Sulum Factum Magus

One of the perennial disagreements that comes up from time to time in the Neopagan world is the question of what exactly is to be understood by the Deities. The Wiccan view that all Goddesses are One Goddess, and all Gods are One God, can be traced back through Dion Fortune. This view has lead many Wiccans to feel comfortable working with many different faces of the Goddess. More traditional pagans, on the other hand, sometimes see their Deities as individuals, and distinct from other Deities, having their own individual agendas and personalities. Indeed, sometimes such people get upset by the cavalier ‘use’ made of their Deities by others – without bothering to understand them in their own right, or without having any traditional cultural connection to the Deity.

My own view is that both viewpoints are correct. Just like humans, the Gods have both an individual nature, and a collective nature, a connection to the all. Emphasis on the one, does not mean the other does not exist. Both aspects should be taken into account by the magical practitioner, in my view, who wishes to work with a Deity form. However, when one calls upon a particular face of the Goddess or God to mediate the primordial feminine or masculine powers of creation, one must deal with the individuality associated with that Deity, as well as its ability to mediate the primordial powers. While some Deities are traditionally worked with in this way, others are not – and it is up to the practitioner to make sure that they appreciate and understand how to work with any Deity they decide to call into their orbit.

Part of this “due dilligence” before working with any Deity is to explore why you wish to call upon them, and whether you have what it takes to work with them safely. To many people, there is a question of ancestral connection that must be satisfied. Others go even further, and insist that the right to work with a Deity must be passed on from someone else, in a family or teaching lineage. Others refuse such restrictiveness, and insist upon their right to work with any Deity they feel drawn to.

Whatever you believe about the right to work with a Deity, it should always be well considered and well prepared, to avoid unplanned and possibly unpleasant consequences. Misunderstanding between a Deity and a practitioner can arise just as easily as misunderstandings between two people, and may have unfortunate consequences. So research well a Deity that seems to be calling to you, and consider well whether you want their energy in your life. To work with a Deity is not something that ought to be taken up and dropped on a casual basis, but something that should be approached with clarity and commitment. To become a priest or priestess working with a particular Deity is to bring the archetypal forces and energies of that Deity into one’s life. Do they suit your energy, personality and approach to life? If not, life could become very difficult and challenging.

One method that you may care to try is the following. If a particular Deity catches your attention, and you feel drawn to working with them, first do some extensive research into the Deity. Obtain traditional imagery, traditional icons, and traditional symbolism. Study any mythology associated with the Deity. Examine your connection to the Deity. Is it a traditional connection, are you re-establishing an ancestral connection, or is there some other connection? Many people, for example, consider themselves to have past lives in other cultures, and feel that this justifies them working with non-ancestral Deities. If so, you will know it. If you feel still that the Deity is for you, then, using the appropriate symbols or images, tune into the Deity, and discuss with them the possibility of working together. Find out if it is permitted, and/or advisable. One way to proceed is to make a limited commitment to the Deity, for a year and a day, say, after which one can consider whether one wants to make a deeper commitment. Others seem to know straight away that they are priests or priestesses of a particular Deity, and dedicate themselves on the basis of this. Whatever way you do things, be sure that you know your heart, and stand by the commitment you make.

Working with a Deity is a sacred trust. This is partly because it is through the inner work of the priest or priestess that the form of the Deity is enlivened and energised. A priest or priestess who is out of tune with the tradition and history of the Deity may well create inharmonious forms and energy currents within the body of the Deity, though the soul of the Deity is unaffected. This, I believe, is one reason why traditional pagans resent the indiscriminate use of their Deities.

So while all Goddesses may well manifest the universal feminine creative principle to some degree, there are many that represent quite different energies, whose shape and form harmonises with quite different belief systems, some of which place little or no emphasis on the union of Male and Female primordial essences to create all phenomena of existence. The same goes for Gods. To try and work with such Deities as mediators of the primordial male and female principles is, in my opinion, misguided.

People these days often have multiple lines of ancestry to many different cultures, and hence pantheons. For example, my ancestry is English and Irish. As well as connections to the Gaelic of Ireland and the Isle of Man, I have a Norman French line that is known to me. But like most people of English stock, there will likely be connections to British celtic and pre-celtic people; Vikings, Danes and Teutonic people; and possibly Roman colonists, or Romano-Brits who had taken up the Roman lifestyle, complete with Roman Gods. They may possibly also be connections via France to cults of Isis. Traditionally, the British are said to be descendants of Brutus, descended from the royal family of Troy, and hence descended from the Greek Gods. So that presents another possibility, even though that genealogy is generally regarded as mythical rather than factual. Now, I haven’t chosen to activate Deities from all, or even the majority, of these ancestral possibilities – but it serves to illustrate that most people have a wide choice of ancestral Deities that they can choose to activate if they wish. However it is considered by some that working within a single pantheon, or at least mostly within a single pantheon, is the best approach, and certainly not mixing pantheons within any particular working. So my point above is not that one could or should take Deities from a wide range of Pantheons, but that one has considerable choice, usually, in which pantheon one can choose from.

These thoughts are nothing more than guidelines which may help to keep you out of trouble of various sorts, not the least of which might be upsetting someone by “appropriating” Gods you have no legitimate right to, in their opinion. However, ultimately, it is something one has to decide in one’s own heart, between oneself and a Deity. And sometimes it turns out that a Deity picks you out to work with, not vice a versa. What should you do in such a cease? In the cases I have heard people talk about, it has always been a positive experience, which was instantly taken up, with a deep knowing of the rightness of it. But, if you’re not 100% sure, then follow the procedure above. Do your research, and make a commitment for a period of time, after which you can decide whether to pull back, or go deeper into commitment and service.

