The Magus Opus Autumn

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Editors Letter

D

ear Fellow Witches and Wizards,

The time has come once more when the winds begin to change, and as the sun drops further in the sky, aspens, cottonwoods and maples digest the green pigments in their leaves to call back what nutrients they have into the trunk and roots, what’s left behind, makes the colours of autumn. Autumn is a time of acquiring warmer clothes, harvesting those last summer crops and preserving the fruits of your labour. Autumn is also a season for reflection, looking back on the past trials and achievements and learning from them. The cool change brings a need to prepare for the harsher conditions of winter and get ready for hibernation. As you know autumn is the time of year we Pagans celebrate Mabon and Samhain, it is also the time the great goddess starts her decent to the underworld to join her husband of darkness in the winter. We are very proud to bring you the first autumn addition of the Magus Opus and with it comes some great articles on the season, all about the holidays and much more.

As the howling winds blow in autumn we thought it would be the appropriate time to take a look at the book of howling or the Goetia and the darker side of our psyches. This year we are really going all out for autumn with plenty of festive ideas for the holidays and instructions on how to carve your own pumpkin. We also have instructions on how to grow your own Giant Atlantic pumpkins to add a festive feeling to your garden.

This issue we have some new contributors with some interesting topics. These include Darrell with his extensive knowledge on magickal tools, how to use them and how to make your own in his article Wands, Staffs and Stangs. Amber Rose presents her fantastic article on the different moons for the southern hemisphere in her article Into the Gloaming: The Power of the Full Moon. She is a poetic writer and worth a read.

We also have some great recipes in our recipe section for your Samhain and Mabon feasts and festive celebrations. Also check out our new astrology section by Neil Giles.

We are starting our new regular section Sanctum Sanctorum, it has some awesome things in it this issue to make your sacred space really special.

We hope you enjoy what the Magus Opus has to offer this autumn because we think we’ve done a pretty good job. If you have any questions or comments on this seasons issue, please write on our blog at www.occultliving.com Brad & Sas

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Contents Features

What is in a name?

Sounds that create the universe p.

40 Besoms What they’re for and how to make them p. 84

Absinthe The incredible history p. 70 The Goatia Let’s all raise a party p. 89 Into The Gloaming The Powers of the Full Moon p.

102 Lucia A short story by Jedda Lee Winkworth p. 122 Secret Societies Scull and Bones p. 141

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Regulars Sanctum Sanctorum Your Sacred Space p. 12 Seasonal Article p. 18

Your Cooking Guide Cooking for the cooler months p. 52 Decorating for Halloween p. 114 Astrology by Neil Giles p.154

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Sanctum Sacntorum

Y

our sanctum sanctorum literately translates as your sacred sanctuary, it is a space in your house that all Witches and Wizards should have. No doubt you already have a place that you fill with magickal things. Most people end up with more stuff than they could possibly display at any one time. There are some things that I think are necessary to have in your sanctum sanctorum, one of these is your library. Every Wizard needs are collection of books for only through study do we become anew. If you are like me you see a book you want every time you walk into a bookstore. As you acquire more books it is a good idea to sort them into categories, there is nothing worse than needing to know something for a spell or ritual and not being able to find a specific book.

Another thing that your sacred space is, is your temple, it is crucial to have an altar in your sacred space as you are going to be using this space for all your magickal

workings and rituals. Your temple should also have indicators of the four cardinal directions. Verify witch corner or wall of your room most align with north, south, east and west and directions and decorate them accordingly. Water for east, air for west, fire for north and earth for south (for the Southern hemisphere) and reverse them for the north. Your temple should also have a space where you can lay out a Magickal Circle. Traditionally circles were marked on the floor with a piece of chalk, and wiped up afterwards with a damp cloth.

Wizards of old were famed for their “Cabinets of Curiosities” and such collections became the foundations of some of the world’s great magickal history museums. There are many natural and unnatural objects you can collect to add to your admirable collections. The ideal place to put these things you collect is on display on a bookcase, altar or cabinet.

Some things you may collect are seashells, leaves, seeds, flowers, rocks, crystals, skulls, insect, butterflies, fossils, artefacts, diagrams, and curiosities.

You should also have supplies and equipment for your sanctum sanctorum like stocks of dried herbs if you are unable to have your own garden and candles of different colours and other things for your magickal workings.

So like the sorcerers of old start your collections now (if you have not already) for future prosperity and magickal workings.

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My little Pony These “ My Little Pony” deviations, by artist Mari Kasurinen, are a fantastic oddity for any witch or wizard’s strange collection. Each one is a one-of-a-kind pony displaying characteristics of a favourite movie character or some other recognizable persona these marvellous figurines are both original and hilarious.

They are available at: www.marikasurinen.com

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These beautiful feather quills are a sorcerer’s ideal writing instrument. One of these would make an admirable addition to your writing desk in your sacred space for writing in your grimore.

Available from the artist Chaey Ahne who is findable on Deviant Art.

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Brahms Bookworks As I am sure you know, it is important to have a grimore that you can be proud of. There is no doubt that these leather-bound writing books are the perfect thing to record your most important knowledge in.

They are available at www.brahmsbookworks.com

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Pumpkin Carving Kit These pumpkin carving tools are the very thing that any serious pumpkin carving artist needs. They will make any pumpkin carving job a breeze and also give any first time pumpkin carver the confidence to have a go. They are available through Pumpkin Masters.

The Iron Fairies These iron fairies are magickal, the very process they are made by instantly gives them a magickal quality. These fairies are made completely in the dark. They never see the light of day until they are opened after purchasing them. Sit them in garden or on your altar and sprinkle the magick fairy dust over them and they will come to life! They are available at www.ironfairies.com

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Autumn

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ell Autumn is here, the last days of summer warmth and length and the wet season begins in the rain forest and the nights begin to cool. Autumn in particular Samhain, is truly one of my most favourite times of year. Yes I love the nights cooling off and things like that, but my most favourite thing about Autumn is Halloween.

Even though here in Australia we don’t get “into” it as much as our United States friends, I really wish we would, come on Aussie, we can easily make Halloween just as good as the States. We cannot forget though the other festival on at this time though, Mabon.

Gemini in the southern hemisphere and in the Northern Hemisphere: Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius. The goddess is about to enter the underworld, for her winter journey and soon we too will have the crisp winds of winter nipping at our heals. The animals are beginning to store food, and preparing for the hard times ahead. It is still such an abundant time though, when the final harvest is upon us, the time when the larders will be full and true feasting can begin.

A decomposition of plant life occurs now, with the earth become fertile and rich from the abundance of summer.

The message of Autumn is a social one, it is time to get out there and meet new people and have new experiences, as well as this it is a time of self introspection and a “working out” of where one’s life is. This season encompasses two festivals, the festival of Samhain and Mabon. Now is the time that the ancient pagans celebrated the New Year as it was not until the last harvest finished that the new year began.

Autumn signals the time for the earth to slow down, it encompasses the astrological signs of Aries, Taurus and

Autumn In The Garden Generally there is nothing in our gardens that we do not want at the moment. There should be no dead wood yet, no disease, just the sensual scents and smells of a garden at its fullest this is the time of the ultimate creative manifestation made real.

This is the best time for wildlife watching as the weather is warm and almost wherever you look there is activity. Most common is the insects coming towards any light and the food chain is clearly evident at this time.

The birds will start to drop away as it is their time for molting and recovery after a frenzied summer. Some of the birds will migrate to warmer lands although in the southern hemisphere it isn’t as common as the north. As the season progresses the nuts and berries will become full, make sure you watch them because little folk who like to steal, particularly possums and other fruit eating creatures will think it is there’s for the taking.

This time in the garden can really be optimized by one phrase: More work now means less work later. Harvest herbaceous leaves, roots and seeds. In mid autumn lift plants for division and sow and plant winter crops and trees. It is also the time to plant or prune evergreens and to pot and repot other plants. Fertilize and mulch

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now because when the spring comes the winter will have eroded it down into a rich compost. Once Mid-Autumn hits reduce your watering schedule and prune deciduous trees and shrubs, training them to which ever shape you like. It’s a great time to replant the herb garden and to plan next year’s floral arrangement. Plant bulbs that will flower in the spring and soft fruits such as strawberries, get out there and collect native trees and plant seedlings as in late Autumn they will transfer the best, just ensure that they aren’t a protected species.

Green and white are the colours of the autumn garden as it is healing, balancing and restorative. These colours are one of the few constants that are in nature, all other colours come and go, but it is green that stays; it is reliant and normalizing, the colour of new life and harmony. Think just for a second about the uplifting effect of green light upon the body, such as when you walk into a conservatory with a vine growing over the top. Plants such as angelica, basil, blackberries, lily of the valley, snowdrops, yarrow and gardenia are all wonderful plants for Autumn so consider having some of those in your garden.

Mabon (The Autumn Equinox) Mabon is celebrated at the Autumn Equinox and could also be referred to as the Harvest Home. This was the traditional time of the burning man, corn dollies, corn bread and dressing the last sheaf of the harvest as John Barley-Corn or the spirit of Vegetation. This was a time of rejoicing and gratitude, as this was the final harvest and it was time to thank the gods for what they had given us and to let your hair down and really have a party. The true essence of Mabon is the joy of the harvest and the thankfulness to the gods in hopes of winning their favour for an even greater harvest next year.

This time of year is a great time to go for a walk in a National park or to check out other wild places and forests, gather the dried seed pods and other interesting artefacts for your altar or temple room, it is also a great time to gather other herbs for use in magick.

Astrologically Mabon or Harvest Home is the Autumn Equinox, this is when the sun crosses the equator on its

journey southward and we experience a day and a night of equal length. Up until this time we have been enjoying the longer days of summer, but now the colder nights will begin and the daylight will grow short. In ancient times this celebration occurred when the sun entered Libra (Northern Hemisphere) which stands for the balance, in the southern hemisphere, we enter Libra on the spring equinox. This festival became Christianized when the church was recruiting all the pagans and became known as Michaelmas, the feast of the archangel Michael.

In mythology this is the time of the year when the god of light is defeated, and his brother the god of darkness will begin to take hold. This is myth permeates many cultures, with the greek legend of Persephone, and the Celtic myths of Llew. In Celtic mythology the Autumn equinox is the only time of the year when Llew is vulnerable and it is possible to defeat him. Astrologically Llew now stands on Libra, the balance, with one foot on the cauldron of rebirth, represented by cancer or the summer solstice and the other on the goat represented by Capricorn or the winter solstice, thus Llew betrayed by the goddess Blodeuweed, represented

by Virgo and is then transformed into an Eagle represented

by Scorpio at its height. Continuing with the Celtic myth Goronwy, or the Lord of Darkness now will take over Llew’s functions and both the lover of the goddess, Blodeuweed and as the king of the Earth. Although the horned king now sits on the throne and begins to rule it is not for six weeks, at Samhain that his formal coronation will occur and he shall be known as the Winter Lord or the Dark King. He will lay with the goddess and she gives birth nine months later, at the summer solstice, to Goronwy’s sun or the Dark child.

This sacrificial death at Mabon identifies Llew with John Barleycorn, the spirit of the fields or of wider vegetation.

It was believed that the spirit of the sun was trapped in the corn and in the last sheaf to be harvested resided the corn spirit. The last sheaf was then taken and dressed in fine clothes and woven into a wicker man like shape. It was then carried around and then burnt at the height of the festivities, this wicker man or John Barley-Corn represented the spirit of Vegetation, which would now be sacrificed for the winter.

Corn dollies are another version of the, little spirits of vegetation. This mock sacrifice of human life continues through most of Celtic culture, and into medieval times when the “Rise Up, Jock” variety of theatre was popular, where a young harlequin like king would always undergo a mock sacrificial death and the cast would always include a mysterious “Doctor”, who had travelled many lands and

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learnt many secrets, and he would pull out a magick potion from his bag and hey presto the young king would rise whole again, to the cheers of the crowd. The story of John Barley-Corn still exists today in the form of this ancient Rhyme: There were three men came out of the West, Their fortunes for to try, And these three men made a solemn vow, John Barleycorn must die...

They let him stand till midsummer’s day, Till he looked both pale and wan, And little Sir John’s grown a long, long beard And so become a man...

They’ve hired men with scythes so sharp, To cut him off at the knee, They’ve rolled him and tied him by the waist Serving him most barbarously.

And little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl And he’s brandy in the glass, And little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl Proved the strongest man at last.

At the time of the final harvest it is great to decorate the altar with acorns, oak sprigs, pine cones or needles, ears of corn, wheat stalks and fruits and nuts are all appropriate for symbols of the season. As the leaves begin to change colours I like to bring some of them inside for display on my altar to really have time to appreciate them, placing these leaves in a rustic style basket is always a nice idea and makes clean up a breeze. If you decide to do this make sure you only take the leaves off the ground.

Samhain (Occurs Exactly at 15 Scorpio an astrological power point symbolized by the eagle) Samhain, all hallows eve or Halloween is one of my favourite times of year and we as pagan people need to celebrate it and get into the full swing. It is one of the

most magickal nights known also as a spirit night. Samhain is exactly opposite to Belthane on the pagan calendar and therefore could be considered to be Belthane’s dark twin. It is a night where the full powers of witchcraft are recognized by the wider community. A night of spooky stories, dressing up, séances, trick-or-treating, jack-o’-lanterns, of scrying and of entertaining games. Originally in ancient times Samhain was one of the fire festivals signalizing the close of the harvest season and the beginnings of winter.

It was said that any part of the harvest that was still to be collected after that night, for example fruit that wasn’t quite ripe, would be blighted by the fairies and therefore unfit for human consumption.

This is one of the most active times for the fairies as they too need to prepare for the coming winter. In ancient times it was said that at Samhain fairies who were resentful with men living on their lands would take them and trap them in a fairy mound forever. Cattle would also come back to

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ancient times people would pretend to be fairies and go up to people and ask trick or treat? If not treat was forth coming it would result in a practical joke being played on you. They would also carry carved out turnips with lights inside which is the origin of the Jack-o’-lantern.

It was also traditional at this time for offerings of milk, honey and butter to be left for the fairies to ensure their favour. Heroes would also try to see the realms of the fairies, as the doors were opened, yet would have to ensure that they were back in the real world before the cock crowed. This was one of the most dramatic nights in the Celtic calendar, as the fertility of the next spring would have to be assured and also that people would survive the coming winter. It was on this night the ancient Celts would all extinguish all of their hearth fires and then relight them with a flame from the sacred need fire of the druids, located at Tlachtga near the royal hill of Tara.

the homestead after the months grazing in the meadows on the mountain tops and the winter activities of learning and handicrafts could begin. Samhain is the time when the world had turned and the days became a lot shorter and colder. In ancient Celtic theology the changing of one thing to the next is sacred, this can be a time or a place, ie the sea meeting the shore or the time of sunrise of sunset.

These were powerful times called a threshold time. At Samhain a threshold time occurs with the passing of the seasons, a time when the veils between the worlds is at its thinnest, and the living can communicate with the dead in the lands of winter.

Samhain is also the best time for mischief as in the Celtic calendar this was the new year and the night belonged to neither one year or another and therefore practical jokes and horseplay were engaged in to keep in high spirits and to ensure that you did not get sucked into the depression of winter. This is the origin of “Trick-or-Treating” and in

Samhain is a wonderful time for divination if you follow Celtic traditions because of the Celtic view point of time. Time according to the Celts time was cyclical not linear and therefore Samhain was a night out of time, a night that you could peer in other points of time without effort. As it was so easy to see into the future on the night of Samhain simple divination techniques were used by everyone and many of the modern games that we still have today come from these time honoured techniques of divination. For example bobbing for apples should only be played by women, as whoever bites into the apple first will be the first to marry, or if the women are all engaged then the first to bite the apple will be married before the year is out. Samhain creates a wonderful space to wrap up projects, to sort out one’s life and to start thinking about projects for the New Year as well. It is also the best time to start your Yule shopping or possibly start crafting some wonderful Yule gifts.

In mythology this is the day of the dead and it is when the goddess mourns her marriage to the dark god of winter.

This is the night that she rises from the underworld with her fairy minions and holds the gates open for one night.

The Winter Lord is crowned which signals winter truly beginning and the fairies have a wild hunt upon the earth.

Also the dead journey to the summer lands on this night and therefore communicating with them is much easier than at other times.

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The best known icon of Halloween is the Jack-o’-lantern, it had a scary face to frighten or confuse the fairies and ensure safe travel through the night that is not a night. Having them lit casts a spell of protection on the house for the coming year.

Samhain is time to celebrate the threshold time of the year, when the veils between the worlds are at their thinnest. At this time place late autumn fruits on your altar also try to include as many of the flowers of autumn as possible for example, marigolds and chrysthums. It is also a great time to write a letter of your past annoyances to be burnt up in the Samhain fire. For more household decorating ideas see our decorating for Samhain article.

Moons of Autumn

The vine is the active symbol of work well rewarded. As such it might be an emblem of what we hope for in life.

The combination of a wise marriage with nature, diligence regarding our duty, a little luck from above, and a wellearned culmination in festivity following work completed.

In magick the vine is a potent symbol of religiousness, exoticness and resilience. Blackberry vines are symbols of protection rather than grape vines which are a symbol of prosperity and a dream link to your past. All vines though can be used in spells at this time for binding, as in a contract, an agreement, a relationship that is starting to become serious or possibly one threatening to fall apart, it is also a fantastic time to bless children or loved ones if they have to go away from you. The main purpose of this moon in magick is the joyous feasting and thanksgiving for the harvest of the previous year.

(These moons are based on the Celtic Tree calendar and occur with the first full moon in that month)

Colours: Silver, Burgundy

Hazel

Number: 10

Scents: Eucalypts, Benzoin, Mandarin

The First Full Moon in March The Moon Of Wisdom

Ivy

The Hazel tree has long been the symbol of the acquisition of knowledge and philosophy. Hazel is one of the few trees valued by the witches not primarily because of its medicinal properties, although it does have its uses in medicine it was the valued for its wood, its oil and the nutritious nuts that it bears. The wood has long been used for walking sticks and rods (symbols of wisdom) as well as the making of fences and wattles. It is one of the main woods used to make divining rods, the other being willow, perhaps this was the first connection between the tree and wisdom. Hazel nuts are extremely rich in everything our body needs and are regarded as a super food. In magick the oil from hazel nuts is often used in rituals of beauty, prosperity and wisdom.

This moon embraces the philosophy of full knowledge and ideas of wisdom, forgiveness, wide reading, travel and an humanitarian understanding of our fellow creatures both human and animal are encouraged at this time.

(First Full Moon of May) The Moon Of Strength

Scents: Hyacinth, Rose Otto, Rosemary, Sandalwood, Lavender.

Once you have an Ivy Vine in your garden it is almost impossible to eradicate, and generally at this time it produces wonderful clumps of yellow green flowers when almost all of the rest of the garden is succumbing to the harshness of the season. Ivy clings determinedly to old ruining buildings, creates wonderful homes for creatures and it quickly can make a place look forgotten. Since ancient times Ivy has been used in magick. Ivy was also known as the “enemy of the vine” as it has a long association with helping those whom have become intoxicated. It is also reputed to be able to help those with headaches or migraines. However Ivy is quite toxic so a health professional should always be consulted. Ivy in magick is used in rituals of strength and for its ability to bring good luck and health. This moon is really about optimism, knowing that eventually good will triumph.

Number: 9

Colours: Deep Forest Green, Black

Colours: Olive Green, Mulberry

Vine

Scents: Roman Chamomile, Lavender, Grapefruit, Peppermint, Hyacinth, Marjoram, Jasmine, Patchouli, Orris, Sandalwood, Rosewood Number: 11

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Sebastian Haines

Our Autumn

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“The Three Magi” Sebastian Haines 2008

Feature Artist

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ebastian Haines is an artist who’s medium is mostly oil paint. His paintings are inspired by occult themes and require contemplation and knowledge of occult symbolism to understand.

Sebastian’s Magus is the illustration on the front cover of this issue of the Magus Opus.

SEBASTIAN HAINES ARTIST STATEMENT “The majority of my oil paintings depict scenes from my imagination, and I am heavily inspired by mythology, psychology, mysticism, philosophy, and the fantastic. My primary stylistic influences range from realism to surrealism, illustration, fantasy art, symbolism, and Hermeticism. I take it as a personal challenge to depict what I see with my inner eye as accurately as possible.”

Sebastian grew up mostly in Texas in the United States but moved to Denver, Colorado as a teenager. As a child, like many artists, Sebastian had an compulsive need to draw, he also had a very active imagination which was coloured very much by his spiritual environment. He says all kinds of beliefs found their way into his household, but that which he carried into adulthood was the belief in Magick. Sebastian says this belief in Magick has developed into a personal life philosophy that has guided, inspired, and influenced his art in ways that continue to surprise him up to this day. After four years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a photographer he decided to follow his passion for painting and the occult and moved back to Colorado Here is Sebastian’s explanation for his tarot card The Magus: THE MAGUS Dimensions: 18 inches by 24 inches Medium: oil on canvas EXPLANATION OF THE SYMBOLISM:

to Saturn in most versions of the Sepher Yetzirah. In Golden Dawn rooted systems Beth corresponds to Mercury. Since it does not bother me to draw inspiration from contradictory systems, I have tried to weave subtle references into the design for the viewer to work out for themselves. If anything about this image seems dogmatic, it should be noted that dogmatism is a form of power, and The Magus is one who has mastered all kinds of Power. It is my wish that all my Tarot designs be flexible in the degree that they are useful.

To me the Tarot is a maze of mirrors, with all symbols reflecting each other. I have personally found that paradox creates inspiration and realization.

The primary figure of the painting is The Magus himself, suspended over a dark sea.

This sea is a reference to ‘Mara’, the Great Sea from which all Forms emerge and return. The darker colors used in the background also make reference to Saturn, which corresponds to the Sephiroth Binah.

The Mercury aspect is suggested via the Hieroglyphic Monad of Dr. John Dee hanging from the neck of The Magus. This symbol fuses the sigils of all seven planets, and perhaps contains the ultimate secret of accomplishing the Great Work. I found it appropriate because, for me, The Magus represents that accomplishment. Having read the Monad a few times, I find it both enlightening and perplexing, but definitely inspiring.

The Magus holds the tools of the four elements, designed in a fashion which will recur in the Aces of the Tarot. Each weapon is designed with the symbolism of the Zodiac in mind, suggesting the Magus’s mastery of the ‘rounds’ and patterns of existence and manifestation.

The body of the Magus was painted in the four alchemical colours, representing the phases in the ‘Great Work’. His skin is red, while his robe is white. The Mantle is black, representing ‘the outer robe of concealment’ but also the ‘nigredo’ phase of the alchemical process. The hood is yellow, from which emerges a singular blue eye. This eye is a reference to the wadjit. Below the eye I worked in the Greek letter Lamba, which is a reference to the Logos, the Creative Word.

The Magus is the second painting in my series entitled ‘The Tarot of The Golden Serpent.’

There are numerous esoteric elements in this painting, which will require some explanation. The act of painting this series is a personal meditation in an attempt to understand and attain realization.

Regarding attributions of the design, I have tried to avoid direct reference in favour of suggestion. Depending on which kabbalistic/Tarot system one uses, the Magus usually refers to the Hebrew letter Beth, which corresponds The Magus Opus - Autumn - 28

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The feet of the Magus are held aloft by the winged sandals of Hermes. Below him is the decagram, which in Pythagoreanism symbolizes the perfection of the number ten and ten is also the number of Sephiroth in the kabbalistic system.

The golden lines behind the Magus are composites of various Pythagorean shapes representing the play of the Unlimited and the Limited, or ‘Apeiron’ and ‘Peras’. This is a deep philosophy which resides in an understanding of Number, and is reflected with slightly different shades of polarity in the kabbalah.

The lines resolve into an Ouroboros above and behind the primary figure.

On either side of the decagram are an ibis and a baboon, both symbols of the Thoth the God of wisdom, whom the Greeks identified with Hermes.

I’ve included the Tetragrammaton, which I consider an essential symbol to understanding kabbalistic philosophy and an inseparable part of modern hermeticism.

There is also a reference to the ‘Lotus of a Thousand Petals’ worked in.

Inscribed in the linear design behind the Magus is the Hermetic axiom of the Emerald Tablet written in Latin. Transvlated, it reads: ‘That which is above is the same as that which is below.

That which is below is the same as that which is above.’

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What's In A Name

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By Jillianna

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ibrations underlie all of life and the whole material and sensual world. Quantum physics has shown us that all is vibration, that energy and matter are interchangeable and that the whole existence of the material world is a kind of illusion and is really nearly all empty space.

The building blocks of matter flash in and out of existence and are only possibly present in any particular location. Our observations change the nature and state of reality. Through all of this illusion flows an energy channeled by vibration.

In the “Dreamtime” the Aboriginal Ancestors sang the whole of creation into being and the Australian landscape is criss-crossed with sacred song-lines. Elders say it is still possible to sing creation. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” is the first sentence in the gospel of John. The power of vibration is the power of life and the first perception to develop in the fetus is the perception of sound.

We have in our own bodies the ability to create sounds that are fundamental to our existence in this world and that tap into higher spiritual states. When we look back to the original sacred practices and ceremonies of the world’s cultures we find sacred chants and esoteric hymns whose real meaning is lost. Many of these chants were for specific purposes such as healing of individuals or ensuring well-being in the community and above all of creating and retaining a connection with the divine and channeling the power of love and creation to the earth. The order of the syllables chanted and the rhythm and intonation were all of the utmost importance and were handed down through training of the chosen priests.

The power of the chanted and sung word, vowel or syllable is still available to us although many esoteric practices have been lost. The simple practice of intoning the vowel sounds brings a tuning up of the whole person, physical, mental and spiritual. The recent interest in acapella singing has arisen because of the need for people to reconnect with these levels in themselves and the well-being toning and singing creates.

This rediscovery of the power of sound to heal at a deeper level is bringing back a channel for community healing and connection with the divine through personal health and wellbeing. The vowel sounds and consonants all create in us different stimulations and deeper feelings not only to our emotional and physical selves but at a deeper level by stimulating and opening the chakras and affecting the flow of energy in the body. These effects are unnoticeable in everyday speech and need to be toned or chanted WITH INTENT for their effects to be felt. Unfocussed chanting will not produce a result.

However, what this present article is focusing on is the effect of a person’s name. Our names are used by ourselves and others generally many times a day. Your name produces an emotional effect on the hearer (including yourself) as well as carrying subtle information, of which we are largely unaware, due to the combination of vowels and consonants that it contains. Our name is given to us at birth by a parent who finds that for some reason they like that name or they may feel that it intrinsically suits you. This has a powerful effect on your life. Some people find their name to be a positive factor in their life, others resent theirs. But before you go blaming your parents for a name you may not like or life problems you may have, there are more factors at play here than personal fancy.

Your name expresses many things about you and in a feedback loop it also promotes things about you. It can also help you to relate to others. Some names sound very pleasing to the ear and others do not but this will depend on emotional factors as well as deeper reactions about the vibrations in the name. This will vary depending on the strengths and weaknesses and deeper fears and tensions of the listener and also on what they need in their life. Sometimes a particular name will keep cropping up in your business associates or friends and there is something to learn here. We all know people who have changed their name for whatever reason and this is a significant thing to do. So if you feel dissatisfied with your name there may be a compelling reason why this is so. It may be that you need to live up to your name, it may be that you have grown out of your name, only you can tell.

There are positive and negative aspects of each sound so it is possible to use any name in a positive or negative way.

Toning Your Name To understand your name you need first to tone it so that you become aware of the vowel sounds it contains. To tone your name you must sound a long note on every letter if possible. For example, if your name is Roger, you will tone RRRRR, OHOHOHOHOH, GERERERERERERER, RRRRRR. If it is Naomi, you will tone NNNNNN, AIRAIRAIRAIRAIR, OHOHOHOHOHOH, MMMMMMMMM, EEEEEEEEEE. If your name is Bob, you can only tone BOHOHOHOHOHOHB. In which case you may prefer to try Robert. RRRRRRR, OHOHOHOHOH, BERERERERERERT. When you tone try to breathe in as though you are sipping a drink through a straw then open yourself to expelling the air gently through a relaxed throat almost like sighing, then vocalize. Breathe in again and repeat 3 times. Feel how that sound makes you feel then try the next vowel or tonable consonant of your name. Enjoy the process and observe

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where each sound seems to reside in your body.

The Meaning of Vowels and Consonants All vowels can be toned and only some consonants. When we speak, tone or sing the vowels carry most of the vocal energy. The breath sends sound waves from the vocal chords, amplified by the resonators of the throat, mouth and face, out into the air. Some consonants can also carry vocal energy while others serve only to break up the sound into recognizable words. Your name carries certain vocal energies that resonate with your being and that of others who utter it.

