Sulum Factum Magus

Well, I fnally bit the bullet, and went along to the Chinese herbalist. As regular readers will know, I have long suffered from various annoying ailments such as irritable bowel syndrome, mouth ulcers and melancholy. Part of my particular affliction was the feeling that, as a witch, I ought to be able to solve such problems myself, based on my own inner resources, and using my own knowledge. However, I came to the conclusion that this is really placing an absurb expectation on myself, especially when the Lord and Lady provide many skilled and knowledgeable people all arround me, just waiting eagerly for the chance to help, and put their years of training into practice.

Also I had been noticing that I was getting short tempered, to add to the list of woes – something that I have never been bothered by before – always priding myself on a great storehouse of patience and tolerance. So I decided to visit a Chinese herbalist for a consultation. Over the years I have tried many different kinds of alternative practitioners, mainly western herbalists, naturopaths, and Chinese medicine practitioners. I have always had most success with the Chinese medicine approach. I think part of the reason is that traditional Chinese medicine preserves its traditional diagnostic and prescribing framework, based on energy, chi, and the observable signs and symptoms – something that western herbalists and naturopaths have largely lost, in my opinion, under the pressure to become acceptable to the medical establishment.

Anyway, after a very long history taking, I hopped on the table and made like a hedghog for twenty minutes, and left with some vitamins, herbs, and a feeling of renewed hope and energy. It was quite an expensive couple of hours, (grumble grumble) but good things cost money, and this was definitely worth it. I feel much more energetic and balanced this morning! Of course it is not over with just one treatment. I will be back in a month to get another batch of herbs!

Oh, and the diagnosis? I have stagnant liver chi. A classic pattern apparently, and one whose correction is well understood in Chinese medicine. It may well turn out that I have suffered needlessly for many years! But life seems to be like that. Perhaps suffering, often self-inflicted, though one’s own pride, arrogance or timidity, serves to make us open to the gifts that life has to offer. Of course if we could open to those gifts sooner, the suffering wouldn’t be needed to wear down our defences against the gifts of the Goddess.

Well that is my story for today,

Blessed Be,

Robyn.

It is the simple things of life that are important. A cliché, perhaps, but no less true for that. I have been reflecting lately on how food has been corrupted and taken over by the organs of our industrial society, resulting in a sickness of the body and the soul. Not to mention the negative impacts on the environment, the body and soul of Herself.

Years ago, when many more people had their own cow, and made their own cheese, and had their own gardens, and pickled their own cucumbers, life was simpler, and more attuned with the breath of nature. We happily coexisted with animals birds and insects. These days, it seems that insects and animals are pests which must be exterminated or controlled to avoid reductions in yield.

I have been having cheese and home made pickles on a slice of gluten free bread these last couple of mornings for breakfast. Its quick and simple. Its inexpensive, compared to highly processed cerials and beverages. It tastes good. The pickles were given to me by a friend of mine, who knows of my interest in keeping alive the old wise ways of living in harmony with nature. The most important thing of all is the food we eat, and not just its physical aspect, but its vibration and spiritual resonance. My friend won’t eat any food that comes from a supermarket, because he feels the vibration is not conducive to health, spiritually or physically. The vegetables, he says, from the supermarket contain no goodness – as they have never properly connected with fertile living soil. They have been grown by the application of fertiliser to a dead substrate.

I have long been of like mind, though perhaps less extreme in my views. My family gets most of its produce from a community supported agriculture scheme, which pays the farmer more for their produce, and costs us less, for organic or nearly organic produce. The farmers are all committed to husbandry of the land, in one way or another.

Do you hear in the term “husbandry” an echo of the sacred marriage between human and Herself? It is Mother Nature, the Great Goddess Herself who brings forth food. Those who fail to recognise this, and fail to cultivate her presence and blessing, produce food which has but an echo of the health giving vibration and essence that is possible with food which she produces under the influence of loving husbandry.

Perhaps the terms are a little antiquated, as of course women make some of the best gardeners, maybe because of their inherent attunement with the Goddess. But still She must be cultivated, nourished, invited, honored and celebrated, and most of all, loved, in order for her to rouse herself from unconsciousness and live fully within the produce of any garden. And why should we deny the birds, the bugs, and the animals a share of her bounty? They all need to live too. Humans have the annoying habit of thinking themselves more important than the other creatures that live on the planet. However they are all part of Herself, and to impoverish them, while enriching ourselves is selfish and greedy. But of course the human world is a selfish and greedy world for the most part, even though we don’t like to admit it.