A final remark. I believe that the mark of a priest or priestess is a commitment to service, to and through one’s Deities, and hence to all of life. It is a commitment to be changed, to become greater, and to share in the life and consciousness of one’s Deities. It is a commitment to release oneself from the tyranny of small mindedness, and the challenge of giving expression to the greater mind. The ethic of Service helps to keep one’s feet on the ground, and one’s life in perspective.

Blessed Be,

Robyn :)

Some months ago, I started out putting together a few ideas for busy people to develop themselves along magical lines. Here is another installment  for those in this position. I was talking to a young woman who was interested in Wicca and Paganism over the weekend, very keen to learn, but who found it very difficult to get any time for herself. She was working a job, looking after two young children, and keeping a house, and the thought of finding half an hour each day to pursue some magical studies seemed quite out of the question.

Here is the suggestion that I gave her. There are three times in the day when most people can get five minutes to themselves, at least most of the time. These are the five minutes after you wake up in the morning, but before you get out of bed, the five minutes after you get into bed at night, but before you go to sleep, and the five minutes you get in the toilet doing your daily business. These fifteen minutes can provide a foundation of magical practice, which can take you quite a way in your magical development.

Firstly, lets look at those five minutes in the toilet. Put a book you want to work on in the toilet, and when you sit down to business, open it up and read a page or two. Think about during the day whenever you get the chance. With this you can begin to establish a foundation of knowledge, which every magical practice requires.

Secondly, lets look at the five minutes in the morning. This is sufficient to practice moving the attention to a particular energy centre – such as the brow or crown chakra. This is sufficient to visualize a Deity you want to work with, and ask for their blessing. This is sufficient to utter a quick spell or affirmation: “Let this day bring the blessings of the God and Goddess conjoined, May the Child of Promise be conceived and born, may the Great Work take shape and form. For the highest good of all, So Mote it Be.” Of course that’s my spell and intention – you are welcome to use it, or make up your own, depending on your needs, desires, and your understanding of your calling. This five minutes can be used to set the tone and intention for the day to come. If you are working on developing patience, for example, you might want to invoke the spirit of patience to be with you during the day. And so on. Use that five minutes to invoke into your day, the energy or presence which you think will be most beneficial. By doing this, you begin to work with intention and magical will to take charge of your day. Then forget it, and go about your day. The intention will be working in the background, supporting you, and bringing about positive change, and as you build up the regular use of this five minutes, you will begin to notice a difference in how your day goes.

Thirdly, lets take advantage of the five minutes before you go to bed. This time is the portal into the dream world. While most people’s waking life is full to the brim, the dream realm is yours to make of it what you will. You can make use of this time to learn lessons and have experiences that your waking life is too busy to allow! If you want to take advantage of the time you spend dreaming to develop your magical life, there are a couple of things you can do. One thing is to place an object under your pillow that you want to dream on. This could be a herb that you want to learn about, a crystal that you want to connect with, the statue or picture of a Deity you want to work with, a Tarot card that you want to deepen your appreciation of, a book that seems interesting but you just haven’t time to read right now, or just about anything. So place it under your pillow, and as you close your eyes to go to sleep, visualize the object under your pillow as clearly as you can, and say “Lord and Lady grant me a dream to further my knowledge and understanding of …., For the highest good of all, so mote it be.” Then place your attention on your brow chakra between the eyebrows, and allow yourself to drift off to sleep.

So now you are working with magical intention to gain knowledge and experience about things which interest you in the dream state. Don’t worry about remembering your dreams, though you may wake up with the memory of a vivid dream that seems a specific answer to your request. If you have a notebook and pen handy you can jot a few notes to remind you later. But whether you remember your dreams or not, you will be gaining knowledge and experience in a directed fashion, and this will start coming to you in various ways during the day, as it is needed. You may for example find yourself just knowing something you’ve “dream researched”, or you may find a dream memory coming to mind with the relevant information. However it works for you, you will be growing and developing in your magical life, and that is what counts.

So even the busiest person can begin to make headway on their magical path with these three daily practices, that each take less than five minutes. If you are one of those people who say I’d love to have a magical practice, but I just don’t have time, here is a practical method of beginning, which can take you quite a long way.

In Her Service,

Robyn.

I had the privilege and good fortune the other day of coordinating a public ritual for a local pagan organisation, where there were about 50 or 60 participants. As this was the first time I had been involved in facilitating and conducting a ritual for such a large group, it was both a challenge and a learning experience for me. One of the first things to keep in mind is that all the attendees come from different backgrounds and levels of experience with ritual and circles. There were some from experienced coven backgrounds, from a variety of traditions, many solitaries with various levels of experience with public rituals and inner work, and some to whom it was all very new.

From the outset, one of the chief aims was to ensure that everyone was involved in some way with the conduct of the ritual. I firmly believe that ritual works best when each person has an opportunity to put their energy into it. The traditional framework around this ritual was that attendees split up into four groups focussed on the elements Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. The groups then workshop their element to deepen their appreciation of and connection to the element, and then choreograph a way of calling the elemental energy into the circle, and dismissing it. With a good facilitator for each tribe, everyone can feel they have a part to play and an involvement in the calling of their elemental energy. In fact it goes further than feeling an involvement – it is a feeling of group connection and consciousness, where elemental groups work as a unit to bring in and call up their elemental energy. This experience by itself is very powerful.