Vowels There are many different vowel sounds but there are 7 basic ones. These are AH, AIR, EE, IH, OH, AW , OOH. Say these out loud to get used to their resonance.

Three is a significant holy number and in the triangle represents the reconciliation of opposing forces being mediated by a third force bringing about balance without a loss of power of any of those forces. Instead of opposition and cancellation we have strength and cooperation.

Unconditional love is the greatest mediating force and is the energy of the heart and the AH sound is the vowel associated with the heart and the heart chakra. Three is the number of the trinity in Christianity, Father Son and Holy Ghost, and of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in Hinduism.

The AH sound is strong in Brahma (BrAHmAH) and Allah (AHllAH), Jehovah (JehovAH) and in the American pronunciation of God (GAHd).

When sounding AH the mouth is open at it’s fullest. We are open to the world and the world is open to us, from the heart. This vowel is warm and loving and should promote a loving heart (hAAHrt). It is also the sound of heartfelt wonder. AH is an initiator, creator, and is the first vowel in the mantra AUM. To get the benefit of AH we must feel open and free and willing to give of ourselves. If your name includes the sound AH, practice saying it with an open heart and that means being open to both giving and receiving. This is your birthright.

AH – HEART

AIR – STERNUM

Sound AH as if satisfied at a deeper level. The AAAA is extended with the H being a feeling of keeping the AAAH full of air. The shape of the written A is symbolic of the triangle, a primary shape representing the number three.

Sound “AIR” with an “H” in front of it so that it flows freely from the body. This vowel is associated with right action and balance in the outer world, or our daily existence, and social justice. Such words as “fair” and “repair” inherently

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carry meaning for our outer behavior. We can also exhibit “flair” or be “daring” and we can “care’ for others. This is a vowel that can help us to face daily life with conviction.

Think of the sternum (not a chakra) and centre your “AIR” sound here to gain the most from this vowel. It can help us to develop more certainty in life and to trust our gut feelings.

and at one with our point of balance. “OH” helps us to develop inner strength and balance and can be used in physical work to energize the body and mind, just think of the sailor’s “Heave Ho”. “OH” also connects us to our deeper energies, many martial arts use a forceful “OH” to move qui or “life force”. It is from here also that we project the energy when we dance or sing. Use this vowel in your name to centre yourself and balance your energies. You can draw on this energy for use in daily life in physical activity, balance, security and meditation.

OOH – SACRAL CHAKRA “OOH” is the deepest vowel sound we can make. Sound it by pushing out the lips as far as they can go but make sure the jaw is dropped so that you get a deep feeling that goes right down deep into the body. A pinched “OOH” will not be associated with the sacral area. This is the vowel of creativity and sexuality. It is in the words ‘womb’ (wOOHmb) and ‘wooing’. Human (hOOHman) life is created through the womb of the woman (wOOHman). It is also the vowel of comfort and sensuality. We are “soothed” by ‘food’, mothers “coo’ to their babies to give comfort and reassurance at the deepest level. When we ask the question “who am I?” the “OOH’ we are directing this query to is our deeper being, our divine self. We are all human beings and the word “human” is made up of “OOH” and “AAH”, a combination of the Divinity and Creator within and the Heart of Unconditional Love. If only we could live up to that name we all carry.

AW – SOLAR PLEXIS This vowel sound is connected with the will and our determination. Sound “AW” by pushing out the lips with the mouth well open and jaw dropped. “AW” has rich overtones that give it an intense quality and this relates to the use of our will to make things happen. It also can make us feel a resistance to doing our duty. The phrase “I ought to” contains resistance and resentment and we can be ‘distraught’ and ‘overwrought’. We can apply “force” to achieve and this can be positive. Use the “AW” in your name to develop more will to succeed. If you feel the resistance, let it go by sounding out “AW” and thinking of the solar plexus. Use “AW” to develop your potential.

OH – BELLY “OH” is closely connected to AH and is sounded with the same open mouth but with the lips a little forward and a relaxed tongue. This vowel is also associated with the solar plexus. In meditation practices, the body is settled physically into a position centred around this point, in martial arts called “the one point”. It makes us feel centred and secure

EH – THROAT CHAKRA When sounding EH make sure your jaw is a little relaxed and not up tight Your mouth should not be a slit but open enough for the sound to leave freely. This is a reflection of what we need to do when we communicate with others. We say “Hello” (hEHllo) to greet one another and prepare to listen and relate.

The throat chakra is associated with communication and self-expression. This chakra links the heart with the head, combining aspects of both to make that mix of heart and head we use in daily life. Success in relationships is closely associated with the ability to communicate clearly and well, using both heart and head. Communication is not a oneway street, the “EH” vowel prepares us to listen as well as to speak. If you find it difficult or frightening to express yourself, sounding out “EH” can help you to loosen up blockages in the throat chakra. We cry for help (hEHlp) when in need of the care of others. The “EH” vowel in your name can keep you relating well to others in both your personal relationships and working life.

IH – BROW CHAKRA This vowel is pronounced as in “it”. Sound “IH” by feeling the vibrations in behind the nose and eyes. Do not project “IH” forcefully from the mouth or you will lose the allimportant upper harmonics. This vowel is associated with our spiritual development, intuition and psychic abilities.

This is a sound with higher, finer vibrations, helping to open up our intuitive perceptions. If you are living up to the “IH “in your name you will be able to progress along this path. This vowel needs the balancing of earthconnected vowels such as “OOH” and “OH” especially in our modern life-style which is often mentally busy and distracted. Meditation can also create that centred and secure connection to the earth as can gardening and physical activity and walking with bare feet.

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EE – CROWN CHAKRA

This vowel is sounded with the mouth just open as a slit, but keep the jaw a little open. Do not close the teeth and keep the tongue down. This vowel has the highest vibrations of all and is linked to the head and beyond. The force of “EEH”

we are giving extra emphasis to those words that start with the precious expulsion of our life force. The shape of H shows two forces being kept in balance by a third horizontal keeping them away from each other but joining them also. When “heart” and “head’, are in balance we have can project your energies forward and stimulate you to “happiness” we feel “whole”, we have “hope’ “humility”, act. We can spiritually awake and “see”, or can just “be” “harmony” we feel “healed”. We are loving “humans” and and find the “key” to our life. This vowel also expresses the we are “home”. Don’t misuse your “H” and create a “hell” wholeness of ourselves “me”. The concentrated energy of instead of a “heaven”, the life force is to be used for loving this vowel makes it difficult to sustain toning it for very long purposes. and as with “IH” a balance is needed with lower vibrational sounds or physical activity to give grounding.

EYE – EGO The vowel “EYE” is really a combination of “AH” and “EE” but is thought of as one vowel and refers to our “I” self and stands for our ego and individuality. The words “my’ and “mine” both contain “EYE” as does the big question - “why?” We deal with everyday questions and decisions with our “mind” (mEYEnd). This vowel is necessary to us in daily life and is useful in defining ourselves and our own individuality. To sound this vowel you will need to tone “AAHEE.” This is the vowel of questioning and seeking, of defining and understanding ourselves, and is symbolic of and helpful in the personal journey.

Consonants Not all consonants can be toned but other characteristics can be learned from them.

L This consonant creates vibrations in the hard palette, filling the head with sound. It is the source of vibration and is the creative consonant representing the roots of creative activity.

In tantric yoga the chant for the root chakra is LAM and L is therefore also associated with the base or root chakra from which the creative energy of Kundalini rises. The word “Love” starts with and is propelled forward by the vibration created by “L”. The Muslim word for God “Allah” is a combination of “AH” for the heart and “L” for the seeds of the vibrations of life itself. The Christian “alleluia” also contains the driving force of the vibrations of life along with “AH” for the heart, “EH” for communication from the heart, and “EE” for the enlightenment achieved when all is balanced.

M

C and K “C” and “K” are hard explosives and give the image of a strike. The “K” sound can also cut through other sounds.

When sounded it creates an explosion in the mouth and throat which stimulates the nervous system. It is a call to be awake or to awaken. It is a cleansing sound and shocks us into consciousness of our higher being. “Christ” awakened mankind and shocked us into awareness through His sacrifice, to enable transformation. This is a transformative vowel and a wake-up call.

This is a consonant expressing pleasure, safety and deep contentment. It is also associated with the energy of “mother” and the feminine. It is easy to make this sound and is passive in that it does not direct outwards but inwards.

This makes “M” a sound for surrendering, letting go without confrontation of any sort. It resonates gently in the head where it calms and soothes, leading us to meditation.

R

This is a potent consonant, both in the straight form and the rolled “R”. It forces forward and can aggressively propel the other vowels and consonants forward. It causes H actions to be set in motion and can be overheated. Words “H” is an expression of the breath and as such is the most like “Roar”, “Rant”, “Rage”, “Riot”, “Rip”, “Ram”, spiritual of the consonants. Breath is the very basis of life “Ransack”, “Rude”, Ruin”, ”Revolt” and “Rush” are just a and came before sound. Sound is created by breath. The few examples of the power of this consonant. When we are breathing is a mechanism whereby we take in the life force cold we say ”BRRR” to warm ourselves up. The Egyptian and regulate its passage throughout the body. It creates God of the sun was “Ra” and we say “Ra,Ra,Ra” when an anticipation of whatever word is to be vocalized, and barracking for out team. “R” is the consonant for being The Magus Opus - Autumn - 40

determined and purposeful, we use “re” in front of words to indicate trying again. This can also be a strong consonant to propel us forward into learning and growing spiritually, its fiery aspect creating a burning desire for truth and the determination to succeed.

of the same coin. This is symbolized by the caduceus, an ancient symbol of spiritual traditions and healing.

V

The consonant “V” expresses a vitality and potency felt strongly on the lips as an invigorating buzz. Other words S like “vim” and “vigour” also show us this wonderful bright This consonant represents the spirit or the life force itself. energy, physical and mental. This consonant is associated It inspires us and purifies and nurtures intuition. Hissing with the sacral chakra, the sexual centre. Virility is the male also generates heat and warmth, “sun” starts with “S” as expression of this energy and associated words are “virgin” does “sound”, the primordial energy. “Soul “ and “spirit” and “virtue”. are another two important “S” words. The soul holds the meaning of our lives and the patterning we have created is our essence (a word with double “s”). The spirit is the divine source that enables us to become one with the divinity. This By sounding out your name and toning it, by lengthening fine energy can also be corrupted by the darker side of our the time you spend on each vowel and consonant, you can nature and those with “s” in their name need to be vigilant start to understand the meanings in your given name and against darker forces such as Satan and negative sorcery. to assess how these can influence your life for the better.

The “S” is also linked to our senses and the mental plane You may also come to understand your own tendencies and in particular. Singing is the life-force given mental shape strengths. The way you and other people pronounce your and the soothsayer is the sayer of the truth through speech. name can have a strong effect on perceptions about you. For Sight operates on all planes, physical, mental and spiritual example, choosing to shorten your name may or may not be including the psychic and psychological. a good idea. We also grow and change and a baby version of The “S” shape is that of a serpent and of a wave when placed sideways. The wave represents the sound wave by which energy travels. In Yogic tradition the serpent is the symbol of the kundilini energy curled at the base of the spine, which can be awakened to rise up through the chakras. “S” is symmetrical and balanced, representing the complimentary states of “sound” and “silence”, two sides

our name may not suit us now. I have a sister who has added the “AH” vowel to her name and feels it suits her present growth and direction better.

The most important thing is to promote the positive and creative attributes of your name so that you can fulfill the purpose you are here for and for which you were born and given your name.

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Creepy Cakes The Horror House

H

alloween is about so many things, but one of my favorites is Chocolate and there is simply no better chocolate than cake chocolate, mmmmmm, cake chocolate.

This creepy mansion is the perfect final dessert to your frightful Halloween party. Photocopy the cake templates in the back of the magazine, and trace them onto black construction card. Also you will need 2 foam boards, one 9 inches and the other 11 inches, 11 wooden dowels around a centimeter thick. This cake requires a lot of steps but the end result is truly worth it. Follow the instructions closely, deviation will result in disaster.

Firstly you will need to make the cakes, do this in three separate batches.

Cake Batter: Makes enough for one 9-inch cake and one 11-inch cake 1.

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutchprocess cocoa powder 2.

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water

3.

3 3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted

4.

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

5.

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

6.

15 ounces (3 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

7.

2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar

8.

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

9.

5 large eggs, room temperature

10.

1 1/4 cups whole milk

Directions 1.

Mix cocoa powder and boiling water in a bowl until smooth. Let cool.

2.

Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.

Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl as needed.

3.

Pour milk into cocoa mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking until smooth. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with cocoa-milk mixture, starting and ending with flour mixture. Use immediately.

After making the batter, remembering to do so in three separate batches, preheat the oven to 175ºC (350ºF). Butter three 11-by-2-inch round cake pans and three 9-by2-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of these with grease proof paper and then apply butter. After, dusting the pans with cocoa powder, and tapping out the excess, pour 5 cups devil’s food cake batter into each 11-inch pan and 3 cups batter into each 9-inch pan. When baking, ensure that you rotate the cake pans halfway through the cooking process. Cook the cakes until testers inserted in centres come out clean, which should be anywhere from 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cakes cool in pans on wire racks.

While the cakes are cooling, make this easy terrone that will be used later for the steps.

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Ingredients • 4 (8-x-11-inch) sheets edible wafer paper or rice paper* •

2 cups hazelnuts

•

¼ Cup water

•

1¼ Cups sugar

•

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

•

1 cup clover or other mild honey

•

3 large egg whites

•

¼ Teaspoon salt

Special equipment: candy thermometer

Note: Edible wafer paper is available at specialty baking shops or online. Torrone keeps in an airtight container in a dry place at cool room temperature 2 weeks.

While the terrone is sitting and cooling, we should get onto making those cookie decoration, to make the cookie batter follow the recipe below:

Ingredients Makes 1 haunted house, 2 doors, 1 spooky tree, 2 triangle stands, and assorted tombstones •

FOR THE COOKIES

Instructions

•

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Heat oven to 275º. Line the bottom of a 9-x-13-inch baking dish with rice paper.

• 1 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for dusting

Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet; bake until roasted and skins come off easily, about 25 minutes. Wrap nuts in a clean dish towel; rub to remove loose skins.

•

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

•

1 teaspoon coarse salt

•

6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

•

1 1/4 cups sugar

•

1 large egg, room temperature

In a heavy medium saucepan, heat remaining 1 cup sugar and honey over medium-low heat until just beginning to bubble. Using a pastry brush dipped in cold water, wash any sugar crystals down side of pot. Put candy thermometer into syrup and continue heating, stirring occasionally, until mixture registers 315º (upper end of hard crack stage).

•

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

•

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

•

FOR THE DECORATIONS

•

Unsalted butter, for parchment

•

3 tablespoons water

When thermometer reaches 300°, place egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk; beat until whites just hold stiff peaks. Remove syrup from heat and let stand until bubbles dissipate.

•

1 cup sugar

•

Royal Icing and Fleur-de-lis

Combine water and ¼ Cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once sugar is dissolved, add chocolate and stir to melt; reduce heat to low to keep warm.

With mixer at low speed, slowly add syrup to egg whites in a thin stream down side of bowl; increase speed to high and beat until mixture doubles in size. Turn mixer off, let mixture settle, then return speed to high, beating until mixture begins to stick to whisk, about 5 minutes. Add chocolate and nuts; beat on medium speed to combine.

Increase speed to high and mix until well combined, about 5 to 7 minutes more.

Spoon torrone mixture into prepared baking dish; spread to an even layer. Cover top with rice paper and refrigerate uncovered, until firm, about 8 hours.

• 5 black liquorice laces, 1 lace cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces, halved lengthwise, remaining laces for windows •

1 piece black liquorice twist (2 inches long)

•

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

• Shelled sunflower seeds for roof tiling plus 1 unshelled for doorway Directions 1.

Make the cookies: Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla.

Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 3 additions. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2 hours.

Run a knife around edges of pan. Invert torrone onto a cutting board. Leaving wafer paper on, trim ends, and cut torrone into 1½-x-3-inch Bars. Wrap each bar in parch2.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove 1 disk of ment paper.

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dough from refrigerator, and let stand until room temperature. Lightly dust 2 large sheets of parchment with cocoa powder, and roll 1 disk of dough between sheets to 1/4inch thickness. Transfer to a baking sheet, and freeze until very firm, about 15 minutes. Remove top parchment sheet, and place haunted-house template on dough. Using a craft knife, cut out house. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough and templates.

3.

Bake, rotating halfway, until firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer parchment with cookies to wire racks, and let cool.

4.

Decorate the cookies: Place a large sheet of parchment on a baking sheet, and lightly butter parchment.

Transfer house and doors to parchment.

5.

Make the windows: Prepare an ice-water bath.

Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Continue to cook, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, until syrup comes to a boil. Boil, swirling pan occasionally, until syrup turns medium amber.

Immediately remove from heat, and place pan in ice-water bath.

then press sunflower seeds into chocolate in a straight row, pointed edge down. Repeat with chocolate and remaining seeds, “tiling” both roofs, and overlapping rows of seeds slightly.

10.

Make the windows and doors: Cut remaining liquorice laces to match dimensions of windows. Halve each lace lengthwise. Pipe thin lines of chocolate along windowpanes. Press liquorice into chocolate. Pipe a thin line of chocolate over doorway, and press 4 shelled sunflower seeds into chocolate, centring the unshelled seed in middle. Let stand until set.

11.

Using a small offset spatula, spread a thick line of royal icing along long, straight edge of haunted-house triangle stand. Gently press triangle against back of hauntedhouse cookie on left-hand side, supporting cookie between 2 large cans. Repeat with second triangle on right-hand side, and let stand until icing is set, about 30 minutes.

(Cookie will keep at room temperature for up to 1 week.)

See I told you this recipe was a lot of steps, but you

6.

Working quickly, carefully spoon some caramel into hauntedhouse windows, doorway, and door windows, filling each flush with top of cookie. Let stand until cool and hardened.

7.

Make the spires: Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/8-inch round tip with royal icing. Carefully flip house over, and pipe a horizontal line of icing just below top edge of lower roof.

Press 1 end of each halved liquorice lace into icing to form a row of spires.

8.

Make the chimney: Make a vertical 1/2-inch cut in bottom half of liquorice twist, then cut off 1 flap.

Insert a 1-inch length of liquorice lace into top hole of liquorice twist. Pipe a 1/2-inch-long vertical line of royal icing just below edge of top roof, and press flat end flush against house into icing. Let stand until set, about 10 minutes.

9.

Make the roof: Flip house over. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip with melted chocolate. Starting at base of roof, pipe 1 line of chocolate along entire edge, The Magus Opus - Autumn - 45

should have most of it ready to assemble now. First we need to create some butter cream icing:

or frozen for up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature before using; beat on low speed until smooth.)

Ingredients

Ok, now remove the grease proof paper and trim the tops of each cake to create a flat surface, and reserve the trimmings. Take one of the 11-inch cakes and secure it to the corresponding-size round foam board with a dab of chocolate butter cream. After this spread 2 cups of butter cream icing on top. Stack another 11-inch cake on top of the frosting, and frost as before. Top with remaining 11inch cake and Spread 1 cup frosting over top and sides of tier, scraping lightly to create a crumb coat, and refrigerate until frosting is firm which should be about 30 minutes.

Spread 2 cups frosting over entire tier until smooth.

Makes 12 cups 1.

10 large egg whites

2.

2 1/2 cups sugar

3.

32 ounces (8 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

4.

24 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

Directions 1.

Whisk whites and sugar in a heat proof mixer bowl until combined. Set bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water, whisking until sugar dissolves and mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes.

2.

Transfer bowl to mixer, and whisk on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and mixture is cool, about 10 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until incorporated before adding more. Reduce speed to low, and whisk in chocolate. Raise speed to medium-high, and whisk until well combined. (Butter cream can be refrigerated up to 3 days

Repeat this process with the 9-inch cake layers, using 1 cup frosting between layers, 1/2 cup for crumb coat, and 1 cup for the final coat. Trim 5 dowels to height of 9-inch tier and 6 to height of 11-inch tier. Insert dowels in corresponding tiers in a circle 2 1/2 inches from the edge of cake.

Now centre the 9-inch tier over the 11-inch tier and press gently to secure. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip with the remaining butter cream and pipe pearls around bottoms of tiers.

Now Cut the toothpicks in half and insert them into torrone, which has been cut into blocks and push these into cake to create steps, starting from the top of 9-inch tier and curving to bottom of 11inch tier. After this use a vegetable peeler to shave milk chocolate, and sprinkle over tops of both tiers.

Now for the most difficult part, carefully transfer the cookie house to the top of cake and then press the cookie doors into the cake at the front of house. Now decorate the cake with the cookie tree, tombstones, and anything else desired.

Press caretaker cookie onto top of cake, behind house door. Arrange a flashlight behind cake to shine through door and windows.

This creepy cake will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 days, but as always is better eaten fresh. For all our readers, submit a photograph of your cake to win a fantastic prize pack. The winners will be announced next issue.

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Your Cooking Guide The Magus Opus - Autumn - 48

Cooking For The Cooler Months For The Season The Magus Opus - Autumn - 49

Asparagus with citrus hollandaise Serves 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 8 minutes

24 asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed 185 g (6 ½ oz) butter 4 egg yolks 1-2 tbl lemon, lime or orange juice shavings of parmesan or pecorino cheese (optional)

1.

Put the asparagus in a saucepan of boiling water, simmer for 2-4 minutes, or until just tender. Drain well.

2.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Skim any froth from the top and discard. Allow the butter to cool.

3.

Combine the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and whisk for 30 seconds, or until pale and creamy. Place the pan over very low heat and continue whisking for 3 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.

4.

Remove from the heat. Add the cooled butter gradually, whisk continually (leave the way in the bottom of the pan). Stir in the lemon, lime or orange juice to taste. Drizzle the sauce over the asparagus and garnish with cheese shavings (if desired).

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Haloumi with salad and garlic bread Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

4 firm tomatoes 1 Lebanese (short) cucumber 140 g (5 oz/4 cups) rocket (arugula) 80 g (2 ¼ oz/ ½ cup) kalamata olives 1 loaf crusty unsliced white bread 100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) olive oil 1 large garlic clove, halved 400 g (14 oz) haloumi cheese 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon chopped oregano

1.

Preheat oven to 180° C (350° F/gas 4). Heat the grill (broiler) to high.

2.

Cut the tomatoes and cucumber into bite-size chunks and place in a serving dish with the rocket and olives. Mix well.

3.

Slice the bread into eight 1.5 cm (5/8 inch) slices, drizzle 1 ½ tablespoons of the olive oil over the bread and season. Grill until lightly golden, then rub each slice thoroughly with a cut side of the garlic. Wrap loosely in foil and keep warm in the oven.

4.

Cut the haloumi into eight slices. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a shallow frying pan and fry the haloumi slices for 1-2 minutes each side, or until crisp and golden brown.

5.

Whisk together the lemon juices, oregano and remaining olive oil to make a dressing. Season to taste. Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss well. Arrange the haloumi an top and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serve immediately with the warm garlic bread.

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Herb pancakes with avocado butter Makes about 50

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

60 g (2 ½ oz/ ½ cup) plain (all purpose) flour 60 g (2 ½ oz/ ½ cup) self-ring flour 1 egg, lightly beaten 125 ml (4 fl oz/ ½ cup) milk 4 tablespoons finely chopped mixed herbs.

Avocado Butter ½ avocado 60 g (2 ½ oz) butter 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

1.

Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, milk, herbs and 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper and gradually ass to the flour, whisking until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.

2.

Heat a frying pan and brush with melted butter. Drop teaspoons of batter into the pan and cook until bubbles appear on top. Turn and cook until golden underneath. Keep warm while you repeat with the rest of the batter.

3.

To make the avocado butter, mix the avocado, butter, lemon or lime juice and ½ teaspoon black cracked pepper in a small bowl until smooth, then spread over the pancakes. Garnish with black cracked pepper and serve.

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Rack of lamb with herb crust and spooky jacket potatoes Serves: 4 Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes 2 x 6-rib racks of lamb, French-trimmed 1 tablespoon oil 80g (2 ¾ oz/1 cup) fresh breadcrumbs 3 garlic cloves 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley 2 teaspoons thyme leaves ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 60g (2 ¼ oz) butter, softened 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) beef stock 1 garlic clove, extra, finely chopped 1 thyme sprig 1. preheat overn to 250°c (500°F/Gas 9). Score the fat on the lamb racks in a diamond pattern. Rub with a little oil and season.

2.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat, add the lamb racks and brown for 4-5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Do not wash the pan as you will need it later.

3.

In a large bowl, mix breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, thyme leaves and lemon zest. Season, then mix in the butter to form a paste.

4.

Firmly press a layer of breadcrumb mixture over the fat on the lamb rack, leaving the bones and base clean. Bake in a roasting tin for 12 minutes for medium-rare. Rest the lamb on a plate while you make the jus and the jacket potatoes.

5.

To make the jus, add the beef stock, extra garlic and thyme sprig to the roasting tin juices, scaping the pan. Return this liquid to the original frying pan and simmer over high heat for 5-8 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced. Strain before serving 6.

Jacket potatoes: bake medium sized potatoes in their skins and then cut in half. Scoop out the potato flesh into a bowl and mash with a knob of butter and a little milk or cream. Season and then pile back into potato shells. Smooth the surface of the potatoes and then squeez the potato halves about one third of the way down so that a slight dent forms I each side. Decorate this end of the potato with small pieces of black olive to look like eyes and a mouth. Serve with lamb and jus.

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Bug and butterfly sandwiches Makes 8 Preparation time: 30 minutes No cooking 24 slices white bread from a ready sliced loaf 300g tub cheese spread 12 slices lean ham 42 Twiglets or potato chipsticks 14 small cherry tomatoes 2 pitted black olives, cut into rings 4 radishes, trimmed 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into six sticks ½ a mini cucumber, thinly sliced A few chives 1. cut off the crusts from the bread and, reserving about 2 tsp cheese spread, cover each slice with the remainder.

Lay slices of ham over 12 slices and then sandwich together.

2.

To make the Ugly Bugs, stamp out a 10cm/4in round from six of the sandwiches using a pastry cutter. Press 6 Twiglets or chipsticks round the side of the circles to look like legs. Break the other Twiglets or chipsticks in half and set aside.

3.

Spread a little of the reserved cheese spread on the bottom of 12 cherry tomatoes and press onto the bread in pairs to resemble eyes. Top with a small amount of the reaming cheese spread and sit a piece of olive on top. Use the broken Twiglets or chipsticks as antennae. Quarter the remaining tomatoes and arrange as mouths on the bugs.

4.

For the butterflies, stamp out a butterfly shape from each of the remaining sandwiches and arrange the sliced vegetables on top to make the pattern of butterfly wings. Arrange 2 chives on each as antennae.

5.

Place the sandwiches on a large flat plate to serve.

Tip: fill the sandwiches with any filling you like and butter the bread first if preferred. For a sweet version, fill with chocolate spread and decorate with sweets and mini marshmallows. Cover with clear wrap to prevent the sandwiches from drying before serving.

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Strawberries Romanoff Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

No cooking time

750 g (1 lb 10 oz) strawberries, quartered 2 tablespoons Cointreau ¼ teaspoon finely grated orange zest 1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar 125 ml (4 fl oz/ ½ cup) pouring (whipping) cream 2 tablespoons icing (confectioner’s) sugar

1. combine the strawberries, Cointreau, orange zest and cater sugar in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Drain the strawberries, reserving any juices. Purée about one-quarter of the berries with the reserved juices.

2.

Divide the remaining berries among four glasses. Beat the cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form, then fold the berry purée through the whipped cream. Spoon the mixture over the top of the strawberries, cover and refrigerate until required.

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Stuffed Chicken Breast and Root Vegetables A basic chicken and vegetable dinner takes on an elegant touch with the addition of mushrooms and pesto.

INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts 3/4 cup basil leaves 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese Salt 24 baby yellow beets or 4 sliced and peeled red beets 24 baby carrots or 4 sliced and peeled large carrots 24 baby parsnips or 4 sliced and peeled parsnips Salt and freshly ground pepper 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch strips 1 1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms (shiitakes, chanterelles, oysters, morels or buttons), cleaned and cut into 1/4-inch slices Salt and freshly ground pepper 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (5 to 7 ounces each) Place first 4 ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined, scraping sides along the way. Season with salt to taste.

