I finally completed my Astrology for Tarot readers email correspondence course the other week. I had been slowly trawling through that thing for months. Reading the lessons sent to me and then completing the various quizzes to test my knowledge. I have all the information printed off now and neatly put together into a folder. It was the completion of this course, coupled with the fact that my job has not had much work for me lately, that I set up an account on keen.com as a Tarot reader. I have been studying and reading Tarot for about 12 years, but have only read professionally on a handful of occasions and really need to build up my confidence and experience.
Since setting up the account, however, I have not actually done any readings. I have begun another project, and this one I have really thrown myself into with gusto. I am writing a book. I have finally bitten the bullet and put pen to paper. I'm enjoying it! I know it's going to take time and lots of hard work and effort. But this is something I am passionate about.
Persistence, motivation, endurance, patience and perseverance, are all qualities I feel I am learning about this year. My long term weight loss journey that I first embarked upon in January of this year continues, and yes, the weight is still coming off, slowly but surely. My goal of learning to drive also continues. I have been taking driving lessons now for over a year and I finally have a test booked for next month. Magickal goals I will be working towards are also beginning to take root.
It is an exciting time.
Thursday 16 September 2010
Sunday 12 September 2010
Outdoor Workings
So, last night was spent in the woods down by the river in a spot local to a lovely magickal friend of mine, a Priestess of Hekate. It has been a long time since I worked outdoors, and I plan to do more outdoor work when I can. Rituals in the woods under the stars hold their own special kind of magick.
The rite was simple enough, but I already feel that I have learned a fair few things. We stood by the riverside opposite a roaring waterfall and called out to the land spirits, the guardian spirits of place. Offerings were laid down for them with some polite words and requests for protection from prying eyes (we had already experienced a mildly disconcerting encounter with a park warden about half an hour before beginning) the offerings are also regarded as a mark of respect to the land spirits, it's more a case of "Please, accept this drink and food we are giving to you, now please keep your distance!" We explain that we were not going to take anything from them and that we would leave the site untouched (we actually did some litter picking when clearing a ritual space) My friend has had a lot of dealings with various nature spirits and land wights and it felt good to be with someone who had some understanding of their ways. A lot of them appreciate alcohol, so a bottle of brandy was poured out for them.
Once the spirits had been acknowledged, I cast a circle and then we took turns in calling out to Hekate for communion with Her. We sat in silence for a good while after the invocations. Each of us had special requests and internal work that we wanted to do.
I feel I am definitely noticing a very specific energy every time I call on Hekate. It's the same feeling I get in my temple at home before the shrine. It's a heady sensation, I feel mildly out of control, like i'm going under, it's not the most pleasant of experiences (and yet, yes, I keep coming back for more!) the feeling is almost identical to my experiences with mild possession from my Vodou days. The sound of the waterfall almost became deafening and traces of strange sounds could be detected from beyond.
I was aware of Hekate moving, almost swaying around the circle and across the waters. She was TALL! After I had said what I wanted to say, and experienced inner visions, flashes of imagery as usual, I began to focus more on the mild trance state that I was in and the uncomfortable sensations. I worried about the incense we were burning, a blend specifically put together for Hekate, because I knew that it contained aconite.
I had spoken with various herbal wise friends of mine about aconite, expressing my concerns, since I know that it is poisonous. I even spoke online to the woman that creates and sells these concoctions. I was met by these various people with different responses. Some said that it would be fine to burn outdoors and that, as it was in a certain amount, and was only the aconite petals, it should be fine. Others, told me they personally would not use it. Aconite can stop the heart beating. I had resolved to use it because we were using it outdoors and I would not be sitting close to it so it should be fine, and the aconite content is pretty low, as far as I can gather! I worried though. I felt a mild panic attack coming on, and I hadn't had one of those in over a year.
I focused on my breathing and after a few moments a few clouds came across the sky, reflecting light pollution from the local town so it wasn't as dark as it had been. I looked up the sky and felt a sense of relief and the uncomfortable sensation left me as rapidly as it had come.
"She's gone" my friend looked at me and said. This made sense. The ambience didn't feel anywhere near as heavy.
After taking some time to re-adjust, we then began to eat and drink wine (pouring out wine for Her Ladyship beforehand) For a good couple of hours both of us felt that we were being watched and it was slightly uncomfortable. It was the spirits of place. My friend has a special word she uses to describe that uncomfortable sensation - grobbly! It's perfect. We both had the grobblies for a short period, but as our night vigil progressed and we became merry and exchanged much conversation, I feel I truly learned the power of laughter. You can banish with laughter. Many magicians will tell you this. Sometimes, standing up to threatening spirits, rather than cowering and running away, is the best policy. My friend illustrated this concept for me with an analogy. If a lion is behind you, you keep walking on calmly and the lion won't think that you are prey. You run, and you are much more likely to be dinner, because you acted like dinner.