There are a lot of people involved in making a ritual work properly. For example, as well as the elemental facilitators, we had four experienced pagans channelling four Deities, and wearing the Mantle of their respective Deities in the circle. A High Priestess was the joint focus of the circle choreography. A Gatekeeper challenged all those who wished to enter the circle. Two others worked with the children of attendees, with activities and play, culminating in an entourage of sprites and fairy folk that added an element of the unexpected, and a bit of chaos to the circle. And then there were the old hands, who had participated in previous such events, and knew the ropes and the possible pitfalls of the whole process.

The key to putting all this together in an effective and harmonious way was communication over a number of months – talking to people, and listening to what they had to say; bouncing ideas off people; trying to find the value in all perspectives, and weaving them into the tapestry. Now we are all magical folk, so much of that communication can take place in the magical realms – but not all of it – there is still a need to get together and talk with the key people. With magical communication taking place however, the external communications can work efficiently and productively, because the magical selves of the various facilitators and key figures are already attuned.

One way that I used to help the attunement and to focus the magical communication was to create an object of power for the ritual. An object of power is created through focussed intention over a period of about a month – the period from one full moon to the next is a suitable period. Once the intention has been decided, and expressed symbolically, each day the object is charged with the energies and intentions desired, and the symbols expressing the intent are impressed upon it. The impression of symbols is both physical and etheric. The symbol is first visualised then one visualises the symbol being impressed within the object. This may coincide with physically marking the symbol on the object, but may not. In fact the physical marking only occurs once, but the etheric impression is repeated many times, both before and after the physical impression.

As I am quite fond of working with trees and wood, I selected a piece of tree trunk which I rescued from our local waste transfer station. I sawed off a smooth face, then worked with various grades of sand paper, to end up with a smooth finish. Each morning, I did a little bit, ten or twenty minutes, as part of my morning practice, and while sanding, I linked the object to the energies it would embody.

After the object was completed and energised, I shared the symbols with the other people involved in preparing the ritual, and invited them to place the symbols on their alters, and work with the symbols in the preparation for the ritual. Through the connection of the energised symbols, we could all enter the same space, where our magical selves could communicate with each other. In fact, part of my practice was to regularly reach inwardly for all those involved  and to seek their input and communication on this magical level. It is a fine line to tread here, as one does not want to become oppressive or over bearing, but to create the opportunity for an inward meeting of minds to facilitate co-creation.

Having taken care of the inner business of preparation, one must also take care of the outer business. I eventually wrote a script, with the input of the “old hands”, and met several times with people before the appointed hour to run through the script. Each time we saw how something could work better, or identified a detail that had been overlooked. A chant had been written, and was taught to some strong singers well before the ritual. As the ritual was part of a weekend gathering, there was also time to teach the chant to people on the day before the ritual. One dimension of a public ritual like this is the theatrical – costumes, players who know how to project their voices, and people who can remember their lines and deliver them naturally and powerfully are important and cannot be over-looked. Even so, at one point in the ritual the energy in the centre of the circle became so strong that I completely went blank – fortunately the High Priestess was experienced and able enough to extemporise and lead us through the deep structure of the rite, even though the script went out the window!

All in all, the ritual went very well, in spite of the hiccup above, which nobody else seemed to notice. One lesson for me was that knowing one’s lines outside the circle is a different thing to knowing one’s lines inside the circle – where the focussed energy very easily shifts one out of the necessary state of mind! Next time I will make sure I know my lines much better! Another thing I will do next time is to memorise the structure of the ritual. That is, for example, (1) Casting Circle and Entry; (2) Call to Circle; (3) Calling the elements; (4) Calling the Deities; (5) Energy Raising; (6) Blessing and Conjunction; (7) Farewell to Deities; (8) Farewell to Elements; and (9) Lifting Circle. You wouldn’t think you would need to, as the structure of a ritual is so intuitive and natural. However amidst all that energy flying about, having the structure memorised and mentally checking off as we went along, could well have prevented little mishaps such as described above. On the positive side, when the mind goes blank, the Gods step in. And perhaps this is the real lesson – to trust.

In Her Service,

Robyn

I am very lucky in where I live. I have magnificent forests a short drive from my door, and I often go for walks there, to reconnect with myself, nature, and the essentials of life. Indeed, more than luck, because I chose to live where I do, because of my love of the forests – or the bush as we say in Australia. It is so easy to forget in the tumult of the Western World, the bustle of the city, and the intensity of the workplace, that humans are but one form of life on this planet. Western culture takes for granted that humans are superior to all other life forms, and that nature is ours to use, exploit, and to eradicate for condominiums. We can trace this back to Judao-Christian world views expressed in biblical terms as God giving Man dominion over the beasts of the field etc.

However this is not the pagan world view. While pagans believe all sorts of different things, a common thread running through the modern neo-pagan movement is respect for nature, and for other forms of life, based upon a view of humans as one of many life forms, each playing an important part in the bio-sphere of our mother the Earth. The mechanistic view of Western Culture sees nature as blind, and beasts as “dumb”, and humans as the pinnacle of evolution or creation, depending on whether you subscribe to the scientific mythology or the religious mythology.

