The Magickal List of Accomplishments

 

“Decide what you want and then let the universe open doors for you.”

  Now the only challenge is deciding what you want. What do you really want out of life? What is it that you want to accomplish knowing you have limited time in this life? If you’re anything like me you know that there is an endless list of accomplishments you want to fulfill before your time is up in this life. So much can be explored, learned about and understood. So much can be experienced, attained and mastered, but where to start? How do you begin? Good question! There really is no wrong answer here but a good place to start; however is to make a list. A list of things you need and want to accomplish, a sort of bucket list if you will. This should be written down with careful thought and it should be written clearly on good paper, maybe even in a favorite journal, or on your computer, either way its best to make your ideas apparent through the list. Start with 10 goals and accomplishments then add to it as you go. But once your first draft is finished begin taking the steps to accomplish each line of your list. Start with the easier ones of course but never back down until you are able to cross off each line of your list.

(Thoth, Egyptian god of magick and Scribe of the Gods)

  Once you begin you will be amazed at how the universe will respond to your intention and directed will. This is the main purpose of your list; a focal point for your will and intent. It’s a kind of spell. If you want you can bless your list with a ritual, energizing the list to set into motion the accomplishments listed before you. Keep the list in a safe place, perhaps in a special spot on your altar. Pull it out at least once every few days and go over each line, it helps to say each line out loud. When you read the lines, visualize each one coming true. “See” the lines on your list manifesting in your life. When you’ve finished and you’re not currently working on anything on your list, pick one line and dedicate some time to accomplish this goal. Make a real effort with each line and the universe will respond accordingly.

Beatus Esse,

Tytus Lionheart

Herb of the Month: Vervain

Vervain: (Vierbena Officinalis)

(Verbena officinalis: Image borrowed from http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/v/vervai08.html)

Folk Name: Holy Wort, Witch's Wort
Parts Used: flowers, leaf, stem/ shoot
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Gender: Feminine
Goddess/ God: Aphrodite, Eros, Hermes, Aradia
Medicinal Uses: A decoction from the leaves makes a hair tonic and an eye wash. Aerial parts of the plant stimulate the liver and can be used as a nerve tonic and is used to increase breast milk. Infusions of the flowering tops are used to treat: depression, insomnia, nervous head aches, jaundice, urinary problems, and stomach, bowl, and menstral cramps. A poultice treats wounds and skin ulcers. Certain tests have shown possible heart strengthening and anti-tumor activity.
Folklore: Vervain is renowned as an ancient, sacred herb of purification, healing, visions, and love potions; it was included in liqueurs and aphrodisiacs. The herb is revered in the occult community, affectionately called "The Witch's Herb". Vervain is a powerful plant in magickal herbalism, it is said that keeping vervain in a garden will protect your home from thieves and shades (entities of negative and malevolent energy). Vervain planted in a pot and kept in the home will keep negative energies out, and placed by the sick bed can aid in healing. It is a sacred herb especially in Italian witchcraft known as Stregha.
Magickal Effects: healing, money, prosperity,purification, empowerment, protection, love, visions, youth, peace, chastity, sleep.
Magickal Uses: Vervain is very helpful in money and prosperity spells, it is used in money attracting inscence and herbal sachets. Vervain is also well known for its healing and purification qualities, and can be used for such spells. Vervain is an herb i use most often in magick of all kinds to be honest, like Dragon's Blood, it can add power to spells and rites. Empowered with protective energies, crushed into a powder and sprinkled about the home will purify the space and protect against ill luck. Likewise, if the vervain powder is empowered with the intent for money, then sprinkled around a charged green candle will attract wealth into your life. I like using vervain in herbal charms for its power enhancing qualities. Also used in an inscense mixture or just by itself, vervain can help induce visions. The herb can also be stuffed into a pillow (known as "dream pillows") to help one ease into a restful night of sleep and can be blended with other herbs for this purpose like mugwort, to induce prophetic dreams.


Read more about Vervain at Luminearth.com

 

Mayan 2012: The Silliest Apocalypse Yet

  You know what I find interesting about people who talk about the world ending and the Mayan calendar…blah blah blah…13^th baktun….blah blah… Dec.21^st 2012…blah blah blah? Well what’s interesting to me about all that crap is that it doesn’t seem that anyone who speaks of the topic actually knows what the prophecy is or what is said to happen! No one seems to know where this silly “prophecy” came from either, the answers I usually get are “The Internet right?”, I mean  come on! You are seriously going to promote the idea that the world is going to end yet you have no actual knowledge of what, how or why this is going to take place? Silliness is what that is. Another silly thing about Mayan-calendar-catastrophe-nuts is their confusion with the Mayans and The Aztecs, for example:

(Image borrowed from https://free-haven.org/search?tag=aztec)

 

  Now let’s look at the Mayans as a culture; they indulged in ritual human sacrifice to their gods and had cannibalism festivals. Yeah, good job lets believe the crazy tribe that liked to eat humans. These people could not predict the Spanish coming but yet people say they predicted the end of the world. There are also many cultures that are older than the Mayans that had catastrophe prophecies, like the Sumerians with the rise of Cthulhu which in my opinion is more likely to happen than the Mayan-2012-B.S. Other than there being excellent “end of the world” parties on 12-21-12, the day is going to be no less different than today or any other day. Thanks for tuning in for this little rant. Till next time,

Beatus Esse,

T.LH

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Lionheart Automotive Shielding Sachet (L.A.S.S) by Tytus Lionheart

A powerfully, magickal mojo bag from my own spell book. My fiance's old p.o.s van was acting strange and we kept getting into silly accidents. Finally we created and enchanted this sachet to shield the van and the next day the van was acting great. It lasted a longtime with out another accident till we sold it.
Tools:
1 red pouch, or sachet, or square cloth
Dragon's Blood oil (can sub with olive oil)
Small mixing bowl (non metal)
1 red candle with candle holder (holder's color not important)
Herbs:
3 part rosemary
2 part pine
2 part bay
1 part rose petals (fresh or dry)
1 part vervain
Begin by holding the candle in your hand, build personal power, by tensing all your muscles while seeing strong, red energy building from your body. Visualize shields, flaming swords, an impenatrable force field surrounding your vehicle and protecting you from harm on the rode. Anoint the candle with Dragon's Blood oil while saying, "I charge thee candle, to spread protective energies where ever your flame shines. May all that basks in your bright light be blessed with protection against all negativity on every level."

