You may find yourself discussing or embarking on a trip today. Not a great day for details; it’s better to take advantage of today’s self-promoting energy to get off the beaten path and be social.
About the Number 5
Theme: Resourceful, Adventure, Speculation, Travel
Astro Association: Taurus
Tarot Association: HierophantIf you are traveling soon, you may find yourself with unexpected romantic entanglements. Great news if you are single or are in a stable relationship. But if you are in an unstable partnership, be aware that love triangles can be messy and destructive. Look before you leap.
You have an opportunity to take advantage of unexpected changes to conditions that affect an important investment today. Things will tend to move quickly and you may find yourself contemplating serious lifestyle or spiritual changes as a result of something you learn today.
You may be hearing from a love partner today, your current partner or an old flame. You may be spending a lot of time on the telephone with friends, loved ones and your partner, sharing news and hot gossip, and arranging for a get-together.
There are changes coming in your family. Someone may be pregnant, or is about to announce an adoption has finally come through. The energy is warm and forgiving today. If you are estranged from a loved one, this may be the perfect day to call up to make amends.
There is a playfully romantic atmosphere around you today, and you may find yourself attracted to a single parent if you are single and looking right now. If not, you and your partner could be discussing your own status as parents, and your plans for the future.
There is big news coming from your family, positive welcome developments in finances or attitudes that brighten your hopes for a better future. You could hear from a friend whose musical or spiritual interests have brought them good luck.
You will be feeling a bit kooky and outrageous today. A friend or companion will come along with jokes and good humor. You may meet new people and decide to travel on the spur of the moment. Paperwork should be checked carefully, though as you are not mentally focused today.
If you have been looking for a more financially and spiritually rewarding career option, you could be considering going back to school, or opening your own alternative healthcare business. Keep an eye out for opportunities in the holistic field.
You have an opportunity to take on a new leadership role among your friends and companions today. You could be the lucky star for a charity, group or club who need someone to inspire or motivate their membership. It may also be lucky for your future.
It looks like you are worried about your health or wellness, yet you are resisting seeking professional feedback. Your worries are most likely exaggerated, and seeking advice might end up bringing you opportunities you might have missed otherwise.
You have an opportunity to share your deepest dreams, wishes, or insights with a good friend today. You may realize that you and your friend have healing or teaching ability. You may decide to seek out teachers or classes in alternative healthcare or healing.
You will be very much in demand socially today. You could find yourself with a number of invitations to parties and events. Charity events are especially lucky for you – you could make some important social or financial connections in some unlikely places.
She’s been waiting
She’s been waiting, waiting.
She’s been waiting so long.
She’s been waiting for her children
To remember, to return.
Elder’s Meditation of the Day May 21
“A vision could put you on a path you don’t want to follow.”
–Archie Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA
There is a saying, “You move toward and become like that which you think about.” If we keep thinking about a bad thing, we will move in that direction. If we think about fear in some area of our life, we will probably experience this fear. We move toward and become like that which we think about. If we think about secret things, these secret things will come to pass. Our visions are very powerful. Visions determine our direction, our lives. If you think about lustful things, it’s a matter of time before you’ll be wrestling with it. We should think about our visions to make sure they include the Great Spirit in every area.
Great Spirit, today, give me Your vision to follow.
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I remember with great fondness my days as a waitress in Caldwell, New Jersey. Because I’m so proud of that past, today I want to share a money making tip on ‘National Waiters and Waitresses Day.’ This is a tip that I use whenever I need a quick infusion of cash. Pour five different kinds of uncooked rice into any glass, ceramic or crystal bowl or vase (no metal or plastics) and fill to about seventy percent capacity. For the next thirty days, at the end of each day, take all the accumulated coins that you have received that day and add it to the top of the container of rice. On the final day, count up all the change and then give ten percent to charity. Or give twenty percent to your favorite waiter or waitress. Even if this totals less than a dollar, it’s the act that counts. Then all you have to do is to wait for bigger and better career opportunities to come your way. But if you skip a day you must begin the entire process over again! Feng Shui says this daily tip will have you celebrating your career as quickly as possible!
By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com
General Meaning: A splashy sunset bathes the mountains in a soft radiance; the light of a full moon dances on the surface of a rippling river. Grace and beauty adorn the natural world. Grace is not an all-powerful force, nor is it the essential or fundamental thing. By itself, it is form without content. Grace is moonlight on water, not the sunlight at noon. Yet grace brings artistic expression into the world, and enhances the quality of our lives.
In the arts, grace arises out of adherence to form: the dancer becoming the form of the dance, the musician giving life to the form of a musical score, the painter becoming one with the brush and canvas. In human affairs, grace is also aligned with form — with mastery of aesthetic and cultural patterns honed by time and honored by tradition. Through appreciation of graceful customs in human relationships we apprehend the pure beauty of the ideal, of life raised above the mere struggle for survival.
Possession of grace, like the bearing of a beautiful gift to a wedding, can add stature to those in humble positions. Take care to lend grace and dignity even to small happenings, while giving the weight of deep and careful consideration to matters of greater consequence. Though it should not be confused with true substance, an artistic flair can take one far in this world.
The majority of the spellbooks on the market today give you pages of spells for all sorts of purposes. Lists of ingredients, directions, and words to say, these aren’t your words, they are more like a recipe book you would find in your kitchen. A spell is more than a list of ingredients, directions, how to mix them, and a sure outcome. It isn’t that simple, believe me. What makes the difference from the spells you find in a store bought book and your own, is you, your will and your intention. All of these things have an important influence over spellcrafting and spellcasting. You have an enormous amount of control throughout the process that the books don’t mention.
