Mystik way magazine 27 by Mystik Way Magazine

Wicca and the Celebration of the Goddess Going with the flow through the law of allowing

Achieving Fourfold Vision We are the Gods

inspired writing, Totems, Tarot, Artwork, herbs, Eating for ENlightenment and more...

Contents

Welcome to issue twentyseven

Project Avalon Update

Artwork: Elizabeth Zaikowski

We are the Gods

Achieving Fourfold Vision

Mystik Way Healing Link

12 Wicca and the Celebration of the Goddess

Wicca and the Celebration of the Goddess | 18

16 Inspired Writing - Change Part 2 17

Book Review - Buddha Speaks

18 Tarot - Introduction to a five card spread 20

Tarot Card of the Month - The Fool

An Insight with Alma

22 Going with the flow through the law of allowing 23 Animal and Plant of the month Woodpecker and Lily of the Valley 25 Magikal Herbs: Mint 26

Artwork by Christine Carlson

Enlightened Living and Eating

Tarot Card of the Month | 20 If you enjoy reading the Mystik Way Magazine, please consider a small donation of $1 or £1 to help us with our running costs.

cover shot: James Middleditch

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EDITOR Ed Mystikmaster | mystikmaster@gmail.com CO EDITOR & DESIGN Simone Schreck ADVERTISING Ed Mystikmaster WEB PRODUCER Simone Schreck www.mystikway.com CONTRIBUTIONS: Ed Mystikmaster, Elizabeth Zaikowski, James Middleditch, Richard Hayes, Sue Hayes, Rashmi Khilnani, Alma Delacruz Gossman, Peta Panos, Jennifer Adele, William C. Snider, Christine Carlson, Ama’ritday,

Welcome to issue 27 July 2013

une was really quite an eventful month in all aspects, we have celebrated our Solstices both northern & southern hemisphere’s….we have experienced a Super Moon plus the peoples of many countries feeling the need to demand their Freedom from being controlled. Mother Earth is re adjusting, weather patterns are changing…All part of Great change as we head into a new Spiritual Awakening with people in general begin to realise there is more to life than ever previously realised. So let us keep up the momentum by spreading the Light further & further afield….Exciting times indeed.

I trust everyone enjoyed their Solstice celebrations as we most certainly did here with Rituals & parties, also managing to obtain some great pictures of the Super Moon. As usual we have a packed & varied magazine for you. We would love to hear from you the readers as to the sort of articles you like etc & your views.

As you take each new step along this pathway we call life, see it as a wonderful adventure. A Magikal Mystery Tour & at the same time realising how blessed you are to be on board.

Blessings MystikMaster 3

If you enjoy reading the Mystik Way magazine, please give consideration to making a small donation of $1 or £1 towards the running costs. Although Ed and Simi give their time freely, it is only right that they should be reimbursed for their out-of-pocket expenses. To achieve this, the Mystik Way requires regular donations so that it can meet these expenses. If you can help, please donate to ‘Mystik Way’ by using the Donate Button. Many thanks to those who have contributed in the past, we appreciate your generostiy. Warlockway – Treasurer to Mystik Way.

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Project Avalon Update Project Avalon is a task I have set myself with the help of some of my ritual group to turn my old courtyard into a haven of Organic Herbs, vegetables, fruit & flowers grown on the Moon & Sun cycles, meditation & mantra. See previous issues of the magazine.

Midsummer Solstice is past & I am happy to report that we getting a summer of sorts at last. I had a wonderful Magikal Mystery Tour in the countryside collecting Elderflowers and now a gallon of wine is well under way, it is not just the drinking of the wine but the added knowledge that you yourself have collected & produced it, therefore only containing your own and natures energies plus the added bonus of healing and grounding with the earth…. Have also added a gallon of Meade which to those that may not know is wine made with Honey…a good olde Celtic recipe. One of the most pleasing things is that apart from the pleasure of having grown and nurtured the herbs & plants is the amount of Bees… Birds & Insects that are now visiting the courtyard and keeping my Cat Emrys totally fascinated, a complete eco system. I also spend at least thirty minutes each day & night playing calm meditation music… chanting mantra and performing a ritual among them, not quite sure who benefits the most the plants or myself, probably both of us. It is

project

Avalon

very enlightening to spend time with plants at night as they give out a very different energy & I most certainly recommend doing so. Each night the plants & myself enter into a very different dimension for a short while with grounding…healing and empowerment benefitting us both whilst also drawing in the Elementals (nature spirits) Then Moon light energy adding that extra touch of Magik. I will go into more on wine making & smudge stick preparation next issue.

As Project Avalon flourishes, I sincerely hope it encourages you to start your own project or maybe you already have… we would love to hear about them.

MystikMaster

Artwork: Elizabeth Zaikowski www.artofelizabethzaikowski.com

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We are the Gods B

uried deep down within the dark recess of our sub conscious, suppressed by many millennia of control by society & religion lays a dormant knowing….a knowledge built into our consciousness that can understand & comprehend all things of the Universe. It can be likened it to a light switch just needing to be re found.

worries & fears that have been indoctrinated by society, governed by the mass unconscious.

These secrets have long been kept by certain so called secret societies & passed along by word of mouth only (alas again losing some of the original truths, plus some embellishments) The human race has been indoctrinated by certain factions, whether deliberately or by ignorance that we are inferior beings ruled by a God or even worse that we a complete accident of chance……All entirely false conceptions of the true reality, we are Divine Beings…each & every one of us with great unimaginable power.