Another factor to take into account is urinating! When working a site, if you have, at some point, urinated somewhere in that place, you have left your mark, just like an animal marks its territory. A part of you has become one with the landscape, and we both noticed how much more at home we felt once we had both urinated in a bush a few metres away from the circle (after cutting doorways)
We sat under the stars drinking red wine and hung around for about eight hours. Upon leaving the site, I left my offerings to Hekate - garlic cloves and raw eggs, all natural and biodegradable. We set off (making sure not to turn back!) and headed home. On the way, at a three way crossroads, a gentleman (who sounded very Greek. Yes) in a tweed suit on a bicycle, asked us the way to Stockport (the nearby town) We told him it was straight down the road he was already traversing and watched bemusedly as he swayed all over the place on his bike. We were tipsy ourselves by this point and found it funny, but to be fair, it really isn't safe to cycle when drunk! He wasn't wearing a helmet either.
We have wondered if he was Hermes. Hermes has a strong connection with Hekate (as does Dionysos) he rules travel and communication and the crossroads are also sacred to him.
All in all, a pretty magickal evening!
Wednesday 1 September 2010
Fresh update, Fresh layout.
How the hell did it get to September? I suppose I have been preoccupied. August this year has been very eventful. I don't know where to start, because it has been so long since my last post. It's probably best to begin with the Goddess Hekate.
I think it is fair to say that I have been well and truly bitten by the Hekate bug. She has been a popular Goddess for many involved in the various magickal traditions, but a particularly strong current seems to be sweeping the occult world at the moment and I think it is fair to say that I have been well and truly caught up in it.
It began with certain books I have been reading for the last couple of years. It developed into dark dreams, hypnagogic "hallucinations" (audible, and more amazingly for me, visually on some occasions) It led to signs and symbols EVERYWHERE until eventually I just HAD to make contact. I tried last year with a permanent shrine and a regular devotional practice. Events unfolded but seemed to stop dead in their tracks and lead me nowhere, feeling lost and confused at Her crossroads. Hekate is all about the in between and the liminal. She rules boundaries and crossroads (especially three way crossroads)
Feeling confused and slightly pissed off with the constant dark dreams and hitting astral brick walls, I quit. I packed up the Hekate shrine, put it all away and continued on with my core practices and almost tried to ignore Her.
Then a few months down the line, I had another dream. I'm standing in the centre of a three way crossroads and a black dog is pacing menacingly around me in circles, staring up into my eyes. I wake up and know it's Her again. The dreams She sends are always dark, but have never been terrifying. I have never woken up in a cold sweat as a result of these astral events, I tended to just wake up and shudder mildly to myself upon recalling the imagery and themes.
In May of this year, a short but potent rite was to take place for anyone in the world that was interested. The rite of Her Sacred Fires. A ritual to coincide with the publication of "Hekate - Her Sacred Fires" an anthology including the personal accounts and experiences of 50 devotees and magickal practitioners with this mysterious Goddess, edited by Sorita d'Este. The ritual was all over the Internet and the goal was for at least 1000 people around the world to take part. It was far more than a simple celebration of a new publication, it was a call to the Lady for a deeper understanding of Her mysteries.
I decided to take part, since it seemed clear that Hekate was wanting me to do something, I felt very much obliged. I took part in the rite with a Priestess of Hekate and two other magickal women. The rite was even recorded and put on youtube (!) as had been encouraged, perhaps in a sense of creating a communal feel to the whole experience. Over 3000 people in 6 continents took part! I decided that the rite would mark the outset of a relationship I intended on building with Hekate, to see what the hell it was She wanted from me, or what lessons She wanted to teach me.
The devotional work recommenced. An icon of the Lady was purchased for the shrine, and other items found themselves popping up in unexpected places over the ensuing weeks, which have all become a part of the devotional space. Offerings are made, and invocations recited. She ALWAYS makes her presence known with the barking of dogs in the distance, usually seconds after invocation (such a phenomenon was noted in the ancient world) I would see dogs at three way crossroads regularly in my daily life. Sometimes the dogs (usually black) would stare up into my eyes with a knowing expression, something I have since noted other devotees report.
A few months later I had the opportunity to meet some very magickal people whose work I have held great respect for, for several years. The location was dramatic and a large ritual was performed. A couple of days before the ritual, I saw a woman and her dog get hit down by a car in a three way crossroads. Neither of them seemed to be seriously injured, but they both jumped up out of the road and the dog ran off into the distance, leaving a very distressed and angry woman (with a foreign accent, which was quite possibly Greek!) literally screaming for her beloved dog. This all occurred just outside the supermarket I was heading into to purchase offerings for Hekate. The experience was shocking, and the pure symbolism played out in front of me was too blatant to be ignored. I knew it was a sign from Hekate, and it didn't feel good at all. A friend/acquaintance passed away a couple of days later due to a longstanding health issue.
Do I believe Hekate is responsible for what happened? No. Do I believe that I was being given advance notice that bad news was imminent? Perhaps.
