Category: Occult
The symbolism of the Cauldron
By in Occult
By: Tamara Ortiz
Cauldron – a large vessel usually made of iron or copper, used for boiling or cooking. Usually associated with medieval times and witches, this is a large iron pot in which poisons, ointments and medicines were concocted.
The word cauldron comes from Latin caldaria meaning "cooking pot" in turn from caldārium, "hot bath" You will find many legends and myths throughout history that tell tales of magical cauldrons. The cauldron is a symbol of rebirth therefore represent the female energy and will often be viewed as the womb.
The cauldron is said to be the center of life for Celtic witchcraft and the most important relic that belongs to the Celtic witch. This is because in ancient times, the cauldron would have been used for all the household cooking, bathing and carrying water back and forth from their water source. For most Celtics during this time the cauldron was the most expensive item in the home and would have had religious and spiritual carvings to embellish the design of the cauldron. The higher the status of the Celtic the more embellished and extravagant the cauldron would be.
The legend of "Dagda's great Cauldron of Plenty" is a legend that reaches far back into time. The legend states that the cauldron was one of four legendary relics of Ireland, called "The Four Treasures of Eirean." These four items are Nuada's Sword of light, Lugh's Spear, The Lia Fail and Dagda's cauldron. The cauldron was said to provide those that were worthy with an endless supply of food and water. Eventually this legend would merge with the legend of the holy grail after Christianity came to Ireland. The legend then merged the idea of the cup of Christ with the legend of the Dagda's cauldron and they became one. Many Celtics churches because of this merge produces beautiful chalices to represent the legends of both the cauldron and cup.
Although I speak of the legend of Dagda's great cauldron of plenty, there are many legends similar to this legend…these are just a few legends regarding the cauldron.
The Cauldron of Dyrnwich: The Cauldron of Dyrnwich is one of the 13 Treasures of Britain, according to Welsh folklore this cauldron would also only cook for the worthy and if any individual was not worthy, the cauldron was said not to boil.
Medea's Cauldron: The folklore in ancient Greece speak of Medea and her bronze cauldron. The cauldron represented her power of knowledge, was used for herbal magic. Legend states Medea used the cauldron to help her lover Jason get past a dragon so may retrieve the relic of the golden fleece.
The Cauldron in Germanic and Norse: It is said in the folklore of the Norse, that every night, Andhrímnir slaughters the beast Sæhrímnir and prepares it in his cauldron, Eldhrimnir for the Gods and heroes to feast upon in Valhalla. The name Eldhrimnir means "sooty black from the fire"
The folklore, myths and legends surrounding the cauldron are plentiful and I can go on forever really. I am just going to end with this…an interesting element of all these legends tells the same story. If you are wise and work hard you will receive the fruits of your labor. I say this because the legends when they speak of the cauldron, they state that the unworthy will not be able to use or receive anything from a cauldron they didn't pay their respects to or have a hand in working for. I believe this to be an important lesson.
Isaac , A. (2014). Irish Mythology. Retrieved from Aliiaacstoryteller:https://aliisaacstoryteller.com/…/irish-mythology-the-dagd…/
Mastin, L. (2009). Witchcraft. Retrieved from Witchcraft:http://www.witchcraftandwitches.com/index.html
Symbolic Dictionary . (2010). Retrieved from Symbolic Dictionary :http://symboldictionary.net/
Articles and Submissions, occult
Symbolic Languages Used for Secrecy in the Occult
Hello Paranormal Seekers,
You will find that many practitioners of the occult will keep what is known as a "Book of Shadows", the book will contain very important information regarding ingredients, incantations, rituals and things of this nature. The book of shadows for most practitioners is a very private affair and is usually not shared with anyone unless the practitioner is part of an origination, convent and or temple of some kind. Then the book is usually shared amongst its members but they will all keep the secrets known in the book of shadows. With the secrecy surrounding a practitioner's book of shadows, more often than not the practitioner will write in some kind of symbolic language to further aid in keeping the information secret.
There are many different symbolic languages out there that are known and used. Practitioners will even spend years developing their own coded symbolic language that is known only to them. I am going to point out only three symbolic languages today, the Celtic Oracular alphabet, Enochian alphabet and the Theban alphabet. I use all three in certain rituals and when writing in my book of shadows.
The Theban Alphabet (also known as the Witches Alphabet or Runes of Honorius)
The age of the Theban alphabet is unknown, and what we do know of its origins is pure speculation. The first documentation of the Theban alphabet appeared in Cornelius Agrippa's "Three Books of Occult Philosophy" published in 1531. In the third book of the series, Agrippa attributes the alphabet to Honorius of Thebes but there are no known works proving this theory. Also the letters "J", "U" and "W" were not a part of the original alphabet and appear approximately at the beginning of the 20th century. The Theban alphabet adopted the name witches alphabet because the symbols are carved onto stone or wood and used in a similar way for divination like witches runes. This alphabet is often used in the creation of charms and talisman.
Enochian Alphabet
Enochian alphabet first appears in history around the 16th century. Occultist Dr. John Dee and his associate Sir Edward Kelly reported to have conducted hundreds of communication sessions with angels from 1581-1585. The results of these communication sessions became what is known as the Enochian alphabet. This alphabet is often used in what is known as Enochian magic.
The Celtic Oracular Alphabet (also known as Ogham)
The Celtic Ogham alphabet appears around the fourth century. This alphabet received its name from the Celtic god known as Ogmos, god of communication and knowledge. What makes this alphabet standout from the other two is each symbol has sub meanings. Such as the symbol standing for the letter "B" also represents the Birch tree and stands for purification, cleansing and new beginnings. All twenty symbols of the Celtic Ogham alphabet represent a letter, a different tree and have a divination purpose.
There are very many alphabets and symbolic languages out there. I would love for you to share any language or symbols you may use. Please share the history and mysteries found surrounding these symbols.
Hill, B. (2015, May 15). Enochian: The Mysterious Lost Language of Angels. Retrieved May 20, 2016, from Ancient Origins: http://www.ancient-origins.net/…/enochian-mysterious-lost-l…
Ogham the Celtic Oracular Alphabet. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2016, from Symbolic Dictionary: http://symboldictionary.net/
Wicca . (2003, January). Retrieved May 19, 2016, from Wicca:http://wicca.cnbeyer.com/theban.shtml
Articles and Submissions, Celtic Oracular Alphabet, Enochian Alphabet, occult, Ogham, Theban Alphabe
The Secret Language of Symbols in the Occult
Sign and symbols rule the world, not words or laws. ~ Confucius
Many symbols used in the Occult and for magickal purposes share similar shapes, forms, ideas, meanings and histories. Knowing the similar histories and ideas of representation behind certain shapes and images found within symbols is "The Secret Language of Symbols." What is wonderful about symbols is even in different cultures that don't speak the same language, there will be an understanding of symbols shared amongst these cultures. The language of symbols encompasses the very simple in design to the very complicated. It can take many years to learn but learning how to read and decipher smaller/simpler symbols will lead you to being able to decipher more complicated symbols as you further your knowledge. I am going to discuss the most common symbols circle, triangle and the square.
The circle is a symbol of boundary and enclosure, moon and sun, life and death and is found in many cultures its representation is a powerful and profound one. It represents the infinite energy of nature, and of the universe. The circle represents many things but usually the representation is the cycle of a system such as the circle of life and other representations like it. The circle can also be the visual form of the word "us" when a symbol is placed within a circle this can mean group or can even trigger are brain to be drawn into the symbol within the circle, making the viewer connect with the representation involved.
The circle represents what is spiritual and sacred in nature. In Chinese symbolism the circle expresses the heavens and when this circle is viewed within a square (the square representing the earth) this symbolizes the union between heaven and earth. The well-known symbol of yin and yang is circular; this speaks to the duality for a unified balance. Many Celtics believe circles to be symbols of protection. In Egyptian cultures the circle had many meanings but one of its most profound was the representation of the sun god. Throughout the world you can find the symbolism of the circle and its many meanings.
The meaning of the triangle is structured in the number three, the vertical side will represent one aspect, the horizontal side another and then the two sides combining represents the hypotenuse, such as:
Father, Son, Holy Ghost
Love, Truth, Wisdom
Waxing, Waning, Full
The triangle stands out from others shapes in its symbolism because it's the one shape depending on your view, the meaning can change entirely. For example if a triangle is sitting flat on one of its sides it represents fire, male energy, active, up, father and solar energy but when you flip it on to its point it represents water, female energy, passive, down, mother and lunar energy. The triangle is very much tied to the number three, most practices of the occult incorporates the number three within its teachings thus represents three sides which equates to the triangle. You can find the triangle used in the Celtic culture in the form of the triskelion the triquetra and many other Celtic knots. Another well-known trinity is "Celtic Life:" Birth (renewal), Death (closure) and Life (transcendence). Triangles also represent the elements of fire, water, earth and air. Greek symbolism uses the triangle to represent to delta glyph and this is in representation of a doorway meaning through balanced thought and emotion you receive a higher knowledge.
The square's fours sides and straight lines represent foundation, structure, stability, honesty, earth, integrity, male energy and the physical realm. Buddhist believe the square represents the human and the circle represents the divine and when together this means a balance within you. The square can represent the heart in some cultures, the four sides stand for angelic, diabolic, human and divine which equals awareness and inspiration. Although more often than not the symbolism of the square has four parts, it can also represent opposites such as light and dark, up and down, physical and spiritual. In the Hindu culture, the square represents the order of the universe. It is said when you draw the square in representation of the four elements it also stabilizes the elements because of the structural properties of the square.
Other symbolic meanings of the square:
The four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west)
The four major season (winter, spring, summer, autumn)
The four cosmic elements (suns, moons, planets, stars)
The four common phases of human life (birth, child, adult, death)
The four prime elements (fire, earth, air, water)
The vast knowledge of symbols and the secret language found within is a never ending interpretation. There is so much more that can be discussed regarding this amazing secret language. Even the shapes and the symbolism I have discussed today could go so much further and deeper into what they mean, there use in the occult and the history from which they came.
So…When you see a single shape, do you see the symbolism behind it? If so then you speak the secret language of symbols!
Circle Symbol Meaning. (2016). Retrieved May 12, 2016, from SunSigns:http://www.sunsigns.org/circle-symbol-meaning/
Spiritual Symbols. (2013, August 3). Retrieved May 12, 2016, from Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/arti…/spiritual-symbols-the-triangle
Square Symbol Meaning. (2016). Retrieved May 12, 2016, from Sun Signs: http://www.sunsigns.org/square-symbol-meaning/
Symbolic Dictionary. (2016, february). Retrieved May 13, 2016, fromhttp://symboldictionary.net/
Articles and Submissions, Signs and Symbols, The Circle, The Square, The Triangle
Mirror Magick – The Art of Scrying with Mirrors in the Occult
Scry – means to foretell the future using a crystal ball or other reflective surface such as a mirror. The origin of this word comes from the early 16th century, the shortening of the word "descry" meaning to catch sight.
Since the beginning of time man has been fascinated by the reflection looking back at him when gazing into a reflective object. Such as water, glass, metal, polished stones, crystals and much more. This fascination has sparked a wide verity of superstitions, myths and legends surrounding the power of mirrors. Mirror Magick can be traced all the way back to ancient times. Since ancient times mirrors are believed to be portals to unseen worlds. Depending on your background and belief system, mirrors can be used for many different reasons, rituals and spells in Occult practices.
Mirror Magick in Ancient Rome
One superstition that is well known is the breaking of a mirror will give you seven years bad luck. This superstition derives form Roman times. Romans believed that the life/soul renewed itself every seven years. Therefore the individual looking into the mirror when it was broken will experience difficulty renewing its life/soul. There were many rituals created to counteract the seven year curse of bad luck. Some Romans believe by immersing the broken pieces in a south flowing stream for seven hours will break the curse. While others believe that by grinding all the pieces into a fine dust will stop the seven year curse of bad luck from taking effect. The individuals that would perform these rituals to offset the curse of the broken mirror were called Specularii. (Sanofsky, 2012)
Mirror Magick in Ancient Japan
The mirror known as Himiko's Mirror, was discovered in the tomb of Higashinomiya in Aichi, Japan. This very powerful mirror belonged to "Sankakubuchi Shinjukyo," the Shaman Queen who ruled the kingdom of Yamatai in the 3rd century AD. This mirror is believed to be one of 100 bronze mirrors that where given to the Queen by a Chinese emperor. Mirrors where considered to be a very valued and powerful gifts during these times, for they were used for conducting rituals for divination. These rituals were taken very seriously, for they provide answers to the Shaman Queen regarding her army, financial status, and the empire as a whole. (The Magic Mirror of the Shaman Queen, 2015)
Mirror Magick in Ancient Italy
In medieval times ladies of virtue were said to where a small mirror made of brass, silver or zinc attached to their person. This would ward of negative energy and was said to keep the women pure. Not only was this a common belief among women in Italy but this same practice can also be found in Egyptian and Greek cultures as well. (Cabus, 2012)
Superstitions of Mirrors
While researching some of the points shared in this article I came across many different superstitions about mirrors and the powers found within them. I found this to be interesting because these beliefs didn't come from practitioners of the occult. These beliefs come from many different individuals with a variety of backgrounds and religious beliefs. So dare I say it…we all have a bit of magick in us. Below is a list of these beliefs some positive and some negative.
• If a new couple first catches sight of each other in a mirror, they will have a happy marriage.
• To see an image of her future husband, a girl was told to eat an apple while sitting in front of a mirror, and then brush her hair. While doing so, an image of the man would appear behind her shoulder.
• If you feel sorrowful or troubled while home alone, with no one to talk to and no apparent way to control your depression, stand before a mirror and gaze into your eyes. Your anxiety should disappear.
• Ancient Chinese believed that mirrors frightened away evil spirits who were scared by their own appearance. If the mirror was broken, the protection was lost.
• If a mirror falls and breaks by itself, someone in the house will soon die.
• Someone seeing their reflection in a room where someone has recently died will soon die themselves.
• Ideally, no mirror should be hung so low that it "cuts off" the tallest household member's head (doing so may cause headaches).
My Mirror Magick
The truth is I can go on forever about mirror magick in many different cultures and rituals found all over the world. Mirror Scrying is a deep rooted practice done by many. I personally use my mirror and include it in many rituals when performing as a practitioner. For many in the occult but not all, the mirror is tied to the moon and water. This is because the moon reflects the suns energy combining them and becoming a very powerful source of energy for the practitioner when conducting rituals. The representation of water is because of the purity and cleansing properties it has. When combining such energies as the sun, the moon and water, this is believed to give the practitioner the ability to call on or use a specific spirits or energies through the portal that is the mirror. There are many different mirrors that be used but the ideal mirror would be round and frameless.
My mirror that I use is rectangular and belongs to my alter table. My alter table and mirror are extremely important tools to me. I have included pictures so what I am about to explain will makes sense when viewing them. My alter table is a half circle glass table that sits against the wall with the mirror mounted just above it. I have done this because when gazing into the mirror performing my rituals my circle is completed in the reflection of the mirror on the other side, realm or portal, to me this pulls both realms together when I am conducting rituals. As you can see in one of the pictures I also write different occult symbols and languages on my mirror depending on the ritual I am performing.
Mirror magick is a very ancient belief and one that can be found all over the world. It can make you ponder many questions when learning about mirror magick. For discovering how many people from so many walks of life and belief systems have something to say about mirror magick. So is it true? Do mirrors possess the power to connect with the other side and the realms found with them? Will they give us the answers we seek when gazing into them? Many believe so!
Cabus, L. (2012). Occult Knowledge. Retrieved April 21, 2016, from Sofadasala: http://www.sofadasala.com/english/magicmirror.htm
Sanofsky, J. (2012, August 27). The Meaning of Mirrors in Folklore. Retrieved April 19, 2016, from Week In Weird.
The Magic Mirror of the Shaman Queen. (2015). Retrieved April 20, 2016, from Ancient Orgins: http://www.ancient-origins.net/…/magic-mirror-shaman-queen-…
Mano Cornuto (Horned Hand)
Mano Cornuto, meaning horned hand in Italian. The horned hand is usually associated with the Wiccan traditions representing the Horned God or as the horns of the Moon Goddess. This symbol is used in the Occult as a charm or symbol to protect against the evil eye, similar to the hand of Hamsa (Arabic) and the hand of Hamesh (Hebrew). It is unclear in history if the Horned Hand symbol originated as an image of 'horns' or as a "poking out the evil eye" gesture. It is common belief in today's day and age, although untrue that the Horned Hand is a representation of the devil or stands for some uncommon evil unseen force. This is so very untrue. It wasn't until the late 70's and early 80's is when this symbol started to be utilized by heavy metal bands, furthermore associating the symbol with negativity and such things as the devil.
Even Salt can look like sugar, or sugar like salt but they taste completely different.
I bring up this analogy and this symbol today because the trends I have seen recently. When it comes to such things as the paranormal, please remember to do you due diligence in research, education and investigating.
Symbolic Dictionary . (2016, february). Retrieved February 9, 2016, fromhttp://symboldictionary.net/
Hello Paranormal Seekers…
The Occult department would like to present to you the Ouroboros!
The Ouroboros is an ancient symbol usually depicted as a serpent or dragon. The symbol originated in Egypt as a representation for the sun although the name originates from within the Greek language "oura" meaning "tail" and "boros" meaning "eating". Sometimes you will find the Ouroboros symbol represented at a lemniscate (figure eight).The Ouroboros can also have the symbolic representation of coming of full circle, the renewal of life and infinity and represents the cycle of life, rebirth and death. The Ouroboros can be found in many cultures such as the Aztec serpent God Quetzalcoatl and the Chinese alchemical dragons have both similar shapes and meanings. This is because of the serpent's representation of rebirth by shedding its skin and starting a new. The Ouroboros can be represented very simple or a very intricate design. (Symbolic Dictionary , 2016)
What are some of your favorite symbols found within the Occult culture and there history?
What does this symbol mean to you?
Mojo Bags and Amulets in the Occult
By Tamara Ortiz
Mojo bags and amulets are tools used and created often in Occult practices for a variety of purposes. They will be utilized by the practitioner or given to another person. They come in many different forms and containers depending on the practitioners need. The construction and rituals/rites associated with the mojo bag or amulet will vary widely based on the practitioner's personal and religious viewpoints.
The origins of the mojo bag can be traced to the Congo regions of Africa (from the word moyo, meaning soul or life force.) The practices of the mojo bag migrated to the southern regions of the United States with African American slaves in the early 1600s. The mojo bag can be found in multiple cultures, occult practices and can have both a negative or positive influence depending on the purpose it was created. In the Haitian culture, mojo bags are believed to have the energy for which it was created for, whereas in Creole cultures the mojo bag is thought to be a symbol of black magic and will harm anyone it is given to or placed upon.
Although I have chosen to pin point the Mojo Bag in this discussion, the idea of adding annotated, blessed and or smudged items and herbs into a container stretches across many different practices and throughout history. A spell/charm bag, pray bag, conjure bag, trick bag, root bag, toby and gris-gris bag just to name a few are all forms of mojo bags in a way, just different perspectives.
Mojo bags are typically made with soft red woven fabric and a drawstring in origin but with color and material of the container playing a role in the symbolism of different, energies, deities, elements and things of this nature. They can be made of many different materials such as silk, leather, metal, wood and or glass, but remember the container is part of the spell more often than not. Items found within and used to create the mojo are stones, crystals, fossils, feathers, pieces of wood, nuts, shells, dried flowers or other herbs and seeds, just to name a few. The look and feel of the mojo will vary from practitioner to practitioner.
How to create Mojo or Charm/Spell bag:
I must reiterate that these are not a set in stone, list of rules. As you become more educated and diverse in the knowledge of the Occult as a practitioner, you will have the opportunity to explore, learn, consider, hypothesize and ultimately decide how you want to create your own.
1. It is created on the cardinal points, or on the point of a specific spirit depending on the need.
2. Color of the bag is important. Choose a color specific to the purpose for what it is being created for.
3. You can put as many items and you desire but remember your going to be channeling the energies of these items, so the more items, the harder it is believed to be to do so.
4. It must be filled with items that are specific to your need or the person it represents.
5. It must be annotated or blessed with a liquid of some kind.
6. Be very careful of the words you speak, words create energy that will become a part of the bag and or amulet.
7. Depending on purpose, you may need to smudge each ingredient or item that will be in the bag or amulet.
8. This step is optional depending on purpose. Use a magical alphabet or a magical symbol/seal drawn on a piece of paper and you will place or sew this into the bag. The type of parchment used can be important so keep this in mind.
9. Words of power and strength are spoken over the bag and or amulet activating the energy.
10. The final act is to breathe on the bag and or amulet to give it life.
My Mojo Bag…The pictures I have included are of a mojo/spell bag I have created for my own personal use. It was created for healing and protection purposes. I will describe the contents and symbolism found within.
The Bag – is blue silk to pull the energies of peace, tranquility and healing. The gold silk embroidery represents the God energy and the silver silk embroidery represents the Goddess energy. The Items inside – necklace with four archangel medallions (Michael for strength and protection, Raphael for healing, Gabriel for purification, and Uriel for peace.) One rose quartz crystal to push out negative energy. Herbs – valerian root, angelica, rose hips and flax seed for healing, protection and grounding. Blessed sea salt for cleansing, grounding, and protection. I used two magical symbols. The Sowilo "soe-we-low" for strength, healing and the suns energy and the Dagaz "theaw-gauze" for healing and the moons energy.
This post was inspired by a comment from a member on a previous post from the Occult department. She brought up the idea of and the symbol "The Tree of Life" being used in the Occult. Being such a complex symbol, I thought it wise to dive right in.
The Tree of Life is a universal symbol found in many spiritual belief systems including parts of the Occult. The tree of life represents wisdom, protection, strength, bounty, beauty and redemption throughout these beliefs systems. (Catalogs, 2016) I believe one of the factors that make this symbol so meaningful is because the tree is a very powerful symbol within its self. It is the one thing in nature that never stops growing even when it is dying it still continues to grow. In ancient Egypt the tree of life represented the hierarchical chain of events that brought balance between life and death. Buddhist believe that the tree of life is the very tree Buddha sat under while finding enlightenment. Chinese mythology represents the tree of life accompanied by a phoenix and a dragon, the dragon representing immortality and the phoenix representing rebirth. (Symbolic Dictionary , 2016) The most complex system of the tree of life is found in the Kabbalah, It embodies creation, existence and the return to the divine in ten spheres and twenty-two connecting paths. I find the tree of life and its representations across all platforms to be so beautiful and it is such a magical symbol. (Real Wiccan Spells, 2015)
I have decided to talk about this particular symbol because of a members interest but also I have been asked several times on previous post if symbols can be interchangeable, used across multiple platforms. I personally believe so and the tree of life is a perfect representation of this.
A symbol represents little more, and nothing less, than what the bearer chooses to have it represent but this is just my opinion.
Catalogs. (2016). Retrieved February 22, 2016, from Catalogs.com
Info Library : http://www.catalogs.com/…/spiritua…/Tree-of-life-symbol.html
Real Wiccan Spells. (2015). Retrieved February 22, 2016, fromrealwiccanspells.com:
http://www.realwiccanspells.com/tree-of-life-meaning/
By in Occult, Occult
I want to take a moment and talk about something that is common in all cultural Belief Systems, "Spirit Guides." Whether we are talking about Norse, Celt, African, Native American, or Judeo-Christian, they have a form. Angels, Ancestors, Lwa, etc.. They are basically the same. They are an intermediary between the Corporal World and the Divine. They consul, guide and protect us. It is believed that some Spirit Guides are Humans that have learned and became enlightened. They now are advancing in their Spirits progression. They are now in a position to help others advance.
Now, "why is this on a Paranormal Page like NPS?" Well, it's simple. Being that we are not as connected with our ancestral roots and teaches and the influence of various Religions, what really is that shadow in the corner? We have been taught "that monsters hide in the dark," "anything that is unexplained must be feared," "if it goes against or customs, it is evil."
How do we really know that all the stories are true? We have no "Scientific Proof." Although, we do, sometimes try to fight off on unproven entity with another unproven entity. If we are going to believe that there are "Bad" ones that are based on a Faith, we need to admit there are "Good" based on a faith. We are so quick to throw Holy Water, Sage and Prayers at something that we don't understand. If it is a Spirit, why is it here? Is it really malevolent or are we letting paranoia affect us? Maybe it is a Spirit Guide. Spirt guides can come in all forms. The fox along the road that you drove past, might have interest in your wellbeing. The "Shadow Person" in the corner, might be an ancestor trying to warn you about something in your life. The Poltergeist might need to stop you from staying in that house because the pipes are bad.
Science and Beliefs can work together. The more you study, the more you know about both.
Christopher M Ostrowski
Demonology Team
THE OCCULT BELIEFS OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
By Lisa Shaner-Hilty in Occult
Lisa Shaner-Hilty
I am a supervisor for several programs assisting individuals with intellectual and mental challenges. I have 2 Masters Degrees from Penn State in Communication Disorders and Psychology. My first experiences with the paranormal were around age 5. I've been fascinated ever since. I have been an investigator for over 10 years (first 5 years with a team, then leaving to form my own more than 5 years ago, and have taught classes on investigation, evidence analysis (especially EVP) and debunking at local community college. I also have abilities, some of which began at age 5 and others around puberty. Therefore my fields of major interest are investigation and psychic and empath. While I am open to considering all aspect and viewpoints, I am dedicated to seeking natural explanations first before anything is considered evidence.
Latest posts by Lisa Shaner-Hilty (see all)
BARA-HACK - February 28, 2016
Undercliff Sanitorium - February 28, 2016
Delphine LaLaurie - January 24, 2016
By: Lisa Shaner-Hilty
The Knights Templar, have been an order of legendary status, living on in infamy to nearly the same extent. While scholars in great number have studied this group of elite warriors and financiers, it is unclear to this day what is fact and what is mere speculation. Were they a dedicated defenders of Christianity, or did they practice in the Occult…or both? Let's explore…
It is known that The Templars were formed approximately 20 years after the First Crusade and the fall of Jerusalem into Christian control in 1099 ("Dark History of the Knights Templar"). The Knights used the Temple of Solomon as their stronghold, hence the name Knights Templar. One segment of the Knights were elite soldiers entrusted with defending and expanding the Christian faith; others were skilled financiers and architects/craftsman.
The Templars reportedly excavated the Temple of Solomon, securing secret treasures until it was again lost to the Muslims some 70 years later (ibid). In 1128, Pope Honorius II afforded the Templars great authority, answerable to the Pope alone ("Order of the Knights Templar"). True to the adage "power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely" (John Acton), the Templars amassed treasure from not only the Temple of Solomon, but also from usury, and looting those brutally defeated in battle. They became a force to be reckoned with throughout Europe, and as far as Africa. Their mission seemingly shifted to amassing wealth and power. Castles, churches and other strongholds were built throughout the vast area covered by the Templars, where treasure was hidden with deeply encoded clues re location to keep outsiders from finding it.
ALLEGATIONS OF OCCULT PRACTICES: The Templars returned to Europe in 1290 to rumors of their having turned away from their Christian vows and embracing the occult, even devil worship. It is unclear whether these rumors were true, or whether they were falsified by rulers and clergy who were heavily indebted to, and envious of, the Templars. The extreme secrecy of all Templar locations, rituals, etc. added fuel to the firestorm of rumors. After all, if they were carrying out their assigned mission for God's glory, what did they need to hide?
According to multiple sources, occupying the same area in Jerusalem as the Cabala, adopted their practices. Cabala, which pre-dates the Torah, "mystic synthesis of pagan teachings prior to Torah and Judaism, associated with sorcery. For thousands of years, the Cabala has been a resource for sorcery and black magic… The Templars engaged in research into the Cabala with the goal of acquiring supernatural powers." ("Dark History of the Knights Templar"). Those who believe in magic attribute their whole success to magical artifacts acquired via Solomon, and say that the Templars' astonishingly rapid rise to power was due to either genuine black magic, use of Godly powers, or both. (djps).
Reportedly a former Templar (though Templars took oaths for life) had made claims against the order for denouncing their faith, engaging in activities forbidden by the church, occult practices, and Satan worship. During the Knights' extremely secretive initiation rites, initiates were required to deny Christ three times, spit or urinate on, or trample a crucifix, (Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Dark History of the Knights Templar", dpjs). There is no definitive proof of devil-worship; however, with demon images built into and within churches and other Templar buildings, many accept that they were Devil worshippers. Templars studied Cabala Arab occultism, many forms of magic, and other occult practices. (djps, Dan Brown)
The Templars were reportedly worshippers of Baphomet, referred to by some as a devil, others a demon, others an idol. Underwood describes Baphomet as "a demon with the head of a goat, whose image was later to become the symbol of The Church of Satan." Eliphas Levi, an occultist and practice of Cabal, depicted "Baphomet as having a goat's head with two faces, and a winged human body that is female above the waist and whose lower half is male." Other sources listed below provide similar descriptions. During the interrogations which followed the dissolution of and unsuccessful attempt to eradicate the order by Philip IV of France, many Templars confessed to these claims, and practices including worshipping idols of cats, a bearded head on a stick, and being invested with occult powers during secret black masses and other rituals (djps).
While many Templars were captured, tortured and confessed, most recanted their confessions, only to be burned. Others escaped and are widely regarded as having fled to what is now Switzerland and to Scotland, where to this day, Templar symbolism is evident. One common belief is that the Templars exist even to today in the form of Freemasons and the Illuminati. ("Dark History of the Knights Templar", djps). Scholars to this day strive to prove or disprove the alleged practices of the Knights Templar by attempting to follow the maze of codes and symbols. For now, their legend continues and the majority of their secrets remain hidden…
"Dark History of the Templars" (via bibliotecapleyades.net
"Order of Knights Templar" (via occultopedia.com
WorldMysteries.com
guest writer Dan Green
"Templar" (via britannca.com
) by Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Wikipedia.com
"The Knights Templar" (via dpjs.co/uk
"Holy Blood and Holy Grail" by Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln
'Dictionary of Occult and Supernatural" by Peter Underwood
History and uses of the Pentacle
The Pentacle, a five pointed star with perfectly matched angles; quite difficult to draw without geometric assistance, has come to be at times a source of debate: is it a symbol of good, or evil? Or could it symbolize both…or neither? Let's take a look at the some of the history, as well as some of its uses.
The oldest known use of the Pentacle dates to 3,000BC. It is believed to have been the symbol of an ancient Egyptian goddess Kore, whose fruit was the apple – if an apple is cut in half through the core, the shape of a pentacle is revealed. It appears that most ancient cultures had a use for this symbol. Some ancient civilizations utilized the pentacle for angles in building and for showing directions, others in astrology, with the five points referring to Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus. Ancient Hebrews referred to the pentacle as the "Seal of Solomon" which appears still today on Ethiopia and Morocco's flags. Pythagoras, who is widely considered one of the fathers of math and geometry, referred to the pentacle as a "golden ratio" of lines an angles, resulting in the Greeks including it in their architecture. Unlike the more ancient peoples, they considered the five points as representative of the five elements of fire, air, water, earth, and knowledge. Early Christians looked at the Pentacle as a representation of the five wounds of Jesus Christ, which pierced: his two hands, his two feet, and his side. It was referred to as the Star of Bethlehem, that guided the Three Kings to Jesus, and worn as an amulet of protection.
It was many years later when the pentacle became thought to represent the head of Satan's goat, and became associated mainly with the practice of witchcraft and Satanism, among others. As typical of mass fear, thousand were killed for its use. "The folk symbol for security – for the first time in history – was equated with evil and was called the witch's foot."
In modern times, the symbol is thought by many to represent the five primary religions: Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism. If you recall the ancient peoples as stated above thought the pentacle represented the five planets they could see with the naked eye. It was commonly stated in those times and beyond, "as above so below" – as it is in the heavens, so it is on earth. This more modern school of thought brings us full circle to that idealism. Despite all major religions, and many other religions' use of the symbol, many still solely associate the pentacle with Satanism and black magic, though this is not always the case. Hence the debate that rages on…
Some use pentacle and pentagram as synonyms, even the definitions are subject to debate. Some sources refer to a pentacle as the star alone, and the pentagram as the star with the circle; others, however, state that both have the circle and the customization differentiates the two. The orientation of the star is sometimes significant as well, though not in all cases. The Mormon Church uses both upright and inverted pentacles in their architecture.
An upright pentagram has the two pointed side at the bottom, similar to the stars on the American flag, and may be surrounded by a circle, depending on the definition one follows. The upright pentacle is quite commonly used in religious symbolism, including in Paganism, Christianity, Wicca to name a few.
In German folklore, the pentacle is believed to keep evil spirits from escaping a certain area. In Tarot, the suit of pentacles (equivalent to diamonds in playing cards), when upright symbolize how we influence our own external surroundings, and with self-image.
The inverted pentagram has the single point at the bottom. Some religious and spiritual groups have used the inverted pentagram. During the 20th century, Satanist groups adopted the inverted pentacle/pentagram as its own, again referring to a goat's head seems to be visible in the form.
The inverted pentacle with the goat's head is referred is the Sigil of Baphomet. While it is unclear how, the Sigil of Baphomet reportedly was used in The Middle Ages in the torture of the Knights Templar. According to the Mystica website, "In the 20th century German occultists formed the secret "Order of Templars in the East". They installed the English occultist Aleister Crowley to head their British section. Crowley took Baphomet as his magical name." Crowley's name is synonymous with the occult. The Baphomet symbol is currently used by religious Satanists.
That said, the US Congressional Medal of Honor is also a pentacle, which appears inverted when hanging from its ribbon. It is the nation's highest medal for valor in combat that can be awarded to military. The Order of the Eastern Star is a Freemasonry-related fraternal organization for adults, both men and women. The group admits persons of all religions. The pentacle is inverted here as well.
In Tarot, while upright pentacles represent personal growth, the meaning changes when the pentacles are reversed. When reversed, the pentacles present negative aspects of the human psyche: greed, possessiveness, laziness, etc. However, these signs are intended to encourage the person being read to reverse these traits and set goals or prioritize in order to get back on track. So it seems that, particularly in the case of the inverted pentacle, the symbolism is wrapped in the intention of the user. It cannot be assumed to be a symbol of evil unless specifically customized to make that intent clear.
Sources: The Oracle Institute, PentaclePower.com,ReligiousTolerence.org, Witchvox.com, Mystica, BiddyTarot.com
Divining With Birds
By Katie Snow in Occult
Katie Snow
Chair: Aliens & UFO's at Dead Ringer Paranormal
My name is Kathy Snow however in the Paranormal world I am simply known as katie! My team and I take the paranormal field very seriously and have been up and down the eastern seaboard investigating known and unknown locations. My team consists of all family members giving us the opportunity to work well together with no drama. I am a national as well as internationally published paranormal writer. Our evidence has been shown on My ghost story caught on camera and we work hard within our community to bring awareness and understanding to the field. There are four ordained ministers on the team. After 16 years in the field we no longer do in house investigations as we are out trying to find unknown haunted locations and we consult on cases other teams may have questions on. After founding 3 teams, we have recently relocated and our new team name is Dead Ringer Paranormal. We are proud of the work we do and try to show the community it is a scientific field of study and a lot of work goes into what we all do. We are an old world team meaning we investigate with just what we need, we do not hook up wires and tons of equipment, we believe in studying the paranormal in traditional proven ways. I am excited and proud to have been asked to be a rep for NPS..
Latest posts by Katie Snow (see all)
Abnormal Activity in the Retina - October 19, 2016
Fall Thunderstorms & Investigating - October 19, 2016
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning & The Paranormal - October 19, 2016
Auspicy means messages coming from the sky and has been practiced throughout the world by many cultures. The word itself is of Latin origin meaning observer of birds. In Rome, flight auspicy took place within a sacred space called a templem.
Bird Flight Interpretation
The choice is yours on whether you use a single bird or a full flock to divine. There is no right or wrong way only your personal attention is required. Some places have more variety of birds than others so flock reading may be more advantageous, however if birds are more scarce or if you have time, divining with a solitary bird is acceptable.
Simply ask a question or think of a question that requires a course of action and simply watch the behavior of the bird(s).
If the bird is light or brightly colored it indicates immediate action, a darker bird would be to wait. If your reading in a flock see which bird takes flight first, as with all birds, shades of light and dark do appear.
Direction of the birds flight also plays a role. If the bird(s) fly to the right it means a smooth passage in any venture and action should be taken however, if they fly from the left there will be delays and remaining silent for a bit may be best. If the bird(s) fly towards you it means happier times are in store for you, but flying away from you suggest tact and caution before moving forward.
Now there are other indicators that are also used such as the height of flight. The higher the flight the better the omen. If the bird flies upward in direction the better the outcome and success will come without much effort. If the flight is erratic, such as landing and flying only to repeat the outcome will have to defeat obstacles and requires more efforton your part.
The course of the bird also encompasses the reading. If the bird(s) suddenly change direction or course, sudden changes will be headed your way and you may feel in doubt so re-examine your feelings. Birds hovering right above your head tells you to beware of new friends and criticism.
A singing bird that takes flight in song it is a good sign and your answer is to move forth, but if the bird lands and utters a cry more caution is needed. If you hear the birds singing on the dawn of a new day close your eyes. Let the song form pictures and words in your mind and your answer will come forth.
Whether you are a believer in divining with birds, animals have been used not only in this form of divination but totems, amulets and good luck charms for centuries. The I Ching used broken tortoise shells, The Etruscans used hens and the Babylonians studied Oxen when splashed with water.
featured occult
New Year's Celebrations and Resolutions: An Occult Perspective
By Lillee Allee in Occult
Lillee Allee
Representative at National Paranormal Society
Lillee Allee has studied religion, spirituality and paranormal investigation for over 40 years. She is the widow of John D. Allee, an internationally known dark magician. She continues to consult in paranormal investigation. Her specialties include: Marian and cultural spiritual phenomena/apparitions, spiritual support to teams and clients who want spiritual counseling after investigation, evp work and old school audio, the accuracy and research of past life regression and seance, and spiritual protection. Lillee was also one of the first to incorporate trained canines into paranormal investigations. She hosts a radio program on the para-x.com network, Happy Mediums, with Debra Ann Freeman, who also consults with paranormal investigative teams in Southern New England. Lillee is a published author and journalist, and legal clergy with degrees in psychology and mass communication. Lillee walks on the middle path sees learning as a life-long endeavor and is looking to make a difference and contribution to this field before she too will be heard on someone's EVP. Lillee is always available to educate and consult and continues to enjoy guesting on other's radio and television programs.
Latest posts by Lillee Allee (see all)
The Breastplate of St Patrick - January 31, 2017
Laser Grids More than just cool-looking Technology? - January 31, 2017
Tokeland Hotel - April 27, 2016
While some people spend New Year's eve entertaining with fortune-telling and séances, most folks are busy enjoying good company, great food and even better legal beverages. Many in America cuddle up with family and good friends and watch the annual ball drop in New York City. Others throughout the world have more traditional pursuits where the emphasis may be on superstitious or occult traditions.
History.com offers a wide perspective of celebrations country to country. Some countries have come to think of peas, beans or other legumes as resembling money. These foods, thought to resemble discs or coins, were used in traditional meals, to bring financial success to friends and family. Lentils are an Italians favorite, while black-eyed peas are the choice in the deep South of the United States. For Spanish-speaking cultures, a dozen grapes are eaten to bring in wish fulfillment. Pork is considered, by Cubans, Austrians, Hungarians and others, to ring in progress and prosperity. For the Netherlands, Holland, Greece and others, a round cake or a cake in the shape of a ring, states that the year has come full circle. The Swedes and Norwegians make a rice pudding with an almond in it. The lucky diner who gets the nut will have great luck in the new year.
The idea of making resolutions goes back much farther than one would think. It was first found among the ancient Babylonians who made promises to please their gods and start the new year with a clean slate. This even extended to repaying debts. Many in the English speaking countries believed that this was to be a time of forgiveness of wrongs and slights by others.
Bill Petro explains that resolutions were also a part of ancient Roman life, and January comes from the name of the two-faced god, Janus, known for beginnings and endings, and protection while crossing bridges. In pagan Rome, most resolutions were about improving one's morality and behaviors toward others. After Christianization, Romans focused on prayers and petitions and fasting. Early American Puritans rejected the pagan name of January, according to Petro, and called it simply first month, but interestingly the celebrations were non-existent but the resolutions returned to being about being a better person to others.
Many point to the fact that many well-meaning people think about resolutions, but fail to act and achieve. Alex Epstein, ignores the naysayers about New Years Resolutions and the sad statistics about how many people actually follow through on their good intentions. He suggests making a resolution "to do the most important thing of all: to take your happiness seriously."