Once we come to realise these facts we are well on the way to recovery from the control that limits us.

This knowledge has been repressed & over many millennia forgotten. (almost) History as we know it will gradually have to be re written as more & more truths are revealed, discovering that some of the original teachings are completely false.

The most intelligent of humans are at present merely using but ten per cent of their brain power, the average person maybe five per cent at the most. We have seen what can be achieved with this per cent imagine what can be achieved with the full use of a hundred per cent. The reason we are only using part of our full potential is because what we consider to be our thoughts are most certainly not, as the majority of them are governed by outside mundane everyday trite

As I stated earlier this potential we all hold within has been greatly supressed. We have been told that we live only a certain amount of years, growing weak with age & disease…. these are complete lies, we are meant to live far longer, renew our cells whenever we need living a healthy long life only leaving the earth plane once we feel the need & having learnt the lessons we came here to learn. We came here many millennia ago to progress, to refine our skills & to evolve the earth to a higher level.

Next month I will discuss various ways of re awakening these dormant powers that are within us all. Under the Stars I will go forth my sisters and brothers. I will drink of the Celestial Nectar.

I will return only when I have seen the Great Spirit face to face and read within those eternal eyes the secret that will set you free. Thus we can return the earth to its heavenly status.

MystikMaster

MEDITATION

ACHIEVING FOURFOL

William Blake’s Ways of Seeing To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour. (William Blake, from Auguries of Innocence)

The Value of William Blake

William Blake was a poet, engraver and visionary, who lived from 1757 to 1827. Yet despite his distance from us in time, his ideas are still relevant today, if not even more so than when he was originally writing. This has led him to be labelled by some as a prophet, and it seems that more and more people are discovering him now as part of a growing interest in spirituality.

It would take many, many articles to fully explore the significance and beauty of his writings. My main aim in this article is to show that we can all strive to see the world as he saw it, to great benefits. By striving for what Blake called ‘fourfold vision’, we can increase our understanding of the complex patterns of life and experience. We can enhance our awareness of beauty, and perceive a version of reality that we would otherwise miss. 8 |

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I will describe the four stages of Blake’s visions, using the simple, everyday object of a tree to demonstrate the effect of moving from single to fourfold.

Single Vision

Single vision is, sadly, the way many people see the world, and we ourselves could not be blamed for spending a lot of time in this state, due to the pressures of ‘ordinary life’. It is a vision restricted by pure reason and literal-mindedness. The tree in single vision, for example, is just a tree; it has evolved because of its environment, is made of wood, and has green leaves in the summer. Given light, water and air, the tree lives, and without them it dies. Nothing more.

Now, while it is of course useful to have a scientific understanding of the environment around us, particularly the natural world, Blake’s point is that to end there is ‘inhibiting and restrictive’. He was scared by single vision, and in one poem appeals to God to ‘keep us from’ it. He recognised that science alone cannot explain the world, and that to only see the world in those terms was to miss out on much else.

LD VISION

by James Middleditch

Twofold Vision

A preferable state to be in is one that sees in a twofold way. This can broadly be described as ‘metaphorical’, where objects have a greater meaning than their obvious scientific one. It is a vision that may see a tree as being ‘alive’, and representing certain states of being. It is explored in poetry through the act of personification, and creates a sympathetic link between ourselves and other things. The tree in spring, therefore, could represent rebirth and new energy, while in autumn it could represent the passing of time, aging and wisdom.

This level of vision is creative and artistic, and encourages a more imaginative view of the world. Blake distinguished two sets of eyes – the outward eye that sees the physical tree, and the inward eye that attaches meaning to it. He wrote, ‘What to others a trifle appears Fills me full of smiles or tears. For double the vision my eyes do see, And a double vision is always with me.’ He was lucky to have discovered this vision as a child and consciously hold on to it, for it is children who see the world in this way more easily than adults do. It is a state of seeing we should strive to return to.

Threefold Vision

inspiration’. It has therefore been described as ‘mystical’. The physical world ‘falls away to leave While we can reach twofold vision fairly easily in spiritual reality completely unveiled.’ Accompanied our day to day lives by changing our perception, by feelings of ‘supreme delight’, the tree now exists threefold vision is harder, and requires effort and care. in many more than three dimensions; it is a sapling For as much as these ways of seeing are beneficial, and of great age at once; its atoms are the same there is a need to remain grounded when dealing atoms as those that make up our bodies, and we are with these deeper levels of experience. Threefold one. It is pure energy, the whole perfect Universal vision can be described as ‘spiritual’, and happens pattern in one beautiful form. when we ‘see’ things that do not physically exist. The tree is threefold vision is not necessarily a real The only guidance for achieving fourfold vision is to tree (though it could be inspired by one); it is a tree acknowledge its existence, and wait for it to happen. that we could encounter in dreams or meditations, Seek it in places and practices that fully engage which is therefore free of physical laws and science. your imagination and spirituality. James Redfield The threefold tree can bloom any time of year. It can describes it as ‘The Message of the Mystics’, have leaves of any type and colour. It can shine with the Fifth Insight in The Celestine Prophecy, and its own light, grow bigger than a mountain, and it can attributes it to places of stunning natural beauty and communicate with us. Its branches can be filled with a perception of one’s place in the whole Universe. angels, as Blake himself saw as a child in a London He suggests that once achieved, the feeling can be park. held inside for future access, when the circumstances and our energy levels are right. It is a wonderful goal to have, and one that we all have the potential to achieve. The benefit of threefold vision is that when we next see a physical tree, we can connect to a more spiritual reality, and overlay or extend our vision to encompass that extra awareness. It is ‘a place of visions between this material world and the world of spirit’, and At the level of fourfold vision, words fall away as can be filled with any kind of magical creatures they cease to do justice to the ‘reality’ of the vision. and powerful beings; it is where ‘the Shining Ones Therefore here I shall end; and in the silence that commonly walked’. follows, I hope your own minds can drift easily into the different levels of the perception that Blake describes… Fourfold Vision

