Update

After going through the initiation into the sphere of Mars, I've decided to kick things up a notch with the initiations.  I'm going to pursue the initiations every few nights, falling on planetary days, until I've gone through each planet.

As an interesting side note related to my Mars initiation: On saturday I went to a party where a few of the other attendees were interested in esoterica of various kinds.  We all drifted into one room at some point and started talking about astrology and elemental breakdown of personality.  I challenged one of them to guess my sun sign and/or primary element.  He said straightaway, "You seem very fiery."  I was honestly surprised, because throughout my whole life I've never been known to be fiery.  In the past, my primary and secondary elements have been shown to be Water and Air, with those two switching place from time to time.  It makes me wonder how they breakdown now.  But anyway...

Yesterday I completed the initiation into Sol by calling upon Michael.  I'm starting to wonder about my approach, especially concerning timing, as I've had a lot of difficulty "hearing" and "seeing" the angels I've called.  During yesterday's ritual, it was like I could barely even catch whispers from Michael.  Still, he seemed to agree to the initiation, and after giving my request, I felt a surge of euphoria with a certain lightness.  To my spiritual sight, my centers (opened through the Pillar exercise in TSS) each turned into bright fireballs.  Then, light coursed through my channels and spread throughout the rest of me.

The after-effects haven't been anything dramatic.  I've felt (and been) more in harmony with those around me.  My sense of self feels a little stronger.  Interesting so far, but once again I got the sense that Michael was only able to take me so far and that more work is needed, specifically with attaining the HGA.

One other thing for now...

For some time now, I've been considering the creation of an ancestor shrine.  I know a lot of people who have had, at best, dysfunctional relationships with their blood relatives.  So much so that I've felt lucky with the family I got.  My family does have, and has had, its dysfunction...but it's always been personality clashes simply resulting in arguments and verbal fights (at least, to *my* knowledge).  But in regard to me, my relatives (dead or otherwise) have always had love for me, even during times of conflict.

So, after recently reading Moloch's post about working with ancestors...I thought, "Why not?"  'Tis the season for dealings with the dead, and I've been considering it for awhile.  I have the materials to make an ancestral shrine and the know-how to maintain it.  I'll go for it!

Out of the Blue

Just a quick update with two things.

First, I revamped the look of my blog.  I wanted something lighter and, in my opinion, easier to read.

The second thing is something I'm not so sure I should post, for fear of sounding crazy.  See, although my current path encourages work with spirits equally with energy, mind, etc...long-term exposure and agreement with rationalist viewpoints causes me to still be a tad skeptical of talking to spirits and other such occurrences.

So last night, when I had a spirit approach me after my regular offering...I didn't know what to think.  At the conclusion of the offering, I got a clear and assertive psychic/spiritual impression that amounts to, "Hey, you!  Excuse me!  I need to talk to you right now!"  Thanks to meditation I've gotten a bit better at discerning my thoughts from spiritual communication, so the fact that this caused me to sit back down, roll with it and NOT dismiss it as my imagination playing wish-fulfillment...should say something.

Long story short, he introduced himself as a Mercurial spirit who is an opener of doors and ways, who releases from bondage and promotes motion and flow.  He gave me a name and a sigil to call him by, and although he seemed adamant about helping me, he simply told me to call him when needed.  I tried a couple of times to ask him why he approached me wanting to help, but all I got was basically, "Because I want to, period, and that's all I'm going to say!"

Yeah right, like I buy that.  I kept picking up the sense that this spirit has another motive that's more about him than it is about me.  But, I'll give him a shot and see how things work.

Initiation to Mars

This week I decided to continue the series of initiations into the Planetary Spheres by evoking the archangel Kammael and asking him for initiation into Mars and integration of its forces into my own sphere.

Initially I attempted the ritual on Sunday in the hour of Mars, since astrologically, Mars was in a position less badly aspected than it would be on Tuesday at the appropriate hour.  Long story short, the working failed.  Effects on me, along with a divination, indicated little success.

So I repeated the working yesterday, as it was the day of Mars.  This time, when I summoned Kammael, the air around me seemed to fill with the subtle influence of the archangel.  He showed up similarly to the way he did previously, but more regal.  In fact, he showed up looking similar to the picture to the right.

I definitely had different sensations during the work last night than I did during the previous rite.  During the attunement, I kept getting these dream-like sequences concerning things and people I know...but all based around themes ruled by mars.  After the ritual...ugh.

I say “Ugh” because I hate it when I get like that, and I haven’t gotten like that for quite some time.  I was surly, a bit brazen, and full of attitude.  I was confident, which is something I want...but it was to the point of almost being a bit egotistical.  That effect (thankfully) chilled out by the end of the night, especially when I went to perform the LBRP because that state had irritated me THAT much.  However, I didn’t actually do the LBRP...I just did the Qabalistic Cross.  As soon as I finished doing that...the Martial force in me calmed down, so I saw no need to continue with the rest of the LBRP.

Since then, I’ve been more confident and have felt more forceful, but it hasn’t been anything ostentatious.