Staying focused on the purpose of the spell mix the herbs in the bowl using your "projective hand" ( the hand you write with, if ambidextrous then use either or). Mix the herbs with your hand while visualizing protective energies pouring into the herbal mixture. Visualize a large shield, a guardian, or force field surrounding you an your vehicle as you drive. The latter is not mandatory merely a suggestion for stabalizing your visualization to empower your intent into the herbs, see the energy flowing from you into the herbal mixture.
Place candle in its holder and light it. Have the light of the candle shine onto the herbal mixture. Visualize the power of the candle enchanting the herbs, see yourself and your vehilce surrounded by protective barriers keeping you from harm.
Hold the visualization as along as possible, once you feel your concentration begin to wane say a prayer over the spell setup, "Safe and sound, no harm may come, witch herb and spell gives protection. As I do will, with harm to none, so mote it be"
Stuff the herbs in the red sachet, this a good time to use knot magick to bind the sachet to your car; take ends of shachet and begin to tie them together but before finishing the knot, build personal power, by tensing your muscles and visualizing white energy eminating from your body. Focus this white light to the sachet then relase the energy as you tie the knot by relaxing your muscles, say"I have bound thee charm to do as you are charged, protect your possesor from all harm. So mote it be." Find a space in your vehicle to place or tie the charm where it will not be diturbed by too many hands.
*Adds pleasant scent to your car
**works up to about 4 months before it needs a replacement. -T.LH

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Healing Light Candle by Tytus Lionheart

Here is a spell of my own creation (straight out of my own Book of Shadows) that is tried and true. The effects seem to work quickly; eases pain, controls nausea, calms restlessness due to sickness and aids in the healing process. I have had amazing results with this spell when I used it to ease my fiance's healing after chemothrapy; it truley took away his pain so he could sleep peacefully after each treatment.

Tools:
1 blue candle and candle holder (4 inch spell candles work best)
Lavender oil (can substitute with oilve oil)
Sea salt (can sub for regular table salt)
Water and dish
Vervain
Rose Petals (fresh or dried)
Small bowl (for vervain and rose petal mixture)
Carving tool (athame or toothpick)

To begin: Consecrate salt by holding it in your hands. Build personal power by tensing all your muscles while visualizing that you are generating white pure energy. Focus this energy into a shining white sphere around your hands and "push" that light into the salt within your hands, say as you do"I bless thee O' creature of Earth, I charge thee to purify and banish all negativity." Once the salt is consecrated (or enchanted if you will), sprinkle it into the bowl of fresh water, visualizing a sphere of light around the water bowl and say, "I bless thee O creature of Water, I charge thee to purify and banish all negativity. You have just created holy water.

Now sprinkle the holy water over the work space (a bed, or comfortable laying mat is ideal for this working). Anoint yourself and the person being healed (if you are casting this spell for yourself then only anoint yourself). To anoint, dab your pointer and middle finger into the holy water and trace of pentacle on forehead, also lightly sprinkle affected area if needed.

Anoint or dress the candle with holy water while saying, " I banish all impurities that may reside within this candle." Anoint the candle again with lavender oil while visualizing the person as healthy and being healed by the candles light say, "Sweet magickal Lavender, release your healing vibrations as this candle burns."

Very carfully, and while focusing on your intent inscribe a pentacle as best you can into the candle while chanting, "Pentacle of healing, pentacle of life, give power to the healing light." Once the inscription is done hold the candle between both hands and strongly visualize you or the recepiant as being relaxed, and fully healed of all your/their symptoms. Place the enchanted candle in it's holder.

Take a handful or so of Vervain and hold between your hands. Again visualize either you or the recipient in perfect health, see all symptoms of the affliction lifted from yourself or the other person. Say, "Vervain of power, aid this spell in conducting healing energy." Tense your muscles while focuing on this intent, see blue healing energy rise from your body. Focus this energy to your hands and again "push" this energy into the herb.
Use this same process for the rose petals, empowering them with peace, love and healing, say "Rose of love, rose of peace lend your power and give release."

Mix the vervain and the rose petals, then sprinkle them clockwise around the candle still holding your visualization in mind. Now stand and place hands over entire spell setup and further empower the arrangement with strong energy and visualization. Remember to direct the energy towards the spell setup, say, "As this candle burns so too does the affliction and bane of all that bathes within its light. Heal, soothe and repair! As I do will, with harm to none, so mote it be!" Light the candle.

Let the receipiant (or yourself) lay down in the anointed space and rest within the candles light to gain the benefits of its healing energy. The spell is ended.

You can let the candle burn out or snuff it out with a blade or your licked fingers (never blow out magickal candles, it is ill luck and an affront to the spirit of Fire) and save it for another spell of this type. **Note** only do one spell per candle. For candle magick of another type use a different candle.

Mabon 2012

"Winter is coming." 