Beyond the magnificence of threefold vision lies a rarely glimpsed place; fourfold vision itself. Blake believed that this vision was so powerful that it can only be glimpsed rarely, ‘in moments of supreme 10 | MYSTIK WAY MAGAZINE

Quotations from Songs of Innocence and Experience, edited by Richard Willmott, OU Press, 1990

MYSTIK WAY HEALING LINK Every evening at 9pm GMT (UK time) we hold a Global healing link where spent a few moments or more sending out LIGHT and healing thoughts around the world and to the various trouble spots. We are joined by several other groups and individuals from facebook with numbers well over the thousand mark. Join us when you are able and add your light and energy. “WHERE YOUR THOUGHT GOES YOUR ENERGY FLOWS” The Universe is pure energy and is continuously flowing, it is manipulated by thought….the vibrations of our feelings and thoughts become reality according to the power of them. By sheer number we can effect change in the situations with the influence of all thinking exactly the same thing. Light a candle send your thoughts out on the flame around the world and join over a thousand people seeking peace, abundance and happiness for everyone including all creatures and mother earth. We must give healing to the sick…. comfort to the weary…. solace to the bereaved….knowledge to the ignorant……illumination to all those that engulfed in the darkness….and break the chains that bind their minds… their bodies….and their souls. This is our mission….our work. Blessings MystikMaster.

WICCA

WICCA AND THE CELEBRATION OF THE GODDESS By Richard Hayes (Warlockway) The female nature of creation is personified by the goddess in her many forms, who has been worshipped in different guises throughout human history. Each goddess represents aspects of the Great Goddess, who is goddess of the heavens, the underworld and the earth. The Great Goddess was first perceived by humanity as a Mother Goddess, the goddess of fertility and procreation, long before the role of the male was understood in human reproduction. This was the Great Mother who gave life to humanity, and on death received life back into her eternal womb prior to rebirth. She was also the Goddess of Nature, who provided for all on mankind’s physical needs through the bounty of the natural world. She was the goddess worshipped in early agrarian societies, prior to the rise of the male gods who usurped her power and came to dominate later societies. In the Kabala, the source of creation is the Unmanifest, the void from which all evolved, and this can be seen as the Womb of the Great Mother. The Unmanifest is shielded from creation by the Three Veils – the Ain expressing the powers of the Great Mother, the Ain Soph – the powers of the Great Father, and the Ain Soph Aur – the synthesis of male and female energy in the form of the Holy Child. This Holy Child is made manifest in the first sphere of Keter – the highest divine source in creation, which then separates into Hokmar (male energy) the home of the gods, 12 | MYSTIK WAY MAGAZINE

and Binar (female energy) the home of the goddess. This pattern of the gods can be seen in human history with early goddess religion reflecting the Ain (the age of Isis), the rise of the male gods - the Ain Soph (the age of Osiris), and our current enlightened phase of civilization, which is the age of the Holy Child – the Ain Soph Aur (the age of Horus). From this brief look at the Goddess as depicted in the Kabala, we become aware of her role as the source of creation and the natural world, as the Great Mother and the Goddess of Life and Death. She is also closely related to the powers of the Moon, and in the form of the tides with the power of the element of water. We see her as Isis, the loving consort of Osiris, who is also Queen of Heaven and protector of child birth. We see her as the Sea Priestess described by Dion Fortune, and as the Old Hag – keeper of the Mysteries of life and death. She has many wondrous faces which we can explore, and her powers extend over every aspect of human existence. She is truly mother of all, and we can tap into her energy at any time in meditation, ritual and devotion, bringing us comfort, support and inspiration for our earthly existence. In Natural Magic – the Goddess in celebrated as the Great Mother and as the bounty of nature and the seasons of the year. Her image is portrayed as the Empress of the Tarot, where a pregnant queen is

surrounded by the powers of nature. She is also celebrated in her celestial form as Queen of Magic, radiating divine power to earth, inspired by the powers of the moon, thus enhancing psychic and spiritual awareness and increasing sensitivity. In this form, she is portrayed as the High Priestess of the Tarot, enthroned in splendour with the moon at her feet, and her head surrounded by stars. Natural Magic encourages us to live in harmony with the Natural World, and to celebrate our relationship to the seasons of the year, and our dependence on the bounty of the Great Mother. This form of worship, often called the Old Way, pre-dates Christianity, and owes its allegiance to the goddess and the old gods, and consequently is non-Christian, and forms part of the ancient Pagan Tradition. This was the religion of simple country folk, who lived close to nature and were aware of the power of the moon, and often celebrated out of doors -practicing magic for their own benefit, the benefit of society and for the successful procreation of crops.