From an occult perspective, we are simply talking about manifestations. It is important to note that manifestations are not miracles. To simply it even further, occultists will often say "as above, so below." A secular viewpoint would change this to from the mind to the mundane. Thus, do not make a resolution to quit smoking, the resolution would be to make a serious attempt. Do not say you will lose 50 lbs, state that your weight will be at a healthier point in 6 months. Never say that you will marry "John or Jane Doe" but instead ask for the perfect person for you to come into your life. And… as for money… never ask for dollars, ask instead for financial comfort in the coming months. Do not visualize how to do it, visualize the results.
May you have a healthier, happier and more prosperous year to come!
http://billpetro.com/history-of-new-years-resolutions
Epstein, Alex. (2006). The Meaning of New Year Resolutions. Retrieved from http://www.aim.org/gu…/the-meaning-of-new-years-resolutions/
http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/new-years
Green Witchcraft
By N.P.S. Representative Sha She
1. Witch /wich/ n. 1. Sorceress, esp. a woman supposed to have dealings with the devil or evil spirits. 2. Hag. 3. Fascinating girl or woman. Witchdoctor tribal magician of primitive people. Witch Hazel 1. American shrub with bark yielding an astringent lotion. 2. this lotion. Witch-hunt campaign directed against a particular group of those holding unpopular or unorthodox views, esp. communists. Witching adj. Witch-like adj.
1. Enchantress, sibyl, pythoness. 2. fury, crone, gorgon, ogress. Witchdoctor-see sorcerer.
2. Witchcraft /wichkraft/ n. use of magic; sorcery.
3. Witchery /wicheree/ n. 1. Witchcraft. 2. Power exercised by beauty or eloquence or the like.
4. Pagan /paygen/ n. 1. nonreligious person; pantheist; heathen. 2. a person following a polytheistic or pantheistic religion. 3. Hedonist. Adj. 1a. of pagans. b. irreligious. 2. Pantheistic. paganish adj. paganism n. panagism n. nonbeliever, idolater, infidel, adj. 1. Idolatrous, gentile. See also Heathen.
5. No mention of Wicca anywhere.
Oxford University Press, Inc. (1997). Edited by Frank R. Abate. The Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus. American Edition. Oxford. "The World's Most Trusted Dictionaries".
It's not hard to see in the definitions above the negative connotation to Witchcraft, Paganism, and the elimination of Wicca all together in the dictionary. This would be an example of the battle those who follow these traditions have lived with and continue to live with to this day. The sheer lack of explanation and outright fabrication of the foundation of these traditions is appalling and unjust. This article will shed some light on the subject. I am hoping those who have an interest, will be able to understand fully what these traditions value. Hopefully, it will answer the question; "Why so many turn to these paths to worship, grow, and practice?"
Let's start out with some definitions that actually fit these traditions;
Wicca-A modern religion with spiritual roots in nature. The belief in the God and Goddess (no matter what the pantheon), reincarnation, magick (Magic = slight of hand/Parlor tricks. Magick = personal power combined with natural power for a expected outcome), ritual observances of astronomy and agricultural phenomenon, the use of magickal circles for rituals.
Witch-Practitioner of magick related to herbs, stones, colors, weather, moon cycles etc… A witch can be solitary (choosing to practice alone) or a member of a coven. This definition has nothing to do with Satanism-this has its own belief system.
Witchcraft-Is a religion of personal experiences and of personal choices. There are many categories as to the different foundations and traditions in which the witch may choose to follow as their path. The "craft" of the witch is by personal choice in which the witch uses her/his personal power in combination with the energies of natural objects and or tools.
Pagan/Neo-Pagan/Paganism-These are followers of an Earth-based religion. Neo-Pagan distinguishes between historical pagans of ancient cultures and those of modern religious movements. However, some find the term offensive to contemporary Pagans because it disconnects them from their ancestors and ancestral heritage. A series of basic laws/rules are followed; multiple gods/goddesses (again the choice of which is up to the individual), holistic concept of an interconnected universe, deity is imminent in nature, universe is imbued with life force energy. Some Pagans believe there are specific spirits that inhabit various features of the natural world and they can actively communicate; animal spirits as spirit guides. All revere the planet as Mother Earth, The Great Mother, or Gaia.
Green Witch-Is a nature-based and earth oriented tradition that draws on Folklore and Folk Magick of ancient cultures. Green Witches practice a traditional form of Witchcraft where the earth, trees, herbs, and flowers are consulted for their medicinal and magickal value/addition. Most Green Witches grow their own herbs, plants, trees, flowers, and commune with nature to use as their herbal remedies. Deities are the choice of the witch and her individual cultural influence. Green Witches also acknowledge The Great Mother, Earth Mother and Gaia and additional deities are connected to the nature spirits; Fairies, Gnomes, Tree Spirits etc…
(kitchenwicca.com)
Now that a base line for these traditions have been laid, with a little better understanding of the differences, we will explore Green Witchcraft further for a better understanding. The number one rule among most traditions is the rule; "If it harm none, do what you will." Meaning; whatever you choose to do (spell, magick, craft), your intention/energy should be pure (good/loving). An intention/energy directed to harm another (hurt, take something away, or cause distress) for self-gratification is manipulating energies to cause great harm (whether to another or yourself) and will come back to you.
Another rule of thumb is; Three Fold Law; if you're intention is to harm another then that energy, will come back to you times three. The same applies if you are to send a healing energy (with loving intentions) to another, it will come back to you times three. Since we are all made up of energy, the belief is; we have the power to change not only what happens in our minds with our energy shifts/frequencies we also have the power to change our external reality with the help of natural objects such as; crystals, herbs, trees, etc…
Witchcraft in general is a spiritual journey of the individual within and starts with personal perspective and personal evaluations. You need to fully know yourself; your motivations, your intentions, your character before you even think of using magick. Let this be a warning to you; ego does not play a role in this practice. If you do not know yourself and your intentions then you are asking for trouble.
Practitioners with many years experience urge those who are considering Witchcraft (no matter what tradition) to study this tradition for a few years before you even think about performing any spells or purchasing any books on spells. This practice is not a game and can have some very serious consequences from the wrong intentions. A very high element of respect and trust is needed to make absolutely sure you have the best of intentions when performing any spells. Which leads us back to the first two laws; if it harm none, do what you will and the Three Fold Law. Please keep this in mind if you choose to further study this tradition.
Although solitary practitioners have a little more lee-way then those who are in a coven, it is still understood when you perform an initiation; it is because you fully recognize and agree to all the laws/rules of the tradition and take responsibility for yourself and your work. You respect yourself, respect the god and goddess, you acknowledge your responsibility to yourself and your tradition, and you most importantly respect others of the same tradition, as they would respect you. "In perfect love and perfect trust"; these words you hold dear to your heart because that is the basis of human kind along with gentle understanding and compassion.
In Green Witchcraft as in any tradition you are responsible for grounding and centering yourself so that your energies are pure and not effected by the mundane or negative environments. This is where communing with nature plays a key role. It is in nature, that we are able to see synchronicities, speak with nature, ground and center, regain our energy, ground negative energy, find peace, and ask for objects that will help in our spell-craft.
Most Green Witches grow their own herbs, plants, trees, etc… in belief that the loving energy given, will be reflected when harvesting to use in spell work. There is a more personal connection with the plant as opposed to finding one in nature. It is believed that when harvesting in nature, you are only allowed to take what is necessary for your craft. It is an honest and pure gesture to leave a gift, a symbol, food or whatever you choose to leave for the plant's sacrifice and a generous "thank you". Some traditions believe that if you say; "Thank you" it is a sign of disrespect. A fore-thought of a gift (a sacrifice for a sacrifice) is thought to be more courteous then simple muddled words.
To be green is to look at the world in a new perspective. Recycling, re-purposing, and re-using items help keep them out of landfills, in turn helping Mother Earth. Using a more basic approach to cooking (cast iron for example), crafts, divination, living, only having the necessities, making; oils, lotions and shampoos as opposed to buying them, removing yourself from main stream "gotta haves" to the more basic needs, finding peace in growing your own food.
These are all examples of areas in which Green Witches apply their knowledge and understanding. Some call it; "Back to Basics" but I like to refer to it as "a passing down of irreplaceable knowledge". The whole idea is for the greater good, everyone can benefit from this knowledge that we seemed to have lost with modern day conveniences. What would happen if we had no choice but to go "Back to Basics"? How many people would turn to those with this knowledge? How many people are so dependent on modern day conveniences that they wouldn't survive a week? Old folk remedies, knowledge, and applications will always be needed no matter what technology we have developed because it is all subject to human and mechanical error.
Irreverence of the definition of these traditions from the Oxford Pocket Dictionary and Thesaurus does not even come close to the heart of the foundation of these paths. To coin the phrase; "non believer" to me, is utterly disheartening from College reference material. If there is one thing about these traditions; it is a belief in a great many things and a set of core beliefs in humanity, understanding, compassion and most importantly love. I hope that this article helps remove doubt and fear as to the misinformation rapidly available to those seeking to understand. It is with hope, that soon the truth of these traditions will be public knowledge and any contention finally and unequivocally eliminated.
Suggested Reading Material;
Green Witchcraft-Folk Magic, Fairy Lore & Herb Craft by Ann Moura (Aoumiel)
Green Witchcraft II-Balancing Light & Shadow by Ann Moura (Aoumiel)
Green Witchcraft III-The Manual by Ann Moura (Aoumiel)
Green Magic-The Sacred Connection to Nature by Ann Moura
Grimoire For The Green Witch-A Complete Book Of Shadows by Ann Moura
Magical and Metaphysical Properties of Topaz
By Bethany Schelling in Occult
Bethany Schelling
Assistant Director - Div 6 at National Paranormal Society
Hey everyone. My name is Bethany Schelling. I'm a mother of a beautiful 10 year old daughter. I'm a bartender/waitress and studying cosmetology. I love in a small town in Amish country. A far cry from the Philadelphia, I know. I have been interested in the paranormal since I was a kid. I've always asked a ton of questions and never really got answers that made sense. After having a few unexplained experiences myself, I started looking for serious answers. Belief isn't enough for me. I want evidence that can stand for itself. I come from a logical point of view and believe science is going to help answer the questions we have. I want to continue to learn and help anyway I can.
Latest posts by Bethany Schelling (see all)
Magical and Metaphysical Properties of Topaz - November 23, 2015
Stanton T. Friedman - February 9, 2015
The 5 stages of grief - January 18, 2015
Topaz: symbol of honesty, healing, foresight, synchronicity, purity and friendship
Topaz is a beautiful gemstone worn by people all over the world. Many wear it simply for it's beauty, but it is believed to have many other qualities then just cosmetic.
The name Topaz is said to come from the Sanskrit meaning fire. For centuries, Topaz has been worn and kept close to increase intelligence and creativity. This gemstone has often been called, "the stone of love and success in all endeavors". As early as Ancient Egypt, Topaz was thought to be colored by their Sun God, Ra. Because of this, the gemstone made a very powerful amulet to wear to protect them from harm. The Romans also felt that Jupiter, their Sun God, was responsible for the gemstone as well. Even Ancient Greeks thought Topaz contained powers of strength. It was worn in battles by some because they believed it would make them invisible during severe circumstances. Topaz was also used by many diplomats to help discover secret plans by their enemies and improve them with strategic planning.
Topaz is one of the only gemstones thought to follow the moon phases as far as strength of it's mystical powers. At times closer to the full moon, the stone is at it's most powerful. When the moon is barely visible, it has little to no power at all. Perhaps this is another reason why Topaz is so closely associated with the sun and solar energy.
This gorgeous gemstone comes in array of colors. Each having it's own metaphysical and magical properties:
Blue: for emotional strength and psychic perceptions
Clear: Communications with "the other side" and nature
Yellow: Prosperity
Green: Helps to release vengeful thoughts
Sherry: Knowledge and awareness
Brown: Stimulate confidence
Pink: Honesty and openness
White: Focus
Although Topaz is believed to be very powerful in its healing qualities and magical properties, not everyone is able to benefit fully from them. Those born in the months that Topaz is their birthstone ( November and December), are capable of experiencing their full effect.
Whether this is all just myths and legends, Topaz is a beautiful gemstone with an interesting history. Because my birthday is in November, I have worn and owned this stone for years. Is it responsible for the protection and insight I have received over the years? Who knows but I have to say, it's an appealing thought.
Citrine Stones
By: Sherry Perkins
Citrine is a yellow-to-golden member of the quartz mineral group. A deep golden variety from Madiera Spain can resemble the costly imperial topaz gem stone, which is one reason that citrine is a popular birthstone alternative to those born in November.
" It is said to promote and manifest success and abundance in all areas, and in many ways. It is particularly used to promote success in business if used in the cash box of a shop, carried or worn, earning it another nickname, "Merchant's Stone." In addition to manifesting abundance, citrine also brings energies of generosity so that the prosperity and success is shared.
Citrine has been called the "stone of the mind". Ancient cultures believed that placing a citrine on the forehead of an elder would increase his psychic power.
Citrine is a solar plexus chakra stone used metaphysically to increase, magnify and clarify personal power and energy. This increased personal power can be used for the focused intent of the individual, as it brings will power as well.
Citrine is a great stone to use to combat negative energy of any kind by breaking them up and dissipating them. It is helpful to clear unwanted energies from the environment, whether it be home, office, car, or other space indoors or out. Family issues caused by negative energies can also be cleared for resolution with citrine. Citrine is also a stone that brings hope. Since citrine eliminates negative energies, it is good for protection in general and helps bring stability energetically.
Citrine also does not absorb any negative energies from its surroundings, and thus never needs energetic clearing.
Because citrine can clear negative energy and influences from the aura, it is useful for meditation, psychic awareness, and spiritual development. By removing unwanted energies it paves the way for this spiritual and psychic growth. It is also excellent for dream recall and dream work.
In the mental arena, citrine enhances mental clarity, confidence, and will power. The mental clarity and confidence support bringing increased creativity and honesty.Citrine is a happy stone. It can bring happiness to the person who carries or wears it. Because of its removal of negative energy and its own bring positivity, it can relieve depression, self-doubt, anger, and irrational mood swings.
Citrine is used to reduce self-destructive tendencies. Citrine can help overcome emotional traumas and grief that may lead to these emotionally self-destructive issues.
In crystal healing and healing folklore, citrine is said to be beneficial for the digestion, stomach, nightmares, other sleep disturbances, thyroid, general health, heart, kidney, liver, muscles, strength, endocrine system, circulatory system, tissue regeneration, urinary system, immune system, diabetes, fibromyalgia. Citrine is also reputed to be good for removing toxins, and overcoming addictions.
Note that healing crystal meanings are spiritual supports to healing and are not prescriptions or healthcare information.
Sources of citrine include Brazil, Bolivia, several African countries and parts of the Soviet Union.
Demonic Possession and the resemblance to Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis
By Holly Moreland in Demonology, Health and Safety, Occult, Resources, Science
Holly Moreland
Director - Div 2 at National Paranormal Society
Hi, My name is Holly. I live in the middle of Michigan on a small quiet lake with my significant other. I have 2 children, and a couple I choose to also call my own! I have had a few experiences that have made me scratch my head about so I reached out to see what others have encountered! I love to research and communicate what I find in any aspect of life! I also seem to have a need to help others or I could say others seem to seek me out for help! Happy to be part of the group!!.
Latest posts by Holly Moreland (see all)
Luscas Monster - October 24, 2015
Ahool of Indosesia - October 24, 2015
Demonic Possession and the resemblance to Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis - October 24, 2015
Demonic Possession and the resemblance to Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis.
By Holly Moreland
Lets talk today about "demonic possession" and the resemblance to Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis. What is Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis you ask? I will get to that in a minute. I first want to tell you what originally sparked my interest in this particular subject. I am guilty! My interest did not come from the very well known movie "The Exorcist", but came from watching a movie "Exorcism of Emily Rose". Many of you may have watched this movie based on the case of Anneliese Michel. Now I am not saying that Anneliese suffered from this disease. Only that it peeked my interest and some of the symptoms are so similar. Makes one wonder if this disease had been discovered back then if it was possible it could have been the cause and had a different outcome.
I came across an actual case of Susannah Cahalan. A healthy 24 year old reporter for the New York Post. She was the 217th person to be diagnosed with this disease in 2009. The disease was first identified in 2007. I have attached a link to one of many articles telling her story.
Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis is a rare autoimmune disease that can attack the brain. Antibodies turn on the brain its self and causes it to swell. The disease mostly infects young women and is often mis diagnosed as psychological disorders, and possibly demonic possession. Although extremely rare, you can see why asking the tough questions and searching for all answers is crucial to the paranormal community.
Main symptoms
Memory deficits, including loss of short-term memory;
Sleep disorders;
Speech dysfunction – the patient is no longer able to produce coherent language or may be completely unable to communicate
Cognitive and behavioral disturbances – confused thinking, hallucinations, delusional thinking, dis inhibited behaviors;
Seizures;
Movement disorders – usually of the arms and legs and the mouth and tongue, but may include full body spasms. These types of movements are very common in Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis and the patient is unable to control them. They are often quite severe, requiring the patient to be restrained and sedated for their own safety and those of their care-givers. Sometimes patients are unable to move, and may appear like a statue, holding the same position for hours or days (catatonia);
Loss of consciousness – The patient may be semi-conscious or may slip into a coma;
Autonomic dysfunction – erratic breathing, heartbeat and blood pressure; loss of bladder control and bowel movements;
Central hypoventilation – the patient may stop breathing, and may require a mechanical breathing machine.
Vision and/or hearing may also be impaired.
I encourage you to read Susannah's story! How her life was turned upside down! Her symptoms were mimicking that of what some people believe to be demonic possession. Also read the article attached on the disease. What are your thoughts? What might we ask or do if we come across such a case this extreme?
http://www.antinmdafoundation.org/…/what-is-anti-nmda-rece…/
http://www.npr.org/…/a-young-reporter-chronicles-her-brain-…
Blessings, Banishings, Bindings and Curses
By Lillee Allee in Ancient Mysteries, Occult
By Lillee Allee
"I never saw no miracle of science
That didn't go from a blessing to a curse…"
-Sting
You may run across those in the occult who will tell you that blessings, bindings and curses are very different forms of magic. While the result may be different, the intent, which is the crux of magic, is the same. One cannot do magic with the intent or will to visualize the results. Further, while it can be argued that some intents can be seen objectively as harmful or beneficial, most are subjective to the individuals involved.
Two examples of an objective intent would be "I hope you feel better," or "I hope you die." While most people would see one as a blessing and a positive projection, and the second as a harmful projection, these must be taken in context. If "I hope you get better" is said to someone who wants to die due to an incurable disease, some could take this as a negative projection, where as "I hope you can die" would then be seen as positive to the individual. Basically, whether the intent is positive or harmful will depend on the two individuals involved, the sender and receiver, their personal situations and cultural context.
The next myth is that blessings are always good and not manipulative. All magic involves manipulation and ego, The experienced practitioner knows there must be will and belief for any spell or prayer to work. This is where the ego fits in, if you believe for example, prayers are not heard by deity, then what would be the point of praying? Secondly,
If your intent involves another individual or thing, you are seeking to manipulate the situation. This is true in the most innocuous sounding prayer "I hope that Joe Smith gets the job he wants," to "Joe Smith must fall in love with me." While the manipulation is obvious in the latter example, it is also present in the prayer. Why? The intent being sent out is that Joe Smith, not Jane Doe or Will Jones, will get the job. While this is wonderful for Joe Smith, what about Jane or Will? This is not so much an ethical concern, because Joe does need a job, but recognizing that due to the law of cause and effect, there will be effects whether Joe or someone else gets the job. This is often why you will find that genuine practitioners may not do magic for others, First, the practitioner may not want involvement in another's business, and second the practitioner may not be able to summon the same intent as Joe himself would.
With this in mind, lets look at some definitions. A blessing, (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the infusion of something with holiness, divine will, or one's hopes. (Wikipedia). Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a deity or spirit. Purposes for this may include worshipping, requesting guidance, requesting assistance, confessing sins, as an act of reparation or to express one's thoughts and emotions. The words of the prayer may take the form of intercession, a hymn, incantation or a spontaneous utterance in the person's praying words. Secularly, the term can also be used as an alternative to "hope". Praying can be done in public, as a group, or in private. While 99% of the time a blessing or prayer will be with good intention, one has to account for the fact that it may be meant to be manipulative. An example would be to use prayer to try to change another's religious view.
In his book, Magick in Theory and Practice, magician Aleister Crowley describes "magick as "the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will." While other great practitioners have added to this definition, it still remains as one of the best definitions today. Crowley always added a "k" to discriminate between occult/ceremonial magic and stage magic. To do a working there needs to be: thought (air), action/will (fire) emotions (water) and silence (earth). It is easy to see how intent is creative and used.
A curse is any manner of adversity believed to be inflicted by any supernatural power (such as a spell, a prayer, an imprecation, an execration, magic, witchcraft, a god, a natural force, or a spirit.) The forms of curses found in various pre-scientific cultures comprise a significant proportion of the study of both folk religion and folklore. While many forms of magic allow for curses, the fact is that it takes a lot of energy to create the force to make it work, and further one has to be sure that the law of cause and effect does not cause it to "bounce back" on the practitioner. In general, the use of a curse must be well thought out and the practitioner must weigh the benefits versus the liabilities of such a working. The Law of Cause and Effect still applies.
There are however magical remedies to help oneself or another with so called "negative" experiences. Banishings would be an occult solution for change to Banishings are a form of prayer, projection or spell to magically and willfully end something or remove the unwanted energy or remove people, things, thoughts of influences, or clear an area, aura, situation or mind of unwanted influence. This is done most often by using sympathetic magic. Sympathetic magic, also known as imitative magic, is a type of magic based on imitation or correspondence. Imitation involves using effigies or poppets to affect the environment of people, or occasionally people themselves. Correspondence is based on the idea that one can influence something based on its relationship to another thing. (Wikipedia). Imitation can also be affected by putting that energy into a photograph, verse or written statement of name or through candle magic itself.
this is a general word also for what I call the four Bs :buring, binding burning and brrrring (or freezing). Any of all of the elements can be used. (lca)
BIND: A spell that willfully, purposefully and magically restrains, wraps up, or contains the energy or influence of a person, place or thing, often using the energy of air. (lca)
BRRR or FREEZE: A spell that willfully, purposefully and magically restrains, wraps up, or contains the energy or influence of a person, place or thing. This is done often by literally freezing (putting in a freezer or a body of water that will freeze over) the person, plae or thing, using sympathetic magic. This is often done using the energy of water. (lca)
BURN: A spell that willfully, purposefully and magically ends the connection to a person, place or thing using sympathetic magic. This is done often by literally burning a likeness and containing the ashes. Note: one can also burn projections as sympathetic magic used to effect a spell, often done using the energy of fire and/or air and/or earth. (lca)
BURY: A spell that willfully, purposefully and magically ends the connection to a peron, place or thing using sympathetic magic through burning a likeness or effigy or even the thing itself. This uses the power of earth (lca)
Allee, John D. and Lillee C. (2007) Right and Left of Center. Outskirts Publishing
Crowley, Aleister (1997), Magick (Book 4), Weiser Books
Sumner, Gordon.(1993) "If every I lose my faith in you." Song lyrics. Retrieved from Lyric Find: http://www.bing.com/search?q=Sting+If+every+I+lose+my+faith+in+you+lyrics&form=APMCS1
Articles and Submissions, magic, magick, witchcraft
Wewelsburg Castle
By Lillee Allee in Ancient Mysteries, Ghosts and Hauntings, Occult
The Wewelsburg Castle was built from two existing structures in the 17th century. It had already had an interesting history prior to that. Two witch trials took place in the Wewelsburg in 1631 (a former inquisition room was found in the basement next to the east tower).
During the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), the basement rooms were probably used as a military prison.
The castle is located in the village of Wewelsburg, which is a district of the town of Büren, Westphalia, in the Landkreis of Paderborn in the northeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. T By 1933, the castle had been very neglected with some exterior issues to its triangular and serious degradation of the interior. However, to one man he saw great promise with its hilltop locale.
Heinrich Himmler, Reichsführer of the Schutzstaffel (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) of Nazi Germany, saw potential in this building as a training center for his SS troops. The occult enthusiast engaged in a century lease for the property. He added occult, mythology and folklore to the training of his staff and this property was to be focused on pagan rituals to increase the soldiers' focus on world domination. It is said that one cistern was used to baptize and another became a crypt. While the structure remained in Nazi hands for 12 years, Himmler's dreams were never fully realized. He had hoped to fortify the castle and create a giant moat for privacy and protection. In 1941, he hoped to re-create the castle as "the center of the world."
While Himmler set up concentration camps for Hitler that led to the death of 6 million Jews and others not wanted in Nazi society, Himmler also created his own camp that held criminals, war prisoners and Roma people. These people were treated as slaves to do the work in fixing up the castle to his specifications. This concentration camp, called Niederhagen, held 4,000 people. More than half of these individuals died or were killed.
Hitler became nervous late in the war and gave command of the Army Group Upper Rhine and the Army Group Vistula, but Himmler failed to reach his goals. He was replaced. Realizing that the war was lost, he attempted to open peace talks with the western Allies without Hitler's knowledge shortly before the war ended. Hearing of this, Hitler dismissed him from all his posts in April 1945 and ordered his arrest. Himmler attempted to go into hiding, but was caught and identified. While in British custody, he committed suicide on May 23, 1945. Many of the secrets of Wewelsburg castle died with him.
As the tide changed in the war, and Himmler realized the end was near. Himmler immediately ordered that a fire was set in the castle and much of the exterior was irreparably damaged. His alleged interest in the Grail myths gained weight after an interesting discovery. Once they gained entry, a round table and12 chairs were found by Allied Forces.
The castle was left in the same condition as it was in 1933. By 1950, it was transformed into a museum and a youth hostel. The castle today houses the Historical Museum of the Prince Bishopric of Paderborn and the Wewelsburg 1933-1945 Memorial Museum.
Heinrich Himmler. Retrieved October 10, 2015 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Himmler
Wewelsburg. Retrieved October 10, 2015 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wewelsburg
Wewelsburg Castle. Retrieved October 10, 2015 from http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/infamous-castle-of-wewelsburg
A Quick Occult Reference for Beginners
BANISH: A form of prayer, projection or spell to magically and willfully end something or remove the unwanted energy or remove people, things, thoughts of influences. Remove the presence of above, or clear an area, situation or mind of unwanted influence.
Most often using sympathetic magic; this is a general word also for what is called the four Bs :buring, binding, burning and brrrring (or freezing). Any of all of the elements can be used. (lca)
BURY: A spell that willfully, purposefully and magically ends the connection to a person, place or thing using sympathetic magic through burning a likeness or effigy or even the thing itself. This uses the power of earth (lca)
BLESSING: A blessing, (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the infusion of something with holiness, divine will, or one's hopes. (Wikipedia)
CURSE: A curse is any manner of adversity thought to be inflicted by any supernatural power (such as a spell, a prayer, an imprecation, an execration, magic, witchcraft, a god, a natural force, or a spirit.) The forms of curses found in various pre-scientific cultures comprise a significant proportion of the study of both folk religion and folklore.
Prayer: Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a deity or spirit. Purposes for this may include worshipping, requesting guidance, requesting assistance, confessing sins, as an act of reparation or to express one's thoughts and emotions. The words of the prayer may take the form of intercession, a hymn, incantation or a spontaneous utterance in the person's praying words. Secularly, the term can also be used as an alternative to "hope". Praying can be done in public, as a group, or in private. Most major religions in the world involve prayer in one way or another.
ETHICS: Ethics is a major branch of philosophy, encompassing right conduct and good life. It is significantly broader than the common conception of analyzing right and wrong. A central aspect of ethics is "the good life", the life worth living or life that is simply not satisfying, which is held by many philosophers to be more important than moral conduct
KARMA: The eastern belief that one's thoughts and deeds can be either counted against them or added to their spiritual path during several life times. In Sanskirt it means "action." It could all so be a warning to follow the law of cause and effect. (Wikipedia)
LEFT-HAND PATH: A term that points to those people who feel that they are justified in using magick for purposes that are not constructive to other human beings. It is a reference that they are possibly a self-serving individual. Conversely, the right-hand path is considered positive in nature. (from Witchs-brew.org)
MAGICIAN: (in this context) A person who performs acts, workings or magic using paranormal, supernatural or metaphysical means. He exercises his will and imagination to affect changes in his environment. A K (magick, magical, magickian) can be added to separate occult workings from magicians such as David Copperfield. (jda/lca)
NEO-PAGANISM: an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by historical pre-Christian European "pagan" religions. (Wikipedia) and those who are earth-based (lca)
PROJECTION: Projection is attributing your own repressed thoughts to someone else. (changingminds.org) Projection in witchcraft is sending your will or desire to cause change in a person, place or thing (lca)
PROJECTIVE ENERGY: That which is directive, masculine, electrical, forward-moving, dominant and active. (lca)
RECEPTIVE ENERGY: That which is directed, feminine, inward moving, and passive. (lca)
RULE OF THREE: (also threefold law or law of return) is a tenet of the Neopagan religion of Wicca. It claims that whatever energy a person puts out into the world, be it positive or negative, will be returned to that person three times. John J. Coughlin states that " . . . there is a literal reward or punishment tied to one's actions, particularly when it comes to working magic," and that "there are many Wiccans, experienced and new alike, who view the Law of Return as an over-elaboration on the Wiccan Rede." The Rule of Three has been compared by Karl Lembke to other ethics of reciprocity, such as the concept of karma in Dharmic religions and the Christian edict, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12), also called the "Golden Rule." The Rule of Three has its possible prototype in a piece of Wiccan liturgy that first appeared in print in Gerald Gardner's 1949 novel High Magic's Aid (Wikipedia)
SPELL: Extended mental and emotional energy spoken aloud, written, spoken to oneself, drawn or even danced. To work, it should be clear, concise, focused and emotional. The need must be present to bring any spell to a successful culmination.
SYMPATHETIC MAGIC: Sympathetic magic, also known as imitative magic, is a type of magic based on imitation or correspondence. Imitation involves using effigies or poppets to affect the environment of people, or occasionally people themselves. Correspondence is based on the idea that one can influence something based on its relationship to another thing. (Wikipedia). Imitation can also be affected by putting that energy into a photograph, verse or written statement of name (lca)
WICCA: The spelling Wica first appears in the writings of Gerald Gardner (Witchcraft Today, 1954; The Meaning of Witchcraft, 1959). He used the word as a mass noun referring to the adherents of his tradition of witchcraft ('the Wica'), rather than the religion itself. He referred to the religion as witchcraft, never Wica. The word seems to be based on the Old English word wicca IPA: [ˈwɪtʃɑ]; similarly, wicca and its feminine form wice are the predecessors of the modern English witch. (Wikipedia) (Note: Wicca=male witch; wicce or wice=female witch. – lca)
The spelling Wicca was not used by Gardner and the term Wiccan (both as an adjective and a noun) was not used until much later, but it is now the prevalent term to refer to followers of Wicca. (Wikipedia)
WITCH: Male or female that uses magical practices, or practices Witchcraft. (lca)
Witchcraft still exists in a number of belief systems, and indeed there are many today who identify with the term "witch" (Wikipedia)
WORKING/MAGICAL WORKING: Active use of magic to consciously, willfully and purposefully reach a desired positive goal. Also know as spell-casting, projecting, willing a change to occur. (lca)
Are You An Empath or Just Highly Sensitive?
Courtesy of: http://www.ashtarcommandcrew.net/
Empath: A person who is capable of feeling the emotions or physical symptoms of others even if they themselves are not going through the same situation or events.
Highly Sensitive: Used to describe a person who has high sensory awareness and often feels extremely emotional or in-tune with their surroundings.
It is estimated that around 15-20 percent of the population is highly sensitive and another 2-3 percent of the population are empaths.
The term "empath" has been growing in popularity however, many are confused about what it actually means and mistaken it to describe someone who is highly sensitive.
Being an empath is really like having clairsentient abilities whereas being a highly sensitive individual is more about enhanced sensory awareness.
To put it simply- empaths pick on up energy whereas highly sensitive people pick up on sensory stimuli.
The difference is important because those who are highly sensitive can learn to protect their energy using various mindfulness tools however, empaths really need to learn how to harness their talents and channel them into something deeper.
So, what are the traits of an Empath?
People feel comfortable telling you their personal stories and often comment how good they feel after talking to you, but you usually feel worse after talking to them.
You experience aches and pains that are also being experienced by your loved ones or the people around you.
When you are around others, you can pick up on certain energies and emotions, however when you are on your own, you feel a sense of calm and normality.
You have trouble concentrating when others are around, or you feel overwhelmed easily when hanging around others, especially in crowded places.
Some people appear to be intimidated by you as they can feel that you can see right through them.
You understand or comprehend a lot of what others are going through and seem to know more than you were verbally told.
You can instantly detect and absorb the emotions of others and feel them on a physical level.
When you are around certain people you find yourself acting out of character or doing things you wouldn't normally do.
You have a hard time navigating through your own feelings and emotions and working out why you feel a certain way.
You feel a certain way but have no idea why, only to find out that someone close to you is going through the same emotions.
In Astrology, empaths usually have their Moon in a water sign or another sensitive placement.
Compare this to the traits of a Highly Sensitive Person:
You feel your emotions or the emotions of others on a deeper level.
You have the tendency to be more reactive than normal in emotional situations. Many might accuse you of being overly dramatic or that you need to calm down.
You tend to take things very personally and are easily offended or disgruntled by other people's thoughts and actions.
You prefer to do things on your own and avoid hanging out in groups.
You have a harder time making decisions because you are more aware of the possible outcomes.
You have the ability to notice the finer details in your surroundings are are often sensitive to noise, colors and other stimuli.
You have a hard time watching scary or violent movies and are easily moved by emotional scenes.
You have tendency to cry more often and can sometimes be triggered to cry when others are crying.
You are often more polite and conscientious than normal due to the fact that you are more aware of your surroundings.
Often there is a propensity to developing anxiety, especially in social situations.
In Astrology, a highly sensitive person usually has many planets in water signs.
Whether you resonate with being an empath or a highly sensitive person (or a bit of both), there are ways you can calm your feelings such as learning some mindfulness tools, practicing meditation and setting firm boundaries with others.
As an empath however, you may find these practices a little more challenging. Instead, you may benefit from working on an energetic level rather than an emotional or psychological one.
Try cleansing your etheric body often using sage, carrying around a protective crystal, or perhaps even seek out different forms of energy healing. You can also channel your abilities into psychic awareness or development.
Being an empath or highly sensitive person is definitely something that you can use to your advantage and the more you begin to master your abilities, the easier they will be to manage.
At the end of the day, we are all effected by the emotions, thoughts and feelings of others whether we realize it or not. Our energy is not limited to the containers of our physical body and the more we tap into this idea and grow in awareness, the more we can use it towards realizing our potential.
Source: http://www.ashtarcommandcrew.net/profiles/blogs/are-you-an-empath-or-just-highly-sensitive
empath, empathic, occult, paranormal sensitives
Spirit Plates
By Samuel Sanfratello in Occult
Samuel Sanfratello
My name is Samuel Sanfratello (Sam). I am a NY state dual-certified Mathematics and Special Education teacher and a nationally certified Consulting Hypnotist. I am also the proud owner and operator of two companies: Monroe Hypnosis and Rochester Analytics. I am a 2nd generation Spiritualist (American Spiritualism) and a certified Medium with the Plymouth Spiritualist Church (the mother church of modern spiritualism). I am an organizer of the Rochester Paranormal Researchers, founded in 2007 and a lead investigator for the Paranormal Science Institute's F.R.I.N.G.E team. In my spare time, I give back to my community by doing volunteer work for my church and for my local chamber of commerce. I became interested in the paranormal when I spoke with a spirit in my grandmother's house in the early 1980s. I enjoy reading publications and scientific articles about the fringe sciences and I enjoy sharing these understandings with others.
Latest posts by Samuel Sanfratello (see all)
Digital Camera File Formats - September 5, 2015
Site Access Agreement - July 21, 2015
Wise Digital Library - July 21, 2015
Many Americans can trace their Spirit Investigation roots back to the early Spiritualists of the mid to late 1800s. Although reports of Spirits (in Western cultures) date back to Ancient Greece and writings from Pompeii, much of our modern methodology stems from the work of early Spiritualists in America. Some techniques that are still used include asking for knocks/raps/touch and use of devices such as talking boards.
Although many low-tech methods are still in use today, the Spiritualists of the time did use their knowledge of engineering and industrialization to design faster, more machine friendly ways to communicate with the deceased. Many inventors and Spiritualists designed technological solutions to communicate with the dead that enjoyed popularity; however, are no longer in use.
One such device is the "Spirit Dial" or "Dial Plate". Spiritualists utilized dial plate telegraph technology as the template for a new, mechanical means of connecting to the deceased. "In 1853, a Thompsonville, Connecticut spiritualist, Isaac T. Pease, called his invention, suitably enough, the "Spiritual Telegraph Dial." Just a dial with letters arranged around the circumference and a message needle to point to them were necessary. There was no need for messy wires or electricity." (Orlando). The religious backlash to the device and the Spiritualist movement was severe, many accused the early Spiritualists of being Necromancer and Witches (jcs-group); however, many scientifically minded individuals set out to use the tools of science to disprove the movement.
One such individual was Robert Hare, M.D. He was an emeritus professor of chemistry in the University of Pennsylvania and alumnus of both Yale College and Harvard University (Orlando) and author of over 150 scientific papers. In 1855, he wrote a book "Experimental Investigation of the Spirit Manifestations" in which he used Pease's plates with a pulley system. The pulley system lessened a medium's ability to consciously control an outcome. He named the modified invention, a "spiritoscope" and began to test the device and mediumship to his satisfaction (Hare).
In Hare's summary he notes, "It is surprising with what readiness a spirit, even when unused to the apparatus, will, by moving the lever, actuate the index, causing it to point to the letters, words, or figures distributed on the face of the disk, as above mentioned" (Hare, pdf pg 11). While using his spiritoscope, he noted that, "Agreeably to my experience in a multitude of cases, spirits have reported themselves who were wholly unexpected, and when others were expected. When I was expecting my sister in Boston, my brother reported himself. Lately, when expecting her, Cadwalader was spelt out, being the name of an old friend, who forthwith gave me a test, proving his identity. As this spirit had never visited my disk before, I had not the smallest expectation of his coming" (Hare, 33). Hare references a medium named Mrs Gourlay who was able to articulate a response to Hare after he read the Sicilian Mariner's Hymn and replaced a few of the Latin words. In response to this chant, a reply was given through the spiritoscope, " Dear Brother :—I answer your prayer by saying I do watch over you, and pray for your welfare. I am grateful for your remembrance, and shall strive to deserve it. O ! brother, our cause is a common one, and we feel the same interest in its promulgation. I am daily striving to disseminate its truths, but can make little progress, having so much ignorance to contend against. I know that the truths of progression, with the help of a good and wise God, will ultimately prevail over all the land ; but when that happy time comes to earth, your freed spirit will rove the endless fields of immortality with those loved friends who have gone a little while before. Then will we revel in delights which, in comparison with earth's joys, are far more beautiful and sublime. I wish you could look with the eye of prescience, and see that glorious time, when all nations shall become as a band of brothers" (Hare, 55).
Hare was not the only person to have positive experiences with dial plates and similar spirit devices. In England, another dial plate was patented and in France, spiritist Allan Kardec published a book "Le Livre des Mediums". His book supported Spiritualism and referenced several events that he found to be beyond the explanation of Science and Psychology and mentions his own experiences with dial plates. (Kardec).
Church Leaders Associated Spiritualism With Witchcraft. (n.d.). Retrieved June 18, 2015, from http://www.jcs-group.com/enigma/religion/spiritualism1.html
Hare, R. (1855). Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations: Demonstrating the existence of spirits and their communion with mortals : Doctrine of the spirit world respecting heaven, hell, morality, and God : Also, the influence of Scripture on the morals of. New York: Partridge & Brittan (available: https://ia601407.us.archive.org/21/items/experimentalinv00hare/experimentalinv00hare_bw.pdf).
Kardec, A. (n.d.). Spiritualist philosophy: The spirits' book. New York. Available: http://www.spiritismireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/the-spirits-book.pdf
Orlando, E. (n.d.). The Museum of Talking Boards: The Dial Plate Talking Boards. Retrieved June 18, 2015, from http://www.museumoftalkingboards.com/dials.html
featured occult, occult, Spirit Plates
What is the difference between Voodoo, Hoodoo and Santeria?
Courtesy of: http://santeriachurch.org/
All too often, Santeria is mistakenly confused with other African-derived magical or religious systems. It is very common for people to refer to the practices of Santería Lucumi (Lukumi) as "voodoo" by the media, in television and cinema. Movies and television are notorious for lumping all African Diasporic Traditions into one boat, calling them all voodoo and then mocking them or creating sensationalism that is rooted in cultural misinformation. Tack on to this cross-confusion between Voodoo and Hoodoo and you get a whole other layer of misunderstanding about what Santeria really is. We hope this article will help clarify some confusions, and help set the record straight once and for all.
