Getting the fire started.

Greetings, this is my first entry to this blog. I'd like to thank Featherstone for inviting me to this blog and granting me permission to post. I'd just like to introduce myself just to increase comfort levels across the board. Im currently pursuing an Engineering Bachelor's degree at UWI. I grew up in Diego Martin with a catholic family backround.I had a very difficult time following my family's religion however, the concpets and truths which it spewed didnt agree with me. I love nature and from a young age I've always had a spiritual connection with nature. For me going on a hike or to a park, seeing nature's transformation was a very important, fullfilling and enlightening experience . One night ate the age of 14, I noticed a hooting sound in the park opposite my house. I shone a light through the branches of the trees and located an owl, the owl(a tropical screech) immediately repsonded by locking its eyes onto mine. Inspired by curiosity, I left the house and went into the park. We stared at eachother for some time. During this time the experience for me was as though I was in the presence of a familiar being, an old friend whom for a long time had been forgotten or busy and had just come to say that they were ready to continue our frienship.
Following this experience,I came across a few Lobsang Rampa titles while cleaning out an old bookshelf(The Thirteenth Candle, The Cave of the Ancients). Upon reading these, I was enthralled by their answering of questions and explanations of concepts that came to be my basis of doubts about my families' religion. I became interested in occult and practiced trance meditation to deepen my knowledge about myself and what I needed to learn in this incarnation. A friend of mine who was also a bit of an advisor on the occult and spiritual matters (being more experienced), after listening to a few of my questions, put me on to a website; an introduction to Wicca. After researching this practice and some meditation I chose to make Wicca a path to my own enlightenment. I then had another similar "owl" experience (a common barn owl this time). Shortly after this I came across some literature that "spoke" to me, a book called Queen of Hell by Mark Alan Smith. This book has been my guide so far into a Traditional Witchcraft pracitce in worship and Devotion to the Goddess Hecate to whom I am realizing now I have a calling. My skill so far in spell work and rituals is a bit lacking since I lack backround knowledge and expereince. But I am learning and I guess putting myslef out there to learn even more and share with others. As I said before I'm green and many terms and festival dates and traditions in Wicca, im still coming to terms with so bear with me. My resolve is to continue on to Initiate into witchcraft with Hecate and her servants as my guides. For me there must be balance of light and dark for true spiritual transmutation. I do not follow any threefold law or code, malefica and dark arts as well as light works have been part of the Craft for eons and therefore are there to be used according to the judgements of the witch. I welcome any discussions and advice of ideas and means.

In Nomine Hecate

Urubu.

Samhain-the begining of the rest....

Samhain in Celtic tradition is seen as the end of the Wheel of the year, but not in the sense of the day after being the beginning.
The period between Samhain and Yule marks a time of reflection. What are we letting go of for the year? What goals will we set for ourselves by Yuletide.
As Samhain comes closer, and the veil thins between our worlds, some of us can feel energies of those gone past, and can reflect on lessons which they have taught.

My quandry for this time is the reflection on whether to inflict action through spell and ritual, or do I just accept the outcome of whatever situation I am given.
As Witches, we need not just accept, but can decide on a direction, and take some action toward it, even if it is only a psycho pomp ritual directed at the change.

I do not think I will ever be settled on this........

How to use the Liber 777

Right.... so mad-ass Crowley (or genius there is a fine line between the two) actually sat down and created this thing called the Liber 777, a fantastic resource for Magick workers of all types. Even though his orignal intention was to bring pomp and circumstance of the MAgickal kind to the "Franterntatis of the A.A, it has proven a valuable resource for workers of Wicca, Chaos Magick and all types of Paths to the like.

A look into the Liber 777 reveal Crowley's opinion of the Rosicrucian Orders, and the Golden Dawn. He says that the leading spirit of the later societies was only found in "Give us this day our daily whisky..", pointing fingers at their penchant for a good time. I found this absolutely ironic, since all men have their vices, and Crowley was not exempt from his. But I put in this chapter to show the view that I do not believe (as Crowley did) that he was the messiah of the "Age of Will". He was a man like all of us are men, and all men contribute to those things they find of interest in some way.

Crowley has tabulated magickal characteristics and energies of Indian, Chinese, Buddist, Christain and Jewish origins in an attempt to create a resource in tune with the phrase "As above, So Below"

The table provides a refference to the magical energies, listing the aboves and the belows.

One way the Magikal Worker can use the reference is by pinpointing one manifestation of the energy...for example in working Jupiter Magick...