 Mabon is the second time of the year when the sun crosses the celestial equator only this time the sun is heading south. Winter's approach is noticed by the shortened days. In ancient times (and still in some rural ares of the world) the harvest is brought into the home. In our modern society we can see the symbolic, spiritual aspect of this "second harvest" by measuring the fruits of our hardwork and celebrating the bounty of the harvest, as we brace for the coming cold and darkness. There is a bustle of hustle as preparations are made, final tasks are completed and the success of the year is measured. Mark this time by actualizing fullfillment of your own dreams.
 Mabon represents all that we should be thankful for; all that we have gained thus far in life. We must attune ourselves to the divine influences that rule this sabbat: to the Father God, the Sage, and the Earth Mother. These are the main divine types that are invoked for Mabon. *The Father God represents the sun loosing its powers as summer ends as well as the withering vine; symbolically this is a self-sacrafice from Father God, who gives up His life force so His children may live on. We are to be thankful to our Father God for his sacrafice so that we may be strong for the coming cycle. He will eventually die but be reborn on Yule as the Divine Child: the Sun God reborn.
*The Sage is represented as Dionysus, the God of the Vine. Mabon is also called the winefeast, wine is sacred to Dionysus and so many enchant wine as a way to invoke Dionysus within themselves. Rituals that involve Dionysus usually involve ecstatic trance, vision work (divination,pathworking,spirit summoning), and general revelry to honor and be blessed by the the Great Old One Dionysus.
*The Earth Mother is repsresented most famously by Demeter, whose power over the Earth's abundance and growth withers to nothing after Her daughter Persephone is kidnapped by the God of the Underworld, Hades. He tricks Persephone into a marriage to the woe of Demeter. With the help of the Crone Goddess Hekate, Demeter was able to meet and work a compromise with Hades.  Persephone will be free from the underworld and be able to be with Demeter during the spring and summer season but at the equinox the young Goddess had to return to Her husband, and she then becomes the Queen of the underworld. This bit of mythology has a number of symbolic material attached to it that explain key lessons of the pagan mystery teachings. The tale of Demeter and Hades is an echo of an ancient mythos for the Goddess called Inanna and her descent into the underworld, this is symbolic of the Goddess conquering death and creating the Cycle of Rebirth.
Mabon then has many themes; sacrifice, death, rebirth, transformation, vision working, divination, pathworking. We must take in the transmutive energy of the sabbat and internalize it with in ourselves.
Many celebrate the equinox by doing a simple ritual known as "the wine feast", in honor of Dionysus. So it is appropriate to have some wine that is blessed and to use the remainder in the glass to perform a divination through scrying with the wine; or to enchant the wine, drink half and pour the remainder as a libation to the Earth. Generally a feast of the harvest (or symbolic harvest) is mostly practiced at this time, said to be in honor of Demeter and Dionysus (or the Father God). Think of this sabbat as the Wiccan Thanksgiving, but less about pilgrims and more about the natural changes happening in our Earth and being one with those changes.

Mabon Harvest Ritual

*based on ritual by High Priestess Judy Ann Nock in her book "The Wiccan Year"*Cast a circle then invoke Demeter and Dionysus, place upon the altar: an ear of corn, a loaf of bread, a bowl of grain, a chalice of wine. Think of all the gifts of the land as you accept their bounty. Position each object on the altar to its cardinal point and call forth each quarter as you touch each object in turn: 

• Touch Corn (east) and say,"Golden is the ripe corn, as golden as the sun rising in the East. The seeds of new life will be carried on the wind to the waiting fields of our eternity. To the East and the spirits Air, We bid you Hail and Welcome!"
• Touch the Bread (south) and say,"The fire of the south aids our cooking, and warms our hearths. By the blessed flame does wheat transform to nourishment. We take in your essence, O' spirits of the South. And to the Spirits of Fire, We bid you Hail and Welcome!"
• Touch the chalice of Wine (west) and say,"The sacred chalice holds the gift of the God, and in partaking, we share the libation of joyful measure. To the West and the Spirits of Water, we bid you Hail and Welcome!"
• Touch the Grains (north) in the bowl and say,"The abundance of the Goddess is evident in the teeming fields. The harvest of Her great body sustains our soul. Behold Her gifts of the Fruitful Earth. To the North and the spirits of Earth, we bid you hail and welcome!"
• Hold the Corn aloft and take a bite. After doing so recite the following invocation: "Blessed be the corn of the fields. Such was the beginning of the settled Earth. Demeter taught us the secrets of cultivation. In Her golden hair is the silk and the seed that flows in a river of beautiful abundance."
• Hold the Bread, break off a piece. Eat slowly, taking in its texture and flavor. Recite the following: "Bread is humankind's first alchemy. Through the sacred transmutation of the elements our bodies are fed and nourished. The Goddess feeds us with spiritual food. May the blessings of Her body be ours. She is with us, She is beside us, She dwells within us."
• Hold out the Chalice, take a sip and recite: "Blessed be the blood of the god that flows within our veins, He dies and awaits rebirth. His long sleep begins as the Earth opens to receive Him. May we be reminded of His sacrifice and coming resurrection, like the vine that dies and rises again. Life is eternal and in each death is the potential for birth. Through His sacrifice, the land increases."
• Take some grains from the bowl and sprinkle them onto the ground. Recite: "Into the Earth the seed will spill, sprouting forth life. Likewise we shall harvest what is here and be thankful for the blessings we have. We are in awe of the Earth, we are in awe of the Seed, We are grateful for all the Lord and Lady has given us."
• Meditate on your successes and gains of the year. Give thanks for all that you have received and allow yourself to mourn for the things not meant to be. If you are in a coven take this time to pass the blessed food around and share each others achievements and memories. If you are solitary enjoy your blessed feast and think of your accomplishments, write them in your journal as they come to you during this meditation. When you are ready to close the ritual, use this passage from Ranae, by the Greek poet and playwright Aristophanes to honor the essence of the season:

Let us to the flowery meads repair,

With deathless rosses blooming,

Whose balmy sweets impregn the air,

Both hills and dales perfuming,

Since Fate benign our choir has joined,

We'll trip in mystic measure,

In sweetest harmony combined,

We'll quaff full draughts of pleasure,

For us alone the power of the day,

A milder light dispenses,

And sheds benign a mellow ray, 

To cheer our ravished sense

Herb of the Month: Juniper/Cedar

This months herb is a special one, for its species holds two powerful herbs in occultism. Juniperus communis or Common Juniper and Juniperus Virginiana other wise known as Cedar wood (Cedar for short). So as a special treat I will be posting occult correspondences for both these popular magickal and medicinal herbs. First up:

Juniper (Juniperus Communis)

(Juniper Communis)

Folk name: Common Juniper
Parts used: leaves, berries, wood, essential oil
Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Gender: Both, this herb has feminine and masculine energies
Goddess/God: Inanna also called Ishtar
Medicinal uses: The cones or "berries" yield brown dye and the antiseptic, diuretic, and detoxifying Juniper oil, used to treat cystitis, acne, eczema, cellulite, and rheumatism.
Folklore: The ripe cones or "berries" flavor gin, Chartreuse, pates, and game. Native Americans boiled the "berries" to treat colds and burned the needles as incense. Juniper was widely used as incense in Sumer, Babylon and Egypt for spiritual purposes and to honor both Goddesses and Gods. It is sacred specifically to Inanna who was later called Ishtar. Centuries later in Europe, branches of Juniper were smoldered and carried around fields and farms to release their protective energies, guarding both livestock and crops.
Magickal effects: Protection, Purification, Healing
Magickal uses: In traditional aromatherapy Juniper essential oil is used to detox the body, as a parasiticide (parasite destroyer) and antiseptic. Notice how this medicinal property coincides with Juniper's magickal use of purifying homes and fields. Juniper can be used for protective rituals designed to ward off negativity as well as to purge such negative energies from a person or place. You can inhale Juniper essential oil (or dried herbal sachet) while visualizing it's energies guarding you from negativity and danger. You can also use this technique for internal purification, inhale the fragrance and visualize thusly. Juniper can be used as part of health-maintaining rituals, regularly smell the scent while visualizing yourself eating correctly, exercising and thinking positively. * Burning it as incense before taking part in health-maintenance activities can aid in attaining the full benefits of those healthy exercises. Juniper can be used in the making of "besomes", or magickal brooms, it can add purifying and protective energies to such a magickal tool.

 

                                                                

Cedar wood (Juniperus Virginiana)

Folk name: Tree of the Lord, Red Cedar
Parts used: dried wood, essential oil
Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Gender: Both
Goddess/God: All; Cedar has long been used as a sacred incense to honor a variety of deities.
Medicinal uses: Eastern Red Cedar wood (juniperus virginiana) yields an essential oil used for it's medicinal properties and insecticidal (insect killing) properties. The cedar of Lebanon has a fragrant resin that has been used since anent times: in incense, cosmetics, for embalming, and to treat leprosy and parasites. Today this oil (or actually the Atlas Cedar subspecies of this herb) are used for its pest repelling properties and is favored amongst aromatherapists to treat chronic anxiety, cystitis, skin problems, and bronchial issues. Cedar oil may inhibit the division of tumor cells.
Folklore: In ancient times, cedar from Lebanon was highly prized. In fact, the name Lebanon is derived from the Akkadian word "lubbunu", meaning incense. It was the most popular and widely used incense in Mesopotamian regions and by pre-contact Native Americans. The extravagant use of Lebanon Cedar in the building of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and Solomon's Temple nearly caused the tree's extinction.
Magickal effects: Spirituality, self-control, visions
Magickal uses: Cedar wood chests are ideal for storing magical supplies (except herbs and essential oils). Atlas Cedar Wood (cedar atlantica) and Red Cedar Wood (juniperus virginiana) are the two main cedar wood oils available. They share very similar properties and so can be used with equal effectiveness in magical aromatherapy as well as in other magical rites that call for such ingredients. The fragrance of both wood and oil promotes spirituality, simply inhale the sweet antiseptic and calming scent before religious or spiritual rituals to deepen connection with deity or spirit. Cedar's scent is ideal in it's spiritual qualities for bringing ourselves into balance. This is a technique I (Tytus Lionheart) use often as I suffer from anxiety, stress, and high-blood pressure: Smell the aroma and visualize yourself as poised, calm and in control of your own life. I keep a small container of cedar to use for this very purpose, it honestly calms my tension and brings my mind, body and spirit into balance; Highly recommended (with usual medical treatment from your doctor) for those suffering from these ailments.
**WARNING: Pregnant women should NOT use cedar wood oil**

                                                          (Juniperus Virginiana)



Sources for herb of the month: Juniper 9/2012

• "Smithsonian Handbooks: HERBS" by Lesley Bremness
• "Magical Aromatherapy" by Scott Cunningham
• "Pagan Magical Properties of Herbs" by DragonOak on http://www.squidoo.com/PaganHerb

Check out more about Juniper at Luminearth.com

Long time no post *Updates and Changes*

Hello Sisters and Brothers of the magickal paths, its been a long while since I've contributed to the blog and for that I'm sorry. I have been very busy in my personal life, what with moving to Hollywood,CA and getting a new exciting job. But I have found enough stability in my life to continue my work here on Lion Heart.

*So first and foremost, instead of herbs and books "of the week", we shall now have herbs and books "of the month". This makes it easier on me to keep the blog updated without overwhelming myself. So keep an eye out for this months herb and book, which I will try my best to get it posted before Mabon.