Santeria and Voodoo are often confused for one another
Both Santeria and Voodoo are religions but they are not the same thing. Let's begin with an explanation of Voodoo. First, Voodoo is more properly spelled Vodou or Vodoun. There are two main branches to Vodou, Haitian Vodou and Louisiana (or New Orleans) Vodoun.
Haitian Vodou is an African Diasporic Religion that came together from the traditional African religious practices of several tribes, some of whom were rivals forced to survive and depend on one another under the conditions of slavery. These tribes included the Fon, Yoruba, Congo and even elements of the native Taino population that survived in Haiti. These people united their practices in an effort to survive, and created a "regleman" (ritual order) to honor and give each tribe's spirits their moment of worship. These practices were also influenced through syncretism with French Catholicism. Evidence of this can be seen in the use of Catholic saint images to represent the Lwa (spirits) honored in Vodou. The Lwa (spirits) of Vodou are composed of the Rada Lwa (the vudu and orishas of the Fon and Yoruba people), the Petwo Lwa (the fiery spirits of the Congo, the Taino and modern-Haitian people) and the Gede Lwa (the spirits of the dead). Veves, ornate cornmeal drawings laid out on the ground or on tables, are used to call the Lwa in Vodou, but not in Santeria. Haitian Vodou does have an initiated priesthood, but initiation is not a requirement for participation in the religion and the vast majority of vodouisants are non-initiates. Magical wanga and gris-gris are often used in Haitian Vodou's magic. Haitian Vodou's primary liturgical language is Kreyol, the local dialect of Haitian French.
Louisiana Vodoun is markedly different from Haitian Vodou. It is more of an amalgamation of religious and magical practices found in the southern United States. This includes some of the Lwa found in Haitian Vodou, a strong presence of the Catholic Saints, and elements of southern folk magic like gris-gris, wanga and mojo bags. There is not a "regleman" in the same manner as Haitian Vodou and there is more of an emphasis on self-made Vodou Queens like the famous Marie Laveau. Louisiana Vodoun has a strong connection with Spiritualism and shares many magical techniques with Hoodoo (southern folk magic) – but should not be confused with Hoodoo. You will see the use of veves (ornate painted symbols) in Louisiana Vodoun, much as in Haitian Vodou. Louisiana Vodoun's primary liturgical language is English with a bit of French Creole.
Santeria is a religion that evolved in Cuba. It is rooted in the African religious traditions of the Yoruba people (found in modern-day Nigeria). The followers of Santeria worship the orishas, the demi-gods of the Yoruba people. While there is a veneer of Spanish Catholicism for the outsider, that element quickly drops away once a person has undergone initiation. The primary involvement of Catholic elements in Santeria are found in Espiritismo, a separate religious practice that has been deeply interwoven into Santeria as of the mid-1900's. Santeria is highly initiatory, secretive and operates under strict religious rules. Participation in the religion is very limited to those who are not initiated and the great majority of participants are initiates. Santeria does NOT use veves or ornate drawn symbols to call the orishas as are done in Vodou (bullseye-style paintings called osun are used in certain rituals but bear no resemblance to veves). Santeria's primary liturgical language is Lukumí, a late 1800's dialect of the Yoruban language interspersed with elements of Cuban Spanish.
The religious proceedings and magical workings of these religious traditions may have similarities but they are certainly not the same thing. A person initiated in Santería will not have the religious rights or permission to participate in Vodou ceremonies like a Vodou initiate would. A person initiated in Vodou would not have permission and rights to operate in a Santeria ceremony. Each of these religions is different from one another, and each uses different languages, prayers, songs and rituals from the others. The only commonality between them is the use of animal sacrifice, and the employment of magical spell work as an integral part of their religious practice, but this is common with any religious practice from sub-saharan Africa.
What is Hoodoo? Is it Voodoo?
Often people mistake Hoodoo and Vodou. The differenced between them is simple. Vodou is a religion. Hoodoo is nothing more than Southern Folk Magic. Hoodoo uses the magical techniques of the Congo people of Africa without any of the religion. There is no presence of the nkisi, orishas, or lwa of Africa. In fact, most people who practice Hoodoo are Protestant Christians. You'll see hoodoo workers also being called rootworkers or conjurers. They make magical charms called mojo bags, or jack balls. They'll use magical powders, herbal cleansing baths, candles or lamps for spell work. All of this magical work is done while praying Psalms, praying to Jesus and God the Father, and reading from the Bible. While the vast majority of Hoodoo practitioners are Protestant Christians, there are some some Catholic practitioners who will petition Catholic saints. It's important to note that they are petitioning the Saints themselves, not as a syncretized image for an African deity or spirit. So Hoodoo is not Voodoo.
Stereotypical and Racist Depictions of Santeria and other ATRs
For centuries, the African Traditional Religions (ATRs) have been the victim of racism and colonial stereotypes. This was an institutionalized way of dehumanizing the African people by labeling their religious practices as barbaric or demonic. This changing society's perception of black people into animals or subhuman, in order to justify the slave trade and the brutal treatment of African people by invading muslim and christian missionaries.
Racist depictions of Santeria and other ATR practices include depicting the religions as satanic. It is common to portray these religions as nothing more than harmful spell casters focusing on zombifying people, using voodoo dolls to harm people, or engaging in cannibalism or pacts with the devil. (It is important to note that the use of dolls in magic comes from European witchcraft traditions.) Satan does not exist in Santeria. Satan is not worshipped in the ATRs. Cannibalism does not exist in Santeria, nor do we shrink heads or any such thing.
Remember when you see depictions like this in movies or television programs, they are racist depictions serving to scare those of European descent by portraying African religions as barbaric. Even the term "black magic" is a racist term. It originates from the labeling of African people as black and the characterization of their religions as purely evil. Therefore "black magic" meant black religious practice was evil. At the Santeria Church of the Orishas we detest the term "black magic" and prefer that people call things what they actually are. When referring to harmful magic call it harmful magic, not "black magic" out of respect for the black people of Africa and their peace-filled beautiful religious practices.
Santeria is Not Evil
Santeria is often mistakenly depicted as an evil religion that worships demons, engages in blood-thirsty rituals and seeks to do evil on others. This is further racist, colonial depiction of the beautiful and complex African religious tradition of Santeria. Santeria's chief tenet is to always strive to stay in a place of iré (blessings) by following the advice of our egun, orishas and elders. There is a strong ethic of helping others and working cooperatively to lift people out of poverty and sickness toward blessings, health, prosperity and longevity. We pray for "iré omó, iré owó, iré arikú babawa" which means "blessings of children, blessings of prosperity and blessings of long life." We strive to cultivate a good character, live peaceful lives and respect nature and others around us. There is the use of magic for one's defense, but in many ways this is no different than praying to God for defense against your enemies or petitioning saints to stop those who seek to harm you. The same thing can be said for other ATRs like Vodou, Candomblé, Arará, etc.
The problem is lack of understanding and lack of knowledge. As long as people accept racist stereotypes and don't educate themselves about the African Traditional Religions, they will continue to fear Santeria.
Spiritual Grounding
Courtesy of: http://www.healing-crystals-for-you.com/
What Is The Purpose of Doing Grounding?
Spiritual grounding is very important for everyone, but especially critical if you have been doing spiritual development or psychic work.
It is easy to get quite ungrounded, especially the way we live our lives today with little real connection to the earth.
When you are working on your spiritual development, you may allow yourself to open via your higher chakras to the Divine realms.
But once you finish you need to ensure you return to normal so you do not remain ungrounded.
It will happen naturally but it can take some time, so taking action to make it occur more quickly can be helpful. It is sometimes actually necessary to be ungrounded, if you are doing processes that elevate you to the higher realms.
But afterwards it is also necessary to ground yourself, and make a connection to Mother Gaia.
Know How To Make A Connection To Mother Gaia?
Energy grounding as a preventative measure to avoid health problems, is important. Make sure that you regularly ground yourself into the earth star chakra.
If you are ungrounded, it is important to bring your self back to normal. There are a couple of grounding methods that usually work fairly quickly and work well.
An easy way to start the process of spiritual grounding is by burning white sage. If you continue to allow yourself to remain ungrounded, a variety of different problems, may develop.
Do you know the symptoms of being ungrounded? If you are unsure, take a look at this list, to ensure that you know… Are you ungrounded?
Grounding Your Energy When You're Ungrounded
Most of these are unnecessary and are totally preventable. So what action should we take?
Firstly: Whenever possible, walk barefoot on the earth in a garden or park, or go for a barefoot walk on a beach.
Emotional grounding is important, and walking in the water will aid your emotional body as well. This contact with the earth is a very helpful, to assist you to begin to ground yourself.
As you do this, you release energy from your body, and it is transformed into earth energy when you discharge it into the earth below your feet.
Of course if you are in a cold climate, and it is winter, walking on the earth may not be possible.
Secondly: If you are in the position to be able to sage yourself, begin by smudging yourself. Use either white sage alone or mixed with other fragrant herbs. These are often sold in purpose made smudging sticks.
Thirdly: When you are not able to get outside for any reason, do a grounding meditation.
Relaxing…centering… grounding… very important actions for your overall well-being. Go within, become centered, then follow through with the following visualization in the grounding meditation shown further down the page.
Are YOU Ungrounded?
Often when you are ungrounded continuously, you may not be aware that you are ungrounded, but others around you may notice. If you are doing development of your gifts, especially psychic, spiritual grounding is important to do.
The common symptoms of being ungrounded are as follows:
Dizziness, feeling spaced out, light headed or a floaty feeling
Forgetting appointments or other important things
Misplacing or losing things
Feeling generally unwell, totally lacking energy, tired and drained
Falling asleep during meditation
Continual daydreaming
Sensitivity to light and noise
Feeling over stimulated and nervy
Bumping into things or other general feelings of clumsiness
Getting lost while driving, even when you have a GPS, you just can't seem to go the right way, even when the area is quite familiar to you
Having out of body experiences without meaning to and feeling that they are not within your control
Unable to carry on a normal conversation, including losing track of what you were saying.
Do you think that you are ungrounded? Do you know how to ground yourself? Do you think you need spiritual grounding?
If any of these grounding questions came back with a 'yes', maybe you should think about taking action.
Things you can do includes taking a walk on the earth, smudging yourself, doing a grounding meditation and keeping one of the stones from the list on your body or close by.
Grounding Meditation
A most effective grounding meditation involves a visualization, for spiritual grounding. Sit down in a chair in a relaxed position.
It is best done with bare feet that you place flat on the floor, so that you are can feel as connected to the earth as possible.
As you are sitting there, centered, relaxed and at peace, you need to visualize the following ……….
As you close your eyes, begin by mentally drawing a line from the bottom of your feet down into the earth.
Visualize a spot about twelve inches below the sole of each foot.
Imagine that you can feel any excess energy you may have in your body moving down your legs, and moving out of your body into the earth.
Now I want you to imagine that you are a tree, a beautiful tall, healthy tree.
Feel roots descending from the soles of your feet, as you send them down, deep into the earth.
You go deeper and deeper into the cool moist earth, and as you do you begin to take nourishment from it.
You feel your roots growing stronger and you feel your life-force energy deepening and strengthening.
You feel a surge of love and gratitude from Mother Gaia come up through your roots and into the soles of your feet and up into your body.
This love and gratitude is for the gift of energy you have given to her.
You spread your arms above your head, and visualize that these are your branches. You feel leaves growing on your branches, strong, healthy and vibrant.
Your branches reach high into the sky, enjoying the warmth of the sun on the leaves, or the coolness of the moon.
You reach up to make contact with spirit, and gather the energy from the Divine Source and allow it to energize and nourish you.
You have had your fill so you allow the balance of the vibrations from the higher realms to make its way down your body, and slowly filter down your legs.
As you allow this energy to flow out of the soles of your feet, you give thanks for the gift you have been given.
You feel gratitude to Spirit for the gift you have been given, and you thank Mother Gaia for all she does for you, as you give her this gift of your body's excess energy, to be transformed into earth energy.
When you are ready you slowly open your eyes. You know that you can come here as often as you like and do a spiritual grounding, and that the earth will enjoy the gift you give her of your excess energy.
Crystals To Aid Spiritual Grounding
You may like to use Black Kyanite first, shown in the image on the right, or you could use Blue Kyanite… before you use any other stones, as it is extremely helpful for grounding.
Kyanite comes in range of colors, and when doing spiritual grounding it is highly recommended, that you use any color of Kyanite stones before you use other stones.
Although Black Kyanite is a wonderful stone and is available, the most common color is the Blue Kyanite.
Blue Kyanite is east to get and it is most helpful for grounding. All colors of Kyanite have the added advantage of aligning your chakras.
For grounding and protection, many of the black gemstones and crystals are highly beneficial. So which of the stones on the list should you use?
Most grounding stones are earth star chakra stones, but you also may find helpful stones among the base or root chakra stones.
Take a look at the stones listed in the chart at the bottom of this page, are some of the best and strongest stones for grounding, and most are easily obtained.
Strongest Grounding Stones
Black Tourmaline is a stone that I highly recommend that you keep on you at all times, for both spiritual grounding and protection.
This is especially important as in addition it also has a strong vibration to aid psychic protection, as well as being one of the strongest grounding stones.
Black Tourmilated Quartz has similar qualities, and the addition of the quartz makes these powerful stones to bring light into your auric field, to aid your lightbody.
If you look at the chart you will see a range of spiritual grounding stones, and many of these have both of these important qualities, an important attribute that will be of great benefit to you.
The strong grounding stones that are also highly protective are beneficial crystals to use, and Black Andradite Garnet is a particularly helpful stone to use as it is also highly protective.
Black Diopside is also a powerful stone to help you make contact with Mother Gaia. By looking at the other aspects of many of these stones, you may discover additional reasons why you might choose to use a particular one.
There are many black crystals that you may utilize, like Black Obsidian, that are powerful stones to use for this purpose.
Boji Stone, Fire Agate, Red Jasper, Moss Agate, Smokey Quartz Crystals, Black Diopside, Shungite and Turquoise are all excellent stones to keep on you to assist with spiritual grounding.
If a picture of a stone attracts you, check out this stones specific aspects outlined in its individual page, you might find out that it also has other helpful qualities to benefit you.
When you hold one of these stones in your hand, for even a minute, you are likely to feel the connection to the earth.
If you are an alchemical healer or natural therapist of any sort, keep at least one grounding crystal on you while you are doing treatments.
Wearing Grounding Stones
One crystal that is highly useful to add to your collection is Charoite. Wearing Charoite is highly conducive to your continuing good health, and is easy to wear while doing healing, or any sort of spiritual development work.
I always found it highly advantageous to wear my lovely purple Charoite Pendant, seen in image on right, as it has a powerful vibration.
It has many powerful spiritual aspects for the higher chakras, and for the earth chakra and the base chakra, as well as for psychic protection.
Spiritual grounding is important whenever you use high crystal energy stones, or do any sort of work using your psychic powers.
Whatever stone you choose to wear, just ensure that you keep one of these stones within your aura, or close by so you can employ them when required.
That way when you become ungrounded you may use them to aid you to return to normal quickly.
This is especially true when you are working on developing psychic abilities or powers.
If you feel at all ungrounded, hold one of them in your hand and make a connection with it. It has the potential to work quickly to help you.
When you are working with high vibration stones in meditation, you may use specific stones to develop these gifts, which often make you very ungrounded.
If you are doing any sort of spiritual work, you will open your higher chakras as you open to the Divine Source.
But once open they need to be closed, so that you are able to function normally in your life.
If you are working on developing these gifts such as psychic knowing, psychic visions or clairvoyant abilities, you can become extremely ungrounded.
If you are doing this type of spiritual work it is best to make sure that you ground yourself often, and quickly.
This will happen naturally, but I personally find that by having some of these specific crystals within my aura, it naturally happens quickly and the spaciness is quickly relieved.
One way is to carry or wear strong grounding stones in your pocket, or worn as jewelry.
Remember if you are working on specific gifts including abilities such as clairsentience or clear feeling or psychic hearing, also known as clairaudience, make sure you ground yourself afterwards.
Spiritual grounding is extremely important, even crucial to prevent health problems and easy to do.
List Of Crystals To Aid Spiritual Grounding
Almandine Garnet Angel Phantom Quartz Apache Tears Ascension Stones
Axinite Bastnasite Black Amethyst Black Andradite Garnet
Black Diopside Black Kyanite Black Moonstone Black Obsidian
Black Onyx Black Spinel Black Tourmaline Blizzard Stone (Gabbro)
Bloodstones Boji Stones Brown Aragonite Brown Hemimorphite
Cassiterite Charoite Cerussite Chiastolite
Cinnabar Covellite Crimson Calcite Crocoite
Cuprite Dalmation Jasper Dravite Brown Tourmaline Elestial Quartz
Fancy Jasper Fire Agate Gaspeite Goethite
Hematite Crystals Iron Pyrite Jet, Larvikite Libyan Desert Glass
Luxurianite Magnetite Moss Agate Marcasite
Nuummite Petalite Prehnite Preseli Bluestone
Prophecy Stone Purpurite Pyrrhotite Red Jasper
Ruby Sardonyx Septaria Shaman Stones
Shamanite Black Calcite Shungite Smokey Quartz Sonara Sunrise
Sphalerite Spurrite (Strombolite) Star Hollandite Quartz Staurolite (Fairy Cross)
Stibnite Sugilite Tibetan Black Quartz Tigers Eye
Tiger Iron (Mugglestone) Tourmalinated Quartz Turquoise Unakite
Vanadinite Vesuvianite (docrase) Zebra Stone Zincite
Zircon Crystals
http://www.healing-crystals-for-you.com/spiritual-grounding.html
Courtesy of: http://www.akashictransformations.net
The Akashic Records are an energetic imprint of every thought, action, emotion, and experience that has ever occurred in time and space. The Akashic Records can also be understood as the imprint of all experiences of all lifetime in all realities. They are an etheric, holographic repository of information for human consciousness for the past, present and potentials for the future. The energy that makes up the Akashic Records is the energy of Love! The knowledge contained in the Akashic Records is imprinted upon a subtle substance called the Akasha, which describes the energy of Love that permeates and creates everything in the Universe.
The Akasha is available everywhere, all the time. Everyone can access information from the Akashic Records at any time, and indeed we do! The flashes of intuition and knowing hunches that occur every day are glimpses into the divine wisdom contained in the Akashic Records. Every being in the Universe contributes to and accesses the Akashic Records. Because we are all created by and connected to the energy of Love, our divine birthright includes having access to the divine wisdom and knowledge contained in the Akashic Records.
The Akashic Records contain all past, present, and future possibilities through the vibrations of compassion and joy. They are like the DNA of the universe. They contain a collection of everything that has occurred in the past, and they hold a complete set of information regarding possibilities for the future. Every individual soul has its own, unique Akashic Record. The souls of groups, events, organizations, and locations also have a unique Akashic Record.
One way to understand the Akashic Records is to envision them as a book that contains the entire history of your soul, as well as every aspect of who you are now and all the potentials for your future. This metaphorical book is so vast that it could never exist physically. Instead, it is recorded energetically in the vibration of the Love that makes up everything in the Universe.
The clear truth contained in the Akashic Records allows us the freedom to choose grace in all things. When we know the truth, we can release any illusions we have created that cause us to believe we are separate from God, Spirit, or Source. The Akashic Records are one of the most powerful tools available on the planet today, to help us remember our Oneness with every being in the Universe, and to find our personal and collective power to create the realities we desire.
What is the history of the Akashic Records?
The concept of the Akashic Records has been referred to in every spiritual tradition on the planet. In the Bible, it is referred to as the Book of Life. The Akashic Records are also referred to as the Cosmic Mind or Universal Mind, as well as the Eye of God and the Word of God. References to the Akashic Records, or the eternal Book of Life, date back to antiquity. References in the Old Testament and beyond give us the sense that there is a collective storehouse of knowledge that is written on the fabric of reality.
The energy that contains the information in the Akashic Records is called Akasha, which is a Sanskrit term meaning "primary substance." This is the energy that makes up everything in the Universe. It is the energy of love. In Hindu mysticism Akasha is thought to be the primary principle of nature from which the other four natural principles of fire, air, earth, and water, are created. Every vibration that occurs in the Universe through our thoughts, words, and deeds creates an indelible imprint on the Akasha, leaving an energetic recording of every soul and every creation.
The word, Akasha, is derived from two ancient Tibetan or northern Indian words. "Aka" means space, storage place, or repository, and "Sa" means sky, hidden, or secret. A simple translation of "Akasha" is "an unseen space or storage place." The Akashic Records are, then, a hidden library of records imprinted on the subtle space of the Akasha. The Akashic Records are believed to have existed since the beginning of the time-space continuum of planet Earth.
Who has access to the Akashic Records?
Everyone! Just as we have various kinds of physical libraries, such as law libraries and medical libraries, there are various ethereal libraries in the Akashic Records. Every person, animal, group, organization, event, and location on Earth has a unique Akashic Record. By divine birthright, we have the ability to access our own personal Akashic Records, as well as the Records of any group of which we are a part.
Every being on the planet can access the areas of the Akashic Records of which their soul plays a part. Alternately, no one can access our personal Akashic Records without our express permission. The Akashic Records are protected by spiritual beings who are referred to as the Guides, the Keepers, or the Guardians of the Akashic Records. These Spirit Keepers help us access our Akashic Records, and they hold strong energetic protection for the information contained therein.
How can we access the Akashic Records?
People access the Akashic Records often through intuition, prayer, meditation, and flashes of insight. Many of us experience these glimpses of the Akashic Records on a daily basis. For many people, intentionally opening ourselves to our intuition and inner guidance provides a powerful opening to the information in the Akashic Records.
We can learn to access the Akashic Records more specifically through learning techniques for opening the Akashic Records. These techniques can include the use of meditations, breathing techniques, and a sacred, spoken prayer of opening. While there is no institution that governs this work, there are many teachers who are skilled and reliable to help you.
What information can we get from the Akashic Records?
The Akashic Records contain every thought, emotion, action, and experience that has ever occurred in time and space. Your personal Akashic Records contain every piece of information regarding your soul's experience. In the Records, you can learn about your relationships, your health, your soul path, and every other conceivable topic regarding you! Because the information in the Akashic Records is held in the energy of love, the answers you receive to questions during an Akashic Reading offer helpfulness and hopefulness as well as profound empowerment through knowing the truth of your situation and the possibilities unfolding in your life.
REFERENCE: http://www.akashictransformations.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=64
by N.P.S. member Nicholas S. Antolick
"DRAGONS BLOOD" is the dried "sap" from the infamous "Dragons Blood" tree. It has been used sincepre-history in many cultures all over the world.
It is still used today, though "Dragon's Blood" is VERY hard to find and quite expensive. Most of it is "diluted" due to its expense. Processing it into a wood finish demands extensive refining.
Historically, one finds many medical uses for it. It's used in special incenses. I feel it's quite interesting that other cultures have used it "metaphysically."
It may be processed into an ink used in creating spells, etc. It is used by many cultures with exorcisms, itself "banishing" negative entities. Others use it to "amplify" positive energies.
I have confirmed that Stradivarius had used it on his instruments. It may be found on other, fine instruments today. Perhaps its use has contributed to the fame Stradivarius maintains with his amazing Cellos, Violas and Violins, some 600 years after they were made?
I show the picture of my hand wet with "Dragon's Blood." It's curiously like real blood. It's sticky and darkens as it dries. It is seemingly identical to actual blood in how hard it is to clean up. Handling it as such, one comes to understand how mythologies about it may have developed…
Candle Magic 101: An Introduction to Candle Magic
Courtesy of: http://paganwiccan.about.com/
Candle magic is one of the simplest forms of spell casting. Considered sympathetic magic, it's a method which doesn't require a lot of fancy ritual or expensive ceremonial artifacts. In other words, anyone with a candle can cast a spell. After all, remember when you were a child and you made a wish before you blew out the candles on your birthday cake? Same theory, only now instead of just hoping, you're declaring your intent (and by now you've probably stopped hoping for a pony).
If you think about it, the birthday-candle ritual is based on three key magical principles:
Decide on a goal
Visualize the end result
Focus your intent, or will, to manifest that result
What Sort of Candle Should I Use?
Most practitioners of magical systems will tell you that, much like a few other aspects of life, size really isn't important. In fact, really big candles may be counterproductive — a candle that takes too long to burn down can be highly distracting to someone working a spell that instructs you to wait until the candle burns out on its own. Typically, a short taper candle or a votive candle work the best. In some cases, a spell might call for a specific type of candle, such as a seven-day candle or a figure candle, which may represent a particular person. One of the most popular candles, believe it or not, is in fact the little menorah candles which are sold by the box in the kosher section of the grocery store. They're about 4″ long, white, unscented, and thin — perfect for spell work.
You should always use a brand new candle for spell work — in other words, virgin materials. Don't use the candles that you burned at the dinner table or in the bathroom yesterday for spell work. In some magical traditions, once a candle is burned it picks up vibrations from things around it — in other words, a used candle is already tainted by vibrations, and so will lead to a negative or ineffective magical outcome.
When it comes to colors, you may wish to have a variety on hand for different magical purposes. Typically, color correspondences for candle magic are as follows:
Red: Courage and health, sexual love and lust
Pink: Friendship, sweet love
Orange: Attraction and encouragement
Gold: Financial gain, business endeavors, solar connections
Yellow: Persuasion and protection
Green: Financial gain, abundance, fertility
Light Blue: Health, patience and understanding
Dark Blue: Depression and vulnerability
Purple: Ambition and power
Brown: Earth-related or animal-related workings
Black: Negativity and banishment
White: Purity and truth*
Silver: Reflection, intuition, lunar connections
* Note that in many Pagan traditions, it is acceptable to use a white candle in place of any other color.
Using Your Candle in Ritual
After you've selected a candle, you'll want to oil it or dress it before burning. This is a method by which you'll establish a psychic link between you and the candle itself. In other words, you're charging the candle with your own energy and personal vibrations, and projecting your intent into the wax before you burn it. To dress a candle, you'll need a natural oil — many practitioners like grapeseed because it has no smell. Another option is to use special candle magic oils from one of the metaphysical supply stores. Begin at the top of the candle, and rub the oil downward to the middle. Then, begin at the base of the candle and rub the oil up towards the middle, ending where the first coating of oil left off. In some traditions, the anointing is done just the opposite way — start in the middle and work your way towards the two ends.
If your working calls for herbs to be used as well, roll the oiled candle in the powdered herbs until it is coated all the way around.
The most basic form of candle magic uses a piece of colored paper that matches the intent of your candle. Decide what your goal is, and write it on the piece of paper — just for an example, let's say we're going to do a money working. Write down your intent — something like I will become financially prosperous. In some traditions, you would write your intent in a magical alphabet, such as Theban or Enochian. Because this is a money-oriented working, we would select either a gold or green piece of paper, and a candle of the same color. As you write down your goal, visualize yourself achieving that goal. Think about the different ways in which your goal might manifest — could you be getting a raise at work? Perhaps someone who owed you money will arrive out of the blue to repay their debt.
Once you've written down your goal, fold the paper, concentrating on your intent the whole time. Some people like to say a small incantation as they do this — if you're one of those people, this is a good place to do it. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. You can use something as simple as:
Extra money come my way,
I could use a little cash today.
Extra money come to me,
As I will, so it shall be.
Place one corned of the folded paper into the candle's flame and allow it to catch fire. Hold the paper as long as possible (without burning your fingers) and then place it in a fire-safe bowl or cauldron to burn the rest of the way on its own. Allow the candle to burn out completely. When the candle has burned out completely, dispose of it, rather than saving it to use again for another working. Usually there's not much left of a candle except a stub of wax, and you can either bury it outdoors or dispose of it in whatever manner you choose.
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/bookofshadows/a/Candle_Magic.htm
7 Ways to Develop Your Psychic Abilities
Spend any time at all in the Pagan or metaphysical communities, and you're bound to meet individuals who have some fairly pronounced psychic abilities. However, many people believe that everyone has some degree of latent psychic skill. In some people, these abilities tend to manifest in a more obvious manner — and in others, it just sits under the surface, waiting to be tapped into.
Types of Psychic Abilities
There are different kinds of psychic abilities. Some people are able to divine the future. Others get messages from the spirit world. A few may be able to read the thoughts of others, or see "auras" that tell them how the person is feeling.
Precognition is the ability to know the future. For some people, it's very definite messages, like "You're going to get on a bus and meet a dark-haired man." For others, it may be more vague, such as, "Someone close to you is going to have some big changes in their family."
Intuition, or intuitiveness, is the ability to just *know* things without being told. Many intuitives make excellent Tarot card readers, because this skill gives them an advantage when reading cards for a client. This is sometimes referred to as clairsentience.
Clairvoyance is the ability to see things which are hidden. Sometimes used in remote viewing, clairvoyance has occasionally been credited for people finding missing children and locating lost objects.
Empathy is the ability to sense the feelings and emotions of another person. Someone who is an empath often needs to learn to shield themselves from the energies of others, or they might find themselves feeling drained and exhausted.
7 Ways to Develop Your Own Abilities
If everyone has some latent psychic talent, then developing yours can be an exercise in many different types of self-awareness. One of the best ways to develop your own psychic abilities is by way of meditation, because it allows us to tap into our subconscious, and everything that's lurking there.
Achieve deliberate clarity. This sounds complex, but it's not. To achieve deliberate clarity, you have to train yourself to be aware of everything around you. Sense changes in the sunlight and shadows, notice a shift in the wind, be aware of who has walked into a room and who has walked out. Take mental notes of everything — this will help you later on, when you try to decipher what messages are "real" messages, and what's just your imagination or wishful thinking.
Listen to what's being said, and what's not. Frequently, people say one thing but mean something entirely different. When you ask your friend how she's doing, and her answer is, "Fine. The kids are good…" but there's no mention of her spouse, then perhaps there's a reason for it. Understand that omission is still a form of communication.
Meditate regularly. One of the best ways to develop your own intuition is to meditate. By allowing your mind to wander into the depths of the subconscious, you create an opening for messages to come through.
Learn to trust your gut. Ever get a feeling that something wasn't quite right? Ever feel like you just had turn left at that stop sign, even though you normally would have turned right? Pay attention to things like this. Often, there's a reason for those intuitive messages.
Write everything down. Did you have a dream about someone you know, or a particular situation? Did you just get a feeling that something important is about to happen? Keep a journal so you can track these sensory messages. Later on, you can go back and check on them, to see if there was any validity to them. Bear in mind, sometimes we get messages and we are never able to confirm whether they were accurate or not, because there's just no way of knowing.
Test yourself. If you have a hunch about something, try to confirm it. For example, when your best friend is on her way to meet you for coffee, try to guess what music she was listening to in the car. Then, when she arrives, ask her. Did you get it right? If your phone rings, before you pick it up and look at the Caller ID, try to visualize who might be calling. Then answer the phone and see if you were correct. Simple exercises like this will help you develop your own innate abilities.
Practice makes perfect. Okay, maybe it won't make you perfect, but it sure will allow you to develop skills you didn't have before. Try learning about different forms of divination, and when you find one that resonates with you, keep at it, until you know that the messages you're getting are valid.
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/divination/qt/DevPsychicAbilities.htm
occult, psychic powers
Paths of the Western Occult Tradition
Courtesy of: http://altreligion.about.com
The following is a partial list of paths within the Western Occult Tradition. Many occultists follow practices involving aspects of multiple paths. This makes generalizing about the occult extremely difficult and is the reason I find it more helpful to describe individual occult paths. In addition, not all followers of these paths label themselves occultists, and outsiders should be sensitive to such differences in definition.
A system of theological and mystical philosophy that developed around the second century in a collection of texts once attributed to Hermes Trismegistus but now understood to be the work of multiple anonymous authors.
Neoplatonism
A system of theological and mystical philosophy founded in the third century by Plotinus, and developed by a number of his contemporaries or near contemporaries. Neoplatonic works are based on the philosophical works of Plato, particularly those relating to his theory of forms and the difference between absolute and perceived reality.
Jewish mysticism as discussed in a variety of sources, most notably the Zohar. Much of Kabbalah, particularly within Judaism, has to do with the discovery of deeper meanings within Jewish holy texts. New-Jewish forms of Kabbalah are the ones most commonly labeled as occult.
A broad range of beliefs generally depicting reality as perfect souls created by a perfect god trapped within the material world created by an imperfect or evil spirit. Gnosticism also strongly emphasizes the search for hidden knowledge of humanity's condition as a means of escaping it, which is why Gnosticism is often categorized as occult.
The study of transmutation on both physical and spiritual levels. Based upon the Hermetic principle "as above, so below," alchemy holds that by learning of the properties of the physical world they may learn the secrets of the spiritual one as well. The most commonly known goal of alchemy is the transmutation of lead into gold, which is largely a metaphor for transforming something coarse and unrefined into something perfect, rare and whole. It is debated whether alchemists ever tried to actually transform physical lead, or whether it was entirely metaphorical.
The determination of influences working on Earth that originate in the more perfect celestial bodies.
The manipulation of numbers to reveal additional information and meaning. This can involve both the interpretation of numbers themselves as well as assigning numerical values to letters and/or words.
Religion and philosophy based upon the writings of Aleister Crowley concerning the seeking and expression of one's True Will, or destiny.
This neopagan religion has many roots in the beliefs and ceremonies of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and it stresses esoteric knowledge and personal spiritual experience, particularly in its more traditional forms.
Not all Satanic practices can be labeled as occult. Members of the Church of Satan who simply embrace the life-affirming teachings, for example, are not occultists in any sense of the word. However, many Satanists incorporate occult magical practices into their rituals (including Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey), and some forms of Satanism are inherently occult, such as the Temple of Set.
Based on the writings of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Theosophy probably bears the most Eastern influences of any path in the Western Occult Tradition. Theosophists seek knowledge of their higher, more spiritual selves, of which our common personality and consciousness are generally unaware.
A variety of methods of predicting potential outcomes or reading the influences surrounding a person, time or event.
http://altreligion.about.com/od/alternativereligionsaz/tp/occult_paths.htm
Egyptian Ankh
Courtesy of: http://www.occulttreasures.com
This is the ancient Egyptian symbolic representation of both physical and eternal life or life after life. The Ankh is known as the original cross. Ankh is given to the deceased to have a blessed after life. This is a highly sacred sign worn by Egyptian to get a long life full of blessings. The ankh may represent the life-giving elements of air and water. It was often shown being offered to the king's lips as a symbol of the "breath of life." Anthropomorphic pictures of the ankh sometimes show it holding an ostrich-feather fan behind the pharaoh in a variant form of this idea. Similarly, chains of ankhs were shown poured out of water vessels over the king as a symbol of the regenerating power of water. Libation vessels which held the water used in religious ceremonies were themselves sometimes produced in the shape of the ankh hieroglyph. Found widely in Egyptian art, the ankh has come to symbolize life after death.
In Egyptian art, especially that depicting funeral ceremonies, their gods and goddesses are shown clutching the ankh by its loop as if it were a key. In this manner, it is believed that the ankh would open the gates of death on to immortality. It is also known as the Key of the Nile, representing the union of Isis and Osiris. It is said that this mystic union would initiate the annual flooding of the Nile, providing Egypt with her various means to survive.
The ankh symbol was often carried by Egyptians as an amulet, either alone, or in connection with two other hieroglyphs that mean "strength" and "health. A similar symbol was used to represent the Roman goddess Venus. This symbol, known benignly as Venus' hand-mirror, is much more associated with a representation of the female womb. In astrology the same symbol is used to represent the planet Venus, in alchemy to represent the element copper, and in biology to identify the female sex. This is also a god health charm.
Another theory holds that the ankh was symbolic of the sunrise, with the loop representing the Sun rising above the horizon, which is represented by the crossbar. The vertical section below the crossbar would then be the path of the sun. The ankh was used in funeral ceremonies as well. When someone died, the dead also carried the ankh at the time their souls were weighed, or when they would board the Boat of the Sun God, as a sign that they sought this same immortality from the gods. It was sometimes held upside down by the loop – especially in funeral rites when it hinted at the shape of a key and in reality was considered the key which opened the gate to the tomb of the Fields of Aalu, the realm of eternity. Therefore, the dead were sometimes referred to as "ankhu", and a term for a sarcophagus was "neb-ankh", meaning possessor of life.
http://www.occulttreasures.com/ankh.html
The legend of the Fairy cross or Fairy stone
Courtesy of: http://forum2.aimoo.com/ and http://meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com
The legend of the Fairy Cross. It is an old Cherokee legend handed down
through almost 2,000 years. Herein contains some of the legend. If you
ask a Cherokee about it, he will show you a tiny cross to prove his
story. The Cherokee had no temples, no shrines, no idols. The Sun and
the Moon and the Stars were the trinity. The lightning and the wind,
the thunder and the rain provoked both reverence and fear. For these
were the only messages of God. Here is the story.
"When the world was young there lived in these mountains a race of little
people. They were spirit people. Like the fairies you read about. One
day when these little people had gathered to dance and sing around a
deep pool deep in the woods, a spirit messenger arrived from a strange
city far away in the Land of the Dawn. Soon the dancing and singing
stopped, for the messenger brought them sad tidings. The messenger told
them Christ was dead. The little people were silent and sad. And as
they listened to the story of how Christ had died on the Cross, they
wept and their tears fell upon the earth and turned into small stones.
The stones were not round or square. Each was in the form of a
beautiful little cross. Hundreds of tears fell to earth and turned into
tiny stone crosses, but the little people were so dazed and heart
broken, they did not notice what was happening. So, with the joy gone
from their hearts, they wandered away into the forest into their homes.
But around the spot where they had been dancing and singing, where
they had stopped to shed their tears, the ground was covered with these
symbols of the death of Christ. What happened to the little people? No
one knows for sure what happened to them. The old men of the tribes
said that after that day, the little people were never seen again. But
they say on still nights you could hear them whispering along the river
and that when there is a gentle breeze their sighs could be heard in
the tall trees."
There is a belief among the Cherokee that the crosses had the power to render the owner invisible
at will. Some say the stones are a reward for goodness and kindesss to
all people. The Nunnehi, were immortals who dwelled in the fastness of
the mountains. They had their townhouses under the Cherokee mounds and
under the hills. They were the spirit people who could make themselves
invisible at will after they had come into possession of the tiny fairy
crosses. In some instances, the tiny crosses were supposed to give the
owner the power of diving into the ground and coming up again among the
enemy to scalp and kill with sudden terror and destruction.
The crosses have found their way into rare collections of gems and
artifacts. In some instances, they have been polished and ground to
beautiful symmetry and mounted in gold and used as good luck emblems.
The crosses are actually made of staurolite. This has been designated the
official state mineral. They form a perfect cross at a certain
temperature. They are usually less than an inch in length
http://forum2.aimoo.com/ChalandorBOS/m/Faery-Magick/the-legend-of-the-Fairy-cross-or-Fairy-stone-1-345087.html
Alternate Names & Spellings for Fairy Stone: Calcite Fairy Stone, Harricana
Crystal Meanings of Fairy Stone
Keywords: Healing, Practicality
The name of Fairy Stone is said to come from Native Americans who used them for good luck.
These stones embody nurturing energy for the Earth and those upon it. They are children of the Earth Mother and bring to light the concerns for her and her well-being.
Fairy stones have a deep practicality, bringing pragmatic answers to seekers. This can manifest itself as prosperity and other practical benefits for daily life.
Spiritual and Psychic Properties
Fairy stones are used for channeling that is grounded and practical. They are less likely to be helpful for un-grounded energy work.
These stones are excellent for meditation, and meditation on the shape and energies of a particular stone can bring its own specific insights. Fairy stones are also used for protection from evil spirits, psychic protection, and protection during ascension by staying connected to the Earth's center.
Fairy stones are said to adopt people rather than the other way around. For those they adopt they are said to be "little helpers."
Mental and Emotional Properties
Fairy stones are used to bring positivity to the mental and emotional life. They are said to heal trauma and its symptoms and to stop fight or flight syndroms. One of its lessons is to respond positively to situations of all kinds, even when it seems difficult at first glance. It is also used to rid one of maladaptive defense mechanisms to go through and past issues into calm emotional well-being. They are also said to calm or dispel anger and other negative feelings.
Physical Conditions Properties Lore
Fairy stones are used in crystal heaing for arthritis pain, dissolve calcifications, sound overall health, lessen inflammation, recovery from radiation or chemotherapy treatments, reduce fever, heal wounds
Please note that healing crystal meanings are spiritual supports to healing and are not prescriptions or healthcare information.
Related Chakras
Fairy stones are related primarily to the root and crown chakras.
Rock Lore & Tidbits:
Fairy stones are concretions of glacial of sand, clay and calcite (calcium carbonate) "cement". This type of fairy stone, aka Calcite Fairy Stone, is only found in Quebec, Canada. It is not the same as staurolite which is also called fairy stone.