My view is that the natural world is full of life and consciousness and intelligence, but that most people, imprisoned within their individualistic symbolically mediated communication methods, have lost the art of communicating with this intelligence and spiritual energy that manifests through nature.

Today, my walk took me through the rain forest. A light mist cloaked the trees, and the thick clouds let loose sporadic showers of gentle drops. I passed several glades of native violets, as I walked under the canopy, padding along on a thick bed of leaves. Bright red berries of native raspberries beckoned from the side of the path. On a wet week day, there aren’t too many people about, so there were plenty of birds to keep me company. Inquisitive little finch like birds came to check me out, as I stood still for a breather. Rufous fan tails fluttered up the path in front of me. The Wompoo pigeons were calling in the canopy arround me. Everywhere underfoot were the bright rainforest berries of summer. I stopped to talk to a bird that appeared on a branch in front of me. How are you, I asked it in my mind’s ear. How are the insects? Plentiful, it told me, before hopping along its journey. As I made my way along the ridge line, the canopy thinned out, to make way for magnificent white mahoganies. Gradually the path became thinner and more overgrown, the further I tracked away from the road and the car park. I caught sight of a medium sized black bird flying off in the under brush, and turned a corner in the path to see what looked like two handfulls of twigs, planted side by side in the ground – the bower of the Satin Bower bird, which he uses to attract a mate.

The path opened out onto a small clearing, with a large log along one end. I sat on the log, and called my Deities, and honoured the elements, and sat in quiet contemplation. I expanded my aura, reaching out to embrace the forest around me, eyes closed, listening to the sounds of the bush – the many varieties of birds, and the sound of drops of water falling around me onto the forest floor.

There is a music in the sounds of the bush, the twitters and clicks of the birds and insects, and the pat of the falling drops of water gathering on leaves before plopping onto the ground. To become attuned to this music, allow your attention to dwell on your heart as you breath out, and on your third eye as you breathe in, gently, lightly. Feel full of joy and a sense of connection with everything around you. When you feel that you have got the rhythm and pace of this music, allow yourself to join in with it, by making clicking noises with your tongue and popping your lips quietly and gently. Other gentle noises that you can use to join in with this music are the sounds you make by gently sucking air through your top teeth. Try to imitate the sounds around you, of birds, drops, insects, or whatever you can hear.

If you have made the correct preparations, you will find yourself being a part of this magical music. There will be no separation. The energy that moves the rain, the birds and the insects will also be moving you, and you will be part of the music.

There is no further description of this that I can give – except to encourage you to try this out for yourself. You won’t regret it, I am sure.

Blessed Be,

Robyn.

There is quite a difference between the way the ordinary person looks at the world, and the way that an occultist or magical practitioner looks at the world. And this is nowhere more manifest than in the way that one approaches a problem. For the ordinary person, a problem is something to be ignored until it gets so bad that an expert has to be consulted! Well, at least for a lot of people! However for someone on a path of magical and personal development, a problem is an opportunity to grow in all sorts of different ways.

Firstly, it is a chance to develop personal qualities such as courage, integrity and perseverance. Secondly, it is a chance to develop magical skills.  Problems almost always have a direct cause. We manifest them ourselves, with the energies and thoughts that we habitually construct around us and within us. Of course many people reject this assertion, believing it to victimize the unfortunate as being the cause of their misfortune. However the adept doesn’t apply this maxim to others in judgement – only to him or her self.

So a problem in your life is a chance to use magical skills of perception to discern the underlying cause, in your own mind and emotional body, that has been the seed for the problematic circumstance to manifest around you. This concept appears in the Arthurian corpus as the relationship between the wounded king and the wasteland of his kingdom.

One key to this kind of discernment is the use of focussed attention. Many schools of body work hold that emotional wounds are held in the body as tension, pains and knots, where energy is tied up and unable to flow freely. A technique that can be of great value is to go into a meditative state or light trance, and place your attention on an area of your body where there is pain or tightness. Breathe slowly and deeply, and visualize the breathe entering and leaving your body through the pain or area of tension. Allow whatever happens to happen. You may find that certain images come to mind. Allow them to, but don’t seek to grasp them, or hold on to them. Just acknowledge them and allow them to pass. The same may occur with feelings and emotions. Indeed, you may be shocked at the intensity of feelings that can arise. However acknowledge them and let them pass without becoming absorbed in them.

Another tool that can be used is the direction of energy. Where attention is placed, anergy will follow. There are two currents of energy which I mainly work with at this time – the Earth current, and the Source Current, associated with the red and white dragons. The red current is hot and comes from deep in the Earth, and is wonderful for healing the physical body. The white current is cool, and comes from deep within the Spiritual realms, which I conceptualize as being at the centre of the universe. It is wonderful for healing the spirit and mind. Once you have breathed into a location of pain or tightness for a while, and unlocked the locus so that images or feelings are released, allow the flow of feelings and images to naturally come to an end. Then open up one of the energy currents by dividing your attention in two. Place one half of your attention on the source, the centre of the earth for the red current, or the centre of the universe for the white current, and the keep the other half of your attention on the place of pain in your body. The energy will begin to flow.  This flow of energy can dissolve the templates that have been formed in our body-mind-spirit system, which manifest as pain and tightness in the body, as negative thoughts and poor self image in the mind, and gradually manifest around us problems in relationships, job, etc etc that sooner or later come to a head.