There are random and unknown factors in spellcasting, just as if you were cooking your favorite recipe, you affect the outcome. The personal factor of spellcasting is unique, and this fact is what classifies spellcraft as an art.
In order for your situation to change, the common element over which you have the most control is yourself. Magick transforms the caster instead of the environment around the caster. Spellcraft isn’t just about bringing home a bigger paycheck or finding the love of your life; it’s about growth and evolution, making the career choices that lead to that bigger paycheck, accepting that the love of your life will have a few flaws and accept your flaws, too. Spellcrafting is about reassessing your life, searching deep within your soul, striking a balance. Then the spellcrafter within you will emerge.
Spellcrafting is the process of creating a spell. Spellcasting is the act of putting it into motion. Casting is, in fact, one of the final steps of spellcrafting, for the moment you begin to craft your spell is the moment you begin an active process.
Make no mistake: as a spellcaster, you are a part of the active process of change. You cannot interact with the energy of the world on a daily basis, at the depth required by spellcrafting, and not be changed. You will be transformed, learn to understand and accept the benefits of spellcasting, you will see your life beginning to reflect inner change. You will understand the power you have comes from within you, then finally the true spellcaster within you will emerge.
‘No Dirty Dishes Day’ brings to mind some Feng Shui advice about earthenware, china or other dishes. According to this philosophy, using cracked or chipped dishes or drinkware can contribute to negative money luck in your life. Conversely, keeping dishes clean, neatly stacked and in great condition can also bring you a banquet of fortune that includes plates of cash! If you have old or broken dishes in your home, now would be the time to retire them so you can do the same in the foreseeable future!
By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com
You may be making sudden and impulsive changes to your finances. Be careful before you invest in real estate or home improvements though, because Saturn is working overtime in your “home and family” sector. That brings unexpected breakdowns, governmental restrictions, zoning hassles and strange encounters with cranky neighbors.
Your attitude towards a specific relationship or partnerships in general will be changing today as a result of an intuition, dream or impression. Listen to your feelings carefully. You may be thinking of making a relationship more formal.
If you want to make the chores go more smoothly today turn on the radio or CD player, grab a mop and bucket and dance your home clean. You can have a good time getting ordinary daily chores cleared up if you put yourself in the right mindset.
You have a high degree of physical energy today, which could prove delightful to your significant other in more ways than one. You are energetic and active, and interested in trying new things. You have something of an impulsive streak in you right now.
Friends, companions, and siblings will bring great joy. Someone you know could be adding to their family. Someone else may be given an award for their creative skills and talents. Celebrate in moderation, because someone near you is on the sobriety trail.
You are going to be on the telephone a lot today. Your loved ones and relatives may have shocking news, but the changes that are coming you and your family will welcome with great excitement. You will be passionate, creative and highly verbal today.
You can make more money if you are willing to take a stand on your own merits right now. If you are already successful, this means using your name or likeness to promote yourself. If not, it means being willing to believe that you deserve to succeed for who you are.
You are feeling extremely talkative and chatty today, and it is a good thing you have a friend or companion who feels the same, otherwise the two of you would talk some poor soul’s ears off. There is good news traveling on the gossip lines right now.
Expect positive experiences with your religious or spiritual growth. You have witnessed a profound healing and are eager to experience this for yourself. Keep an open mind and heart, but don’t expect the same results as others have, you have your own path to walk.
A friendship is developing in new and important ways. You may share a moment of insight, or take time together to explore shared spiritual interests. Meditating or praying together could bring you closer and open up new ways for you to understand one another.
You’ll be thinking about the future. Which road do you want to take, and do you hope to enjoy the journey? You won’t get anywhere sitting on your behind, that’s for sure. If you want to make a dream come true, this is the time for action, not dreaming.
Your ninth house of education, travel, and publicity is heating up again, and this time there are equal measures of joy and frustration. Expect Divine chaos. You may have to make a detour that takes you past a big sale. Or your flight is rebooked, and you get a better seat.
Even though today is ‘Wear Purple for Peace Day,’ Feng Shui says that you can also look at it, paint with it, accessorize with it or even meditate upon it for a host of other reasons. This philosophy also maintains that working with purple should be done in moderation, as it is considered a color with a strong and powerful vibration. It’s the color most associated with connecting with the spirit realms, so it’s a good hue for accessing intuition or answers from angels, guides or guardians. Feng Shui also says that painting an entire wall or a large area purple could trigger a blood disease or worse. Again, use this hue sparingly unless it is the main accent in a meditation or contemplation space. Lighter tones like lavender are more acceptable in a living space. Wearing the color purple is associated with wealth, nobility, magic and sexuality. It symbolizes power, wisdom, mystery and magic, and conveys abundance, extravagance and wealth. Apparently Alice Walker understood the implications of the color purple, and now you can too.
By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com
General Meaning: One hears thunder unexpectedly! First comes fear, then a sharpening of one’s vision. Recall a close brush with danger — a falling branch, an automobile accident barely avoided, an escape from a potentially violent confrontation. Such incidents arouse every nerve fiber in your body in a brief wave of terror, but soon, once the danger has passed, give way to a heightened awareness of the world. The same process also occurs with other types of shock — the loss of a job, the sudden departure of a loved one, business failure and so on.
The lasting impact of a major shock can either be stimulating or debilitating, depending upon one’s strength of character. The critical factor is the ability to shake off fear, thereby transforming anxiety into a laser-sharp perception of the world around you.
When overtaken by crisis, the wise search their hearts for inner strengths in order to face their life with courage. This often means daring to take an unexpected path — to bounce back quickly and self-confidently after failures, to have faith in the eternal when confronted with death.
