Reblog this if you post wiccan/pagan/occult realted things
I need to follow more blogs that do!
June 2011
11 posts
Tarot Blades: Defining Magick: Clearing up some misconceptions. →
tarotblades.tumblr.com
Vampires have damaged souls?
Another common misconception is that vampires are beings with damaged/malfunctioning chakras or souls which causes them to leak energy and therefore require to feed to sustain themselves. This notion is very common amongst Pagan and Wiccan circles and is not true,…
Merry Litha friends! And Merry Yule to those in the southern hemisphere!!
“
Open Your Mind to Death.
There is a very popular opinion that choosing life is inherently superior to choosing death… This bias constitutes one of the most obstinate mythologies of the human species.
This prejudice against death, however, is a kind of xenophobia. Discrimination against death is simply assumed good and right. Absolutist faith in life is commonly a result of the unthinking conviction that existence or survival, along with an irrational fear of death, is “good”. This unreasoned conviction in the rightness of life over death is like a god or a mass delusion. Life is the “noble lie”; the common secular religion of the West.
For the conventional Westerner, the obvious leap of faith to make here is that one’s “self” and its preservation constitute the first measure of rationality. Yet if one begins reasoning with the unquestioned premise that life is good, or that one’s own life or any life is justified, this is very different from bringing that premise itself to be questioned rationally. Anyone who has ever contemplated his or her own mortality might question the ultimate sanity of the premise of self-preservation. Even if it is possible to live forever, moreover, this makes not an iota of difference as to the question of the value of existence.
Most people are so prejudiced on this issue that they simply refuse to even consider the possibilities of death. Humans tend to be so irrationally prejudiced towards the premise of life that rational treatment of death seldom sees the light of day. Most people will likely fall back on their most thoughtless convictions, intuitions, and instincts, instead of attempting to actually think through their biases (much less overcome them).
Yet is choosing death “irrational”? For what reason? For most people, “irrationality” apparently refers to a subjectivity experience in which their fear of death masters them — as opposed the discipline of mastering one’s fear of death. By “irrational”, they mean that they feel compelled to bow down before this master. An individual is “free”, apparently, when he or she is too scared to question obedience to the authority of the fear of death. This unquestioned slavery to the most common and unreasonable instincts is what, in practice, liberal-individualists call rationalism.
Most common moral positions justify and cloak this fear of death. And like any traditional authority, time has gathered a whole system of rituals, conventions, and customs to maintain its authority and power as unquestionable, inevitable, and fated; fear of death as the true, the good, and the beautiful. For most people, fear of death is the unquestionable master that establishes all other hierarchies — both social hierarchies, and the hierarchies within one’s own mind. Most are humbly grateful for the very privilege of obedience and do not want to be free.
I propose opening your mind towards the liberation of death; towards exposing this blind faith in life as a myth, a bias, and an error. To overcome this delusion, the “magic spell” of pious reverence for life over death must be broken. To do so is to examine the faith in life that has been left unexamined; the naïve secular and non-secular faith in life over death.
Opening one’s mind to death emerges from the attempt to unshackle one’s mind from the limitations of all borders. It leads to overcoming all biological boundaries, including borders between the “self” and the larger world. It reaches towards the elimination of biologically based prejudices altogether, including prejudice towards biological self-preservation.
The attempt to go beyond ethnocentrism and anthropomorphism leads towards overcoming the prejudices of what I call viviocentrism, or, life-centeredness. Just as overcoming ethnocentrism requires recognition of the provincialism of ethnic values, overcoming viviocentrism emerges from the recognition of the provincialism of life values. Viviocentric provincialism is exposed through an enlarged view from our planet, our solar system, our galaxy, and the limits of our knowledge of the larger cosmos we live in.
Overcoming the prejudice against death, then, is only an extension and continuation of the Western project of eliminating bias, especially biologically based biases (i.e. race or sex based biases). The liberation of death is only the next step in the political logic that has hitherto sought to overcome prejudices based on old assumptions of a fixed biological human nature. Its opposite is an Aristotelian, teleological conception of nature; a nature of natural slaves, natural aristocracy, natural patriarchy, natural inferiority of women, natural racial kinds, natural heterosexuality and, finally, natural self-preservation. This older, teleological view suggests that individual self-preservation is an expression of a fixed biologically based nature that culture and/or reason is incapable of changing, altering, or overcoming.