These fairy stones have a natural shape of smooth, flattened discs with one or more discs growing together. These discs range from white to grayi-beige to gray. Usually one side is smooth and the other side having irregular markings from fossil micro-organisms which may resemble ancient heiroglyphs.
http://meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com/fairy-stone/
Courtesy of: http://fengshui.about.com/
What is feng shui? This is a simple question that can
be difficult to answer. Feng shui is an ancient art and science developed over 3,000 years ago in China. It is a complex body of knowledge that reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure health and good fortune for people inhabiting it.
Feng means wind and shui means water. In Chinese culture wind and water are associated with good health, thus "good" feng shui came to mean good fortune, while "bad" feng shui means bad luck, or misfortune.
Feng shui is based on the Taoist vision and understanding of nature, particularly on the idea that the land is alive and filled with Chi, or energy.
The ancient Chinese believed that specific land's energy could either make or break the kingdom, so to speak. The theories of yin and yang, as well as the five feng shui elements, are some of the basic aspects of a feng shui analysis that come from Taoism.
The main tools used in a feng shui analysis are the Compass and the Bagua. The feng shui energy map, or bagua, is an octagonal grid containing the symbols of the I Ching, the ancient oracle on which feng shui is based. Knowing the bagua of your home will help you understand the connection of specific feng shui areas of your home to specific areas of your life.
The feng shui compass, also called Luo-Pan, is used to access deeper information about a site or a building. It consists of bands of concentric rings arranged around the magnetic needle. Luo means "everything" and Pan means "bowl", which can be interpreted as a bowl that contains all the mysteries of the universe.
Feng shui offers a variety of cures to improve your life. From the feng shui use of aquariums to attract prosperity to the feng shui use of crystals and foundains; from the right feng shui use of colors to the feng shui use of clocks, there are many ways you can improve the energy in your home with solid, good feng shui.
It is important to understand that there are several different schools of feng shui, as well as a strong culturally specific symbolic aspect of feng shui that you have to use intelligently. Once you master the basic level of feng shui, you will start seeing powerful results. You will also understand why feng shui is extensively used in both homes and offices all over the world.
Although some levels of feng shui are easy to understand and apply, the core knowledge takes years of study. Just like the Traditional Chinese medicine, feng shui knowledge is deep and complex. The more you know about feng shui, the more there is to explore!
http://fengshui.about.com/od/glossaryofterms/ss/What-is-Feng-Shui.htm
What is Chakra?
By Sara Owens in Occult
Sara Owens
Latest posts by Sara Owens (see all)
Emela-Ntouka (Killer of Elephants) - June 23, 2015
Brosno Dragon - May 28, 2015
Building A Logical Argument - May 25, 2015
I have been doing a lot of research lately on the healing and metaphysical properties of crystals. One word that I come across a lot is Chakra. Now I know most of us who are beginners in crystal lore and other metaphysical areas may have a vague idea of what a Chakra is but I wanted a little bit more in depth knowledge.
Here is the Merriam Webster Definition:
Definition of CHAKRA
Noun chak·ra \ˈchä-krə ˈshä-, ˈchə-\
any of several points of physical or spiritual energy in the human body according to yoga philosophy
Origin of CHAKRA
Sanskrit cakra, literally, wheel — more at wheel
I came across several different explanations in my research. Some vary slightly but most agree on the main points. This was the most basic and straight forward explanation that I found.
What is a CHAKRA?
A chakra — the Sanskrit word for "wheel" — represents a focus or concentration of energy in the body. There are seven different chakras, corresponding with seven locations in, on and around the body. Each of these Chakra centers governs a unique emotional and spiritual state.
CHAKRA History
The chakra system was first introduced in the eighth century as a way to understand the subtle body or energy body — as separate from a physical practice or system. Understanding that an energy center in balance is a connection of mind, body and spirit is at the forefront of many healing and faith traditions. While sources vary about the number of chakras, there are seven main chakras that many traditions recognize.
Here is a brief synopsis of the 7 main Chakras.
The root chakra, known as the Muladhara in sanskrit, helps you establish a life-nourishing bond with the natural world, while minimizing the de-humanizing elements of the often frantic undergrounded pace of modern life.
Location: Base of spine
Sanskrit Name: Muladhara
# of Petals: 4
Mantra: Lam
Mind: intuition
Emotion: confidence
Spirit: survival
The sacral chakra, known as the Swadhisthana in sanskrit, helps awaken healthy, natural sensual desire while minimizing reliance on artificial substitutes for pleasure.
Location: abdomen
Sanskrit Name: Swadhisthana
Mantra: Vam
Mind: creativity
Emotion: enthusiasm
Spirit: passion
The solar plexus chakra, known as the Manipura in sanskrit, helps invigorate healthy metabolism, while minimizing the stagnating effects of couch potato syndrome.
Location: midway between navel and base of sternum
Sanskrit Name: Manipura
# of Petals: 10
Element: Fire
Mantra: Ram
Mind: personal power
Emotion: expansiveness
Spirit: growth
The heart chakra, known as the Anahata in sanskrit, helps activate your emotional center to foster energy circulation, the expression of love and a sense of empathy, while dispelling callousness and anger.
Location: center of the chest
Sanskrit Name: Anahata
Element: Air
Mantra: Yam
Mind: passion/compassion
Emotion: love of self as well as others
Spirit: devotion
The throat chakra, known as the Vishuddha in sanskrit, inspires your communicative nature and fosters expression and a sense of calm clarity, while minimizing self-consciousness and timidity.
Location: throat/base of the neck
Sanskrit Name: Vishuddha
Element: Sound (music)
Mantra: Ham
Mind: confidence
Emotion: independence
Spirit: sense of security
The third eye chakra, known as the Ajna in sanskrit, inspires your visionary process and fosters understanding, while minimizing the cloudiness of illusion and confusion.
Location: forehead/between the eyebrows
Sanskrit Name: Ajna
Color: indigo blue
Element: light
Mantra: Om or Sham
Mind: visual consciousness
Emotion: clarity of intuition
Spirit: insight
The crown chakra, known as the Sahasrara in sanskrit, will inspire you to liberate your spirit and place it on the path to transcendence, while minimizing the influence of life's roadblocks. Free yourself to reach your highest potential and state of being.
Location: top of head
Sanskrit Name: Sahasrara
Color: violet/white or full spectrum (rainbow)
# of Petals: 1000+
Element: thought
Mantra: the dissipating silence after Om
Mind: free thought
Emotion: release
Spirit: set free
www.mindbodygreen.com
A Brief History on Fortune Telling
Courtesy of: http://www.selfgrowth.com
When one refers to the practice of fortune telling, it usually means the practice of analyzing character or predicting the future via one of any number of methods for giving readings which are based on the ancient belief that there is no such thing as 'chance' but that, on the contrary, all actions are dictated by superior, outside forces and the notion that all the universe has to it an underlying pattern, so that past and present events, regardless how coincidental or irrelevant they may seem, are in fact clues to determining fortunes through unfolding events.
There are many different forms of fortune telling. The most primitive, clumsy, yet enduring medthod is the simple recording of sequences of important events. It is usual for animals of any sort to conclude that if event A tends to lead to event B, that seeing event A will again lead to event B. Ivan Pavlov and his famous dogs demonstrated this well. This leads to the practice of telling the future via omens. Omens may be considered either good or bad depending on their readings, and the same sign may be interpreted differently by different people or different cultures. When the world is seen as an orderly system following a preset sequence, any perceived disturbance or variation is viewed as forecasting an unusual turn, be it for good or bad. Some predictions are mundane and make little immediate sense: if a strip of bacon curls up when frying it means a new lover, if you sit at the corner of a table you'll never marry; while other seem more logical through a presumption of 'sympathetic' events: if your wedding ring breaks it's an ill-sign for your marriage , if you step on a lizard it means your enemies will be vanquished. Many practitioners of modern magic spells use omens to determine whether their workings have been creating the desired effects and patterns: if a man casts a love spell on a woman named Sue, and afterward encounters an unusual number of women bearing the same name, it's considered a sign that his spell is working. However, when divining by way of omens, one needs to wait for the unusual event to occur, for it is a purely passive way of telling the future. To instigate answers to the portents of novel situations, other methods were developed.
A second type of divination is augury. Done, generally, with much ceremony, it nevertheless involves the reading of omens through natural phenomena but in a more controlled environment. For example, the practice of extispicy requires ritually sacrificing an animal in order to then read and examine its entrails for any remarkable items; while this is observing natural circumstances similar to telling fortunes by omens, the omens are exacerbated by the ceremonial practice. Other items like smoke and wax have been used for this, as well as the famous tea leaf readings.
Again employing the belief that if there is no such thing as random chance, that indeed, all results must be caused by outside powers, the practice of sortilege, or cleromancy, came into play. Many popular forms of fortune telling to this day are based on sortilege – tarot reading, I Ching casting, or even the simple flipping of a coin are part of this practice. The distinctive property of sortilege is that it employs tools, such as a deck of tarot cards — adorned with markings, leaving a finite and predetermined number of possibilities their laying or throwing might portend. The ancient Romans sometimes wrote verses of famous poets on tablets which they used to forecast upcoming events, and this evolved into the practice of bibliomancy in which flipping to random pages of a book, such as the Bible, is used to predict coming tendencies.
The most remarkable thing about fortune telling is how despite centuries of being condemned by churches, rationalists and skeptics, the fact that there is still a demand for the art of the diviner today is obvious at all levels of society.
http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/a_short_history_of_fortune_telling.html
A brief history of crystals and healing
Courtesy of: http://www.crystalage.com
It is fair to say that as long as we have existed as a species, we have had an affinity with stones and crystals. The use of talismans and amulets dates back to the beginnings of humankind, although we have no way of knowing how the earliest of these objects were viewed or used. Many early pieces were organic in origin. Beads carved of mammoth ivory have been excavated from a grave in Sungir, Russia, dating back 60,000 years (Upper Palaeolithic period), as well contemporary beads made from shell and fossil shark's teeth.
The oldest amulets are of Baltic amber, some from as long as 30,000 years ago and amber beads were discovered in Britain from 10,000 years ago, the end of the last ice age. The distance they traveled to reach Britain shows their value to the people of that time. Jet was also popular and jet beads, bracelets and necklaces have been discovered in Palaeolithic gravesites in Switzerland and Belgium. There have been malachite mines in Sinai since 4000 BC.
Amulets were banned by the Christian church in 355 AD, but gemstones continued to play an important role, with sapphire being the favored gem for ecclesiastical rings in the 12th century. Marbodus, the Bishop of Rennes in the 11th century, claimed that agate would make the wearer more agreeable, persuasive and in favor of God. There were also many symbolic references, such as the carbuncle representing Christ's sacrifice.
The first historical references to the use of crystals come from ancient the Ancient Sumerians, who included crystals in magic formulas. The Ancient Egyptians used lapis lazuli, turquoise, carnelian, emerald and clear quartz in their jewelry. They also carved grave amulets of the same gems. The Ancient Egyptians used stones primarily for protection and health. Chrysolite (later translated as both topaz and peridot) was used to combat night terrors and purge evil spirits. Egyptians also used crystals cosmetically. Galena (lead ore) was ground to a powder and used as the eye shadow known as kohl. Malachite was used in a similar manner. Green stones in general were used to signify the heart of the deceased and were included in burials. Green stones were used in a similar way at a later period in Ancient Mexico.
The Ancient Greeks attributed a number of properties to crystals and many names we use today are of Greek origin. The word 'crystal' comes from the Greek word for ice, as it was believed that clear quartz was water that had frozen so deeply that it would always remain solid. The word amethyst means 'not drunken' and was worn as an amulet to prevent both drunkenness and hangovers. Hematite comes from the word for blood, because of the red coloration produced when it oxidises. Hematite is an iron ore and the ancient Greeks associated iron with Aries, the god of war. Greek soldiers would rub hematite over their bodies before battle, reportedly to make themselves invulnerable. Greek sailors also wore a variety of amulets to keep them safe at sea.
Jade was highly valued in ancient China and some Chinese written characters represent jade beads. Musical instruments in the form of chimes were made from jade and around 1000 years ago Chinese emperors were sometimes buried in jade armor. There are burials with jade masks from around the same period in Mexico. Jade was recognized as a kidney healing stone both in China and South America. More recently – dating from around 250 years ago – the Maoris of New Zealand wore jade pendants representing the ancestor spirits, which were passed down many generations through the male line. The tradition of green stones being lucky continues in parts of New Zealand to this day.
Crystals in Religion
Crystals and gemstones have played a part in all religions. They are mentioned throughout the Bible, in the Koran and many other religious texts. The origin of birthstones is the breastplate of Aaron, or the "High Priest's Breastplate", as mentioned in the book of Exodus. In the Koran, the 4th Heaven is composed of carbuncle (garnet). The Kalpa Tree, which represents an offering to the gods in Hinduism, is said to be made entirely of precious stone and a Buddhist text from the 7th century describes a diamond throne situated near the Tree of Knowledge (the neem tree under which Siddhartha meditated). On this throne a thousand Kalpa Buddhas reposed. The Kalpa Sutra, in Jainism, speaks of Harinegamesi the divine commander of the foot troops who seized 14 precious stones, cleansed them of their lesser qualities and retained only their finest essence to aid his transformations.
There is also an ancient sacred lapidary treatise, the Ratnapariksha of Buddhabhatta. Some sources state that it is Hindu but it is most likely Buddhist. The date is uncertain, but it is probably from the 6th Century. In this treatise diamonds figure highly, as the king of gemstones and are ranked according to caste. The Sanskrit word for diamond, vajra, is also the word for the Hindu goddess Indra's thunderbolt and diamonds are often associated with thunder. The ruby was also highly revered. It represented an inextinguishable flame, and was purported to preserve both the physical and mental health of the wearer. The treatise lists many other gemstones and their properties.
The Renaissance
In Europe, from the 11th century through the Renaissance a number of medical treatises appeared extolling the virtues of precious and semi-precious stones in the treatment of certain ailments. Typically stones were used alongside herbal remedies. Authors included Hildegard von Binghen, Arnoldus Saxo, and John Mandeville. There are also references to stones with particular qualities of strength or protection. In 1232 Hubert de Burgh, the chief justicular of Henry III, was accused of stealing a gem from the king's treasury which would make the wearer invincible and giving it to Llewellyn, the King of Wales and Henry's enemy. It was also believed that gemstones were corrupted by the original sins of Adam, could possibly be inhabited by demons, or if handled by a sinner, their virtues would depart. Therefore, they should be sanctified and consecrated before wearing. There is an echo of this belief today in the cleansing and programming of crystals before use in crystal healing.
During the Renaissance the tradition of using precious stones in healing was still accepted, but the enquiring minds of the period sought to find out how the process actually worked and give it a more scientific explanation.
The Beginning of Crystal Healing
In 1609 Anselmus de Boot, court physician to Rudolf II of Germany, suggested that any virtue a gemstone has is due to the presence of good or bad angels. The good angels would confer a special grace to the gems, but the bad angels would tempt people into believing in the stone itself, and not in God's gifts bestowed on it. He goes on to name certain stones as helpful, and put others qualities down simply to superstition. Later in the same century, Thomas Nicols expressed in his 'Faithful Lapidary' that gems, as inanimate objects, could not possess the effects claimed in the past. Thus, in the Age of Enlightenment, the use of precious stones for healing and protection began to fall from favor in Europe.
In the early part of the 19th century, a number of interesting experiments were conducted to demonstrate the effects of stones on subjects who believed themselves to be clairvoyant. In one case, the subject claimed to feel not only physical and emotional changes when touched with various stones, but also to experience smells and tastes.
Crystal and Gemstone Meaning
Although no longer in use medicinally, gemstones continued to hold meaning. Until recently, jet was popularly worn by those in mourning, and garnet was often worn in times of war. There is a tradition in a local family here in southwest England: every female descendant wears an antique moonstone necklace for her wedding, which has been in the family for generations. It was only recently that one family member realized this was a fertility symbol.
Many tribal cultures have continued the use of gemstones in healing until very recently, if not through to the present day. The Zuni tribe in New Mexico make stone fetishes, which represent animal spirits. These were ceremonially 'fed' on powdered turquoise and ground maize. Beautiful inlaid fetishes are still made to sell, and are very collectible artifacts or sculptures, although the spiritual practice surrounding them is no longer much in use. Other Native American tribes still hold precious stones, especially turquoise, sacred. Both Aborigines and Maoris have traditions regarding stones and healing or spiritual practice, some of which they share with the rest of the world, while some knowledge still kept private within their communities.
It is interesting to note that there are many examples of gemstones meaning similar things to different cultures, even when there has been absolutely no interaction between these cultures, and no opportunity for crossover. Jade was considered to be a kidney healing stone by the ancient Chinese, and also Aztec and Mayan civilizations, turquoise has been worn to give strength and health all over the world, and jaspers have almost always conferred both strength and calm.
A New Age Dawns
In the 1980s, with the advent of the New Age culture, the use of crystals and gemstones began to re-emerge as a healing method. Much of the practice was drawn from old traditions, with more information gained by experimentation and channeling. Books by Katrina Rafaell in the 80s, and Melody and Michael Gienger in the 90s, helped to popularize the use of crystals.
These days there are a large number of books available on the subject, and crystals frequently feature in magazine and newspaper articles. Crystal therapy crosses the boundaries of religious and spiritual beliefs. It is no longer viewed as the domain of alternative culture, but as an acceptable and more mainstream complimentary therapy, and many colleges now offer it as a qualification subject.
http://www.crystalage.com/crystal_information/crystal_history/
crystals, healing, healing crystals, occult
The Occult Roots of the Wizard of Oz
Courtesy of: http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk
With its memorable story and its cast of colorful characters, the Wizard of Oz became quickly an American classic. More than a hundred years after the release of this book, kids everywhere are still enchanted by Oz's world of wonder. Very however recognize that, under its deceptive simplicity, the story of the Wizard of Oz conceals deep esoteric truths inspired by Theosophy. We'll look at the Wizard of Oz's occult meaning and its author's background.
Although the Wizard of Oz is wildly perceived as an innocent children's fairy tale, it is almost impossible not to attribute to Dorothy's quest a symbolic meaning. Like all great stories, the characters and the symbols of the Wizard of Oz can be given a second layer of interpretation, which can vary depending on the reader's perception. Many analysis appeared throughout the years describing the story as being an "atheist manifesto" while others saw in it as a promotion of populism. It is however by understanding the author's philosophical background and beliefs that one can truly grasp the story's true meaning.
L. Frank Baum, the author of the Wizard of Oz was a member of the Theosophical Society, which is an organization based on occult research and the comparative study religions. Baum had a deep understanding of Theosophy and, consciously or not, made of Wizard of Oz an allegory of Theosophic teachings
What is Theosophy
The Theosophical Society is an occult organization, mainly based on the teachings of Helena P. Blavatsky which seeks to extract the common roots of all religions in order to form a universal doctrine.
"But it is perhaps desirable to state unequivocally that the teachings, however fragmentary and incomplete, contained in these volumes, belong neither to the Hindu, the Zoroastrian, the Chaldean, nor the Egyptian religion,.neither to Buddhism, Islam, Judaism nor Christianity exclusively. The Secret Doctrine is the essence of all these. Sprung from it in their origins, the various religious schemes are now made to merge back into their original element, out of which every mystery and dogma has grown, developed, and become materialized."
-H.P. Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine
The three declared objects of the original Theosophical Society as established by Blavatsky, Judge and Olcott (its founders) were as follows:
"First — To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or color.
Second — To encourage the study of Comparative Religion, Philosophy, and Science.
Third — To investigate the unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in man."
-The Theosophist, vol 75, No 6
The main tenants of Theosophy are thoroughly described in Blavatsky works Isis Unveiled and . At the core of Theosophical teachings are the same tenants found in many other occult schools: the belief of the presence of a "divine spark" within every person which, with the proper discipline and training, can lead to spiritual illumination and a state of virtual godliness.
Another important principle found in Theosophy is reincarnation. It is believed that the human soul, like all other things in the universe, go through seven stages of development.
"Theosophical writings propose that human civilizations, like all other parts of the universe, develop cyclically through seven stages. Blavatsky posited that the whole humanity, and indeed every reincarnating human monad, evolves through a series of seven "Root Races". Thus in the first age, humans were pure spirit; in the second age, they were sexless beings inhabiting the now lost continent of Hyperborea; in the third age the giant Lemurians were informed by spiritual impulses endowing them with human consciousness and sexual reproduction. Modern humans finally developed on the continent of Atlantis. Since Atlantis was the nadir of the cycle, the present fifth age is a time of reawakening humanity's psychic gifts. The term psychic here really means the realization of the permeability of consciousness as it had not been known earlier in evolution, although sensed by some more sensitive individuals of our species."
The ultimate goal is of course our return to the state of divinity from which we've emerged. The same tenants (with subtle variations) can be found in other schools such as Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry and other orders teachings the Mysteries.
L Frank Baum, a Notable Theosophist
Before writing the Wizard of Oz (and even contemplating becoming a children's story author), Baum held many jobs – one being the editor of the Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer. In 1890, Baum wrote a series of articles introducing his readers to Theosophy, including his views on Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius and Christ. At that time, he wasn't a member of the Theosophical Society but he was already displaying a deep understanding of its philosophy. Here's an excerpt of his "Editor's Musings":
"Amongst various sects so numerous in America today who find their fundamental basis in occultism, the Theosophist stands pre-eminent both in intelligence and point of numbers. Theosophy is not a religion. Its followers are simply "searchers after Truth". The Theosophists, in fact, are the dissatisfied of the world, the dissenters from all creeds. They owe their origin to the wise men of India, and are numerous, not only in the far famed mystic East, but in England, France, Germany and Russia. They admit the existence of a God – not necessarily of a personal God. To them God is Nature and Nature is God…But despite this, if Christianity is Truth, as our education has taught us to believe, there can be no menace to it in Theosophy."
-L. Frank Baum, Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer, January 25th 1890
In another of his "Editor's Musings", Baum discusses the use of mystic symbolism in fiction, something he accomplished ten years later with the Wizard of Oz:
"There is a strong tendency in modern novelists toward introducing some vein of mysticism or occultism into their writings. Books of this character are eagerly bought and read by the people, both in Europe and America. It shows the innate longing in our natures to unravel the mysterious: to seek some explanation, however fictitious, of the unexplainable in nature and in our daily existence. For, as we advance in education, our desire for knowledge increases, and we are less satisfied to remain in ignorance of that mysterious fountain-head from which emanates all that is sublime and grand and incomprehensible in nature."
At the end of this article, Baum goes into an all-out plead for more occultism in literature:
"The appetite of our age for occultism demands to be satisfied, and while with the mediocrity of people will result in mere sensationalism, it will lead in many to higher and nobler and bolder thought; and who can tell what mysteries these braver and abler intellects may unravel in future ages?"
-L. Frank Baum, Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer, February 22nd 1890
Two years after writing those articles, L. Frank Baum and his wife Maud Gage joined the Theosophical Society in Chicago. The archives of the Theosophical Society in the Pasadena California has recorded the start of their membership on September 4th, 1892. In 1890, the Wizard of Oz is published. When asked about how Baum got his inspiration for the story, he're what he replied:
"It was pure inspiration…It came to me right out of the blue. I think that sometimes the Great Author has a message to get across and He has to use the instrument at hand. I happened to be that medium, and I believe the magic key was given me to open the doors to sympathy and understanding, joy, peace and happiness."
-L. Frank Baum, cited by Hearn 73
The Wizard of Oz is very appreciated within the Theosophical Society. In 1986, The American Theosophist magazine recognized Baum to be a "notable Theosophist" whose thoroughly represented the organization's philosophy.
"Although readers have not looked at his fairy tales for their Theosophical content, it is significant that Baum became a famous writer of children's books after he had come into contact with Theosophy. Theosophical ideas permeate his work and provided inspiration for it. Indeed, The Wizard can be regarded as Theosophical allegory, pervaded by Theosophical ideas from beginning to end. The story came to Baum as an inspiration, and he accepted it with a certain awe as a gift from outside, or perhaps from deep within, himself."
-American Theosophist no 74, 1986
So what is the esoteric meaning of this children's story, which came to Baum as a "divine inspiration"?
The Occult Meaning of the Wizard of Oz
If you've never read or watched The Wizard of Oz or need your memory refreshed, here's a quick sum-up of the movie:
The film follows 12-year-old farmgirl Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) who lives on a Kansas farm with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, but dreams of a better place "somewhere over the rainbow." After being struck unconscious during a tornado by a window which has come loose from its frame, Dorothy dreams that she, her dog Toto and the farmhouse are transported to the magical Land of Oz. There, the Good Witch of the North, Glinda (Billie Burke), advises Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City and meet the Wizard of Oz, who can return her to Kansas. During her journey, she meets a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), a Tin Man (Jack Haley) and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), who join her, hoping to receive what they lack themselves (a brain, a heart and courage, respectively). All of this is done while also trying to avoid the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) and her attempt to get her sister's ruby slippers from Dorothy, who received them from Glinda.
The said above, the entire story of the Wizard of Oz is an allegorical tale of the soul's path to illumination – the Yellow Brick Road. In Buddhism (an important part of Theosophical teachings) the same concept is referred to as the "Golden Path".
The story starts with Dorothy Gale living in Kansas, which symbolizes the material world, the physical plane where each one of us starts our spiritual journey. Dorothy feels an urge to "go over the rainbow", to reach the ethereal world an follow the path to illumination. She has basically "passed the Nadir" by demonstrating the urge of seeking a higher truth.
Dorothy is then brought to Oz by a giant cyclone spiraling upward, representing the cycles of karma, the cycle of errors and lessons learned. It also represents the theosophical belief of reincarnation, the round of physical births and deaths of a soul until it is fit to become divine. It is also interesting to note that the Yellow Brick Road of Oz begins as an outwardly expanding spiral. In occult symbolism, this spiral represents the evolving self, the soul ascending from matter into the spirit world.
Here's an explanation of the spiral as an occult symbol:
"Spiral: The path of a point (generally plane) which moves round an axis while continually approaching it or receding from it; also often used for a helix, which is generated by compounding a circular motion with one in a straight line. The spiral form is an apt illustration of the course of evolution, which brings motion round towards the same point, yet without repetition.
The serpent, and the figures 8 and , denoting the ogdoad and infinity, stand for spiral cyclic motion. The course of fohat in space is spiral, and spirit descends into matter in spiral courses. Repeating the process by which a helix is derived form a circle produces a vortex. The complicated spirals of cosmic evolution bring the motion back to the point from which it started at the birth of a great cosmic age."
-The Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary
Before undertaking her journey, Dorothy is given the "silver shoes", who represent the "silver cord" of Mystery Schools (Dorothy was wearing ruby slippers in the movie due to a last minute change by the director, who thought that the color ruby looked better against the Yellow Brick Road). In occult schools, the silver cord is considered to be the link between our material and spiritual selves.
"In Theosophy, one's physical body and one's Astral body are connected through a "silver cord", a mythical link inspired by a passage in the Bible that speaks of a return from a spiritual quest. 'Or ever the silver cord be loosed, says the book of Ecclesiastes, 'then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it'.
In Frank Baum's own writing, the silver cord of Astral travel would inspire the silver shoes that bestow special powers upon the one who wears them"
-Evan I. Schwartz, Finding OZ: How L.Frank Baum Discovered the Great American Story
During her journey along the Yellow Brick road, Dorothy encounters Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Cowardly Lion who are respectively searching for a brain, a heart and courage. Those odd characters embody the qualities needed by the initiates in order to complete their quest for illumination. Baum has probably been inspired by those words from Miss Blavatsky:
"There is no danger that dauntless courage cannot conquer, there is not trial that a spotless purity cannot pass through; there is no difficulty a strong intellect cannot surmount"
– H.P. Blavatsky
After surmounting many obstacles, the party finally reaches Emerald city in order to meet The Wizard.
Surrounded by artifices and special effects, the Wizard comes across as cruel, rude and unwise. The Wizard is in fact a stand-in for the personal God of the Christians and the Jews, the oppressive figure used by conventional religions to keep the masses in spiritual darkness: Jehova or Yahwe. It is later discovered that the Wizard is a humbug, a charlatan, who scared people into worshiping his Wizard. He surely could not help the characters complete their quest. If you read literature of Mystery schools, this point of view towards Christianity is constantly expressed.
After all has been said and done, the brains, the heart and the courage needed to complete Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion's quests were found within each one of them. Mystery Schools have always taught their students that one must rely one oneself to obtain salvation. Dorothy's dog, Toto, represents throughout the story Dorothy's "inside voice", her intuition. Here's a description of Toto taken from the Theosophical Society's website:
"Toto represents the inner, intuitive, instinctual, most animal-like part of us. Throughout the movie, Dorothy has conversations with Toto, or her inner intuitive self. The lesson here is to listen to the Toto within. In this movie, Toto was never wrong. When he barks at the scarecrow, Dorothy tries to ignore him: "Don't be silly, Toto. Scarecrows don't talk." But scarecrows do talk in Oz. Toto also barks at the little man behind the curtain. It is he who realizes the Wizard is a fraud. At the Gale Farm and again at the castle, the Witch tries to put Toto into a basket. What is shadow will try to block or contain the intuitive. In both cases, Toto jumps out of the basket and escapes. Our intuitive voice can be ignored, but not contained.
In the last scene, Toto chases after a cat, causing Dorothy to chase after him and hence miss her balloon ride. This is what leads to Dorothy's ultimate transformation, to the discovery of her inner powers. The balloon ride is representative of traditional religion, with a skinny-legged wizard promising a trip to the Divine. Toto was right to force Dorothy out of the balloon. Otherwise she might never have found her magic. This is a call for us to listen to our intuitions, our gut feelings, those momentary bits of imagination that appear seemingly out of nowhere."
As stated above, the fake Wizard invites Dorothy into his balloon to go back to Kansas, her final destination. She however follows Toto (her intuition) out of the balloon, which represents the empty promises of organized religions. This leads to her ultimate revelation and, with the help of the Good Witch of the North (her divine guide), she finally understands: everything she ever wanted could be found "in her own backyard".
In order to obtain illumination Dorothy had to vanquish the wicked witches of the East and the West – who were forming an evil horizontal axis: the material world. She was wise in listening to the advices of the good witches of the North and South – the vertical axis: the spiritual dimension.
At the end of the story, Dorothy wakes up in Kansas: she has successfully combined her physical and spiritual life. She is now comfortable being herself again and, despite her family not really believing the details of her quest (the ignorant profane), she can finally say "There is no place like home".
The Wizard of Oz Used in Monarch Mind Control
Almost all documentation relating to the MK Ultra project and Mind Control mention the importance of the Wizard of Oz. In the 1940's, the story was reportedly chosen by members of the US intelligence community to provide a thematic foundation for their trauma-based mind control program. The movie was edited and given a different meaning in order to use it as a tool to reinforce the programming on the victims. Here are some examples taken from Fritz Springmeier's Total Mind Control Slave:
* The close relationship between Dorothy and her dog is a very subtle connection between the satanic cults use of animals (familiars). A Monarch slave as a child will be allowed to bond with a pet. The child will want to bond with a pet anyway because people are terrifying by this point. Then the pet is killed to traumatize the child.
* Monarch slaves are taught to "follow the yellow brick road." No matter what fearful things lie ahead, the Monarch slave must follow the Yellow Brick Road which is set out before them by their master.
* Rainbow–with its seven colors have long had an occult significance of being a great spiritual hypnotic device.
* Dorothy is looking for a place where there is no trouble which is a place "over the rainbow." To escape pain, alters go over the rainbow. (This is a.k.a. in Alice In Wonderland Programming as "going through the looking glass").
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is probably the most dissociative song ever written and is often used in movies, playing during violent or traumatizing events (see the movie Face-Off). The strange effect produced, where the violence doesn't seem real anymore, is exactly how dissociation works on mind-control victims. It is also speculated that the scene where Dorothy falls asleep in a poppy field is a reference to the use of heroin victims to relax and manipulated them. What about the snow falling from the sky that wakes up Dorothy from her slumber?…cocaine.
Allegorical stories transmitting spiritual truths have existed since the dawn of man. These simple yet extremely profound stories have been found in all civilizations, whether they be Celtic, Indian, Persian, Aztec, Greek, Egyptian or else. Consciously or not, Frank Baum has created a classical allegory which, in the same vein as Homer's Odyssey, entertains the masses while containing mystical messages that can be understood by the "awakened".
http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/?p=11546
featured occult, occult, occult roots, paranormal, wizard of oz
Bloodstone Meaning and Properties
Courtesy of: http://www.bloodstonemeaning.com/
Bloodstone is also referred to as heliotrope in Greek which simply means sun turning. Many believed that the sun turns red when this stone is immersed in water. Polished stones were escribed to reflect the sun. Bloodstone comes with dark green color with spots of red almost resembling droplets of blood. It based its name from the stone's appearance.
Bloodstone is sometimes referred to as Blood Jasper in the market. It is not really jasper, but more of a dark green Chalcedony which includes a mixture of red to brown. It appears to be glassy to waxy with an inconsistent color as the green color is derived from chlorite particles, while the red spots are caused by iron oxide.
Bloodstones are a variety chalcedony, which is crypto crystalline quartz. This simply means that these crystals are too small that it cannot be distinguished from the naked eye. One can determine the crystallinity through the use of an electron microscope. Note that there are two forms of bloodstone – the plasma and heliotrope. Heliotrope is transparent and has red in it. Plasma is deep green, opaque with little or no red in it.
A good quality bloodstone comes with solid dark green color with visible veins of red. This gemstone is a traditional March birthstone along with aquamarine. It comes in many shapes and cuts with the common forms of cabochon, cushion cut, emerald cut, octagonal, oval and round.
Bloodstones used in jewelries are coated with polish that magnifies the gemstone's beauty. This also means to never apply harsh chemicals like detergents when cleaning bloodstone jewelry as it ruins the surface.
Also, be careful when you buy bloodstones in the market these days. Many retailers now sell fake bloodstones. To distinguish a real bloodstone will need you to rub the stone on porcelain. If blood red scars appear, this is genuine. Otherwise, you are opting for fancy gemstones. Where to find these are in Australia, Brazil, Czech Republic, China, Germany, India, Russia, Scotland, and the United States.
Traditional Beliefs of Bloodstone
Bloodstones were believed to be a magical stone in ancient times. Touching the stone simply stopped hemorrhages. Ancient warriors carried with them bloodstone amulets for reasons to stop the bleeding whenever they had wounds.
In the middle ages, Babylonians used engraved bloodstone in their divination. Together with the ancient Egyptians, they used the stone to defeat magically their enemies. They employed the stone's abilities by increasing personal strength. This was also believed to make one invisible when they wanted others to focus elsewhere. This is also known as the Mother Goddess stone associated with the Isis, Horus and the Black Madonna images.
It was also believed that bloodstone had special powers for reasons that as it was formed when drops of blood fell and stained jasper at the foot where Jesus was crucified. It was dubbed the "Martyr's Stone" as it was used in sculptures representing martyrdom and flagellation.
Healing Properties in Bloodstone
Because of its great healing powers, these stones were pulverized and mixed with egg whites and honey. An innovation believed to heal tumors and stop bleeding. The medieval used this stone to remove poison from venomous snake bites. Bloodstone also helps in the forecast through weather magic. Athletes who require added strength also use this as a powerful charm. It clarifies vague thoughts and dispels perplexity providing several benefits.
Bloodstones are also known as stones of courage. It improves physical strength, enhances self-esteem and self-appreciation, and calms anxiousness. It promotes love for family and enhances wealth by improving the business and its legal matters.
The bloodstone also fights evil and prevents jealousy. It boosts your spirit and adds longevity. It eases a broken heart and brings good fortune. Whenever the stone becomes blood red in color, this signals the wearer about any upcoming danger. And up to this day, powdered bloodstone is used as aphrodisiac and traditional medicines in India.
Bloodstone also enhances creativity and intuition. Bloodstone drives away the negative environmental energy, which helps in the overcoming of influences like electromagnetic or geopathic stress. It revitalizes and induces dreaming. It gives you courage and helps you avoid harmful situations. This also promotes idealism and selflessness. . This soothes and revitalizes the mind, enhances decision making, and eliminates confusion. Bloodstone minimizes aggressiveness, impatience and irritability.
Bloodstone provides physical aid in treating anemia, blood disorders and enhancing blood flow. It strengthens the immune system and detoxifies. It eases menstrual and menopausal symptoms. And it strengthens the heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, and bone marrow. It minimizes pus formation, neutralizes toxins in the body, and invigorates the lymphatic system, which leads to the healing of infections and inflammations. However, stone therapy should never replace medical treatments. It is there to enhance a person's health and well-being.
http://www.bloodstonemeaning.com/
Spiritual Blessings
The spiritual blessings of working in communication with your intuition in the form of God, Goddess, Creator, your own spirit, angels, spiritual guides, etc. are many and varied. They range from simple everyday matters, such as finding your lost keys and parking places where you need them, to miracles of healing, or exceptionally peaceful passing over to the other side. Blessings are often offered in the form of prayer or ritual, depending upon beliefs. It is said that blessings are as beneficial to the giver as the receiver.
Blessings are asked at beginnings and endings, and at many points in between. Indeed, any time we feel a situation or a person needs the benefit of divine providence, we ask for blessing. This is how we normally understand a blessing in our culture. It's an invocation of the presence and power of the sacred upon a person's life or upon the function of an object.
The term blessing translated means "to speak well on". Generally we bless ourselves, as upon entering a church in certain religions; others throughout the day, even strangers and perhaps silently – not just for sneezes! We also offer/request blessings on our meals. Often people go to their spiritual leader for blessings on their marriage, their new home, religious items, etc.
A blessing can be anytime we wish to make a deeper connection with the life (and lives) around us. As much as it is an invocation, it's also an act of discovering the part of us that moves in harmony on the dance floor of creation. In fact, the art of blessing is not only about the act of blessing but about an attitude towards the world, a way of seeing things that goes beyond our ordinary perceptions.
In the context of NPS, blessings of varying forms are offered prior to an investigation (asking for protection), during (for a potentially "stuck" spirit to cross over), as well as following (asking for peace for the client and protection after interaction with spirit). Clients may wish to have their home and its inhabitants blessed following activity by their pastor or other qualified person. It is important when offering a blessing within a client's home that their belief system be respected, or permission to use that of the team, if any.
http://www.spiritual-how-to.com/spiritualblessings.html
http://Spiritualmetaphysicalcenter.com (site no longer available)
http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/
featured health and safety, featured occult
Dealing With Toxic Relationships
Relationships are ties that bind us to the people in our life. These ties aren't always things that we choose for ourselves, many times they are imposed on us. Many cultures believe that these ties carry on into the afterlife and beyond and for this reason it isn't enough to simply ignore or walk away these relationships. Like bad pennies, bad ties have a nasty way of turning up again and again.
Spiritually, these ties are referred to as 'cording'. A cord is much like an umbilicus that connects a mother to a child and like an umbilicus cord energy goes through the spiritual cords as well. In healthy relationships this energy goes both ways and both parties benefit from the connection. We all have experienced those exhilarating conversations or an evening with friends where everyone is breathless with the shared energy that passes between the group. When everyone feels better after interacting cords are at their healthiest.
Unfortunately we have all also experienced those 'friends' who always leave us feeling drained and exhausted after even a short encounter with them. It's exactly like being around a giant mosquito who is stuck into one of our arteries. Many such people will attempt to make their victims feel sorry for them and obligated to continue to keep connections with them. It's important to remember that this is a survival tactic for them to keep getting a free meal off of your energy. Just like any parasite, you have to take positive steps to dislodge them. Imagine if someone didn't treat their head lice because they 'felt sorry' for them. This is how you are behaving by allowing parasites to cling to you.
Taking steps is simple but it is an effort of your own will against theirs in order to free yourself. The first thing to do is to assert out loud that you do not have a connection with them. You don't have to say this to them, although you are free to do so if you desire it. After that take a knife, ideally steel, and move it along your body. Don't touch it to your skin! Just wave it over yourself, severing the bonds as you go. Don't forget the palms of your hands and the souls of your feet as we are all particularly prone to forming connections in these places. Afterward, rinse the knife under your tap water to cleanse any negativity from it. Some people choose to use a special knife for this but many people use a kitchen knife and then return it to normal use afterward. Do whichever you are most comfortable with.
Most importantly when dealing with toxic people is to remember that you can choose to walk away from them. Even if they are family or co-workers, you can choose to refuse to engage your energy with theirs. It becomes much easier to do so after you are free from their cords.
One last note: sometimes cords re-attach themselves to you. Feel free to repeat the procedure as often as you feel the need to. It's all part of spiritual health and safety.
People often wonder if they are 'just cursed' in life. There are a lot of people who believe in curses and although whether or not they are 'real' is in question, the placebo effect of having the proactive ability to do something to remove a curse.
It is difficult to be certain if you are laboring under a curse but asking yourself some basic questions can help to sort it out.
Is there any other explanation for what you are experiencing.