We tend to think of shock only in the context of unpleasant events. We can also be jarred, however, by the sudden release of tension that comes with unexpected joy or success. To keep your bearings in the aftershock of either trauma or victory, it is essential that your inner compass be aligned with ‘true north’, that magnetic force which guides you toward fulfillment of both your deepest desire, and your highest destiny.
The Elemental Aura
Author: Bluethorne
Greetings to you all,
I have written many things in the past concerning the aura and its impact on the daily lifestyles and healing aspects of the world. In almost all of the articles and papers I’ve written on this, I’ve delved into myself for an enlightening answer to the path that unites the mundane world with the retro-spiritual or elemental world.
I have developed a very thorough and well thought-out path on the earning of this, which goes well beyond any lazy eye tricks or alterations of the mind. I have taught and written on my website about the ‘awakening of the senses’ and their path to visiting the auras within us and in the world around us. I have not truly taught this path to anyone, yet I will delve into it here for you now.
I know that most things of this sort are discovered and documented from the perspective of the creator. So I will offer my perspective as well on this with the hope that it could possibly be of use to someone.
I have had this idea that all things are parts of ‘one’ whole being and are mimicked and duplicated in certain ways to turn into the fashions that they are brought forth in our world. And with thi,s we have the mundane world (the life we see everyday, the non magickal and boring life which society has decayed our real world into). With this decayed society, we can think of it like an outer shell of the world, the shell which all things are part of which we see, and just beyond that lies many other paths of worldly view.
If we visit a local sanctuary or park, we may see certain things that society has brought up to gather our attention such as the many colorful manmade structures or awful things that are disheartening to the world. Yet beyond these lie the natural world, the grasses, trees, plants, flowers, and the sky.
If we learn to look past the mundane world into the natural world, we will begin to feel a harmony growing within us as the natural life cycles of the world begin to rear their wheels into motion at the sensitivity we are now focusing upon it. It becomes more ‘real’ then before and now these things speak out to us. We can hear them and feel them if we learn to look and feel as they do.
When we have learned this path of natural harmony, we begin to feel the power of the world lending us its elemental focus and channeling all of the powers of its creation to us. When this begins to happen — if we utilize the same attention we focused towards the natural world by looking past the mundane and into it and becoming part of it — we will begin to feel the elements of the world opening up to us and the elemental world will become visible to us.
Just as we focused on the natural, we will now focus our intents on the elemental world, the world that lies beyond the natural, within it, around it, and below it. We will see the sky as the Air and feel its empowering winds. The enlightenment of its channeling powers will become one with us.
The Earth will open up to us and hold us still as a centering block that all emotional and physical disruption will break upon.
The Waters will flow within us as the waters of life and we will see the connection between ourselves and the waters of the world as the lifeblood of all things natural.
And the Fires will burn within us and all around us, bringing great courage and forthcoming advances in all things to us, so that we may open our minds and hearts to the path of the elements.
With this new becoming — if we simply open our eyes and look past the natural and into the elemental world — we will see the connection that the elements hold to our auras. And in looking at our ethereal self in the same fashion as we would hold towards viewing the elemental world, we will see our auras and the mimicking encounters with the elemental world will be now visible to us in all things.
The world will be our stage and our hearts will be our will. The elemental aura will flow within us and the paths of all things good will now are with us. We will require no strange eye techniques or afflictions that may alter the body (or give special attention to certain folk who can see the aura over others), as all will see and view the world as one.
The aura extends past ourselves to every part of this world that we call life. All plant life, mineral life, animal life, and even the life of the dead, will be visible to us in the elemental aura form.
Through this we can learn many of the magicks that elude us: herbal crafts become an art form that ties the auras together in certain beautiful fashions to create herbal cures and tonics for all that may ail us.
Ritual work now becomes an extension of the self through the elementally auric world to emit a channeling of energy through the elemental pathways to manifest our wills.
Divination becomes a simple alteration of the elemental auras in certain ways to view their altered states and the paths that they take in their alterations.
By being one with the element, and viewing its state in the future, we can become as the elements are and see our own futures (as the candle burns, as the water evaporates, etc).
Many other paths are available to us that I will not go into at the moment, but I feel that this is a great and natural path that we should all take the time to learn. It is so enlightening and loving beyond most things of this world.
I can guarantee that if you work this path, you will succeed and the world will be a better place all around you. The elements, the trees, the Goddess, all things will love you for the dedication you show towards becoming as nature should be and for attending to its will.
Brightest Blessings,
Bluethorn~
Woden – Help Me Read These Runes Aright…
Author: RuneWolf
I’ve been trolling the Internet lately looking for new information and/or viewpoints on the runes and, I must say, I’ve gathered more than a few resentments along the way.
Now, I am a steadfast believer in the sanctity of individual spiritual opinion, practice and experience, but I also believe that making things different doesn’t necessarily make them better, and that some things are best left in the original packaging, so to speak. (That’s one of the benefits of being a non-dualist – one can be a liberal AND a fundamentalist at the same time without ones head exploding…)
I also believe that if the Old Ways (i.e. the way things were done prior to about 1990) are to be preserved, someone has to speak up when the drift becomes a bit too drifty. And, yes, some of us have to be arrogant enough to think that we qualify for that position. At the very least, I hope that the Pagano-Heathen community can still agree to disagree, and that those of us who “pine for the Good Old Days” have at least as much right to speak up and say our piece as the innovators and pioneers.