Fill a large saucepan 3/4 full with salted water; bring to a boil. Add beets and cook 10 to 12 minutes, until almost tender. Add carrots and parsnips and cook 5 more minutes. Remove vegetables and let cool.

Preheat oven to 375°. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and garlic in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat; cook pepper and mushrooms until wilted, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place 1 chicken breast between plastic wrap and carefully pound until breast is 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove plastic wrap and spread 1/4 of pesto on chicken breast. Add 1/4 of mushroom-pepper mixture on top. Carefully roll up chicken (jelly roll fashion); secure with toothpicks. Repeat with each breast. In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and sauté rolled breasts over medium-high heat until golden, turning to brown all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and place in oven 10 to 13 minutes.

Over medium-high heat, sauté 2 tablespoons olive oil and vegetables just until hot, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove chicken from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes. Remove toothpicks and slice crosswise into 11/2-inch slices.

Plate 3 to 4 slices per person with baby vegetables.

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Strawberry and Peach Tartlets with Fromage Blanc Makes 8-10 servings

INGREDIENTS 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, chilled and cut into small pieces 1 cup fromage blanc or mix 3/4 cup cream cheese with 1/4 cup sour cream 8 strawberries, thinly sliced 2 peaches, thinly sliced Caramel sticks or candied flowers (optional garnish) Combine flour, almonds, sugar and salt in a food processor. Pulse until nuts are finely ground. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Slowly add 2 tablespoons of cold water, pulsing several times to form a moist ball. Remove dough and knead briefly. Divide into 8 equal pieces, flatten each into a disc and cover in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours, until firm.

Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll each disc into a 3 1/2-inch circle and place in 2 1/2-inch tart shells. Glide a rolling pin over shells to trim edges. Pierce holes in dough with fork tines. Freeze 15 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. If dough is bubbling, re-pierce with fork. Continue baking 5 to 7 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven; cool completely. Fill each shell with fromage blanc. Fan out 1 strawberry and a few slices of peach. Garnish, if desired

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Sweetcorn in garlic butter crust Serves 4 4 ripe cobs of corn 150 g (5 oz) butter 2 tbsp olive oil 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 100 g (3 ½ oz) 1 cup wholemeal breadcrumbs 1 tbsp chopped parsley 1.

Boil the corn cobs in salted water until tender, then leave to cool.

2.

Melt the butter, and add the oil, garlic and black pepper. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish. Roll the corn cobs in the melted butter mixture and then in the breadcrumbs.

3.

Grill the cobs under a high grill until the breadcrumbs are golden.

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Tapenade–stuffed cherry tomatoes Serves 4 – 6 30 cherry tomatoes 225 g (8 oz) black pitted olives 50 g (2 oz) green pitted olives 2 small cloves garlic 3 small canned anchovy fillets 1 tbsp virgin olive oil 5 tbsp mayonnaise Small sprigs of fresh thyme 1 tbsp dry sherry Fresh parsley or cilantro 1.

Wash and dry cherry tomatoes and take a small slice off the tope of each one. Using a small spoon, scoop out the inside and discard the flesh and seeds. Place the tomatoes on kitchen paper, cut side down, to drain.

2.

Put the olives, garlic, anchovy fillets, olive oil, and mayonnaise in a food processor. Strip the leaves from the thyme stems and add to the processor.

3.

Process for one minute, scraping the mixture down the sides as necessary. Add the sherry and process briefly.

Add extra mayonnaise to taste.

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Absinthe

A

bsinthe has been the esoteric liqueur of choice of sorcerers for generations. Absinthe is a strong emerald green alcoholic liqueur made with the bitter herb wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). There are of course other herbs in the liqueur, it is however the wormwood that gives Absinthe a bitter taste. Wormwood, in ancient times was always a herb of magick with many helpful properties, such as the ability to call spirits and to provide protection and power. Wormwood though was also associated with a spiritual bitterness and was named after Queen Artemis of Caria, who suffered terrible grief at the loss of her husband, not the goddess Artemis, although she is the sacred goddess of the herb. Due to its bitterness, the ancient Greeks called wormwood, absinthe, which means without sweetness or undrinkable.

The most famous reference to Wormwood is from the Biblical chapter of Revelations: “And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters. And the name of the star is called Wormwood, and the third part of the waters became wormwood, and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.”

Biblical legend states that wormwood sprang up in the wake of the serpent’s tail as it left the Garden of Eden, as a barrier to prevent its return; thus, snakes are believed not to enter a garden where wormwood is growing.

This spiritual bitterness is said to have represented loss, particularly in association with the giving up of attachments to various aspects of consensus reality. This practice was undertaken by those seeking the spiritual power and illumination that results from personal transformation.

Wormwood ale has been used since ancient times, but it was not until the early 1600’s that “wormwood water”, started to be produced in England, and following that the original Absinthe was invented in 1792 by French doctor, Pierre Ordinaire, who after fleeing from The French Revolution, came to settle in Switzerland. Most rural doctors in these days prepared their own herbal remedies for health, and Pierre being no exception, learnt some of the properties of wormwood from ancient manuscripts and began to experiment with it. Dr. Ordinaries’ recipe included the following herbs: wormwood, anise, hyssop, Dittany of Crete, sweet flag, melissa (lemon balm) and varying amounts of coriander, veronica, chamomile and parsley. The 136 proof elixir produced in his sixteen litre still became popular as a cure-all, and due to its peculiar effects on consciousness it was nicknamed La Fee Verte (The Green Faery). After his death, Dr. Ordinaries’ recipe was passed through various hands until it finally came to rest with another Frenchman named Pernod.

Henri-Louis Pernod opened the first Absinthe distillery in Switzerland in 1797, and following in 1805, he opened the first French absinthe factory, “Pernod Fils”, in Pontarlier, France. The original Absinthe recipe conceived

by Pernod included anise, fennel, hyssop, melissa (lemon balm), angelica, star anise, Dittany of Crete, juniper, nutmeg, and veronica. At first, “Pernod Fils” had only two stills, but as business increased, a new factory was built.

Travellers and soldiers began to come to the still and soon word of Absinthe and its marvellous properties spread throughout France. Rations of Absinthe were given to the French soldiers for the treatment of bacterial infections during the Algerian War (1844-1847), and brought a taste for it back to France. It was also at this time, after Absinthe had received some popularity, that it became popular with the Bohemians and the wider The T Th he M Ma Magus agguus Op O Opus pus us - Autumn Autum uuttuum mn - 63 63

artistic community as it was thought to stimulate creativity not to mention is curative and aphrodisiac like qualities.

Absinthe is known to have inspired some of the greatest artistic and literary minds of the past, such as Louis Letrac, the famous artists, who’s favourite drink was, “Le Earthquake” (The earthquake), which consists of 2 neat shots of Absinthe and 2 neat shots of a good quality cognac, the drink is also referred to in France as “Le Terribl” (The Terrible).

The French bourgeoisie’s favourite drink at this time was also Absinthe, with the aristocracy celebrating the “l’heure verte,” the green hour. By the turn of the century, Absinthe had a daily production of 30,000 litres and was being distributed on an international basis. Unfortunately though on the 11th of August, 1901, “Pernod’s Fils”, was struck by lightning, and burned out of control for four days; afterward, it was quickly rebuilt and the flow of absinthe resumed.

Absinthe now had an international distribution and was soon being sold as the Green Opal, Herb Sainte and Milky Way, in New Orleans, home of Hoodoo, the Old Absinthe House at 240 Bourbon Street, was frequented by many famous people, including the pirate Jean Lafitt, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Walt Whitman and of course my friend and yours Aleister Crowley. Absinthe at the house in New Orleans was served in the traditional French manner: stationed along the long bar were marble fountains with ice cubes perched above the glasses on a slotted spoon. Absinthe Houses soon spread to San Francisco, Chicago and New York and Absinthe became one of the few alcoholic beverages that women were permitted to drink in public.

However as all people in authority don’t like nor respect the power of plants, Absinthe, in particular the wormwood component of it, was believed to produce a

syndrome, called absinthism. Absinthism was characterized by addiction, epileptic attacks, delirium and hallucinations.

Absinthism was actually caused by fake absinthe, which through the addition of poisonous additives such as copper sulphate (a chemical that was added to produce a green colour), and antimony trichloride (another chemical added to make the Absinthe turn white when water was added) trusted Absinthe become dangerous.

The Absinthism problems were only compounded when in 1870 blight hit the vineyards, and manufacturers were forced to use industrial alcohol, made from beets and cereal instead of fruits. This ttype of alcohol required ttwo distillations, and uunscrupulous manufacturers ssold impure ethanol ((drinking alcohol) made with only one distillation. w Thus, a rather toxic form T oof fake absinthe began to aappear alongside of the rreal thing, and the health pproblems that resulted were bblamed on the wormwood.

IIn 1905, Frenchman Jean LanFray murdered his wife L aafter drinking two glasses oof absinthe, and his trial was called the “Absinthe w Murder” by the press.

M Crude experiments were C pperformed, wherein large amounts of wormwood oil were injected into animals, resulting in convulsions; the fact that wormwood oil was never used in absinthe, and the quantities used represented more wormwood than any person could ever accumulate in their body, didn’t faze the critics. Absinthe was blamed for everything from dementia, criminality and degeneracy to epilepsy and tuberculosis.

As a result, absinthe was banned in Switzerland shortly after LanFray’s trial. It was banned in France on 17 March 1915, and throughout most of Europe shortly thereafter.

Since absinthe never caught on in Britain, it was never banned there. On July 25, 1912, the US Department of Agriculture issued Food Inspection Decision 147, which banned absinthe in the United States.

In our current times though, people are beginning to

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understand the power of plants and that most things that grow in the dirt, in the ground really can’t be made illegal and Absinthe is making a come back, you can find Absinthe in most Australian bottle shops now from $90 $200.

HOW TO DRINK ABSINTHE Although absinthe is sometimes drunk straight or in a variety of mixed drinks, the classic method of drinking it involves dribbling ice cold water over a sugar cube on a slotted spoon into a glass of absinthe (three to five parts water to absinthe). As the water hits the absinthe, the drink changes from a clear emerald colour to an opaque, milky white. One then sips it slowly, relishing the clearing of the mind and the onset of a truly spiritual experience.

Afterwards, the effects of the alcoholic content take hold.

There were several types of specialized absinthe drinking paraphernalia. The most famous one is the slotted spoon.

The spoon sits on top of the glass, and the spoon’s holes serve to allow the water to carry the sugar into the glass. The six-ounce absinthe glass has a pattern, line or indentation part way up from the base of the glass to indicate the level of absinthe to be used. Typically, when the absinthe is served, one has the glass, the spoon, sugar cubes, a carafe of cold water, and of course, the absinthe.

was used by the ancient Egyptians to expel worms from people and animals, as well as for an insect repellent. It contains anti-malarial substances, and was used against fever. Wormwood also has liver protecting qualities, due to the presence of anti-oxidants and calcium blockers. It has been shown to block the growth of some types of bacteria. Wormwood contains vitamin B, C and D. Women in ancient times applied wormwood to their nipples to help wean their babies. Substances in wormwood that are washed into the soil by rain tend to inhibit the growth of other plants nearby.

In Asia, wormwood has been used for centuries to a variety of things. The Chinese used it to relieve migraine headaches, as well as menstrual pain in women. Taken as a soup, they used it to relieve a hangover, cure liver jaundice and relieve the pain of arthritis. In Korea, Japan and China, wormwood rice cakes were a delicacy favoured by the high born and said to ward off disease. Dried wormwood was burned as an incense in houses to sterilize them of disease, twisted in the form of a tiger and hung in a place to ward off illness, and worn in the hair with a thread wrapped around it to ward off misfortune.

Wormwood was one of the symbols of immortality in China, and Taoists consumed it to aid their spiritual

HOW TO MAKE ABSINTHE When making Absinthe make sure that you are using only real wormwood, Artemisia absinthium. Other types of wormwood such as Silver King, Roman (petite) Wormwood, Southernwood, Tarragon, Old Woman, Dusty Miller, Sagebrush, and Levant Wormseed contain little or no thujone, the main active ingredient in absinthe.

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transformation.

Thujone, the main active ingredient in wormwood, was named after the plant from which it was first extracted, thuja. It has variously been called absinthol, tanacetone and salviol. It is contained in a number of other plants, including sage, tansy and white cedar. Thujone accumulates in the body with regular use, and has a mild psychoactive effect. It has a pain killing effect similar to codeine, and has been shown to increase the learning ability of slow learners. When 2.5 kg of wormwood is used to prepare 100 litres of absinthe, about 2-4 mg of thujone will be present. Vermouth, chartreuse and benedictine all contain small amounts of thujone. It is the major component of wormwood oil, and accounts for up to 90% of the oil’s weight; this density makes wormwood oil dangerous to ingest. Thujone is chemically related to THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana.

Anise and fennel contain psychoactive anethole. Anise is what helps the absinthe loache up (turn a milky opalescent colour when you add five times as much water to a shot of the absinthe. It is important when making absinthe to use twice as much anise (or star anise) as wormwood.

Fennel has a long history as an adjunct to spirituality; its oil was traded to temples throughout the ancient Mediterranean area, and it was the “herb of immortality” retrieved by the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh. Angelica root was used by American Indians to induce lucidity and visions. Coriander was used as an aphrodisiac, while lemon balm (melissa) was a curative. Liquorice is an aromatic, used for flavouring. All of the different ingredients used to make Absinthe generally fall into one of these four categories: mind-altering, aphrodisiac, curative or aromatic.

the highest purity and maximum herbal absorption.

Healing herbs are soaked a long time in strong alcohol or water to extract the best flavours and smells. The mixture ripens for a long time, allowing all the herbs, and the main ingredient, wormwood (Artemisa absinthium) to mix and mellow. The final product is re-distilled to a 55 percent alcohol (110 proof) content. In addition to Artemisa absinthium, the main herbal ingredients are anise and fennel, followed by chamomile, coriander, mint, melissa (lemon balm) and others, which are Sebor’s secret.

An Old French Recipe (commercial) An 1855 recipe from Pontarlier, France, gives the following instructions for making absinthe: Macerate 2.5 kilograms of dried wormwood, 5 kilograms of anise and 5 kilograms of fennel in 95 litres of 85 percent ethanol by volume. Let the mixture steep for at least 12 hours in the pot of a double boiler. Add 45 litres of water and apply heat; collect 95 litres of distillate. To 40 litres of the distillate, add 1 kilogram of wormwood, 1 kilogram of hyssop and 500 grams of melissa (lemon balm), all of which have been dried and finely divided.

Extract at a moderate temperature, then siphon off the liquor, filter, and reunite it with the remaining 55 litres of distillate. Dilute with water to produce approximately 100 litres of absinthe with a final alcohol concentration of 74 percent by volume.

Putting the Wormwood back in Pernod

Commercial absinthe is legally made today in Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Denmark and The Czech Republic, and illegally made in France and Switzerland. It was recently reintroduced to Britain by rock and roller John Moore and his import company, Green Bohemia. In other parts of the world, such as Japan, absinthe is legal. In the United States, many users make it at home. One of the best commercial absinthes today is Sebor Absinthe.

Sebor Absinthe

After the ban on absinthe, Pernod and Herb Sainte were produced without wormwood as an ingredient. You can remedy this. Add 1½ tablespoons Wormwood extract (wormwood herb distilled in food grade alcohol) to 1 litre or quart of Pernod or Herb Sainte. **Please note, this extract is also referred to as wormwood water, and IS NOT wormwood oil, which is poisonous when more than a drop or two are used. It is *not* recommended to steep wormwood herb in Pernod, as the results are extremely bitter. The distillation creates a minty and aromatic flavour, whereas the residue (from steeping) creates a persistent bitterness.

First they begin with the finest refined alcohol to assure The M The Ma Magus agguus Op Opus puuss - Autumn Autum tumn um mn - 66 6

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bottle.

HOMEMADE ABSINTHES Easy Absinthe Esoteric Absinthe

(steeped)

(distilled) Ingredients: 30 grams wormwood, 8.5 grams hyssop, 1.8 grams calamus, 6.0 grams melissa (lemon balm), 30 grams anise, 25 grams fennel seed, 10 grams star anise, 3.2 grams coriander. Put the dry herbs in a large jar. Dampen slightly.

Add 800 millilitres of 85-95 percent alcohol. Wine spirits make a better product than pure grain alcohol. Let steep for several days - a week is better - shaking occasionally.

Then add 600 millilitres of water and let the whole macerate for another day. Decant off the liquid squeezing as much from the mass of herb as possible. Wet the herbs with some vodka and squeeze again. Recipe should give a little over a litre and a half of green liquor. It must then be distilled.

Colour the distillate by again adding: 4.2 grams mint, 1.1 grams melissa (lemon balm), 3.0 grams wormwood, 1 gram citron peel, 4.2 grams liquorice root. Let the herbs macerate for another three or four days. Decant, filter,

Ingredients: 1 pint vodka, 2 teaspoons crumbled wormwood (dried), 2 teaspoons anise seed, 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, 4 cardamom pods, 1 teaspoon marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 2 teaspoons chopped angelica root, 1 2/3 cups sugar syrup. Place vodka in large jar with tight fitting lid. Add wormwood and shake well; steep 48 hrs and strain out. Crush seeds and pods in mortar. Add them and all remaining spices to vodka and steep in a warm place for one week. Filter and sweeten. This absinthe is made to drink straight, not in the French manner. The sugar syrup mentioned above is your standard simple syrup.

Another Steeped Absinthe Ingredients: one ounce chopped wormwood, one tablespoon angelica root, one teaspoon hyssop, one half teaspoon coriander seeds, one quarter teaspoon caraway seeds, one pinch cardamom pods, one tablespoon of anise seeds, 750 ml 111 proof vodka. In a glass container add the wormwood to the vodka. Set aside in the dark for ten days. For extra-powerful absinthe, use 151 rum instead of vodka. Then strain out the wormwood and add all the remaining spices and herbs. Wait four more days, then strain these out and serve.

Easy Steeped Absinthe Version 3 Ingredients: one third cup of crumbled wormwood, one tablespoon angelica root, one teaspoon hyssop, one teaspoon anise seeds, one half teaspoon coriander seed, one tablespoon liquorice root, one tablespoon lemon balm, one tablespoon calamis root, one tablespoon star anise, anise extract from two ounces of anise, one litre Everclear or 100 proof vodka, one cup sugar or simple syrup. Steep the wormwood and alcohol in a glass container in the dark for five days, shaking occasionally. Then strain out the wormwood, crush the remaining herbs in a mortar (or any way you can) and add the remaining herbs to the liquid and steep for four days in a warm place. Strain and serve.

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Vampires

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Myth, Magick and Folk Lore The Magus Opus - Autumn - 71

W

e all know the stories of Count Dracula, Nosferatu, Anne Rice’s the vampire chronicles and more recently the Twilight epidemic, but where do the myths and legends of vampires really come from and how real are they? Popular culture has definitely had some input into the profile of a vampire and turned it into something that is for some desirable to become. Vampires have been given this veneer of elegance and beauty and human qualities along with the dark side of being a blood sucking predator giving blood lust a whole new meaning.

Part of the reason vampire stories have become so popular is the lust that vampires have for blood, it is like drugs and sex all in one, the epitome of forbidden pleasure and the temptation of eternal life. There is no doubt that there is great potential for a good story here and not surprisingly most of the popular vampire stories have been extremely successful.

The actual legend of the vampire some would say, originates from Judaic mythology, more specifically the legends of Cain and Lilith from The Book of Nod. The story begins in the Bible when Cain and Able are asked to give a sacrifice of the first parts of their harvest. As we know though,

Cain killed Able and was then banished to the “Lands of Nod” (This is in the bible, Genesis 4:16). As the story continues Cain meets Lilith, the first woman. Lilith in Judaic Mythology was Adam’s first wife, but because she refused to lie with him, Adam got upset and told Jehovah about this “atrocity”. As Jehovah was not pleased, he banished Lilith from the Garden of Eden, to the lands of Nod. It was then that Jehovah made Eve out of one of Adam’s broken ribs so that she would be subservient to him.

The Book of Nod tells of how Cain became a slave to Lilith who in return taught him magick and also made him into one of her monster children, similar to the stories of Edna from Greek Mythology. Cian had the opportunity to be forgiven by god when the four Archangels came to him separately offering gods forgiveness but Cain refused to repent so the angels cursed him to be what he became. Michael told him that he would fear his flaming sward. Raphael told him that him and his children would fear the dawn and the sunlight would seek to burn them. After Cain refusing to accept gods forgiveness again, Ureal cursed him saying “Then for as long as you walk this earth, you and your children will cling to darkness, you will drink only blood, you will eat only ashes, you will be always as you were at death, never dying, living on. You will walk forever in darkness, all you touch will crumble into nothing, until the last days.”

Afterwards Gabriel came to him and told him that god’s mercy was greater than he could know and there was another way to end the curse.

After the Angels visited him, Cain found that he had new powers; how to move as fast as lightning and stand as still as stone. Cain left the dwelling of Lilith and set out to begin his new life, on the path of blood and power and in time Cain learnt of his ability to create others like him and set them loose into the world.

The rest of the Book of Nod continues with Cain returning to the world of mortals and becoming King of the first city Enoch. He began to sire only a selected few of the children of Seth

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and forbid them to have progeny of their own. But soon his children of darkness deceived him and begat the thirteen clans that could possibly still continue to this day.

Bram Stokers novel Dracula written in 1897 was based off various folklore and a real warlord.

The name Dracula was taken from a Romanian count Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, who mainly reigned from 1456 to 1462. Vlad III later became known as Vlad the Impaler because of his brutal way of killing his enemies by impalement. He impaled over 20,000 of the Ottoman army and made a forest of stakes around his castle. His Romanian surname Dracula (also spelled “Draculea”) means “Son of the dragon” this name was given to his father by his people after he joined the Order of the Dragon. However the region that Vlad the Impaler came from is rich in legends of the vampires.

The consensus is that the word vampire derives from the Slavic verb “to drink.” The term was known in England in the late seventeenth century and entered other European languages early in the eighteenth century. Perhaps surprisingly, this term did not make its way to the supposed homeland of vampires (Hungary and Transylvania) until some time afterward. Late in the 17th century and continuing through the 18th the number of reported cases of vampires rose dramatically in Hungary and the Balkans. Stoker’s novel was merely the culminating work of a long series of works that were inspired by the reports coming from the Balkans and Hungary. Stoker, using literary license, combined the historical Vlad with vampire legends and added a veneer of Victorian culture.

Many are just thirsty, and not particular about their sources of nutrition. They have no morals like the vampires of today who choose their victims carefully and function as a wolf in sheep’s clothing amongst other members of society. Rural vampires have been accused of rising from their graves to filch the blood of cows or other available livestock. Unlike the elegant Count Dracula, these revenants are foul smelling and gross, as might be expected from those who are partially decomposed and spend much of their time in a grave.

Although it has been proven that many cows actually died from vampire bats sucking their blood, not actual vampires.

But perhaps this is why in folklore vampires are believed to be able to tern into bats.

Another common feature of folk vampires is that they are rarely, if ever, seen at work. The classic case for the existence of a local vampire is built upon (a) something bad that happened in the night and (b) discovering a corpse in its grave that did not appear sufficiently dead. The corpse might have flecks of blood on its face, especially the lips, and might seem to have changed position. Vampirefinders, accompanied by the bravest of the brave and a representative of the church, sought and opened suspect graves and took measures to ensure that the inhabitants would henceforth remain in place. Decapitation and driving a stake through the heart were among the specific remedies.

The vampires from Slavic folklore were much less appealing There is supporting evidence in the Book of nod that a and elegant than any vampires from popular culture these wooden stake though the heart will kill a vampire. The days. In general, the folk vampire is simpler and cruder, cultural historian Paul Barber claims that because people therefore, folk vampires are not in the least cunning or sexy. didn’t know that much about post-mortem activity in the The Magus Opus - Autumn - 73

body, these legends were created out of ignorance. He gives some explanations on why people may have thought in some cases that the dead had risen from their graves as undead.

One of these theories was that people didn’t realize that gases form in the corpse, sometimes causing post-mortem movement. Also fears of being buried alive were widespread in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Some of these fears were justified, for example, by an epileptic seizure or other loss of consciousness mistaken for death. Other people have connected the medical condition Porphyria to the likeness of vampires because it causes pallor skin, giving the individual a somewhat bloodless appearance also sufferers of Porphyria are highly sensitive to sunlight and therefore are likely to adopt lifestyles resembling the nocturnal vampire.

Now let us go to the subject of psychic vampires. The definition of a psychic vampire is a person who feeds off the life force of other people. Without doing this, these people would loose all strength and eventually die. The term spychic vampire is sometimes abbreviated to psy-vamp, other alternative names are energy vampire, energy predator, energy parasite, and energivore, as well as psionic vampire, pranic vampire, and empathic vampire. Psychic vampires appear in the mythology of many cultures, much like blood sucking vampirism. Regions where belief in psychic vampires is common include Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and rural South America. Some North American Indian cultures, such as the Hopi, also share this belief.

One theory concerning psychic vampires is that they are not connected to the Sephiroth of the Kabalistic Tree of Life but rather the Qlippoth or tree of death. This would mean that the energy they are receiving from their victims is the energy from God that they need to be able to exist on this plane of existence. However this poses many questions that could only be answered with theoretical theological answers.

The term psychic vampire was popularized in the 1960’s.

Anton LaVey from the church of Satan who claimed to have coined the term which he used in book The Satanic Bible.

However the most informative book on psychic vampires is Michelle A. Belanger’s The Psychic Vampire Codex.

incidence of certain illnesses and conditions such as anaemia, fibromyalgia and hemophilia. These studies are interesting to note even though there was no medical evidence to say that the subjects of the survey really had these illnesses.

There are some people who believe that the legends of sanguinarian vampires come from stories of energy vampires, but from my research I have deduced that this is simply not true, psychic vampirism is a separate thing entirely.

There is no doubt that many cultures have acknowledged the existence of energy sucking vampires and unlike bloodsucking vampires, psychic vampires are considered to be non-fictional.

However popular culture has now embraced the fictional vampire and most people accept that vampires are a creature of fantasy and are not interested in where these creatures of myth and legend have come from. But that is the way of legend, it warps and changes as centuries pass.

The new Twilight series is set to change the vampire myths forever, perhaps 500 years from now people will believe that vampires sparkle in the sunlight. I can’t help but think Twilight has taken the legend of the vampire and changed it from being something very dark and mysterious into a little girl’s fantasy of forbidden love between two teenagers who go to the same school. Everyone knows it too.

There is no doubt that vampires are a favourite fictional subject, but to the question of whether sanguinarian vampires, really exist, who knows? You would have to be a vampire to know that or possess privileged information.

Maybe the thirteen clans from Enoch still live as an underground culture, their identities protected by the multitude of pretenders or enthusiasts sporting their prosthetic incisors. And maybe just maybe Cain is sleeping under the ground somewhere, waiting for the day when the moon runs as blood and the sun rises black in the sky the day his children will rise again. In my opinion this is as likely as the rapture. But it is interesting to note that the end times according to the bible share a lot in common with The Signs of Gehenna according to the book of Nod; let us just hope that the end times will not occur in our lifetimes.

There was a scholarly survey done of people claiming to be vampires, either psychic or sanguinarian (blood drinkers) that showed anecdotal evidence of a higher than normal

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Giant Pum

And how

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mpkins

to grow them The Magus Opus - Autumn - 77

H

ere is a comprehensive guide on how to grow your own Atlantic Giant pumpkins.

You may ask yourself why would I want to grow giant pumpkins? Well you may not, but for those of you who are interested in growing them just for the spectacle of it I say that is reason enough; plus you can make pumpkin pies and share them with everyone in your neighbourhood, to make you the most popular neighbour in the region.

Pumpkins are native to America, the American Indians were the first people to grow them and used them to make mats by drying strips of it and weaving them together, they also ate them of course, as they are so damn tasty.

But the origin of the word came from a Greek word meaning “large melon” and the French changed it into “ponpon” and when the word crossed the English channel the English changed it into “Pumpion”. At his stage it still referred to a large melon but when the English colonized America the pumpkin we know now was named. The Atlantic Giant pumpkin was developed by a Canadian man named Howard Dill through selective breading. This is the strand of pumpkin used in giant pumpkin growing competitions in the US and all around the world, no other pumpkin strand has won any awards for largest pumpkin since it’s development. The late Dill patented his strand of pumpkin seeds, you can find this information on his web site: Howard Dill Enterprises, Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada owns a U.S. patent “DILL’S ATLANTIC GIANT” for the pumpkin variety. This certificate of Plant Variety Protection is to grant Howard Dill Enterprises, as provided by Law, the right to exclude others from selling the variety, or offering it for sale, or reproducing it, or importing it, or exporting it, or using it in producing a Hybrid or different variety there from.