wrote factual books outlining the practice of witchcraft. The rituals he presented were not just based on his own initiation, but on the work of Charles Leyland, who in the late 1890s had published a book ‘Aradia - Gospel of the Witches’ based on his experiences of Italian Witchcraft. This form of witchcraft is called Modern Witchcraft to differentiate it from Traditional Witchcraft, which was passed on orally and had no set form. Wicca is a celebration of the nature of the Goddess and the Power of Magic, and the goddess of Wicca is often seen as a triple goddess relating to the phases of the Moon. In the Gospel of the Witches, the goddess is Diana (the Moon Goddess), who is firstly a dark goddess of latent potential – giving birth to her light nature in the form of Lucifer (the Light Bringer), her consort and lover. This light created by Diana, brings forth the Sun and Moon, which become part of her countenance. As the Dark Goddess she relates to the dark of the moon (the New Moon) which is for a few days devoid of light. This is her role as mother of darkness, destruction and rebirth, and is the complement of her bright self as the mother goddess of abundance seen at the Full Moon. The Waxing Moon is related to her nature as the Maiden Goddess growing to maturity, and the Waning Moon is seen as the goddess maturing to form an elderly woman in the form of the Crone Goddess.

These early forms of Wicca and Witchcraft are veiled in the mists of time, as no written records remain from the practitioners, only from those who persecuted them! Their tradition has been passed down in Folk Law, Seasonal Celebrations and within families - where mothers passed the skills of This cycle of death and rebirth seen in Natural Magic and Herbalism down to their the Cycles of the Moon is also reflected in daughters. the Seasons of the Year, as the Sun’s energy Witchcraft as we know it today is a waxes and wanes throughout the solar year. modern invention, which publically flourished Witches celebrate the Thirteen Cycles of the from the 1950s onwards, after the repeal of Moon, and at Full Moon hold their Esbats the Witchcraft Act in 1951. It was mainly the when they celebrate the Power of the Goddess, creation of Gerald Gardner – a witch who was and carry out spells and healing. Most witches initiated in the 1940s into a coven in the New also celebrate the Seasons of the Year, in the Forest in the South of England. He first wrote form of the Eight Celtic Festivals, which are a novel – ‘High Magic’s Aid’ in the late 1940s, celebrated as the Sabbats, when the Goddess within which were descriptions of rituals, is venerated as the Great Mother of All. and after the repeal of the Witchcraft Act – 14 | MYSTIK WAY MAGAZINE

In Witchcraft, the Goddess usually has a Consort in the form of a Nature God of virility and procreation, and in England he is known as the Stag God Cernunnos, or in other traditions the Goat-Foot God Pan. By tradition, the Union of Diana and Lucifer gave birth to a daughter Aradia, who combined the magical powers of Diana in the Other World with those of Lucifer in the Underworld, and who came to earth as the Magical Child to teach magic to humanity. We are all descendants of Aradia if we accept the Magical Way, celebrate the Power of Nature and the Goddess, and live a life in harmony with the Natural World. In the Picture, the Goddess in her Seated Form is shown holding in her lap a chalice containing the blood of life (represented by Red Wine), which is a symbol of her procreative powers and of her nature as Mother of All, giver of life to humanity and natural world. In this form, she watches over Creation, brings fertility to the land and is custodian of the Mysteries of Womanhood. In her Risen Form, she is holding up her arms in the form of a crescent, to celebrate and capture the Powers of the Moon and the Other World. In this form she is the Maiden Goddess of psychic power, intuition and magic, who inspires all magical practices on earth. In her Descended Form, shown by her arms pointing to the Underworld, she is the Crone Goddess, keeper of the Mysteries of Life and Death. It is through her powers that we die and are eventually reborn, and receive initiation into a Greater Life.

As a Spiritualist Medium, I channel inspired writings dictated to me from the Spirit World, usually in the form of Spiritual Guidance.

Change â&#x20AC;&#x201C; part three When the winds of change sweep in, it is to clear out the old, to change the situation, the atmosphere and the outlook into the future. Mankind fears change, always thinking of the destruction in its pathway. However, change has to happen so that new, better situations can ultimately take place â&#x20AC;&#x201C; suited to new parameters. Without change, mankind and the earth itself would not have made such great progress and development, whether that change has come gradually or exploded suddenly. Trust that when change takes place, it is an opportunity for growth, an opportunity to learn from past mistakes and misfortunes, a chance to change things into a fairer and more harmonious situation and environment. A desert storm may sweep in and change the landscape entirely, but the new scene will have its own beauty, and may uncover untold treasure and opportunities. So too, with your spiritual development, which may change gradually or may suddenly leap forward into greater understanding, or may drop back because of your 16 | MYSTIK WAY MAGAZINE

own will rather than that of those in spirit. Each gives a chance to re-assess the situation and ask for guidance as you move forward from that position. When the doors open to you, you are on the right pathway, but if slammed in your face or backs are turned to you â&#x20AC;&#x201C; deep analysis is required! Within many of mankind, there is a great temptation to think that he is right in his thinking, but there are many forms of being right. Seek guidance from us in spirit, so that we can inspire you all to make changes harmoniously and for the good of all mankind. At times, change is needed swiftly, so allow the old to blow away so that balance and harmony can be maintained. Our blessings are with you as you make changes in your life.

Rashmi Khilnani - a Modern Mystik

Buddha Speaks To the Buddha Nature Within Rashmi Khilnani

For instance, when Rashmi asked about the problem of sometimes slipping & falling on the path getting angry at the problems & injustices of the world…the reply was.

his book has the magic and the potential to “Forgive yourself each time you slip from peace to transform your life into one of joyful, detached destructive thoughts.” witnessing and deep inner peace. Watch it. It is truly the time now to give up the chronic Embrace it. disease of the mind-the disease of separation. Spiritual Alchemy

“There is a great emphasis in my teachings of the energy of the Lotus, and when brought into your Heart chakra in meditation and otherwise, it strengthens the anchoring of the lower self with the higher self.”