(And now, a brief pause for the Politically Correct Disclaimer: What follows is not The Truth, nor the One Right And Only Way. It is simply what I have come to believe in as a result of research, study, practice and UPG [Unverifiable Personal Gnosis]. I believe in it strongly, and will both state and defend it passionately, but that does not mean that I think your way is wrong. Mine is just righter…)
For the sake of brevity, I will address three of the most heinous aberrations I see in “contemporary runelore”: the so-called “blank rune,” orientational interpretation of the runestaves and, for lack of a better term, the “New Aging” of the runelore. I will explain each of these categories more fully as I address them.
Before I do so, however, a bit needs to be said about the process of divination with the runes, in order for my arguments against these heresies to make sense. Since this topic itself cannot be easily covered in a book, let alone an essay, I must again be as succinct as I can be and still communicate the basic concepts.
First, let’s clarify a little terminology. What we commonly refer to as “runes,” (i.e. the little bits of wood, ceramics, metal or stone with the angular symbols on them) are more properly referred to as “runestaves.” “Rune” actually refers to the Mystery represented by each of those little angular symbols. However, to avoid needless confusion, I will acquiesce to popular usage, and refer to the staves as runes (small r), and the Mysteries as Runes (capitol R).
Divination with the runes is a lot like tracking earthquakes with a seismograph. What we are attempting to sense, through the agency of the runes, are the tremblings along the Web of Wyrd that may lead to one outcome or another, depending on other tremblings of the Web. A casting or spread of runes is a snapshot of the vibratory patterns of the Web at a particular point in space/time. While it is possible to hone a reading to a very precise degree, what one normally sees in runic divination is a rather broad picture of the current situation, and the many possibilities that could emerge in the as-yet-unmanifest future. One also needs to understand that, unlike Tarot, a runic divination is not necessarily relevant to the querent. One may indeed be the focus of a particular reading, in which case the reading will tend to resonate or make a great deal of sense. However, one may simply be caught up in an impersonal “Runic current,” in which case the reading may seem – at least at that moment – to be way off base.
There are many contemporary methods for casting or creating a rune reading, but many of these are borrowed from the Tarot tradition. How the runes were originally used is unclear, except that, from the lore, we know that several at a time were cast onto a cloth or other surface, and then interpreted.
With these admittedly broad strokes as our launch pad, let’s look at those “issues” I mentioned earlier.
The (Dreaded) Blank Rune:
There is no such thing.
That should put an end to it, but I know better by now.
To the best of my (admittedly limited) knowledge, the blank rune was first popularized by Ralph Blum in the ‘90s. It may have been around before but let’s be fair: before Blum’s book, precious few in mainstream American had ever heard of a rune, let alone a blank one. While I bitterly oppose Mr. Blum’s New Agey interpretations of the runes and his apparent attempt to combine them with the Tarot tradition, I have to give credit where credit is due: he did succeed in bringing the runes back into the popular consciousness and imagination, although the jury is still out on whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. While many Pagans and Heathens were and are scandalized and offended by his work, there are many writers of whom that can be said, so in all, I bear no great animosity toward the man and his work. I was first introduced to the runes through his book, though I was lucky enough to be set straight later on by my Elders and the Gods.
But I digress…
Since its introduction, the blank rune has come to symbolize many things, and has even been called (shudder!) Odin’s Rune. And while I can tolerate a lot of hooey, I have to draw the line right there. Ansuz is Odin’s Rune; period, end of discussion. If you don’t believe me, just ask Him…
Usually, the blank rune is said to represent the Great Mystery (as if the preceding twenty-four Mysteries weren’t great enough), which has always seemed a bit, well, lazy to me. It’s a convenient “back door” for those who divine themselves into a corner, and a good prop to point to when you haven’t a clue what the whole reading means, but still want to seem powerful and mysterious. In short, it’s a gimmick, and there is no place for gimmicks in serious runework.
The other manner in which I often see and hear the blank rune used is as the “significator” in a rune reading, i.e. a representation of the querent. This is pretty blatant plagiarism from the Tarot tradition and, again, has no place in runework. The Runes do not revolve around you, no matter how special you think you are – it is up to you to fit yourself into the patterns they may choose to reveal to you. If you really MUST have a “significator,” then let that be the first rune that you draw, and cast the others over/around it. But even then, remember that it is a metaphysical seismograph, and the tremors it is picking up may be so faint, so deep, that you see no possible connection to you or your present circumstances.
Orientational Interpretations:
By this I mean the interpretation of the runes according to whether they are “upright” or “reversed,” with upright interpretations being mostly “good,” and reversed mostly “bad.”
This is, again, a direct syncretism from the Tarot tradition, and is alien to the nature of the Runes. The primal cosmic forces that are the Runes cannot be subjected to dualistic reductionism and parsed into polarities of “good and bad,” “light and dark” and so on. The Runic forces are far too fundamental to the structure and function of the multiverse to be thought of in such limited terms. Each rune represents not merely the two obvious sides of a coin, but the edge also, and, for that matter, the very molecular structure of the coin that exists between the visible sides! Indeed, implicit in the very existence of the coin is all that the coin is not! And so it is with the Runes.
In studying and working with the runes, one comes to appreciate the true non-dualistic nature of reality, and to comprehend, however poorly, the vast and complex interweaving of weal and woe (“good” and “bad”) that is existence. This is not a Pollyanna attitude of “every cloud has a silver lining,” nor is it an entropic nihilism that sees all that is good, beautiful and true as ultimately ephemeral and therefore pointless. If anything, it has more in common with the worldview of philosophical Taoism than with any product of the Greco-Roman philosophers and their later European adherents. One recognizes that the ways of Wyrd are neither good nor bad, that they simply are what they are and one is free to accept them on their own terms, or categorize them in whichever pigeonhole one wishes. In the end, our labels and categorizations are swallowed up in the flow of the Runic currents.