This is important because if you blame every bad day that you have on a curse then you remove your own accountability in life and you remove your own authority in your life. It's best if you can fix your problems yourself without finding a 'magical' reason for things that have gone wrong.If you decide that things are too preternatural to be normal, then it is time to move on to the next question.
Have you made someone very angry or very jealous?
This question can be difficult to answer when there can be people watching us that we don't know about. If someone is stalking you in life or in social media or both it can take time to realize someone has an unhealthy interest in you. So, examine this question as carefully and objectively as possible.
Does the person you have upset have the knowledge and ability to place a hex against you?
If you still believe you are suffering from a curse after asking yourself these questions and doing a bit of research into your social network, then have a look around your residence, your transportation, your work and any other places you would consider a place of comfort for yourself. See if you find any suspicious looking things bound up in black or red string, baggies full of mystery substance or anything else that looks as though it was placed significantly into you world. Check places that you wouldn't normally look in and places that don't get cleaned very often especially closely.
If you find something, it is generally believed that the best way to dispose of it is through burning it, putting it in running water or burying it far away from where you live.
If you don't find anything or if you find something and still feel accursed, then it is time to take counter measures.
Doing spells to remove magic and protect yourself is considered to be the whitest of magic and most faiths allow for prayers or annointing or other rituals of protection. Only do what you feel comfortable with and if you are worried for whatever reason that removing a curse isn't ethical then don't go against yourself.
I am going to briefly discuss the various means used to remove a curse, if you are interested in more information there are other articles that cover specifics for how to do these.
A purifying bath is a common and time tested method for removing ill will. They vary according to beliefs and you should also be aware that some people may have allergies, so make sure you don't before you immerse your entire body in a bath filled with herbs you've never been exposed to before. An old voodoo uncrossing bath calls for hyssop, salt, rue, sage and frankincense to be put in the bath while saying the 37th Psalm.
Evil eye amulets are used in many cultures to protect from evil eye curses. These curses are usually caused my jealousy and are often not intended but rather caused envy that a person can't control. Usually these amulets use an eye as a motif and are most likely to be a vivid blue that is believed to be the most likely to repel this type of curse.
Other protective amulets and talisman are greatly varied and may just be something that provides the wearer with 'extra' good luck, like a rabbits foot or a four leaf clover. Crucifixes, pentagrams and an enormous variety of other symbols can be used depending on your faith and your background or beliefs.
Reflective spells that reflect evil back to the sender are a perfect white magic way to make sure that people are getting back what they are sending your way. The basis of the idea is that just as you can reflect sunlight in a mirror, you can reflect bad energy as well.
A protective poppet can be made. A poppet is a little doll and you can designate it as the person who has cursed you and then direct all their ill intentions and bad mojo back to them. This is a more complicated and advanced method than many of the others I've mentioned here.
Slightly more 'grey' methods include binding spells and spell tablets, each of which are used to bind the caster from doing ill to their targets.
It's best if you can avoid getting a curse put on you at all and good spiritual practice when dealing with people can help you avoid it. If you know who is causing the problem you need to severe all ties to them. One of the best ways to do this and to make sure that you don't have any of their physical belongings in your house. These belongings form a bond with people and that makes it easier for someone who is malicious to put a curse on you.
Return the items or dispose of them but get them out of personal space. Also, make sure that you get back all your personal belongings from them. Don't leave your hairbrush, socks or even a dvd with someone who might want to put a curse on you.
If you believe in the Divine, whoever you believe in or whatever your faith, pray. Your prayer and your faith are the best way to repel these ill intentions. Say a rosary or pray to Ra, whatever your belief set is, utilize your faith.
The last thing I will suggest is the most important and should be done regularly and thoroughly: Clean your house. Clean everything. Sweep, vacuum, mop, dust and then jump in the shower and wash yourself off to. Get dressed in clean clothes after and enjoy your tidy house and your tidy spiritual life.
Premonitions – No Ordinary Dream
Courtesy of: http://www.patheos.com/
What is a Premonition?
A premonition is a forewarning of something that is going to happen before it does without having any concrete evidence to support it.
Premonitions can come in many different forms; dreams/nightmares, messages from spirits, intuition (that gut feeling) in the waking state and automatic writing. Premonitions are just another piece of the psychic abilities that everybody has, but not everybody may be in tune to using. Men may call it a "gut feeling" and women call it "intuition" – take your pick, it all adds up to a sixth sense.
The phenomenon of premonition is most often associated with anxiety or an uneasy feeling suggesting impending disaster. Premonitions of plane crashes or murders have been documented throughout the years, even throughout The Bible, however it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. It can also be casual and innocent. Knowing that it is Aunt Edna on the other end of the phone even before you pick it up or before un-wrapping your birthday gift knowing that it will be a beautiful white angora scarf.
So YOU Are Having Premonitions?
The most common way to receive premonitions is through your dreams. Most people spend an average of one third of their lives asleep so it isn't uncommon to have at least one premonition in your life. Dreams give us insight and understanding even when our conscious mind doesn't. Dreams can also hold message to the future.
So you are experiencing them – so now what?
The best thing to do if you are encountering premonitions is not to panic
Keep a notepad and pen by your bedside
When you wake up in the morning, try to stay in your same position and relax
In your mind, drift closer to the dream
Do not think of the days activities. Stay close to the dream.
Start writing.
Document every detail, even the tiniest ones such as colors you saw, numbers that popped up and your feelings that you felt during the dream
Symbolism plays a huge role in premonitions. Do not take everything literal. Instead keep an open mind.
Date stamp each dream/premonition
Talk to your friends or family about it
My Premonitions Came True!
If you witnessed a disaster in your dream and it indeed happens, don't feel guilty as if you could have stopped it. Remember that you cannot save the world. Premonitions may occur the very next day the vision occurred and yet some may not happen for years later. Or they may never happen.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/ahappymedium/2012/07/premonitions-no-ordinary-dream/
Ginseng Root
Courtesy of: http://herb-magic.com/
Burned to keep wicked spirits at bay, and for protection against all forms of evil.
Other Info in Hoodoo Folk Magic, Spell-Craft, and Occultism:
GINSENG is also known as SANG ROOT and WONDER OF THE WORLD. Its use in sexual charms parallels its medical use. For Male Vigor, keep SANG ROOT in a bottle of Holy Oil and use it to dress the penis. To make a Gambling Hand, get a piece of GINSENG, a piece of Black Snake Root, a John the Conqueror Root slice, and three fresh seeds from a green (unripe) Red Pepper. Fold it toward you into a scrap of red flannel, soak it in Hoyt's Cologne, sew it up, and place it in a red flannel bag. To Control Your Mate, mix Angelica root powder and Ginseng root powder with an equal volume of white flour and scorch this in a pan on the stove, being careful not to burn it. Use it to dust the house for 9 days. We make no claims for GINSENG ROOT, and sell as a Curio only.
http://herb-magic.com/ginseng-root-powder.html
ginseng root, occult
Courtesy of: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/
Frankincense – sometimes called olibanum – is a gum-resin. Historically, it is one of the most valuable substances in the world and the source of a major trade empire.
The first records of frankincense date from around 1500 BC, when Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt sent an expedition south into Africa to bring back frankincense trees. The event is commemorated on the walls of the temple near Luxor where 2 of the trees were planted. However, frankincense was known to the people of Arabia and the Horn of Africa long before this.
For centuries the precise origin of frankincense and the plants that produce it were shrouded in myth and mystery. People harvesting the gum-resin discouraged outsiders, and wild tales of guardian monsters were common.
In 1905, the Officiating Reporter on Economic Products to the Government of India sent out an appeal for information and specimens, admitting that the authorities were "remarkably ignorant of the origin of frankincense" and knew "no more than a third of its story".
The first scientific collections of Boswellia sacra were made in 1846 but the best trees (in Oman) were not adequately described until the 1930s. Even in the 1980s researchers did not have enough specimens for study.
Frankincense is obtained by making a series of cuts in the bark of the trunk and branches of the tree, from which the gum-resin exudes. The cuts are often very rough but if limited, the trees suffer no permanent damage.
There are 2 cutting seasons for frankincense: the autumn cutting yields highly aromatic white gum while the spring cutting yields an inferior red-brown gum.
Although frankincense is less important than it once was, the trees still form an important part of local economies and trade continues to supply perfumers.
Traditionally, frankincense had both sacred and more mundane uses, including:
as incense – used for all important religious rituals and occasions, and so complete was this link, frankincense gave rise to what was known as the 'odour of sanctity' associated with sainthood
as a medicine – used internally and externally to combat almost every disease and condition – both physical and mental – in humans and animals by physicians from Rome and ancient Greece to the Middle East, India and China
as a cosmetic and skin care product – powdered, low-grade frankincense was used for this purpose
in warfare – it was mixed with pitch, sulphur and other ingredients to produce an almost inextinguishable fire to burn enemy strongholds and was also fed to war elephants to enrage them before battle
In the ancient world, gums were a highly valued commodity and it was no accident that frankincense (along with gold and another gum-resin, myrrh) was one of the gifts brought by the wise men to Jesus. This was the period when the frankincense trade was at its peak and the gum was deemed as valuable as gold. There were, and still are, numerous grades of frankincense which depend on:
the area of origin
the growing conditions
the harvesting season
The different grades are given a bewildering variety of local names.
Frankincense was known to the Sumerians (around 3500 BC) and over the centuries a thriving trade developed between producing areas and markets as far online casino's away as Europe, India and China. At its height, the trade supplied 3,000 tons to the Roman Empire alone. Twice a year, camel trains carried high value cargoes along the Incense Road from areas including Oman and Yemen via cities such as Damascus and ports such as Alexandria and Gazza to be sold in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean markets and beyond. The trade was extremely lucrative and attracted high taxes from towns along the routes.
Frankincense is produced by several species of the genus Boswellia. All are trees or shrubs.
The finest and most aromatic gum-resin comes from Boswellia sacra (also known as Boswellia thruifera), a small tree up to 5m high with 1 or several trunks covered with peeling, papery bark.
The leaves are crowded towards the tips of the thick twigs. Each leaf is divided into 6–8 pairs of oblong leaflets increasing in size towards the top of the leaf which is tipped by a single, largest leaflet. The leaflets all have distinctive, wavy margins and are hairy, very densely so on the underside.
The flowers are also borne at the tips of the twigs. They are loosely grouped into long, slender spikes, have five white petals and a central disc which turns from yellow to red or black as the fruit develops.
The fruit is a capsule with 3–5 longitudinal wings and opens by means of 3–5 valves, each releasing a single seed.
The genus Boswellia is named for John Boswell, uncle of James, the biographer of Samuel Johnson.
There has been, and remains, considerable confusion over the number and delimitation of the species of Boswellia. This has been compounded by:
a lack of good specimens for study
the wide array of common names, mostly relating to the gums produced rather than the trees themselves
the considerable morphological variation found in this genus
Boswellia sacra is restricted to the southern Arabian Peninsula and the north-east coast of Somalia. Although it tolerates a range of conditions, it prefers arid, cool areas.
In Dhofar and Yemen – the most famous and productive areas – the trees thrive in the rain shadow of the monsoon mountains.
Trees growing in damp conditions produce less, and lower quality, gum-resin.
BIOLOGY:
Frankincense is a plant product referred to as a gum-resin. It is a mixture of gum, resin and volatile oil which provides the perfume of such substances and comes in different forms, depending on the species from which it is obtained.
The best quality gum-resin is initially a rather elastic substance which dries hard. It is oily and highly inflammable. Inferior forms are less resilient and break down into a sticky liquid.
The gum-resin is strongly scented, described as woody and balsamic, honeyed but not cloying.
The bark of frankincense trees is rich in resin ducts. When pieces of the outer bark are removed, the resin bleeds out.
In the case of Boswellia sacra, this gum-resin hardens into white blobs called pearls or beads, which are harvested by hand. These may be sold as they are or softened and moulded into a variety of shapes.
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/species-of-the-day/scientific-advances/industry/boswellia-sacra/
Frankincense, occult
Descriptive List of Incense and Fragrance including History and How to Use
Courtesy of: http://www.bodhitree.com/
Aloeswood: The unique, spicy, sweet, wood scent found in the base of fine Japanese incense available in pieces and powder.
Amazonian Breuzinho: A sweet, floral fragrance of the Brazilian Amazon.
Amber: This fragrance was used as medicine to treat hysteric and hypochondriac cases. Roman women wore amber amulets to protect against witchcraft.
Dark Amber: A rich, slightly sweeter, warm powdery fragrance – softer to the touch.
Honey Amber: A light, warm, sweet and powdery fragrance.
Arabian Frankincense: A fresh, lemon, citrus scent. It protects the living from evil, disease and spirits of the night. It slows down and deepens the breath which is useful in prayer and meditation, and combats depression, confusion & irritability.
Basilica: An orange citrus smell similar to frankincense. This is an aroma that is similar to that used in church ceremonies.
Benzoin: Energizing, uplifting, stimulating. It is known to 'melt away' blockages and drive away evil spirits. It wars and tones the heart, both physically and metaphorically.
Benzoin Gum Powder: It has a sweet, almost musky aroma.
Benzoin Siam: Strong, almost acrid, but similar to sumarta. It blends well with other resins.
Benzoin Sumatra: The sweet, fresh, green floral scent of pine.
Cedarwood: The wonderful aroma of cedarwood. It has long been used to treat respiratory ailments, nervous tension and stress related disorders. It is still often used as an insect and vermin repellent.
The Church Blends: What we call those blends that combine frankincense and myrrh with other resins to produce a particular aroma.
Cathedral Blend: Cedar highlights this blend.
Celtic Blend: Lavender buds add to this blend giving a sharp note to the sweetness.
Christmas Blend: A citrus fresh (frankincense) and herbal strong (myrrh) blend.
Ebony Mishmash: A sweet blend with a hint of orange.
Pontifical: A rich blend of frankincense, myrrh, benzoin siam and lemon citrus notes.
Copal: It purifies and protects and is offered to the souls of deceased during "Day of the Dead" celebrations. It is still used in dentistry.
Aztec Copal: A grassy, licorice-like aroma.
Golden Copal: A rich, earthy, spicy aroma
Manilla Copal: A clean, mild, slight turpentine aroma.
Mayan Copal: Clean, slightly herbal and citrus
White Copal: A fragrance similar to an herbally, sweet myrrh. It is the cleanest and purist of copals.
Desert Sage: A dry, strong, herbal aroma that varies with location, altitude and seasons. Sage is traditionally burned to drive out bad spirits, feelings or influences. The leaves may be used as a natural moth repellent.
Dragon's Blood: A semi-sweet, mildly spicy, floral aroma available in powder and pieces. It is thought to have aphrodisiac properties and has been used in incantations to bring back loved ones.
Eucalyptus: A grassy, spicy, intense but herbal aroma traditionally used for perfuming linen cupboards. A good insect repellent used in making citronella. It has also been used medicinally to treat respiratory ailments.
Forest Blend: A light, sweet, pine aroma that brings back memories of nights in the woods.
Frankincense & Myrrh: A bit of myrrh is detectable through the pervasive frankincense aroma.
French Lavender: The sweet, strong aroma of lavender, long used throughout the world to treat depression, headaches, hypertension and other stress-related disorders. It is believed that the scent of lavender is important when invoking prayers for beauty and balance.
Gardenia: A soft floral scented with gardenia oil. Gardenia is known as an aphrodisiac and for love.
Gloria Blend: A sweet, dry, candy-like, strong perfume with a hint of frankincense.
Gum Arabic Powder: A sweet, vanilla like aroma used in making scents, beads and adhesives.
Gum Mastic: An earthy, clean, strong herbal aroma, often used in the making of other incenses.
Gum Sandarac: An exotic, clean, fresh lemon aroma. An inexpensive substitute for gum mastic.
Indian Incenses: Diverse as they are, fall into several distinct categories. In our descriptions below, we have prefaced each listing with a word that connotes the basic nature of each incense (Masala, Charcoal, Durbars, Combination, Woodbase & Dhoops).
Masala is the Indian word for a blend of spices and/or herbs, such as those used in making curies or other food dishes. Masala incenses are made by blending a number of solid ingredients into a paste and then rolling that paste onto a bamboo core stick. They usually do not contain liquid perfumes which can evaporate.
Charcoal is integral in the manufacturing of a blank (non-perfumed) stick which is then dippd into a mixture of perfumes and essential oils. Charcoal blanks usually contain sandalwood powder, a resin and possibly other substances. Most "charcoal" incenses are black or near black in color, and are distinctive because they are rich in fine liquid perfumes.
Durbars (and Champas) are wet-process incenses which frequently contain ingredients entirely unfamiliar in the West. They are usually very slow burning and quite sweet and spicy in bouquet. They can amalgamate solid and liquid perfumes in a gummy base which never quite dries out, making the sticks themselves soft to the touch. All are highly fragranced.
Combination incenses are those which we have found to have the qualities of both the Masala and Charcoal types. It is possible to make a masala incense and then dip it into liquid perfumes, producing a very colorful and rich bouquet. These incenses usually have a great deal of depth and leave a lingering after-fragrance once burned.
Woodbase incenses, including many Ambers, contain little more than powdered or shaved wood plus a resinous or solid perfume. They are really masalas but since the woodiness is so distinct in most cases, we have put them into a separate category.
Dhoops are masala incenses in thick, long-burning form, or in bulk as powders or mixtures of various substances. A dhoop makes lots of smoke if burned quickly, or lasts and lasts if burned slowly. The most well-known, Chandan Dhoop, is pure sandalwood made into a little log.
Lemongrass: A citrus grass fragrance long used in India as a sedative, medicine for infectious disease, insecticide and food flavoring.
Magic Temple: A spicy, sweet, exotic aroma with a hint of cinnamon.
Myrrh, Ethiopian: An earthy, woody, mildly sweet resin. It produces a high spiritual vibration conducive for prayer and meditation. It was also used in embalming and medicine.
Patchouli Herb: The plant used to produce the oil that smells very herbal with a sweet note while being burned. Patchouli has been used as an aphrodisiac, a mental stimulant and a rejuvenator.
Peppermint, Egyptian: A sweet mint combines with a smoking aroma
Pińon: A sweet, clean, forest essence of the classic pińon tree. A staple of southwestern Native Americans, it was burned for its aromatic fragrances and has protective powers.
Queen of Heaven: A sweet lotus floral aroma. Lotus is associated with health, blessing, abundance and good fortune.
Red Sandalwood: A sweet, woody smell, unlike sandalwood but reminiscent of the Redwood forest.
Red Willow Bark: Long used by Native Americans in purifying ceremonies. It gives off a sweet woodsy aroma.
Rose: Long associated with love, rose can be useful in relieving anger, grief, or jealousy.
Damascus Rose: A fresh, sweet rose scent.
Moroccan Rose Buds: Actual rosebuds that smell wonderful just as they are.
Rosemary: A wonderful, clean, purifying herbal aroma.
Sandalwood: The sweet, buttery, wonderful scent of sandalwood oil, available in both powder and chips. It is spiritually uplifting and is considered sacred. It combats depression, insomnia and stress-related complaints and is used to recollect past lifetimes.
Senegal Blend: An exotic, spicy, sweet, herbal aroma from Africa. It as a scent similar to Thiouraye, an oil known for its aphrodisiac qualities.
Sweetgrass: A unique, grassy, green, fresh aroma from the marshes of the northern Rockies. It is often used to begin ceremonies since it attracts positive energies. It is used to clear objects, places and people.
White Sage: A clean, dry, strong, herbal fragrance of the high desert. The leaves may be burned to clear a space of negative influences and promote calmness. The leaves may be brewed into a tea and may be chewed as a natural breath freshener.
Yerba Santa Leaf: A cleansing aroma that is reminiscent of campfires in Autumn. I was known as the "Holy Herb" to native Californians and used to treat asthma, allergies and cold symptoms.
History and How to Use Incense
The use of incense can be traced back to the earliest written records of almost every culture in the world. The words "incense" which means "to burn," and "perfume" which means "through the smoke," are interchanageable. The ancients believed that a soul dwelled in every object and that the souls of essences of objects could be released through burning. The ceremonial use of incense is still practiced by many cultures today much the same way as their ancestors.
Incense is available in sticks and in various resins, pieces and powders. The incenses from India are characterized by highly scented aromas. The incense sticks often have a core of wood (often a bamboo stick) coated with the incense flavor but also are made using a charcoal base or soft rolled without a stick. Incense sticks from Japan have a soft, refined aroma suitable for small rooms and enclosed spaces. The Japanese incense is usually formed without a wood or stick core. Tibetan stick incense is similar in making to Japanese incense being formed without a wood or stick core but much thicker. Tibetan incense has a complex, deep and earthy aroma.
A large variety of stick incense holders are available, from thimble size with one hole for one stick, to larger holders with multiple holes. Many people prefer to use a burner bowl lined with sand or gravel.
Resins, pieces and powders are burnt by using a burner bowl or censer along with a source of heat. Many people use self-starting charcoal but a heated pan may be also used. The trick to using this type of incense is discovering the right amount of heat for the botanical or blend of botanicals to achieve the incense effect. Overheating the material will create the undesirable effect of scorching it, or worse, setting it on fire.
Whatever burner bowl or censor is used, it is recommended that the inside of the burner be insulated with stones, ceramic pieces or sand. In addition, all burners should also be insulated from the outside by placing it on a burn-proof surface. Use any safety precautions that are normally considered when fire and hear are involved.
The most common and recommended charcoal for incense use is self igniting. Igniter is mixed into the tablet before it is formed. The tablets are easily lit by holding the edge with a forceps over a match or lighter for a moment. Upon ignition, immediately place it in your burner. The tablet will then light across the surface. When the charcoal is glowing red and covered with a fine white ash, it will be ready for use (between 5 and 10 minutes). The charcoal will stay hot enough to burn incense for up to an hour.
The particles of raw incense may be placed directly on the hot charcoal. If one wants to burn more than one type of raw incense or change incense frequently, it is best to use aluminum foil between the charcoal and the material to be incensed. Otherwise the melted resin penetrates the hot charcoal and the burner bowl and mixes with the next kind of incense.
To use aluminum foil, form a cup approximately the same size as the charcoal, leaving a quarter inch lip. Either more or different incense can be added to the charcoal in a new cup. As a precautionary note, be aware that the incense in the aluminum foil cup becomes very hot, can be in a liquid state and might burn the skin if it comes in contact with it. Also, only use the aluminum foil cup on a non-flammable surface.
Raw incense comes in the following forms:
Resin comes in three principal categories:
Oleo resins are sticky, semisolids that contain essential oils. They include balsam, dragon's blood and turpentine.
Hard resigns are hard, brittle, odorless (until burned) and tasteless and are obtained either as fossil or as distillation products of the oleoresins. They include amber, copals and mastic.
Gum resins contain gums or tree saps and include frankincense, myrrh and benzoin.
Woods are pieces of the actual plant or tree. They are graded if any oil has been extracted from them. Some woods are also ground to a fine powder. They include sandalwood, aloeswood, red sandalwood and cedarwood.
Grasses, leaves and flowers are pieces of a plant, the whole plant or the flower of a plant. They include white and desert sage, sweetgrass, eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass and patchouli herb.
http://www.bodhitree.com/booklists/incense-fragrance-history-how-to-use.html
The Magickal Uses of Sandalwood
Courtesy of: http://herbalriot.tumblr.com
Planet – Moon
Gender-Feminine
Element – Water
Basic Powers – Clairvoyance, divination, good luck, meditation, protection, success.
Scent – Woody, sweet, clean
Mineral association – Emerald and turquoise
Lore- Scatter sandalwood to clear a place of negativity. Burn for protection and healing. Possesses high spiritual vibrations especially when mixed with frankincense and burned at the full moon. Mix with lavender to make an incense designed to conjure spirits.
In the orient, sandalwood is a funeral herb believed to carry the soul into the next life. With sandalwood, deep states of relaxation take place on the spiritual level. Burning sandalwood incense can benefit healing work by promoting a deeper relaxed state in the healer, increasing spiritual energy. Sandalwood also relaxes the heart and throat chakras.
Burned to exorcise demons and evil ghosts, conjure beneficial spirits, and promote spiritual awareness. Sandalwood incense is also used by many Witches for protection, astral projection, healing rituals and in wish-magick.
Lower grades of Sandalwood (light colored with little scent) are not recommended to use in magic. Mix with Frankincense and burn at séances and Full Moon rituals. Sandalwood beads are protective and promote a spiritual awareness when worn. The scents of frankincense and sandalwood have some of the highest vibrations inherent in any plant. They will resonate with aspects of ourselves or with Devic/Angelic beings of the highest order.
Sandalwood is used as an incense base for: Protection; Healing; Exorcise; Spirituality; Wishes; Full Moon Esbats; Wards Negativity; Astral Projection; Reincarnation; Spirit Offering.
Stimulates clairvoyance, aids in seeing past lives, healing, clearing, protection, calms the mind. Write your wish on a chip of sandalwood and burn in censer or cauldron. As it burns it sets the magic flowing, but remember to visualize your wish at the same time.
Sandalwood is one of the most valuable woods in the world. All parts yields Sandalwood oil, particularly the heartwood and the roots, which yield about 6 percent essential oil. Recorded in Ayurvedic medicine and Egyptian embalming, the oil is now used as an inhalant for its expectorant and sedative effect on coughs and as a powerful antiseptic for lung and urinary tract infections. Sandalwood makes a popular incense, as its calming effect aids meditation. It is commonly used for funeral pyres in India, where devotees believe the scent protects places from evil spirits.
Sandalwood is often used as an as an aphrodisiac. Sandalwood is recommended for use when consecrating altar cloths, and it is said to be associated with Hod on the Tree of Life.
http://herbalriot.tumblr.com/post/55502738623/the-magickal-uses-of-sandalwood
The ancient art of burning sage
Courtesy of: http://www.movingtowardspeace.com/
The ritual burning of herbs and herbal resins is common to many cultures in the world. From the rich frankincense of the Church and the Middle Eastern bazaar, to the heady incenses of Asia, to the raw energy of brush burning in many native cultures—the purification of space through this modality is a global phenomenon and one you can benefit from highly.
Burning sage is one of the oldest and purest methods of cleansing a person, group of people or space. While Native American sage burning is the most commonly recognized form of it today, it has nevertheless been a shared practice in other cultures too.
From the ancient Celtic druids who used sage as a sacred herb alongside Oak Moss for burning as well as medicinal purposes, to the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon whose Palo Santo (sacred wood) sage burning ceremonies are still practiced to this day.
Sage is for healing
Many who eschew the burning of incenses and herbs as a cleansing method and think that the only purpose in this tradition is to make dwellings smell nice, have perhaps never smelled sage burning. No one who has smelled the distinct acrid tang of burning sage would say that it could only be for 'aesthetic' olfactory purposes.
The Latin for sage, 'Salvia,' stems from the word 'to heal.' The other qualities of sage when burned, such as giving wisdom, clarity and increasing spiritual awareness, are also indicated in the name. It's no accident that we refer to wise people as sagely.
The benefits of burning sage can be harnessed very simply by burning sage in your home, office or any other place in need of cleansing.
How to burn sage properly
Sage burning cleansing rituals can be as elaborate or as simple as you want them to be, but it's of the highest importance that your intention be clear before you begin. If you are burning sage to purify a space, or a person (even yourself) then this needs to be clearly planted in your mind before you the light the sage, and while taking the smoke around a home, or through a space.
The best sage to use for such purposes is white sage, although if you have garden sage then this will work fine also (just make sure it is dried). Any local farmer's market or health food store should carry it, as well as new age stores. Of course, you can order online as well. See below for a recommendation.
The process is simple enough. If you have a heavy earthenware pot (something heatproof), then place the bundled sage into the pot and light it for a few seconds before extinguishing the flame and letting the smoke billow up. Really dry sage will catch fire quickly, so watch your fingers.
Focus burning sage on gateway and high traffic areas
Be careful not to breathe in the smoke directly, and not to fill the area too thickly with smoke—this is not a fumigation, just a cleansing, so no need to go overboard. Then slowly walk around where you are and take the smoke to each area you would like to cleanse. Concentrate on gateway areas, such as windows, doors, closets, as well as hallways. Also concentrate on the corners of a room. Most importantly, use your intuition. If you allow it, your space will usually inform you as to which areas need to be cleansed the most.
You may want to focus on particularly busy areas, both foot traffic wise (kitchen) and mentally (computer workstation). If you have a pet, be sure to sage them a little (if they allow it) and their sleeping area.
Try burning incense immediately after a saging session. Sage has a more masculine/yang aspect and is nicely coupled by the feminine/yin aspect of incense. Also experiment with bell ringing or hand clapping in between saging and incense burning for a total cleansing effect.
If you can at least burn sage in your living space on a weekly basis, then you are guaranteed to notice a lightness of energy and calmness descend into your home from this practice. It can be a way to cleanse the old energy from the previous week, and welcome in the newly beginning week and all the possibilities it holds.
Where to buy high-quality sage
If you're looking for high-quality, ethically cultivated and offered sage, go no further than the Shaman's Market. Don't go to Amazon or large commercial vendors because with a ceremonial, sacred product, intention matters, cultivation matters, as does the intention of the seller—all of these subtle vibrations pass to the product and ultimately into the space you are saging.
Shaman's Market is a fantastic small business, independently owned and operated. They offer a multitude of high-quality ceremonial goods, and in many cases work with indigenous peoples offering a market for their precious and beautiful handicrafts. It's a business you want to support. They are kind and here to assist in the healing work of humanity and the planet.
Shaman's Market offers a wide variety of sages. If you're just starting, go for the White Sage Smudge Sticks, which are cultivated in California. You can't go wrong with white sage, which is used extensively by Native Americans. It's bundled, making it slightly easier to handle than loose leaf sage. If you have extra to spare, then pick up a few different varieties and see which one works best for you, each will have slightly different scents and energetic imprints.
http://www.movingtowardspeace.com/mtpblog/the-ancient-art-of-burning-sage.html
Courtesy of: https://en.wikipedia.org
Psychic surgery is a means of committing a pseudoscientific medical fraud using a conjuring trick, involving the pretense of creating an incision using only the bare hands, the removal of pathological matter, and finally the spontaneous healing of the incision.
It has been denounced by the US Federal Trade Commission as a "total hoax", and the American Cancer Society maintains that psychic surgery may cause needless death by keeping the ill away from life-saving medical care. Medical professionals and skeptics classify it as sleight of hand and any positive results as a placebo effect. It first appeared in the Spiritualist communities of the Philippines and Brazil in the middle of the 20th century, and it has taken different paths in those two countries.
Although psychic surgery varies by region and practitioner, it usually follows some common lines. Without the use of a surgical instrument, a practitioner will press the tips of his/her fingers against the patient's skin in the area to be treated. The practitioner's hands appear to penetrate into the patient's body painlessly and blood seems to flow. The practitioner will then show organic matter or foreign objects apparently removed from the patient's body, clean the area, and then end the procedure with the patient's skin showing no wounds or scars.
Most cases do not involve actual surgery although some practitioners make real incisions. In regions of the world where belief in evil spirits is prevalent, practitioners will sometimes exhibit objects, such as glass, explaining that the foreign bodies were placed in the patient's body by evil spirits.
Accounts of psychic surgery started to appear in the Spiritualist communities of the Philippines and Brazil in the mid-1900s.
In the Philippines, the procedure was first noticed in the 1940s, when performed routinely by Eleuterio Terte. Terte and his pupil Tony Agpaoa, who was apparently associated with the Union Espiritista Christiana de Filipinas (The Christian Spiritist Union of the Philippines), trained others in this procedure.
In 1959, the procedure came to the attention of the U. S. public after the publication of Into the Strange Unknown by Ron Ormond and Ormond McGill. The authors called the practice "fourth dimensional surgery," and wrote "[we] still don't know what to think; but we have motion pictures to show it wasn't the work of any normal magician, and could very well be just what the Filipinos said it was — a miracle of God performed by a fourth dimensional surgeon."
Alex Orbito, who became well known in the U. S. through his association with actress Shirley MacLaine was one said practitioner of the procedure. On June 14, 2005, Orbito was arrested by Canadian authorities and indicted for fraud. On Jan 20, 2006, the charges were dropped as it then seemed unlikely that Orbito would be convicted.
Psychic surgery made U.S. tabloid headlines in March 1984 when entertainer Andy Kaufman, diagnosed with large cell carcinoma (a rare lung cancer), traveled to the Philippines for a six-week course of psychic surgery. Practitioner Jun Labo claimed to have removed large cancerous tumors and Kaufman declared he believed this cancer had been removed.[ Kaufman died from renal failure as consequence of a metastatic lung cancer, on May 16, 1984.
The origins of the practice in Brazil are obscure; but by the late 1950s "spiritual healers" were practicing in the country. Many of them were associated with Spiritism, a major spiritualistic movement in Brazil and claimed to be performing their operations merely as channels for spirits of deceased medical doctors. Others were following practices and rituals known as "Umbanda", a shamanic ritualistic religion with mediumistic overtones inherited from the African slaves brought to the country in colonial times.
A known Brazilian psychic healer who routinely practiced psychic surgery was Zé Arigó, who claimed to be channeling for a deceased medical doctor of name Dr. Fritz. Unlike most other psychic healers, who work bare-handed, Arigó used a non-surgical blade. Other psychic healers who claimed to channel for Dr. Fritz were Edson Queiroz and Rubens Farias Jr.. Popular today (especially abroad) is João de Faria, also known as João de Deus, a quack operating in Abadiânia, state of Goiás.
According to the descriptions of Yoshiaki Omura, Brazilian psychic surgery appears to be different from that practiced in the Philippines. Omura calls attention to the fact that practitioners in Brazil use techniques resembling Qigong, Shiatsu massage, and chiropractic manipulation. Some patients are also injected with a brown liquid, and alleged minor surgery was performed in about 20% of the cases observed. While Arigó performed his procedures using kitchen knives in improvised settings, Omura reports that the clamping of blood vessels and the closing of the surgical wounds are now performed by licensed surgeons or licensed nurses.
Medical and legal criticism
In 1975, the Federal Trade Commission declared that "'psychic surgery' "is nothing but a total hoax"." Judge Daniel H. Hanscom, when granting the FTC an injunction against travel agencies promoting psychic surgery tours, declared: "Psychic surgery is pure and unmitigated fakery. The 'surgical operations' of psychic surgeons … with their bare hands are simply phony."
In 1976 the FTC stated:
It has been found that "psychic surgery" is pure fakery. The body is not opened, no "surgery" is performed with the bare hands or with anything else, and nothing is removed from the body. The entire "operation" is an egregious fraud perpetrated by sleight-of-hand and similar tricks and devices.
In 1990, the American Cancer Society stated that it "found no evidence that "psychic surgery" results in objective benefit in the treatment of any medical condition," and strongly urged individuals who are ill not to seek treatment by psychic surgery.
The British Columbia Cancer Agency "strongly urges individuals who are ill not to seek treatment by psychic surgeon."
While not directly hazardous to the patient, the belief in the alleged benefits of psychic surgery may carry considerable risk for individuals with diagnosed medical conditions, as they may delay or forgo conventional medical help, sometimes with fatal consequences.
The physician William Nolen investigated psychic surgery and his book Healing: A Doctor in Search of a Miracle (1974) uncovered many cases of fraud. Tony Agpaoa a famous psychic surgeon was several times detected in trickery.Stage magician James Randi says psychic surgery is a sleight of hand confidence trick. He has said that in personal observations of the procedure, and in movies showing the procedures, he can spot sleight-of-hand moves that are evident to experienced stage magicians, but might deceive a casual observer. Randi has replicated the appearance of psychic surgery himself through the use of sleight-of-hand. Professional magician Milbourne Christopher also investigated psychic surgeons at work, and observed sleight of hand. On his A&E show Mindfreak in the episode "Sucker," illusionist Criss Angel performed "Psychic Surgery," showing first-hand how it may be done (fake blood, plastic bags and chicken livers were used).
Randi says the healer would slightly roll or pinch the skin over the area to be treated. When his flattened hand reaches under the roll of skin, it looks and feels as if the practitioner is actually entering into the patient's body. The healer would have prepared in advance small pellets or bags of animal entrails which would be palmed in his hand or hidden beneath the table within easy reach. This organic matter would simulate the "diseased" tissue that the healer would claim to be removing. If the healer wants to simulate bleeding, he might squeeze a bladder of animal blood or an impregnated sponge. If done properly, this procedure may deceive patients and observers. However, some "psychic surgery" procedures do not rely solely on the "sleight of hand" described, as at least one Brazilian "surgeon" also cuts his victims' skin with an unsterilized scalpel to heighten the illusion.
John Taylor has written there is no real case for psychic surgery as the explanation of fraud is highly likely in all the operations. The practitioners use sleight of hand techniques to produce blood or blood-like fluids, animal tissue or substitutes, and/or various foreign objects from folds of skin of the patient as part of a confidence trick for financial benefit.
Science writer Terence Hines has written:
The "operation" starts as the hand appears to enter the patient's belly. This is accomplished by creating an impression in the belly by pushing down and flexing the fingers slowly into a fist—the fingers thus appear to be moving into the belly, but are really simply hidden behind the hand. The blood that further disguises the true movement of the fingers and adds drama to the proceedings can come from two sources. One is a fake thumb, worn over the real thumb and filled with a red liquid. Such a fake thumb is a common magician's implement. Blood can also be passed to the surgeon in red balloons hidden in cotton the psychic surgeon is using, the cotton and its hidden contents being passed to him by an "assistant." The bits of "tumor" can also be passed to the psychic surgeon this way, or hidden in the false thumb… the "tumor" material turns out to be chicken intestines or similar animal remains. The blood is either animal blood or red dye.
Two "psychic surgeons" provided testimony in a Federal Trade Commission trial that, to their knowledge, the organic matter supposedly removed from the patients usually consists of animal tissue and clotted blood.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychic_surgery
occult, paranormal, psychic surgery
Spiritual Protection
An old saying tells us that where there is good, there is bad. Where there is light, there is darkness. Where there are angels, there are demons. Paranormal phenomenon are no exception. When investigating buildings, homes, outdoor sites we cannot be sure which we might encounter, so we must prepare for the worst and hope for the best. While most often activity is positive or neutral, there is always the possibility of encountering a negative spirit, or on rare occasions a demon. Many teams and individual researchers choose from an array of methods to protect themselves before, and sometimes during and after an investigation. This article will address many of these methods.
In order to ward off negative or demonic entities, protection prayers are recited. These prayers are not necessarily considered to remove demons that are already present. Instead, they are meant to prevent demonic entities from entering, or otherwise influencing a person, home, property, or object. The type of prayer is a decision of the investigator or team, based on their belief system.
Paranormal investigators and professional exorcists often use the repetitive recitation of protection prayers as a chant to shield themselves from harm or fear whenever engaging malevolent spirits or demons. Since demons cannot really be destroyed, but only banished from a person or place, these prayers also prevent demons from "jumping." Jumping is to shift from one individual/space to a new one. Demons have been known to do this in order to temporarily fool exorcists into believing they have successfully cast them out, when in fact the targeted demons have only moved to a new space. In extreme cases, when serious mistakes are made by an exorcist, demons have even been known to attempt jumping from the possessed person or space to the body of the acting exorcist. Reciting prayers of protection can offer a protective shield against the demon being engaged. *Please do not attempt to exorcise a demon without the proper training (demonology and exorcisms). Thankfully demons are a rare encounter; however, you may do more harm than good, both for your client and yourself. Know and respect your limitations when such cases arise.*
Commonly used prayers of protection: The Circle of Light
The "Circle of Light" prayer is an effective nondenominational protection prayer. Sometimes, this prayer is recited after lighting a blessed or unblessed candle. Before reciting the prayer, first envision being completely surrounded by a strong circle of protective light.
The light of God surrounds us (me).
The love of God enfolds us (me).
The power of God protects us (me).
The presence of God watches over us (me).
Wherever we are (I am), God is.
The Prayer to the Archangel Michael
One of the most powerful prayers of protection against demonic forces is the "Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel" There are several known alternate versions of this prayer. Those who regularly deal with demons and malevolent spirits usually memorize the shortest version and believe they gain strength when a group recites the prayer in unison. This short version is as follows:
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray
And do thou, Oh Prince of the Heavenly Host, by God's power, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits
Who wander the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen
The Twenty-Third Psalm
The Twenty-Third Psalm, from the Old Testament Book of Psalms, can be recited for a variety of purposes. Therefore, some consider it a multi-purpose prayer. As a prayer for those in mourning, it is often recited at funerals of both the Judaic and Christian faiths. It also gives courage to the fearful and hope to those who suffer from despair. Additionally, it is considered a prayer of protection against evil or demonic forces.