I’ll be working on initiation into the sphere of the Sun this Sunday.

And coming up...inspired by The Unlikely Mage’s recent success, I will post about practical magics I’ve done to help with my work situation. In addition, I’m revisiting the notion of using a sigil web to help with my multi-faceted financial goal (which I will also post about soon).

Saturn Comes Back Around

Several others on the occult blog-o-sphere have been doing posts about Saturn.  Saturn, the Greater Malefic.  The planetary force of time, binding, limitations, agriculture and death.

I've had recent dealings with Saturn, as some of you may know.  Reading through the posts of Jow, Jack, and The Unlikely Mage...I can't help but reflect how different my experience with The Greater Malefic was.  To all indications, it was the forces of Saturn I dealt with.  But its effect on me was positive right from the start.  And note, by "positive" I don't mean beneficial...Saturn's influence, when used toward personal and spiritual development, is usually beneficial in the end, but hell  before that.  No, I mean that, right from the start, after my initiation into the Sphere of Saturn and the beginning of integration of its forces into my life...things were fine and I was better than before.

Months ago I realized that I have some boundary issues that were causing me a lot of personal problems and undue strife.  After the Saturn initiation, my boundaries were more solid, and I reaped multiple benefits because of this.  Since then, I've had close friends telling me how centered I've become, and I definitely have a stronger sense of self.

The recent posts have gotten me thinking.  Was that all there was to Saturn's new and apparently positive influence in my life?  Looking back over the past 2 months, things have been pretty rocky for me.  Yes, I got some inner change that was desperately needed, but externally things have been really tight and restrictive, especially with my finances.  However, and I suspect I can thank Jupiter's forces for this...at every turn I've had the tools I've needed to get through it, even when it didn't seem like I would at first.  And every step along the way, I've learned more, gotten better, become stronger.  In many ways, it reminds me of one of my favorite songs by Tool:  The Grudge.  In particular, where Maynard goes:

"Defining, confining, sinking deeper. Controlling, defining, and we're sinking deeper.

Saturn comes back around to show you everything
Let's you choose what you will not see and then
Drags you down like a stone or lifts you up again
Spits you out like a child, light and innocent."

Throughout the trials I've been going through, I have indeed been fighting a massive depression tooth and fucking nail.  I don't know if that's a good or bad things, but it's working for me so far.  Maybe it's Saturn's way of working with me.

Snake Oil

I know a good number of atheists, and I browse Reddit regularly, so I get to hear a good amount of gripe about pseudoscience, alternative medicine, spiritual practices, and others.  Of course, the common nickname for people who advocate such things is "Snake Oil Salesmen".

I was recently hanging out with a friend of mine of a rather chaote bent ("Jewel" from the Interview Spell post), and I got an idea to formulate a condition oil called Snake Oil and sell it at the local Pagan Pride Day next year.  She found it hilarious and thinks I should do it, especially considering that the local pagan community has a number of atheists who, while not religious about it, participate in the culture.  I think it would be hilarious to show up at a pagan gathering, selling Snake Oil!  That's just the way my sense of humor is.

The thing is, some occult suppliers already make and sell something called Snake Oil!  Namely, I found Snake Oils by Anna Riva and by AzureGreen.  It's mostly for money and legal issues, with some healing and cursing undertones.  But I can't find a recipe and I still want to make my own and sell it!

This is gonna be so much fun...LOLZ!

Tapping Into Terra

Early on in Strategic Sorcery, Jason advised us to tap into various sources of power.  Among these were the power of the rising and setting sun, the energy of trees, and even the earth's magnetic field.

I obtained some lodestones a few months ago, and haven't really done anything with them since.  This was mostly because, while I am indeed in Strategic Sorcery and we tend to do some interesting, off the cuff things...I've tended to try to be traditional when making and prepping materia drawn from Conjure and other folk traditions.  So, having misplaced my magnetic sand, I didn't use my lodestones because I couldn't "feed" them regularly.

This past weekend I finally got some more magnetic sand...and also found the packet of it I had before!  Now, my lodestones are a bit weak, and I wanted to add some oomph to them via the magnetic sand...so I took things a bit further.

While in a cast circle, I drew upon the earth's magnetic field, pulling from the north and south poles.  It was definitely a new and interesting experience and sensation.  I drew on it and pushed it into the sand using the Triangle of Manifestation gesture.

Now I'm looking forward to using my lodestones!

Hail Columbia

I'm not going to link to it, but there is a project by a group of Apostolic Christians with the aim of using prayer across a particular succession of states ending with DC, to dethrone the goddess Columbia and turn our nation into a Christian Nation with all the tyranny they envision for it.  I haven't seen much effective action from other pagans and/or magicians and sorcerers, but today I found an awesome prayer to counter the prayers this group is using.  I was going to take action every night to counter them, but hadn't done so yet as I felt I had no direction.  But now I know there are a lot of others who are working on countering this.  So, with a slightly altered version of the prayer I found, I'm going to set about countering their efforts every morning for the rest of the DC40 project.  Here is the text of the prayer, from The Burrow Murmurs:

They pilfer the blood of the Lamb,

the stain of the crucifixion,

to imbue the tips of their arrows and cast them wide at the hearts and souls of Her children.