If the Runes are then, in essence, shades of gray within shades of gray, how does one make sense of a rune casting? As the man once said, all things are relative, and it is in the relationship of each rune in the casting to every other rune that one intuits the influence, for weal or woe or both, of the individual Runic forces and the combinations thereof upon the matter in question. When one looks at the runes scattered in a casting, one is literally looking at patterns within patterns, and this is the true key to effective runic divination.
The “New Aging” of the Runes:
Here I refer to the association or “correspondence” of each Rune to such things as astrological signs and alchemical symbols, herbs, trees, stones, gems, crystals and such like. While it is true that, in some of the ancient rune poems and rhymes, various runes are associated with various phenomena of the natural world, such as trees, stars, hail, the sea, ice, etc., there is no precedence for assigning each rune a correspondence or association in each such category. The associations that exist seem to be made based upon the nature of the rune itself and the associated phenomenon, and there appears to be no meta-pattern on which to base a systematic matrix. Unfortunately, as with orientational interpretation, this practice has been promulgated by otherwise impeccable Runic scholars, and has therefore fallen into more or less common acceptance. Personally, I find the whole concept to be a bit too neat, tidy and structured to apply authentically to the primal, fractal essence of the Runes. The Runes are the ultimate “patternless patterns,” and by their very nature defy such systematization.
In the end, as with all esoteric studies, one must find ones own way to ones own Truth, and I would be the last to attempt to dissuade anyone from pursuing their own wyrd. The Runes will reveal themselves to you as they will, but I urge you to resist the temptation to try to fit them into a neat little cookie-cutter grid of meanings and associations. But neither can we let our understanding of them become ossified. I simply suggest that working with these most profound of Mysteries is adventure enough for one lifetime. We do not need to clutter our work with gimmicks and gewgaws from other paths and traditions.
The Pentagram: A New Look At An Old Star
Author: Miles Pendry
As a High Priest and Witch of twenty-seven seasons, I have often been asked by curious individuals to explain the meaning of the pentagram I wear. I usually reply with the generally accepted explanation of how each of the five points of the star represents the five primal elements in balance and harmony in an enclosing circle.
If I am in a particularly talkative mood, I will usually expand upon the pentagram’s representation of mankind as reflected in both the microcosm and macrocosm. There is, however, a deeper and more personal definition that I am moved to share during this season. A byproduct, I imagine, of my current funk of introspection and preparation for hibernation. Or, as Ebenezer Scrooge (of Dickens’s Christmas Carol) might explain, “maybe an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato”.
As I sit contemplating my pentagram, I realize how it means much more to me than a symbol of my belief as a Witch. It is far more than a map of the elemental alignments and universal harmony. It also represents hope, and a shining light to a small child lost in the darkness of his life…of my past.
As I consider this small silver star, I am reminded that the same stars shine over my head now as they have since the moment of my birth, more or less. When I look up into the darkness of a cold, black, New Hampshire night sky, those same stars shine back, impassive, unblinking, and unchanging.
I stand many miles and many years beyond where I stood watching those stars of my youth. The seasons at my feet cycle past…Beltane to Samhain and back again. The Wheel of the Year spins faster and faster with each passing season, each turn spinning the years dizzyingly past. Yet the stars above remain indifferent. I think that is why I continue to wear my pentagram to this day. It reflects the one stable, constant, immutable element in my otherwise chaotic life.
I remember as a child, standing alone in the cornfields of the Midwest at night, looking upwards and sensing an unreachable, untouchable greatness, of a cold, distant presence that was uncaring, yet perpetual and unchanging. I think that if there was an aspect of the Gods that I most honor to this day, it would be that distant, unvarying constant and a knowing that something in my life was stable.
With parents who were both physically and emotionally abusive, who uprooted and moved me almost every year so that I could never put down roots or make friends or develop any sense of security, it was comforting to have a quiet, isolated place to run to and a star to hold onto.
The pentagram means far more to me than the five traditional elements it represents, deeper still than the circle of the microcosm/macrocosm of man. The pentagram to me will always represent those stars in that cold, unchanging night sky that I, as a child, looked up towards so many years ago and cried for a little bit of stability to steady my footing as my life sped out of control around me.
I was emotionally raw, stripped bare, unable to tolerate any degree of emotional contact. Wounded as I was, I did not need or want love or intimacy. I felt lost, powerless and unable to control my direction or destiny. The ship of my life was adrift in an ocean of fear, confusion and pain.
I wanted and needed a star to follow, a constant, unwavering light to guide me out of my darkness.
Some people call that light “Jesus” and walk a Christian path. Some people choose to meditate on the light and speak its sacred name “Ohm”. Others still may call that light “Allah” and pray to it five times a day.
As for me, it makes no difference what you name the light, or what religious text you lay before you. Religions change. Old Gods die. New gods are invented and venerated.
A thousand years go by, and it’s Jesus instead of Jupiter. A thousand more years go by, and it’s Money instead of Marduk. Our culture’s concept of God is continually deconstructed and reinvented, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes out of convenience and almost always for somebody’s profit.
But my star still shines in the night sky.
That distant star doesn’t love me. I cannot have a close personal relationship with it. For all I know or care, that star is not even aware or capable of knowing I exist… let alone give a damn about how I live my life, whether or not I give that life to it or if I try to convince others to give their lives to it. More than likely, it is (as described by They Might Be Giants) a swirling mass of incandescent gas. It just shines, nothing more.