The patenting of any living thing seems somehow wrong.

But in order to grow this giant strand of pumpkin you will have to order the seeds directly from his store at http:// www.howarddill.com I have decided to give you some tips on how to maximise the growth of your Atlantic giants but to get the best pumpkin flesh out of it, you shouldn’t let it get too big, some of the largest pumpkins have been know to get as large as a small car. However having a pumpkin growing in your back yard the size of a car will impress your visitors and add an element of magick to your garden.

Before you consider growing giant pumpkins you will need a rather large area cleared of your garden, at least 20-30 feet wide otherwise the pumpkin will choke all your other plants.

To begin preparing the soil for your giant pumpkins start with doing a pH test. You should do this in Autumn, and adjust your pH to between 6.5 and 6.8 by adding sulphur to lower the pH or lime to raise it. Apply three to five yards of composted manure per 30-foot-diameter circle where you expect to plant next spring. Please keep in mind that these plants need a lot of nitrogen, to ensure this you can plant a cover crop of rye or oats in Autumn to be turned under in early spring to get a green mulch there for providing an exceptional nitrogen booster.

It is best to start your pumpkin seeds indoors in 15 cm peat pots about four weeks before your last spring frost date. Plant the seed with the pointed end of the seed facing down. Keep the soil temperature at 29 to 30 degrees C. Most seeds will emerge within five days.

Transplant seedlings into the garden once the first true leaves appear or when roots begin to grow through the peat pot (usually seven to 10 days after germination).

Handle with care because pumpkins are easily set back during transplanting.

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Place a “mini-greenhouse” over the seedlings for six weeks to shield plants from wind and frost. The easiest way to build one of these is get two old windows and lean them together over the seedlings, there you have your minigreenhouses. Or if you wish to make a more elaborate one you can make a four- by four-foot wooden structure made from 2 wooden planks nailed together with 6-mil clear plastic stapled to cover the frame. Once seedlings outgrow the mini-greenhouse, use a temporary fence to screen wind.

Eight to 10 weeks after the seed starting, the first female flowers will appear. They are easy to distinguish because they have a small pumpkin at their base. If you wish to hand-pollinate your pumpkin flowers you will need to do it in the early morning. Find a freshly opened male flower, pick it and remove the outer flower petals, exposing the stamen and fresh pollen. Locate a newly opened female flower and gently swab the stigma (internal parts) of the female flower with the pollen-laden stamen. This is not necessary if you wish things to naturally take their course.

pumpkin.

Once a pumpkin has set, its position on the vine becomes extremely important. Most often the stem grows at a very acute angle to the vine. However, for best long-term growth, try and make the stem perpendicular to the vine.

If yours is not at right angles to the vine naturally, the way to do this is to coax it gradually, over about a week period, until it is in that position. Be careful, because you could injure the fragile stem and at this early stage pumpkins can often just abort.

If one plant has three strong vines, you could have as many as seven or eight pumpkins set and growing by January 20.

Now is the time where you make your decision whether to keep just one and grow it to be absolutely massive or keep a few and let them grow as big as they will. But if you remove all but the best one you could end up with a record-breaking pumpkin. If you are just growing them for eating there is no point in growing just one huge one because it won’t be as tasty. If you are a serious pumpkin grower measure each pumpkin’s circumference at the widest point weekly or daily with a cloth measuring tape.

Choose the one that’s growing fastest. Also, keep an eye out for the optimum shape. Young pumpkins that are round and especially tall grow the largest.

Getting a pumpkin set as early as possible, preferably before January 10 in the Southern Hemisphere or July 10 in the Northern, is key to growing the biggest of pumpkins. The earlier you set a pumpkin, the longer it has to grow until harvest. Since these monsters can gain 11 kg a day, losing 10 days in the early part of the season will make a significant difference to the eventual size of your The Magus Opus - Autumn - 79

Now is the time early in the season to begin pruning vines to discourage random growth and to prevent an out-ofcontrol patch. It is a good idea to prune each main vine when it has reached 10 to 12 feet beyond a set fruit. If you have a pumpkin on a vine that is 10 feet from the main root, cut the end of that vine once it is 20 to 24 feet long. Don’t let side shoots off the main vines get longer than eight feet before cutting off tips. Train the side shoots at 90 degree angles to allow access to the vines and pumpkins. It is a good idea to bury the ends of cut vines to reduce water loss.

In regards to fertilizing, during the growing season of the pumpkin most fertility needs can be met by applying water-soluble plant foods such as seasol once or twice a week over the entire plant area. Give seedlings a fertilizer that stresses phosphorus, such as 15-30-15. Shift to a more balanced formula, such as 20-20-20, once fruits are set.

possible Measure your pumpkins at least weekly. Gains in circumference can average ten to 15 centimetres in a 24 hour period. Measure the circumference of your pumpkins first parallel to the ground around the entire pumpkin, from blossom end to stem. Next, measure over the top in both directions: from ground to ground along the axis from stem to blossom end, then perpendicular to the stem-blossom-end axis. Add these three measurements together, then multiply by 1.9 to give an estimate of the pumpkin’s weight. If you don’t want your giant pumpkin to crack you should build a makeshift shade cloth over your giant pumpkin. If you don’t care how much they way just sit back and watch your giants grow.

It is a fun idea, once you’ve got your pumpkin, for Halloween, put your giant pumpkins in the front yard (you may need help) and perhaps make lanterns out of them, this could be difficult on account of their size and weight but well worth the effort.

By late January, use a fertilizer that stresses potassium, such as 15-11-29, apply a water-soluble fertilizer at the rate of one half to one kilogram per week per plant, do this until the end of the growing cycle, remember however do not over fertilize as this causes the pumpkins to explode, slow and steady will always win the race.

If you are serious about growing the largest pumpkin

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Besoms T

he besom belongs to the element of earth and should be kept lying horizontally at the south side of the foot of the altar with the bristles east or west. This magickal tool has more than one use, besides the obvious use for it of sweeping away negative energy to cleanse an area or circle before a ritual. The popular image of a witch flying on her broomstick at night has come from the traditional uses of the besom. The besom is traditionally only flown by witches not wizards, and is basically a symbol for a female witch used by them as a mystic vehicle for travelling in The Dreaming or between dimensions. This is believed to be done by making flying ointment and rubbing it on the broom handle, the witches would go out in the full moon and use the broom as an artificial phallus and the poison would be absorbed. This is part of the reason the besom is considered a sacred tool to witches and a unity of male and female. The besom is also considered a unity of masculine and feminine because the handle represents the phallus (as we know) and the end of the broom, the bristles are said to represent the female. As a phallic symbol, the besom is connected with a number of fertility rights. Jumping into the air while riding a broomstick used to be a fertility of

the gods ritual to ensure that the crops would grow as tall as the witch could jump. A popular unity ritual is “jumping the broomstick” done at the conclusion of a handfasting (marriage) ceremony. The besom is decorated with ribbons and flowers for the occasion and hung above the marriage bed or over the family altar to promote prosperity.

Besoms are rich in folklore and superstition, some of the old superstitions found in Oberon Zell-Ravenheart’s Companion For The Apprentice Wizard, (every Wisard and Witch should own a coppy) are as follows: Never sweep after sunset, or wandering spirits may be disturbed and happiness will be swept away. A broomstick laid across the threshold of a house, or set just inside the door, will keep bad luck or evil spirits coming in. Placing a broom under the bed protects the sleeper in their dreams or the astral planes.

An old broom sweeps misfortune into a new home. Always sweep the inside of the house first, sweeping away from the door so luck won’t leave. Dust balls swept into the middle of a room will protect against bad luck. Wishes made while using a new broom for the first time will come true, as will wishes made if a broom is accidentally dropped wile sweeping. A broom falling indicates that someone is about to arrive. And never use a new broom to sweep outside the

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house, or luck will be swept away with the dust.

Besoms have been made for centuries. For example the Nash family of England whose ancestors having been making them in the same way for generations, are still currently making them today and are still the holders of the Royal Warrant of Appointment for the crown of England and are long serving suppliers of ‘Besoms Brooms and Pea Sticks’ to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. For more information go to: http://hibbitt.co.uk/prodinfo.php?prod=PS020&cat=25 Besoms are traditionally made from ash and the handle with birch twigs for cleansing and willow to bind it. The magickal properties of these trees are as follows.

Birch: The birch tree is a feminine plant; its planet is Venus and its element water. Its powers are protection, especially for children, and it is used for purification and exorcism.

Ash: Ash is a masculine plant, its planet is the Sun and its element is fire. This tree is sacred to many cultures and in Nordic mythology the ancient ach tree Ygdrasill, or the world tree, is what constructs the whole universe.

Willow: Willow is a feminine tree with its planet being the moon and its element water. It is sacred to all aspects of the goddess and its powers are love, divination and protection.

It is easy to see why the besom is a symbol of unity and protection and is a serious magickal tool. The best time to make or acquire a besom is a major Sabbat like Ostara or Samhain. It is a good idea to make your own broom so that it has a stronger energy connection with you. Here are the instructions on how to make your own besom:

How to Make Your Own

There a few different methods you can use to make your besom and it depends on your materials of choice, but the instructions I have here are how you can make one using the traditional materials.

Fist of all you need to source your birch, ash and willow branches, but if you can’t get access to those specific trees there are a list of other trees that you can substitute with at the end of this article. All branches for this broom need to be green when you cut them. Remember to ask the Dever of the tree before you go ripping off branches and afterwards thank it and leave it an offering. You don’t want any negative energy in the creation of your magickal tools.

the stems are about as thick as your little finger. Ensure that they are not new growth because that would make the bristles too bendy. Lay them in the sun to dry for a few weeks. The handles need to be relatively straight although a slight curve can make the resultant handle rather more pleasant to use. With the bark still attached they need to be slightly larger than a comfortable handle size. Skin any bark from the stick while it is still green since dried out bark is much harder to remove.

Step 1 Work within a sacred area: As with any sacred tool, a besom should be made within sacred space. You should begin as a normal ritual, by casting a circle and giving thanks.

Purify and dedicate the wood before you begin construction. ‘Charging’ the broom to any specific purpose should be done after the broom is completed, or while weaving the twigs to the stave.

Step 2 If you don’t have green willow, place the strips of dry willow into the water and leave them to soften for at least 10 minutes but some say you need to leave them in the water for 48 hours. The longer you leave them, the easier the willow will be to work with.

Step 3 Preparing the Handle: Anoint and bless your ash wood stave with the essential oil. Sigil/ rune carvings or any other ornamentation of the handle should be done at this point.

If the besom is to be dedicated to a specific purpose or deity, you may ask them to bless it as you begin crafting.

Step 4

Weaving the bristles: Gather all of your birch twigs and arrange them into small, even groups. Remove two pieces of the willow bark and lay them side-by-side on a flat surface. Tie the two bark pieces together The head of the besom is made from the finer twiggy by wrapping a short length of thread braches of a birch tree. Cut the branches at a point where around the end several times and knotting The Magus Opus - Autumn - 83

it off. Take the first group of birch twigs and crisscross the willow strips back and forth between each piece to bind them together (this is weaving). Tie off the other end of the willow strips with thread. Do not worry, the thread will not show in the finished broom. Repeat with the remaining groups of birch twigs. The thread may be omitted, but it makes the weaving considerably more difficult.

Step 5 Attaching to the broom: There are multiple ways to do this.

Some drill a small hole in the end of the ash stave and thread yarn through it, then wrap the yarn around each bundle of twigs. A second method is to tie together each willow strip so that the birch twigs form one continuous panel. The panel is then wound tightly around the end of the stave, and secured by tying additional willow bark around it. A third method is to wrap each small group of twigs directly to the handle with yarn or thread. Whatever your method, you will want to “finish” the broom by weaving an additional two inch swath of willow bark about one inch from the top of the bristles. Some traditions attach small charms, or weave herbs and sea salt in amongst the bristles before attaching the finishing layer of willow bark. Once you have finished the besom, you may dedicate it to a spirit or deity of your choice, or charge it with protective energies.

So there you have it, now it is time to get to work on your own besom. These magickal objects will make a great addition to any witches arsenal. There are also some really beautiful besoms available to purchase if you don’t wish to make your own, they can be quite expensive but can also make a wonderful wedding present. Go to http:// www.breewood.com.au/brooms.htm

Masculine trees suitable for the broom handle: Hazel, Oak, Rowan.

Feminine herbs suitable for bristles: Myrrh, Mugwort, Thyme, Willow branches Cotton or hemp twine can be substituted for willow strapping.

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Happy Halloween From all of us at the Magus Opus The Magus Opus - Autumn - 85

The G Lets all

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Goetia oetia Raise a Party The Magus Opus - Autumn - 87

T

he Goetia is a book that strikes fear into the hearts of many, but yet is one of the most misunderstood aspects of magick in the world today and although there is the hypocrisy demonstrated by many magicians and mystics who seek the light by running away from darkness, I feel this to be a stupid idea, as it is only through knowledge, not ignorance that we can truly become greater beings in union with the divine forces.

The Goetia refers to the practice of invoking angels and the evocation of demons, the Goetia is the first of the lesser keys of Solomon the King and the grimore is quite specific with somewhat detailed instructions on how to perform the arts. The book itself consists of the seals of seventy two demons all of whom can confer upon the sorcerer unbelievable powers.

What we are best to perhaps start to look at is Evil and the very nature of it. The only way that it can be described is through metaphor and analogy and it is only through this that a true understanding of evil and in itself of Goetiaic operations can be understood. It is through metaphor that we can paint a picture of shapes and colours that can only be realized through mediation on the metaphors and the practice of the art. The later is of course always preferred however most sorcerers have never practiced Goetia evocation, but yet I am sure, have evoked the forces unawares many times, the same demons that have both helped and hindered them.

We have all made up our own rituals, and I am sure our own names for the forces of the universe. Calling a name evokes a power, such as calling to Betty from next door, and at other times these names could be god, goddess, mother, father, the source, the universe, the system, or friend. Sometimes calling these names can be helpful and sometimes calling these names may not be, either way I have rejected the howlings, a technical term covering all aspect of magick that deal with malignant or unenlightened beings. For this reason, that the Goetia is a part of the magickal workings referred to as the howlings, it could be considered somewhat of a wild card, something that can very easily get way out of control and although this can happen it is not always the case. The Goetia speaks to our lower desires, our wantent needs for power, wealth and self improvement, and although this is what attracts many to the Goetia it is also what repeals them, this is why the Goetia has been label as evil.

capacity for good or evil. It is through contacting that park of ourselves that the Goetia works. The Goetia is the evil guy living inside you, that dark, mysterious and powerful force that tells the world that you are interested in yourself, in mastery and surrender. Those of the community that have disowned themselves and fear their very natures consider Goeatic practices to be evil of the worst kind. It is often thought of as an invitation to madness, releasing hell itself, in a hell raiser movie kind of way. What the Goetia is – is the releasing of you own self from the fear and illusions that you have created via direct confrontation.

Evil is believed to be the intentional doing of harm with redemption; others believe it be the destruction of beauty, in both the metaphysical and physical sense. Evil is the externalization and objectification of something that is fearful, horrifying or different. Evil can be a label that we throw around, “My boss is just pure Evil”. Evil is pain, the enemy, the Gods of other men, the terrors in the night and yet all these images are pure drivel. Evil exists because humans exist, it is really that simple. Evil is only a perception created by the human mind in order to categorize our world. Nature does not know evil, she maintains the balance, and she is both loving and cruel.

Nature does not know evil, just as it does not know goodness. These are perceptional creations of the human mind, each of us are filled with our doubts, frustrations and fears. These are the demons that torture your soul, thus it could be stated that the true nature of evil is the human mind.

These parts of your personality are the disowned self, much as the Goetia could be referred to the disowned parts of magick. We keep our dark selves hidden, we generally try not to show our weakness let alone our deepest worries and fears, it really is much easier and less emotionally confronting to find this evil out of ourselves and hate it. What we present to the world is the well crafted image of who we truly desire to be, something the brain, society and the friends and family that are around you have helped you create. This mask although illusion is still an essential part of your truth, but in essence it is only part.

In modern therapeutic psychology, therapists deal with people’s fears and doubts, which are labelled as a person’s pathology. In this regard the modern physcologist has followed the way of the sorcerer and in the depths of the clinical caves solve problems with people’s inner If you really want to find evil, it’s easy, look at your demons by evoking the rejected and hidden parts of his friends, wife, husband, mother, father or for that matter psyche and forcing them to confront their inner demons. any one that currently inhabits the earth. We are all Sometimes though this process can get out of control in made up of the balance and each of us inherently has the which case a term is used called counter transference in The Magus Opus - Autumn - 88

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which sex with the therapist and the patient can ensure, or possibly violent outbreaks. These dangers occur when a therapist loses control and their own idealized fantasies, unfulfilled wishes and disowned attributes. Once this happens it is believe that both the therapist and the client and at sea on a sinking life boat, there is no hope for either of them as neither one can “cure” the other.

In many countries there are laws in place to prevent this from happening, termed as Dual Relationships it is thought to cross a serious line between patient and therapist as these boundaries are necessary for the patients cure. It is through modern physcology though that we can see the same relationship that exists between the sorcerer and the raised demon.

The best way though to explain the workings of the Goetia is that the demons of the Goetia are just like money. Money can do the bidding of anyone who has it. Money itself is only a shared illusion. It has no value except what people give it and it has no power except by what people do with it. The fluidity, malleability and indifference of money gives it a power unlike almost any other power in the world. Money sets boundaries and destroys them. Money itself doesn’t care. And in this sense money is similar to the Goetia demons. They will work for anyone who knows how to use them.

This is one of the horrors people attribute to Goetiaic

workings. You “don’t have to be respectable” for Goetia to work for you. Unlike other magical workings there is no implication that the operator has to be “good” and “holy” to achieve results. This idea in itself violates our model of “right” and “wrong,” “just” and “unjust.” In the Goetiaic world like in the real world the “bad” can and do prosper. Thus our belief in the moral order of the Universe appears violated by the simple existence of Spirits who will do the bidding of anyone.

Goetiaic evocation is the rejected “less respectable” side of magick. It is the work of the garbage collector.

But it is also the most intimate side of the magick. It teaches the establishment of boundaries, of testing, of bribing, of lying and deceit. It provides the operator and the receiver with visions, suggestions and insights.

It actualizes the hidden, the dark, the greedy, the needy, the powerful and beautiful. Goetiaic evocation can be very disappointing, sometimes even horrifying, but it can never be boring. Unlike a child who determines the value of its knowledge by the approval or disapproval of a “higher authority” we learn the value of our Goetiaic work by the success or failure of our own work. Goetiaic Spirits are not the master of the magician but his servant.

We do not rely on the “Spirits” per se to tell us that we did well. Goetia work is more “scientific” than other forms of magick in terms of our ability to measure its effects and, to some extent, replicate our results. Goetiaic workings can also be potentiated by the use of hypnosis and sex. Trance and “exhaustion” resulting from sexual ecstasy are perfect methods for preparing the mind to receive more meaningful and powerful information.

It is no secret that, too many modern students of esoterica, the Goetia has a decidedly shady reputation.

On a scale of spiritual practices one might find Goetia sandwiched somewhere between “Pacts with the Devil” and “addiction to the Ouija board.” This attitude is understandable. After all, Goetia is the intentional conjuration of spiritual beings who are, by definition, Fallen Angels, Evil Spirits and Demons! From their infernal abodes these naughty Spirits are called forth to act as personal servants to the Goetiaic magician to extend his power and execute his will on Earth. The magician must be ever vigilant to the wiles of the Spirits.

If he is unskilled or loses control even for an instant, he runs the risk of being obsessed, possessed or even destroyed.

The Spirits in the Goetia are of the “infernal” variety, but exactly what does that mean? If we embrace, for a moment, the popular nomenclature of High Magick,

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“infernal” relates to the subconscious stratum of the human psyche. Spirits inhabiting these regions would then be the personifications of powers or energies that lie buried in our subconscious minds-qualities of our consciousness that we have disowned. They are Fallen because they have slipped from the conscious control of the deity-ourselves.

Yes, they are dangerous because while they remain unmastered they can surface unbidden and wreak all the havoc modern psychology blames on “things hidden in the subconscious mind.” To the charge that such practices bring out the worst qualities in the magician’s character, the Goetiaic practitioner pleads “guilty,” pointing out that this IS precisely the purpose of this variety of evocation.

If these disowned qualities are not brought forth, identified and controlled, the magician, like the rest of humanity, is doomed to be at the mercy and the caprice of his own subconscious demons, never being allowed the opportunity to subdue these denizens of his psychic menagerie. But are the Spirits of the Goetia simply subjective components of the magician’s mind, or is there really an independent objective quality to their natures? This fundamental question may never receive a satisfactory answer due to the fact that no one really understands the nature of “matter.” But one thing is certain: one who has never experienced a Goetiaic Evocation is not qualified to voice even the most educated opinion on the subject. It is one thing to be well-read on a subject; it is quite another to be part of the subject itself. It is an unfortunate fact that

there are many individuals who make magick their life without making their life magick. Even the most talented and brilliant expounders of the Art sometimes lose sight of this and focus instead on historical or technical aspects of the subject to such a degree that they ignore completely its relevance to their daily life and happiness.

The format of a Goetiaic evocation contains perhaps the most colourful and recognizable elements of any type of Western ceremonial magick.

The magician, robed and armed stands inside the Magick Circle protected from the malice of the Spirits by the innumerable Holy Names scrawled thereupon. Several feet away stands the Spirit trapped inside the Triangle of the Art. With his Wand upraised the magician issues his commands and the Spirit reluctantly obeys. This is the stuff of “Sword and Sorcerer” movies. Yet this is precisely the method, and it has come down to us in a most extraordinary way.

Sixteenth and seventeenth Century Europe abounded with a myriad of practitioners of the magical arts who, for the most part, were inspired by the colourful images of Middle-Eastern magic. We must keep in mind that for many years much of Iberian Peninsula was occupied by the Moslems. Ironically, even though Islamic law dictates strict proscriptions against unorthodox spiritual practices, the occupation forces tolerated a handful of Spanish communities where a certain level of spiritual freedom flourished.

These pockets of liberality attracted not only the innovative practitioners of the “Black Arts,” but also the Jewish Cabbalists whose wisdom was, for the first time,

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committed to writing. This period was to profoundly influence the Renaissance and subsequently the entire “Hermetic” traditions of Western Civilization. It is from this tradition that the concept of “Solomonic” magic was developed. Spirits (genies) trapped in bottles, magic carpets, great treasures protected by demons-all reminiscent of A Thousand and One Arabian Nights.

The text that has become known as the Goetia is the first book of what is commonly referred to as the Lemegeton, a collection of five texts traditionally attributed to King Solomon. The most popular versions (including the one Crowley hired S.L. MacGregor Mathers to translate) are drawn primarily from translations of Sloane Manuscripts nos. 2731 and 3648 in the possession of the British Library.

Few individuals today are so naive as to believe that the author was indeed the legendary Hebrew King. Indeed, there is noevidence to demonstrate that the five texts are even the work of a single author or that the authors were even practicing magicians. In fact, by the very nature of the translations it is obvious that the scribe or scribes were decidedly hostile toward the art. Many of the Spirits are clearly the Gods and Goddesses of older religions who were “banished” to the infernal regions by the new Order. Many of the Dukes especially seem to have been originally female in character (a most dangerous spiritual idea to lonely monastic scribes prone to fantasies).

Magic books attributed to King Solomon circulated throughout Europe since at least the middle of the Sixteenth Century. Sloane 2731 dates from 1687 and most likely is the result of one practitioner’s desire to have his favorite “Solomonic” works bound conveniently into one volume. It also appears that he used the opportunity to update the texts by revising the language and using the vernacular of the day. As archaic as the language appears to us today, The Lemegeton represents a “new, improved” Seventeenth Century version of far older material. How old, we cannot say. The Magical Revival of the late 1800s resulted in new translations and the Lemegeton and the Goetia emerged from near complete obscurity and into the light of relative obscurity and students and practitioners of the occult have been tantalized by its mysteries ever since.

conform exactly with the procedures and conjurations outlined in the text. The seemingly endless pages of tedious, archaic and parochial conjurations, constraints, exorcisms and curses continue to bewilder and discourage 99% of would-be Goetic magicians. And that is precisely what they are meant to do!

The Universe was very simple from the traditional Goetic magician’s point of view. Above him was God, the creator of the world and the ultimate source of his authority. Below the magician was an “infernal” world, inhabited by demon spirits who were once “Angels of the Lord” but now exiled from heaven as punishment for their pride and disobedience. Their “fall” established the interdependent threefold “world” in which we find ourselves; Heaven, Earth, and Hell.

Like the Titans of Greek Mythology, the Infernal Spirits (not God) are responsible for the maintenance of the material world including the “earthly-fleshly” nature of Man. As a resident of the Earth, the magician stands between the Divine and the Infernal Worlds. If he is pious before the eyes of his “God” then he has the Divine authority to order and control the lower spirits.

To achieve this authoritative state of mind the magicians of old recited lengthy litanies of affirmations and self-aggrandizements, itemizing their high morals and examples of their religious piety. (“You obeyed Moses, you obeyed Aaron, you’ll obey me too!”) Once he had convinced himself that he had the authority to command the Spirit, the magician next had to achieve the subjective state of mind whereby he could actually “see” it. This he induced by the use of “magic words” which he recited much like a mantra.

In this way, he created a strange and mystic atmosphere in which nothing was impossible and anything could happen. Standing in the Circle, protected by the Divine names with which he had aligned himself, the magician (pumped up by affirmations and “intoxicated” by the magic words) concentrated upon the Triangle until the Spirit appeared. The universally holy virtues of all things triune was enough to trap the Spirit in the Triangle long enough to receive the Charge from the magician.

After receiving his orders the Spirit was given License to Depart to go forth and do the magician’s bidding.

Modern editions of the Goetia remain in print and continue to sell very well (almost every student of The text of the Goetia is filled with the details of such magick worth his/her salt owns at least one copy), yet operations page after page of formal Conjurations, relatively few individuals actually have participated in a Constraints, Invocations, Curses, Greater Curses, Goetic evocation. The reasons are many but perhaps the Addresses to the Spirit on his arrival and departure, etc. single most compelling excuse is rooted in the mistaken belief that in order to succeed in evocation one must Today there are many Goetic magicians (both solitary The Magus Opus - Autumn - 93

practitioners and organized groups) who operate strictly “by the book.” The Circle, the Triangle and all the diagrams are constructed exactly as illustrated in the Goetia. They recite (or most often read) the conjurations, constraints and curses exactly as written in the 1687 text. Ceremonies of some of these magicians are a thrill to behold and, without a doubt, the Art will forever be perpetuated in its classic form because of their dedicated labor. It must be pointed out, however, that there is absolutely no necessity (nor particular advantage) to blindly conforming with the Conjuration scripts of the ancient texts. The Spirits are no more impressed if you say “thee” and “thine” than they are if you say “you” and “yours.”

Aleister Crowley was aware of this and crafted several versions of his own conjurations. Of course the most effective ones will always be of your own design.

superstitious idea that magick will only work by blind conformity to any dictated procedure (new or old). The understanding of what is truly necessary and what is not is what separates the real magician from a character in a roleplaying game.

THE TEMPLE The Temple need only be a room large enough to accommodate the Circle and Triangle. A living room, a bedroom or a similar area where privacy can be achieved is sufficient. If there is other furniture in the room care must be taken to clear the room of clutter and any appearance of disorder.

(Often a room is more efficiently banished by a good dusting and vacuuming than by the banishing ritual itself.)

THE CIRCLE

Even though it is believe that the Conjurations and In a very real sense the Circle is not the chalk or tape on certain other components of the Sloane material the floor but the aura of the magician himself. It not are anachronistically superfluous to modern Goetic only defines and circumscribes all that he or she is, it evocation, it is not suggested that the basic elements stands as a fortress against all that is “outside.” of the system are not sound. On the contrary, the The Circle is the magician’s universe and the center of fundamentals of the classic procedure are extremely the Circle is the point of supreme balance, the fulcrum important. It is very important to to break free from the The Magus Opus - Autumn - 94

from which he moves the worlds.

For the purpose of Goetic evocation the Circle is not optional. It is a fundamental requirement in the Temple for it is the safety zone in which the magician can stand with complete confidence to command the forces trapped in the Triangle.

Upon the floor of your Temple draw, tape, paint, scratch or otherwise create a Circle approximately nine feet in diameter.