Anyway, I have been enjoying my cheese and pickles. Pickle making is an age old skill, a way of salting away Mother Nature’s bounty for the winter. Most people wouldn’t bother making their own pickles. However there will come a time, I believe, when such old skills will be required again. I am not so arrogant to believe that our current technological civilisation will last indefinitely. Like all over-blown empires, it will eventually be dragged down by the weight of its own contradictions. From the rubble and the ashes, a new way of living will emerge, lead by those who have made it their purpose to keep alive the old skills, such as making pickles and cheese. In the best of all possible worlds, our civilisation would have a collective epiphany, repudiate greed and selfishness, and cultivate a life in tune with spirit and the higher good. However this possibility is remote for the foreseeable future. Nor is their any reason to want to accelerate or assist in the destruction of western society – that is the path of terrorism, something that is repugnant to those who cherish the life of the Goddess in all forms and manifestations. The path of the wise is to foresee the inevitable, and to safeguard the old wisdom for when it will be needed once more.

Blessed Be

Robyn

I have posted previously about the chakra system, and related it to planetary energy. In this post I would like to further discuss the chakra system in relation to the sacred marriage, the union of the essential male and female archetypal energies.

We begin at the root chakra. The root chakra has a direct connection to the erect phallus, the survival instinct, and raw sexual energy. In the system given to me it is associated with the planetary energy of Saturn. Thus the resonance is with the masculine archetypal essence, the God.

The Belly chakra is associated with the womb and conception, and thus resonates with the female archetypal energy, the Goddess. In terms of planetary energies, this is Jupiter, the sign of increase, plenty and abundance. However these qualities rightly belong to the Goddess in mother aspect.

In the union of the root and belly chakras, we have an energetic reflection of the first of three sacred marriage reflections, this one resonating predominantly on the level of the physical body and the material plane. Thus magical intentions that require physical or material manifestations, such as abundance, plenty, a productive garden, etc, are assisted by the resonance of this pair of chakras.

The solar plexus chakra, to be found at the bottom of the sternum, resonates with energy, the will, and personal power. It is an active outgoing chakra, and resonates with the archetypal male essence, the God. In planetary terms, this is Mars. However the resonance is now on a level of forms and energies beyond the material plane, though they may well be very effective in structuring and effecting material reality.

The heart chakra, to be found in the middle of the chest, resonates with compassion, feelings, love and connections. It resonates with the female archetypal essence, the Goddess. In planetary terms, it is Venus, the Goddess of Love, born from the ocean.

In the union of solar chakra and heart chakra we again reflect the sacred marriage, however this time on an emotional and mental level, combining and reconciling the worlds of form and feeling. Magical intentions that focus on the world of the emotions, or on the images and forms that motivate and guide people in their behaviour, are assisted by the resonance of this pair of chakras.

Leaving aside the throat chakra for a moment, we consider now the brow chakra. In Western tradition , the brow chakra is associated with the moon, the Goddess, and with psychic abilities such as divination, far seeing, and astral perception. The crown chakra, is associated with the sun, connection with spiritual energy in its most pure and concentrated form, and consequently the God energy. So here we have a third resonance of the sacred marriage. This resonance is with the spiritual aspect of the forms, reconciling and combining pure spiritual energy, and pure spiritual openness, within which framework the enlightened perception may manifest, along with enlightened perceptive action. Magical intentions related to personal growth and spiritual and psychic attainment will benefit from the resonance of this aspect of the sacred marriage.

Thus these three resonances of the sacred marriage create on a physical level, mental/emotional level, and a spiritual/psychic level.

Note that if we consider the chakras in toto, with their place in the human body, the God surrounds and protects the Goddess in symbolic form, by linking with the root chakra/phallus, and the crown chakra. The Goddess associated chakras occupy internal positions, while the God chakras are in external positions.

We come now to the throat chakra and the role it plays. It is the conduit for manifestation on all three levels, and can be used to impress intention onto the energy produced by union of the various chakra energies. For example, the vocalisation of intention activates the throat chakra through vibration of the voice box, as in the use of mantras in eastern paths, and liturgical intonations and chants in western Christianity of the more mysterious sort! The planetary energy associated with the throat chakra is Mercury, associated with Hermes trismegistus, Hermetic magic, business and communication.  Traditionally Mercury is regarded as hermaphroditic – that is neither male nor female, but balanced equally between the two gender poles. This creates a powerful symbol and archetype for the magician or spiritual aspirant – to internalise and balance within oneself both archetypal polarities, suggesting that this is one of the secrets of magico-spiritual attainment. Thus the throat chakra, and its associated Hemetic energies, are the key to focussing and directing the energy raised through the polarity of the other chakras.

A way of working with these energies magically, is to use your attention to circulate energy between the relevant chakras. First activate the attention by placing it in turn on the sole of the right foot, the sole of the left foot, the sole of the left hand, and the sole of the right hand. This exercise has been described more fully previously. Then, for example, to build up energy on the physical level, as you breathe in, place your attention on the root chakra, and as you breath out, place your attention on the belly chakra. This breathing in and out may be deep and vigorous, without being forced, or slow and relaxed, depending on the intention. You should become aware of a build up of energy, which when sufficiently developed may be directed by moving your attention to the throat chakra, and voicing (out loud) your intention which is best focussed into a single word a suitable number of times. Appropriate numerological considerations should guide the choice of the number of times to repeat the vocalisation. When resonating the heart and solar chakras, breathing which is a little less vigourous is called for, and deep and slow breaths for resonating the brow and crown chakras.  In each case have the attention on the ”male” chakra when breathing in, and the “female” chakra when breathing out. Contemplate on the reason for this while you’re doing the exercise! 