These templates are somewhat like beliefs that we hold about ourselves, or the world, little scripts that give us direction, that we play out in every facet of our lives. To the magical practitioner, any problems we might have can only be temporarily solved, unless these templates are removed or re-written. The flow of energy can be used to dissolve these templates, simply by intending to do so.

Thus we come to the second part of the magical approach to problems. The creation of new templates that better serve  our ends. In contrast to some eastern paths, which seem to seek to transcend or remove such templates, the western path as I understand it is about taking charge of these templates, and energizing them in a constructive manner.

Once the flow of energy comes to a stop, and the templates have been dissolved, which may take one a number of occasions over months or even years, one can begin creating new templates. One way to do this is through affirmations. An affirmation can be enhanced by expressing it in symbolic language, and visualizing it as it is repeated. A practice to try after you have worked with an area of pain or tightness in the body, and become aware of the release of energy and thought patterns and old images therein contained, is to use those images and energies as the basis for a positive template reconstruction, an antidote, as it were, that corrects the negative pattern and transforms it into a positive pattern.

Express this positive template as a short sharp sentence – an affirmation – such as “I deserve prosperity, health and love”. Allow the correct affirmation for you to present itself in your light trance state. Ask the help of your guides or Deities. Then express the affirmation as a symbol. Use runes, astrological or alchemical symbols, or whatever symbols system you are familiar with. Another method is to take the consonants from your affirmation, only once for each, even if some letters are used more than once, and arrange them into a connected design which you can visualize. With your mind’s eye, place the symbol representing the affirmation at the location of the pain or tightness you are working with, and once again open the flow of energy. This time allow the energy current to flow through the symbol into your being.

This is just a beginning of course. As you work with these ideas, you will find your own wisdom, your own guidance, and your own way of best working with energy and attention to solve problems. Magic is seen by most who first come to the path as about effecting change within the world through application of focussed will. However after a while, one realizes that this natural process is going on all the time, twenty four hours a day. The wise person takes charge of what she is manifesting in this way. You may well find that there is little else that needs to be done in the way of magic!

Blessed Be,

Robyn :)

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they must decide who or what they serve. Do they serve only themselves, do they serve their Deities, do they serve some ideals, their family, their country, the company, or what? Most people bumble along doing what is expected of them, without making any particular conscious choice, and this is fine as far as it goes. But sooner or later one is always confronted with a situation where one must choose. Whose interests will prevail?

Human beings are very good at aligning their personal interests with those of the people around them. Often there is no conflict between one’s own interest and the interest of one’s family, country, employer, etc etc. But sooner or later there will be, and in making the choices that must follow, we show what kind of person we are.

For the most part, it is a juggling act, trying to satisfy the different interests that we have given a stake in our lives – children, partners, work, hobbies, charities, community, wider family, friends, and also for Pagans, we often have relationships with Deities and other-world contacts to consider as well. Some people manage to keep juggling for much of their lives, before being confronted with the necessity of choice. Others are driven to it much sooner by the impossibility of satisfying all these potentially conflicting interests.

The way of the wise is to know thyself – the true self, the soul intelligence that struggles, usually, to exert its guiding influence over one’s life, which for most is managed from the seat of reason, according to the scripts learned in child-hood. When one is in contact with the true self, the conflict between one’s own self interest and the interest of others, human and non-human, disappears. There is simply the right thing to do, at the time. The Buddhists have the concept of “Right Action”, or Dharma, which transcends principles, laws and moral guidelines. Right action is perceived directly by the luminous intelligence which is both individual and collective. It may take considerable courage to enact it. Indeed, in respect of Right Action, we may say there are three sorts of people. Those who don’t see it at all. Those who perceive it, but aren’t able to follow through with it, for whatever reason, and those who see it and act upon it. Most are in the first category. Those who begin to work on themselves spiritually, and start opening up their hidden faculties, first find themselves in the second category. That is they begin to perceive their right action, but lack the means, the commitment or the courage to act upon it. Thus begins a long, difficult and painful journey, of putting what they perceive into practice, of living their right action. At the end of this journey, with the blessing of the Ancient Ones, they may find themselves in the third category, of living the Right Action that they perceive. Such a one appears to others as a Mage or Saint, or a person of accomplishment and integrity, having achieved alignment between their lives and their spiritual vision and faculty. The rest of us struggle on, as best we may, aware of the gulf between our perceptions of right action, and the lives we actually live, but committed to closing the gap as we gain in skills, confidence, understanding, and spiritual independence. And in this journey, we are assisted by our Deities and inner world contacts, who provide a mechanism for contacting the numinous sphere of existence, and opening the perceptions to the true self.

BB

Robyn :)

Here is a second installment in my series of suggestions for developing magical practice for busy people. The secret is to make magic and magical awareness a part of everything you do. In this post, I suggest how you might deepen your relationship with the elemental energy of Fire.

Fire is the second of the four elements in the cycle of becoming, and represents the transition to action. Where Air is cold, Fire is hot, representing the addition of energy, passion, enthusiasm, and enlivening spirit to put plans into action.