Approximately six inches inside the circumference draw another Circle.

In the space between the circles place the Holy Names of your choice. It would be presumptuous for us to suggest to the reader what Holy Names are most appropriate.

It is each magician’s quest to determine for him or herself which “Deity or Deities” are harmonious with the magician’s own magical universe. The Circle itself is a perfect symbol of divinity. A simple unbroken line with no names at all can be sufficient for individuals whose realization of this abstraction is profound.

A thin silk cord can also be used which, after the ceremony can be wrapped around as a belt so that you can stay in the Circle for hours or days. The classic Circle was that of a coiled serpent upon whose body was written-in Hebrew-the Deity, Angel, and Archangel Names attributed to the first nine Sephiroth of the Tree of Life. The space between the circles was bright, deep yellow. The lettering was in black. The classic Circle also enclosed four Hexagrams positioned at the quarters and was surrounded by four Pentagrams positioned at the cross-quarters.

the Circle, draw, tape, paint, scratch or otherwise create a Triangle, each side measuring three feet. The Triangle’s base shall be toward the Circle. Upon each side of the Triangle place the Three Holy Names of your choice.

The classic Goetic Triangle was surrounded by three names: ANAPHAXETON (Great God of all the Heavenly Host) to the left, PRIMEUMATON (the First and the Last) at the base, and TETRAGRAMMATON (the ineffable God name THE TRIANGLE Y.H.V.H.) to the right. Inside the classic Triangle, at the points, were placed the letters MI-CHA-EL (the Archangel Michael). In the center was a circle. The circle Like the Circle, the Triangle is not optional. It is the in the center of the Triangle was green (the remainder of area in which the Spirit appears and is compelled to the inside was white) and the names on the outside of obedience. In the East (or in the indicated direction of were written in red. the particular Spirit in question) about two feet from The Magus Opus - Autumn - 95

As mentioned earlier, the names around the Circle are entirely the prerogative of each magician. You might ask yourself what qualities, virtues, or powers you hold sacred in your own magical disciplines: LOVE-WILLUNION; FAITH-ROPE-CHARITY; SAT-CHITANANDA; or words, numbers or formulae which represent such things, could work nicely if they are meaningful to you. The almost infinite metaphysical virtues of a triangle make it a perfect device to confine and control that which has never been confined and controlled by you. For many magicians a simple Triangle with a circle in the center suffices quite nicely (with or without the surrounding names).

Incense may also be placed inside the Triangle but once the Temple is opened and the Spirit conjured the magician should not leave the Circle or reach into the Triangle.

are derived from the traditional Lemegeton material and theoretically are the living representations of the Spirits. Some texts dictate that it be made of virgin calfskin parchment and the drawing done with the blood of an owl or some other beast. Such heroics we feel were intended as “fool traps” and are unnecessary for modern workings. But if you would feel better about the operation if you used the virgin calfskin, please go ahead.

After the ceremony you should take pains to house the Seal in a special container. You should never be careless with an “activated” Seal or forget where you put it.

Depending upon the purpose of the evocation you may wish to carry the Seal upon your person or attach it to an object relating to the operation.

THE HEXAGRAM OF SOLOMON

THE SEAL OF THE SPIRIT Upon the circle of the Triangle will rest the Seal or Sigil of the Spirit drawn upon parchment. These symbols

The Golden Dawn defined the Hexagram as “ ...a powerful symbol representing the operation of the Seven

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Planets under the presidency of the Sephiroth ...” This very recognizable symbol of Judaism, sometimes called the Shield of David, is a most appropriate emblem of the Divine Macrocosm (The big world of God, represented in ancient times by the Sun surrounded by the six thenknown Planets.

The Goetic magician wears the Hexagram on the skirt of his or her robe to act as a shield or badge of authority.

By displaying the Hexagram to the Spirit the magician proves he or she is part of and representative of the Macrocosmic Order with full power to exercise that authority. Upon seeing the Hexagram the Spirits (by tradition) are compelled to take on human form. The classic Hexagram was painted upon calfskin parchment and was covered with linen.

Modern magicians should feel free to make the Hexagram as ornate or as simple as they see fit but by no means should omit this very important magical device.

THE PENTAGRAM OF SOLOMON The Golden Dawn defined the Pentagram as “ ...a powerful symbol representing the operation of the Eternal Spirit and the Four Elements under the Presidency of the letters of the Name Yeheshuah...” In contrast to the Hexagram, the Pentagram is the symbol of the Microcosm (the little world of Man) represented by the four elements of Fire, Water, Air and Earth governed by the Fifth element of Spirit.

he is Master of the Microcosmic Order. By wearing these two symbols the magician is reminded that he or she is positioned between Heaven and Hell, Executor of the Gods and Master of the Demons. The Goetia says that the Pentagram should be engraved upon a medallion of silver or gold and worn around the neck. On the flip side of the medallion should be engraved the Seal of the Spirit being evoked.

Many modem magicians prefer to construct the medallion from the Spirit’s appropriate metal (gold for Kings, copper for Dukes, etc.), The Pentagram engraved upon the front side, the Spirit’s Seal on the back.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS THEWAND The Greater Key of Solomon describes the Wand and many other magical weapons in great detail. It is accurate to say that to follow the instructions for their construction to the letter would require many months (if not years) to accomplish. It is generally agreed that such instructions are red herrings designed to discourage the dull and unworthy.

The Wand is the weapon of the magician’s will and is the instrument with which he conjures. (The Sword, while effective for banishing and intimidation, is not the weapon for Conjuration.)Usually the Wand is As Hexagram affirms that the magician is in harmony with the Macrocosmic Order the Pentagram affirms that approximately the length of the magician’s arm measured The Magus Opus - Autumn - 97

from the finger tips to the elbow. Traditionally it is made of a straight branch of Almond or Hazel wood and is approximately the diameter of the magician’s little finger.

THE MAGIC RING OR DISC There are Goetic magicians who say the Magic Ring is an unnecessary addition to the list of magical weapons.

Nevertheless the ring should always be at hand when evoking any of the Spirits for whom the text says the Ring is required.

THE BRASS BOTTLE According to tradition Solomon sealed up the Evil Spirits in a “Vessel of Brass” and sealed it with a leaden seal. While the occasion seldom arises for its use, a small brass bottle can be employed if necessary against disobedient Spirits as a threat or a punishment device.

The Seal of the Spirit is placed inside the bottle and a lead cap placed upon the top. In cases of extreme disobedience the lead cap can be melted into place.

which are written all the names which are upon the Circle. Any robe that holds for you magical significance is appropriate for Goetic evocation. A simple white robe is excellent. If you belong to a magical society or hold personal degrees, the robe and insignia of your Grade is most appropriate. If you look good, you will feel good.

It is not a good idea to overdress to the degree that you feel silly or pretentious.

These few simple items will ensure that your Goetic operations are successful. The rituals for the operation are located in the lesser keys of Solomon, with a complete list of the 72 demons. In recent years there has been research completed into the summoning of the demons, and Poke Ruyon has wonderful documentary and book series explaining his method more thoroughly.

The Goetic is simply an ancient form of pyhscology that when properly employed can create a serious difference in your life via changing the energy currents around you.

THE ROBE The classic outfit includes a long linen robe (white), a cap or a mitre and belt made from a lion’s skin upon

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Into the Gloaming: The Power of the Full Moon

By Amber Rose

The Cycles of the Southern Hemisphere The Magus Opus - Autumn - 100

r U

pon the horizon where the darkness meets with Mother Earth preparing to slumber, the omnipotence of our Moon Mother rising to adorn the cauldron of night in full regalia. Over the canopy of Frangipani, beautiful lemon scented flowers perfuming the gentle zephyr. Fluttering leaves in night-tide lullaby with sonnets of reverence. Laden boughs bidding in ancient obeisance as the Moon progressively ascendswelcoming the shadows; knowing that even in this somnolent darkness, this unparalleled illumination. SHE will forever shine. Her gilded tendrils of luminescence-delicate ghostly fingers caressing the plethoric strings of raven-wings; piercing satirical tridents slicing through even the most opaque voids… just as she has done so for millennia, to guide our way home, bring magick into our lives, primordial radiance to honor and golden luminosity to dance beneath. Our poignant Mother who has inspired many myths of beauty, lunacy, romance, protection and superstition- bringing those vivid chronicles into the thundering hearts of mankind. Shall I read you a tale by the flickering ambered hearth? Bring forth into manifest the most creative imaginations of fairytales- portraying Werewolves, Vampires, Witches, Faeries and Ghouls?

in January (Winter), Pink Moon or Strawberry Moon (June), Hunter’s Moon/ Harvest Moon (October) and so forth. These times/lunar tides have no bearing upon us, different seasonal flux and times. So, now comes the extremely fun part of breaking it all down and into the appropriate sphere of the year for us, including all pertinent correlations associated.

It is very important that we become attentive to the Moon Phases in our Hemisphere; here is some information to move us all in that direction to better our ritual experiences.

“Every precious moment of every breathing season has its own splendor to behold, Its own magick to enchant our senses”

Hay Moon/ Thunder Moon (January) Spirits: Earth, Earth Fae, Nature & Storms Herbs & Resins: Honeysuckle, Hyssop, White Sage, Vervain, Belladonna

I am sure most of us have become a little exasperated when attempting to perform Colors: Periwinkle, various Full Moon rites in Cornflower Blue, Teal, the Southern Hemisphere, Emerald, Silver especially when attempting to organize a particular theme or mood to our ritual Flowers: Azalea, Larkspur, Long Purple Flag, White work. There is next to no point in any of us using the Roses, Fireweed, Rice Flower Northern Hemisphere cycles for the simple fact they are Scents: Frangipani, Jasmine, Frankincense, Gardenia not relevant to us, nor potent to us. Inconsequentially Stones: Moonstone, White agate, White Quartz stagnant to our seasons, climates and changes- having (natural), Pearl, Selenite, Moldavite stated this, by no means am I discrediting any of the ‘Greats’ who have written on Witchcraft and the Occult Trees: White Acacia, Ash, Moonlight Grevillea, Blue in the Northern Hemisphere. They have no doubt passed Devil, Ghost Gum on many ideals of wisdoms and practices for that which I am grateful. However, bring on some talented Southern Hemisphere authors bringing hardcore information to Animals: Sea Horse, Dolphin, Whale, Gecko, Fox, Goat, benefit Southern Hemisphere practitioners and we all Spider, Stag, Cat, Cicada would be comparatively contented Magicians/Pagans/ Birds: Swallow, Raven, Willy-Wag Tail, Storm Birds, Witches/ Druids. In my studies and knowing quite a few Blackbird, Bluebird who have experienced the same, is the varying seasons and Gods/Goddess: Juno, Hera, Hecate, Holda, Hermes, The our Full Moons. Just what exactly do we name our Full Horned God, Cerridwen, Nephthys, Amari De, Muma Moons? The Northern Hemisphere have Wolf Moon The Magus Opus - Autumn - 101

Padurii, Kalfou Meditations: Drawing down the Moon & Reflective inner-journeys.

Aboriginal Deity: Ungud Maori Deity: Tawhaki, Papatuanuku Angel(s): Cambiel

Green Corn Moon/ Grain Moon (February)

Ritual Work/Energy Focus: Healing, self expression, organizing; succeeding, ambition, cleansing, dream-work, divination.

Spirits: Air, Fire, Earth Herbs & Resins: Bay, Angelica, Dill, Rue, Orange Peel, St.John’s Wort Colors: Yellow, Gold, Copper

Meditations: Focus on spiritual dreams, goals and plans for the following year.

Flowers: Sunflower, Marigold, Honey Gem, Tiger Lily, Aztec Lily Scents: Citrus, Heliotrope, All Spice, Ginger, Lemon, Almond, Clove, Honey

Blue Moon (January 30th) Spirits: Earth, Ancestors, Storms & Nature Herbs: Wormwood, Hyssop, Patchouli, Clove, Rose Colors: Black, Purple, Bottle Green Flowers: Lavender, Larkspur, White Roses, Frangipani Scents: Dragon’s Blood, Jasmine, Hyssop Stones: Obsidian, Moldavite, Amber, Lemurian Quartz, Snowflake Obsidian Trees: Ghost Gum, Bloodwood, Animals: Bat, Butterfly, Possum, Cricket, Ferret, Wombat

Stones: Carnelian, Red Jasper, Tiger’s Eye, Citrine, Chalcedony, Rose Quartz Trees: Banksia, Alder, Cedar, Ironbark Animals: Phoenix, Sphinx, Lizards, Dragon, Camel, Koala Birds: Brolga, Emu, Rosella, Duck, Flamingo, Crane Gods/Goddess: Ganesha, Thoth, Hator, Diana, Hecate, Nemesis, Ezili-Freda, Zaka, Aphrodite Australian Deity: Sivri

Birds: Frog-Mouth Owl, Raven, Storm Bird, Goshawk, Blackbird

Maori Deity: Pani, Ranginui

Gods/Goddess: Muma Padurii, Maya, Oshun, the Ghedes, Hermes, Hecate, Dark Isis, Petro, Anubis

Angel(s): Barchiel

Australian Deity: Nogomain, Rainbow Snake Maori Deity: Whiro, Tawhaki, Tumatauenga

Ritual Work/Energy Focus: Harvesting & Gathering, Appreciating, Affirmations, Healing, Health, Friendships & Flow of Love.

Meditations: Healing your own afflictions of the past and preparing for the year ahead.

Angel(s): Michael, Uriel, Raphael Fruit Moon/ Harvest Moon (March) Ritual Work/Energy Focus: Rebirth, transformation, release, renewal, self-dedication, initiation, affirmation.

Spirits: Air & Air Fae Herbs & Resins: Copal, Fennel, Rye, Wheat, Valerian,

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Skullcap Colors: Amber, Brown, Yellow-green, Yellow Flowers: Narcissus, Yellow Chinese Lily, Common Correa, Fuschia Scents: Gardenia, Bergamot, Palmarosa, Neroli, Acacia, Spikenard Stones: Peridot, Olivine, Chrysolite, Citrine, Smokey Quartz Trees: Bay, Black She Oak, Larch

Blue Moon (March 30th) Spirits: Death, Messengers between worlds, Ancestors Herbs: Mandrake, Wormwood, Hyssop, Patchoili, Mugwort, Poppy Seeds Colors: Black, White, Royal Purple

Animals: Snake, Dingo, Butterfly, Bees, Ants

Flowers: Daytura, Dahlia, Monkshood, White Lily, White Roses, Lavender, Poppy

Birds: Wattlebird, Hummingbird, Honeyeaters & all other nectar eaters

Scents: Dragon’s Blood, Rosemary, Pepper, Patchouli, Vetivert, Hemlock

Gods/Goddess: Demeter, Ceres, Isis, Artemis, Freyja, Ch’ang-O, Thoth, Ayida Wedo

Stones: Obsidian, Onyx, Apache tear, Shaman Stone, Tektite Trees: Pine, Cypress, Bottle- Brush, Elder, Bloodwood

Australian Deity: Wollunqua

Animals: Bat, Sow, Dog, Snake, Cat, Ferret, Tasmanian Devil, Kiwi

Maori Deity: Io, Tangaroa

Birds: Owls, Raven, Hawk, Crow

Angel(s): Machidiel

Gods/Goddess: Cybele, Circe, Hel, Hera, Hecate, Cailech, Legba, the Horned God

Ritual Work/Energy Focus: Strong passion; balancing & grounding, cleansing, consecration, purification, blessings.

Cleanse physical, mental, emotional and spiritual clutter.

Australian Deity: Yulungur, Mali Maori Deity: Hine-nui-te-po, Tumatauenga

Meditations: Raising energy, drawing down the Moon.

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Angel(s):

Colors: Sea-green, Moss Green, Bottle Green, Silver, Gray

Ritual Work/Energy Focus: release, remember; communion with the dead. Prophecy/scrying/divination.

Flowers: Common Heath, Chrysanthemum Scents: Cedar, Cherry Blossoms, Peppermint, Peony Stones: Topaz, Lapis Lazuli, Labrodonite

Meditations: Releasing old negative memories and emotions.

Blood Moon/Hunter’s Moon/ Harvest Moon (April) Spirits: Air, Water/Ocean Herbs: Pennyroyal, Thyme, Mint, Catnip, Angelica, Burdock Colors: Dark blue-green

Trees: Ghost Gum, Alder, Cypress Animals: Unicorn, Scorpion, Crocodile, Jackal, Dingo, Birds: Owl, Goose Gods/Goddess: Nicnevin, Ra, Sarasvati, Lakshmi, Skadi, Mawu Australian Deity: Bulaing

Flowers: Calendula, Marigold, Black-Eyed Susan, Helmet Orchid

Maori Deity: Marama, Rongo, Paptuanuku

Scents: Strawberry, Apple blossom, Cherry, Raspberry, Passion Flower

Angel(s): Ambriel

Stones: Opal, Tourmaline, Beryl, Turquoise Trees: She Oak, Cypress, Acacia Animals: Stag, Jackal, Elephant, Ram, Scorpion, Crab, Dragonfly,Turtle

Ritual Work/Energy Focus: take root, preparation and transformation. Strengthen communication with your patron God/s.

Birds: Heron, Kite, Lyrebird, Pheasant, Chickenhawk , Bluebird

Meditation: Peace or breaking negative habits.

Gods/Goddess: Ishtar, Astarte, Kali, Demeter, Kore, Lakshmi, Horned God, Belili, Hathor, Sirene, the Ghedes

Long Night Moon/ Moon Before Yule (June)

Australian Deity: Kallin Kallin’ Maori Deity: Tangaroa,

Spirits: Winter, Storm/Weather, Ancestors Herbs: Holly, English Ivy, Fir, Mistletoe, Pine Colors: Blood Red, White and Black Flowers: Poinsettia, Christmas Cactus, Warratah, Red Banksia, Red Grevillea Scents: Violet, Frankincense & Myrrh, Lilac, Pine

Angel(s): Asmodel Ritual Work/Energy Focus: Fertility, strength, determination and materialism, the need to find order among the chaos, inner cleansing, justice and balance.

Meditations: Inner harmony & Peace of mind

Stones: Serpentine, Jacinth, Peridot, Coral, Obsidian, Onyx, Jet Trees: Pine, Cherry Ballarat, Fir, Grevillea Animals: Mouse, Deer, Horse, Bear, Cat Birds: Rook, Robin, Snowy Owl, Magpie, Kurrajongs, Black Cockatoo, Cardinal Gods/Goddess: Neith, Athene, Minerva, Ixchel, Set, Norns, Fates, Epona

Beaver Moon/ Frosty Moon/ Snow Moon (May) Spirits: Subterranean, Earth & Forest

Australian Deity: Imberombera

Herbs: Verbena, Betony, Borage, Cinquefoil, Blessed Thistle The Magus Opus - Autumn - 104

Maori Deity: Ranginui

Colors: Light Blue, Violet, Lavender

Angel(s): Muriel

Flowers: Primrose, Milk Maids (Tubers are edible), Native Violet, Fringe Violet

Ritual Work/Energy Focus: Honesty and compassion, death and rebirth, spiritual paths and reaching out.

Meditations: Removal of physical, mental or emotion obstructions.

Scents: Wisteria, Heliotrope, Wormwood, Bayberry Stones: Amethyst, Jasper, Rock Crystal, Salt Trees: Rowan, Laurel, Cedar, Golden Wattle, Weeping Willow Animals: Otter, Unicorn, Shark Birds: Eagle, Wedge-tail Eagle, Buzzard, Turkey

Old Moon/ Moon After Yule (July) Spirits: Earth, Forest & Ancestors

Gods/Goddess: Brigit, Kuan Yin, Diana, Persephone, Aphrodite, Erzulie

Herbs: Marjoram, Holy thistle, Nuts, Acorns & Cones Colors: Stark White, Blue-violet, Black

Australian Deity: Gidja

Flowers: Snowdrop, Crocus, Common Heath, Greenhood Orchid (Tubers were eaten by the Wurundjeri People)

Maori Deity: Tumatauenga

Scents: Musk, Jasmine, Mimosa, Cedarwood, Orange, Wintergreen, Citronella

Angel(s): Hamaliel

Stones: Garnet, Onyx, Jet, Chrysoprase Trees: Birch, Blackwood, Gold Dust Wattle, Hedge Wattle, Golden Wattle Animals: Fox, Coyote, Wolf, Wolverine Birds: Pheasant, Blue Jay, Kingfisher, Bower Bird, Cassowary

Ritual Work/Energy Focus: Psychic protection, energy working toward the surface; purification, growth, healing, loving the self. Accepting responsibility for past errors, forgiving self for all errors made, and making future plans.

Gods/Goddess: Freya, Inanna, Sarasvati, Ch’ang-O, Sinn, Damballah Australian Deity: Bagadjimbiri Maori Deity: Tane-mahta, Haumia-Tiketike Angel(s): Verchiel Ritual Work/Energy Focus: Surprises, joy, beginnings and conceiving, protection, reversing spells.

Meditations: Aura cleansings or Journeys.

Ice Moon/ Wolf Moon/ Snow Moon (August) Spirits: Household Protectors Herbs: Balm of Gilead, Hyssop, Myrrh, Sage, Spikenard The Magus Opus - Autumn - 105

Meditation: Protection, psychic awareness & development.

Stones: Ruby, Garnet, Sard Trees: Pine, Bay, Indigo Austral, Tea Tree Animals: Bear, Wolf, Dingo

Sap Moon/Lenten Moon/ Crow Moon (September)

Birds: Hawk, Magpie, Butcher Bird

Spirits: Water, Ocean, River, Air, Connected to Storms and Rain

Gods/Goddess: Anahita, Ceres, Ishtar, Venus, Bast, Gu (Ogu), Kalfou

Herbs: Broom, High John root, Wood Betony, Irish Moss, Bladderwrack Colors: Pale Green, Red-Violet Flowers: Daffodil, Bassalt Daisy, Clustered Everlasting (Daisy), Pale Vanilla Lilly, Purple Flag, Guinea Flowers

Australian Deity: Mamandabari Maori Deity: Rwhua

Scents: Honeysuckle, Apple Blossom, Cinnamon, Sage Stones: Aquamarine, Bloodstone

Angel(s): Barbiel

Trees: Alder, Dogwood, Wedding Bush

Ritual Work/Energy Focus: Regeneration, growth, putting energy into creating and producing; change, selfconfidence, grounding, opportunities. Work on emotional flaws.

Animals: Cougar, Hedgehog, Echidna, Boar, Dragonfly, Dugong Birds: Raven, Crow, Blackbird, King Parrot Gods/Goddess: Black Isis, the Morrigan, Cybele, Astarte, Athene, Luna Australian Deity: Numbakulla

Meditations: Focus on wholeness and grounding.

Planting Moon/ Milk Moon (November) Spirits: Earth, Sea, Air Herbs: Dittany of Crete, Elder, Mint, Rose, Mugwort, Thyme, Yarrow

Maori Deity: Ikatere

Colors: Green, Brown, Dusky Pink

Angel(s): Uriel

Flowers: Lily of the Valley, Foxglove, Rose, Broom, Pale Flax Lilly

Ritual Work/Energy Focus: Herald of Spring, Communication, intelligence, beginnings, clarification, growth and exploration, breaking illusions and bad habits.

Scents: Rose, Sandalwood, Apricot, Sweet Grass

Meditations: Seeing truth (however much it may hurt) to clear the path.

Animals: Cats, Lynx, Leopard, Tasmanian Devil, Horse

Grass Moon/ Egg Moon (October)

Gods/Goddess: Venus, Aphrodite, Pan, The Horned God, Neptune

Stones: Emerald, Malachite, Amber, Carnelian, Moss Agate Trees: Bottle-Brush, Burgan, Needle Bush/Hakea Dagger, Isopogon Birds: Swallow, Dove, Swan, Chicken

Spirits: Plant, Fire, Forest Fae Herbs: Basil, Chives, Dragon’s Blood, Geranium, Thistle

Australian Deity: Anjea

Colors: Crimson Red, Gold Flowers: Daisy, Sweetpea, Dwarf Skull Cap, Lemon Beauty Heads, Lemon Bottle-Brush, Sundew

Maori Deity: Tawhirimatea

Scents: Pine, Bay, Bergamot, Patchouli, Sandalwood The Magus Opus - Autumn - 106

Angel(s): Advachiel Ritual Work/Energy Focus: Initiation, learning; propagation, forgiveness. Intuition, contact with faeries and spirits. Strengthen connection with ancestors and spirits around you.

Incorporated into the above information are some typical Northern Hemisphere correspondences from many belief systems and traditions, this is simply to allow those who do use these elements in their ritual/spell Meditations: Outdoors and feeling all the power flowing work still maintain some sense of familiarity. Australia is an amazing country; each State seems to have its own from the trees or that of clearing the intellect. unique climate and geographic structure- this also has to be taken into consideration. It is near impossible to include all the deities I could have; it is best for you to Flower Moon/ Rose Moon/ Strawberry Moon use what you know and simply apply your intuition and (December) higher guidance when honoring your Patrons. Included as Spirits: Water & Air/Wind, Rain well are a couple of the ‘general’ well known Aboriginal deities, though do keep in mind that each tribe have their Herbs: Skullcap, Meadowsweet, Vervain, Tansy, Dog own Dreamtime Legends and deities; the same applies to Grass, Parsley, Mosses the Maori deities. Application to the definition of Spirits Colors: Orange, Golden-Green are those to the elements around us, our immediate Flowers: Lavender, Orchid, Yarrow, Pink Bells, River atmosphere and also to those held respect, whether you Rose/Dog Rose consider them to be Faeries, Sylphs, Salamanders etc… all I have done is identify a general key element to provide Scents: Lily of the Valley, Lavender, Coconut direction in any affirmations, libations and reverence Stones: Topaz, Agate, Alexandrite, Fluorite, Green Amber, work.

Amber Trees: Eucalyptus, River Bottle-Brush, Melaleuca, Mistletoe (Grows on Wattles & Eucalyptus) Animals: Monkey, Butterfly, Frog, Toad, Possum, Wasp, Koala, Bumble-Bee Birds: Wren, Peacock, Chicken Gods/Goddess: Aine of Knockaine, Isis, Green Man, Bendis, Ishtar, Exeman, Zo Australian Deity: Dhakhan Maori Deity: Tawhirimatea, Tangaroa Angel(s): Hanael Ritual Work/Energy Focus: Protection, strength and prevention. Work on personal inconsistencies. Strengthen and reward yourself for your positive traits. Prepare for the coming of the New Year, celebration & farewells.

Being that I am traditionally an Italian/Balkan Chovihani, I usually do not like to place names into my rituals and Thanks to Amber Rose For this workings, paying to all,Issue the Spirits, Elements article,homage as of Next Amberthe will and Creatorsbe (Gods/Goddesses/Father/Mother). begining a regular column on My knowledge comes yearsofofMagick. practice Hoodoo andfrom othermany aspects and theory, at least 21 years, 17 months spent with DoomadgeeToMedicine and further studies contact Women Amber please e-mail her by whatever means available. Currently Australian Druidry at has a strong fascination with me, learning how to use nature around ararita.nyx.rose@gmail.com us; within in our backyards to better our ritual experiences, to be in tune with our surroundings and one with our countries energies. This ‘connection’ is truly a remarkable experience and one that I would encourage anyone to explore. It opens for us a new world, new beings, new understanding and a crucial familiarity with our flora and fauna. There is nothing fundamental in Witchcraft, Hoodoo, Vampiric, Satanism or any other path in the Southern Hemisphere; it is all an ever-turning wheel of new possibilities, intricate wisdom and diverse mechanics of magickal philosophy.

Meditations: Mental focus, creativity, intuition, gateways & psychic work.

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A Venus Fly Trap Garden

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re you having problems with insects crawling, buzzing and biting you around your house? If you are environmentally conscious you wouldn’t like spraying harmful chemicals into the air and therefore have to put up with all sorts of creepy crawlies. However, there is something you can do to reduce the problem without resorting to poisons.

Nature has created a range of solutions for you in the form of carnivorous plants. Carnivorous plants consume insects as part of their daily diet. They are totally friendly and they don’t bite and they appear in a variety of beautiful shapes, colours and sizes. There are actually 560 different individual species on the planet designed to eat all different types of insects and survive in all climates.

These plants have evolved this ability as a result of their naturally harsh growing conditions. Many of them live in swamps and boggy terrain which is highly deficient in nutrition. Because of this lack of nutrients in their natural habitat nature has developed an alternative way of acquiring it, which is the absorption of insects.

Venus Fly Trap The Venus fly trap is probably the most popular and the most recognizable of all the carnivorous plants. Charles Darwin wrote a book on these amazing plants titled ‘Insectivorous Plants’, he describes the species as the most wonderful species in the world. It is a native of North and South Carolina in the United States, but is commercially grown in every continent.