Note that the system presented here differs in certain points from the common chakra system of Vedic philosophy, however within itself, it provides a system that is both flexible and integral, having its own integrity and harmonious resonance with what I know of the Western Esoteric tradition.

Bessed Be

Robyn

One of the most important tasks, I believe, for any person, is to do something each day that nourishes the soul. One’s soul is rather like a neglected child for most of us. Concern for it rates quite a way down the ladder, after things such as money, sex, food, social position, and the many day to day concerns and occupations of life. Some people have even forgotten that they have a soul, and give it no thought at all.

The result is a life that is shallow and unsatisfying on a deep level. Victories, and achievements satisfy for a day or two, only to pale into a sense of vague disquiet. There is the feeling that there must be something more than this.

By the same token, life is no more or less than what we make of it. The pity of it is that many feel driven to make of their lives an arena in which the soul plays no part.

But what exactly is the soul, and how does one nourish it? The soul may be described as the deepest part of a person’s being, that part which is most intimately connected to the collective divinity of life. The soul means to some the spiritual part of a person’s being, which lasts eternally, and takes form within a physical body. There is the idea here of conflict between the soul, which is of spirit, and the needs and requirements of living in the material world, within a material body, an idea related to the philosophical dualism of the christian religion – which has been the subject of a previous post.

From my point of view, the struggle for Soul Expression is a battle not between good and evil, but rather part of the dynamic of spiritual growth. I myself believe that the soul is one’s true self, the spiritual core that transcends any particular life, and the part of one which seeks to drive one’s life and being in the most positive direction.

What does it mean to nourish the soul? The soul desires to be made manifest in one’s life. It desires to create a vehicle for its own experience, an experience of love, joy, and creativity. It desires to grow in wisdom and understanding. Thus it may desire experiences of sickness, death, conflict and misery in order to experience its own inner strength, and develop the ability to rise above such circumstances. However much misery in the world occurs, not through the action of soul expression, but through the lack of soul expression.

A person’s soul loves to express its joy and love and merriment with life. But more than this, a person’s soul has a guiding purpose, a reason for existence. Unless this reason for existence is comprehended, and acted upon, the soul pines and withdraws. This guiding purpose is different for each person, and each incarnation. It represents one’s most important life lesson. Usually people have a mistaken idea of their soul purpose. They adopt the aspirations and goals sanctioned by society, parents or peers, and shut off the messages from soul, in order to fulfil these non-soulful aspirations. In the long run, the achievement of these aspirations provides no lasting fulfilment. I have discussed this in more detail previously.

So how does one nourish one’s soul? Without doubt, the single most important thing is to simply intend to do so. Most people, deep in their heart of hearts, have an idea of what their soul yearns for. Whether it is singing, dancing, writing, gardening, healing, providing a fair business service, cooking, pursuing some scholarly subject, carpentry or what ever. However the yearning of soul is always a yearning to service. The dimension of service to others, or to life itself, is a hallmark of any soul purpose. Howeve it is unfashionable these days to see onself as in service to life, and so few have room in their lives for their own soul purpose. Consequently unhappiness stalks them like a shadow.

So take the time today to enquire into your soul purpose. It will emerge in the stillness of self which is produced by meditation, or by a walk in a beautiful natural landscape, or by listening to uplifting music, or whatever way you can contrive to still the incessant clamouring for attention of the rational mind.

In many old wisdom tales, including those of the Celtic world, there is the idea of the light and dark twins – two brothers who battle for supremacy in the natural world, and by implication in the life of each person. One resonance with this ancient mythological motif is that the dark twin is the aggressive and in-your face one, that incessantly demands attention, and whose actions are marked by selfishness. This is the rational mind in control of the life force and energy. It feels itself the centre of the universe, and the most important being of the universe. It is Mordred in the tales of King Arthur. All of us, without exception, have this aspect within us. In fact, it is what most of us take for ourselves, until shown otherwise through magical development or spiritual training. The other aspect is the light twin. This is the soul self, who exists to serve the Greater Good. This is Arthur himself, who overlooks the petty foibles and treacheries of his companions in pursuit of the Greater Good. The soul self, as does Arthur, often suffers a fatal wound from the dark twin, and is taken back to the other world to recuperate under the care of the Goddess. However the soul self is never defeated, and will return in due course, to complete its cycle of evolution and growth, and to solve the conundrum of how it may serve.

The choice of how one lives one’s life is a personal one. For me, it comes down to making the noble choice, to follow the calling of the soul, in spite of the many set backs and hardships that this necessarily entails, in a world geared up to repudiate the spiritual sensibility. I invite you also to make the noble choice! Start today, by finding a way to nourish your soul self.

Blessed Be,

Robyn