Fire is the source of heat, and an Earthly representation of the heat-giving, and hence life-giving energy of the Sun. Fiery personalities don’t stop and think, they jump right in, doing or saying something without pausing to consider the consequences. In magical terms, Fire is often associated with the magical will, which is the impulse to effect change, the magical prime mover of all that takes place through magical means. Fire is energy. In terms of the human body, fire represents the blood, and the cellular metabolism which burns Oxygen to Carbon Dioxide, releasing energy for action in the body, and creating heat. Someone who has the will to succeed, a real go-getter, is sometimes said to have a “fire in the belly”. Fire is associated with the human passions, such as anger, sexual attraction, and any other type of burning enthusiasm. Like a fire, these passions can burn us and those arround us when we let them rage out of control. When kept in check and expressed in a controlled fashion, they serve us every bit as usefully as Fire itself. Where Air was associated with superficial things and appearances, Fire is a little deeper, concerned with the energy and motivation beneath appearances. Fire is associated with the hottest part of the day, midday, and the hottest time of year, mid-summer. Bright colours like orange and red are said to be warm, and encourage activity and enthusiasm. In Pagan terms, they are associated with Fire.

Todays’s exercise is to adjust the level of the Fire element whenever necessary during your day, by means of focussed intention and visualisation. You may find yourself feeling unmotivated, and lacking in energy for a necessary task. Say to yourself, “I call thee element of Fire, I call thy energy and motivation, energize me to perform necessary task (name task) for the greatest good of all.” Visualize a flame burning in your belly, filling you with energy and enthusiasm, and the impulse to action. It should take no more than a few seconds. It can be done eyes open or closed, depending on your circumstances. You may be part of a group where people seem to be endlessly talking (Air), and nothing actually is ever done. Next time you meet, call in some Fire energy, and be prepared for action!  For example, visualize a circle around the people meeting, and visualize a fire burning and radiating its energy out from the centre of the circle. Always have “for the greatest good of all” as part of your intention, and respect people’s free will and personal integrity. It goes without saying that to work in this way is a declaration of responsibility for adjusting and constructing the subtle atmosphere in which you are operating. We all have this responsibility, but few have the awareness or desire to act upon it. There is a delicate balancing act, as in any act of magic, between creating a constructive and enthusiastic atmosphere, and manipulating the way people feel to achieve one’s own ends. In my view, the way to successfully juggle this is to adopt a personal ethos of respect for each person’s integrity, and right to self determination. 

The same visualization can be applied to oneself of course, if you  feel the need for more fire energy in your day. But do remember the importance of balance. The Lady Brighid of the blessed flame, is also the Lady of the healing well. 

When the seems to be no enthusiasm, or motivation for something important, it is sometimes worthwhile to reflect on the possible reasons, rather than to seek first to increase the energy of Fire.  Perhaps the time isn’t right, or feelings and intuition suggesting an alternate course are being ignored. Sometimes we need to recognise that Fire follows Air in the cycle of manifestation. If Fire has trouble getting started, perhaps it’s because there has been insufficient planning…Fire needs Air! If so, perhaps call some Air and do some planning first!

Let me know how you get on!

Blessed Be,

Robyn

I am currently putting together a course of instruction in pagan magic and self development for busy people. I thought you might be interested in trying out a few of the ideas…. first up is an exercise that almost anyone can fit into their day, focussing on the element of Air.  Stay tuned for further installments!

A fundamental tool for seeing the connections, relationships and energy of everything arround us, is the system of the four elements, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. These form the basis of the magical correspondences that work to empower spellcraft, and guide our understanding of the growth and decay of all natural cycles. Air as an elemental concept begins with the physical medium of Air, which we breathe. Breath is synonomous with life, and the point of death is referred to as the last breath. A fire will die without sufficient air. A room without sufficient air is stuffy. Air is invisible, unless it carries something like smoke in its currents. Air can be moved into great winds which can cause much damage. The ancients considered Air to be cold, light, mobile, and easily moved.

The Hermetic dictum, “As above, so below”, may be applied to transpose these qualities to other dimensions of life. For example, the mind can also be characterised by the coldness of thought, changeability, and lightness, in the sence of easily moving from topic to topic, like a breeze blowing hither and thither. So thought, and the mind may be seen as having the elemental quality of Air. Beginnings are also light and changeable, times of infinite possibility, and so beginnings also may be assigned the elemental quality of Air. The surface of things is most easily touched, most easily changed, most easily moved or altered. Thus the surface of anything has the elemental quality of Air. Air is drying – the washing dries quickest on a windy day. Thus drying things have an elemental quality of Air – even a dry sence of humour is quite cerebral, and the “dry” branch of the polital conservatives is more intellectual, while the “wets” are more compassionate. The morning corresponds to Air, as it is the beginning of the day. The spring corresponds to Air, as it is the time of awakening growth.

Air can have both positive and negative influences, according to whether it is in balance and harmony, or whether it is out of balance. For example, some people over intellectualize everything – too much Air! Other people don’t bother with even basic planning or fore-thought – leading to failures and disapointment – too little Air! A basic principle of spellcraft is to correct the elemental balance. Where there is too little planning, bring in more of the Air element. Where there is too much intellectualizing, dispel some of the Air element, to make room for other qualities.

Today’s exercise is to adjust the balance of Air, using the power of visualisation, in any situation you find yourself in today. Sitting at your desk writing up a teaching plan? You need more Air! As you work, pause briefly for fifteen seconds, and say to yourself “I call thee element of Air to bless my planning with Clarity, Sharpness of Mind, and Logical Thought. For the highest good of all, so mote it be”. Visualise as you do this a gentle breeze of clear fresh Air rustling the papers on your desk.