Above are a few words of Rashmi’s introduction & of the channelled Buddha consciousness. The Buddha higher consciousness is channelled through Rashmi and in a question and answers format, questions that are very relevant to all who are treading the path to higher consciousness, questions & answers that suit the needs of modern society.

Even allow the emotions of anger, for example, to bubble up. Express them in a way that is safe you & others. Maybe you could write out the anger. Paint out the anger.

Dance out the anger. Chant the anger.

A truly wonderful book that can be picked up at any time, opened at any page when seeking advice or wisdom, a real “Jewel in the Lotus”

MystikMaster.

TAROT

ou can lay out a Five-Card Spread to understand the influences affecting any situation you are faced with.

order, by holding your hand over the cards thinking of the meaning of the card you are drawing, and let your hand be guided to pick up the appropriate card. Keep the cards you have selected in order, collect up the other cards and lay out your five selected cards in The interpretation of the position of the the order that you selected them. Now read cards is as follows – the cards from one to five, and then view the Card 1 - How the past has affected your general picture. current situation. Card 2 - What restrictions have limited you in the past. Card 3 - The key card - showing the best way to approach the situation. Card 4 - What will influence your chances of success. Card 5 expect.

- The outcome that you can best

As an example - Suppose that you are going for an interview for a new job and wish to prepare yourself mentally. To obtain deeper insight, you could decide to only use the Major Arcana Cards of the Tarot.

Lay all the cards out face down on a table. Sit quietly and relax, and ask for guidance as to how you should approach the interview. Now, using your intuition, select five cards in 18 | MYSTIK WAY MAGAZINE

As an example - I have selected five cards as a demonstration reading. Card 1 – The Chariot – I am an enthusiastic person who is up for the challenge, and in the past I have tended to be overconfident. I have perhaps been too ambitious, and have changed my job on a number of occasions as part of my explorations of life. I now need to consolidate this experience and concentrate on a secure future. Card 2 – The Hanged Man – Life’s challenges have sometime disrupted my career path, and I have had to make sacrifices in my personal life, in order that I can pursue my career. I should not allow the difficulties I have encountered and the disappointments in my past career, to unduly affect me. Like the Hanged Man, I should accept the past and now move on, maintaining a serene attitude at all times.

Card 3 - The Moon – I am a sensitive person who relies on their emotions and intuition, and should use these skills to help me understand the pattern of my interview. I would be best advised to not get emotionally involved, and present a clear and rational picture of my abilities.

General Summary – We must put the difficulties of the past behind us, and have confidence in ourselves, expecting success in our new venture.

Card 4 – The Fool – The Fool advises that we put aside the difficulties of the past and start afresh. We should proceed with enthusiasm and self confidence, stepping into the unknown prepared to take risks, and confident that our enthusiasm will bring us success.

https://www.facebook.com/warlockway. hayes?fref=ts

WarlockWay Hayes

Card 5 – The Sun – The final outcome card is that of the Sun, which represents success, and we should let the positive rays of the sun shine on the situation, giving us confidence that we can present ourselves successfully. 19

TAROT

Tarot Card of the Month The Fool,The Seeker of the Grail.

Childlike innocence & a perfect trust that all things will work out by taking the first steps into the unknown…..going with the flow……letting go of control. The Fools number is zero, he is all things as he works his way along the path seeking the Holy Grail thereby learning the lessons of each other character in the Tarot pack, thereby becoming the most powerful. The Alpha & Omega, he is most certainly not a fool, it is just his childlike innocence that earns him this title. In Ancient times the King always asked the court Jester (alias the Fool) regarding very important matters.

The key to the advice from this card is Trust….let go…just do it….let it be. Step into the unknown & the Universe will assist you. Even if you make a mistake, you have gained valuable experience.

MystikMaster Card is from the Thoth Tarot Deck by A.Crowley

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An Insight with Alma “We could become quite satisfied with ourselves because we are sitting in meditation and are endevouring to practice the spiritual path. Such satisfaction with ourselves is not the same as contentment. Contentment is necessary, selfsatisfaction is detrimental. To be content has to include knowing we are in the right place at the right time to facilitate our own growth. But to be self-satisfied means that we no longer realize the need for growth. All these aspects are important parts of our commitment and make us into one whole being with a one-pointed direction.” ~ Ayya Khema, ‘When the Iron Eagle Flies’ When we open ourselves up to possibilities to nurture and share our innate sense of being with others, miraculously, opportunities avail themselves to soar in directions we did not realize were even possible to reach...(ADG) This picture taken after feeding the seagulls a freshly baked bag of sweet bread as the glorious sun began to rest on the horizon...often in sharing our abundance is returned in an eternal way...enjoy your sunsets and feed a bird, you will be amazing how it makes you feel. — at Moonlight Beach. Alma de la Cruz Gossman https://www.facebook.com/alma.d.gossman?fref=ts