Just as it was considered unnatural or even insane that men be loosed from “natural” subordination to their king, or that women be unchained from “natural” subordination to their fathers and husbands, today it is considered unnatural that death be liberated from its “natural” subordination to the tyranny of life. From this point of view, one can recognize that the pro-choice stance on abortion and the right to die stance on euthanasia have already opened paths over conventional pro-life superstitions. These developments towards the liberation of biological death may lead to what may be the highest fulfillment of egalitarian progress: the equality of life and death.
” —— Mitchell Heisberg, An Experiment in Nihilism
heads up
Sorry I’ve been on hiatus lately— been rather busy. I just got into a top notch school for my field of study and returned from a longer vacation than anticipated.
I am also finally about to launch the FAQ page for CG and TC project, I need to finish addressing some questions and then send it by fellow Admin there for approval/editing, so that should help with the question repeats. Most FAQs deal with “What is paganism?” and “What are the differences between Paganism vs Wicca vs Witchcraft?” ect, ect. Some are about the whole love spell controversy and others about how to find your path. Additionally, animal/spirit guides vs totems.
Chaos, part 3
So last time through I kind of rambled about meditation. In hindsight, it was kind of a useless post because I think you all comprehend meditation. Oh well. Moving on.
The next big step is to recognize when things can be interchanged. In my first post here I mentioned that there are no wrong answers and that it’s a matter of looking at things differently. This can be applied to the methods you already use to simplify or extrapolate what you have into something new. One example I came upon was a ritual where the other participants were in a web conference- just because they were not physically present did not change the fact they were interacting with the ritual at hand.
There are a lot of ways that such actions and methods can be used to improve one’s productivity and options. As long as you can adjust your perspective, you can continue to change up what you’re doing to attain the desired effect.
Nichtus
Monday Correspondences:
Planetary Influence: Moon
Deities: Mani, Meness, Thoth, Selene
Flowers & Plants: Bluebell, Jasmine, Gardenia, White Rose, White Poppy, Moonflower
Metal: Silver
Colors: White, Silver, Pale Blue
Crystals & Stones: Moonstone, Pearl, Quartz Crystal, Sapphire
Essential Oils: Gardenia, Jasmine, Lemon, Lemon balm, Lily, Myrrh, Sandalwood, Stephanotis
Tarot Cards: The Moon, The High Priestess
Foods, Herbs & Spices: Melons, Chamomile, Wintergreen, Lemon
Monday Potion Recipe for Psychic Power:
- One clear or blue glass bottle with a stopper or lid
- A clean dropper
- 6 inches silver ribbon
- A small moon-shaped charm
- A label and pen (to list ingredients and decorate and mark the bottle)
- 1/8 cup almond base oil (almonds are associated with the moon)
- 13 drops sandalwood oil (a lunar oil that is both spiritual and protective)
- 3 white rose petals
- 3 willow leaves or pinch of dried willow bark
- A tiny moonstone chip
Pour the base oil into the bottle until the bottle is three quarters full. Then add the moonstone chip, the rose petals, willow, and funally the essential sandalwood oil. Close up the bottle with the lid, place your fingers over the lid, and carefully, shake up the mixture.
Hold up the mixture to the moonlight and allow the moonbeams to illuminate the potion within. On the label, list the ingredients and the use for the potion. Decorate the label by drawing moons or whatever else you would add to the moon magick. Attach the label to the glass bottle. Finish up by threading the moon charm onto the ribbon and then tying the silver ribbon around the neck of the bottle. As you finish tying on the bow, hold the bottle in your hands and repeat the charm below (notice there is a place for you to insert which phase of the moon you happen to be currently in. This way, you can customize the potion for specific psychic abilities):
This potion holds the powers of the moon
May it increase my psychic power soon
The stone adds lunar power and empathy
The herbs and oil increase the power times three
During this ______ quarter’s enchanting moon phase
I’ll work easily with my powers through the day
This potion is enhanced by the moon’s magick so bright
My psychic talents will now blossom and come to light.