*Which brings me to my next topic, the upcoming sabbat (Mabon, for those who havn't caught on yet), I will post factoids about the sabbat as usual along with a simple ritual to perform on the Autumnal Equinox (Mabon, again for you newbies). I don't post any sabbat ritual I do not perform myself so I wil attempt to have the post ready at least by the week of Mabon. For those who don't know, Mabon is on a Friday; 9/21/2012. Again sorry for the long absence but as my wise parents always say, "Life is what happens when you're making plans."

*Just one more thing, any suggestions and comments are greatly welcomed. I want to know what you, the readers (if there are any of you) want to know, learn or discuss. I myself am passionate about my religion, spirituality and magickal practice; so any way for me to extend that passion to another would be done so enthusiastically. Plus, if its a subject or topic I know little about, it gives me a chance to research and experiment something new; which benefits not only you the hopefully non-imaginary reader, but me as well in my personal occult training.

*That's all for now my Sisters and Brothers, I got a lot of work to get done for this blog, so if you'll excuse me, I got get back to cracking open spell books and resource material. Blessed Be <3

The Coming Beltane Sabbat * Beltane Fires of Passion

A wonderful article I think will summerize the coming Beltane Sabbat!: Beltane Fires * Wicca-Spirituality.com/Silver Chalice E-Zine

 I will be posting the Outline of the Beltane Ritual the day before on the 29th, that I will be performing April 30th at sundown (the traditional start of Beltane) . It will be simple, but powerful and hopefully passionate like the coming Sabbat. To me Beltane is like Wiccan Valentine's Day, it's a time (if you are so blessed) to pay special attention to your lover or mate, if you are solo at this time then pay special attention to your close friends and family or even pay special attention to yourself, give yourself something nice; give it to your Higher-self during ritual. There is lots to be not only be passionate about but thankful for and these I feel are the key celebration points for Beltane; passion, pleasure and being thankful. This being the case, not only should we celebrate the Union of the Goddess and the God but we should be thankful for all that we are blessed with because of that Union. We should also be thankful for the Unions we have here on the physical plane Unions with: friends, family, lovers, animals, plants, places, Self, and careers. Whatever brings you pleasure take joy in it and be thankful for it, for doing so is a holy act:

"ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in Her praise. For Hers is the ecstasy of the spirit, and Hers also is joy on earth; for Her law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For Hers is the secret door which opens upon the land of youth and Hers is the cup of wine of life, and the cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of immortality. She is the gracious goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon earth, She gave the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, She gives peace and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor does She demand sacrifice, for behold, She is the mother of all living, and Her love is poured out upon the earth." ---- Charge of The Goddess

The Charge of the Goddess by D. Valiente

The Charge of the Goddess

By: D. Valiente

"Whenever ye have need of any thing, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of She, who is Queen of all witches. There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will She teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites; and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in Her praise. For Hers is the ecstasy of the spirit, and Hers also is joy on earth; for Her law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For Hers is the secret door which opens upon the land of youth and Hers is the cup of wine of life, and the cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of immortality. She is the gracious goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon earth, She gave the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, She gives peace and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor does She demand sacrifice, for behold, She is the mother of all living, and Her love is poured out upon the earth.

She who is the beauty of the green earth, and the white moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, calls unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto Her. For She is the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe. from Her all things proceed, and unto Her all things must return; and before Her face, beloved of gods and men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let Her worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are Her rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And thou who thinkest to seek Her, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery; that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, then thou wilt never find it without thee. For behold, She has been with thee from the beginning; and She is that which is attained at the end of desire."

T.LH: The Charge of the Goddess is a sacred text of the Wiccan religion and is a central part to many of our sacred points as a Mystery Tradition. Perhaps the most quoted of the Wiccan Texts the Charge of the Goddess contains some famous ideas in the Wiccan Religion including acts of love and pleasure as a form of worship for the Goddess, for all acts of love are Hers. Also there is a warning that those who seek the Goddess (and therefore the Occult mysteries) not within themselves then they will not find Her (or the power) with out. It is a warning against just being whats called an "armchair wiccan" or a Wiccan that claims the to the path but does not actually have experiance in its practices. Wicca is an experiential religion meaning that one has to participate in it's teachings in order to gain the understanding and insight that Wicca offers. The Charge of the Goddess has been rewritten many times and has many different authors, this I feel is the best edition because it covers all the points I find important to our Tradition and Religion as a whole.

Herb of the Week: Milkweed

Milkweed - Asclepias syriaca (A.tuberosa, A.speciosa)
Common name: Pleurisy Root
Folk Name: Butterfly Weed, Canada Root, Flux Root, Swallow-Wort, Tuber Root, White Root, Wind Root.
Parts Used: Flower, leaf, shoot/stem, root, fruit/nut, seed
Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Gender: Masculine
Goddesses/Gods: Asclepius (the God of medicine and healing in ancient Greek mythology) which from whom this plant has taken its name.
Medicinal Uses: The root increases bronchial dilation and lymphatic drainage and is a specific treatment for pleurisy and bronchitis. It is given for some urinary problems. Large doses of the fresh leaf tea cause vomiting. The sap contains the enzyme asclepain which helps remove warts. The root has been used to cause temporary sterility. The seeds have a silky tuft to aid distribution which is used as pillow stuffing. All milkweeds (Asclepias tuberosa, A. syraca, A. speciosa) are potentially dangerous, use with caution.
Folklore: Pleurisy Root was widely used among Native Americans; it was on of the most important medicines of the Menomini tribe. Milkweed attracts Monarch Butterflies; it is the only plant that the monarch larvae eat.
Magickal Uses: Protection during surgery; health and healing in general. Used in sachets, mojo bags and gris-gris.