But I look to it and honor it all the same…perhaps even more so because of its indifference. My star is there for me when I look up every night. It will be there when and if I remember to look up tomorrow. That is more than I can say about any other person, place, or material thing in my life.
Seasons change, people change, and the world as we know it moves on; but tonight I know my star will still be there in the sky above, shining, regardless of whether I am looking at it or not. (I am human, after all, and sometimes I forget to take the time to look up.)
They say that in time, even stars must die. After all, supernovas are an accepted scientific fact. That may be true. My star might eventually grow old and tired, and burn out in a final flash of glory.
But it won’t happen in my lifetime, and when it does finally happen, I don’t plan on being here to worry about it.
Shine on!
On this ‘International Day for Families’ it doesn’t take celebrities to remind us that we are all one family stemming from one big tree of life. And although there are many branches and leaves stemming from that tree, we are all still brothers and sisters under one sun. In order to activate that communal energy, and to strengthen the bonds and bring balance to the energies accorded our ancestral families, place three green plants in the Family/Friends/Ancestors area of your living space today. This area is usually found at the center of the left-hand wall of main floor. Wood is the element associated with that energetic space, so planting something healthy and green with appropriate roots attached will allow you to ground ancestral energies and learn from your past. Nurturing, nourishing and loving any plants placed here will additionally bring that same sort of Chi into your life and the lives of your loved ones.
By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com
General Meaning: Substantial progress and increasing prosperity is pointed to. In whatever forms it takes, periods of increase are exhilarating, as long as you go with the flow while it lasts and keep the interests of others in mind. Like white water on a river, periods of increase are often of short duration; it furthers one, therefore, to shoot the rapids now, while the opportunity is there.
A good sense of direction in times of opportunity involves commitment to the needs of one’s cohorts and dependents. Only by realizing that to lead is really to serve, can an effective leader contribute to a lasting increase in prosperity for all. In times of general increase, those who contribute most directly to the common good will also receive the greatest rewards.
When opportunities for increase arise, supreme good fortune comes to those who act swiftly and boldly, while avoiding the trap of letting their actions be only self-serving. If you aspire to a position of prominence, the most enduring strategy is to work to raise the tide of your entire pond, rather than to try to swim upstream on your own.
When the times favor prosperity, and when leadership is in the hands of the broad-minded, supreme good fortune results.
Author: Robert Oakes
Once the totem has been identified and understood, it is time to learn how to interact directly with the animal spirit.
Totems form an invaluable ally on the spiritual path. Acting as healers, protectors, teachers, and guides, they can have a profound impact in one’s life.
Part 1 of this article looked at recognizing the various types of totems, while part 2 addressed finding a personal totem. Part 3 covered working with the totems in daily life, and part 4 will deal with interacting with the totem.
The following sections are tools and methods that can be employed in creating a beneficial relationship with an animal totem.
Guided Visualizations/Journey
Having access to someone that is adept at shamanic journeying is probably the best way of having interaction with a totem. Be careful in selecting someone to do this work, as many people like to see themselves as a shaman, but do not have the discipline and training. As with everything else use common sense, caution, and look at their track record. If it feels wrong then it almost always is, and conversely if it is appropriate then it should feel that way.
Not having access to a traditional or contemporary practitioner is not the only way to contact totems. Guided visualizations, either commercially done on a CD/MP3, or ones personally prepared from a script can be used to journey with totems.
Oracle Cards
Jamie Sams Medicine Cards, or Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm’s Druid Animal Oracle are both solid sources of information on specific totems, and offer a useful tool in receiving guidance.
Totem Dreams
As mentioned in part 2, dreams can be used to interact with totems. These can be spontaneous dreams that carry messages from a totem, or ones that are incubated by the dreamer. Incubation can be as simple as asking the totem to bring a message in a dream. It is helpful to make the request formally before going to sleep, maybe with an appropriate offering. Examples of an offering might be tobacco tied in cloth, or food put out for that totem.
Song
Almost all pagan cultures use song or chant to connect with spirits and totems. If possible, learn a traditional song for the totem, or using chant and words create a new one. Song can be a touchstone to communicate with a totem and call in their assistance.
Prayer
Prayer forms the most basic type of communication. Prayer is simply focused intention and it can be done internally or verbally. As long as prayer comes from the heart, it is effective in communicating with totems and spirit in general.
Vision Quest
Time spent alone in nature on a fast, is one of the most effective means in connecting to a totem or guiding spirit. The silence it provides is the perfect space to hear spirit.
Totem Art
Sacred art exists the world over, and can be a conduit for spirit communication. Both creating totem art and having it nearby can be a powerful touchstone to that animal’s medicine.
Carvings can also be used to represent the medicine of animal. A carving imbued with the spirit of a totem is called a fetish, and can be used to connect to a totem more easily.
Sweat Lodges Ceremonies
Sweat lodges are found in most cultures around the world in one form or another. Cultures such as the Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) of central Canada have sweat lodge ceremonies that focus on interaction with totem animals.
The sweat lodge creates the perfect environment to have profound spirit contact.
Totem Assistance and Messages
Totems can often bring important messages. This might be in the form of dreams or visions, or it might be in waking reality. Be observant of animals and their behavior. Watch for unusual or repetitive antics, especially of those of a primary totem. Take note if the totem looks healthy or sick. Seeing the totem with food in its mouth can be a sign of abundance. Watch for synchronicities.
Get in the habit of asking for a totem’s assistance when requiring protection, healing or guidance. Like any relationship, familiarity strengthens the bond.