The typical Venus fly trap is about the size of two onedollar coins and grows about six traps. It is generally green in colour with red inside the trap. However, there are many variations such as all-red or yellow variations. As it’s name suggests, it is an efficient for flies which are attracted by the sweet smelling nectar and bright colours.

The triggering mechanism of the plant includes three tiny hairs and, once a fly has strayed within the trap and touched these hairs, it quickly encloses the victim. At first the trap will only be three-quarters closed, allowing any tiny insects to escape, but after a few hours it will tightly shut squeezing the fly.

Acids and enzymes are then released and the goodness consumed from it. The trap will reopen after a few days, leaving the empty shell of its victim. Then it is ready to capture again. Each trap will open and close about three times and then blacken and die. It is recommended to cut off the dead trap and new growth will soon appear.

Like most plants, Venus fly traps are easy to keep if growing in the right conditions, their only requirement being four hours of daily sunlight and plenty of water.

The best way to water them is to keep the pot in a tray of water, keeping the level of water up to two centimetres at all times. The plant will draw the water up through its root system. The best indercater of whether the plant is getting enough sunlight is for the plant to show red within the trap. A fully green plant usually indicates insufficient sunlight.

A small pot of Venus fly traps will survive happily on the kitchen window sill, capturing flies that stray into the area.

A large pot full of plants can be places next to a door to lure flies and keep them from getting inside.

They are available at most nurseries, generally in small seedling pots. I would recommend repotting them into a larger pot with a potting mix of three parts peat moss and one part coarse river sand, enabling the plants roots to spread.

Sphagnum moss can be placed in the bottom of the pot to prevent the potting mix from emptying through the holes.

It will quickly grow and appear on the surface and can also act as an excellent moisture indicator because whilst it stays green the soil is sufficiently moist.

During winter the Venus fly trap becomes dormant and ceases growing. Do not panic. Simply remove the plant from the water tray and allow the soil to remain damp, but not wet as it is prone to root rot during this period. When spring arrives, place it back into the water tray and the plant will grow lager and healthier than ever before.

Do not poke and prod the traps because it will make the trap close without anything in it, therefore making it go hungry.

Pitcher Plants These comprise of a group of eight species from America.

They are a magnificent and beautiful coloured genus of plant. Pitcher plants obtain their name from the shape which resembles a water pitcher. They are available in greens, whites, purples and reds and are extremely impressive and unusual in appearance.

They can grow up to about forty-five centimetres in height (depending on the species), and are efficient at capturing crawly insects. The pray are normally lured into the pitcher by sweet tasting nectar which is stronger at the rim of the pitcher. The insects crawl up and fall inside the plant into a potent brew of acids which quickly drowns and consumes the victims.

Keeping and Caring

Keeping and Caring They are a hardy group in temperate climates and can The Magus Opus - Autumn - 110

be kept in similar conditions to the Venus fly trap. Care should be taken not to expose them to extremes of heat as this will burn and dry the pitcher. They should be kept at temperatures below 34 degrees Celsius. These species also experience dormancy during winter.

Sundews Otherwise known as flypaper traps, they derive this name from the glorious effect of their sticky tentacles glistening in the sun when they are wet. The tiny glue-like tentacles protrude from the edges of the leaf, and form droplets of a sticky substance which captures any prey that lands on it. This makes any insect instantly glued onto the plant.

Within minutes the Sundew slowly closes around the insect and further tightens the grip on its prey. The more the insect struggles the stronger the glue holds it. The tentacles slowly release enzymes so the plant can break down the protein from the insect which is absorbed by the leaf.

A pot of Sundews will prove to be excellent at capturing small flying insects such as mosquitoes.

Whilst small in size they are remarkably beautiful in appearance with a variety of colourful flowers. There are over 180 species with about 66 native to Australia in all regions. They appear in a variety of shapes and can often be found in boggy areas.

Keeping and Caring You must first select the species which can survive in your climate. Specialized growers can assist with the choice (if you are in Austria see suppliers at the end of article).

Because of the wide variety of plants available, it is best to obtain growing information from the nursery, however most will survive alongside Venus fly traps and Pitcher plants.

Bladderworts There are over 200 different species of Bladderworts.

They capture their pray through tiny bladder-type traps.

Once an insect touchers the trigger hairs it is sucked inside to be devoured by the plant.

Bladderworts survive in a variety of climates which include: aquatic (in water), terrestrial (on land) and epiphytic (on trees). The aquatic are excellent at capturing mosquito larvae.

They are extremely easy to keep, requiring to be kept in water with a slight acidity.

plants, with one plant growing up to fifteen metres tall.

Most tropical pitcher plants are native to the rainforests of South-East Asia, with one species growing in northern Queensland. This group of plants must be grown in tropical areas; otherwise a specialized hothouse is required.

The physical appearance is basically a tall stem in the centre with leaves protruding and a pitcher which grows at the end of the leaf. This pitcher can grow up to thirty centimetres in height with a splattering of a spectacular red.

This group makes excellent ant catchers and will often be found to be full of ants if dissected.

It is an easy genus to keep if grown in tropical regions.

The potting mix must be open, an orchid mix is suitable.

Humidity should be high at all times with a daily watering from a watering can to simulate raindrops. Sphagnum moss should be places at the top of the pot to assist in maintaining a high humidity. A filtered light position is most appropriate to keep a healthy plant.

The Bog Garden A most fascinating addition to your garden can be a carnivorous bog garden. Carnivorous plants can be a practical and beautiful feature of an outdoor area.

Preparation First, dig a hole about forty centermeters deep, with length and width up to the individual. Once complete, the hole must be lined with thick plastic, then a layer of sand should be placed at the base. The watering system is next, remember these plants need to be watered from below.

You can use a reticulation hose with six outlets. Place the hose in the hole in a circle if possible, then fill it in with two-thirds peat moss and one-third coarse river sand. Soak the area for a few days until it is thoroughly wet. It I now ready for planting.

Venus fly traps, pitcher plants, sundews and terrestrial Bladderworts will all happily live in this environment.

The design is up to you, but remember to keep the taller plants to the back. You now know how to make your own environmentally friendly insect catching garden.

Suppliers (specialists in mail orders) Carnivorous and unusual seeds, 3 Normandy Ave, Para Hills, SA 5096. (Write for catalogue).

Triffid Park, 257 Perry Rd. Keysborough, Vic 3173.

(Write for catalogue).

The Tropical Pitcher Plant These are by far the most spectacular of all carnivorous The Magus Opus - Autumn - 111

Decorating for Halloween The Magus Opus - Autumn - 112

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f there ever was a time to go crazy decorating then Samhain is it. It is one of the few truly pagan festivals that are still celebrated by most people around the world. The possibilities for decorating at this time are just wonderful as there is certainly no lack of resources for props or decorations. Discount stores generally turn up trumps, just remember in the southern hemisphere to get there about 6 months earlier and stock up and then just put it all in a box and try to forget what is in there for 6 months and then when you open it, it will be your first Halloween surprise. But there are few things that can make your Halloween really special.

The first is jack-o’-lanterns, these are the symbol of Halloween, and with practice I know that Australia can have the best carved pumpkins of all. Candles of course are always wonderful, use them to light your jack-o’lanterns and on mass they look simply wonderful, just remember to watch them, after all they are little fires. Fake spider webs although kitschy make the perfect Halloween addition to your haunted house, along with the fake spider webs some fake blood and body bits are always appropriate.

Silhouettes are fantastic, check out some of the templates in the back of the magazine. Some good sound effects are always nice, and can really add to a spooky atmosphere.

Along with sound effects come lighting effects, which you

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can achieve via a strobe light and dimming the house lights.

This makes a really a spooky atmosphere which is desirable on Samhain. Always pay attention to the lighting as it can make all the difference. Coffins and scarecrows make superb additions to any Halloween front yard, with an added tombstone or two you can really bring your creepy scene to life. Some fog rolling in is always a welcome addition, you can go out and get a fog machine, or just getting some dry ice and placing it in a bucket or bowl of water will achieve the same effect. Remember that old Rolling Stones song, Paint it Black, think of it as your new motto, black makes Halloween wonderful, as it adds so much to the décor. Fake ravens and other birds of prey are great to have hopping around inside, they just make everything so eerie.

their pumpkins were much easier to carve and they seemed to be the perfect choice for Jack-o’-lanterns.

To make a Jack-o’-lantern the first and most important step is to select the right pumpkin, and to plan, plan, plan.

When making Jack-o’-lanterns if you don’t plan, you plan to fail! Pumpkins range in size from small to large, the small pumpkins are fantastic for faces, and on mass these make an awesome display. Medium size pumpkins are the best for stencils and large pumpkins make incredible centrepieces on your veranda or in a display. Before going to buy your pumpkins ensure that you know what designs you are doing and then it makes the shopping easy. You should choose pumpkins that are free from nicks and scratches and are uniformly orange, this ensures that they are ripe.

There are some fantastic Halloween decorations that you can make yourself though, particularly Jack-o’-lanterns.

Important Note: NEVER carry your pumpkin via the There is just nothing that says Halloween like a jack-o’stem, as they can easily break! If your stem does break it lantern. Jack-o’-lanterns were originally made from turnips can be remedied by cutting out the bottom instead of the and gourds, they were placed on the door steps to welcome top, then sit the candle on the cleaned bottom piece and deceased loved ones, protect the occupants against evil, cast then place the pumpkin over the top. a spell of protection over the house and the occupants for the following year and celebrate the last harvest. When the To begin carving your pumpkin we suggest buying a European settlers first arrived in America they found that pumpkin carving kit, but there are tools in everyone’s The Magus Opus - Autumn - 115

kitchen cupboards that make pumpkin carving a breeze. remember to cut straight into the pumpkin, when making You will need an ice-cream scoop, a thin bladed knife and sharp corners remove the saw and insert it again. After this carefully push out the cut pieces of pumpkin with your some newspaper. fingers and neaten up your pumpkin. Stencils are quite easy to create, just ensure that the design is a simple one Using the long thin bladed knife, cut the top of the that will be clearly visible when it has been carved. pumpkin about 5 cm radius around the steam, I always like to cut a V into the lid as well, this ensure that you always put it back on the right way. The hole needs to be Remember that the pumpkins will rot over the coming large enough so that you can scoop out all the insides of days, which is so sad really but to ensure that they hang the pumpkin. It is a good idea to angle the knife, so that around for longer you have to prevent the mould setting it has a cone like shape, that way you can assure that the in and the pumpkins losing water. One way is to soak lid will always fit snugly. After this inspect your pumpkin the pumpkins in water, but by far the best way is to coat carefully and decided which face of it will be the best to the pumpkins in petroleum jelly, hairspray or anything else carve, now carefully cut out the pattern you can see in that will keep the water leeching out or the mould coming your head for your pumpkin or trace on a stencil (for a in. It is also a good idea to keep the pumpkins cool and Halloween stencil see the back of our magazine). After the best way to do this is with an old refrigerator or by this, scrape the bottom of your pumpkin clean so that a keeping them in the shade. candle will sit flat on it.

Stencil carving the pumpkin is almost identical to the steps above, however there are a few tips that will help you a lot.

Generally a carving saw will help you immensely as will a lino cutter. Take your stencil and apply it to the face of your pumpkin with tape, then using the lino tool begin to trace around the stencil and apply the design to the face of the pumpkin. Remember to not push too hard, you are just trying to create an outline that you will carve later.

Take your time with this step and do not rush it, as this forms the basis of the whole Jack-o’-lantern. Now using the carving saw carefully cut out the pattern, some people like to drill little holes and then play connect the dots as this ensures that there is little error. A saw is not a knife and therefore it will require a sawing motion, and always

After Halloween to keep the magick protection of the Jack-o’-lanterns with you all year, find a place in your garden and bury them in a small ritual thanking them for their service and asking for their protection for the year to come.

While in the Northern Hemisphere Halloween carving pumpkins can be brought easily, unfortunately or fortunately which ever way you look at it, for us in the southern hemisphere we generally have to grow our own carving pumpkins. To help encourage the classic “rounded” pumpkin, wait until the pumpkin is at least a month old, then very carefully lift the stem and vine in one hand and the pumpkin in the other and adjust it so that it’s bottom sits flat on the ground or a thin piece of wood. Your pumpkins will be ready to harvest once the colour of the fruit has deepened into a deep orange. When cutting be sure to leave several inches of stem, this will help the pumpkins stay fresh. At this point you can let them cure in the sun for a week to ten days.

If you store the pumpkins in a cool, dry place they can last for months. This will ensure you have the best Halloween pumpkins ever.

Another thing you can make

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that will make any Halloween into a frightful affair, are some shrunken heads. These are easy to make and look fantastic. They are made from granny smith apples as they are the perfect round shape for a head. Firstly take a granny smith apple and peel it, it is a good idea then to use a nicko or a pencil to make a face like shape on the apple, remember that the best designs are always symmetrical.

Now taking a small paring knife begin to cut out the design remembering that the more you cut away the more shrunken the head will be. Once you have finished carving your design take some sticks and stick your apples onto them making a kind of toffee apple like structure. After this make a mixture of lemon juice and salt, one cup of fresh lemon juice to a tablespoon of salt, and roll the apple heads all through it, which will stop them going mouldy during the dehydration process. They will take a couple of weeks to fully dry out and ensure that you dry them in a warm dry place to prevent mould.

that you then cover with nuts. Cut or drill a hole through the largest pumpkin, and place on the branch. Top with two smaller pumpkins.

3. Accent a door or wall with a lot of Indian corn or maize. Use twine to connect the ears, knotting the twine after adding each ear. Tuck in pressed maple leaves for even more colour. Then loop the twine at the top to hang.

4. Don’t just throw all those tree trimmings out this autumn. Place a bundle of bare branches in a large terracotta pot and weave little white holiday lights to create the perfect décor for your home.

5. Have a ball by wrapping colourful dried leaves around purchased plastic-foam balls from a crafts store. Glue the leaves on, then wind thin wire around and around to hold them firmly in place. Stack a collection of balls in a basket Of course if you really want to go all out with the for rustic country style. decorating at Halloween, you could always try a concept like the Peirce-du Pont house in America. Last Halloween they had the most amazing display of pumpkins you have 6. Make an autumn garland for your mantle with colourful ever seen. The miniature pumpkins creep up the veranda apples. Use an awl or knitting needle to pierce through the railings. Using Jack-Be-Little pumpkins each was wired apples from side to side. Pull twine through the hole and individually onto the post making a garland of pumpkins. knot it to hold the apple in place. Spice up the display by alternating apples with gourds, walnuts, or leaves.

Another great idea if you are going out for Halloween is creating a hostess gift of a creepy bouquet, using flowers such as dahlias, callas, colius, berries, eucalyptus, cotinus, chocolate cosmos, scabiosa, orchids, seed pods, succulents, and tillandsias. Start with a base of foliage or branches to anchor the blooms and build on that to create a full bouquet.

Also, keep the colour palette simple and monochromatic.

When finished place in an antique vase. Simply stunning.

Also why not create a centrepiece with candles, berries and fake creepy crawlies, these make such wonderful additions to your table over the festive season.

7. Lead trick-or-treaters to your door or dinner guests to the back patio with country luminaries made with old glass jars. Put a bit of sand in the jar and set a small candle in the sand. Line the sidewalk with the luminaries or even hang them from trees with wire.

8. Decorate a wreath for your front door with clusters of berries, ornamental grasses, and other fall finds. Purchase a wreath form at a local crafts store, then simply attach the berries and grasses with wire or hot glue.

To Finish off here are the ten best ways to bring autumn into your home.

9. Turn mini pumpkins into decorative candle holders. Just carve a hole large enough for a tea candle in the top of the pumpkin. Arrange a bunch across a mantle or down the 1. Be the talk of the town with a playful pumpkin version middle of the dining table. of a snowman. Stack three pumpkins in graduated sizes, drilling holes through the pumpkins and inserting a large 10. For a fragrant treat, fill a ceramic bowl or wicker stick to secure. Add stick arms and a face using a black basket with oranges, lemons, pinecones, nuts, and pieces marker. of evergreen. Place the container just inside the front door for a special welcome home.

2. Make a quirky topiary by placing a sturdy branch in a box or flowerpot, weighing it down with bricks or rocks The Magus Opus - Autumn - 117

Spirit Houses

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fter our last article on spirit houses I am sure that you are all wanting to create one, there are things to be said for creating your own from scratch and sometimes the creation of a tool by your own hands is a wonderful thing to do, so I fully encourage you to experiment with this as much as you like. There are some fantastic resources out there for the

construction of a dolls house and I feel that these can really give you a great basis. I am going to be buying a dolls house kit and then construct the spirit house from that and if you would like to do the same and follow along with me that would be great. Personally I am going to try and keep as many elements of the traditional Thai spirit house in their as possible but I know that they are not my traditions, therefore I am going to try and link them with my own. If you wish to start construction before the next issue go right ahead but right now I am going to start collecting the things that we are going to need for this massive craft project.

Thais create spirit house to ensure that the land owners have luck, prosperity, health and happiness. This is achieved by leaving offerings for the spirits of the land at the Spirit house. Offerings can be food, incense and numerous other things, Crowley has some great suggestions for offering in his book 777. I am not Hindu, and therefore it felt incorrect for me to make a spirit house specifically for the Hindu land spirits. I have instead decided to make it to the land spirits in general.

As we are still trying to buy our home, I will build the spirit house for our new place, even though I don’t know

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s

where it is, I know that the spirits will and it is my hope through doing this that our new home that we own will manifest itself. For as the Thais state “How can you expect a house of your own if you do not first provide one for god.”

Since the actual final resting place of the spirit house is still to be decided, we will have to wait for that part of the ritual. However I know that nine lucky woods are to be placed in the hole when the spirit house is finally put in place and I feel that the acquisition of these woods is of great importance to the spirit house. The nine woods symbolically represent power, wealth and fortune, luck and victory, money and gold, happiness, strength and stability, honor, protection and finally one unknown ability (For which I will be subsisting magick as the woods meaning).

Therefore I am going to gather the lengths of wood but with trees that have a symbolic meaning to me, remember that each has to be at least 30 centimetres long, with a pointy end carved into the bottom.

Place them somewhere special and later stored them in the Spirit House until it comes to its final resting place.

These woods have a Brahman priest chant 108 times over each piece of wood, so therefore I am going to make each of those woods a talisman for the ability that it is linked with, so keep that in mind when collecting your own woods.

The most common link that I can find between the Western Magickal Tradition and the Eastern concept of the spirit house is the modern Fairy House or spirit pots. These houses are available on-line (already created) but you could also make one for yourself. The best Fairy Houses are created by John Curtis Crawford and Bridget wolf, they can really provide you with some fantastic inspiration at www.fairywoodland.com. These fairy houses are sort of where I am going to go and sort of not. I fully think that the houses themselves need to be “nature like” and therefore will be attractive to the

nature spirits.

As I said before I will be modifying an existing dolls house, there are many options here, you might like to go to second hand stores or discount shops to try and find the house that speaks to you. I am going to be buying a dolls house kit, that comes in a flat pack and is then assembled. The dolls house I have chosen is called Grosvenor Hall (available at The Doll’s House Emporium (www.dollshouse.com) and although the design has no real natural elements, I am going to add them. Creating dolls houses has become quite a serious hobby, so you will find numerous amounts of web sites providing furniture and other accessories for you house. Finding some accessories now, will make your life easier in the end I can assure you.

After working out which dolls house you are going to buy, (I Know the possibilities are endless) it is time to begin the blueprints. The rooms that are currently in the doll’s house, you will more than likely want to change, so make any changes that you wish on the blueprint. Try your best to draw a diagram of what the house will look like before you start any major renovations, as the more you plan it on paper the better off you will be. Remember that the design can always be changed and when you begin adding natural elements the design definitely will. This is also the best time to find where you are going to place your spirit house in your own home or garden, and you should start to leave offerings there for the nature spirits and assure them that there will be a house there soon.

When going on walks or nature excursions assure that you pick up any natural objects that you feel could make your Spirit House more attractive to the spirits, sometimes these materials will need to be dried before being placed on the house others will just have to be stored until later. So order your house and start to collect materials and in next issue we will discuss the rituals used by the Brahman priest and how they can be adapted to modern day paganism.

Pagan Tradition The Magus Opus - Autumn - 119

Lucia Part II A continuing story series

by Jedda Lee Winkworth The Magus Opus - Autumn - 120

H

er footsteps quickened till the stone was a blur, and the carpeted hallways became a river swiftly transporting her down. Down, into the bowels of the castle, to confront the lord and claim back what was hers.

Lucia did not think to hesitate, for the rage had gotten into her now, and it was screaming through her bloodstream with the power of an angry little mob. She rounded the last corner, and the pair of Centurions posted either side of the ornate, golden door at the passageways end fixed their steely, helmeted gaze upon her. She realised she was huffing a little with the adrenalin, and it did occur to her that she should formulate a plan of action beyond confrontation.

Alas, the thought was fleeting, for Lucia was stuck in the thrall of her re-found power and, bolstered by the bodily, adrenal reaction to it, she shoved the thought aside and powered ahead.

Drawing herself up as she approached the iron-clad men, Lucia opened her mouth to speak. But before she could utter a word, they curiously shifted in space, turning sharply in. She halted, confused. Then one Centurion extended his arm, clenched the massive, jewel-encrusted shaft of the handle, and clicked it smartly to the horizontal. The door heaved open with a scraping, protesting creak. Inside there was just silent darkness. Odd, Lucia thought, it must be double-doored. She had come across these in only the most luxe suites of the castle while cleaning. Well, it was the lord’s chamber. Still, the blackness was discomforting, and threw her somewhat. Lucia swallowed, clutched her gown with one hand, and stepped forward into it. The guards were silent, but as she passed she could have sworn she caught the glimmer of a murky grin behind an iron grill.

She shivered, then startled when the door was abruptly swung into place behind her, shutting her in.

chamber was built several stories into the earth of the castle.

And yet trees grew from the floor, strange, twinkling, toogreen trees that held a bounty of fruit. Some trees, she noted with wonder, held more than just one sort of the dewy, glistening orbs.

Then there were the dancers. For some sort of dance was definitely in progress; she had seen belly dancers once back home in Ogden, and these looked similar. But oh, the colours, the richness of their garments, the style and grace with which they moved. At times they flowed together as one, then breaking off to entertain individually, yet still somehow in sync with the whole. It was a mesmerising thing to watch, and Lucia rubbed at her eyes, small and overwhelmed in the face of such grandeur. Why had she been admitted entry here? Shaking her head softly, she gathered her wits. She must find the lord. She had come here to find her tapestry, thereby sealing her ticket away from this foreign land. This pomp and glamour is utterly ridiculous, she told herself firmly as she began to weave through the belly dancers.

One black-kohled eye caught Lucia’s, the rhythmic jarring of her head and swirling flash of tattooed hands seeming to dull the senses somewhat. Lucia breathed deeper of the roiling, incensed air within the chamber and tasted the sweet warmth of it. Faces were friendly down here, she thought, and a wry, absent smile drifted over her face.

She noted the people watching the dancers, huddled into dark corners, or around tables, or sprawled together on floor-beds fat with silken pillows. The pounding of the drums and wiling of the flute hammered through Lucia’s overwhelmed senses and into the core of her mind. She felt flush with the music, and the idea came to her that she should sit for a while, swallow some wine, enjoy the company of the striking, black-haired boy lolling on a daybed not far from where she stood. The boy stared The first thing Lucia noticed in the dark was the sound fixedly, hungrily at her whilst he stroked the smooth satin of her breath, rushing in and out, and the feel of her heart beside him, inviting her to come. beating, fast, getting, faster. She reached out with her hands, panicky. But a slight glow came upon the chamber, Adrenalin rose in her throat again, and Lucia lingered, adjusting her eyes, and she noticed the wooden door swaying slightly. This was not right. Her blood screamed no more than a few feet in front of her. Underneath its through her, but as it thickened with the chemical-laden handle, a red light blinked. She reached out towards it, and air, she felt her purpose slipping surely away. She lifted as her fingers touched the steel the light switched to an her small, trembling hands to cover her face, not wanting unblinking green. She turned it, quickly now, curious, and to give in, yet not aware that she already had. She took a step towards the man, eyes still covered, and he smiled – a done with this game. mean, flinty little smile that turned his beautiful eyes feral.

The sight that met Lucia was like nothing she could quite She did not catch it, and did not catch either the tall, thin describe at first, it was all sight, smell, sound and even taste. woman with anger smeared across her face that hurtled, It’s a night-garden, she thought as she ogled the artificial unseeing, towards her. ceiling first. With its ebony, velveteen heaviness and stars hewn within, surely it had to be created by man, for this In the milliseconds before the woman knocked her over, The Magus Opus - Autumn - 121

Lucia caught the moment, caught the gust of air and energy and intake of breath and she braced herself. Later she would wonder why she had not moved, yet it was as if she was powerless to intervene upon that fateful moment of collision.

And so she toppled, and the woman tripped over her own long gown, and down they came into a row of pot-plants that broke with an alarming smash, spewing out loamy potting mix. At the point of impact, Lucia felt a crack of pain run through her hip and up her right side. Winded, she cried out weakly, but it was drowned out by the other woman, who screeched and writhed around half on top of Lucia, until she pushed her off and rolled to the side.

As she lay panting, looking at the world from upside down, Lucia realised the music had come to a grinding, cacophonic halt. The rich seductiveness of the place was now replaced with a general murmur of uncomfortable dissent. Above it, a man’s voice rose, shrill and distinct, like a siren, but clearly male.

“What is happening!” It was a statement, not a question.

“What the fuck is happening in my pleasure dome!?”

Right before the swift kick to the base of her skull knocked her out, Lucia caught a look at the owner of the voice. And what a sight to behold. He was big, massive in fact, but more so in height than breadth. A beard jutted from his chin, a wild, scrubby thing that shone black-brown like the hair on his head. Yet it was his eyes that burned her mind and stuck to her memory even as she woke. Made up in garish flashes of golden yellow, green and red, they were cruel, hard gemlets, black as coal. Crazy, haunted eyes, full of dark power. Eyes that would haunt her.

no more.” This one’s voice was rougher, more practical, a bigger lady by what she could gather with her senses as she lay. The other sighed, and they were both silent a moment, looking at her.

“Well, I guess we should tell the head’mam she ain’t awake,” the younger said.

Rochelle sighed, shifting herself from the seat beside the bed. She stared at the girl’s hair again, sheer copper, of a colour she’d not seen in many years. Self-consciously she patted her own faded red mane. Hers was streaked with grey, yet her daughter’s had been nearly as glorious as this girl, she thought. She’d be nearly the same age as this one, too. A frown stole over her face, and the kind, brown eyes looked down. Would have been, were she still living. Had this place not sucked her up and spat her out. Rochelle resisted the urge to sneer, as she often did these days. Her face was still a carefully constructed mask, pliant and reliable, but she found it harder and harder to conceal the resentment within. The pleasure drugs, with all their wicked consequences, were the downfall of too many she had seen go through here. Only the powerful ones, those that also practised the unspeakable arts, survived and thrived here.

For yes, she thought, and her head nodded imperceptibly, black magick hung within this place. She could smell it, feel it in her bones. She shivered, for it paid not to think of such things. It was just that the beautiful young girl had evoked such feeling in her. Such regret. She sighed again, and realised that Jocelyn, the young attendant, was talking.

“I just wonder if there might be some decent ones amongst them. I know you said they’re only here for gratification,” she paused, that clearing of the throat again, and rushed on, “I just wonder if there might be one decent, wealthy man, a squire maybe, who could take a girl like me away...”

At the mention of wealth, Rochelle’s patience expired.

Silly young thing she was, staring wide-eyed at the girl on Nonetheless, the image of the lord stole from her mind the bed, playing with one of her own mouse-brown plaits. rapidly as she blurred back into consciousness, for someone Rochelle realised that Jocelyn was jealous. was talking, two people, women by the sound of them.

Lucia resisted the urge to open her eyes and wriggle her “Look here, girl,” she narrowed her eyes, pointing one body. She was lying prone, on something soft and furry, callused finger at the other for effect, “ain’t naught but and the women were close, she could feel their gaze upon heartbreak and emptiness in those places. There’s no decent her. She relaxed into the bedding, allowing her breath to men go there. You should count yourself lucky you’ve got remain even. nothing they want.”

“Rochelle,” the first spoke in a halting, higher pitched The girl’s plain, heart-shaped face fell, and Rochelle voice, “I just don’t think it’s right,” she paused, clearing her realised she’d gone too far. Damn this place. It had made throat delicately. The other interjected. her so hard.