You may find yourself in a conversation which is overly intellectual, and so missing the heart of the matter. Too much Air? Say to yourself “I dispel thee element of Air, intellect and analysis, blow now away, and make space for heart and soul.” Visualize a gentle breeze blowing away the overly intellectual atmosphere. In fact a visualized gentle breeze is very useful for blowing away any unwanted situation or person, and freshening up the mind! You get the idea! Let creativity be your guide – and make friends with the element of Air – using intent and visulaisation to adjust its qualities in each situation you find yourself in during the day.

Let me know if you have any success with this way of working!

Blessed Be,

Rob :)

Here is an exercise that you might find useful with your work in the tarot. Indeed, the following method can be used with almost any symbolic representation, in order to contact the astral and spiritual energies and forms behind the appearance. I will describe the exercise in terms of using a tarot card, but you can adapt it as you see fit. To gain the full benefit from this exercise, you should have some ability to move the attention, to visualise, and some experience with activating the third eye chakra. Here is what I do.

Select a card from the major arcana that you wish to work with. Many authors recommend starting with the fool, and working through in sequence. Sit in a comfortable and warm position. Sitting up in bed just before lying down to sleep for the night can be very effective, as the exercise will also then create an impetus to dream on the same subject.

Hold the selected card in front of you, and stare at a focal point of the card. For the cards with human figures, stare at their third eye chakra, just above and between the eyebrows. After awhile, your vision will begin to play strange tricks, as the cells of your retina become habituated to the image. Keep staring at the same point, and allow your vision to do what it will. You may find yourself involuntarily moving your focus, which resets your vision to normal. Don’t worry, just keep staring at the same fixed focal point.

When the vision has started to shift due to the phenomena above, begin the following breathing sequence, keeping the eyes focussed on the focal point you have chosen in the card. As you breathe in, place your attention between your own eyebrows, on your own third eye chakra. As you breathe out, place your attention on the third eye chakra (or focal point you have selected) of the figure in the card. Keep breathing slowly, deeply and smoothly, in a relaxed manner, alternating the attention as described. It may help to visualise a white thread linking your third eye to the third eye of the figure in the card, with your attention moving between the two ends like a bead on a string.

Continue the breathing, with the alternating of the attention for up to ten minutes, all the while keeping the eyes focussed on the third eye (or chosen focal point) of the figure in the card. Now allow your eyes to close, and try to see the card in your mind’s eye, and continue the breathing and alternation of attention. However, now your attention moves to the card you see in your mind’s eye, rather than the physical card. If you can’t see the card with your mind’s eye, no matter – just visualise the card as best you can with your imagination. As you visualise, sooner or later, you will begin to catch glimpses of the card with the inner sight, which will seem to poke through your visualized imagery. If it doesn’t happen on one occasion, it will certainly happen at some stage as you continue working with the attention, visualisation, and the third eye chakra.

After another five minutes or so, or the length of time which feels right for you, transfer your attention to the personage in the card, and leave it there. Allow the experience to unfold in the way that is right for you. You may find yourself receiving impressions, images, or communications from the personage. You may find yourself viewing things from the perspective of the personage. You may find yourself “inside” the tarot card, looking at the card from the inside. Each person will be able to carry on the experience in their own unique way.

When I have done this exercise, I have found that the subsequent day or two becomes powerfully influenced by the energy and archetype of the card, and the resulting experiences have provided profound insight into the corresponding aspects of life. I hope that you will find the same, and that this method helps you to grow towards your true nature and its full and ecstatic expression.

To finish the exercise, express thanks for the experience, and whatever learnings you may have received, and take your leave of whatever energies or personages you may have been interacting with. Focus the attention on your own third eye chakra, for both in and out breaths, for a few minutes, and then move your attention to the point between the top lip and the nose for several deep breaths, with the intention of  grounding and returning your attention and energy back wholly within your own etheric field.

BB

Robyn :)

I work with the Lady Epona as part of my personal pantheon. When I first came into the pagan path, I made my dedication vows to the Lady Epona. The first time I recall specific mention of her in my life, was upon reading the book “Celtic Gods, Celtic Goddesses”, by R.J. Stewart, where there is a beautiful painting of the Goddess, riding, of course, a pony, accompanied by sheaves of wheat, dogs and birds. She has long straight black hair, and dark eyes, and of course rides a white horse. As soon as I saw the picture, I knew that she was my Goddess.

Once in my circle work, which I do as part of my regular practice most mornings, and which usually involves some  inner work with a particular deity or two, it came to me that the Lady Epona has been with me since childhood, and was responsible for the lady’s voice I would hear as a child, calling my name. So I have a strong feeling for the Lady.

The Wikipedia article on the Goddess Epona is well worth reading. From it I summarize some of the following facts. Evidence of the Lady Epona has been found throughout the Roman empire, where it appears she was adopted by horsemen in the Roman legions. From apparent origins in France (then Gaul) she was carried west to Britain and east towards the Balkans, and northwards towards Germany. Shrines were common in stables, and her feast, at least in one location in Italy was celebrated on the 18th of December, around the time of the Winter Solstice. She is often  depicted with a basket of fruit, or a cornucopia bursting with the abundant produce of the fields.