August has definitely brought me into a much more immediate contact with some very interesting and dynamic magickal people, exciting opportunities have arisen and the seeds for some pretty big plans have been set.
So, it's all been a weird mixture of fear, excitement and mild grief and sadness.
I am STILL doing my email correspondence course on Astrology for Tarot Readers, and finding it a very valuable exercise. I plan to do more professional readings in the not so distant. I am also immersing myself in Qabalah and, (no surprises here) Isis has been raising her crown at me again. Of course, I could never forget Her, despite all the Hekate work. There is actually an Isis-Hekate (those Romans loved their two for the price of one Goddesses) but I prefer to keep them separate.
I think it is fair to say that I have been well and truly bitten by the Hekate bug. She has been a popular Goddess for many involved in the various magickal traditions, but a particularly strong current seems to be sweeping the occult world at the moment and I think it is fair to say that I have been well and truly caught up in it.
It began with certain books I have been reading for the last couple of years. It developed into dark dreams, hypnagogic "hallucinations" (audible, and more amazingly for me, visually on some occasions) It led to signs and symbols EVERYWHERE until eventually I just HAD to make contact. I tried last year with a permanent shrine and a regular devotional practice. Events unfolded but seemed to stop dead in their tracks and lead me nowhere, feeling lost and confused at Her crossroads. Hekate is all about the in between and the liminal. She rules boundaries and crossroads (especially three way crossroads)
Feeling confused and slightly pissed off with the constant dark dreams and hitting astral brick walls, I quit. I packed up the Hekate shrine, put it all away and continued on with my core practices and almost tried to ignore Her.
Then a few months down the line, I had another dream. I'm standing in the centre of a three way crossroads and a black dog is pacing menacingly around me in circles, staring up into my eyes. I wake up and know it's Her again. The dreams She sends are always dark, but have never been terrifying. I have never woken up in a cold sweat as a result of these astral events, I tended to just wake up and shudder mildly to myself upon recalling the imagery and themes.
In May of this year, a short but potent rite was to take place for anyone in the world that was interested. The rite of Her Sacred Fires. A ritual to coincide with the publication of "Hekate - Her Sacred Fires" an anthology including the personal accounts and experiences of 50 devotees and magickal practitioners with this mysterious Goddess, edited by Sorita d'Este. The ritual was all over the Internet and the goal was for at least 1000 people around the world to take part. It was far more than a simple celebration of a new publication, it was a call to the Lady for a deeper understanding of Her mysteries.
I decided to take part, since it seemed clear that Hekate was wanting me to do something, I felt very much obliged. I took part in the rite with a Priestess of Hekate and two other magickal women. The rite was even recorded and put on youtube (!) as had been encouraged, perhaps in a sense of creating a communal feel to the whole experience. Over 3000 people in 6 continents took part! I decided that the rite would mark the outset of a relationship I intended on building with Hekate, to see what the hell it was She wanted from me, or what lessons She wanted to teach me.
The devotional work recommenced. An icon of the Lady was purchased for the shrine, and other items found themselves popping up in unexpected places over the ensuing weeks, which have all become a part of the devotional space. Offerings are made, and invocations recited. She ALWAYS makes her presence known with the barking of dogs in the distance, usually seconds after invocation (such a phenomenon was noted in the ancient world) I would see dogs at three way crossroads regularly in my daily life. Sometimes the dogs (usually black) would stare up into my eyes with a knowing expression, something I have since noted other devotees report.
A few months later I had the opportunity to meet some very magickal people whose work I have held great respect for, for several years. The location was dramatic and a large ritual was performed. A couple of days before the ritual, I saw a woman and her dog get hit down by a car in a three way crossroads. Neither of them seemed to be seriously injured, but they both jumped up out of the road and the dog ran off into the distance, leaving a very distressed and angry woman (with a foreign accent, which was quite possibly Greek!) literally screaming for her beloved dog. This all occurred just outside the supermarket I was heading into to purchase offerings for Hekate. The experience was shocking, and the pure symbolism played out in front of me was too blatant to be ignored. I knew it was a sign from Hekate, and it didn't feel good at all. A friend/acquaintance passed away a couple of days later due to a longstanding health issue.
Do I believe Hekate is responsible for what happened? No. Do I believe that I was being given advance notice that bad news was imminent? Perhaps.
August has definitely brought me into a much more immediate contact with some very interesting and dynamic magickal people, exciting opportunities have arisen and the seeds for some pretty big plans have been set.
So, it's all been a weird mixture of fear, excitement and mild grief and sadness.
I am STILL doing my email correspondence course on Astrology for Tarot Readers, and finding it a very valuable exercise. I plan to do more professional readings in the not so distant. I am also immersing myself in Qabalah and, (no surprises here) Isis has been raising her crown at me again. Of course, I could never forget Her, despite all the Hekate work. There is actually an Isis-Hekate (those Romans loved their two for the price of one Goddesses) but I prefer to keep them separate.
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