“It’s not for us to decide now, is it? She’s gone and been “Come on,” she softened, patting Jocelyn’s arm, “we don’t and seen what she’s seen, and there’ll be no help for her have to tell the head’mam she’s not awake. That bitch will The Magus Opus - Autumn - 122

The Magus Opus - Autumn - 123

be along in a minute to find out for herself. Let’s go get away from here. Her mind began to whirl, and she felt nauseous. Tiny balls of light danced in her outer vision, some tea.” and she lifted one hand to brush the sweat beading on Jocelyn smiled, cheering a little. It probably was better that her brow. At the touch, she hissed and pulled her hand she wasn’t beautiful like this one. Most of the girls that away, staring at it outstretched. It was burning hot! Even went into the pleasure gardens never came out again. She as she watched, it appeared as though shimmering waves smoothed the girl’s hair back from her creamy skin, looking of heat rolled off both hands. She touched them to her at her one last time before Rochelle hurried her out of the legs, and again pulled them sharply away. They must have chamber, fiddling with her keys a moment, then locked the given her some drug to keep her sleeping, and now she was door behind them. having a bad reaction to it. That only made her angrier, As soon as the door clicked into place behind her, Lucia and she cursed, beginning to stalk the chamber. She felt sat bolt upright. She knew what this place was now, and now strangely powerful, though still sick, and her mind had no intention of sticking round to experience the stopped whirling to focus on one intent – getting out of finer details. Her gaze flung round the chamber, which the room before anyone came for her. was semi-circular, and decked out lavishly. She leapt from Lucia reached the door, and grasped the handle. She the bed, and the sharp pain in her skull reminded her of tried to turn it, then jiggle it, softly at first, fearing she the blow. She ran to the window, falling back dismayed might be heard, then yanking at it. She tried to force it, when she saw they had carried her far up into the castle, desperation rising thick and fast again, until with a small and there was only a vertical drop. She rubbed at the sore cry she let go and stepped back, beaten. Her head dropped spot, wondering who had kicked her. Some bastard, she in dismay, and something silver lying at the base of the thought, clenching her fists. Lucia caught her reflection door caught the light, and also her eye. It couldn’t be. Yet in the mirror hanging on the far wall, and clutched at the it was a key, a small, precious thing that she clutched to clinging, white dress they had put on her. It came up in a her and fumbled into the lock. It seemed to fit. She held sweep to cover most of her neck, cutting away to expose her breath, and turned. With a self-assured little snick, her shoulders and back, and ending just below the knee. the lock sprung open and the door came free. She rushed She looked incredible, but the sight of it only incited more through to meet only unadorned stone, a chamber that fear within her hammering heart. She wasn’t going to get

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was a rectangular dead-end. To her right was a stairwell, the only way in or out, and now she could hear faint voices and footsteps rising from it. At the chamber’s end, a vast window was set into an alcove, looking out into the night. She slipped behind one of the pulled-back curtains as one voice rose above the other, and the footsteps reached the top.

The head’mam. Lucia bit her lip, struggling to stay calm. Now they would discover she had escaped, and she would be hunted down.

And damn it, her hands were burning again. She dared not move, and instead strained her ears to hear what was being said.

They seemed to have stopped outside the door.

“Stupid girl,” the head’mam sniffed, searching through her keys.

“I knew that day when he brought her here she would be trouble. That defiant look in her eyes, like all the other ones that asked questions and wouldn’t behave as shown,” she tsk-tsked, jangling the keys faster. Any moment now she would open the door and find Lucia gone.

“I mean, I’ve got no red-heads, not the one, and the colouring of this wench makes her valuable. Such creamy skin, no marks, nice teeth as well. She’d be a keeper. I just hope she goes lazy, not crazy, when we start dosing her up,” the head’mam finished with a humourless chuckle. Her companion, silent up to that point, grunted his assent.

far on sheer luck, now she had to be careful and think.

Still, her flight instinct was difficult to overcome. As she passed a door along the passage, which had levelled for the moment, she spied several dark cloaks hanging up outside.

She snatched one and threw it over her shoulders. Moving unchallenged through the passageway, ever down, Lucia smelt the waft of cooking food. Dinner was on then, and most would be sitting to eat it. If she hurried, she just might get out. She came to a point where a door opened to elsewhere, and the passage steepened and kept on down.

Choosing the door, figuring she must be at ground level, Lucia opened it into a landscaped, semi-indoor pavilion.

This was the learning centre of the castle, and it connected to the castle grounds. Her heart leapt and she readied to move from the doorway only for it to sink when a group of three men strolled into the pavilion, books at hand.

For a moment, Lucia thought she was going to have the The men were cloaked, yet with hoods drawn back, luckiest day of her life, and that the key would be mercifully and Lucia looked down at her own. Hers was made of a significantly more expensive weave, and she figured it missing. belonged to someone higher ranking than these young “Ah, here we go.” The slide of metal into metal, the snick. nobles. Only men studied here, and now that she knew what they did with their down time, she wondered how The door opened, and she heard them sweep inside. Then she could have missed it all along. I knew something was they shut the door behind them. Oh, dear God, Lucia amiss here, she reassured herself. Taking a deep breath and thought, and she leapt from her hiding place, sprinting to adjusting her hood closer to her face, Lucia strode out it. A furious cry rose from inside as she twisted the key in evenly across the pavilion. She didn’t have to pass too close the lock, yanked the head’mams set free and bolted. to the men to get through to the gardens, and as expected The door began to bang and rattle as Lucia hurtled down they looked up at her and looked away, returning to their the stairway in the muted light, wanting to scream and cry conversation. But just as Lucia approached the edge where and cheer all at once. She had escaped! Don’t get too ahead the grounds began, the deep, terrible groan of the alarm of yourself, she thought as she slowed so as not to break horns began to ring out. Lucia calmly continued and, once her neck falling down the damn stairs. She had come this out of sight, began to run.

The Magus Opus - Autumn - 125

They were coming for her, the thought of it pushed her legs harder and faster as she bounded, barefoot, across the lawn, dodging manicured shrubs, headed for the forest. But then it hit her. She still had pass through the outer gate.

Shit. There was no other way out through the briar-infested outer wall, and certainly not one that could be found in the dark and with the whole castle looking for her. Well, I’m not stopping now, she thought, but nonetheless she slowed, her chest on fire, hands burning anew. She didn’t really notice this time, although she felt the surge of power, calming her. Her only hope was to bluff her way through.

She strode on, coming upon the guard tower now.

“Stop it,” he growled, his eyes fixed upon her. Lucia saw a familiar hunger creep into them, his hands gripped her harder, and she screamed again. Oh God, not like this. She couldn’t have come this far only to have it end like this.

“A little runaway, hey? I’ll teach you,” he backhanded her across the face, knocking the scream out of her. The guard looked around quickly, then forced her through the open gate, crushing her up against the other side. She couldn’t breathe, but at the feel of his hands tearing at her, something in Lucia snapped, going beyond panic and fear to fury.

She sucked her breath in, and with it rose a wave of heat.

It rushed out from her heart, and up from the soles of her feet, to explode in a guttural, primal cry. Wrenching her hands free, she brought them somehow to his neck.

He shuddered at the touch, gulping air, and let go of her, clawing at them.

“Who goes there?” A lantern lifted to expose a burly, hardeyed young guard. Shit again, she thought, but kept on, her feet crunching on the gravel of the road leading up to the gateway. The gates were massive, standing as high as three men at least, and one was shut. The other was pulled-to, but not all the way. He must have heard the horns then, “No!” she screamed, “no, no, no!” Her hands burned and proceeded to lock down. But they ain’t shut yet, she white-hot into his neck, into his body, with the terrible thought, gritting her teeth, before she spoke.” power of vengeance. One last breath squeaked out of him, “Hi hay there, gatekeeper!” she called out loudly, using the his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell away, dead. She would never forget the hollow smack as his body hit the formal lilt of the higher class she had heard used. ground.

“Who goes there?” his voice was softer, more uncertain, Lucia moaned, gasping uncontrollably and stumbling yet still suspicious. back from where he lay. Her arms flung outstretched, “I go on direct business from the head’mam,” she got closer, and she stared at the body, terrified. What was she? She not slowing, “and it is imperative that I leave right away. had killed him, that much was certain, but how? Her gaze Never mind the horns, this business is related to that.” swung guiltily to her hands, but now they were cool, spent, tingling. Oh fuck, she thought, what am I? He still did not move from next to the half-closed gate, and she fumbled on.

The sound of voices and baying of dogs broke through Lucia’s shock, and she turned to look at the gate, exhausted “I have her permission, ah, her seal,” she waved her hand and unsure of what to do. A shadow detached itself from limply for effect, thinking this would win him, but instead the gnarled old trees lining the road behind her. She caught his eyes narrowed, and he straightened up. the cloaked and hooded form in her peripheral and swirled, “Where is it?” his gaze bored into her, as though he was disbelieving, to face this latest threat. The apparition spoke. trying to discern features under the hood.

“What?” Lucia was confused.

“Congratulations, Lucia.”

“The seal. If you’ve got it, give it to me and you can pass,” The voice was resonant, distinctive, and yet it still took her he folded his arms and the corners of his mouth turned a moment to place its familiarity. up smugly.

“Now come with me if you want to survive,” he held out a “This is ridiculous,” she stammered, her mind searching hand to her, expectant, waiting. for something, anything, “how dare you. I will be passing It was the stranger, the man Pelgrin. now.” Lucia made to move past him, and through, but his hand snaked out, sealing on her arm. She screamed as he jerked her over to him, his other hand ripping off her hood. He held her struggling body away from him, cursing and staring at her face in surprise. Her long hair whipped about in the rising wind, and she flailed at him.

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The Magus Opus - Autumn - 127

The Magus Opus - Autumn - 128

Letter Writting The Magus Opus - Autumn - 129

Themed parties are always ideal for innovative invitations.

Use the theme of your party to come up with an invitation Continuation from Letter Writing article that will impress. We thought it would be a marvellous idea for our launch party to give out severed fingers in a here comes a time when Facebook box to keep with the Halloween genera. invitations are simply not enough.

Sending electronic invitations are never as reliable because not everyone Making severed finger invitations checks their emails or facebook regularly. Everyone should have an This is a really fun way to invite people to your Halloween address book so you don’t always have to ask people their party, receiving a severed finger in the post is sure to get addresses before mailing them anything. It is always nicer your guests talking. This is both easy and fun to do. for an invitation to be a surprise. In planning your special What you need: event it is important to put some consideration into your invitations; this is because the invitations are the first thing A block of clay (preferably stoneware, not Raku) which the guests of the event will see and will tell them Plaster of Paris not only where and when this event will be held but also Skin-coloured spray-paint what kind of event this will be. A creative invitation that Nail-polish has had a bit of thought gone into it will ensure that your Black card guests will be excited to attend your event. Below are some creative ideas for your next event’s invitation and also an Oak moss and anything else that is suitable for Halloween (small fake spiders, bugs, be creative) explanation on how to hold a murder mystery party.

T

When you are creating invitations for your event the first thing to consider is the type of event you are having.

Whether it is a birthday party, Halloween party, themed party or Dinner party for any number of reasons, your invitations have to suit. If you are hosting a party with more than 20 guests it is acceptable to have computer generated invitations, but be sure to use a scripted font and whatever you do, do not add any clip art of any party related images. If you decide to type your invitations it dose not mean you have to use plain white cartridge paper, you can buy paper with fancy designs on the back or any paper that will add to the presentation of the invitation. This would be suitable for dinner party invitations. It is also a nice touch to add black ribbon to tie the invitation closed.

This can be done by hole-puncturing the folded paper and threading the ribbon through into a bow. If you get paper that is patterned on the outside, this will make them look exceptionally nice. The ribbon does not have to be black, it just has to match the paper. If you are not handing the invitations out in person you will have to put them in an envelope, if you want your envelopes to be fancy as well, make sure they match the invitations.

When writing your invitations for your dinner party, it is always nice to begin by saying Dear……………. We cordially invite you to ……… This will always impress your friends and make them feel like valued guests.

Keep your dinner party invitations short and sweet, you don’t want to give too much away unless it is important information.

To make the mould get the fresh clay and stick a finger of your choice into the block, make sure the clay is not too wet before you do this otherwise the mould will lose it’s shape when you pull your finger out. Mix up a small amount of plaster (it doesn’t need much) and when it is ready pour it into the moulds. Wait until the plaster has solidified, which should take an hour or so, then carefully pull them out of they clay. Leave them to get really hard overnight then spray paint them. An alterative to skin-coloured spray paint if you can’t find any use ivory, this will make the fingers look dead. To finish the fingers paint the fingernails with nail-polish, read is the most affective. If you want the finger to look like it has been cut off a hand put red paint on the base to give the impression of blood. To finish the finger tie a piece of black ribbon around it. This will make the invitation make sense as the ribbon is tied around the finger as a reminder so they remember to come to the event (people used to tie a piece of string around their finger to remind them of something they must not forget).

To make the boxes, measure the fingers to make sure you make them big enough then draw out the pattern for the box on the black card. It should have four squares in a line with two out the sides, this will look like a cross. The side squares should have four flaps on the sides for gluing the box together and a flap at one end so it folds into a box with a lid that closes. Make folds in the card before gluing.

Put the Oak moss on the bottom of the box and lay the finger on top of it, then add anything else you have to put

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invitation, which they are to carry out during the course of the evening; they also indicate what time the guests are supposed to perform these acts. It is best to write these on cards that are easy to carry around. The guests are also given a name tag of their character’s name to wear to the party.

The objectives given to the guests are meant to help them mingle with the other guests as well as giving clues to who the murderer might be. One of the guests is appointed as the murderer and one is as the victim. You will need to get a murder mystery kit to host one of these parties because they are so complex. To get a good murder mystery party kit you will need to buy one. If you are interested go to this web site and check out what sort of kits they offer (http://www.murdermystery.com.au) A game typically included invitations, instructions, guide books for each character, clues and peripherals such as an audio cassette How a Murder mystery party is run tape, printed map, schematics or police reports.

The invitations to a murder mystery party are crucial to the Set a date for your murder mystery party and send whole evening’s events. The guests each receive an invitation invitations at least two weeks prior to the event. You will detailing the character they are to come as, this includes need to know who is attending before you host the party. costume and acting tips. It also includes background The average party runs between two to three hours so set a time when your guests can relax and don’t need to run information on the night in question. off.

The guests are given a set of objectives with their Read through the hosts’ instructions. This will explain The Magus Opus - Autumn - 131 in it like plastic spiders.

Make a note to put in the box which has all the information about the party that the guest needs to know.

Tie a ribbon around the box for added affect and your invitations are ready.

Seeing as this is the Halloween issue I thought I would add an idea for your next Halloween party. A great theme for a Halloween dinner party is a murder mystery party. These are great for parties of up to 30 people, especially dinner parties. For those of you who are not familiar with what a murder mystery party is, it’s an interactive party where you and your guests witness and try to solve a fictitious murder that occurs at the party.

the theme and location of the game such as luau, wedding who the culprit is. reception, wine tasting or old west saloon. It also usually includes menu, decoration and costume suggestions as well Follow the instructions as brief biographies of the characters. to the game as described in the hosts’ guide.There Determine your guest list. Most parties require six to eight can be 3 or 4 acts in players, frequently in couples. The host is usually permitted the game, where all the to play since everyone is in the dark about the murderer’s characters read in their identity, including the murderer. Choose your guests wisely guide to discover new for you want your party to be the best that it can be and and secret information acting is not for everyone so invite friends that will enjoy about themselves and play-acting and banter. others. Other clues are factored in such as police Send your invitations. You can use the preprinted invitation reports or a recorded or you can create your own. Assign characters to each of telephone conversation. your guests so they can read their bio in the invitation. This It is not until the last will help them decide what to wear. Encourage guests to page is turned that the embrace their character. A flamboyant lounge singer might real murderer knows he wear a boa and a slinky dress while a secretary might wear or she did it. a business suit and glasses.

Plan the menu. There are often menu suggestions in the murder mystery game but you can venture out on your own as well, see our cooking section for inspiration. These types of parties can also be arranged so each guest brings a dish to pass.

Decorate the location. The setting can be a castle, a class reunion, a wedding reception or a yacht. Plan some simple decorations that enhance the mood. For a 50s diner, purchase some hamburger and fry baskets and serve milk shakes in cups with straws. Tape some pendants on the wall and play 50s music on a record player. Simple touches add a lot.

Make last minute arrangements. Make sure you have enough seatings. Put finishing touches on the room and the food.

Confirm the time with your guests and encourage them to wear costumes. Set out the guide books for each character at their place setting. Read through the hosts’ guide one last time.

Welcome your guests when they arrive by their character’s names. Provide name tags if necessary. Offer an appetizer while everyone reads the first page of their guidebook, which tells them a little more about their character. There is usually some public knowledge about the character and some private knowledge that the character doesn’t want to get out. Everyone at the party has a motive and it is the funfilled banter and questioning that helps everyone determine

Guess who the murderer is after all the clues and information has been thoroughly discussed.

Once everyone has guessed, have the murderer reveal himself.

These parties are always a lot of fun and are great for a night like Halloween. There is no reason a murder mystery party can’t be an elegant night, it all depends on you. I hope I have inspired you to do something creative for your next party. Next issue I will be focusing on dinner parties, what to do and what not to do, how to hold the perfect dinner party.

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The Magus Opus - Autumn - 133

Remidies From History lotion at the age of fifteen, twenty or twenty-five, for the rest of her life her complexion would remain exceptionally beautiful, so even in her sixtieth year she would have the appearance of being only twenty.

It is not difficult to confirm that when this is used his sublimate is one of the most over a period of time, it restores the face to health, excellent lotions in the world for so that it appears immaculate without any kind of whitening the complexion, for harmful after-effect. It gives a natural sheen and it makes the skin white as snow, makes the chin as red as a rose. It will also redden without any kind of harmful the lips and the cheeks, no matter how pale they after-effect. Moreover, it does may otherwise be, so that, if a young girl or maturer not cause wrinkles, nor does it harm the teeth in any member of the fairer sex were to have a face like death way, but imparts to the face a sheen which looks as or a sad or melancholy countenance, it will make her natural as if it had been inborn. Its effects is such appear cheerful and attractive and remove the red that, were a member of the fairer sex with blonde or patches from her face or soon drive them away from raven hair to have spots on her face and were she to wherever they may otherwise appear on her body. be as much as fifty-five years old, if she were to use This, then, is the precious lotion by which many who this lotion, her forehead and cheeks would look as claimed to be so clever and knowledgeable in being if she were just twelve years old. It is indeed such an able to recognize natural and unadulterated beauty excellent lotion that even if a man were to come very in a member of the fairer sex have been shamefully close to the face, he would not be aware of anything deceived and led on and believed they were acquiring unusual, but would believe that it was naturally that Helen, instead of an erstwhile Hecuba. This lotion white. This is such a wonderful concoction that, if a member of the fairer and the colouring it achieves is so utterly desirable that there are many ladies in Italy, France and Spain sex used the lotion for four or five days, who have passed on the knowledge of this skill to their daughters as their most valuable and best dowry. her appearance They have not done so in writing, lest others might would be such that she would hardly be learn on it, but they have passed it on in secret and instructed them how to mix it in the most suitable recognized by her manner, so that it has the potency and the ability relations or who to colour the face, so that it gleams like silver and, were previously her even if it is distinctly copper-coloured, the lotion close companions. can make it look thoroughly beautiful and white, so Furthermore, if that nature herself, by her natural means, could not a member of the achieve a better effect. Similarly, if anyone were to fairer sex were to have small blisters or spots on his face, as if it were begin to use this a kind of leprosy, it would rid him of this unhealthy How To Prepare The Sublimate from The Elixirs of Nostradamus

T

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and obnoxious colour and make it become white. It would make no difference whether the blisters were those left following gangrene or if he had a limb amputated or been otherwise injured or, indeed, if he had had them from birth, in a short time they would have completely disappeared (although that excellent doctor Hippocrates has written that amputated limbs do not grow again, which is indeed perfectly true and goes without saying). The following preparation, however, has the special property and apparent potency and effect that it is able to achieve what appears impossible. This has been amply borne out by appearances and experienced by many women who have used it and consider it to be the most excellent skill which has ever been acquired.

Take six ounces of mercuric chloride, put it in a clean marble mortar, pound it finely with a wooden pestle and continue doing so, though in a place out of the wind, for almost a whole day, until it is as fine as possible. You will then soon see that it is like finely ground flour and when you take it in your hand you will notice no coarse bits and it will run very gently through your fingers. Now stir in with it the spittle

of a young man who, for three days, has neither eaten garlic, nor onions, nor vinegar, nor anything disagreeable and, when you have stirred it for a good while, add pure mercury to it and strain it through a white, thick and well cleaned woollen cloth. Next take as much as six drachms (or as much as six shining crowns) of lead and tin and three grains of ground silver, mix these ingredients up well together and carry on stirring for a good while, always continuing to add the spittle of a young man. Do this for as long as it takes for the mercury to turn really white, for when the mercury is first mixed with the mercuric chloride it turn black and soon afterwards grey. That is why it is necessary to go on stirring, though not all at one time, until it turns white, because it takes seven days to reach perfection, or its full potential. After the mercury has been well mixed with the spittle and been ground to powder, it should be put in a mortar which is made entirely from wood, because neither copper nor iron must be allowed to come into contact with it. Afterwards put it in the sun to dry, since it has to acquire the necessary whiteness from sunshine and hard pounding. Once it has been dried in this manner

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it should be immediately pounded again. As it is not always possible to attain spittle, take sea-anemone or rose-water and add it slowly to the mixture. To make the lotion properly, however, you do need genuine spittle and it does not matter whether you add to it over a period of several days. As soon as you can see that it is very white and fine, put it out every day in the sun and take care that it binds together well. In the morning stir it briskly at the bottom with a wooden spatula, then dissolve in well water, of which you need about three quarters, or as much as is necessary to liquefy it. Then put it into a glazed earthenware pot and boil it over a fire, but take care not to let it boil over. Do this no longer than it takes to say two ‘patemosters’ and two ‘ave marias’ , then take it off the fire and let it cool down. Leave it standing for three or four hours or, to make it all the better, until morning.

Then drain off this bitter and poisonous water, which will be green in colour, and give it to the surgeons, once this has been thoroughly drained off, pour another lot over the mixture and boil it as has already been described. Take it off the fire, let it stand, drain it off and once again replace with fresh water. Do this six times. Finally, however, use a very aromatic rosewater, let that come to the boil two or three times and do not drain it off,, but let it half dry out. When you want to use it,, take a piece the size of a pea or half a bean, rub it down with a little rose-water on a marble

slab the size of a table-top, moisten a fine and delicate small linen cloth in it and, when you have washed your face thoroughly, apply it the next day to your whole face and it will become exceptionally beautiful and white.

Should it, however, become too white, take the root of the true alkanet, together with a small drop of nutmeg oil (how you are to make this will be revealed at the proper time), apply it to the palms of your hands and run them over the lips, cheeks and chin. In order to make the face appear as beautiful as it merely been made for gazing upon and so as to ensure that the lotion continues to work and remain effective for a long time, if within a couple of days or so it appears a little black, brown or white like paper, take three ounces of Venetian white lead to a painter, let him grind it with rose-water as finely as possible on a marble slab and, when that has been done, pour three quarters of rose-water, or ay other perfume water, over it, then put it in a large earthenware vessel and warm it a little. Let your hairdresser spend half an hour washing your face, or any other part of your body you may wish, with this mixture and then dry you with a clean sponge, before washing you again with other water. Then, when you have washed with the white lead three days in succession, use the sublimate in the morning when you get up and put your clothes on, but take care not to use too much, for it is sufficient if each time you use an amount the size of a pea and, or that in the long run it does not adversely affect the teeth or harm them, in order to counter this, I always make it with the perfumed water described hereafter.

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The Magus Opus - Autumn - 137

The Magus Opus - Autumn - 138

The Skull and Bones Society

A

t Yale University in the United states there currently exists a society that according to George Bush, “Is so secret that even now I have said too much”. The society includes some of the most richest and powerful men (men only up until very recently) in the world today. But perhaps the best description that can be given about the bones men is Ron Rosenbaum’s article that was published in Esquire magazine, in 1977; This article was one of the most revealing articles about the skull and bones that we have today, and for your interest it has been reproduced below: “Take a look at the hulking sepulcher over there. Small wonder they call it a tomb. It’s the citadel of Skull and Bones, the most powerful of all secret societies in the strange Yale secret-society system. For nearly a century and a half, Skull and Bones has been the most influential secret society in the nation, and now it is one of the last.

In an age in which it seems that all that could possibly be concealed about anything and anybody has been revealed, those blank tombstone walls could be holding the last secrets left in America.

You could ask Averell Harriman whether there’s really a sarcophagus in the basement and whether he and young Henry Stimson and young Henry Luce (Time magazine) lay down naked in the coffin and spilled the secrets of their adolescent sex life to 14 fellow Bonesmen. You could ask Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart if there came a time in the year 1937 when he dressed up in a skeleton suit and howled wildly at an initiate in a red-velvet room inside the tomb.

was useful training for the clandestine trade. (“Spook,” the Yale slang for spy.)

You could ask J. Richardson Dilworth, the Bonesman who now manages the Rockefeller fortune, just how wealthy the Bones society is and whether it’s true that each new initiate gets a no-strings gift of fifteen thousand dollars cash and guaranteed financial security for life.

You could ask... but I think you get the idea.

The lending lights of the Eastern establishment - in old-line investment banks (Brown Brothers Harriman pays Bone’s tax bill), in a blue-blood law firms (Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, for one), and particularly in the highest councils of the foreign-policy establishment - the people who have shaped America’s national character since it ceased being an undergraduate power, had their undergraduate character shaped in that crypt over there.

Bonesman Henry Stimson, Secretary of War under F.D.R., a man at the heart of the heart of the American ruling class, called his experience in the tomb the most profound one in his entire education.

But none of them will tell you a thing about it. They’ve sworn an oath never to reveal what goes on inside and they’re legendary for the lengths to which they’ll go to avoid prying interrogation. The mere mention of the words “skull and bones” in the presence of a true-blue Bonesman, such as Blackford Oakes, the fictional hero of Bill Buckley’s spy thriller, ‘Saving the Queen’, will cause him to “dutifully leave the room, as tradition prescribed.”

I can trace my personal fascination with the mysterious goings-on in the sepulcher across the street to a spooky scene I witnessed on its shadowy steps late one April night eleven You could ask McGeorge Bundy if he wrestled naked in a years ago. I was then a sophomore at Yale, living in Jonathan mud pie as part of his initiation and how it compared with Edwards, the residential college (anglophile Yale name for a later quagmire into which he so eagerly plunged. You could dorm) built next to the Bones tomb. It was part of Jonathan ask Bill Bundy or William F. Buckley, both of who went into Edwards folklore that on a April evening following “tap the CIA after leaving Bones - or George Bush, who ran the night” at Bones, if one could climb to the tower of Weir CIA / President - whether their Skull and Bones experience Hall, the odd castle that overlooks the Bones courtyard, one could hear strange cries and moans coming from the bowels The Magus Opus - Autumn - 139

of the tomb as the fifteen newly “tapped” members were put through what sounded like a harrowing ordeal.

Returning alone to my room late at night, I would always cross the street rather than walk the sidewalk that passed right in front of Bones. Even at that safe distance, something about it made my skin crawl.

But that night in April I wasn’t alone; a classmate and I were coming back from an all-night diner at about two in the morning. At the time, I knew little about the mysteries of Bones or any of the other huge windowless secret-society tombs that dominated with dark authority certain keycorners of the campus.

They were nothing like conventional fraternities. No one lived in the tombs. Instead, every Thursday and Sunday night the best and the brightest on campus, the fifteen seniors in Skull and Bones and in the Scroll and Key, Book and Snake, Wolf ’s Head, Berzelius, in all the seven secret societies, disappeared into their respective tombs and spent hours doing something - something they were sworn to secrecy about. And Bones, it was said was the most ritualistic and secretive of all. Even the very door to the Bones tomb, that huge triple-padlocked iron door, was never permitted to open in the presence of an outsider.

All this was floating through my impressionable sophomore mind that night as my friend Mike and I approached the stone pylons guarding the entrance to Bones. Suddenly

we froze at the sight of a strange thing lying on the steps.

There in the gloom of the doorway on the top step was a long white object that looked like the thighbone of a large mammal. I remained frozen.

