Chrysalis Tarot - 2 Sorceress

2. Sorceress
The High Priestess

The cauldron of rebirth is the theme here. Spiritual Alchemy at its strongest. Surprisingly, I don't find myself drawn to this card... it is almost a neutral thing to me.

Ravens and Merlin I feel akin to, but Morgan Le Fey is not a strong archetype for me. Possibly it is the fact that she is "fae", and I've never had a strong connection to the fair folk.

I'm surprised by how neutral this card is for me. Seriously.

Chrysalis Tarot - 1 Ravens

1. Ravens
The Magician

Unlike the more common interpretation of the Magician, the Ravens approach magic, synchronicity and transformation from a very different perspective. They are tricksters. They understand that few willingly enter into times of change unless they are forced (or tricked) into it. The average person works against their own self-interest, clinging to known pains rather than facing the unknown.

The ravens are both captivated by the new and shiny, but they collect unexpected treasures from what others overlook as trash or discards. Their pearls of wisdom embody that.

They nest in the branches of the world tree, Yggdrasil. They make their home in the space that interpenetrates and traverses all worlds. They live where the shaman and all practitioners of magic need to work: straddling the boundaries between the physical world and other worlds.

The bark of the Yggdrasil is a kaleidoscope of swirls and pentacles and all the representations of the elements for it is made up of all the forces of creation... the forces the magician must contend with, draw power from, and master.

A card of communication, inspiration, limitless potential and of the power of action. The magician is not just a sage, who collects knowledge for knowledge's sake, but who uses what he has to take action in the worlds. He is the catalyst of change... whether through force or guile is up to him.

Chrysalis Tarot - 0 Merlin

0. Merlin
The Hero

Wise man, companion, guide, caregiver, seer, and confidant, Merlin has undertaken the hero's journey again and again. He is a male archetype who embraces feminine power instead of fearing or hating it.

In the otherworldly journey of the Chrysalis we do not do battle as much as open our awareness to ourselves. His connection to Egyptian divinities are intriguing though none of his aligned divinities are ones I usually work with.

He seems to be someone who patiently waits and watches over one, taking the night watch so you can sleep in safety when facing the unknown. He isn't the magician as much as the Alchemist... though he does not strive to change lead to gold, but to transform the mundane into the miraculous. He knows how hard it is to shed one's skin and transform into someone knew... for the most important and difficult of transformations is toward one's authentic self.

the Chrysalis Tarot

In conjunction with my fellow UUFC Earth Spirit Pathfinders, over the next 3 months I am exploring the Tarot. The choice of a Tarot Deck is a very personal thing, and I have ended up connecting with the Chrysalis Tarot. I like the modern interpretations and consideration of evolving archetypes.

I will be exploring my relationship with the various cards and suits. It should be fun.

Bind-Runes, Celtic knotwork, and sigil magicks

My primary form of magickal practice is sigil magic. My particular style is a hybrid of Celtic Knotwork and Bind-Runes interwoven with color and material magicks. My primary material is wood, and I adore doing sigil-craft in that medium.

The present working is a bind-rune meant to reflect negative intent back upon the individual... so should turn away thieves, vandals, and Trump supporters.

The white is the interlocking rune work. It is the active part of the spell.

The black is the dark mirror.

The large color spheres represent the 4 elements/cardinal compass points/gates from which to draw power.

The small spheres represent the 4 shamanic realms over which the spell holds sway.

Lunaracy - Becoming Familiar with Myths and Magicks of the Moon

One of the benefits of being part of a pagan spirit oriented group again is the exploration. Sometimes we travel spiritual paths I walked a long time ago, or believe myself to be quite familiar with, but as a somewhat defacto "guide" for many members of the group, I find myself looking more deeply at the landscape than I had previously. Other times, like this month's readings, I find myself on paths I have never explored or have only given a cursory glances to before heading in other directions.

This month we are walking the ethereal pathways of the moon. Our guidebooks are Praise to the Moon: Magick & Myth of the Lunar Cycle by Elen Hawke, and Moon Magick: Myth & Magic, Crafts & Recipes, Rituals & Spells by D.J. Conway. Like the books on charms, amulets and talismans we read last month, I am finding that it was extremely wise to have two (or more) sources to draw upon. I like both books, but for very different reasons. Praise to the Moon is by far the more scholarly (on a purely academic level) work. Elen Hawke's writing is clean, intelligent, and very polished in both content and presentation. She presents the moon from as many vantage points as possible, not only culturally but ranging from phases of the moon to lunar events. Though she provides suggestions for, and examples of, moon based rituals and spellwork, her focus is on the metaphysical and mythological influences and not the specifics for the spells or rituals. Elen Hawke provides the reader with as broad a theoretical framework as possible and leaves the details to the readers' individual explorations.

Moon Magick, by contrast, is far more a cookbook than a treatise on lunar metaphysics. D.J. Conway has always written her books at a far more earthly level than Hawke. Conway's language is more like the conversation you'd have with friends in the family room than that of intellectuals at the coffee shop. This is a mixed blessing as her language makes the material more accessible to the average person, but can frustrate more advanced practitioners because it seems too "basic". I look at Conway's books in the same light as books written by Julia Child -- the information is good, solid, and easily accessible... it won't make you an expert, but you'll be able to confidently anticipate a lot of very successful results from your efforts.