The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake, and though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all of the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
(Source: How to Protect Yourself From Demonic Spirits – Nathan Brown)
An amulet is an object whose most important characteristic is the power ascribed to it to protect its owner from danger or harm. Amulets differ from talismans, as a talisman is believed to bring luck or some other benefit, though it can offer protection as well. Amulets are likewise often confused with pendants; charms that hang from necklaces. While any pendant may indeed be an amulet, so may any other charm which serves to protect from danger. Amulets have been used throughout the ages and across cultures and religious denominations. Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants, and animals; even words in the form of a magical spell or incantation to repel evil or bad luck. Amulets may be worn or carried for protection. If danger is perceived, the bearer may choose to clutch it in their hand to feel closer to the amulet and its perceived power.
Spiritual Protection is something that everyone should know how to do, regardless of our religious beliefs (or lack of). It encompasses far more than just ghosts & spirits too. Negativity in any form can be damaging to the human energy field (aura). Fear, anger, depression, negative people/places, arguments and more actually create negative energy that can cling to you or build up in your home and cause problems over time. Spiritual cleansings are very important, for yourself and your home. Many recommend they be done at least every few months, more if feeling stressed or fatigued.
A pendant is anything hanging down from the neck, usually suspended from a chain. As stated above, an amulet may be in the form of a pendant, as may medallions, crystals, etc. Similar to amulets, pendants are worn for spiritual protection. The wearer may also clutch their pendant when feeling the need for more security from harm or spiritual danger.
(Source: Wings for the Spirit)
A medallion is simply a pendant in the shape of a medal worn around the neck, for our purposes for protection from negative or evil forces. Medallions often have images of saints or other spiritual symbols which vary by religious or spiritual belief of the wearer. In the Catholic faith, religious medals were in common use for centuries. This use has waned somewhat in present times. The Archangel Michael and St. Benedict are the two most recognized protection medallion.
Saint Michael the Archangel is the patron of the dying and soldiers, to name just a few. He was the leader of God's army during the uprising of Lucifer and is honored in not only Christianity but also Judaism and Islam. Saint Michael the Archangel is considered to be the guardian and protector of the Church. The medallion depicting Michael is often used for protection by investigators. Some medallions have the prayer etched on them in addition to the depiction of the Archangel slaying the beast.
Perhaps lesser known to the general public, but quite renown among those seeking protection from evil is that of Saint Benedict. Many believe the Medals of St. Benedict, or "devil chasing medals", are the most potent objects in the barring of malevolent or demonic entities. St. Benedict was the founder of the Benedictine monastic order, and many stories involving the barring or thwarting of evil or demonic forces are credited to him. This medal is used in exorcisms, approved by Pope Benedict XIV in the 18th century.
According to the story, when a servant of evil offered St. Benedict a poisoned goblet, the man of God made the sign of the cross, and the goblet immediately shattered. A loaf of poisoned bread that the man had also offered to Benedict was then set upon by a raven that flew away with it, thwarting the man's plan to kill the monk.
Crystals and stones are believed by many to give their metaphysical energies to protect. From amber which was used extensively for protection by the ancient Romans to golden amulets of the ancient Egyptians to modern good luck charms, many protection magic items have been made of crystals and stones of a vast variety, far too numerous to name in this article, each with a specific purpose.
Certain crystals and stones carry protective properties. Here is a short list of the most common ones: fire agate, amber, amethyst, fluorite black onyx, citrine, coral, emerald, garnet, obsidian (apache tears), ruby, tourmaline. You can charge your gemstones in the sunlight, and either carry them with you, place them around your home, or purchase jewelry that contains stones with the properties you want, and wear them. A detailed listing of crystals and their intended use may be found on crystalearth.com.
Crystals are believed to protect not only attacks on the body and spirit from negative entities, but also to ward off negative energy. They protect the psychic energy, and the aura of psychics from attack when in the psychic and spirit realms. They provide balance, healing, and energy. This article is a general description of use of crystal for protection. There are other more detailed articles on crystology available on the NPS website.
(Sources: Wings for the Spirit, meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com, crystalearth.com)
In many magical traditions, workings can be done to ensure protection of home, property, and people. There are a number of simple ways you can do protection workings. Witches, as well as practitioners of Wicca, Black Magic, White Magic, Hoodoo and pagan traditions use spells to ward off evil spirits, harm from enemies, etc. Wicca and Hoodoo protection spells are detailed here, to represent one more commonly known and one lesser known practice. Protection spells for the others listed above are easily found by internet search.
In Wicca, There are many basic techniques of protection that require no rituals or incantations. These things are easy and effective: Salt – A circle of salt around an area prevents negative entities and demons from crossing into it. You can make a line of salt along a door or windowsill to make it impassable. Iron – Iron symbolizes the pure will, and repels evil. This is why Wiccans sometimes put an iron object in the entrance of their homes to deter unwanted visitors. Three iron nails driven into the frame of a door or window (one at each bottom corner and one in the top middle) block malevolent spirits from passing. Silver – This symbolizes the Moon and the Goddess, making silver jewelry easy to enchant to make talismans of protection. A silver pentacle is a powerful protection even without a spell. The Pentacle – the five-pointed star symbolizing the five elements can be traced almost anywhere as a powerful symbol of protection. Light – Many lesser demons avoid bright places and attack only when it is dark. This unfortunately has no use against the demons of higher rank. Fire – Some evil spirits fear fire, especially those spirits related to water or ice. In some cases, a single candle can be a protection. Crystals – Four quartz crystals previously blessed by a witch can create a circle of protection very quickly. Simply arrange them in a circle on the ground to create a circle that most spirits would find it hard to cross. This circle can protect you, or instead it can be used to trap a spirit in the middle. The circle is much stronger if the crystals are placed by the cardinal points.
Gemstones – stones and gems have qualities useful in magic, and many are effective for protection. Tiger's eye reflects negative energies to their source; Amethyst blocks manipulative spells and decreases the effect of harmful potions, magnetite can be used to entrap lesser demons, while opal can temporarily lock even higher demons, onyx and obsidian capture and cancel various negative energies including those used in necromancy. The mineral most often used by sorcerers is clear quartz, but it must be blessed or enchanted for it to be effective as protection. Two apples and a knife – This is another very simple method to create a circle of protection. An apple cut in half crosswise presents five areas containing its seeds as a natural pentacle! Deposited on the ground by the cardinal points, two half apples create a circle of temporary protection, which disappears when the apples are completely oxidized and have changed color. Incense – Some types of incense can make the air unbearable for bad spirits. If you have a good quality incense, you can keep many of them away. The most common protective incense types are sandalwood, patchouli, myrrh, frankincense and sage. Plants – Several herbs, spices and other plants used in Wicca have protective qualities. Garlic repels creatures that drain their victims (thus everything that has a vampiric nature); saffron and thyme deter flying spirits that are associated with wind; rosemary repels evil spirits associated with water; Sage, when burnt, is very cleansing and intolerable to evil spirits. Henbane and aconite violently repel demons, but they are very toxic plants so be careful when handling them! Lilacs planted near a home will deter wandering spirits who come by chance (but they won't stop those who come with a clear goal in mind). Branches of a thorny plant (such as a rose) placed along a door or windowsill will form a barrier as effective as a line of salt. Finally, myrrh strengthens almost all spells and protective talismans. The Athame – Although many Wiccans do not sharpen their athame and never use it to cut anything, this knife is nevertheless a weapon, in addition to being a phallic symbol and thus a symbol of God . An athame which has been properly blessed can draw a circle of protection very quickly – point it in the air and draw the boundaries of the circle. In addition, unlike any other blade, an athame can hurt spirits and demons even though they have no physical body. Broom – This is a symbol for cleansing, and a broom placed by the door will prevent weaker spirits from entering. If a particularly dangerous spirit enters the house, the broom will tend to fall to the ground as an alarm signal.
Clients seek out Hoodoo rootworkers to cast Protection From Enemies, Warding Off Evil, and Safe Travel spells for a number of different reasons, so under the general category of protection and safety spells, conjure doctors and rootworkers group together many types of magical works undertaken on behalf of clients who are seeking spiritual defense and physical security for themselves or their loved ones, including family members, children, and pets. Spiritual protection and physical protection may be combined in one job, but rootwork that aims at providing physical protection is not a substitute for following safety guidelines or seeking help from law enforcement when necessary. When evil is warded off, it is not being broken, negated or returned back on the sender; it is simply diverted or rebuffed. Warding off evil is the spiritually cleanest way of protecting oneself. This is an important point for clients to consider if they do not wish to harm the person or entity who is bothering them, but only to stop the damage from continuing or from escalating. Wards against evil quite often take the form of physical items, including apotropaic talismans, amulets, and seals which may be placed at a location or worn on the person. The mogen David, also called the shield or star of David, is one such talisman; the mezuzah or guardian of the doorposts is another. From feng shui mirrors and foo dogs to Guardian Angel prints and hanging braids of garlic, there are many such wards available to the client, no matter what their cultural traditions. Your root doctor can prescribe such a talismanic ward for you, your dwelling, or your place of business, and dress or prepare it for your particular use.
http://paganwiccan.about.com/
http://readersandrootworkers.org/
http://wiccanspells.info/
http://www.wingsforthespirit.com/
http://meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com/
http://crystalearthllc.com/
http://www.idiotsguides.com/religion-and-spirituality/supernatural/how-to-protect-yourself-against-demonic-spirits/
https://en.wikipedia.org
The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage
Courtesy of: https://en.wikipedia.org/
The Book of Abramelin tells the story of an Egyptian mage named Abramelin, or Abra-Melin, who taught a system of magic to Abraham of Worms, a German Jew presumed to have lived from c.1362–c.1458. The system of magic from this book regained popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries due to the efforts of Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers' translation, The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, its import within the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and later within the mystical system of Thelema (created in 1904 by Aleister Crowley).
Mathers used the least-reliable manuscript copy as the basis for his translation, and it contains many errors and omissions. The later English translation by Georg Dehn and Steven Guth, based on the earliest and most complete sources, is more scholarly and comprehensive. Dehn attributed authorship of The Book of Abramelin to Rabbi Yaakov Moelin (Hebrew יעקב בן משה מולין; ca. 1365–1427), a German Jewish Talmudist. This identification has since been disputed.
The grimoire is framed as a sort of epistolary novel or autobiography in which Abraham of Worms describes his journey from Germany to Egypt and reveals Abramelin's magical and Kabbalistic secrets to his son Lamech. Internally the text dates itself to the year 1458. (One might reconsider the date of the text, considering that the book Nicolas Flamel brought to Spain was also recognised as being part of the original book of Abraham the Mage, but dates back to 1378, which is nearly 80 years earlier.)
The Book of Abramelin tells the story of an Egyptian mage named Abramelin, or Abra-Melin, who taught a system of magic to Abraham of Worms.
The story involves Abraham of Worms passing his magical and Kabbalistic secrets on to his son, and tells how he acquired his knowledge. Abraham recounts how he found Abramelin the Mage living in the desert outside an Egyptian town, Arachi or Araki, which borders the Nile. Abramelin's home sat atop a small hill surrounded by trees. He was an Egyptian mage and taught a powerful form of Kabbalistic magic to Abraham. He was a "venerable aged man", and very courteous and kind. He discussed nothing but "the Fear of God", leading a well-regulated life, and the evils of the "acquisition of riches and goods."
Abramelin extracted a promise from Abraham that he would give up his "false dogmas" and live "in the Way and Law of the Lord." He then gave Abraham two manuscript books to copy for himself, asking for ten gold florins, which he took with the intention of distributing to seventy-two poor persons in Arachi. Upon his return fifteen days later, after having disposed of the payment money, Abramelin extracted an oath from Abraham to "serve and fear" the Lord, and to "live and die in His most Holy Law." After this, Abramelin gave Abraham the "Divine Science" and "True Magic" embedded within the two manuscripts, which he was to follow and give to only those whom he knew well.
The book exists in the form of seven manuscripts and an early printed edition. The provenance of the text has not been definitively identified. The earliest manuscripts are two versions that date from about 1608, are written in German and are now found in Wolfenbüttel.Another two manuscripts are in Dresden, and date from about 1700 and 1750 respectively.
The first printed version, also in German, dates to 1725 and was printed in Cologne by Peter Hammer. A partial copy in Hebrew is found in the Bodleian Library in Oxford, and dates from around 1740. A manuscript copy existed in French in the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal in Paris, an institution founded in 1797. The French copy has since disappeared, but is available on microfilm. Another 17th-century manuscript in Italian exists in the 'Legato Martinengo' of the Queriniana Library in Brescia, Italy. It was part of the collection of the Count and Qabbalist Leopardo Martinengo of Barco and Pallavicina. The manuscript, unknown for centuries to international researchers until 2009, has been found by academic researcher Maria Elena Loda in the esoteric section. At the moment, it is the only known manuscript translation in Italian language of the Abramelin grimoire.
All German copies of the text consist of four books: an autobiographical account of the travels of Abraham of Worms to Egypt, a book of assorted materials from the corpus of the practical Kabbalah (including some which is duplicated in the German-Jewish grimoire called "The Sixth and 7th Books of Moses") and the two books of magic given by Abramelin to Abraham. The well-known English translation by S.L. MacGregor Mathers from the French Manuscript in Paris contains only three of the four books. The Hebrew version in Oxford is limited to Book One, without reference to the further books.
Of all the extant sources, the German manuscripts in Wolfenbüttel and Dresden are taken by scholars to be the authoritative texts. According to respected Kabbalah scholar Gershom Scholem, the Hebrew version in Oxford was translated into Hebrew from German. An analysis of the spelling and language usage in the French manuscript indicates that it dates to the 18th century, and that it was also likely copied from a German original. Although the author quotes from the Jewish Book of Psalms, the version given is not from the Hebrew; rather, it is from the Latin Vulgate, a translation of the Bible employed by Roman Catholics at that time.
The German esoteric scholar Georg Dehn has argued that the author of The Book of Abramelin was Rabbi Yaakov Moelin (Hebrew יעקב בן משה מולין; ca. 1365–1427), a German Jewish Talmudist and posek (authority on Jewish law). (ref Georg Dehn, The Book of Abramelin: A New Translation, transl. by Steven Guth, Ibis Publishing, 2006)
Abramelin operation
The text describes an elaborate ritual whose purpose is to obtain the "knowledge and conversation" of the magician's "guardian angel." The preparations are elaborate, difficult, and long. All of the German texts describe a duration for the operation of 18 months before any divine contact is known. In the Mathers translation, the initial phase of working the system lasts only six months.
During the period of the work, the magician must daily pray before sunrise and again at sunset. During this preparatory phase, there are many restrictions: chastity must be observed, alcoholic beverages refused, and the magician must conduct his business with scrupulous fairness.
After the preparatory phase has been successfully completed, the magician's Holy Guardian Angel will appear and reveal magical secrets.
Once this is accomplished, the magician must evoke the 12 Kings and Dukes of Hell (Lucifer, Satan, Leviathan, Belial, etc.) and bind them. Thereby, the magician gains command of them in his own mental universe, and removes their negative influence from his life. Further, these spirits must deliver a number of familiar spirits (four principal familiars, and several more associated with a set of magical word-square talismans provided in the Abramelin's Book Four).
The magical goals for which the demons can be employed are typical of those found in grimoires: the practitioner is promised the ability to find buried treasure, cast love charms, the ability of magical flight, and the secret of invisibility, to list a small number of examples.
Magic squares feature prominently in the instructions for carrying out these operations, as does a recipe for an anointing oil (taken from Exodus 30), popularly used by ceremonial magicians under the name "Abramelin Oil". There are also several further tools – such as a holy Lamp, a Wand made of an almond branch, a recipe for incense known today as "Abramelin Incense" (also taken from Exodus 30), various Robes, a square or seven-sided plate of silver or (bees) wax, etc.
Because the work involves evocation of demons, the Abramelin operation has been compared to Goetic magic, especially by European scholars. However, the text's primary focus is upon the invocation of the guardian angel, and modern works on the subject tend to focus upon this aspect as well.
Magic word squares
The practical magic of Abramelin (found in both Book III of the French text, and Book IV of the German original) centers around a set of talismans composed of magic word squares. These are similar to traditional magic squares, though the latter are usually composed of numbers, while Abramelin's squares contain letters. Commonly word squares are used as puzzles or as teaching aids for students. In the context of Abramelin, the focus becomes mystical—so that each square should contain words or names that relate to the magical goal of the square. A parallel is found in the famous Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas word square, an altered version of which is also found among Abramelin's squares.
For example, a square entitled "To walk under water for as long as you want" contains the word MAIAM (מים or ماء), the Hebrew and Arabic word for "water". A square for recovering treasures of jewelry begins with the word TIPHARAH (תפארה, a variant of Tiferet), which can mean "golden ring" in Hebrew and is also the name of the sphere of "Beauty" (which has the planetary attribution of the Sun) on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.
Abramelin and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
In 1897, The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage was translated into English by the British occultist Samuel L. MacGregor Mathers. The magic described in the grimoire was influential in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, of which Mathers was the head.
The British occultist Aleister Crowley, at the time a young member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, started preparations for seeking the angel by following Abramelin's instructions, in Boleskine House, Scotland, but he abandoned this plan to assist Mathers during the Golden Dawn schism of 1901.
Abramelin and Thelema
The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage was to have a profound effect upon Crowley, the founder of Thelema. In 1906, Crowley decided to alter the Abramelin operation so that he might perform it during a trip he and his wife Rose Kelly and their infant daughter were taking through China. He reported first a vision of a shining figure who admitted him to the magical Order A∴A∴, and later a more drastic mystical experience that he considered to be the Knowledge and Conversation of his Holy Guardian Angel. However, he showed ambivalence about the role that his use of hashish had played in this experience, so in October 1908, he again performed the operation in Paris without its use.
As he developed the system of the A∴A∴, the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel was to become the fundamental task of every minor adept. Although Crowley would go on to create his own ritual for attaining this, while also saying that an adept could more or less achieve this mystical state in any number of ways, the fundamental concepts remained consistent with Abramelin.
Abramelin and contemporary eclectic occultism
Since the time of Mathers' translation, The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage has remained popular among English-speaking ceremonial magicians and occultists interested in Hermetic Qabalah, Christian Kabbalah and grimoires. A paperback reprint during the renewed rise of interest in hermeticism during the 1970s placed the book before a new generation of readers, and one offshoot of this was that a number of people, both within and without the Thelemic and Golden Dawn communities, claimed to have either undertaken the Abramelin operation in toto or to have successfully experimented with the magic squares and Abramelin oil formula found in the text.
There are several important differences between the original manuscripts and Mathers' edition. First, one of the four books was missing entirely from the French manuscript with which he worked. Second, Mathers gave the duration of the operation as six months, whereas all other sources specify eighteen months. Third, possibly due to a mistranslation, Mathers changed one of the ingredients within the recipe for Abramelin oil, specifying galangal instead of the original herb calamus. The oil in the German manuscript sources also contains cassia and is nearly identical to the biblical recipe for Holy anointing oil. The differences between the recipes cause several notable changes in the oil's characteristics, including edibility, fragrance, dermal sensation, and spiritual symbolism. Fourth, there are 242 word squares in Mathers' translation, while the original German has 251. Most of the squares in Mathers are not completely filled in, and those that are differ markedly from the German sources.
A German translation, credited to Abraham of Worms and edited by Georg Dehn, was published in 2001 by Edition Araki. In the Dehn version, the fourth book is included and Mathers' galangal substitution is reverted to calamus (though not in the English translation — see Abramelin Oil). All 251 of the word squares are completely filled in. An English translation of Dehn's edition was published 2006 by the American publisher Nicholas Hays.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Abramelin
The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage translated by S.L. MacGregor Mathers (1897; reprinted by Dover Publications, 1975) ISBN 0-85030-255-2
Die heilige Magie des Abramelin von Abraham, edited by Johann Richard Beecken (Schikowski,1957) ISBN 3-87702-017-8
Das Buch der wahren Praktik in der goettlichen Magie edited by Jeorg von Inns (Diederichs Gelbe Reihe, 1988)
Abramelin & Co. by Peter-R. Koenig (Hiram-Edition, 1995) ISBN 3-927890-24-3
Carlos Gilly: Cimelia Rhodostaurotica – Die Rosenkreuzer im Spiegel der zwischen 1610 und 1660 entstandenen Handschriften und Drucke, Amsterdam, In de Pelikan 1995, S. 18-19 (the first critical discussion of the original manuscript of the pseudoepigraphical author Abraham of Worms, first written in German in 1608 and transmitted in codified form (Wolfenbüttel HAB, cod. guelf. 47.13 Aug. 4°, fols. 1r-31v), together with the corresponding decoding key (cod. guelf. 10.1.b Aug. 2°, S. 147). The manuscript is presented in its historical context and compared to the later, uncritical copies and editions).
Buch Abramelin das ist Die egyptischen großen Offenbarungen. Oder des Abraham von Worms Buch der wahren Praktik in der uralten göttlichen Magie (Editions Araki, 2001) ISBN 3-936149-00-3
Book of Abramelin: A New Translation by Abraham von Worms, edited by Georg Dehn, translated by Steven Guth, foreword by Lon Milo DuQuette, (Nicholas Hays, September 2006) ISBN 0-89254-127-X
Maria Elena Loda: La Magia Sacra di Abramelin , in Misinta n° 31, Brescia 2009 ( critical article about the Italian manuscript of the Martinengo Collection ).
The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage translated by S.L. Macgregor Mathers
Abramelin Yahoo group.
The Holy Guardian Angel: Exploring the Sacred Magick of Abramelin the Mage by Aaron Leitch
Abramelin's Magickal Word Squares- Compiled and Corrected for the First Time by Aaron Leitch
Abraham of Worms, Abramelin, ancient texts, Ashley Ann Lewis, featured occult, magic, translation
The Cottingley Fairies
The Cottingley Fairies appear in a series of five photographs taken by Elsie Wright (1900–88) and Frances Griffiths (1907–86), two young cousins who lived in Cottingley, near Bradford in England. In 1917, when the first two photographs were taken, Elsie was 16 years old and Frances was 9. The pictures came to the attention of writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who used them to illustrate an article on fairies he had been commissioned to write for the Christmas 1920 edition of The Strand Magazine. Doyle, as a spiritualist, was enthusiastic about the photographs, and interpreted them as clear and visible evidence of psychic phenomena. Public reaction was mixed; some accepted the images as genuine, but others believed they had been faked.
Interest in the Cottingley Fairies gradually declined after 1921. Both girls married and lived abroad for a time after they grew up, yet the photographs continued to hold the public imagination. In 1966 a reporter from the Daily Express newspaper traced Elsie, who had by then returned to the UK. Elsie left open the possibility that she believed she had photographed her thoughts, and the media once again became interested in the story.
In the early 1980s Elsie and Frances admitted that the photographs were faked, using cardboard cutouts of fairies copied from a popular children's book of the time, but Frances maintained that the fifth and final photograph was genuine. The photographs and two of the cameras used are on display in the National Media Museum in Bradford.
1917 photographs
In mid-1917 nine-year-old Frances Griffiths and her mother—both newly arrived in the UK from South Africa—were staying with Frances' aunt, Elsie Wright's mother, in the village of Cottingley in West Yorkshire; Elsie was then 16 years old. The two girls often played together beside the beck (stream) at the bottom of the garden, much to their mothers' annoyance, because they frequently came back with wet feet and clothes. Frances and Elsie said they only went to the beck to see the fairies, and to prove it, Elsie borrowed her father's camera, a Midg quarter-plate. The girls returned about 30 minutes later, "triumphant".
Elsie's father, Arthur, was a keen amateur photographer, and had set up his own darkroom. The picture on the photographic plate he developed showed Frances behind a bush in the foreground, on which four fairies appeared to be dancing. Knowing his daughter's artistic ability, and that she had spent some time working in a photographer's studio, he dismissed the figures as cardboard cutouts. Two months later the girls borrowed his camera again, and this time returned with a photograph of Elsie sitting on the lawn holding out her hand to a 1-foot-tall (30 cm) gnome. Exasperated by what he believed to be "nothing but a prank", and convinced that the girls must have tampered with his camera in some way, Arthur Wright refused to lend it to them again. His wife Polly, however, believed the photographs to be authentic.
I am learning French, Geometry, Cookery and Algebra at school now. Dad came home from France the other week after being there ten months, and we all think the war will be over in a few days … I am sending two photos, both of me, one of me in a bathing costume in our back yard, while the other is me with some fairies. Elsie took that one.
Letter from Frances Griffiths to a friend in South Africa
Towards the end of 1918, Frances sent a letter to Johanna Parvin, a friend in Cape Town, South Africa, where Frances had lived for most of her life, enclosing the photograph of her with the fairies. On the back she wrote "It is funny, I never used to see them in Africa. It must be too hot for them there."
The photographs became public in mid-1919, after Elsie's mother attended a meeting of the Theosophical Society in Bradford. The lecture that evening was on "Fairy Life", and at the end of the meeting Polly Wright showed the two fairy photographs taken by her daughter and niece to the speaker. As a result, the photographs were displayed at the Society's annual conference in Harrogate, held a few months later. There they came to the attention of a leading member of the Society, Edward Gardner. One of the central beliefs of Theosophy is that humanity is undergoing a cycle of evolution, towards increasing "perfection", and Gardner recognised the potential significance of the photographs for the movement:
… the fact that two young girls had not only been able to see fairies, which others had done, but had actually for the first time ever been able to materialise them at a density sufficient for their images to be recorded on a photographic plate, meant that it was possible that the next cycle of evolution was underway.
Initial examinations
Gardner sent the prints along with the original glass-plate negatives to Harold Snelling, a photography expert. Snelling's opinion was that "the two negatives are entirely genuine, unfaked photographs … [with] no trace whatsoever of studio work involving card or paper models". He did not go so far as to say that the photographs showed fairies, stating only that "these are straight forward photographs of whatever was in front of the camera at the time". Gardner had the prints "clarified" by Snelling, and new negatives produced, "more conducive to printing", for use in the illustrated lectures he gave around the UK.Snelling supplied the photographic prints which were available for sale at Gardner's lectures.
The second of the five photographs, showing Elsie with a winged gnome
Author and prominent Spiritualist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle learned of the photographs from the editor of the Spiritualists' publication Light. He had been commissioned by The Strand Magazine to write an article on fairies for their Christmas issue, and the fairy photographs "must have seemed like a godsend" according to broadcaster and historian Magnus Magnusson. Doyle contacted Gardner in June 1920 to determine the background to the photographs, and wrote to Elsie and her father to request permission from the latter to use the prints in his article. Arthur Wright was "obviously impressed" that Doyle was involved, and gave his permission for publication, but he refused payment on the grounds that, if genuine, the images should not be "soiled" by money.
Gardner and Doyle sought a second expert opinion from the photographic company Kodak. Several of the company's technicians examined the enhanced prints, and although they agreed with Snelling that the pictures "showed no signs of being faked", they concluded that "this could not be taken as conclusive evidence … that they were authentic photographs of fairies".Kodak declined to issue a certificate of authenticity. Gardner believed that the Kodak technicians might not have examined the photographs entirely objectively, observing that one had commented "after all, as fairies couldn't be true, the photographs must have been faked somehow". The prints were also examined by another photographic company, Ilford, who reported unequivocally that there was "some evidence of faking". Gardner and Doyle, perhaps rather optimistically, interpreted the results of the three expert evaluations as two in favour of the photographs' authenticity and one against.
Doyle also showed the photographs to the physicist and pioneering psychical researcher Sir Oliver Lodge, who believed the photographs to be fake. He suggested that a troupe of dancers had masqueraded as fairies, and expressed doubt as to their "distinctly 'Parisienne'" hairstyles.
Doyle was preoccupied with organizing an imminent lecture tour of Australia, and in July 1920, sent Gardner to meet the Wright family. Frances was by then living with her parents in Scarborough, but Elsie's father told Gardner that he had been so certain the photographs were fakes that while the girls were away he searched their bedroom and the area around the beck (stream), looking for scraps of pictures or cutouts, but found nothing "incriminating".
Frances and the Leaping Fairy, the third photograph
Gardner believed the Wright family to be honest and respectable. To place the matter of the photographs' authenticity beyond doubt, he returned to Cottingley at the end of July with two Kodak Cameo cameras and 24 secretly marked photographic plates. Frances was invited to stay with the Wright family during the school summer holiday so that she and Elsie could take more pictures of the fairies.Gardner described his briefing in his 1945 Fairies: A Book of Real Fairies:
I went off, to Cottingley again, taking the two cameras and plates from London, and met the family and explained to the two girls the simple working of the cameras, giving one each to keep. The cameras were loaded, and my final advice was that they need go up to the glen only on fine days as they had been accustomed to do before and tice the fairies, as they called their way of attracting them, and see what they could get. I suggested only the most obvious and easy precautions about lighting and distance, for I knew it was essential they should feel free and unhampered and have no burden of responsibility. If nothing came of it all, I told them, they were not to mind a bit.
Until 19 August the weather was unsuitable for photography. Because Frances and Elsie insisted that the fairies would not show themselves if others were watching, Elsie's mother was persuaded to visit her sister's for tea, leaving the girls alone. In her absence the girls took several photographs, two of which appeared to show fairies. In the first, Frances and the Leaping Fairy, Frances is shown in profile with a winged fairy close by her nose. The second, Fairy offering Posy of Harebells to Elsie, shows a fairy either hovering or tiptoeing on a branch, and offering Elsie a flower. Two days later the girls took the last picture, Fairies and Their Sun-Bath.
The plates were packed in cotton wool and returned to Gardner in London, who sent an "ecstatic" telegram to Doyle, by then in Melbourne. Doyle wrote back:
My heart was gladdened when out here in far Australia I had your note and the three wonderful pictures which are confirmatory of our published results. When our fairies are admitted other psychic phenomena will find a more ready acceptance … We have had continued messages at seances for some time that a visible sign was coming through.
Publication and reaction
The fourth photograph, Fairy Offering Posy of Harebells to Elsie
Doyle's article in the December 1920 issue of The Strand contained two higher resolution prints of the 1917 photographs, and sold out within days of publication. To protect the girls' anonymity, Frances and Elsie were called Alice and Iris respectively, and the Wright family was referred to as the Carpenters. An enthusiastic and committed Spiritualist, Doyle hoped that if the photographs convinced the public of the existence of fairies, then they might more readily accept other psychic phenomena. He ended his article with the words:
The recognition of their existence will jolt the material twentieth century mind out of its heavy ruts in the mud, and will make it admit that there is a glamour and mystery to life. Having discovered this, the world will not find it so difficult to accept that spiritual message supported by physical facts which has already been put before it.
Early press coverage was "mixed", generally a combination of "embarrassment and puzzlement". The historical novelist and poet Maurice Hewlett published a series of articles in the literary journal John O' London's Weekly, in which he concluded: "And knowing children, and knowing that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has legs, I decide that the Miss Carpenters have pulled one of them." The Sydney newspaper Truth on 5 January 1921 expressed a similar view; "For the true explanation of these fairy photographs what is wanted is not a knowledge of occult phenomena but a knowledge of children." Some public figures were more sympathetic. Margaret McMillan, the educational and social reformer, wrote: "How wonderful that to these dear children such a wonderful gift has been vouchsafed."The novelist Henry de Vere Stacpoole decided to take the fairy photographs and the girls at face value. In a letter to Gardner he wrote: "Look at Alice's [Frances'] face. Look at Iris's [Elsie's] face. There is an extraordinary thing called TRUTH which has 10 million faces and forms – it is God's currency and the cleverest coiner or forger can't imitate it."
Major John Hall-Edwards, a keen photographer and pioneer of medical X-ray treatments in Britain, was a particularly vigorous critic:
On the evidence I have no hesitation in saying that these photographs could have been "faked". I criticize the attitude of those who declared there is something supernatural in the circumstances attending to the taking of these pictures because, as a medical man, I believe that the inculcation of such absurd ideas into the minds of children will result in later life in manifestations and nervous disorder and mental disturbances.
Doyle used the later photographs in 1921 to illustrate a second article in The Strand, in which he described other accounts of fairy sightings. The article formed the foundation for his 1922 book The Coming of the Fairies. As before, the photographs were received with mixed credulity. Sceptics noted that the fairies "looked suspiciously like the traditional fairies of nursery tales" and that they had "very fashionable hairstyles".
Gardner's final visit
Gardner made a final visit to Cottingley in August 1921. He again brought cameras and photographic plates for Frances and Elsie, but was accompanied by the clairvoyant Geoffrey Hodson. Although neither of the girls claimed to see any fairies, and there were no more photographs, "on the contrary, he [Hodson] saw them [fairies] everywhere" and wrote voluminous notes on his observations.
By now Elsie and Frances were tired of the whole fairy business. Years later Elsie looked at a photograph of herself and Frances taken with Hodson and said: "Look at that, fed up with fairies!" Both Elsie and Frances later admitted that they "played along" with Hodson "out of mischief", and that they considered him "a fake".
Later investigations
Public interest in the Cottingley Fairies gradually subsided after 1921. Elsie and Frances eventually married and lived abroad for many years. In 1966, a reporter from the Daily Express newspaper traced Elsie, who was by then back in England. She admitted in an interview given that year that the fairies might have been "figments of my imagination", but left open the possibility she believed that she had somehow managed to photograph her thoughts. The media subsequently once again became interested in Frances and Elsie's photographs. BBC television's Nationwide programme investigated the case in 1971, but Elsie stuck to her story: "I've told you that they're photographs of figments of our imagination, and that's what I'm sticking to".
Elsie and Frances were interviewed by journalist Austin Mitchell in September 1976, for a programme broadcast on Yorkshire Television. When pressed, both women agreed that "a rational person doesn't see fairies", but they denied having fabricated the photographs.In 1978 the magician and scientific sceptic James Randi and a team from the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal examined the photographs, using a "computer enhancement process". They concluded that the photographs were fakes, and that strings could be seen supporting the fairies. Geoffrey Crawley, editor of the British Journal of Photography, undertook a "major scientific investigation of the photographs and the events surrounding them", published between 1982 and 1983, "the first major postwar analysis of the affair". He also concluded that the pictures were fakes.
Three dancing figures
One of Claude Arthur Shepperson's illustrations of dancing girls, from Princess Mary's Gift Book. In 1983, the cousins admitted in an article published in the magazine The Unexplained that the photographs had been faked, although both maintained that they really had seen fairies. Elsie had copied illustrations of dancing girls from a popular children's book of the time, Princess Mary's Gift Book, published in 1914, and drew wings on them. They said they had then cut out the cardboard figures and supported them with hatpins, disposing of their props in the beck once the photograph had been taken. But the cousins disagreed about the fifth and final photograph, which Doyle in his The Coming of the Fairies described in this way:
Seated on the upper left hand edge with wing well displayed is an undraped fairy apparently considering whether it is time to get up. An earlier riser of more mature age is seen on the right possessing abundant hair and wonderful wings. Her slightly denser body can be glimpsed within her fairy dress.
Fairies and Their Sun-Bath, the fifth and last photograph of the Cottingley Fairies
Comparison of Cottingley Fairies and illustrations from Princess Mary's Gift Book
Elsie maintained it was a fake, just like all the others, but Frances insisted that it was genuine. In an interview given in the early 1980s Frances said:
It was a wet Saturday afternoon and we were just mooching about with our cameras and Elsie had nothing prepared. I saw these fairies building up in the grasses and just aimed the camera and took a photograph.
Both Frances and Elsie claimed to have taken the fifth photograph. In a letter published in The Times newspaper on 9 April 1983, Geoffrey Crawley explained the discrepancy by suggesting that the photograph was "an unintended double exposure of fairy cutouts in the grass", and thus "both ladies can be quite sincere in believing that they each took it".
In a 1985 interview on Yorkshire Television's Arthur C. Clarke's World of Strange Powers, Elsie said that she and Frances were too embarrassed to admit the truth after fooling Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes: "Two village kids and a brilliant man like Conan Doyle – well, we could only keep quiet." In the same interview Frances said: "I never even thought of it as being a fraud – it was just Elsie and I having a bit of fun and I can't understand to this day why they were taken in – they wanted to be taken in."
Subsequent history
Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright, June 1917
Frances died in 1986, and Elsie in 1988. Prints of their photographs of the fairies, along with a few other items including a first edition of Doyle's book The Coming of the Fairies, were sold at auction in London for £21,620 in 1998. That same year, Geoffrey Crawley sold his Cottingley Fairy material to the National Museum of Film, Photography and Television in Bradford (now the National Media Museum), where it is on display. The collection included prints of the photographs, two of the cameras used by the girls, watercolours of fairies painted by Elsie, and a nine-page letter from Elsie admitting to the hoax. The glass photographic plates were bought for £6,000 by an unnamed buyer at a London auction held in 2001.
Frances' daughter, Christine Lynch, appeared in an episode of the television programme Antiques Roadshow in Belfast, broadcast on BBC One in January 2009, with the photographs and one of the cameras given to the girls by Doyle. Christine told the expert, Paul Atterbury, that she believed, as her mother had done, that the fairies in the fifth photograph were genuine. Atterbury estimated the value of the items at between £25,000 and £30,000. The first edition of Frances' memoirs was published a few months later, under the title Reflections on the Cottingley Fairies. The book contains correspondence, sometimes "bitter", between Elsie and Frances. In one letter, dated 1983, Frances wrote:
I hated those photographs from the age of 16 when Mr Gardner presented me with a bunch of flowers and wanted me to sit on the platform [at a Theosophical Society meeting] with him. I realized what I was in for if I did not keep myself hidden.
The 1997 films FairyTale: A True Story and Photographing Fairies were inspired by the events surrounding the Cottingley Fairies. The photographs were parodied in a 1994 book written by Terry Jones and Brian Froud, Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottingley_Fairies
elsie wright, occult, paranormal
Day 5 – 7 Astral Planes
Courtesy of: http://stairways-to-heaven.com/ (Site is no longer available)
The Astral World consist of seven planes, which correspond to the seven divisions of matter; the solid, liquid, gaseous, etheric, super-etheric, subatomic, and atomic. They are as follow:
7th Astral Plane
This is the lowest plane of the astral world, known as Avichi. Here, the lowest, gross and unrestrained passions exist. This plane is hell to the inhabitants who stay here because it's where desires cannot be satisfied because they do not have a physical body to satisfy them. They can see but they can't touch! Thus, their inability to satisfy their desires is torturous.
Inhabitants will find themselves in somewhat familiar surroundings, with former family and friends, who often, like themselves, do not realize or refuse to accept the reality that they are dead. Scenery, cities, buildings, furniture, etc. are built by the imaginative minds of the inhabitants.
The inhabitants on the 5th astral plane are busy working out their intellectual desires and ordinary tendencies, tastes, likes and aspirations that they were unable to manifest fully in earth life.
Inhabitants and scenes of people acting out and enjoying their lives that they once enjoyed in earth life. All sceneries and things (including animals) are artificially created by their imagination.
3rd Astral Plane
Dwellers are engaged in work of an inventive and constructive nature. Men and women are perfecting what their interest was while in earth life. For example, artist/musicians creating their masterpieces.
2nd Astral Plane
A great religious atmosphere surrounds this place. Inhabitants of all races, creeds, and beliefs dwell here. Here is where the religious aspirations and emotions find their full power of expression. This is heaven taught by all religions. Imaginative power build up all the scenery here.
1st Astral Plane
This is the highest planes of the astral, inhabited by the great philosophers, scientists and metaphysicians. They were once highly evolved beings who have volunteered from the higher spheres (above the Astral) to teach those here on the highest Astral Plane.
Source: http://stairways-to-heaven.com/7-astral-planes/ (no longer available)
7, astral planes, occult, paranormal
Day 4 – Astral Projection
Courtesy of: http://paranormal.about.com/
The concept of astral projection has been around for a long time, but until today, it has been hidden from most of humanity. Now, with the aid of astral projection, new levels of knowledge and power enable us to discover the answer to Man's eternal question about life in the physical body.
Death takes on a new meaning as we begin to realize that it is only a transition to another dimension, or place of existence. By learning to astral project, we can learn many things about ourselves, and unlearn many things that were previously thought to be true. This leads us to the realization that our physical bodies are only a part of our entire selves, and there is more to our existence than meets the eye!
In our limited awareness, the reality we live and breathe on earth, with its beautiful landscapes, mountains, rivers, streams, animals and insects, can be compared with the petals on a flower. What we see is not the whole flower, but only a part. This is because man has lost touch with the use of his own mind. He concludes, erroneously, that the physical world is the only reality there is. He believes that his life as an individual has only to do with the flesh body of himself, and concludes that the physical world is solid and real because his senses tell him it "feels" solid and real.
The mind has abilities that go beyond the five senses of the physical world. The petal of the flower that we now experience is the material world or physical plane of existence. It has a specific vibration, just as all creatures on this level vibrate at the same rate. Because of this, regardless of where we go on this level, all things take on the appearance of being solid, material objects. Just as the colors of the rainbow show the effects of the different vibrations of light, and the melodies on the piano show the effect of the different notes, so, too, does the entire universe contain various octaves, or rates of vibration. These universal harmonics comprise the different levels of existence.