Phases of the Moon and Their Psychic Associations -
First Quarter: (new moon to the waxing half moon) Now is the time whten your psychic power is tarting to build; you may feel more “tuned in” and more compassionate and sensitive to other people’s emotions. Your dreams and their divinatory meanings become clearer. You may ntoice that your animal allies, or totem animals, show up more in your life, so pay attention to their messages. Work your divinatory tools now to get a clear picture of what is beginning to unfold in your life at the present time.
Second Quarter: (waxing half moon to the full moon) during this lunar pahse, your emotions and senses get turned up to “high”. Think of it as kind of like riding a psychic wave: it builds as the full moon gets closer, peaks, and then you start to come down. Precognitive dreaming is more likely to happen during this moon phase. At the full moon you will probably notice everything in a more detailed and magickal way, so work with it when it hits. Intuition and clairvoyance abilities will peak as the moon waxes to full. Employ your favorite divinitory tools now to see the past, present, and future.
Third Quarter: (day after the full moon until the waning half moon) As themoon wanes, the focus begins to turn within. Pay attention to your inner voice — your instincts and gut hunches. this is not the time to ignore your inner monologue. You may find that you’re “hearing between the lines”, meaning you’re hearing or sensing what is unspoken, so think before you speak. Ride back the wave of this lunar energy and realize that the energies around you can be used to your benefit. Tune into your own spirit and meditate. Work with divinitory tools now to see what is hidden from you.
Fourth Quarter: (waning half moon until the new moon) At this point of the moon phase, some people may find that their psychic talents go on holiday, or that they come howling with an all-out assault on your senses. The reason for this is that during this last waning lunar phase, all psychic work turns within. This often forces a person to contemplation, and it nudges them into turning their psychic abilities and all that focus within. Then they gain the opportunity for self-discovery. Work with your divinatory tools now to gain an appreciation for what events and people have led you to this point in your life. By looking to the past, we can acquire a good overview on what has brought us to the point we’re standing at now. Then we may gain understanding, wisdom, and insight.
Sunday Correspondences:
Planetary Correspondence: Sun
Deities: Helios, Sunna, Brigid
Flowers & Plants: Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Marigold, St. John’s Wort, Sunflower
Metal: Gold
Colors: Gold, Yellow, Yellow-Orange, Neon shades of orange and yellow, hot pink
Crystals & Stones: Carnelian, Diamond, Amber, Tiger’s Eye, Quartz crystal
Essential Oils: Bergamot, Calendula, Carnation, Cedar, Cinnamon, Frankincense, Orange, Rosemary
Tarot Cards: The Sun, Ace of Wands, the Chariot
Foods, Herbs & Spices: Orange, Cinnamon, Rosemary
Sunday Potion for Health, Wealth & Success:
- A small deocrative glass bottle with a lid or a stopper
- A clean dropper to easily add the essential oil
- A tiny golden sun charm
- 6 inches of gold ribbon
- A label and pen (to list the ingredients and to decorate and mark the bottle)
- 1/8 cup base oil (like sunflower oil)
- 9 fresh or dried sunflower petals
- Small chips or a tiny piece of carnelian
- 13 drops of essential Carnation oil
Pour your base into the bottle until the bottle is three quarters of the way full. Then add the tiny carnelian chip, the sunflower petals, and finally the essential carnation oil. Add the lid, hold your finger over the top to avoid any spills, and the carefully shake up the mixture.
Hold up the mixture to the sunlight and allow the sun’s beams to illuminate the mixture within. Wipe off the outside of the bottle and use the label to list the ingredients and use of the potion. Finally, decorate the bottle by attaching the label and tying the gold ribbon around the neck of the bottle. Add the golden sun charm to the streamers of the ribbon so it is visible from the front of the bottle. Knot the charm into place. As you finish tying the bow, hold the bottle in your hands and repeat the charm below:
This potion carries the power of the sun
For health, wealth, and success, the charm is begun
The stone adds power and the element of fire
The sunflower brings fame and will grant my desire
Carnation oil to bring good health and to bind it fast
Now blend all together and make my witchery last
By the power and might of this day of the sun
This potion is magickally blessed, with harm to none.