Read more about Milkweed at Luminearth.com

Herb of the Week: Pokeweed

Folk Name: Pigeon Berry
Parts Used: leaf, shoot/stem, root, fruit/nut
Planet: Uranus
Element: Air
Gender: Masculine
Medicinal Uses: Shoots are eaten after they are properly boiled for a long period. The anti-inflammatory root is given for swollen throat glands. It is purgative and narcotic, expels phlegm, soothes arthritis, kills sperm, and, with the leaf, treats fungal infections. Further research has shown that a component of Pokeweed is useful to the immune system and has proteins that inhibit flu, herpes, and leukemia. This herb must be used with care, respect and expertise because used wrongly it can be deadly.
Folklore: The Declaration of Independence was written in fermented pokeweed berry ink. The Native Americans introduced the herb to the European settlers who loved it and took it back to the old country where it now grows wild.
Magickal Uses: Used to break hexes and curses especially during the New Moon. To break a hex/ curse make an infusion of the herb and sprinkle around the victims home counter-clockwise. You can also add a bit to the bathwater but be sure not to drink any of it! The berries of pokeweed are crushed and used to make magickal ink for writing protection spells and hex-breaking spells. The juice of the berries can also be used in placed of blood in rituals that call for it.

See Luminearth's post on Pokeweed

Book of the Week: "Bucklands Complete Book of Witchcraft"

T.LH: “Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft” is a great text on the practices of Wicca and modern witchcraft. The book itself has been used as a text book for many traditions and covens. There are fifteen lessons within the book each followed with a handy study guide and tests afterwards to help retain each lessons teachings. The book is perfect for beginners, intermediates and advance students alike with in-depth teachings on Wiccan philosophy, rituals and rites, herbalism, Sabbats, Marriage/ birth and death rites, magick…etc. This is a great work book for all Wiccans and modern witchcraft practitioners; it can be a wonderful reference guide as well as a perfect training manual. The books level is Beginner- Intermediate- Expert. I give the text 5/5 stars for ease of use, its multilevel quality, its large source of information and its excellent use of study guides and testing.

Summary:  Level- Beginner- Intermediate- Expert      Topic- Wiccan Training Manual    Star- 5/5    Necessity- Work book

Also New Book of the Week!!!! **Yay!**

That's right fellow seekers of occult knowledge, I will be posting a weekly book report on books about magick and Wicca. Here is how its going to be set up: I will explain the book briefly (for further detail on each book buy one and read it), then I will give my notes on the books, the books level of study (Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert), I will rate the quality of the book using a point system from 1-5; 5 being the highest score. For courtesy sake I will also rank the necessity of the tome (Don't need, Must have, Great for Covens, Great for Solitaries, Workbook, Grimoire). For ease of use there will be a summary of the books rating/ranking to be used as a quick reference.

This Weeks Book: 


















T.LH: I have been really enthralled with the book "The Wiccan Mysteries" by Raven Grimassi. I feel the book covers many topics that require the expert and well informed explanation that Raven offers in his book. In the text Raven talks with in depth detail about some of the more advanced topics of Wicca as a Mystery Tradition. These Topics Range from Reincarnation, Female/ Male Mysteries, Planes of Existence, Wiccan Deity, and much more. I feel Raven gives an amazing guide to this intense study of the spiritual principles of Wicca as a religion and philosophy. The application of this book to ones practice would create a richer spiritual connection and understanding to the teachings of Wicca. I would say this book to be at an Intermediate Level of study though if the beginner is determined enough I'm sure they can make use of this tome as well. I give the text 4/5 stars.

Summary:  Level-Intermediate      Topic-Wicca Spirituality     Star-4/5      Necessity-Must Have

New Weekly Occult Herbs!

In partnership with Luminearth I have accepted the privilege of sharing my occult input on herbs from "LuminEarth’s Guide To Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants". I will share here my occult correspondences and have a link also to the herb site at Luminearth. I hope these occult correspondences help aid the interested student of natural magick, let these notes and tables be a guide for you and your work. Beatus Esse, Tytus Lionheart.


First Plant for this week:
 (sorry I know it a little late in the week but next week is gonna be right on time!)

 Plantago Major: Broadleaf Plantain

Herbal Occult Info and Folk Medicinal Properties
 Folk Name: White-Man’s Foot
Parts Used: leaf, shoot/stem, seed
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Gender: Feminine
Goddesses/Gods: Hecate (with its road correspondence and feminine nature), there is little known about this herb but it is a sacred herb and can be used to honor all Goddesses and Gods.
Medicinal Uses: A leaf poultice is used to speed a wounds healing. The leaves treat urinary infections, burns, bee stings, hemorrhoids, and conjunctivitis. They are mucilaginous and expectorant. The Seeds are high in fiber; their mucilage may lower cholesterol and is used in cosmetics. In the wild, if you are injured chew on the leaves of the plantain to make a spit-poultice, then place this on the wound using a small amount of dirt to bind it if necessary. this will pull all the germs and help promote healing, and this can also work for removing splinters.
Folklore: In Latin America it is a folk remedy for cancer. In China, it’s made into a detoxifying tea for treating tubercular ulcers and diarrhea. The herb was one of the nine sacred herbs of the Angelo-Saxons and was used for poisonous bites and related injuries.
Magickal Uses: The plantain is used in protection spells for the home and the car as well as for travelers, especially those traveling on a road (which is where this plant likes to grow). The plantain can give power to magickal workings in general. The herb is also used in healing sachets, specifically for headaches and fatigue.

Check out Luminearth's page on the Broadleaf Plantain.

Speacial Thanks to Becki Baumgartner from Luminearth.