References
Animal Speak; The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small, Ted Andrews, Llewellyn Publications ,1996
The Once Unknown Familiar; Shamanic Paths to Unleash Your Animal Powers, Timothy Roderick, Llewellyn Publications ,1994
Medicine Cards; the Discovery of Power Animals through the Ways of Animals, Jamie Sams, St Martin Press, 1999
Druid Animal Oracle, Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, Fireside, 1995
Author: Robert Oakes
Totems form an integral part of most pagan and shamanic paths. Learning how to recognize these different types of animal spirits is highly beneficial.
Totems are animal spirits and energies that protect, guide, heal, and teach. Although the terminology changes from teacher to teacher, there are similarities. Totems can be any number of animals, extinct species, or even mythical creatures. When talking about totems, it is in reference to the animal’s energy in spirit, as well as the physical form it may take on.
Part 1 of this article will look at recognizing the types of totems, while part 2 will address finding a personal totem. Part 3 will cover working with the totems in daily life, and part 4 will deal with interacting with the totem.
Types of Totems
The number of totems active is variable depending on the individual and circumstances. In general though, everyone will have a primary totem. Some people might also call this a clan, power animal, or animal guide. Names do change with different systems, but this is the main totem active from their birth until their death.
In addition to this main totem, the average person will have another half a dozen or so throughout their life. These situational totems come in to teach or protect during a time of challenge or change. A shaman may work with many more totems than this, and it is not uncommon for someone on the shamanic path to work with 20 or 30 totems.
Totem Protectors
The main totem might also form part of the individual’s defense, or there might be specific totems that come to their aid in times of danger. In general, predator totems such as cougar, tiger, wolf, bear, badger, and wolverine would be aggressive protectors to call upon. Some totems that people wouldn’t consider to be aggressive are actually strong fighters; dolphins are known to attack sharks, and elk have been known to kill or injure an attacking wolf.
Healer, Teacher, and Leadership Totems
If an individual is involved in healing work, they will usually attract specific totems to assist them. Most common to this type of work are bears, although many other totems do this work.
Teaching is another level that totems work on. This might be a personal teaching that the individual needs to learn, or it might be that teaching work is a life path. Wolf is an example of a teacher totem.
Leadership brings it own challenges, and a totem might be attracted to assist. Learning the appropriate use of power is a difficult skill, so a totem such as cougar might be brought in to teach these lessons. This would double as a protector when the position of leadership creates a target out of the individual.
Relationship Totems
Even a relationship with a spouse or family might have its own totem. This totem might be a protector, or it might be there to teach about patterns. Wolf and goose are both relationship type totems.
Totems Dealing with Transformation
During difficult times of change, totems can be an important guide. This might be through a death, divorce, change in life path, or shamanic death rebirth cycle. Common transformational totems would be bats, owls, snakes, and butterflies.
Of course there is also traditional role of a totem in that they can be a guide through the spirit realms. Common totems for traveling work are horses, birds, turtles, and anything that flies or swims.
Primary Totem
As mentioned, the primary totem is active throughout life. This totem tends to sum up the general traits of the person as well. It will give an overview on their personality, strengths, challenges, and the way they deal with success and adversity.
References
Animal Speak; The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small, Ted Andrews, Llewellyn Publications ,1996
The Once Unknown Familiar; Shamanic Paths to Unleash Your Animal Powers, Timothy Roderick, Llewellyn Publications ,1994
Medicine Cards; the Discovery of Power Animals through the Ways of Animals, Jamie Sams, St Martin Press, 1999
Druid Animal Oracle, Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, Fireside, 1995
Author: Robert Oakes
How does someone find their totem? Using both traditional and innovative techniques, anyone can find their totem animal spirits.
The first step in working with a totem is to find out which totem is present in the person’s life. It is usually best to start with the main totem or primary power animal. These are different words to describe basically the same thing, and will depend more on the teacher or tradition’s vocabulary.
Part 1 of this article looked at recognizing the various types of totems, while part 2 will address finding a personal totem. Part 3 will cover working with the totems in daily life, and part 4 will deal with interacting with the totem.
Traditional Method of Finding Totems
In traditional culture, the shaman would enter the spirit world to find someone’s totem animal. Some traditions use the clan system, where the major totem would be inherited or more commonly these days adopted into.
If access to a traditional shamanic culture is not possible, then either journey work or hypno-trance can be used to find the totem. This can be done with someone that is qualified to lead journey work (shamanic trance), or with the use of self guided visualization CDs or scripts.
Totem Dreams
It is common that a totem will make itself known through dreams, or even real life encounters. It is normal that these dreams and encounters can be scary or challenging. Often a totem will test the person to see if they are strong enough to carry their medicine. Being bitten, scratched, chased, attacked by an animal can often represent a test by the totem. This is especially true for predator totems. When the person is able to work past the fear, the totem accepts them and offers support.
Dreams can also be incubated by asking the totem to appear in the dream. It would be appropriate to make an offering to honor that totem and to set the intention. The offering could be as simple as a tobacco tie offering, lighting a candle, or making a feast.
Animal Connection
Affinity is another way to be aware of totems. Some people just have a natural attraction for an animal. They have pictures and sculptures of them around their house, and love observing them in the wild. Be aware of what animals draw the attention on a daily basis.
Honoring Totems
Once the totem has shown itself, it is a good idea to honor that in some way. Examples of honoring would be having a small altar or space dedicated to that totem. Pictures, sculpture, track casts, fur, bones, candles, and food are all common items, but bottom line is that it has to mean something to the person making the offering. Anything that comes from the heart is appropriate.
Feasts are a common way of honoring in traditional community. If bear is a totem, then having a feast when they hibernate in the fall and when they wake up in the spring is appropriate. Serving berries and fish would be a natural connection to the bear totem. Putting a small spirit plate of part of the feast outside for the animals, or offering it to the fire with a prayer is also part of many traditional feasts.
