing to do with him after his antics during his lifetime. Jack was forced to roam the world as a ghostly figure, holding a lantern made out of a carved out turnip containing a burning coal. The tradition of the jack o' lantern was born. The Irish took the myth of Jack of the Lantern and carved out of all sorts of foods large enough to display a face, with the idea of warding away evil spirits (and Stingy Jack) that roamed the landscape when Halloween arrived every year. Were they successful? When Pumpkins were discovered in North America, they were quickly found to make excellent carvings. Beets, turnips and potatoes were spared in favor of pumpkins, which functioned as a food and, then, as a tool for warding away evil spirits on Halloween. Halloween, along with the jack o' lantern, was brought to America during the 1800s with a wave of Irish immigrants. It is celebrated across the continent today and has been for over a century. A pumpkin is not a vegetable; it's a fruit. Pumpkins come from the cucurbitaceae family and is related to melons, squashes, zucchini and cucumbers. A very large number of the pumpkins grown today are for the purposes of carving during Halloween. Pumpkins are very difficult to find outside of the fall season. Today, pumpkin carving continues to be a big part of the Halloween tradition, extending across North America, Ireland, parts of England, and in Europe in some places. Patented pumpkin carving saws have been designed, expert pumpkin carvers have appeared on nation-wide television shows, and even software for creating stencils has been developed (no kidding!).

Black Cats Folklore - Witches - Beliefs About Black Cats

Black cats have played a major role for centuries in folklore, superstition, and mythology. Black cats in the middle ages were believed to be witches' familiars, and some people even believed them to be witches incarnate. Many of these old superstitions about black cats exist to this day.
Explore the mythology and lore about black cats, witches, and other beliefs that carry on in the 21st century, especially around Halloween.

Black Cats and Luck
Depending on one's area of the world (and the century one lived in), black cats portend either good or bad luck. Here are some examples, a couple of them quite involved, with some tongue-in-cheek asides.

• In Asia and the U.K., a black cat is considered lucky.
• In Yorkshire, England, it may be lucky to own a black cat, but it is unlucky have one cross your path.
• To dream of a black cat is lucky.
• On the other paw, seeing a black cat in your dream indicates that you are experiencing some fear in using your psychic abilities and believing in your intuition. I wonder who makes up these things?
• A funeral procession meeting up with a black cat is believed to forecast the death of another family member.
• In 16th century Italy, people believed that if someone was sick he would die if a black cat lay on his bed.
• In North America, it's considered bad luck if a black cat crosses your path and good luck if a white cat crosses your path. In the U.K., switch the colors, I guess unless you live in Yorkshire.
• Finding a white hair on a black cat brings good luck. Don't pluck it though, or your luck may turn bad.
• A strange black cat on a porch brings prosperity to the owner. (Scottish Lore)
• A black cat seen from behind portends a bad omen. (And a black cat seen from the front is a GOOD omen?)
• Ahhh...an explanation here: If a black cat walks towards you, it brings good fortune, but if it walks away, it takes the good luck with it.
• If a black cat crosses your path while you're driving, turn your hat around backwards and mark an X on your windshield to prevent bad luck. Oh my, what if you aren't wearing a hat? Or you're not carrying a felt-tip pen or lipstick? Please, don't try this one at home!

Black Cats and Witches
Black cats have long been associated with witches and witchcraft to the extent that during October, the Month of Halloween, black cats and witches are favorite icons used for costumes, home decor, and party themes. This trend is so embedded in modern society that we've forgotten that the modern holiday we celebrate as Halloween has ancient beginnings as well as names:

Samhain
The religious year of Pagans starts and ends with Samhain, which is also the beginning of the Celtic new year," according to Patti Wigington, Pagan/Wiccan Guide. Samhaim is also a time for honoring ancestors who came before, Patti explains. 

• All Hallows' Eve
  Catholics celebrate the first of November as The Solemnity of All Saints. October 31st is thereby designated as All Hallows' Eve (since the Saints celebrated on November 1st are considered hallowed.

Despite these religious beginnings of Halloween, old beliefs about black cats and witches still play a large part in this holiday.

• Black Cats as Witches' Familiars
  It was largely in the Middle Ages that the black cat became affiliated with evil. Because cats are nocturnal and roam at night, they were believed to be supernatural servants of witches, or even witches themselves, according to Glenda Moore.
• Folklore has it that if a witch becomes human, her black cat will no longer reside in her house.
• Some believe that black cats are witches in disguise, or witches reborn.
• Others believe black cats are witches familiars (beings that aid witches in performing their craft). Not all familiars were black cats though; some were cats of other colors, dogs, pigs, or other animals.
• For several centuries "witches" were rounded up, tried, and killed by burning or other violent methods; often their familiars were killed along with them.

Regardless of these superstitions, black cats have their own large group of loyal followers, people who love to be surrounded by these glossy black vessels of love. If you fall into that category, you'll enjoy our Black Cats Picture Gallery.


 http://cats.about.com/od/catloreurbanlegends/a/blackcatlore.htm

Scrying

What is Scrying?