SPIRITUAL JOURNEYS

Going with the flow through the law of allowing by Peta Panos “It is what it is” is probably the most perfect mantra to describe the law of allowing, which can be broken down into 3 aspects of your own reality: the relationship you have with yourself; the relationship you have with those around you and the relationship you have with the universe. Do you love and accept they way you are right now, just as you are? How do you interact with friends, family and those around you on a daily basis? Do you want other people to behave differently in order for you to be happy? Do you trust and allow life to roll out perfectly and in divine timing or do you fight against life with impatience and try to control what, when and how things happen? If you are not able to accept yourself, others and the way things are, you are in resistance. This constricts the flow of energy around you, slows things down, you suffer, become miserable and eventually get depressed. Clues to recognising when you are in resistance are: judgement; fear; doubt; living in the past; being anxious about the future; pushing against the flow; deciding what will happen before it happens; resentment; anger; controlling behaviour; wanting something to be different to the way it is; using words like “should” and “have to”. The law of allowing works hand in hand with the law of attraction. We know that everything is energy and like attracts like and when we embrace the law of allowing to fully function in our lives - our hearts open and the energy around us expands. It is in this expanded energy that we are able to manifest and attract all that we want. We are able to connect to ourselves, those around us and to the universe 22 | MYSTIK WAY MAGAZINE

more often and on a deeper level. In your relationship with yourself, it is important to know and accept who and where you are at right now. Of course, there will always be things and patterns that you are working on or would like to change, although when you fully accept where you are at in the present, you are better poised to make the right choices and create what you want to experience in the future. When you feel that you are in resistance, ground yourself and think about what you are grateful for (it can be the smallest things and it helps to remember a time when you felt great) then connect into that feeling until you it permeates your entire body and energy field. This raises your vibration and moves you out of resistance. With others, when you accept that every-one is who they are without judgement and that just like you, they exist in their own reality, perceive things in their own way and are entitled to their own opinions and way of life, you are using the law of allowing. This does not mean that you agree with or approve of their beliefs or actions, simply that you accept and respect them. We all project our inner thoughts and feelings, so when you shift the way you perceive something, people will react to you differently. When you put a boundary in place for yourself from a place of your own truth it is very different to attempting to put a boundary in for some one else (which equates to trying to control them). By the same token, when you try to change a person’s perception about a belief you don’t agree with, it constricts you energetically. This is where the old saying “Live and let live” comes into being. The exception is when others make decisions that affect you, where you do have the choice to stay involved, speak your truth or change your circumstance

with that person. When you are faced with a person or situation that you don’t agree with or approve of, it is natural to immediately go into judgement. This is the moment when you can exercise choice to stay in judgement/disapproval or move into acceptance by realising it is what it is. To assist this process, look for some appreciation that you can find in the situation and then focus on the gratitude you feel. When you stand in your own truth, it doesn’t matter what people say and do (which is their truth) it only matters what you say and do. Acceptance allows you to have compassion for others, to move forward and for any situation to no longer effect what you experience in your reality. Wishing for you the humility to allow it to be what it is, the courage to surrender and the acceptance that all is as it should be. Where will you be going in 2013? We have an exciting range of Spiritual Quest Journeys to Sacred Sites and magical places all around the world. For more information and an overview of the journeys on offer, please click here

Written by: Peta Panos – Spiritual Quest Journeys Email: Peta@spiritualquestjourneys.com Website: Spiritual Quest Journeys Facebook: Spiritual Quest Journeys Twitter: questjourneys

Animal and plant of the month with Jennifer Adele

Lily of the Valley Convallaria majalis, commonly known as the Lily of the Valley, is a poisonous woodland flowering plant native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia, Europe and in the southern Appalachian Mountains in the United States. It is possibly the only species in the genus Convallaria (or one of two or three, if C. keiskei and C. transcaucasica are recognised as separate species). It was formerly placed in its own family Convallariaceae, or earlier, like many lilioid monocots, in the lily family Liliaceae.

A limited native population occurs in Eastern USA. There is, however, some debate as to the native status of the American variety.

This plant is best known for its wonderfully fragrant petite, white nodding bell shaped flowers, which are surrounded by deep green oval leaves. It spreads nicely as a ground cover for a shaded area or woodland setting and is perfect for those tough spots where nothing else seems to grow. Enjoy the beauty and hardiness of this high vibe but tough plant during the month of July!

Symbolism: return of happiness, good luck, purity, sweetness, humility.

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Woodpecker To be sure, the woodpecker is an attention-grabber, and those who claim this amazing bird as their totem will attest to its ability to shake up awareness. Nothing breaks the silence of a hiking in the woods like the urgent, rapid-fire percussion of a woodpecker’s rapping against a tree. When I hear the woodpecker knocking, I think of opportunity. You know the old saying “when opportunity knocks, answer the door.” That’s precisely what I’m driving at here. Woodpeckers are extremely opportunistic themselves. Each tree is a door, revealing tender morsels of food (grubs and ants are their favorites). Other trees will yield against their beak-hammering to provide great mansions for their young. When the woodpecker comes tapping into our awareness, it’s also a signal to use our heads. Just as the woodpecker uses its head (beak) to hammer out solutions (food, shelter), we too can use our intellect in finding solutions to our own barriers. The symbolic meaning of woodpeckers also point to a need for creative vision. Being opportunistic, woodpeckers can see value everywhere, even in dead trees. Have you ditched an idea or given up on a project? The woodpecker may be trying to tell you to breathe new life into your project, just as they build new homes into dead trees. Meditate on the woodpecker throughout the solar dominated month of July. Hear its drumming over and over... Find the rhythm you want in your own life! Seize the opportunities that present themselves!