Ostara Ritual for Vitality

Ostara Ritual

Invocation for Vitality

(From The Wiccan Year by Judy Ann Nock, pg.111)

With its emphasis on new beginnings and new life, Ostara is an ideal time to call a renewed sense of energy to ourselves so that we may flourish along with the greening earth. Begin with an invigorating ritual bath. Combine equal amounts of: Sea Salt and Epsom Salt in a bowl (about 1/8 cup of each) and add a handful of crushed peppermint leaves.

                Pour the mixture into a muslin pouch or large tea bag/ cheese cloth and steep in a hot bath. Allow the salts to dissolve and the water to cool until it in comfortable. Immerse yourself in the bath with a soaked cloth draped over your face. Breathe in the stimulating essence of the herb as you allow the warm water to ease your muscles.

                Use the cloth to exfoliate your body, envisioning the cold and stagnant energy being scrubbed away and replaced with an exciting new dawn. As you wash your face, think on these words:

                “I cleanse myself in the blessed company of the tender green of the Earth. May my thoughts and desires be aligned with the Divine Nature of the Goddess. Allow my eyes to discern beauty wherever it lies. Let me breathe in the invigorating air. May it renew my blood with it’s purity. May my ears be filled with the happy songs of the birds of the sky. May my lips curl in a delightful smile at the new life unfolding around me. May my voice be clear and strong, raised in praise to the great lady of all beginnings. May my heart beat steady and sure, filled with love and not longing. May I never hunger nor thirst, but accept the abundance that is Her gift to the land. May the powerful sinews of my arms stretch to the sky to invoke Her grace. My hands will work the transformation of Her lovely crafts. My legs will move in a joyful dance. My feet will walk gently upon the renewing Earth, and the land shall become more beautiful because of my care.”

                After immersing yourself in water, it is now time to envision yourself aligning with the creatures of the land and of the air. Allow yourself to air-dry. As the water evaporates from your skin, think of the snakes that shed their skin in their cycle of renewal and the birds that molt, revealing their new feathers, soft and crisp. Next, light a candle and place a plate of fresh sprouts before you. Hold the plate high above the candle, saying this:

“May the spark of life and the flame of vitality imbue these living seeds with power and strength. Goddess great, Goddess green, blessings on these thriving seeds! As I consume them, hear my plea: Heal me. Grant me what I need.”

As you chew the sprouts, envision yourself taking in the energy of the springtime. As you swallow, envision yourself taking in the healing power of the Goddess inside you, replenishing your internal organs, enlivening your body with healthful energy, with blessings inside and out.

T.LH Notes:

I created a ritual bath to shed the unwanted and stagnant energy and then I took in a Goddess healing invocation which required me to eat fresh spouts and drink some delicious Mango juice. I feel I am seeing things more clearly, and I frankly have a lot of positive energy despite the stress I have been facing and the pain from my injury. I feel I shed-ed all which was keeping me from blossoming with the spring equinox and I had a very powerful moment during the cleansing as I was chanting "Goddess good, Goddess green, Goddess awaking Spring in me." I had a rush of energy that was deeply moving. I don't know if it was the combination of eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil and Epsom salt that forced my third eye to open and flux or if Goddess touched me, but I felt a great power awakening within me and a connection to all things. I went out after the bath and planted a mint plant in my garden giving back to Goddess what Goddess had given me. I still feel a "buzzing" around my aura and body. I feel refreshed, energized and happy. My spirituality has always been strong but its moments like these that give me the most comfort.

Witch School First Degree Exercises

Witch School First Degree Exercises

                 

        These exercises are taken from the CorrellianNatavist Tradition’s First Degree course from Witch School.  These exercises are designed to build up your psychic energies and help you learn to control them. Many of these exercises use Chakra points. Chakras are the energy centers of the body, and there are quite a few of them. The first three lessons however you will just be using two chakras; these are located in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. You can visualize these chakras as balls of white light directly in the center of your palm or sole of your foot. These two chakras are basic chakras that are used for bringing energy into the body and for sending it out of the body. Other chakras are more specialized.  I have chosen these exercises to be a part of the Lion Heart Coursework (L.H.C) to train myself in my First Degree priesthood and to show how one must practice to become proficient in psychic and magickal workings. These are excellent exercises to train your inherent magickal abilities, the more you work out your psychic muscles the stronger they get.  These exercises are meant to be done daily until you have got them down and can do them easily. There are different sets of daily exercises; as we go along through the coursework I will add the sets I am doing daily and also leave the proper instructions for when to switch to the next set of exercises. Remember to record every exercise and your experience in each. You can record this in your Book of Shadows, or a journal dedicated only to the practice of these exercises.

EX.1: Put yourself into a comfortable position. Begin by releasing; close your eyes and imagine all worries and anxieties of your day just pouring out of you like water, down and out through the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet. Now place the palms of your hands together. Imagine a ball of white light between your two palms, radiating out from where they touch. Imagine it very strongly, seeing it clearly.

     Now pull your hands slowly apart. Imagine the ball of light stretching out between your hands as you separate them, becoming a beam of light between your palms. Hold this for a few seconds, longer if you can. Then, slowly, bring your hands together, shrinking the beam of light between them until they close together and it is gone. Clear and release all excess energy as outlined in the page entitled “Psychic Hygiene”. Imagine a stream of white light or water flowing through you from the top of your head and carrying all excess energy away through the soles of your feet. 

    Practice this until you get good at it. Then you are ready for exercise 2.

EX.2: This exercise begins just like EX.1. Mimic it just the same until you get to the point where you have created the beam of energy between your hands.  Then, instead of stopping, visualize that beam growing and expanding to form a ball of white light between your hands. Hold that image as long as you can. Then, slowly, bring your hands back together, seeing the ball shrink between them, growing smaller and smaller until by the time your hands close, the ball is gone.

   Clear and release when you’re done. When you get good at this, you’re ready to try exercise 3.