When I first started working with Lady Epona, I felt that nothing really very much was known about her. However the small amount of specific information can be considerably rounded out if we begin to explore the significance of the Horse and Horse Goddesses in Celtic culture. Jannet and Stuart Farrer have written a very good essay on the Goddess Epona in their book “The Witches Goddess”, exploring the themes arising from the spiritual significance of the Horse and related Goddess figures. In Irish mythology, for example, the Goddess of the Land is portrayed as a mare, and Kingship was conveyed by ritualised mating with a sacred mare representing the Land and its Goddess. This theme is also echoed in the story of Epona being the beautiful offspring of such a union, which is told in Plutarch’s Life of Solon. (See the Wikipedia entry for Epona!)

There are a number of Goddesses in Irish and Welsh stories associated with Horses – including Rhiannon, who is depicted in the Mabinogion as riding a milk white mare, and who is forced to carry visitors into the city on her back (like a horse) as punishment for supposedly killing and devouring her baby. Of course, she was being wrongly punished, but that is another story! Also the Irish Goddess Macha was made to race the King of Ulster’s horses, although heavily pregnant. She beat them, and gave birth to twin sons on the finish line. To these we may add other mythological currents that have become entwined with the Lady Epona, such as the stories of Lady Godiva, who rode a white mare naked through the streets  of coventry, in order to redeem the people from onerous taxes. Interestingly, the name Godiva means “Gift of God”. The nursery rhyme 

“Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross
To see a fine lady upon a white horse
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes
She shall have music wherever she goes”

Although ostensibly referring to Queen Elizabeth the First of England riding a white cock horse to Banbury Cross, one can’t help noticing that the cock horse which the implied subject of the imperative rides, and the white horse that the lady rides are different horses. The Queen of Fairy traditionally rides a white mare, and is accompanied by the sound of bells – so to me the nursery rhyme is also an expression of the mythic complex associated with Epona and the Horse Goddess. The White Horse of Uffington is a testament to the importance of horses in pre-Roman Britain. Though not specifically linked directly with the Goddess Epona, the figure is similar to horses appearing on pre-Roman coinage, and is perhaps evidence of a widespread Horse Goddess archetype which later emerged as Epona.

Across these stories, some interconnected themes emerge – the connection with the personification of the land; the sacred marriage with a king figure; a resonance with lunar symbolism; the battle between the bright and dark lords (the divine twins) for the Lady’s hand; and the wrong done to the Lady through the patriarchal institutions of kingship and law.

In my own work with the Lady Epona, she is the principle Goddess that I work with for magical workings, particularly those involving the sacred marriage. In my personal Pantheon, she holds sway with Lord Cernunnos as her consort, over the workings of magic, and particularly of magic concerned with the realisation of the true gifts, the abundance of nature, and the abundance and prosperity that follows from the giving of the true gifts to life. 

The Empress card in the Tarot is in many ways a harmonious energy and resonance with the way that I work with the Lady Epona – involving a Venusian aspect that honours and encourages the positive expression of sexual love, as well as independance from any form of subdserviance to the male or patriarchal institutions, and presiding over the bounty of nature. For of course it is from the Womb of the Goddess that all bounty and abundance flows, and in order for that bounty to grow and manifest, the seed of the God is required, for which in my work the Lord Cernunnos happily obliges.

One way that  I work with my Deities is by projection and invocation. In the context of concescrated space, with elemental portals opened and guarded, I invoke the Lord into myself, through concentrated visualisation associated with a regular form of words that over times becomes imbued with evocative power. I then evoke the Lady into the space – through visualisation and her own regular form of words. As the God, and with the Lady, the sacred marriage is then performed. For a male, this may be acoomplished by visualising your hands (the hands of the God) holding the hands of the Goddess, followed by a gentle merging and interpenetration of the two energy fields. For a woman invoke the Goddess, and allow your hands as her hands to hold the hands of the evoked God. Invite and allow the sacred union, but do not impose or force it, or the form it should take. Leave this up to the Gods, and I am sure that you will be, as I have been, surprised, delighted, and humbled by the result.

Although sexual energy is a part of this magical work, it is not in itself a physically sexual practice. The union is energetic and etheric, and while physical arousal may develop, physical stimulation is neither required nor helpful, as it represents a distraction from the point and culmination of the practice. Likewise, the mind should be purified of lascivous or lusty thoughts or immaginings, which are a distraction, and an unwelcome imposition upon the Goddess. She must be given the space to touch you as she will, without the mind trying to impress its desires and fantasies upon the situation.

Often times, if the above guidelines are respected, I find that this practice leads to rapid eye movements, associated with physical arrousal, deep trance states, and the opening of the inner window. This transformation can be assisted by gentle attention on the third eye energy centre, just between and above the eyebrows. In this kind of state, the physical arrousal is akin to the erection that men have while dreaming, in so called REM sleep, and the similar arousal that women experience whilst dreaming. In spite of the physical arousal, it is not inherently a sexual state, but a visionary state. In the olden days, I fancy it was referred to as “riding the broom stick”.

To my way of thinking, this is just the portal of the mysteries presided over by the Lady Epona. Across that threshold, lies a vast territory that though once well known, has been much forgotten by our modern age. It is our birthright to re-explore, and renew our association with these regions. For as the ancients knew, the world arround us is a reflection of the worlds within us. And as the world arround us is, these days, full of hardship, suffering, conflict and exploitation, both of nature and others, so must the inner worlds be filled with conflict and disharmony. Thus the healing of our age must start with the inner journey, and the resolution of the conflict within. Let those who are ready and able take up the task.

Blessed Be,

Rob