Conway organizes her material by tying the moons to the months, while Hawke breaks her primary organization between the lunar cycle, lunar events, and astrological/methaphysical correspondences. Conway provides recipes, formula for spells, and lists of corresponding tools, plants, minerals, and such. Hawke provides example rituals, themes for spellwork, and archetypal correspondences. Utilizing them in concert provides a very comfortable, and very solid, framework within which one can establish one's own relationship to (including rituals, magickal practices, and worship) to the moon and its cycles.

Reading up on the moon I once again see how "out of sync" I've allowed myself to become. As with so many things in my life, I need to "just do it" and get better.

How long do wards last anyway?

That's the question which started an intense and very engaging discussion between three practitioners this evening. If we hadn't been standing in the dark, in the parking lot, shivering in the cold, it would have been glorious. It was the kind of discussion that I like having in a secluded booth in a pub, or in a comfortable island of armchairs at the coffee shop. Some people might want such a conversation in the privacy of their home, or in some other non-public venue, but I actually enjoy the shocked, curious and disturbed looks from "the norms" when a group of diverse and comfortable energy workers start "taking shop". Tonight wasn't quite a "you should have been there when X..." exchange of metaphysical fishing stories, but it was just as fun. But I digress...

The question had been a serious and quite legitimate one. And my initial answer was not particularly helpful, "that depends..." Discussion of wards,their longevity and their maintenance wasn't really the meat of the conversation that followed... magickal paradigms was. You see, what may be a magic that requires constant refreshing and recharging in one paradigm can be as solid and unchanging as a concrete block in another. To know which kind of paradigm you exist in requires that you monitor your spell work and figure it out... unless, of course, you are in a long standing, traditional paradigm, in which case your teachers will probably have those answers for you when you are a neophyte.

From fueling of spells and monitoring of wards we wandered to the difference between magick tied to natural cycles and magick anchored in human patterns. We talked about kabbalah, rune crafting, spirit calling, essential oils, wiccan initiations, druidism, casting circles, banishments, lay lines and more. I've missed having conversations like that. They used to be a regular thing in my life and I can feel the lack.

A shaman, a witch and a dowser walk into a bar...

Wearable Blessings

Haircomb - Amulet

One of the reasons I love making jewelry is because, if it is a practical accessory as well as beautiful, it can be worn almost all the time. Enchanting jewelry, or making amulets and charms in the form of jewelry, is almost my favorite form of magick. Today I've started on a new amulet. It uses visual symbology of spring, colors of growth, and two sigils crafted from Futhark Runes. I call this kind of amulet a "Harvest of Spring's Joy".

My practice of runic magick is based off of the a combination of vibrational theory, sympathetic magick, and the idea of cognitive circuitry. For this discussion I will focus on the vibrational theory aspect of my practice. I will probably talk about the other two aspects of runic magick in other entries.

To me the use of runes is the composition of spiritual music utilizing 25 notes. You can play a single note, strike a chord, or construct a song. The first, a single note, is to put an individual rune onto a purposeful item. When carved in, sanctified and empowered, this allows the item to function with a single/simple purpose. Like a spiritual tuning fork, when set to vibrating any nearby essence with a similar frequency will begin to vibrate, producing the desired effect. I consider these items charms or minor amulets. They are quick, simple and effective.

My second way of working with runes is construction prose or poetry into linked lines of runes. Think of these spells as spell songs or bardic ballads. These are longer, more powerful, and are usually tied to sentimental or emotional items, places or events. I have used this method of spell casting primarily for complex ritual spells in which I want to empower or imbue something with the runic power with a very specific and possibly complex purpose. I do this usually by writing on something to be burned or consumed, or at times temporarily tattoo the runic spell onto myself (usually henna). I use this method for long, LONG term magickal enchantments, such as my wife's and my wedding bands.

My third and most common use for runes is constructing Sigils. Runic sigils are like chords, more complex and powerful than charms or single runes, but not as all encompassing or specific as spell songs. I generally craft my runic sigils from 3, 5 or 7 runes. These constructions, unlike my spell songs which are usually horizontal, are usually vertical in design and are something similar to oriental kanji. The most powerful of my sigils are when I combine runic spellcraft with celtic knotworkings... those take an inordinate amount of time and I have done very few in my life... all of them have been full fledged talismans.

As for the Amulet Haircomb, the two runic sigils repeat five times (for the 4 physical elements plus spirit), one sigil repeated on each tine. The first sigil is composed of the runes Algiz, Wunjo, & Mannaz. Its purpose is to protect one's sense of self, strengthen self esteem, and shelter the inner child. I call this trirune, Alwunjaz. The second sigil is composed of the runes Jera, Gebo, & Wunjo. Its purpose is to make visible the beauty of others, create a sense of community, and empower compassion. I call this trirune, Jerowyn. The trirunes are distributed three on one side and two on the other side of each tine. This means that from either side of the haircomb five trirunes are visible.

Once crafted, the amulet is grounded and energized by being placed in a bowl of salt (tines planted downward), with at least one quartz crystal (preferably 3+) also set in the salt, and set out in the light of the waxing moon for 3 nights. After the three nights, call upon your divinity(ies) and bless/sanctify/empower/seal the amulet. It is now ready for use.