Symbolism: balance, progress, signaling, intellect, creative visions, opportunities, attention, communication, determination.

http://www.jenniferadele.com

HERBS

MAGIKAL HERBS by William C. Snider

Mint

Mentha, or better known as – Mint Another herb used for centuries.

The summer solstice came and I am featuring Mint for the occasion. Mint juleps (alcohol or not) are a summer favourite. This hearty is considered invasive and is able to thrive in many climates. Direct sun and a watery environ are good. It is recommended to plant them in the ground in a pot with no bottom, or in planters above ground. This makes growing and harvesting quite easy. It is best to take a cutting from one of the propagating runners. The mint family is quite large and includes: basil, rosemary, sage, and a few more. A plant from the mint family is easily recognizable from the square stem. Pliny the elder has this one in his book as well. The herbs pungent and settling aroma used to be scattered on dirt floors as ancient aroma therapy. Medicinally it has been used to settle stomach upset. Besides aroma therapy, mint is used in toothpaste and cosmetics, besides just the kitchen. Mint is considered a great companion plant to keep away aphids and other like pests.

Wil Snider http://www.almanac.com/plant/mint https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentha thegardenjournals@gmail.com and www.thegardenjournals.blogspot.com http://www.almanac.com/plant/mint https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentha

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Artwork by Christine Carlson “The Promise” https://www.facebook.com/pages/Charms-and-CreationsMystic-Ink/404336229632551 27

ENLIGHTENED EATING

Enlightened living and eating with Ama’ritday

s always it is my pleasure to share what I know! Ama’ritday here and it is time to Eat for Enlightenment. The wheel has turned yet again and we are more than half way through the year. It is time to harvest and enjoy the fruit of our labor. Always remember to honor ourselves our ancestors and traditions. To give thanks for the ever present abundance and goodness, this is our beloved Mother Gaia. She, who never fails year after year with no help, no hurry - our beloved mother bathes us with her love and bounty. Thank you great Mother!

Lammas is the first of three harvest Sabbats/ harvest festivals,( Lughnasadh, Mabon and Samhain) marking the midsummer and beginning of the harvest season. Inviting in the energy of this glorious season, bedazzle the altar with fruits and vegetables. Throughout the house, use food colors such as leaf green, corn yellow, tomato red, and berry purple. Celebrate the beginning of harvest season with lots of cooking and feasting. Create a cornucopia of abundance. What will your horn of plenty contain?

The Sun God is waning, but the Goddess is full on abundance. Even as he wanes, he lives on inside her as her child. Begin gathering and drying herbs, flower, grains or seeds for medicine, prayer and spirit work in the next year. Make magical oils and tinctures now with fresh herbs. Let’s be mindful to give thanks for the first grains as we honor the spirit of the Sacred Corn Mother, Demeter, Persephone and many other deities, always being mindful of both while having gratitude for the harvest and reverence for the sacrifice being made. This is a time of life, death and rebirth as the cycle of the life has come full circle as it does each and every year. Long ago, our ancestors discovered how to turn 28 | MYSTIK WAY MAGAZINE

ordinary grain into bread and brew. This required meant combining and balancing earth (grain), air (bubbles), fire (baking dough or warming starter), water, and spirit (yeast) — truly an alchemical process! So much lore telling how these traditions came about. July and August’s focus is on corn, grains and bread.

Grain is one of the most important offerings to the nurturing Goddess. Grain was seen as the offspring (son) of the Goddess, which would then grow into the Corn Lord. The Corn Lord wakes in the spring (to be planted and sprout), grow to maturity in the summer and autumn and then die in the harvest. Shedding his seeds to re-seed, he is “Sowing his wild oats” so to speak. This symbolizes the never ending cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth known as the Eternal Return. Lammas is a time of sacrifice, harvest, redemption, renewal, death, mourning and protection.

Lammas is a festival of regrets and farewells, of harvest and preserves. Reflect on this alone or with others around a fire. Lughnasad is one of the great Celtic fire-festivals, if you can feast around a bonfire, tell stories and love one another and be grateful for one another. Regrets: Think of the things you meant to do this summer or this year that are not coming to fruition. You can project your regrets onto natural objects like pine cones and throw them into the fire, releasing them.

Farewells: What is passing from your life? What is over? Say good-bye to it. As with regrets, you can find visual symbols and throw them into the fire. Harvest: What have you harvested this year? What seeds have your planted that are sprouting? Find a visual way to represent these, perhaps

ripe” stage.

creating a decoration in your house or altar which represents the harvest to you. Preserves: This is also a good time for making preserves, either literally or symbolically. As you turn the summer’s fruit into jams, jellies and chutneys for winter, think about the fruits that you have gathered this year and how you can hold onto them. How can you keep them sweet in the store of your memory? The Romans celebrated this time as the Festival of Demeter and Persephone, and their reunion of this Grain Goddess and her daughter.

Traditional foods for Lammas include the fruits and vegetables peaking in late summer to early fall. However, primary emphasis falls on grains and all things made from grains. Meat is not usually included as Lammas fare — but if you wish to serve meat serve chicken as it is sacred to this season as well —ideal holiday for vegetarians.

Grains formed the mainstay of Lammas food, especially wheat, oats, barley, and rye. Whole, cracked, or rolled grains appear in stuffing and many other dishes. Bread and other whole grains foods stand out on the Lammas table. Kneading and baking bread is a traditional for this time of year and if you have never baked bread before there’s no better time to start practicing magic. Foods to include in the festivities would be fresh herbs, fruits and veggies. Bake corn bread sticks, collect blackberries and make a pie marked with a solar cross. Sprout wheat to add to homemade bread. Drink cider. Gather berries for use in recipes or wine-making. (Delish) Rose petal wine would be amazing.