So the earth plane we live on is only one of many dimensions. There are other spheres that we describe as being above or below us. Actually, they are not really above or below us, but rather at all times around us, permeating all things. Astral projection allows us to discover that the people and objects existing on these other realms can be just as solid and real as any object on the earth terrain. And if we happened to be in another level, looking back "down" into this region, we would view an earth that was not solid. Right now, at every instant, we are living, coexisting with, and walking through people and objects of another dimension! When a person astral projects, he or she can see these other frontiers.
OUR ASTRAL BODIES
When we were born into this physical world, we were provided with a physical body to carry out our duties. Astral projection allows us to project "out of the body" and into the next plane of existence, which is the astral plane. When we do this, we are in another body, which is called the "astral body." We already possess this astral body, just as all other people, animals, creatures and everything on earth possess an astral body.
The astral body has some amazing properties. Unlike the physical body, which is held down by gravity, the astral body can overcome this limitation by the effort of thought alone. While out of the body, we can not only walk around as if in the physical, but also soar above the trees, or go out into space. Another property of the astral body is that it cannot be injured. One of the greatest fears while on earth is pain or injury. While out of the body, this normal human reaction can be unlearned, because there is absolutely nothing that will cause damage to the astral body! In the next dimension, fire, knives, guns, falling from great heights, electrical shocks, disease, wild animals or being run over by a steam roller can do no harm. Many people receive lessons about this in their dreams. Watch for them, because you'll discover that you always survive – don't you?
In this next level of existence, which all of us can visit, there are many familiar things, such as cars, trains, planes, and highways. Everything that is on this earth right now comes from the astral plane. Many people get this backward. They think the astral dimension was molded from earth. The truth is, the earth was fashioned from the ideas and discoveries which originated on the astral.
When we are out of the body, communication is accomplished by thought. Another word for this is telepathy. In other words, it is not necessary to move our lips in order to be heard, although we can do this if we wish. Sometimes, when we hear what we think is just a thought, this could actually be someone communicating to us from the astral.
This next plane of existence has been sought after, researched, and argued about by philosophers and religious people from time immemorial. Until now, it has remained elusive and has evaded discovery to all but the most diligent. The individual who looks within instead of without, who looks to correct his own imperfections, and who treats others as he wishes to be treated will have the door of discovery swing wide open for him.
CONQUERING OUR FEARS
When we begin to explore this, we must first overcome the obstacle of fear, which will present itself in many forms. The fear of death, pain, injury, the unknown, evil, devils, hell and Satan may loom up before us. We must conquer our own fears head on, and they will rapidly disappear.
We are mental creators, and out of the ether of the next dimension, we can create that which we wish around us. If we are convinced a devil is out there to trick or deceive us, and if we have already pictured in our minds what this devil looks like and what he plans on doing, we should really not be surprised when our worst fears are confirmed. The devils we create become real and solid in the next dimension because we created them.
In the astral plane, we can meet those we love, or that which we fear. If we have no fear, we won't meet fear. It's as simple as that. So we can save ourselves trouble by putting nonsense like that out of our mind. Remember there is nothing that can harm us while we are out of our bodies. This teaching of fear has held people in mental bondage long enough! Its exposure is sure to cause a fury in those who have become trapped in the habit of their own thinking. We must release ourselves from the death grip of fear and set ourselves free.
In the astral plane, we can also visit our loved ones who have passed on before us. We can then ask them face-to-face how they like their new surroundings. We can see schools and universities, and may even find ourselves in a classroom, listening to a lecture.
This is also where we can discover the history of the world, and the history of our lives. The "Hall of Records" contains our present lives as well as our past. In it, are recorded our accomplishments and our failures. We can meet our spiritual teachers – which the churches have termed our "guardian angels" – and we can ask them for advice and guidance on our problems.
The astral plane is a vast dimension of existence, and contains life in abundance. It does not operate by the very same laws of the earth plane, and so many things that are quite impossible on earth, are quite commonplace in the astral. Mind over matter is common. Colors are more beautiful, and we may experience endless fascination with new and exciting things that there are to see and discover.
For many centuries, the teachings of certain churches have been that some things are mysteries and are not to be questioned. Eve eating from the tree of knowledge and the subsequent expulsion from the Garden of Eden was sighted as proof. This erroneous interpretation was made by those who were ignorant, or by those who wanted to keep the masses of people in subjugation. Man's redemption in the final analysis will come from his knowledge of himself and his love of his neighbor, not from his ignorance.
TAPPING THE SUBCONSCIOUS
The astral plane contains many things that are not on earth at this time. Some of them may appear in the future on earth, and some are from the earth's past. Many different types of animals that have become extinct on earth exist in the astral. Remember, there is no death.
Astral projection enables us to use the part of our mind that has been dormant or sleeping. We can wake up this part and put it to work. It is called the subconscious, and it can be used to give us the knowledge we need to find out more about ourselves, our purpose on earth, and our relationship with God. Most people think of their mind as only that portion they recognize as their conscious mind, or waking mind. It has been said that the mind is 10 percent conscious, and 90 percent subconscious. We can learn to expand this 10 percent.
Everyone goes to the astral plane at night while they are asleep. Think of this! Astral projection takes place without a person even being aware of it! As strange and hard to believe as this sounds, it is true. To begin exploring astral projection, pay attention to your dreams each night. Eventually, you will come to the realization that you were in the astral plane, but did not realize it.
When we take the first step, of allowing for the possibility of multiple dimensions and astral projection as realities, we can then focus on ways to understand, explore, and actually experience these things. In doing so, we can open the door to an amazing and expansive existence that was heretofore beyond our wildest imagination!
http://paranormal.about.com/od/outofbodyexp/a/Astral-Projection-Doorway-To-A-New-Dimension.htm
astral bodies, astral projection, occult
Day 3 – Do Reptilian-Human Hybrids Run Our World?
Courtesy of: http://www.collective-evolution.com/
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." – Martin Luther King
Controversy has become the mantra of the whirlwind that is David Icke's life over the past few decades. Since the early 90's, he has challenged people's parameters of reality suggesting that all is not what it seems in regards to how our world is run. David's verdict is clear; the people that lie at the top of our power structures are hiding a sinister secret, one that would make anyone sound crazy if it were verbalized. Since the dawn of civilized man, the ruling class have been controlled by extra-terrestrial/dimensional beings, with an agenda which ultimately establishes the human race as mindless and robotic slaves to a system based on fear and control. It is easy to see why this theory has attracted so much back-lash.
Icke grew up in Leicester, England, where he spent his child-hood playing football, eventually making it a profession in his early adult life. After developing rheumatoid arthritis in his knees, which eventually spread throughout his body, Icke moved into sports broadcasting, working his way up through BBC radio and television. In the late 80's David began exploring alternative medicine to treat his arthritis, and it was during this time that he developed an interest in the Green Party. After being fired from the BBC over controversy surrounding his taxes, he moved into politics and became a leading figure for the Green Party. Icke admits that it was around this challenging era in his life that he began to feel a presence around him, which in time started communicating messages to him. This led Icke down a spiritual path which also sparked a curiosity surrounding some serious "conspiracy" theories. After being guided to Peru by the being, Icke underwent a massive spiritual awakening, returning to England and quitting politics (4).
Icke made an infamous appearance on a national television talk show in 1991 where he announced to the world that he was being channeled information which warned him of impending devastation by natural disasters. The ridicule which proceeded after the interview was said by Icke to be a nightmare for him and his family. He couldn't walk down the street without being laughed at. Icke later states that the laughter had "set him free" in a sense, allowing him to move forward with his messages to the world without now having worry about what people thought about him. In the decade that followed Icke pumped out book after book, traveling the world giving long lectures on the nature of reality, testing people's truth's in regards to who is really running our world (4).
Today Icke leads a similar schedule, having just completed his 8 hour arena world tour which was sold out in multiple countries. During the extended lecture he touches upon topics such as the holographic universe, the pseudo moon matrix, and his most infamous theory regarding a reptilian hybrid race that is controlling our world. To begin to explain the complex theory, Icke discusses the current fear state of our world.
"The fear of what other people think is the state of perception that stops people [from] making a difference… you can only make a difference in a world of uniformity if you operate outside of that uniformity… we either take that on or we don't, in which case nothing changes. We are now at this place where we can go down one track and experience freedom like we've never even understood what freedom is. We go down the other one, the one that the control structure wants, then we're headed for an Orwellian-fascist global state." David Icke, The Lion Sleeps no More (3).
Icke proposes that mankind has been manipulated to become "unconscious" through the use of programming by media and politics, the tyrannical control over our food, water, and air supply, the dumbing down of the masses by pharmaceutical drugs and alcohol, and the list goes on. "But the manipulation doesn't stop there", as Icke states about exploring the never ending depths of the rabbit hole. The ruling class, the bankers, the royal family, the presidents and prime ministers, have created the illusion of being separate ruling bodies when in fact they have always been on the same "team" of sorts. There is a bloodline that has been strategically kept intact for ages. The Burkes Peerage and Baronetage, a comprehensive aristocratic genealogy resource, reveals that all 44 U.S. presidents have carried European royal bloodlines into office over the course of history. This includes Bill Clinton, the Bush family, Barack Obama, John Kerry, and so on and so forth (6). If we truly live in a democratic system, how is it that every single person brought into office has been of French and European royal descent? What are the chances of this considering the U.S. fought for their independence of Europe in the 1700s? The Burkes Peerage makes a strong suggestion that elections are not really based on a public voting system, but rather they are based upon the highest percentage of royal genes. To make things even more peculiar is the fact that Brad Pitt, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, and Tom hanks (some of Hollywood's biggest stars) also descend from this lineage. What could all of this imply?
Icke goes on to illuminate the theory of quantum physics, which states that our physical reality is a projection within our mind, and that at the most basic quantum level, the solidity of matter is false, existing as vibrations instead of atoms. When the light from matter reflects into our eyes, the cells pick up the light (which travels as a wavelength measured from 390nm-700nm, the visible light spectrum) and transmutes the vibrations or wave-forms into an image within the brain. This is the same for sound; it is a vibration until it is decoded by the brain (Suddenly The Matrix plot doesn't seem so far-fetched).
The human brain can only see an extremely limited spectrum of energy, as we know there are a plethora of different forms of energy in our universe and thousands of different frequencies around us at any given moment that we cannot see, such as radio and radiation waves. Icke suggests that ET's and other beings exist in our universe, but they operate at a frequency just above what the human mind is said to be able to detect(3). This could explain the strange sightings of UFO's that seem to appear and disappear in an instant. Could it be that the UFO's or ET's are advanced enough that they can raise or lower their frequency to come in and out of the visible light frequency spectrum? This is something that Icke says the ruling elite are aware of, knowledge that is used to manipulate mankind into thinking that our experience is limited to a 3D reality.
Icke says the reptilians control the globalists extra-dimensionally through the manipulation of human DNA
It is no secret today that the world is ruled by money and power. Corporations and banks have more power than the people do, and this is something that is beginning to become recognized by a large majority of the population. There is a world government which oversees the regulation of the entire planet and all of its systems, says Icke. This world government is called the illuminati by many, although there are multiple names for the different levels of this organization. Behind the closed doors at the highest levels of government, secret societies rule with malevolence. The problem is that anyone who learns this information and speaks out publicly as a leading force against these secret societies is quickly silenced. John Kennedy's assassination is a perfect example of this. In his famous last speech, not too long before he was shot, he touches upon the subject of the secret ruling class,
"The very word 'secrecy' is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and secret proceedings… For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence – on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific, and political operations." – John F Kennedy(8)
In his arena tour, Icke discusses the disturbing events that take place behind closed doors at the annual meeting of the global leaders. "They follow a religion that dates back to the beginning of civilization", he states. The secret societies take part in and worship a pocket of consciousness, that most call Satanism, in which they perform esoteric rituals that entail ceremonial chanting, gratuitous sexual activities, and even blood sacrifice. Icke alludes to this in his seminar correlating the globalist cult to the chain of missing children and underground world of sex trafficking. The Catholic Church is a big player in this disturbing hidden world, Icke says. Earlier in 2013, Pope Benedict XVI became the first Pope to resign since the 1400s. Some argue that the real reason was due to Benedict being blackmailed for surfacing information about the Catholic Church's ritual abuse of children and homosexuality within the Vatican (7).
Neil Brick, a victim of satanic ritual abuse, founded S.M.A.R.T (Stop Mind Control and Ritual Abuse Today) in 1995, an organization which aims to expose and put to an end to the ritual abuse of children by the Vatican and other secret power circles. Neil states that thousands of children are captured each year and are manipulated through mind control to perform grotesque acts involving sex and torture (5). Chrystine Oksana's 1994 book, "Safe Passage to Healing", expands on this topic:
"Ritual Abuse usually involves repeated abuse over an extended period of time. The physical abuse is severe, sometimes including torture and killing. The sexual abuse is usually painful, humiliating, intended as means of gaining dominance over the victim. The psychological abuse is devastating and involves the use of ritual indoctrination. It includes mind control techniques which convey to the victim a profound terror of the cult members… most victims are in a state of terror, mind control and dissociation" Chrystine Oksana, Safe Passage to Healing.
Many have come forward with unsettling stories about their abuse by different power circles such as the Vatican or the secret men's clubs like the one held annually at Bohemian Grove in California. This information may be difficult to process for most. Human beings are naturally compassionate for one and other; we don't want to believe that these sorts of things happen, especially not by the hands of the people that we've "elected" to power. So what could be the true reason behind these real-life horror movie stories? Icke says that it goes far beyond the physical constraints of the visible light spectrum.
Icke says that these extra-dimensional beings that the globalists worship stem from the constellations Orion, Sirius, and Draco. Thousands of years ago, the reptilian beings intervened on planet Earth and began interbreeding with humans. Not physically, however, but rather through the manipulation of the human coding, or DNA. Icke states that it is no coincidence that humans have fundamental reptilian genetics within their brain. He refers to an excerpt from the Bible, which hints at the crossbreeding of men and "gods",
"There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the songs of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bear children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown." – Genesis, 6:4
Icke connects more biblical stories to the intervention of the reptilian race. He alludes to the "fall of man," the story of how Adam and Eve became manipulated by the serpent. The reason, he goes on to say, that 95% of human DNA and a large majority of our brain goes unused is due to this intervention of the reptilian race, placing a limitation on our potential as conscious beings. These beings were more advanced in the technological sense, seeing our DNA as software which could be tainted with, creating a hybrid middle man to control the human population within the visible light spectrum. Half human and half reptilian, they were perceived as demi-gods at the time by the people. Icke explains that the Caduceus, the common medical symbol we see today, is based around this DNA manipulation. The Caduceus contains two serpents spiraling around a scepter that has wings, in the shape of the double-helix DNA strand.
Because these hybrids at the time possessed knowledge that most didn't, they were able to slip into positions of power, specifically in the ancient areas of Sumer, Babylon, and Mesopotamia. As these areas began to separate and colonize elsewhere, the reptilian bloodlines spread out, becoming the royal families of the world. This is said to be why the royal family maintains their genetics. Similarly, the ancient Chinese emperors believed they had the divine right to rule because they were connected to the "serpent gods". Icke says there is a common theme between royalty and serpent worship around the world. This can be seen in early images of ancient cultures such as the Hindus, Cambodians, Greeks, Nordics, Africans, Native Americans, Koreans, and Australians to name a few (1).
Icke recounts in his seminar about his discussions with Credo Mutwa, a South-African based Zulu shaman, during which Mutwa tells of African legends about the Chitauri, the reptilian like "gods" who ascended from the heavens in monstrous vessels which burned through the atmosphere. These so called gods became the dictators of the people, taking away the potentiality and power of the human race (2, 3).
"One other thing that our people say is that the Chitauri prey upon us like vultures. They raise some of us. They fill some of us with great anger and great ambition. And they make these people they've raised into great warriors who make terrible war. But, in the end, the Chitauri do not allow these great leaders, these great war chiefs and kings, to die peacefully. The warrior chief is used to make as much war as possible, to kill as many of his people and those he calls enemies, and then, in the end, the warrior chief dies a terrible death, with his blood being spilled by others." (2), Credo Mutwa on the reptilian-hyrbid leaders.
Over time these bloodlines created a sort of trans-national web of control, and as history progressed they rooted themselves deeper and deeper into the systems and structures that were developed by man. Today they make up the secret societies (illuminati, etc.) which pull the strings in regards to the direction that society follows. They have created the ultimate prison, one without bars with the illusion of freedom keeping the masses from wanting to escape. They have created illusory lines separating countries to cause segregation among the people who are ignorant to the truth. They have created massive distractions with media, politics and entertainment, and they have dumbed down the general population through the poisoning of our food, air, and water supply (3).
So what is the ultimate goal of these hybrid bloodlines? Some argue it was originally for our planet's supply of gold, which they need to stabilize the atmosphere of their own planet. Others suggest that it more has to do with tyranny. The New World Order (NWO) isn't a new concept to most. In the early 90's President Bush publicly announced that the NWO was the eventual goal for the United States. A NWO is not the peaceful state of freedom that these leaders try to present it as. The NWO is an Orwellian state based around absolute control in which the population is maintained under 500 000 million people. It takes away the power of the public, turning them into mindless robots who do the bidding of the fortunate ruling class; a more extreme case of the current state of the world. It is a one world government that calls all the shots. This is what the hybrids want; power and control. Whatever the intention is behind the control structures, it is obvious that it is not in harmony with the well-being of mankind or the planet.
Icke ends his seminar with a glimpse of hope for humanity, stating that its time for humanity to get up off of our knees and to take matters back into our own hands,
"What if vast numbers of people say 'well we're not doing it'? They'd have no power whatsoever. Their power comes in our acquiescence. What we need isn't compliance, what we need is a global non-comply-dance. [They] cannot grant our freedom, nor can [they] take it away."
David Icke's theories may be difficult to grasp for some, but what is undeniable is the fact that when you listen to his propositions, he makes a damn good argument with his case. In the end it is up to you to decide what truth you wish to believe. Here at Collective Evolution we encourage you to do your own research. This is a time of great change in the world. The people have begun to wake up, deciding for themselves what resonates as truth and what doesn't. We live in an era of mass information sharing, thanks to advent of the internet. People are connecting from all over the world to share knowledge and create change on a massive scale. The most important thing for each of us to do during this time is to become informed as much as possible. Ultimately it is we who have the power to create what we want as a society. When we tune into our true potential, anything is possible. Fear will not create this change; it will only feed the old systems which the ruling class have already established. Love will be the forerunner for the fast approaching new Earth.
Source: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/10/17/david-ickes-theory-of-the-reptilian-human-hybrid-apocalypse/
david icke, human hybrids, occult, paranormal, reptilians
Day 2 – Agartha
Courtesy of: http://www.crystalinks.com
Agartha (sometimes Agartta, Agharti or Agarttha) is a legendary city that is said to reside in the Earth's core. It is related to the Hollow Earth theory and is a popular subject in Esotericism. Agartha is one of the most common names cited for the society of underground dwellers. Shamballa (also known as Shambalah or Shangri-La) is sometimes said to be its capital city.
The mythical paradise of Shamballa is known under many different names: It has been called the Forbidden Land, the Land of White Waters, the Land of Radiant Spirits, the Land of Living Fire, the Land of the Living Gods and the Land of Wonders. Hindus have known it as Aryavartha (literally : The Land or Realm of The Aryans ; the Land of the Noble/Worthy Ones") – the land from which the Vedas come; the Chinese as Hsi Tien, the Western Paradise of Hsi Wang Mu, the Royal Mother of the West; the Russian Old Believers, a nineteenth-century Christian sect, knew it as Belovodye and the Kirghiz people as Janaidar. But throughout Asia it is best known by its Sanskrit name, Shambhala, meaning 'the place of peace, of tranquillity.'
While once a popular concept, in the last century little serious attention has been paid to these conjectures (with the possibly apocryphal exception of Adolf Hitler), and the theory is not supported by modern science. The idea of subterranean worlds may have been inspired by ancient religious beliefs in Hades, Sheol, and Hell. Ferdynand Antoni Ossendowski's 1920 book Beasts, Men, and Gods also discusses Agartha. The myth of "Agartha" is also known as "Shambhala", as it was known in India, the underworld realm peopled by initiates and lead by 'the Masters", Masters who are the Spiritual leaders of humanity.
Agartha is the great Asian University of the Initiates of the Greater Mysteries. Their 'Mahatma' ('Great Soul'), Who is also known as " The Lord of The World " , plays the part of the supreme spiritual leader of humanity.
According to Alexandre Saint-Yves d'Alveydre (1842-1909) of France, the secret world of "Agartha" and all of its wisdom and wealth "will be accessible for all mankind, when Christianity lives up to the commandments which were once drafted by Moses and Jesus, meaning 'When the Anarchy which exists in our world is replaced by the Synarchy". Saint-Yves gives a 'lively' description of "Agartha" in this book as if it were a place which really exists, situated in the Himalayas in Tibet. Saint-Yves' version of the history of "Agartha" is based upon ' revealed' information, meaning received by Saint-Yves himself through 'attunement'. Saint-Yves d'Alveydre created the Archaeometre.
Shambhala concept figures prominently in Vajrayana Buddhism and Tibetan Kalachakra teachings and revived in the West by Blavatsky and Theosophical Society. As with many concepts in Vajrayana Buddhism, the idea of Shambhala is said to have an 'outer,' 'inner,' and 'secret' meaning.
The outer meaning understands Shambhala to exist as a physical place, although only individuals with the appropriate karma can reach it and experience it as such. There are various ideas about where this society is located, but it is often placed in central Asia, north of Tibet. The inner and secret meanings refer to more subtle understandings of what Shambhala represents, and are generally passed on orally. Alice Bailey transformed it into a kind of extradimensional or spiritual reality. The Roerichs see its existence as both spiritual and physical.
The Hollow Earth or hollow planet theory is also supported by superconscious knowledge based channeled sources of universal nature like Seth channeled by Jane Roberts, Ramtha by J.Z. Knight and Datre by Aona.
Other Theories
An early source for the belief in underground civilizations is The Smoky God (1908) by Willis George Emerson (1856 – 1918), which claims to be the biography of a Norwegian sailor named Olaf Jansen. The book explains how Jansen's sloop sailed through an entrance to the Earth's interior at the North Pole. For two years he lived with the inhabitants of an underground network of colonies who, Emerson writes, were a full 12 feet tall and whose world was lit by a "smoky" central sun. Their capital city was said to be the original Garden of Eden. While Emerson does not use the name Agartha, later works such as Agartha – Secrets of the Subterranean Cities have identified the civilization Jansen encountered with Agartha, and its citizens as Agarthan.
According to Secrets, Shamballa the Lesser, one of the colonies, was also the seat of government for the network. While Shamballa the Lesser is an inner continent, its satellite colonies are smaller enclosed ecosystems located just beneath the Earth's crust or discreetly within mountains. Cataclysms and wars taking place on the surface drove these people underground. These were said to include a lengthy Atlantean-Lemurian war and the use of thermonuclear weaponry that eventually sank and destroyed these two highly advanced civilizations. The Sahara, Gobi, the Australian Outback and the deserts of the southwestern U.S. are said to be but a few examples of the devastation that resulted. The sub-cities were created as refuges for the people and as safe havens for sacred records, teachings and technologies that were cherished by these ancient cultures.
It is believed that the great kingdom of Lemuria which was located in the Gobi desert in Mongolia was destroyed by Atlantis in a great war that led to a cataclysmic destruction of Atlantis and Mu. Mu was a great city on the surface of what is now the Gobi desert. It had 2 satellite cities by the name of Agartha Alpha and Beta that survived the destruction.
The inhabitants of Agartha are said to have scientific knowledge and expertise far beyond that of the people who live on the surface of the planet, lost technology from the days of Atlantis.
The descendants of ancient Lemuria now live in peace in subterranean caverns. The leaders of these states (variously called Ascended Masters, Guardians of the Tradition, Psychoteleios or "the perfected ones", the the Shining Ones, the Ancients, the Watchers, the Immortals, the Monitors, the Hidden Directorate, the Children of Seth, etc.) all follow what is known as the Ancient Path and do not interfere in the lives of humans that live above the surface. Nor is there any interaction between them.
There are no entrances to Agartha Alpha and Beta from any other part of the planet. The only entrances are in the Gobi desert itself and are secured by illusory technology that is beyond the comprehension of modern science.
The Tibetans refer to the cities of Agartha as Shambala and have believed for centuries in their existence as reservoirs of ancient knowledge and advanced technology.
In Tibet, there is a major mystical shrine also called 'Patala,' which is said by the people there to sit atop an ancient cavern and tunnel system, which reaches throughout the Asian continent and possibly beyond. The Nagas also have an affinity with water, and the entrances to their underground palaces are often said to be hidden at the bottom of wells, deep lakes and rivers."
The Old Ones – In an article entitled "The Hollow Earth: Myth or Reality" for Atlantis Rising, Brad Steiger writes of the legends of "the Old Ones," an ancient race that populated the surface world millions of years ago and then moved underground. "The Old Ones, an immensely intelligent and scientifically advanced race," Steiger writes, "have chosen to structure their own environment under the surface of the planet and manufacture all their necessities."
"The Old Ones are hominid, extremely long-lived, and pre-date Homo sapiens by more than a million years. The Old Ones generally remain aloof from the surface peoples, but from time to time, they have been known to offer constructive criticism; and it has been said, they often kidnap human children to tutor and rear as their own."
Buddhist Theory
It is believed to be a race of supermen and superwomen who occasionally come to the surface to oversee the development of the human race. It is also believed that this subterranean world has millions of inhabitants and many cities, its capital being Shambala.
Ancient philosophy states that Agartha was first colonized thousands of years ago when a holy man lead a tribe to the underground. The people have scientific knowledge and expertice far beyond that of the people who live on the surface of the planet.
The Ramayana one of the most famous texts of India, tells the story of the great avatar, Rama. It describes Rama as "an emissary from Agartha" who arrived on a Vimana. In India there is an ancient belief, still held by some, in a subterranean race of serpent people who dwell in the cities Patala and Bhogavati. According to the legend, they wage war on the kingdom of Agharta. "The Nagas," according to "The Deep Dwellers," "are described as a very advanced race or species, with a highly-developed technology. They also harbor a disdain for human beings, whom they are said to abduct, torture, interbreed with and even to eat."
The Entrances. While the entrance to Bhogavati is somewhere in the Himalayas, believers assert that Patala can be entered through the Well of Sheshna in Benares, India. Says William Michael Mott in "The Deep Dwellers": "According to herpetologist and author Sherman A. Minton, as stated in his book Venomous Reptiles, this entrance is very real, with forty steps which descend into a circular depression, to terminate at a closed stone door which is covered in bas-relief cobras.
Purported Entrances to Agartha
Cueva de los Tayos (Cave of the oil birds), Ecuador
Gobi Desert Mongolia
Great Pyramid of Giza
Iguazu Falls , Argentina and Brazil
Mammoth Cave , Kentucky, USA
Manaus , Brazil
Mato Grosso , Brazil
Mount Epomeo , Italy
Mount Shasta , California (the Agharthean city of Telos)
Rama , near Jaipur, India
The Well of Sheshna in Benares, India (the Agharthean city of Patala)
http://www.crystalinks.com/agartha.html
argatha, exrtradimensional, occult, paranormal, shambhala
Day 7 – Various Illuminati Symbols And Their Meanings
Courtesy of: http://www.buzzle.com/
1. The All-Seeing Eye and The Pyramid
This insignia was adapted by Adam Weishaupt, the founder of Bavarian Illuminati, during its foundation on May 1, 1776, which is symbolized at the base of the pyramid as Roman numerals MDCCLXXVI. The Latin words 'NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM' simply mean 'A New Order for the Ages'. The secret agenda on which Illuminati works is to create an elite one-world government that will mobilize the distribution of power and money under its control. The thirteen steps symbolize the thirteen satanic bloodlines that are part of this cult. The All-Seeing Eye symbolizes Lucifer's Eye or Horus Eye, or it can be termed as an all-spying eye, which means an eye over the people.
2. The Pyramid
The pyramid is evidently the most widely used symbol in the world. The ancient Egyptians held it in reverence as a spiritual symbol, the hypotenuse side being child god Horus, the upright side being female God Isis, and the base being male God Osiris. A triangle denotes the number 3, which in Hebrew/Babylonian language stands for spirituality. There are theories that the top of the pyramid stands for Heaven and the base being Earth and Hell. According to occult beliefs, a single triangle is used to summon spirits or demons during a ritual, hence, making it very revered. It also symbolizes power, the top representing the elite who control the world, and the base being the ways of domination, e.g. military, finance, media, education, politics, and religion.
3. The Eye of Horus on the Pyramid
The eye is associated as a symbol of an all-seeing God, an omnipresent source who looks after mankind. In Illuminati circles, the Eye on the Pyramid represents royal power, denoting the elites who follow it. It appears to be floating on the pyramid meaning the elite seeing themselves as god and watching over everything that mankind does. Also, it was supposedly adopted by the secret police of the Illuminati, whose role was to ensure that the members were staying true to the Order. Some symbologist argue that it might be the eye of Saturn, while others allege that it's the Eye of Horus.
4. Baphomet
Medieval legends say that the devil created the goat. Satan himself, sometimes, appeared as a goat. In modern times, Baphomet―the goat head-horned god symbolizes occultism, witchcraft, and satanism. The origin of Baphomet―a pagan god―can be seen in various ancient religious sources. It was mainly popularized by the Knights of Templar who worshiped it as their deity and widely used it at their rituals. In 1867, French occultist Eliphas Levi, in his book Dogme et Rituels de la Haute Magie (Dogmas and Rituals of High Magic) included a drawing that would become the most famous depiction of Baphomet. It embodies the culmination and the union of the opposite forces to create Astral Light―the basis of magic and enlightenment.
5. The Number of the Beast 666
Popularized from the Book Of Revelations in The Holy Bible, the Number of the Beast 666 is denoted as a symbol of Luciferism and occult worship. It significantly adds up to the name of the sun gods worshiped in many pagan religions. It has been secretly displayed in astrology by occultists for a very long time. Hidden from plain sight, the hand sign 'OK', which is a representation of 3 sixes in a row, is used by prominent music and movie celebrities.
6. The Devil's Horn
The 'El Diablo' or the horned head hand sign is a satanic salute or recognition to members of satanism and other unholy groups. It was popularized in the '60s by the founder of the Church of Satan, Anton LaVey; who spread it to the masses through rock musicians who were into satanism. Today, it is misinterpreted as a hand-sign for "rock".
7. The Pentagram
An esoteric symbol of positivity, but when turned upside down by 180 degrees, it turns into a negative symbol of occultism. The early Christians used the positive right-side up pentagram to symbolize the five wounds of Jesus (the two spikes on his hands and feet and the spear wound to his side). The occultist turned it upside down as a sign of mockery to Christ and to represent their opposite views. In black magic, it is called 'The Footprint of the Devil' or 'The Goat of Mendes' as the inverted pentagram looks like a goat's head. In Freemasonry, it symbolizes 'Satan-Goat of the Sabbath'.
8. The Eternal Flame
In occult, it symbolizes the 'Light of Lucifer'. The Illuminati always leave an occult signature when they carry out an event, or whenever anyone is killed by the Illuminati either by ritual or through an elaborate plan, their grave is usually adorned with an eternal flame. A prominent example being the memorial of Princess Diana. The memorial has an eternal flame at the Ponce de L'Alma Tunnel in Paris, where she died. President John F Kennedy too has an eternal flame at his grave site. Also, it represents the secret society's immortality and eternal establishment.
9.The Owl
This symbol is derived from the Roman Goddess Minerva (Athena to the Greeks) as a representation of wisdom and knowledge. The Illuminatis see themselves as the elite wise who can rule the world through their knowledge and wisdom, they focus on the learning method of scientific inquiry and reasoning, and so have the owl as its symbol. The owl is depicted in the seals of many libraries and universities, contributing to conspiracy theorists views that the Illuminati are attempting to control the world through education and learning.
10. Obelisks
The obelisks were a representation of military and political power since ancient times. In pagan cultures, obelisks are symbols of patriarchal control of the masses. The Illuminatis have erected obelisks at strategic places of power to connote their control and power over the masses. A prominent example being the Washington Memorial, which is exactly like the pagan Egyptian obelisk.
11. The Inverted Cross
It is a symbolic mockery of the Christian cross, used by satanists in their rituals. History states that Nero, who despised Christians, crucified the Apostle Peter on a downward headed cross. This hideous event resembled the Teutonic cross and became a popular pagan insignia of the day. Thereafter, this sign became known as the 'Neronic cross.' In modern times, we know it as the 'Peace Sign', which is the Teutonic (Neronic) rune of death. It was designed in the '50s by peace advocate Gerald Holtom and communist sympathizer Bertrand Russell, either of them being a member of the secret society.
12. The Monarch Mind Control Symbols: The Umbrella, Rainbow, Birdcage, and Butterfly
In a full Monarch Mind Control (MMC) method, a combination of occult rituals, psychology and neuroscience are used to create an alter ego in the desired subject. The subject is termed as 'slave', and the one controlling is termed as the 'handler'. It is believed that these 'slaves' are used by the Illuminati elite to deliver messages, rituals, performances etc. This mind-control program subjects victims to severe abuse in order to create programmable individual personalities, which can later be triggered when needed. Used widely in music videos, movies, and music culture, these symbols signify the victim's state of mind being controlled by the Illuminati.
The Illuminati believe that there is a blueprint to conquer the world and signs and symbols lead the way. Whether or not you believe in them is your choice.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/illuminati-symbols-and-their-meanings.html
illuminati symbols, meanings, occult, paranormal
Day 6 – The Illuminati
Courtesy of: http://www.illuminati-news.com/
The word Illuminati means 1. People claiming to be unusually enlightened with regard to a subject. 2. Illuminati Any of various groups claiming special religious enlightenment. Latin illmint, from pl. of illmintus, past participle of illminre, to light up.
These definitions are taken from "The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language".
Like the definitions tell us, any group which considers itself "enlightened" could rightfully call themselves the Illuminati. This is also the case! If you google "The Illuminati", you will find quite a few groups claiming this name. It can be confusing, so before we continue, I want to make very clear that the Illuminati we are discussing here is NOT a benevolent secret society who wants to bring peace and harmony to this world by helping to bring back freedom to the people. I know such a benevolent group exists and also happens to call itself "The Illuminati", so I apologize if some people will mix up the different groups. The Illuminati I am exposing here is the super-rich Power Elite with an ambition to create a slave society!
The Illuminati are the top players on the International playground, basically belonging to the thirteen of the wealthiest families in the world, and they are the men who really rule the world from behind the scenes (yes, they are mostly men, with a few exceptions). They are the REAL Decision Makers, who make up the rules for presidents and governments to follow, and they are often held from public scrutiny, as their action can't stand scrutiny. They are connected by bloodlines going back thousands and thousands of years in time, and they are very careful keeping those bloodlines as pure as possible from generation to generation. The only way to do so is by inbreeding. That is why you so often see royalties marry royalties, for example. Their parents decide whom their children should marry.
Their power lies in the occult, (magic rituals) and in economy – money creates power. The Illuminati own all the International banks, the oil-businesses, the most powerful businesses of industry and trade, they infiltrate politics and education and they own most governments – or at the very least control them. They even own Hollywood and the Music Industry.
A good example is the American election for presidency. It is no secret that the candidate who gets the most sponsorship in form of money and positive Media coverage wins the election, as this gives the power to "un-create" the opposed candidate and effectively promote the candidate who will follow the plans of the Illuminati. Media, knowing how to manipulate ignorant people, can easily steer an election in a desired direction so the candidate that's been selected by the Illuminati wins. More often than not, it is the candidate with the 'purest bloodline' and who is the most corrupt that will be chosen for the job. The Illuminati put in top positions people who they know have a dark past, so they can be easily controlled. If these appointed people, who are promised fame and fortune if they follow the rules, are breaking the same rules, the Puppet Masters can easily get them back in line by threatening to put their dirty laundry out to dry in public. If that doesn't help, the person will end up like John F. Kennedy and others.
More often than not the Illuminati sponsor both sides to have a game to entertain the ignorant public. They decide who will be the next president, and they see to that their man wins, even if they have to cheat like they did in Florida when President George W Bush "won" over Al Gore. Even if their pre-elected candidate for some reason can't win and the other candidate does, they just go to Plan B, which is very well structured and prepared before hand, should this happen. So basically, no matter which candidate wins the race, THEY win. They control both the Democratic and Republican parties. Most president campaigns are financed with drug money, which is understandable when you understand that the Illuminati run the drug trade industry as well (more about this elsewhere on this website). Elections are really not necessary, but they let us vote so we can have a game, and by letting us do so, they pretend to follow the Constitution. It gives us an illusion of choice.
But isn't the President running the game? Not the least. Think of the President as the CEO of big corporate America. He is the decision maker as long as he is following the polices of the company. If he should have own ideas how to change things, he needs approval from the real owners of America Inc., which is the Hidden Hand, the Illuminati. The power is not with the politicians, but with the Illuminati, whose top players, as far up in power as we can confirm, are mostly of a Sectarian Jewish Elite, who in modern time use Zionism as a tool to create a Jewish State in Israel with Jerusalem as their Capitol. Zionists are not to be confused with the common Jews, who have nothing to do with this treason against humanity. Soon enough you will see that you don't even have to be a Christian to realize that the Bible Prophecies anticipating an AntiChrist and the "End of the World as we now it" are actually unfolding right before our eyes!
The leading candidates for Presidency are carefully chosen from the occult bloodlines of the thirteen Illuminati families, and if we research all the Presidents of the United States from the beginning and up to present time, we will find that almost all of them are of the same royal bloodline, and they are all "family"; related by ancestry and family trees. Royalty is equivalent to the Illuminati. We have heard a lot about this during presidential campaigns lately, where mass media have revealed the family ties between the candidates and also showed how a certain candidate is of royal blood.
The Illuminati have "six disciplines of training" within their Family. These are:
1. Military
2. Government
3. Spiritual
4. Scholarship
6. Science
Each member is schooled extensively in all of them from early childhood. Like an Illuminati member said: "With the addition [to the above six disciplines] of a complicit Media machine and ownership of your Financial establishments, all bases are covered."
One thing I want to make clear here is that any person can join a secret society if you are accepted, but no one can join the Illuminati. You are born into it and have to be of the right bloodline. Greedy and evil people join their agenda for power and money, but they can't join the Illuminati itself. Important distinction.
So what is the true goal of the Illuminati? The main goal is to create a One World Government, with them on top to rule the world into slavery and dictatorship. George Bush Sr. and a few other major players like Mikhail Gorbachev and Gordon Brown have openly called for a New World Order, which is referring to this One World Government. In fact it's nothing new with the New World Order, it's the same Old World Order that has always been in place. The only difference is that now they want to put the crown upon the head of their World Dictator, and with that their mission is completed; the Battle of Planet Earth is won!
This is a very old goal of theirs, and to understand it fully, one must realize that this goal isn't of a kind that's supposed to be obtained within one lifetime; it has been a goal that slowly is to be reached over a long period of time. However, they have accomplished more in this direction during the last few decades than they have done in hundreds of years, due to the Industrialization and the Information Technology Era. Their immediate task is to lower the living standard of the developed countries, like the United States and Europe, to a low enough level so the government can more easily control us (you can see this happening). The living standard in the third world countries will then increase to the same low level that is planned for the developed countries, so that it all evens out. To be able to accomplish a "New World Order", the living standard must be similar all over the world – they want a uniform world to rule over. We can see this goal slowly being reached right before our eyes. The following article shows it clearly: Africa and Asia Push for 'New World Order'.
This goal has been planned away from the public, in secrecy within Secret Societies. Most Secret Societies with secret grades of initiation are these days controlled by this malevolent Illuminati cabal, and Freemasonry is perhaps the best known of them all. Although Freemasonry and a few other secret societies were not created by the Puppet Masters, they have been infiltrated over time and there are very few unique ones left that are actually working against the Power Bloodlines. The Elite that controls the societies and the Illuminati are occultists and black magicians. They say their God is Lucifer, "The Light Bearer", and by occult practices they manipulate and influence the masses. Although branches of the Illuminati are Gnostic in nature and claim to acknowledge Lucifer as the Head of the Game, even that seems to be a deception. With time and after years of research, I've come to understand that Lucifer is not equivalent to Satan, but they are two different entities. The REAL power behind the Brotherhood is therefore not Lucifer, but Satan himself! Hence, it is correct to refer to this cabal as being Satanists and not Luciferian. It doesn't matter if you and I believe in this or not, as long as they do. And they take it very seriously.