May they instead fall at our feet, the blood of the sacrifice returned to nourish fertile ground.

For I am of this land born.

The blood and spirit of Her first people, our Founding Fathers, and revolutionaries courses through my veins.

My heartbeat is the drum resounding across a land that broke the back of tyranny.

Let them come.

Let them exhaust themselves with their efforts.

Let theirs be as futile an assault on Liberty as a young child’s tiny fists.

Let it be the fitful struggle of a child that would beat upon the breast of his mother all while Her arms encircled him.

Nothing more.

Hail Columbia, and cry Liberty!

Hail Columbia, and cry Liberty!

Hail Columbia, and cry Liberty!

So mote it be brothers and sisters.

*WHACK*

OW!

That sound you just heard was me getting spiritually and mentally smacked upside the head, thanks to this video:

Did you see that?  Did you where she mentioned taking an electronic device to a powerplant and plugging it in directly with no filters or AC to DC conversion?  (Well, she didn't say THAT exactly, but something like it)

In my first post on uncrossing, I mentioned some spells I performed that went WAY awry, to the extent they actually reversed on me.  Some time after I finally recovered from the effects of the last one, I did a conjuration of the spirits involved and practically demanded answers.  This weak, pathetic mortal pretentiously calling himself a name other than the one he was born with went up to two powerful beings and basically said, "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT ABOUT???"

Their response?  "You didn't leave the way open for us to fulfill your request."

Since, mundanely, the avenues were there the whole time for the magic to manifest...their answer confused me and I eventually wrote it off.  Until tonight.

Sometimes you just have to ground the magic in something physical.  Based on what I know and understand now, I think that's what the true purpose of materia is.  I've long since accepted this, ever since I began delving into Sorcery and, more specifically, Strategic Sorcery.  I used to chalk those backfired spells completely up to the crossed condition I was under, but now?

Maybe that condition wasn't all there was to it.  Granted, I think it played a part...but with the spells in question, I was basically plugging into a big power source without going through all the circuits, and now I'm really not surprised that things (namely, me) short-circuited.  But either way thank you, Cara Yowell, for helping me to finally understand an important lesson.

This Was Entertaining

I just came across my old profile from The Witches Voice, and found it entertaining.  I had forgotten that I have a tendency to write like that when I'm feeling a little squirrely:

I spent 10 years practicing Wicca before I realized that I diverged from it. So, I decided to pursue my first love: Magic. Since then I've learned to liquidate my beliefs and have become closer to the Gods. I've done a (OMG!) banishing/warding ritual with a cup of coffee. I've done a worship ceremony to Apollo on the dance floor. I see the world beyond mere "energy". There is information, there are spirits, and there is also Mind. I'm not a Chaote, I'm mostly Hermetic.

The Goddess is alive, and magic is in my fingers. Karma doesn't matter, and I've denounced the threefold law. There is something liberating about letting go of superstitions and then subsequently choosing your own.

And just a warning for EVERYONE: I use good grammar and spelling. Anyone I encounter who doesn't gets docked points. And if they get bad enough, they WILL be put on notice.

Good day!

AND A GOOD DAY TO YOU, SIR!

Update or How I Empowered My High John Oil

All kinds of recent events and happenings have had me somewhat absent from my usual online presence here on my blog, on forums I frequent, and on social networking.  In short, it's been related to finances.  In response to it all, I've been a lot more magically active, implementing financial magic to get my life back to where I want it.

For starters, I've been working on several condition oils, including High John oil, which I mentioned in a previous post.  At the time, I was still working on making the oil itself, and so I didn't go into how I was going to empower it.

As I often have, I went with a spell from the Greek Magical Papyri.  This one is rather simple, from PGM VII 1017-1026:

"Hail, Helios! Hail, Helios! Hail, Gabriel! Hail, Raphael! Hail, Michael! Hail to the whole Universe! Give me the authority and power of Sabaoth, the strength of IAO, the success of ABLANATHANALBA, the might of Akrammachamarei.  Grant victory, for I know the names of the Good Daimon, HARPON CHNOUPHI BRITATEHNOHPHRI BRISAROUAZAR BASEN KRIPHI NIPTOUMI CHMOUMAOHPHI (XXXXX).  Grant me victory, as I have summoned you, and accomplish this for me."

The "(XXXXX)" near the end was the name of my Genius.

I simply prayed the spell over the oil at least 3 times a day for 3 days, leaving it sitting on a handwritten copy of the spell in between prayer.

There will be more to come on the financial magic I've been doing.  At this point it has mostly been candle spells, but forthcoming operations include spirit summoning, creation of a talisman, and creation of a spirit bottle.  Funny, that just happens to cover two homework assignments in Strategic Sorcery that I have yet to hand in.  ;)