A more practical way to honor a totem is to support their physical incarnations. If eagles are the totem, consider helping an eagle rehab or conservation project. For a deer clan, maybe it is setting up a feeder to get them through the winter.
Part 3 will look at the teachings totems bring to everyday life.
References
Animal Speak; The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small, Ted Andrews, Llewellyn Publications ,1996
The Once Unknown Familiar; Shamanic Paths to Unleash Your Animal Powers, Timothy Roderick, Llewellyn Publications ,1994
Medicine Cards; the Discovery of Power Animals through the Ways of Animals, Jamie Sams, St Martin Press, 1999
Druid Animal Oracle, Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, Fireside, 1995
By Don McLeod
Please note that this page is in the Humor section of this site and is not meant to be an accurate or actual depiction of witches. Duh.
In the 1980s, it was fashionable to be interested in the New Age. This is now a dreadful faux pas within the alternative scene, and in order to be accepted in the current metaphysical social set, one must have an interest in witchcraft or paganism. Of course, you don’t have to actually belong to a coven to be thought of as a witch; you can bluff your way into being accepted as a full-fledged witch simply by knowing a few terms and dressing accordingly. This brings us to…
After all, what’s the good of being a witch if nobody knows you are one? You must therefore wear black at all times. If possible, stay out of the sun until you become really pale, as this makes the effect even better. For women (and adventurous males), dark eyeliner and black nail polish can enhance this look. Wear crystals and cheap occult paraphernalia at all times, and make sure that these are as gaudy and bizarre as possible, as this can only help your image. Wearing a pentacle around your neck is an absolutely necessary accessory – the bigger the better! Capes and cloaks are optional around town – it depends on how much of a visual impact you want to make, but either of these are also crucial apparel at any ritual or gathering that you may attend.
Every serious student of the craft (and I’m talking here about the term for witchcraft, not macrame) knows the name Gerald Gardner. This man revitalised witchcraft in the 1950s with his book about the true history of The Old Religion (some have called this book pure fiction, but only those picky few who like books to be based on facts). Real witches however, never let historical accuracy get in the way of their spiritual path, so in conversations with other witches, drop his name as often as possible (in tones of awe) and you will always be rewarded with smiles of acceptance.
Tell everyone about the past life memories that have been surfacing since you began studying the Black Arts. It is especially useful to remember a past lifetime as a witch who was killed during the Inquisition, or at least recall a lifetime as a famous occultist. My past lives have included Aleister Crowley, Cagliostro, Mandrake the Magician, and most of the cast of Bewitched.
Never forget why it was that you wanted to become a witch – yes, so that you have an excuse for strange behaviour. Behavior patterns previously labeled “eccentric” can now be accepted by others if they have a reason to explain them, even if that reason for howling at full moons while naked is simply, “He/she is a Witch. That’s normal for them, evidently.” So don’t let your friends down – behave strangely. You can get away with it now.
Make sure that you watch the movie Warlock lots of times to perfect those soft landings after over-indulging with the flying ointments (read as mead and weed).
Wasn’t this the other reason you were drawn to witchcraft? In the past, Adepts of the occult were known to possess charismatic, lusty, and powerful personas. When people find out that you are a witch, they may automatically assume you have (and therefore empower you with) these same qualities. This may sound pretty good, but unfortunately, in today’s world, another group of people have become even more established within the realms of kinky sex sessions and unlimited power – yes, the politicians! Beware of this elitist group of power-brokers… they don’t want any competition to their manipulative monopoly over the gullible public, hence the laws against witchcraft and divination that have remained unchanged for centuries. So, if calling yourself a High Priest doesn’t lead you to unlimited sex, money and power – or if it does, but you then find yourself as the target of political and legal harassment ‘ you may have to put aside your cloak and broomstick and pick up a pinstriped suit and a back bench in Parliament. If you can’t beat them, try bribery, then if that doesn’t work… join them!
Your home must reflect your witchy nature. Incense must burn continuously. It’s important that visitors see clouds of incense smoke billowing from a spluttering censer in the corner of your dim, dank, and dusty home, so dismantle the smoke detectors and start collecting strange little bottles of exotic looking ingredients (use your imagination and label them with names like powdered bat’s eyes, or dried dragon’s gonads). And if you don’t like housework, you can explain that the layer of dust that covers your floors and furniture helps to neutralise the highly charged psychic energy that results from your magical spells, thereby protecting your home and possessions from electromagnetic disintegration.
In social discussions, don’t forget to make plenty of derogatory remarks about fundamentalist Christians, and remember to save your most biting comments for other witches that you don’t get along with.
Any self-respecting witch will tell you that after their initiation to witchcraft, their psychic powers awakened and their tarot cards (which they always carry with them) are now much easier to read (they now get something right once in a while). They will also tell you that they can now sense energy fields (in other words, they don’t bump into things as often as they used to). Follow this example and brag about the rapid development of your psychic abilities since your initiation. If asked about your initiation ceremony, simply state that you were sworn to secrecy about it, then quickly change the subject by mentioning your newly awakened ability to detect Ley lines, but try to remember that a Ley line is not a queue for the after-ritual orgy!
Now you know how to pass yourself off as a real Witch, so place that broomstick in a conspicuous corner (one that is not clouded by too much incense smoke); pull on those black clothes; give everyone that you meet a sinister look – and your social status will improve overnight. If you do all of this successfully, you may even find yourself with enough adoring acolytes so that you can start your own coven! Good luck and Blessed Be!
Witches Of The Craft® 
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