In the Table of Correspondences on Table 1, Col VII.... you locate the Sphere of Jupiter, you will see that it is given a Key Scale value of 4. All correponding entities with the same energies as Jupiter, will also have a key scale of 4. Jupiter will correspond to the Hebrw number Chesed, its King scale colour will be Deep Violet, the Egyptian God corresponding to Jupiter will be Amoun or Isis. Jupiter, is the open arms of the Perfected Man, the Indra or Brahma of the Hindu dieties, its plants areOlive and Shamrock, its crystal Amethyst or Sapphire.

Magickal workers can use these objects to surround themselves with the essences of Jupiter, to work on expansion in their life....which is what Jupiter Magick is used for.

I hope that helps clear up some of the comfusion about this bunch of tables.

Great Resource

This is a great link , with lots of magickal info.....

www.jwmt.org

Runes

There is a whole lot of information out there about Runes and their interpretation. But I shall relate an experience that I had when it came to interpreting those Runes.

Most books give you the pictures of either Viking or Scandanavian runes and a one word meaning.

In the creation of the images though, there was an entire story behind it, sometimes with conditions. Unfortunately, the reall essence of the meanings are lost when reduced to one word.

This site http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/ has some usefull information that is needed when interpreting runes. I think it is very essential to read the entire runic poem and understand the meaning, thinking in the abstract to grasp it. Imagine then, that this alphabet is from an alien race, who attempts to explain their culture to you. Or matbe clearer still imagine trying to explain to ants the concept of indiviuality, when their social stucture is wrapped up in the comunity mind of the nest....

For instance, the rune FEOH in the anglo saxon interpretation reads : Wealth is a comfort to all men;yet must every man bestow it freely,if he wish to gain honour in the sight of the Lord.

This is usually interpreted as wealth alone. but for the Anglo Saxons, the wealth, gained freely, must also be given just as freely. This is something which resonated with me quite significanlty. Wealth, to be attained must also be given. Hoarding it up will cause the flow to dry up.

So for me, there were other conditions to that wealth, and an action implied by recieving the wealth.

Hope you guys get my drift....happy rune reading.

Home Made Wand

Okay, so I made my own wand........ I really wanted one, and I would like to say that the experience of crafting your own wand is well worth it.
Don't get me wrong, there are beautiful wands online, and Kore has just solved my problem of shipping stuff. But I wanted to make my own.

I found a stick...actually the stick found me. I have no idea what kind of wood it is, but it felt right in my hand. I cut it to the right lenght, tip of the middle finger to crook of the elbow. I am partial to the wand more than the Athame. I think I shall make a Staff of Power next.
I oiled my wand with Ginger lily oil- for positivity, and chose green (growth) and Gold(transformation of spirit) for my colours. I have three runes engraved in the wand, but I'll keep those a secret.
It works well in my morning ritual, and the energies feel great. I really like building my own things, I just want to have additional motifs, amulets etc which I would have to search on-line for.
I haven't gotten a robe as yet, partly because even at home I practice in secret. My morning ritual is done at 5:15 - 5:30 when the entire house is still asleep. My mind can focus in the abstract then.
Witchery Blessings, and Magickal Meanderings...
Celtic Crystal

Moon in Gemini

So in preparation for a ritual on the 12th December to tap into those really strong magnetic energies, I did some research into the alignment of the stars.

The moon will be in Gemini on that night........this is a good time for energies of self-expression. Its also a time when we have strongest urges for change. Themes of the ritual are creativity for artists and writers (Manifestation and Ian....hint hint) It is also a good time to focus on a new beginning.

Then there is the added value of the Venus/Jupiter pull.....Venus is good for spiritual love, yes, but it is also a key force in smoothening out, polishing out, refining, putting the finishing touches on something...... the icing on the cake, or the polishing of the jem so to speak.

Jupiter's forces speak of success, prosperity, attainment of goals..etc

So jumble all these themes together and we get the absolutley most perfect date for a ritual designed to turn over my life.....create a new beginning, and ask for success in my creative outpourings (that they would sell faster.....LOL) and that I would be able to earn an income from my creativity.

By the way Kore.... I don't use the athame and all the paraphanalia they ask for......

Anything in my ritual must be hand-made by moi.......if I don't have it I work without it. I have bowls and incense and candles......but they were bought because I loved them, not specifically for the ritual. That way I am sure that everything speaks to my spirit.....and not to the dollar bill.

Oh...and I am looking for a text on Astrology...not the "MTV" format I see in the bookstores, but one that treats it as a serious subject....anyone has one?

Now I have to seek out the herbs woman downtown...need to arm myself with some Bay leaf........

Blessed Be All......... MONETCHILD / CELTIC CRYSTAL