It's a breath-taking thought that this planet, as a matter of fact, is run with Black Magic – a planet where magic is not supposed to exist at all in any shape and form, except in the movies and in books, and if somebody tells you it does exist, he/she will most certainly be ridiculed. After people have watched movies like "Lord of the Rings" they wish there was more magic in their lives; little do they know…
From the occult, science, mind control and Intelligence have developed. By taking over the Movie Industry, the Record companies, and by their control of the Fine Arts, they know how to influence the teenagers to dance to their tune and accept their kind of reality. This makes sense if you look at what kind of "entertainment" we are enforced to enjoy. If you doubt it, just look at what influence the modern music has on the kids; it's not uplifting and doesn't have love and compassion as its end product. It promotes darkness, not light. And I am talking about the overall effect, not individual artists, whom on rare occasions may release something positive.
In fact, the music the teenagers have to listen to is often totally without quality and lead many of them into "robotism", apathy, violence and drugs. It's also used for mind control, as we shall see later. Real quality music is rejected by the big record companies in favor for those with lack of talent. Since Black Sabbath in the beginning of the 70:s and the Rolling Stones before them, Satanism (magic and black magic) has been promoted through the music industry. Many groups followed on the same track and have always been Hard Sale and heavily promoted and distributed. Ozzy Osbourne is still going strong as is his buddy, Marilyn Manson. Some people dispute that Black Sabbath were into Black Magic, but were actually singing about God and condemning Satan. This is of course not true, but a playing with words. It doesn't matter how you present the lyrics when the vibration of the music is dark and gloomy. Tony Iommi, the guitar player in Black Sabbath, tuned down his guitar to create this low vibration in their music, something that the later Heavy Metal and Death Metal Industry adopted big time. Geezer Butler, bass player in Black Sabbath and the one who wrote most lyrics, admitted in public that Black Sabbath were into black magic.
The same thing goes with Hollywood, which is also controlled and created by the Jewish branch of the Illuminati and the Mafia (same Masters). The "E.T"-movies, Dooms Day films and catastrophe-movies all align with the purpose to influence us in certain directions, as we shall see later in this article. Occult movies have also been made popular by Walt Disney and others to influence our children. All to prepare for days to come. Still, for those with eyes to see and ears to hear, there is a lot to learn from the Hollywood movies. The Brotherhood loves to put the truth out there in plain sight in form of symbolism and coded messages. Those with the knowledge to interpret it will be able to get the message. The rest of the population only see an entertaining movie played out in front of them. They miss the whole point.
I told you above that the men who control the Illuminati are members of thirteen wealthy families. Who they are has always been a well hidden secret, and the leadership has gone from man to man over generations. Nevertheless, no secrecy is kept forever, and sooner or later there will be leaks, so also in this case. Not many people knew who these families are exactly, but quite recently this has become known, due to people from the Illuminati who have left the Order and revealed the most remarkable information. So here are the names of the 13 families – the Secret Government
1. Astor
2. Bundy
3. Collins
4. DuPont
5. Freeman
7. Li (Chinese)
8. Onassis
9. Rockefeller
10. Rothschild
11. Russell
12. van Duyn
13. Merovingian (European Royal Families)
The following families are also interconnected with those above:
1. Reynolds
3. Krupp
4. McDonald
Also, in addition to those four families, there are hundreds of others that are more remotely connected to the main 13 Illuminati bloodlines. Although significant, they are not mentioned here; they are considered less powerful and less "pure" by the 13 Elite Bloodlines.
http://www.illuminati-news.com/moriah.htm
day 6, illuminati, occult, paranormal
Day 1 – What are Lightworkers / Star Seeds / Indigos?
Courtesy of: https://balancingmindbodysoul.wordpress.com/
What is a Lightworker?
Lightworkers carry within them the ability to attain spiritual awakening at a rapid rate than most people. They also carry within them seeds for a rapid spiritual awakening. They consciously choose to become entrenched in the karmic wheel of life and experience all forms of confusion and illusion that go with it. They do this in order to fully understand Earth experiences which will enable them to fulfill their mission. Only by going through all aspects of ignorance and illusion themselves will they eventually own the tools to help others and state of true happiness and enlightenment.
What is a Star Seed?
If you have ever looked up into the sky and wondered if you came from the stars? Or perhaps you have a special affinity towards a particular star system or planetary system? Many people have a very strong emotional connection with the Orion, Sirius and/or Pleadian Star Clusters. Star Seeds originally came to this Earth School in order to assist in elevating its consciousness, and vibratory rate. In order to accomplish this extraordinary feat, we had to incarnate in the same manner as did the indigenous people of this planet in order that we fit-in, and get to know them from their perspective. Then again, even the indigenous people of Earth have come from many other solar systems – star systems (spiritually). They are all on their respective paths through their own enlightenment processes.
What is an Indigo/Crystal Adult?
The Indigo Children have been incarnating on the Earth for the last 100 years. The early Indigos were pioneers and wayshowers. After World War II, a significant number were born, and these are the Indigo adults of today. However, in the 1970s a major wave of Indigos was born, and so we have a whole generation of Indigos who are now in their late twenties, early thirties and forties who are about to take their place as leaders in the world. Indigos continued to born up to about 2000, with increasing abilities and degrees of technological and creative sophistication.
The Indigo and Crystal Children/Adults are composed of two groups. Firstly, there are those who were born as Indigos and are now making the transition to Crystal. This means they undergo a spiritual and physical transformation that awakens their "Christ" or "Crystal" consciousness and links them with the Crystal children as part of the evolutionary wave of change. The second group is those who were born without these qualities, but have acquired or are in the process of acquiring them through their own hard work and the diligent following of a spiritual path. Yes, this means that all of us have the potential to be part of the emerging group of "human angels".
The older children (approximately age 7 through 25), called "indigo Children", share some characteristics with the Crystal Children. Both generations are highly sensitive and psychic, and have important life purposes. The main difference is their temperament. Indigos have a warrior spirit, because their collective purpose is to break down old systems that no longer serve us. They are here to quash government, educational, and legal systems that lack integrity. To accomplish this end, they need tempers and fiery determination.
Those adults who resist change and who value conformity may misunderstand the Indigos. They are often mislabeled with psychiatric diagnoses of Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). The Indigo Children/Adults lead by cutting down anything that lacks integrity. Then the Crystal Children follow the cleared path, into a safer and more secure world.
The terms "Indigo" and "Crystal" were given to these two generations because they most accurately describe their aura colours and energy patterns. Indigo children have a lot of indigo blue in their auras. This is the colour of the "third eye chakra", which is the energy center inside the head located between the two eyebrows. This chakra regulates clairvoyance, or the ability to see energy, visions, and spirits. Many of the Indigo children are clairvoyant.
Indigo Children/Adults can sense dishonesty. Indigos know when they're being lied to, patronized, or manipulated. And since their collective purpose is to usher us into a new world of integrity, the Indigos inner lie-detectors are integral. As mentioned before, this warrior spirit is threatening to some adults. And the Indigos are unable to conform to dysfunctional situations at home, work, or school. They don't have the ability to dissociate from their feelings and pretend like everything's okay. They only wish to make the world a better place.
https://balancingmindbodysoul.wordpress.com/2011/08/18/what-are-lightworkers-star-seeds-indigos/
lightworkers, occult, occult week, paranormal, star seed
Grounding, Cleansing, Blessing, and Sealing
Jose Prado with added annotation from Ketty Robaina, Richard Wills, and Roger Phillips
Ingredients: Two glasses of Lukewarm water and a water bottle (to offer the tree).
Please read the entire article before doing anything.
When you have just cast a spell or done a powerful ritual like a spirit summoning or exorcism, you have generated a large amount of magickal, spiritual, and physical energy that you now need to dispose of. If you don't the consequences are many but here are the three main consequences I have encountered:
1) Too much un-used energy in your body will light you up like a Roman candle and spirits and other magick users, will be able to see you. I don't think I need to explain further what the ramifications of this are. It is dangerous,very dangerous and you would remain open to other spirits or energies. And even the nice ones can play nasty tricks on you sometimes.
2) All this pent up energy can cause physical conditions like the body over heating, being too hyper, heightened emotions where you can say or do something you'll regret later (like being drunk on power) and when you sober up you'll realize it only too late. This can also cause mild to severe headaches, nausea and diarrhea, not to mention insomnia.
3) You can accidentally hurt someone and yourself. When that much power is coursing through your veins, literally anything can happen. If you say "Go to Hell!" You might actually curse someone or even hurt them because of the level of power you currently hold. Likewise if you are jealous of someone else, even without saying anything your subconscious mind will channel that power within you to hurt that person. Maybe break them up with their significant other, or try to cause them to commit suicide and many other terrible things.
If you are naturally paranoid, keeping that energy bottled up can cause you to become more paranoid and even curse yourself by accident. That is why one must be careful when using magick and never use it if you are sick, emotionally unbalanced, or under stress. When you are super charged with that much power even making a joke can speak something into existence and alter your reality. So Grounding is Paramount. But, before you do this you must prepare the Holy Water for the cleansing.
Blessing of the Waters
Take two glasses and fill them with lukewarm water. In Santeria as well as Trinidadian Folk Magick its customary to drink room temperature water after finishing a magickal working to seal or close it. Pray over both glasses of water like this:
"Sacred waters of healing and life by (whatever divinity you worship) be blessed to cleanse, heal, and bless me and to close whatever doorways or channels I have spiritually or magickally opened until the time comes when I need them opened again. And also may they be exorcised to protect me both awake and asleep from all Enemy, Renegade, and Unwanted negative beings, powers, and energies including Enemy Witchcraft, May they fill the void with exorcised holy positive energy, Amen."
One you will drink, the other will be saved for last. Don't drink anything yet, wait till the grounding portion of these instructions. When you drink it, you will be cleansed, blessed, healed, and those doorways and channels you've opened will be closed or sealed all at once. Until you need to open them again that is. That way nothing will be able to get at you via those channels or doors now closed.
There are many ways to do this but I like to do it like this because its more efficient and gets the job done right. Blessing the water you're going to use should be done before you even start grounding. That way you're not powering up again for another spell because you did it before hand. It's always important to do these before bed. It will make you safer in sleep.
Be sure to bless the water against harmful entities, energies, and intentions so it can protect you also. And visualize the water being enchanted with positive energy that radiates from within the water itself with blue light to replace the negative energy you removed from yourself. Whatever you banish you must replace with something. Otherwise if you banish negativity and leave the void open; that negativity will return to you three fold or more. So positively charge the water when you bless it with your prayers or affirmations.
To do this you go bare foot under a tree. Place your feet on the dirt of the tree and ask the tree to remove all un-needed and impure energies or substances from you. Then imagine your toes turn into tree roots (alternatively you can do this with your hands too) and connect to the Earth then say:
"All un-needed energies and impurities, be sent to Mother and Father Earth for purification so mote it be!"
This will drain the energies from you. Just be sure not too drain out too much you can make yourself sick and tired like that. That's why you ask only for those un-needed and impure things to be driven from you. But those pure and needed energies need to remain or you could die at worst or be sick at best. Once this is done the roots will turn back into your fingers and toes again or you'll know in your heart that it's done and you will be able to change them back into fingers and toes using pure will without another visualization.
Make sure you have water to offer the tree when you're done. Pour it on the roots and thank him or her with it. After this you'll be able to ground anywhere, without a tree, and with shoes and socks on, but the traditional way is the best. On another note those energies will be purified by Earth and sent to someone else when the time comes to help them. So you're also helping someone across the world which brings you good Karma at the same time.
Now you are going to close the spiritual gates and channels. Take one of the glasses and only one, dip your thumb (the finger which represents spirit), in the water, and on your forehead, back of your neck, and crown of your head make the sign of the cross. Any spiritual symbol will do. Make the sign seven times upon each area, then drink the rest of the water. You will then take the other cup of water and throw it out the front door to clear and bless your home.
Plus it will bar entry of evil and other negative forces from entering the home while positive energy comes in. And there you are, done.
* Note The water seal information came from Ketty Robaina, as well as Richard Wills and Roger Phillips. The casting of the water out the front door was shared with me by Ketty who is a Mayor pronounced Ma-your (Elder) in Santeria.
* In Magic an 'exorcised' blessing, is a blessing specifically made to counter evil. So asking for exorcised holy positive energy is asking for the good energy not only to bless; but to protect from harm of all sorts.
blessing, Cleansing, grounding, occult, paranormal, sealing
Curse Removal Spell
English Translation with added annotation by Jose Prado
The following is a Curse Removing Spell that will work on almost any curse, keep it with you for other cases. This is especially used on Salaciones (Dark Salt Spells)
1) Three lemons
2) Palm oil butter
3) Powders of prosperity
4) Laurel (plant) dried and ground (note, there are many species of Laurel and the Professor did not give a particular species)
5) Sugar (usually brown sugar is used in Latin American magick)
6) Alcohol (this could refer to white rubbing alcohol or to actual alcohol both are used in Latin American magick)
7) A metal container (usually a plate)
Wooden matches
Spread the lemons with Palm oil butter and sprinkle them with powders of prosperity and the laurel milled by the lemons. Let it stand for a period of five hours. Once five hours pass, remove your cloths and clean your entire body with the lemons. Once this is done, wash as usual. When you exit the bathroom put lemons in the metal container and sprinkle the sugar on top of them in the form of cross.
Add a little alcohol, light a match and cast it on the lemons so that they burn, while burning, repeat with great faith the following:
"Powerful forces of nature, I invoke you.
Grant to these the virtues of air, fire, earth and water elements, so this fire may take all evil these items have collected from Saltings or harm done, and I pray to God that with his blessing my luck will change and my family and heart be filled with peace and love."
To finish, recite the "Our Father" prayer three times:
"Our Father, Who art in heaven Hallowed be Thy Name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen
Our Father who art in Heaven Hallowed be Thy Name! Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven! Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen!"
The following is advice I would give to someone about the careful disposal of these objects, I would recommend burring them at a Crossroads and asking the Crossroads spirits with an offering of three pennies to neutralize the harmful energies so that someone else does not take them by accident. Another method of disposing of the remains left behind from the fire is to place them in a brown sackcloth blessed by your own prayers and filled with blessed salt then pray for the bad energy to remain bound to the bag and never to harm an innocent, then either throw it in the garbage or bury. Still another way to dispose of them is in a sewer, lake, or river after having prayed to and offered seven pennies to Yemaya (also Amphitrite or Thalassa in Greece and Rome, the Virgin of Regla in Cuban Catholicism and also as Elen or Sara Elen in the Celtic Pagan and Catholic traditions) the sea Goddess whom all water hails from, ask her to take these objects and cleanse the negativity away.
I would recommend washing the metal plate in exorcised holy water for the removal of negative energies on that object.
curse, curse removal, occult, paranormal, removal, spell
Prayer of St. Michael the Archangel in Latin
Contributed by Maida Soto of the PWSM Network
Sáncte Míchael Archángele, defénde nos in proélio, cóntra nequítiam et insídias diáboli ésto præsídium. Ímperet ílli Déus, súpplices deprecámur: tuque, prínceps milítiæ cæléstis, Sátanam aliósque spíritus malígnos, qui ad perditiónem animárum pervagántur in múndo, divína virtúte, in inférnum detrúde. Ámen
"St. Michael the Archangel defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil, may God Rebuke him we humbly pray and do thou O Prince of the Heavenly Host by the Power of God thrust into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls," Amen
archangel, in latin, occult, paranormal, st michael, translated
Exorcism Spell
This Exorcism spell has been used by Exorcists exclusively for the expulsion of demons. HOWEVER, proponents of Esoteric (Unwritten) Christianity, the original Occult Christianity before the Emperor Constantine corrupted the Church with his council of Nicea, believe the Exorcism can actually be used for breaking curses and for binding Warlocks (unethical or sometimes even evi witches depending on your view of them) Catholic Mages point out that in the Exorcism it clearly shows the Exorcist is not only rebuking all Demons, but evil spirits in general (example, bad ghosts, or even bad nature spirits, possibly even bad Angels who have not yet fallen from Grace as incredible as it sounds) and the first lines say "Omnis congregatio Et secta diabolica" (All Congregations and Diabolical Sects) reffering to Black Covens of Satanic Witches.
Not regular Nature Witches or Witches who practice good magic. So the Exorcism is argued to be used to bind an evil witch as well as undoing their work.
The following is the Exorcism as it stands in Latin.
The Exorcism of St. Benedict, the Patron Saint of Happy Death as well as the unofficial Patron of Exorcists everywhere.
Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica, in nomine et virtute Domini Nostri Jesu + Christi, eradicare et effugare a Dei Ecclesia, ab animabus ad imaginem Dei conditis ac pretioso divini Agni sanguine redemptis + . Non ultra audeas, serpens callidissime, decipere humanum genus, Dei Ecclesiam persequi, ac Dei electos excutere et cribrare sicut triticum + . Imperat tibi Deus altissimus + , cui in magna tua superbia te similem haberi adhuc præsumis; qui omnes homines vult salvos fieri et ad agnitionem veritaris venire. Imperat tibi Deus Pater + ; imperat tibi Deus Filius + ; imperat tibi Deus Spiritus Sanctus + . Imperat tibi majestas Christi, æternum Dei Verbum, caro factum + , qui pro salute generis nostri tua invidia perditi, humiliavit semetipsum facfus hobediens usque ad mortem; qui Ecclesiam suam ædificavit supra firmam petram, et portas inferi adversus eam nunquam esse prævalituras edixit, *** ea ipse permansurus omnibus diebus usque ad consummationem sæculi. Imperat tibi sacramentum Crucis + , omniumque christianæ fidei Mysteriorum virtus +. Imperat tibi excelsa Dei Genitrix Virgo Maria + , quæ superbissimum caput tuum a primo instanti immaculatæ suæ conceptionis in sua humilitate contrivit. Imperat tibi fides sanctorum Apostolorum Petri et Pauli, et ceterorum Apostolorum + . Imperat tibi Martyrum sanguis, ac pia Sanctorum et Sanctarum omnium intercessio +.
Ergo, draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica, adjuramus te per Deum + vivum, per Deum + verum, per Deum + sanctum, per Deum qui sic dilexit mundum, ut Filium suum unigenitum daret, ut omnes qui credit in eum non pereat, sed habeat vitam æternam: cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque æternæ perditionìs venenum propinare: desine Ecclesiæ nocere, et ejus libertati laqueos injicere. Vade, satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciæ, hostis humanæ salutis. Da locum Christo, in quo nihil invenisti de operibus tuis; da locum Ecclesiæ uni, sanctæ, catholicæ, et apostolicæ, quam Christus ipse acquisivit sanguine suo. Humiliare sub potenti manu Dei; contremisce et effuge, invocato a nobis sancto et terribili nomine Jesu, quem inferi tremunt, cui Virtutes cælorum et Potestates et Dominationes subjectæ sunt; quem Cherubim et Seraphim indefessis vocibus laudant, dicentes: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam. R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat. [si fuerit saltem diaconus subjungat V. Dominus vobiscum. R. Et *** spiritu tuo.]
Oremus.
Deus coeli, Deus terræ, Deus Angelorum, Deus Archangelorum, Deus Patriarcharum, Deus Prophetarum, Deus Apostolorum, Deus Martyrum, Deus Confessorum, Deus Virginum, Deus qui potestatem habes donare vitam post mortem, requiem post laborem; quia non est Deus præter te, nec esse potest nisi tu creator omnium visibilium et invisibilium, cujus regni non erit finis: humiliter majestati gloriæ tuæ supplicamus, ut ab omni infernalium spirituum potestate, laqueo, deceptione et nequitia nos potenter liberare,
Vade retro satana ("Step back, Satan") is a Medieval Catholic formula for exorcism, recorded in a 1415 manuscript found in the Abbey of Metten in Bavaria and traditionally attributed to Saint Benedict (480–547).
In current Catholic tradition, the formula (sometimes reduced to the vade retro verse) is used to repel any possible evil thing or happening, as a "spoken amulet". The initials of this formula (VRSNSMV SMQLIVB or VRS:NSMV:SMQL:IVB) were often engraved around crucifixes or Catholic religious medals featuring Saint Benedict.
The phrase vade retro satana (often spelled vade retro satanas, or sathanas) is also used as a witty or scholarly prose device, dissociated from its religious implications, to express strong rejection of an unacceptable (but possibly tempting) proposal, or dread of some looming menace. Namely, in the sense of "do not tempt me!", "I will have nothing to do with that", "will someone deliver us from that", and so on.[1]
The Latin text says:
Crux sancta sit mihi lux / Non draco sit mihi dux Vade retro satana / Numquam suade mihi vana Sunt mala quae libas / Ipse venena bibas In approximate translation:
"May the Holy Cross be my light / Let not the snake lead me Step back Satan / Never tempt me with vain things What you offer me is evil / You drink the poison yourself."
catholic, occult, paranormal, tradition, vade retro satana
Basil Purification Bath
by Monique Harrel
Basil bath for purification I am going to show you step by step on how to do the bath and yes it must be for 13 days.
1) Basil
2) Sea Salt
3) A Pot of water to boil
4) Dragon's Blood Oil or Vinegar (or both for extra strength)
5) Bible
6) Mason Jar
1. Use fresh basil not the dried kind fresh is easier to get at any supermarket or farmer's market. 2. One bottle of Florida water, I used at least 4 when I did my 13 day bath.
3. Boil a pot of water add the fresh basil.
4. After you see the basil turn then add the Florida water and the other ingredients.
5. Let it sit till cool then pore in a bottle or right in the tub.
6. Sit in the tub for about 20 mintues say a prayer, I used the Lords Prayer 23rd. Psalm 23 A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen
7. After you get out bow to the Ancestors and Spirit Guides and ask for protection.
8. Use protection oil or your favorite oil to use after wards.
9. Meditate and rest this will give you a head rush.
10. Use protection in your shoes like Bay Leaves and sea salt a pinch in each shoe. This will keep you protected when you go out. Very important Keep the left over basil in a Mason jar. That will bring money into the house.
Baño de Albahaca para la purificación Voy a enseñarte paso a paso sobre cómo configurar el baño debe ser durante 13 días.
Ingridients:
1) Albahaca
2) Sal de mar
3) Una olla de agua hirviendo
4) Aceite de Sangre de Dragón O Vinagre (o ambos para la fuerza adicional)
5) La Biblia
6) Frasco para guardar ingridients
1. No es Albahaca seco, fresco es más fácil de conseguir en cualquier supermercado O al mercado de granjeros.
2. Una botella de agua De la Florida, utilicé al menos 4 cuando hice mi bano.
3. Hervir una olla de agua Y agregar la albahaca fresca.
4. Después verá la albahaca voltar, luego agrega el agua de Florida y los demás ingredientes.
5. Déjelo sentarse hasta enfriar, ponolo en una botella o a la Hecha en la bañera.
6. Siéntese en la bañera para unos 20 mintues Y haz una oración, he utilizado como Salmo 23. Salmo 23 Un salmo de David.
1 El señor es mi pastor, nada me falta.
2 Él me hace descansar en Pastries verdes, me lleva al lado de aguas tranquilas,
3 lo refresca a mi alma. Él me guía a lo largo de los caminos bien por amor de su nombre.
4 Aunque ando a través del valle oscuro, [a] No temeré ningún mal, Porque tú estás conmigo; tu vara y tu cayado, me infundirán aliento.
5 Aderezas mesa delante de mí en presencia de mis angustiadores. Unges mi cabeza con aceite; mi copa rebosa.
6 Ciertamente la bondad y el amor me seguirán todos los días de mi vida, y habitaré en la casa del señor para siempre. Amén
7. Después de salir baja la cabeza a los antepasados Y gías esperituales y pedir protección.
8. Utilice aceite de protección o su aceite favorito para usar después.
9. Meditar y descansar
10. Utilice protección en tus zapatos como las hojas de laurel y sal una pizca en cada zapato. Esto te mantendrá protegido cuando sales. Muy importante mantenga la albahaca en un frasco. Eso traerá dinero a la casa.
basil, bath, occult, paranormal, purification, spanish
Remedies for protection while in sleep
by Jose Prado
The following are Remedies I've collected from different Witches for Protection in Sleep and averting insomnia. The following are spells, recipes, and Spell Devices used to help you sleep at night or ward off evil spells or spirits sent your way.
Find a Dream Catcher and either use it alone or charge it with Sea Salt, Mugwort, and Mistletoe, grind them using a mortor and pestle into a powder and add the paste to the dream Catcher. You can chant :
"Evil dreams go away, it's not what it seems, go far away, be removed from my sight allow me at least one good night."
The powder I just prescribed is for warding off evil spirits who try to go inside your dreams. Another thing you can say is an English protection prayer developed by Christian Witches for Restful Sleep it's usually used by children now a days because adults find it silly but it does block evil spirits.
It's "From Ghosties and Ghillies and longed legged beasties and all that goes bump in the night good lord deliver us." I also would add "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit I am protected! Amen"
Another Christian Witch protection prayer from Germany is used for warding off Demon Witches (Hags) known as Mares or Maras the prayer reads thusly :
"I lay me here to sleep; No night-mare shall plague me, Until they swim all the waters That flow upon the earth, And count all the stars That appear in the sky!
Thus help me God Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen!"
Another technique used both by German Witches and Hoodoo Conjure men/women is the practice of keeping scissors under your pillow with the open points facing the headboard. No evil spirit can touch you as long as that is there, and it is also said to protect against spells cast on you by your enemy.
Also, placing a cup of water you blessed with your prayers with either Salt or Cascarilla (egg shell powder) under your bed directly beneath the place where you lay your head or even on the headboard itself will ward off evil and if you ask for it in prayer when blessing the water, will ward off bad dreams. But you need to throw the water out and start fresh the next night.
Alternatively you can do this with a basin of water under your bed. Then we have the following Charm bag.
Nightmare Cure Sachet
1 part Lupine 1 part Helenium (Heliotrope or Sunflower) 1 part Marshmallow 1 part Dock 1 part Elder 1 part Wormwood 1 part Strawberry leaves 1 part Yew berries*
Tie up in light blue or white cloth. Hang on bedpost near your head. This ancient formula also cures "water elf disease", as well as mischief caused by goblins.
cascarilla, christian witch, ghosties, hoodoo, nightmare cure sachet, occult, paranormal
Smudging Herbs-Planet Voodoo
Smudging is just one way to cleanse a home. It calls for the use of sage, cedar, sweetgrass or incense that you burn and fumigate your environment with. Usually the smoke is wafted with a feather or your hands.
Sage is one of the most sacred herbs among indigenous North American peoples. The clean burning sage is used in the energy cleansing ritual known as smudging (or purification), which in theory means the smoke would attach itself to the negative energy of the area and cleanse it so that it becomes positive energy. The sage wands I sell are consecrated on my altar to Black Hawk, the famous Native American War Chief who is highly revered among hoodoos and Spiritualists.
In the Native American tradition, cedar is used to carry prayers to the creator. It is used to bridge the gap between heaven and earth. It also seems that the cedar tree has connections with power and the sun through many varying traditions such as Sumerian legend, Cabalistic lore and Egyptian mythology. It is often associated with breaking the misuse of power or powerful forces that may be having a negative influence. Cedar is often used in the sweat lodge ceremony. A few pinches are thrown on the red-hot rocks, immediately sparking into a yellow glow and releasing their aroma. The smoke of burning cedar is said to attract the good spirits and eliminate negative energies.
Sweetgrass is considered sacred by many peoples of North America. The smoke of burning sweetgrass is said to purify and clear objects, places, and people. They are often kept in medicine bundles and sometimes packed with dance clothes to keep them fresh. Sweetgrass is often burnt after using sage. It encourages positive vibrations to enter an area or room. Sweetgrass is also used in sweat lodges where clippings are placed on the hot rocks throughout the ceremony.
native american tradition, occult, paranormal, sage, sedar, sweetgrass
Lemon Uncrossing Spell
To get rid of negative energy. At the altar: A cup of salt, A fresh lemon, and an athame
Light white candles and protection incense. Anoint brow, heart and throat with oil. Put the lemon in the center of your altar and cut it into 4 slices (round). Chant:
"All spells against me congregate In this lemon, that's your fate. Sour spell to sour fruit, you must go There cause it's your suit. Bound to this lemon evermore. Each spell against me that's your store. All in this lemon, now I see, And as my will so mote it be!"
When you feel that the chant has captured the negative thought forms in the lemon, begin to sprinkle the salt on the lemon. Chant:
"Uncrossed! Uncrossed! This salt for me breaks up the attacking energy. As lemon dries in salt and air, I'm freed from harm and all despair. Uncrossed and happy now, you see! And as my will so mote it be!!!"
Use lots of salt and when you are finished, thank all the elements. Leave the lemon near your alter where you can watch it. If it dries out, your work is done. If it should mildew, repeat the ritual.
athame, chants, lemon uncrossing spell, occult, paranormal
Purification and Curse Removal Spell
* A Ceremonial Pentagram, with a candle representing each of the 5 elements of the Universe : Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. Note, while the following spell comes from a published book, the comment I am about to make is mine and mine alone :
This will work better when you have followed a ritual for expiation of sins and bad Karma. The easiest way would be to confess your sins to the gods or to a Priest of some kind. That will open the spiritual channels which will allow this purification to bare fruit.
That being said, the following is not my spell but a spell from the "The Spell Book of Wiccan Shadows." However, I did make some alterations to the spell in bold such as the above note. So those sentences in bold are entirely mine.
This is a spell to be used when you've been cursed for something bad you have done. This will remove the curse without breaking the law of Karma and will bring you peace and the one who hexed Justice.
2) Sage
3) Lavender
4) Chamomile
5) 13 White candles
The spell must be performed on the night after the full moon and just before bed. Light 13 candles, preferably white. Fill the tub up with hot water (as hot as you can stand to sit in). Add 1 cup sea salt, 1 tablespoon sage, 1 tablespoon lavender and 1 tablespoon chamomile. Turn off the water and let the bath steep in the herbs. Kneel or sit in front of the tub, in the nude, and repeat this incantation:
"What was done was done Be it now undone By the light of the full moon's wane Cleanse my soul of taint and stain Let now my hurtful spell reverse And lift from me this vicious curse As I enter now this sacred space Return my spirit to it's grace,"
Enter the bath and let the water cleanse away the effects of the curse. Use your hands to gather up the water and pour it 3 times on your head. Each time you do, repeat:
"Accept my apologies for what was done Disperse my spell with the morning's sun,"
Remain in the bath until the water cools. Drain the tub and rinse off. Snuff the candles and go to sleep. By dawn the curse will be broken and you will once again find that feeling of "blessedness" that you lost. Then once you have removed the curse, for a better feeling, go to an expert in Chakras and ask to have your Chakras cleaned and aligned properly. This will further help you.
Purificación Y hechizos de Inversión de una maldición
* Tenga en cuenta, mientras que el siguiente hechizo proviene de un libro publicado, el comentario que voy a hacer es mía y sólo mía:
Esto funciona mejor cuando se ha seguido un ritual de expiación de los pecados y el mal karma. La forma más sencilla sería la de confesar sus pecados a los dioses oa un sacerdote de algún tipo. Esto lograr abrir los canales espirituales, que permitirá a esta purificación para dar frutos.
Dicho esto, los siguiente no es mi encanto, pero un hechizo de "El libro de hechizos de las Sombras Wicca". Pero si hice algunos cambio en letras negras.
Este es un hechizo para ser usado cuando has sido maldecido por algo malo que has hecho. Esto eliminará la maldición sin quebrantar la ley del Karma y te traerá la paz y el que te ha maldecido Justicia.
En la noche después de la luna llena y justo antes de acostarse, ponga 13 velas, de preferencia blanco. Llena labañera con agua caliente (tan caliente como usted puede estar parado para sentarse en el). Añadir 1 taza de sal marina, 1 cucharada de salvia, 1 cucharada de lavanda y de manzanilla 1 cucharada. Cierre el grifo y dejar que elbaño de empinadas en las hierbas. Arrodillate O sientate en frente de la bañera, en el desnudo, y repetir este conjuro:
"Lo hecho, hecho estaba Ahora se deshace A la luz de la luna llena de disminuida Limpiame el alma de toda mancha, Y ahora esta maldicion doloroso se deshace Y levantar de mí esta maldición vicioso Al entrar ahora a este espacio sagrado Devuelve a mi espíritu su gracia, "
Entra en el baño y dejar que el agua despoja los efectos de la maldición. Utilice las manos para recoger el agua y lavas tus cabeza 3 veces. Cada vez que usted lo haga, repita:
"Acepte mis disculpas por lo que se hizo Dispersar este hechizo con el sol de la mañana."
Permanecer en el baño hasta que el agua se enfría. Despues saca el agua de la tina Y enjuagalo para que se valla al drenaje. Apagas todas las velas Y vete a dormir. Al amanecer la maldición se romperá y se volverá a encontrar esesentimiento de felicidad que ha perdido.Cuando ya has quitado la maldicion, pero para sentirse mejor vete a un experto en las Chakras Y preguntales si te pueden ayudar en limpiar Y alinearlos apropiadamente. Esto tambien te ayudara.
chakras, occult, paranormal, spanish, wiccan
Blessed Lavender Oil
Anoint the soles of your feet, palms of your hands, back of your neck, forehead, and finally the crown of your head, but right before anointing your head; do the sign of the cross and say "Salva Leri" (Save/Protect my head in Lukemi). This will protect you from spiritual attacks of all sorts. Lavender is a plant Pagans used for reversing curses and it was also used in the form of oil to wash the feet of Jesus Christ. This already powerful ward, became more powerful upon having contact with a god and thus is perfect as a repellent against evil.
blessed lavender oil, lukemi, occult, paranormal, salva leri
Warding Holy Water
*This holy water is not for drinking.
Take a glass of water, mix it with Salt, Rosemary, Sacred White Sage, St. John the Conqueror Root which must be torn to pieces in order to be used in the water, and visualize it illuminating with golden fire and do the sign of the cross 3 times on the glass. Then say
"St Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O' Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into Hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls, Amen."
This water is used for driving evil spirits away, out of houses, or out of people. It is meant to burn them as if they were on fire. It brings them pain and weakens them. This blessing is designed to work on any evil spirit regardless of whether or not they are Demonic. Not all evil spirits are necessarily Demons, many are Ghosts who should be in Hell but managed to escape it.
You should also bring with you blessed salt. Salt wards off evil, blessing it makes it stronger. You can bless it using this same blessing. An evil spirit can not cross over or through salt. If you salt the outline of a room or the entrance of a door or a window they can not pass. Make sure to salt the outline of the room though.
Throwing salt on the floor without doing the outline just keeps them from walking on the floors. But they can still pass through the walls and walk on the ceilings. Be wary of them.
Salt will not ward something off unless it is evil. So the idea that it banishes all ghosts is a lie. I have proven that myself when I salted the floor of my room. Only the evil ghosts were barred from entering. If something has crossed a proper Salt line than it is not evil. That or it is an exceptionally powerful evil spirit but that is rare.
occult, paranormal, rosemary, salt, warding holy water, white sage
Exorcised water, for protection
Take a glass of water, visualize it glowing with pure light blue energy. This is Christic energy, which symbolizes God's perfection. Make the sign of the Cross on the glass 7 times (the number of God again for perfection)
And out loud say
"In the name of St. Peter, in the name of St. Anthony the Great, in the name of St. Benedict, in the name of St. Thecla, in the name of St. Maria Gemma Galgani in the name of St. Mary the most Blessed among women who hath given us the fruit of her womb Jesus Christ
Bless this water with all thy might and strength and drive away from me all evil and harm, be they regular spirits or infernal agents. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen"
Then drink it. Once you have, you will be protected from evil. If you're going to take a cross, get a cross of St. Benedict that has been blessed by a priest or bless it yourself using the same type of prayer or another prayer that you can come up with.
Benedict was a Saint who dedicated his life to battling Demons and Satanic Witches. He was a Witch himself and was devoted to the use and development of holy magick. Especially Apotropiac Magick (Magick to avert or ward off Evil)
So his cross is the best to use for warding. Each Saint I mentioned up there is a Saint that is either associated with fighting Demons or has a strong character and powerful aura of spirituality.
I named 6 because 6 creates a Hexagram (Star of David, a 6 pointed star) and is more powerful than the Pentagram (5 pointed star, for the 5 cardinal elements of the Universe) for magick because it symbolizes the 5 elements times 6. It is one of God's original symbols.
This type of water is known as Exorcisized water because it was blessed specifically to protect the mind, body, and soul from evil spirits. You can also bless food by sprinkling exorcised water onto it.
exorcised water, galgani, gemma, occult, paranormal, st peter, st thecla
By Alexander LaFountain in Occult
Alexander LaFountain
Sr. Director/Demonology Dept Chair at National Paranormal Society
Alexander LaFountain is a Demonologist based out of Texas. He was a member of Ghost Watchers Paranormal Investigations when he lived in Georgia and became a member of the Afterlife Research Team when he relocated to east Texas. He spent the last several years studying demonology and handling demonic based cases. He is also working towards becoming a Catholic Priest in the Independent Catholic Community.
Latest posts by Alexander LaFountain (see all)
Some Signs of a Demonic Haunting - January 31, 2017
The Honshu Wolf - June 25, 2015
Christianity - March 22, 2015
The wand is perhaps the most well known tool when it comes to the occult and all things magick related. The wand has been used for thousands of years in religious rites, ceremonies, and magickal workings. The wand is what is called a "focusing tool". In other words, the practitioner wielding the wand, directs their own personal energy through it, in order to direct that energy toward achieving a magickal goal. Wands can be made of any material, indeed they range from stone to glass, metal to wood. There are advantages and disadvantages to making wands out of each material so its highly encouraged to know all about the material before you choose to fashion a wand from it. The most common material wands are made from, is wood. Wood is abundant and every where. Indeed one could simply find a stick outside and fashion a wand from it with relative ease. Each different type of wood has its own magickal energy or attribute that is carefully kept in mind by the practitioner.
Often wands are decorated with various things like feathers, beads, strings, crystals, etc. Also a lot of wands, particularly wooden wands, have symbols burned or carved into them that represent different things. Often times wands have a crystal attached to the tip that amplifies that wands power and indeed helps amplify the energy being used in the magickal ritual. Wands can be made or bought, indeed today many online Pagan stores have sections devoted to hand made wands of various types, shapes, sizes, and prices.
Wands have been seen in many cultures for various purposes over the course of human history. Some cultures have had leaders carry wands as a symbol of power and political office. Others have had wise men and women carry them, healers have carried them, priests of various faiths have used them. Indeed it would seem the wand is perhaps the most universal tool in magickal history. The Egyptians used to bury their dead with all of their possessions, so that the human soul could use these objects in the after life. There have been bodies found with wands, particularly from the Pharaonic period of Egyptian history. In mythology many special people (and deities) were seen to carry wands. Hermes the Messenger God and Son of Apollo, carried a wand. Circe the Greek Sorceress carried a wand that she used to turn men into pigs. Merlin was often depicted using a wand as well as a staff, the Druid's were some times depicted as carrying wands as well as staffs, and many who practiced divination in ancient times were said to have carried wands that allowed them to foretell the future. As you can see, wands have a very ancient history both magickal and mundane.
beads, crystals, magick, occult, paranormal, strings, wand
For the first article we are going to examine a common divination tool, a tarot deck. Now understand this article is not an indepth history class, its more of a general overview of the tarot deck that covers history to uses in modern times. The tarot deck is a tool used in the practice of divination. It does not summon spirits, open doorways, or call upon spirits to help in anyway. Rather the deck is a focusing tool that allows the person using it, to channel their own inner ability to divine things into the deck, thus allowing them the chance to divine something about the past, present, or future. The deck itself is separated into two parts, Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. One half of the deck depicts the Fool Journey's and the other is more closely related to the regular four suits of cards you would find in a poker deck. The four suits of the Minor Arcana are the wands, cups, pentacles, and swords. Each of the suits corresponds to one of the four elements. Swords is air, wand is fire, pentacles are earth, and cups are water. The Major Arcana starts with the Fool card which is supposed to symbolize someone beginning a new journey in life. Some Wiccan's associate the Fool card with the God as it depicts His journey through the Wheel of the Year though this association is not all that common amongst Wiccans.
The Major Arcana shows the Fool on his journey which leads him ultimately to the end where he is reborn or transformed. Also contrary to most people's beliefs, the Death card is not actually a card telling you that you're going to die or lose a loved one. Rather the Death card represents the dying of a habit, lifestyle, or a new transformation in which your old self dies and is reborn as who you are now or in the future. So the Death card has a rather positive tone to it symbolizing personal transformation. No one is sure where the tarot cards originated. Some people believe that the tarot cards originated in Egypt or the Middle East in general. To date there has been no solid evidence of this tool's origins and no one is sure in what year these cards were greated. The earliest recording of a documented tarot deck being created was between 1430 and 1450 in Milan, Ferrara and Bologna, Italy. It is not understood if the tarot cards were used before the 18th century for divination or occult purposes however there are plenty accounts of occultists using these cards for divination in the 18th century. There has been documented accounts however of occultists using playing cards in general for divination purposes with the earliest documented account of this having taken place in 1540 where the practice was featured in a book called, "The Oracles of Francesco Marcolino da Forli" which taught the reader a rather simple form of divination with playing cards.
fool, major arcana, occult, paranormal, tarot cards, wiccans