The Encyclopedia Britannica (2008) describes Scrying as: Divination of distant or future events based on visions seen in a ball of rock crystal. Divination based on an analysis of reflections in water, on polished metal, or on precious stones was practiced by early humans, who probably interpreted these phenomena as a vision of the spirit world. Scrying became widespread by the 5th century AD and was condemned by the medieval Christian church as the work of the devil.   The Crystal Ball by John William Waterhouse (1902, oil on canvas)     Etymology Scrying comes from the Old English word descry meaning "to make out dimly" or "to reveal." Adding the prefix/suffix 'be' (often 'gye' in Germanic languages), gives us the modern word 'describe'. Descry: c.1300, probably from Old French descrier "publish," from Latin describere   Alternative Names: Crystal gazing · Oculomancy / Eye Viewing · Catoptromancy / Mirror gazing · Hydromancy / Water viewing · Fire gazing · Smoke scrying · Cloud scrying · Oil scrying   The History Of Scrying The history of scrying is a little murky. Many try to connect the art of scrying with other methods of divination such as dowsing, tea leaves or the Chinese methods of reading lines and faces. While these methods are historical, they are not the precursors to traditional scrying.   In order for an object to be related to an older object it must have some type of evolutionary connection that can be traced through validated records. Scrying simply does not have this connection to these other methods of divination. But that shouldn't lessen the historical value of those methods, nor the value and historical uses of scrying.   We know scrying was used by ancient Celts, probably by way of the Germanic invasions of the Norse. Scrying plates have been found in several archeological sites around Celtic lands that are known to have been Norse influenced settlements. Druids are one of the earliest known peoples to have used crystals for divination in the form of scrying plates.   Michel de Nostredame (1503-1566), according to his son, would gaze into a bowl of water or dark ink and then quickly take notes about what he saw. He would later compile these notes into his infamous quatrains.   One of the earliest written works of scrying comes from The Shahnameh, a historical epic work written in the late 10th century. Used in pre-Islamic Persia the epic gives a description of the Cup of Jamshid or Jaam-e Jam, as a cup of divination which, according to mythology, was long possessed by the rulers of ancient Greater Iran. The cup was filled with an elixir of immortality and was used for scrying. Ali-Akbar Dehkhoda explains that one could observe all the seven heavens of the universe by looking into the elixir and the whole world was reflected in it. In popular stories such as The Heroic Legend of Arslan, the cup is depicted as a crystal ball. Helen Zimmern's English translation of the Shahnameh uses the term "crystal globe".   In 1958, Classical Greek archaeologist, Sotiris Dakaris discovered a scrying center near the Dodona oracle. This temple was described by Homer and Herodotus, as a place where people would sit in complete darkness while awaiting their turn in front of the oracle. An extensive maze led to a long hallway where the 'gazing' would take place. Dakaris found the remnants of a bronze cauldron ringed with a banister which made it appear that people stand around the cauldron and gaze into it's contents for enlightenment or visions.   Dakaris also describes psychomanteums (sometimes spelled as psychomantium) used by ancient Greeks. These are mirrored rooms designed to communicate with the spiritual realm. Also called "mirror gazing", this is another form of scrying.   Pausanias was a Greek traveler and geographer of the 2nd century AD. He is famous for his Description of Greece is a ten book series that is dedicated to some portion of Greece from firsthand observations. This collection is a crucial link between classical literature and modern archaeology. In his observations of Patras, he writes: Before the Temple of Ceres at Patras, there was a fountain, separated from the temple by a wall, and there was an oracle, very truthful, not for all events, but for the sick only. The sick person let down a mirror, suspended by a thread till its based touched the surface of the water, having first prayed to the goddess and offered incense. Then looking in the mirror, he saw the presage of death or recovery, according as the face appeared fresh and healthy, or of a ghastly aspect.   In A.D. 312 when Emperor Constantine was marching against the army of Maxentius at Rome, both he and his entire army saw a shining cross of light amid the clouds. This form of cloud scrying has been used as a form of divination around the world. Clouds are said to be the written messages of the Heavens, foretelling the outcome of current events. This is also the predecessor to the modern childs game of seeing objects in the clouds.   We know scrying was used in early Egypt around 4BC from paintings depicted on walls and tombs. Egyptian priests would use water scrying before Egyptian Gods or Goddesses to gain wisdom or foresee future events.   One of the most detailed examples of oil scrying are written in the Greek Magical Papyri written in Egypt between 200 B.C. and A.D. 500. This method of scrying is traced back to ancient Babylonians and found its way to the Egyptians and Hebrews.   Native Americans used a form of scrying by way of rising smoke. This isn't just the stereotypical movie version where a blanket is draped over a small fire and then lifted to release the smoke. Rather watching the rising smoke from a flame and divining images held within the smoke stream.   In the early 20th century women practiced mirror scrying to foretell the image of their future husband. This practice could be found on turn of the century Halloween greeting card, as the one shown to the right.   