EX.3: This exercise is just like EX.1, except when you open your hands, instead of a beam of white light, visualize a rainbow between your hands. Every color has an effect on energy, so this will work to strengthen you on a number of levels at once.                                                                                                    

These three exercises are not meant to replace each other, but done together. As you master one, you will add the next one to your daily regimen. Always release before and after, but not between, the exercises. When you have mastered all three, this is will be your regimen: Release, EX.1, EX.2, EX.3, and release again.

The Qabalistic Cross Ritual

The Qabalistic Cross

The Qabalistic Cross is a ceremonial practice that’s basic purpose is to help the magician reach “ritual consciousness” before a magickal working. The Qabalistic Cross (QC) centers the magician in the middle of his/her cosmic universe and aligns the magician with the energy of the cosmos as well as the Tree of Life, an occult reality map that explains the spiritual nature of the universe.  The ritual that I have adapted into my own practice is the one set down by Christopher Penczak in “The Temple of High Witchcraft” (pg.96 ch.4) more info on the performance, symbolism and tools of the ritual will follow:

1)      Stand in center of room, or in West of altar facing the East. Clear and release, still the mind.

2)      Visualize yourself growing to gigantic size, up past the sky into the solar system and even farther from the galaxy. The Earth below is tiny but your feet are anchored to it so you don’t have to worry about “flying away”. Visualize that you are in the far reaches of the cosmos, a star descends to your crown then transforms to a ball of brilliant white light, know that this ball is a piece of the Great Spirit (the androgynous and all pervasive spirit of the Universe, The Source, i.e. The Unknown God/dess), it burns brighter than a thousand suns. Take blade/ index and middle fingers (of the predominant hand or what is called your “Power Hand”, ambidextrous persons should use the hand they feel most comfortable with) and pierce the ball, move blade/fingers to forehead and touch the Third Eye (middle of brow at penile gland), visualizing a stream of white light moving with the blade/fingers. Vibrate: AH-tah.

3)      Move blade/fingers downwards vertically across the body, guiding with it the stream of white light, point blade/fingers towards the Earth and visualize the light moving downwards to the Earth and past it into infinity, focus on this beam of light and vibrate: Mahl-KOOT.

4)      Bring blade/fingers up to right shoulder, touch shoulder with blade/fingers. Visualize a star at the right shoulder. Visualize the vertical beam in the center of your body extend another beam of white light from the heart area to the star at the right shoulder and then out through infinity to the right. Focus on the beam of light and vibrate: Vih-G’boo-RAAH.

5)      Move blade/fingers across to the left shoulder, touch shoulder with blade/fingers, visualize a star at the left shoulder. Visualize the white beam of light in the center of your body extending another beam of white light from the heart area to the star at the left shoulder and out through infinity to the left. Focus on the beam of light and vibrate: Vih-G’doo-LAH.

6)      Now clasp hands together over your chest in a prayer position. With blade (if using one) hold it point up between the knuckles. Visualize beneath your hands at heart area a golden glowing light within the middle of your chest at the point of intersection between the four points of the cross within your body. Focuse on this golden light and the cross as a whole, vibrate: Lih-Oh-LAHM, Ah-MEN. Feel yourself in a cross of light stretching infinitely through the universe.

7)      When done and not continuing on to other rituals or magickal workings, bring your awareness back to the material world, resuming (slowly) back to normal proportions and letting the visualization of the cross of light fade. Clear and release all excess energy if needed.

The words that are vibrated within this ritual basically translate to: “For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and forever. Amen.” This prayer is a type of code that grounds the Tree of Life through four main centers of your body. The sephira at the top is the godhead, the “thine” of the prayer. The one at the bottom where your feet are translates to “kingdom”, the one to your right translates to “power” and the one to your left translates to “glory”, or “mercy”.

The Words of Power

Perhaps one of the most common road blocks to beginners of this ritual are the concerns of the vibration, or toning, of the scared sounds. A lot of books and writers from the ceremonial traditions have inspired some fear in “mispronouncing” the words of power. To be completely honest the pronunciation of the words has less to do with the proper performance of the ritual than the intention of the words when they are said. As long as you are focused and you say the words with confidence and meaning then you are doing the ritual right, regardless if you mispronounce the words or not. As Christopher Penczak put it in “The Temple of High Witchcraft” (TOHW), “It’s better to do it, holding a strong intention, and let the practice evolve rather than not to do it because you are afraid to do it wrong.”

If you are still worried about whether or not you are pronouncing the words of power correctly and if this is negatively affecting your ritual then listen to the wise words of modern mystic and Qabalist, Lon Milo Duquette, author of  “The Chicken Qabalah”, from which he writes:

“The first liberating secret Chicken Qabalists learn is that (as far as the Qabalah is concerned) there is no such thing as correct Hebrew Pronunciation. Yep. That’s right. No matter how you pronounce the various words in the system, some snob is sure to pop up (especially in public) and correct you….I repeat, nobody knows for sure what the sacred language of the ancient Hebrews sounded like, or even if it was spoken at all! Pronunciation has less than nothing to do with the study and practice of the spiritual applications of the Qabalah.”

The Blade

In this ritual there is a common tool used to direct the energy of the cross of light and that tool is the ritual blade. Also known as an athame (pronounced Ah-THA-May), the ritual blade is an extension of the magician and is used to direct and absorb the energy in a ritual. Traditionally, athames are plain, dull double-edge daggers with a black hilt, but modern magickal practitioners have access to a large variety of athames and daggers some as simple as a sharp piece of wood and others are elegant pieces of jeweled art. The  ritual blade is not necessary to perform this or any ritual, it is just a tool to help focus and direct energy which could just as easily be done with one’s own fingers.