Summer fruits and vegetables have reached their peak: tomatoes, sweet corn, melons, blackberries, peaches, etc. In some areas, early grain is ready but in most places it’s in the precarious “almost

Earth medicine and magic galore herbs to include for Lammas (there are many): goldenrod, peony, nasturtium, clover blossom, yarrow, heliotrope, boneset, vervain, Queen Anne’s lace, myrtle, rose, sunflower, poppy, milkweed, Irish moss, mushroom, wheat, corn, rye, oat, barley, rice, garlic, onion, basil, mint, aloe, acacia, meadowsweet, apple leaf, raspberry leaf, strawberry leaf, bilberry leaf, blueberry leaf, mugwort, hops, holly, comfrey, marigold, grape vine, ivy, hazelnut, blackthorn, elder, bee pollen. Onion is sacred to the sun -- because of its shape, and its dye can be a golden amber to burnt apricot (great general purpose dye or for dying eggs). When the onion is cut, it reveals the symbolism of the moon. Garlic is sacred, as well, its crescent shape, like that of Mother Moon. It protects and exorcises evil. Sweet corn technically comes from a grain (corn is a grass) but is eaten as a vegetable. Yellow or white corn is best for this holiday.

Seasonal fruits include anything ripe at this time, most notably blackberries. The earliest “dessert” apple and pear varieties also ripen in early August; these are not for storage or canning, but are sweet delicate fruits intended to be eaten immediately. Serve them by themselves, in fruit salads, or sliced with crackers and a sharp cheese such as aged white cheddar.

Alcoholic beverages figure into many Lammas traditions. High on the list are beer and ale, which come from grains. Fruit wines, such as blackberry or elderberry wine, celebrate the dark fruits of late summer. Check out the simple recipes below, give it a shot, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. As always with much love and Bright Blessing until next month Ama’ritday

ELDER FLOWER CHAMPAGNE 7 large heads of elder blossoms

1 pound of white sugar, no substitutes!! 2 large or 3 small organic lemons

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 gallon water

4 liter-sized wine or champagne bottles and corks Dissolve sugar in 1 quart of boiling water. Add rest of water. Slice lemons very thinly and add to water/sugar. Add vinegar and mix well. Place elder flowers head down in a crock, large glass bowl, or non-metal pot. Pour liquid mixture over flower heads. Cover with a kitchen towel held in place with a rubber band. After 24 hours, strain through a fine cloth (I use a clean cotton diaper), bottle, and cork. Mature your Elder Flower Champagne in the dark for three or more weeks. It will be naturally fizzy when ready to drink, so watch out when you pop the cork! BASIC BREAD RECIPE (this takes about 3 hours)

1 cup warm water 3 tbsp of olive oil 1 1/2 tsp sugar 1 1/2 tsp salt 2 1/2 cups bread flour 1 1/2 tsp yeast (or 1 packet if you bought it this way)

you vary this recipe by adding any fruits, vegetables, or extra fiber in an amount that is less than 1/4 cup. Try flax seed/oatmeal, wholegrain flour, add garlic and parmesan cheese to make garlic bread…Or try 1/2 tsp of seasoning like garlic, pepper, basil, parmesan 30 | MYSTIK WAY MAGAZINE

ASPARAGUS, POTATO, AND ONION FRITTATA 2 potatoes, shredded 1/4 cup chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces 1 cup diced ham 6 eggs 1 tablespoon milk 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the shredded potato and onion in the hot oil until the potatoes begin to brown, about 5 minutes, Season with salt and pepper. Add the asparagus and ham and continue cooking until the asparagus is tender, another 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to the prepared baking dish. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a small bowl; pour evenly over the dish. Scatter the mozzarella and white Cheddar cheeses over the top of the potato mixture. Bake in the preheated oven until set in the middle, 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with the basil to serve. Ama’ritday Rodriguez Montero Come visit me online at~ My website: www.amaritday.com Le Blog: amaritday.blogspot.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Amaritday

hi simi, can you add to the credits page at the back.

We are now able to offer advertising space in our magazine to help with the running costs.

The magazine will always be free to read and download. Costs are £5 per half page £10 per full page per month. Please email me on mystikmaster@gmail.com

www.Mystikway.com

Shamballa Bracelets

Special offer for Mystik Way readers Get one custom made!

If you would like a trendy handmade Shamballa Bracelet as pictured below, made with semi-precious beads, email me and let me know which beads you would like from a choice of – Black Onyx, Tiger Eye, Rose Quartz, Haematite or Amethyst. All beads are 8mm and are woven on 2mm nylon cord. You can have the bracelet all one stone (like the tigers eye pictured below) or a mixture of beads from the list above. Just email me at spiritdesigns@hotmail. co.uk your bracelet will be hand made and then listed for you to purchase in my on-line shop. Cost per bracelet is £9 plus shipping. Enjoy the power of Shamballa! Jenny Spirit x

Thank you for reading the Mystik Way Magazine! If you have enjoyed the journey, please consider a donation to help us with our running costs. A donation of only $1 or 1 Pound will be greatly appreciated and will enable us to provide and grow this platform for spiritual growth.

...Issue 28 will be out in August 2013

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