This superstition may have been born from the legendary Bloody Mary tale. One version of this legend states Bloody Mary encourages young women to walk up a flight of stairs backwards, holding a candle and a hand mirror, in a darkened house. As they gazed into the mirror, they were supposed to be able to catch a view of their future husband's face in the reflection. There was a chance that they would see the skull-face of the Grim Reaper instead, meaning they were destined to die before they married.   This period of the early 19th century popularized many stage magicians use of crystal balls to foretell the future of members of their audience. At this point the use of scrying became part of the world of entertainment and stage magic and lost it's significance as a spiritual tool for divination. This idea was carried into early films with gypsies using crystal balls to con money from un-expecting clients, mediums who conducted seances and opened the door for horror in the form of possession through divination tools and correspondences with the devil or evil forces.   But for some spiritualists the practice of divine divination remained and the use of tools such as scrying continued behind closed doors. One prominent practioner of scrying was Madame Blavatsky who taught Occult studies and divination. Thanks to Blavatsky and many like her, the use of scrying tools survived the superstition and is widely used by adept psychics around the world.   Scrying Methods Catoptromancy is a form of scrying and divination using a mirror. Also known as captromancy or enoptromancy. Mirror gazing is a popular method of scrying and comes in two forms. The first requires an individual to stand before a mirror and stare into their reflection. By relaxing their vision images appear in the reflection and spiritual messages can be interpreted or questions can be answered. The second method uses a mirror as a scrying plate. A mirror is placed flat on a table or at a 90degree angle. A flame or small light is placed near the mirror to allow the light to reflect onto the mirror. The scryer would then interpret spiritual messages or discern answers to questions from the lights reflection and perceived images.   Ceroscopy is a form of scrying that was very popular in early Russia. A scryer would fully met the wax in a pot, most often made of brass. The liquid wax was then dripped into cool water where tiny shapes were formed. The scryer would then interpret spiritual messages from the molded wax shapes floating in the water.   Cloud gazing is a method of scrying using clouds in the sky. Discerning shapes in the clouds and witnessing their evolution foretells current events and how they will change and come to pass.   Crystal gazing is a method of scrying where a scryer looks into a crystal; typically a ball and reads the images that appear in the reflection. It should be noted that lead crystal balls are not the best tools for this method. Rather natural crystals with all their cracks and imperfections are preferred.   Hydromancy is a method of divination scrying using water, including the color, ebb and flow, or ripples produced by pebbles dropped in a pool. The scryer would then interpret spiritual messages or discern answers to questions from the images perceived in the water.   Lecanomancy is a form of water scrying where a stone is thrown into a basin or body of still water. The scryer divines messages from the sound the stone makes in the water and the images formed in the rippling water.   Lychnomancy is a form of divination by flame. Also called Lamp gazing (Lampadomancy) or Flame gazing. This is a method of scrying using the light of an oil lamp or the flame from a candle or fire. Images are perceived in the flame, or shadowy images are perceived close to the flames that provide messages to the seer.   Another method of Candle gazing employs the use of 3 candles arranged in a triangle. A questioner or a scryer ask questions and the answers are depicted in the action of the flames. ~ A positive answer to a question is indicated by one flame burning higher than the other two. ~ A wavering flame would indicate a journey. ~ A spiral flame indicated plots by enemies. ~ An uneven flame danger. ~ Sparks indicate caution. ~ A sudden extinction of a flame indicates bad luck.   Molybdomancy is a method of scrying using melted metal and water. Using tin or lead, the metal was melted to a liquid state and then dripped into cold water where the metal would harden into varying shapes. A scryer would then interpret the spiritual messages from the molded metal shapes. Molybdomancy is similar to Ceroscopy which uses wax.   Oculomancy is a form of scrying where the diviner gazes into the questioners' eyes and reads the reflections.   Oil gazing is a method of scrying using oil in various forms. It can be placed in a dish, rubbed on the hand or forehead, coated within a cup or plate to reflect light directed into the oil. Written accounts from the Babylonians describe at least 3 forms or methods of oil scrying. ~ "Princess of the Thumb" - A scryer anointed the forehead and thumbnail of a subject. The shiny nail acted as a magic mirror in which the scryer saw spirits. ~ "Princess of the Hand" - Oil was mixed with black soot to make a black paste that was covered upon the hand. The scryer then used the hand as a mirror to scry future events for the individual. ~ Princess of the Cup" - Sesame seed oil was used to coat the inside of a cup that was rested on its side. The cup was used as a concave mirror to capture and magnify the light of a candle that was fixed on its inner rim.   Scrying plates are often made of stone or crystal polished to a very high gloss for reflection. A scryer would gaze into the reflection or would coat the plate with water or oil and gaze into the reflective service. The scryer would then interpret spiritual messages or discern answers to questions from the images perceived in the reflection.   Smoke gazing is a method of scrying using smoke from a flame or typically a fire. As the smoke rises, images are perceived in the smoke that details spiritual messages for the seer.   http://www.paganspath.com/meta/scrying.htm