Mike was more adventuresome: he walked right up to the steps and picked up the bone. I wanted to get out of there fast; I was certain we were being spied upon from a concealed window. Mike couldn’t decide what to do with the bone. He went up to the door and began examining the array of padlocks. Suddenly a bolt shot. The massive door began to swing open and something reached out at him from within. He grasped, terrified, and jumped back, but not before something clutched the bone, yanked it out of his hand and back into the darkness within. The door slammed shut with a clang that rang in our ears as we ran away.

Recollected in tranquility, the dreamlike gothic moment seems to me an emblem of the strangeness I felt at being at Yale, at being given a brief glimpse of the mysterious workings of the inner temples of privilege but feeling emphatically shut out of the secret ceremonies within.

I always felt irrelevant to the real purpose of the institution, which was from its missionary beginnings devoted to converting the idle progeny of the ruling class into morally serious leaders of the establishment.

It is frequently in the tombs that conversions take place.

Skull and Bones in 1947, with George H. W. Bush just left of clock The Magus Opus - Autumn - 140

NOVEMBER, 1976: SECURITY MEASURES It’s night and we’re back in front of the tomb, Mike and I, reinforced by nine years in the outside world, two skeptical women friends and a big dinner at Mory’s. And yet once again there is an odd, chilling encounter.

We’re re-creating that first spooky moment. I’m standing in front of the stone pylons and Mike has walked up to stand against the door so we can estimate its height by his.

Then we notice we’re being watched.

A small red foreign car has pulled up on the sidewalk a few yards away from us. The driver has been watching us for some time. Then he gets out. He’s a tall, athletic looking guy, fairly young. He shuts the car door behind him and stands leaning against it, continuing to observe us. We try to act oblivious, continuing to sketch and measure.

The guy finally walks over to us, “You seen Miles?” he asks. We look at each other.

Could he think we’re actually Bones alumni, or is he testing us? Could “You seen Miles?” be some sort of password?

“No,” we reply.

“Haven’t seen Miles.” He nods and remains there. We decide we’ve done enough sketching and measuring and stroll off.

“Look!” one of the women says as she turns and points back.

“He just ran down the side steps to check the basementdoor locks. He probably thought he caught us planning a break-in.”

I found the episode intriguing. What it said to me was that Bones still cared about the security of its secrets. Trying to find out what goes on inside could be a challenge.

And so it was that I set out this April to see just how secure those last secrets are. It was a task I took on not out of malice or sour grapes. I was not tapped for a secret society so I’m open to the latter charge, but I plead guilty only to the voyeurism of a mystery lover.

You could call it espionage if you were so inclined, but I tried to play the game in a gentlemanly fashion: I would not directly ask a Bonesman to violate his sacred oath of secrecy. If, however, one of them happened to have fudged on the oath to some other party and that the other party were to convey the gist of the information to me, I would rule it fair game.

And if any Bonesman wants to step forward and add something, I’ll be happy to listen.

What follows is an account of my search for the meaning behind the mysterious Bones rituals. Only information that might be too easily traced to its source has been left out, because certain sources expressed fear of reprisals against themselves. Yes, reprisals.

One of them even insisted, with what seemed like deadly seriousness, that reprisals would be taken against me.

“What bank do you have your checking account at?” this party asked me in the middle of a discussion of the Mithraic aspects of the Bones ritual. I named the bank, “Aha,” said the party. “There are three Bonesmen on the board. You’ll never have a line of credit again. They’ll tap your phone. They’ll...”

Before I could say, “A line of what?” the source continued: “The alumni still care. Don’t laugh. They don’t like people tampering and prying. The power of Bones is incredible.

They’ve got their hands on every level of power in the country. You’ll see - it’s like trying to look into the Mafia.

Remember, they’re a secret society, too.”

WEDNESDAY NIGHT, APRIL 14: THE DOSSIER

I’d been working on a novel, a psychological thriller of sorts Already I have in my possession a set of annotated floor that involved the rites of Bones, and I thought it wouldn’t plans of the interior of the tomb, giving the location of the hurt to spend some time in New Haven during the week of sanctum sanctorum, the room called 322. And tonight I tap night and initiation night, poking around and asking received a dossier on Bones ritual secrets that was compiled questions.

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from the archives of another secret society. It seems that one abiding preoccupation of many Yale secret societies is keeping files on the secrets of other secret societies, particularly Bones.

on it. (sic) A bone with his name on it is tossed into bone heap at start of every meeting. Initiates plunged into mud pile.”

The dossier of Bones is a particularly sophisticated one, featuring “reliability ratings” in percentiles for each chunk of information.

THURSDAY EVENING: THE FILE AND CLAW SOLUTION TO THE MYSTERY OF 322

It was obtained for me by an enterprising researcher on the condition that I keep secret the name of the secret society that supplied it. Okay I will say, though, that it’s not the secret society that is rumored to have Hitler’s silverware in its archives. That’s Scroll and Key, chief rival of Bones for the elite of Yale - Dean Acheson and Cy Vance’s society and the source of most of the rest of the American foreign policy establishment.

I’m standing in the shadows across the street from the tomb, ready to tail the first person to come out. Tonight is tap night, the night fifteen juniors will be chosen to receive the one-hundred-forty-five-year-old secrets of Bones.

Tonight the fifteen seniors in Bones and the fifteen in each of the other societies will arrive outside the rooms of the prospective tappees.

But to return to the dossier. Let me tell you what it says about the initiation, the center of some of the most lurid apocryphal rumors about Bones.

They’ll pound loudly on the doors. When the chosen junior opens up, a Bonesman will slam him on the shoulder and thunder:

According to the dossier, the Bones initiation ritual of 194º went like this: “New man placed in coffin - carried into central part of the building. New man chanted over and ‘reborn’ into society. Removed from coffin and given robes with symbols

“Skull and Bones: Do you accept?”

At that point, according to my dossier, if the candidate accepts, he will be handed a message wrapped with a black ribbon sealed in black wax with the skull-and-crossbones

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emblem and the mystic Bones number, 322. The message appoints a time and a place for the candidate to appear on initiation night - nextTuesday - the first time the newly tapped candidate will be permitted inside the tomb. Candidates are “instructed to wear no metal” to the initiation, the dossier notes ominously. (Reliability rating for the stated to be one hundred percent.)

Not long before eight tonight, the door to Bones swings open. Two dark-suited young men emerge. One of them carries a slim black attaché case. Obviously they’re on their way to tap someone. I decide that Bones initiates are taken to a ceremony somewhere near the campus before the big initiation inside the tomb.

The Bonesmen head up High Street and pass the library, then make a right. Passing the library, I can’t help but recoil when I think of the embarrassing discovery I made in the manuscript room this afternoon. The last thing I wanted to do was reduce the subtleties of the social function of Bones to some simpleminded conspiracy theory. And yet I do seem to have come across definite, if skeletal links between the origins of Bones rituals and those of the notorious Bavarian Illuminists.

For me, an interested but skeptical student of the conspiracy world, the introduction of the Illuminists, or Illuminati, into certain discussions (say for instance, of events in Dallas in 1963) has become the same thing that the mention of Bones is to a Bonesman - a signal to leave the room. Because although the Bavarian Illuminists did have a real historical existence (from 1776 to 1785 they were an esoteric secret society within the more mystical freethinking lodges of German Freemasonry), they have also had a paranoid fantasy existence throughout two centuries of conspiracy literature.

They are the imagined mega-cabal that manipulated such alleged plots as the French and Russian revolutions, the elders of Zion, the rise of Hitler and the House of Morgan.

Yes the Bilderbergers and George De Mohrenschildt, too.

Silly as it may sound, there are suggestive links between the historical if not mytho-conspiratorial, Illuminists and Bones.

First consider the account of the origins of Bones to be found in a century-old pamphlet published by an anonymous group that called itself File and Claw after the tools they used to pry their way inside Bones late one night. I came upon the File and Claw break-in pamphlet in a box of disintegrating documents filed in the library’s manuscript room under Skull and Bone’s corporate name, Russell Trust Association.

The foundation was named for William H. (later General) Russell, the man who founded Bones in 1832. I was trying to figure out what mission Russell had for the secret order

he founded and why he had chosen that particular deathhead brand of mumbo jumbo to embody his vision.

Well, according to the File and Claw breaking crew, “Bones is a chapter of corps of a German university.

It should properly be called the Skull and Bones chapter.

General Russell, its founder, was in Germany before his senior year and formed a warm friendship with a leading member of a German society. The meaning of the permanent number 322 in all Bones literature is that it was founded in ‘32 as the second chapter of the German society. But the Bonesman has a pleasing fiction that his fraternity is a descendant of an old Greek patriot society founded by Demosthenes, who died in 322 BC.” They go on to describe a German slogan painted “on arched walls above the vault” of the sacred room 322. The slogan appears above a painting of skulls surrounded by Masonic symbols, a picture said to be “a gift of the German chapter.”

“Wer war der Thor, wer Weiser, Bettler oder Kaiser? Ob Arm, ob Reich, im Tode gleich,” the slogan reads, or, “Who was the fool, who the wise man, beggar or king? Whether poor or rich, all’s the same in death.”

Imagine my surprise when I ran into that very slogan in a 1798 Scottish anti-Illuminatist tract reprinted in 1967 by the John Birch Society. The tract (Proofs of a conspiracy

by John Robinson) prints alleged excerpts from Illuminist ritual manuals supposedly confiscated by the Bavarian police when the secret order was banned in 1785.

Toward the end of the ceremony of initiation in the “Regent degree” of Illuminism, according to the tract, “a skeleton in pointed out to him [the initiate], at the feet of which are laid a crown and a sword. He is asked ‘whether that is the skeleton of a king, nobleman or a beggar.’ As he cannot decide, the president of the meeting says to him, ‘The character of being a man is the only one that is importance’”.

Doesn’t that sound similar to the German slogan the File and Claw team claims to have found inside Bones? Now consider a haunting photograph of the altar room of one of the Masonic lodges at Nuremburg that is closely associated with Illuminism.

Haunting because at the altar room’s center, approached through the aisle of hanging human skeletons, is a coffin surmounted by - you guessed it - a skull and crossed bones that look exactly like the particular arrangement of jawbones and thighbones in the official Bones emblem. The skull and crossbones was the official crest of another key Illuminist lodge, one right-wing Illuminist theoretician told me.

Now you can look at this three ways. One possibility is The Magus Opus - Autumn - 143

that the Bircher right - and the conspiracy-minded left are correct: The Eastern establishment is the demonic creation of a clandestine elite manipulating history, and Skull and Bones is one of its recruiting centers. A more plausible explanation is that the death’s-head symbolism was so prevalent in Germany when the impressionable young Russell visited that he just stumbled on the same mother lode of pseudoMasonic mummery as the Illuninists.

The third possibility is that the break-in pamphlets are an elaborate fraud designed by the File and Claw crew to pin the taint of Illuminism on Bones and that the rituals of Bones have innocent Athenian themes, 322 being only the date of the death of Demosthenes. (In fact, some Bones literature I’ve seen in the archives does express the year as if 322 BC were the year one, making 1977 anno Demostheni 2299.)

I am still following the dark-suited Bonesman at a discreet distance as they make their way along Prospect Street and into a narrow alley, which to my dismay, turns into a parking lot. They get into a car and drive off, obviously to tap an off-campus prospect. So much for tonight’s clandestine work I’d never get to my car in time to follow them.

My heart isn’t in it anyway.

I am due to head off to the graveyard to watch the initiation ceremony of Book and Snake, the secret society of Deep Throat’s friend Bob Woodward (several Deep Throat theories have postulated Yale secret-society ties as the origin

of Woodward’s underground-garage connection, and two Bonesmen, Ray Price and Richard Moore, who were high Nixon aides, have been mentioned as suspects - perhaps because of their experience at clandestine underground truth telling).

And later tonight I hope to make the first of my contacts with persons who have been inside - not just inside the tomb, but inside the skulls of some of the Bonesmen.

LATER THURSDAY NIGHT: TURNING THE TABLES ON THE SEXUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHIES In his senior year, each member of Bones goes through an intense two-part confessional experience in the Bones crypt. One Thursday night he tells his life story, giving what is meant to be a painfully forthright autobiography that exposes his traumas, shames, and dreams. (Tom Wolfe calls this Bones practice a fore-runner of the Me Decade’s fascination with self.) The following Sunday-night session is devoted exclusively to sexual histories.

They don’t leave out anything these days. I don’t know what it was like in General Russell’s day, maybe there was less to talk about, but these days the sexual stuff is totally explicit and there’s less need for fabricating exploits to fill up the allotted time. Most Sunday-night sessions start with talk of prep school masturbation and don’t stop until the intimate details of Saturday night’s delights have come to light early Monday morning.

This has begun to cause some disruptions in relationships.

The women the Bonesmen talk about in the crypt are often Yale co-eds and frequently feminists. While it might seem to be a rebuke to Bone’s spirit of consciousness raising, none of these women is too pleased at having the most intimate secrets of her relationship made the subject of an all-night symposium consecrating her lover’s brotherhood with fourteen males she hardly knows.

As one woman put it, “I objected to fourteen guys knowing whether I was a good lay...It was like after that each of them thought I was his woman in some way.”

Some women have discovered that their lovers take their vows to Bones more solemnly than their commitments to women. There is the case of the woman who revealed something very personal - not embarrassing, just private - to her lover and made him swear never to repeat it to another human. When he came back from the Bones crypt after his Sunday-night sex session, he couldn’t meet her eyes. He’d told his brothers in Bones.

It seems that the whole secret society system at Yale is in the terminal stages of a sexual crisis. By the time I arrived The Magus Opus - Autumn - 144

this April, all but three of the formerly all male societies had gone co-ed, and two of the remaining holdouts Scroll and Key and Wolf ’s Head - were embroiled in bitter battles over certain members’ attempts to have them follow the trend. The popular quarterback of the football team had resigned from Scroll and Key because its alumni would not even let him make a pro-coeducation plea to their convocation.

When one prominent alumnus of Wolf ’s Head was told the current members had plans to tap women, he threatened to “raze the building” before permitting it. Nevertheless, it seemed as though it wouldn’t be long before those two holdouts went co-ed. But not Bones. Both alumni and outsiders see the essence of the Bones experience as some kind of male bonding, a Victorian, muscular, Christian-missionary view of manliness and public service.

While changing the least of all societies over its one hundred forty-five years.

Bones did begin admitting Jews in the early Fifties and tapping blacks in 1949. It offered membership to some of the most outspoken rebels of the late Sixties and more recently, added gay and bisexual members, including the president of the militant Gay Activist Alliance, a man by the name of Miles.

But women, the Bones alumni have strenuously insisted, are different. When a rambunctious Seventies class of Bones proposed tapping the best and brightest of the new Yale women, the officers of the Russell Trust Association threatened to bar that class from the tomb and change the locks if they dared. They didn’t.

ones’ secrets?

Measure for measure.”

Well there you have it, I will let you make your own decisions, as I have certainly made mine.

The sort of thing is what persuaded the person I am meeting with late tonight - and a number of other persons - to talk about what goes on inside: after all, isn’t the core of the Bones group experience the betrayal of their loved The Magus Opus - Autumn - 145

Moss Agate M

oss Agate is one of my favorite stones, that is why I have decided to use it as my first stone article. Some of this information about moss agate has come from Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic by Scott Cunningham which is a reference book we should all have on our bookshelves.

Moss Agate embodies three aspects, stability, persistence and grounding. Grounding is really the power of the moss agate, with it’s moss like structures floating within the stone, showing us paths into the deep earth mysteries and allowing us access to the stability and deep grounding of the Earth. It is an Earth stone and as such is sacred to the gnomes and of course the fairy kingdom. Sacred to the heart and base chakra, it is wonderful for relieving blockages and energizing these sectors. This stone vibrates to the Kabbalistic Spherioth of Malkuth (Gea) and Tiphareth (Bea’al-mot) and as such is a powerful connector to the Archangel Uriel, archangel of the Earth and the guardian of the pentacle. The moss agate has a wonderfully receptive energy, with its guardian planet being Mercury, it makes it a great communicator stone, particularly concerned with communication of a more elemental style.

Moss Agate is not technically a true Agate, because it is not banded. It is a Chalcedony with dendritic inclusions of moss coloured green minerals. Spots of red also occur in some specimens. Many of the best Moss Agates come from India. In the marketplace, Moss Agates are available as tumbled stones, beads and cabochons.

The deep, clear energy of Moss Agate assists one in connecting with Earth energy and the Devic realm. The stone is grounding because it assists you in connecting with the Earth but at the same time it stimulates psychic connection with elementals and nature spirits. It can also help you in contacting the Archangel Uriel. Because of this Moss Agate can help you bring ideas and concepts into being with Urial’s help, and can also bring you artistic inspiration. It can enhance mental concentration, persistence and endurance.

It can be used as a talisman for increasing the effectiveness of physical workouts and even bodybuilding.

If you meditate with Moss Agate

one can project the image of a completed project or goal into the stone, and the stone will magnify the energy of one’s intention, thus assisting in the achievement of the goal.

Spiritual Because of its grounding and balancing influences, Moss Agate encourages the spiritualization of one’s life in all aspects. It helps you to transmute unwholesome tendencies within your self, which may be Karmic attachments from past lives, and to find the will to replace these patterns with the Divine blueprint of the higher self or holy guardian Angel.

Moss Agate can help you come to the realisation that the earth is a living being and everything in nature is conscious and able to communicate on a psychic level. After all Moss Agate it ruled by Mercury (the planet of communication) it assists in communication with the earth and anything of the earthly realm.

Emotional Moss Agate helps assists you in bringing peace and stability to the emotional body. It can be a great help to those who experience wild “mood swings” and to those who have become addicted to emotional drama in their lives. So if you know anyone like this (we all know someone like this) a Moss Agate would make a great birthday present or solstice gift. Or perhaps an egg shaped Moss Agate for Ostara to symbolise new beginnings and inspiration for the future.

It can help those with volatile temperaments become more patient and can help almost everyone experience a greater feeling of wholeness and inner calm. Such shifts help the individual to develop greater determination and persistence in dealing with everyday life. It releases fear and deep-seated stress. It helps to develop strength and the ability to get along with others and strengthens the ability to “try one last time” inspiring you with new ideals after a period of stagnation.

Physical Moss Agate strengthens the etheric body and can enhance the accuracy of the senses, sharpening all your perceptions such that the world itself seems more vividly present to your consciousness. It helps your circulation, digestion, neuronal activity and the function of the visceral organs

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with harmony and balance.

Healing purposes Moss Agate can be used to speed up recovery and counteract long-term illnesses. It is anti-inflammatory, it cleanses the circulatory and elimination systems, encouraging the flow of lymph, and boosts the immune system. Moss Agate eliminates depression caused by left-right brained imbalances. It helps prevent hypoglycemia and dehydration, it treats infections, colds and flu, and lowers fevers. As an elixir applied to the skin, Moss Agate treats fungal and skin infections.

This is an excellent stone for those who are recovering from an illness. Like the motto “slow and steady wins the race” from the fable of the hare and the tortoise, Moss Agate has this quality. It can help those who feel ungrounded or unstable.

Magical Uses Moss Agate is a great stone for abundance work, as it promotes the sense of all things being provided for us within creation

will increase your plants’ fertility and ensures a bountiful crop or healthy flowers. Charged stones can be “planted” in the garden to promote abundance, and small Moss Agates hung from trees increase their yield.

In ancient Rome, this stone worn in a ring on the hand or bound to the left arm ensured the favour of the vegetation deities, who cause the earth to be fruitful.

Moss Agate is given to children to wear as a protective amulet, it is thought to be particularly useful in preventing children from falling and is also worn by adults to avoid stumbling. Warn as an amulet, this magickal jewel also prevents snake, scorpion, and insect bites and stings.

In ceremonial magick, agates (including Moss Agate) were engraved with serpents or men riding on snakes. The agate is sometimes used in protective spells and rituals and was once thought to be a sovereign guard against sorcery, demons, and fiendish possessions.

In conclusion, moss agate is a wonderful stone for gardeners and people trying to contact the Devic realms. Useful in so many ways medically to relieve dis-ease in the body, moss agate is a necessary addition to any magick worker’s stone collection.

Worn on the arm or carried while gardening, the Moss Agate

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Supers

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titions M

any people all over the planet have superstitions, especially witches and wizards, but not everyone knows where they come from. One of the most ancient and widespread superstitions is the belief in the evil eye; the strange power some people possess that is the ability to curse someone through a glance. There have been many amulets and symbols developed from various religions and cultures to protect themselves against the terrible curse of fascination. But before we look at the defences used against this terrible affliction there are some interesting facts about the evil eye that need explanation.

The evil eye is among one of the most common superstitions feared in every country around the world. The belief is that the eye can cast a malignant spell sometimes even without the person knowing they are doing it. The evil eye has been feared from perhaps before the time of ancient Egypt to this day. It was believed in Britten that certain people possessed the power of the evil eye, most of who were witches. The early authorities of the Christian Church adopted and sanctioned this belief as did many medieval physicians and writers on occult sciences.

There have been many protective symbols and gestures developed to protect people from the curse of the evil eye throughout many cultures, many of these symbols use an image of an eye, a hand or both to reflect the negative energy.

The term used for casting the evil eye is to fascinate someone; this word has obviously changed into a benevolent word where as in the sixteenth century

The Evil Eye The Magus Opus - Autumn - 149

that they possessed it.

If the person possessing the power of the evil eye looked too attentively or were too fond of what they saw, it would bring bad luck on whomever or whatever it was they were looking at. It is thought that Narcissus fascinated himself and that is what led to his untimely fate, for it has always been believed that too much praise or admiration to anyone from anyone even oneself would bring upon the cures of fascination.

Another word associated with the evil eye that has changed its meaning was to be overlooked. If someone or something was said to have been overlooked it meant that someone had cast the evil eye on the object or person. This term used to be used mostly in the cases of people or farm animals getting sick or dying without any explanation. Cows are thought to be particularly susceptible to fascination in Scotland and Pigs in England. In these cases witches were often hunted down and burnt for the supposed overlooking and put through ridiculous tests to discover if they really were a witch or not and die ether way. Pliny stated that “the Thibii in Pontus, and many other persons as well, have a double pupil in one eye and a figure of a horse in the other, and that these people will not sink in water even when weighed down by clothes.” This idea led people in the Middle Ages, and even later, to put reputed witches to the water ordeal. If they sank they were innocent, and drowned anyway, but spite was appeased, and if they floated their fate was burning.

In ancient Egypt dread of the evil eye was ever present, their efforts to avert or baffle it were among the most elaborate.

The symbol they used was the eye of Horus, the Wadjit eye or the healed eye. It was called this because in Egyptian mythology Seth put out Horus’s left eye and his mother replaced it with the healed eye or Wadjet eye. This was thought of as a powerful symbol that would ward off any evil. They believed after death the body could be inhabited by evil spirits so they placed an amulet with the Wadjet eye on it over the embalming incision of the dead to ensure that the evil spirits could not enter it. The Wadjet eye has been linked by some to with the “eye in the sky,” seen at the eclipse of the Sun. The eye is a powerful symbol of protection especially in protecting against the evil eye. This

it was only a malignant one. It was only in the Elizabethan age that the term ‘to fascinate” or “bewitch” had in literature come to a double position, it could ether mean to give someone the evil eye or to fascinate or bewitch in a social context. It is interesting to note that even though these two words fascinate and bewitch have changed from their evil associations to what they are today witch and witching still bear an evil sense only in western culture.

The great philosopher Francis Bacon (1561-1626) once wrote: “There be none of the affections which have been noted to fascinate or to bewitch, but love and envy; they both have vehement wishes, they frame themselves readily into imaginations and suggestions, and they come easily into the eye, especially upon the presence of the objects which are the points that conduce to fascination, if any such there be.

We see likewise the scripture calleth envy an evil eye.”

At this point the word was well on it’s way to becoming what it is today and Bacon is one of the best examples of how it was used in it’s transition period.

The evil eye did not only happen through envy but also love, as Bacon puts it, it is ether of those two things. It was believed that those who were under the influence of anger or envy were the most dangerous with this terrible faculty, while those who were with great fortune and exuberant happiness were more likely to get injured or have bad luck because they were exciting the greater invidia (envy) of the fascinator. It is bad luck to flaunt your success just in case someone else is envious of it and fascinates you with the evil eye. It is not just through envy you can be blasted with it, both the Greeks and the Romans believed (and still do) that most people who have the faculty of the evil eye were unaware The Magus Opus - Autumn - 150

is why the Egyptians use the eye of Osiris and the eye of Horus to protect themselves. Sigils displaying an eye have often been mistaken for curses when in fact they are a means of protection. This is also referred to as the “all seeing eye”. It is interesting to note that some animals also use the deceptive form of an eye on their bodies to scare away predators, for example peacock feathers and some moths like the Eyed Hawk Moth from the UK and the Peacock Butterfly.

The Greeks and Romans wore protective amulets such as a horses shoe to protect them from being fascinated. Any amulet with this power is known as apotropaic. But another powerful symbol used as an amulet to protect against the evil eye is the hand, in ether an open position or in the position of the sacerdotal benediction (having the first two finger and thumb extended). Placing the thumb between the forefinger and the middle finger while making a fist will also protect against the evil eye. Hand gestures are thought to be powerful symbols and the hand itself is thought to be a powerful symbol because the human hand gives us the power to be able to create.

The open hand which is used in many Christian artworks showing Christian saints holding up their right hand palm facing out means that they are extending the love of God toward you. It is also the way Jewish people make a judicial oath by holding the right palm up instead of putting their hand on the bible. The sacerdotal benediction gesture is supposed to be only used by priests because it is thought to be more powerful but was also an amulet used against the evil eye long before the Christian era. Romans still make these hands out of gold and silver and wear them as protective amulets, they are known as Mano Pantea. In antiquity it was common to have life-size bronze hands as amulets of protection in your house, it was also traditional for them to have an eye on the palm of the hand so it was more affective at reflecting evil. Much like Hamsa hand in the Jewish and Islamic faiths.

The hamsa hand has different names depending on the country of origin. Hamsa is Arabic, hamesh hand (Hebrew), Mano Ponderosa (Catholic) and Helping Hand (hoodoo). The hand itself can be solid or done in filigree resembling a feather. This symbol is an ancient symbol used as a powerful amulet against the evil eye and is still widely used today, mostly in the Middle East and North Africa. It is also known as khamsa meaning five in Arabic referring to the five fingers. Khamsa has long represented blessings, power and strength and is thus seen as potent in deflecting the evil eye. It is a downwards pointing hand that sometimes bares the “all seeing eye” on the palm. These hands are sometimes depicted having two thumbs instead of a thumb and a pinkie finger and are sometimes coloured blue. It is mostly used in jewellery as amulets and has become a popular design for tattoos. Many Jews believe that the five

fingers of the hamsa hand remind its wearer to use their five senses to praise God. An Islamic alternative name for this charm is the “Eye of Fatima or the hand of Fatima”, this referrers to Fatima Zahra, Prophet Muhammad’s daughter.

The other meaning in Jewish is Miriam’s hand, as regards Miriam, the sister of Aaron and Moses. The amulet is most often worn around the neck with the fingers facing down.

A more powerful amulet can be found in the form of a preserved hand. Australian Aboriginals from Victoria and New South Wales were known to carry around dried hands and bits of fingers and toes to protect themselves from their enemies and wizards from other tribes. The hands are said to have warned them from which direction their enemy was going to attack by causing a scratch on the wearer or some sort of skin irritation from the side that the enemy approached.

The eye in hand symbol seems to be the most diversely used apotropaic in the world, perhaps it is because the eye and the hand are crucial for the creative power of human beings, therefore able to create the most protection. Without these faculties we would not be able to put our ideas into motion, hand eye coordination is truly a gift from god. I am not saying that other amulets will not do the job as well but the hand and the eye are common symbols of protection also used individually like the Wadjit eye and the sacerdotal benediction gesture. So if you are worried about being fascinated unbeknownst to you, then purchase one of these amulets I have discussed, perhaps not the preserved hand, you probably won’t need one of those unless you are a serious Hoodoo practitioner, in which case good luck finding one. The other apotropaics are readily available at new age stores online.

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Astrology Your Stars From the First Of March to the End of May

ARIES

vigour! Bang in a tack without risk to the thumb. Builders will show up with tools and a renovated bathroom will If you’ve been dragging the hoofs or stamping them, be a certainty. throwing hissy fits or flinging dire curses about Castle Ram, seize the coloured pencils and the calendar then All throughout, friends and social life will bring flair or draw a red circle around March 10. It’s all to do with flash to the routine stuff, adding advances or embellishMars of course, your rambunctious ruler. He’s been in ments. From April 7, you’ll return to past concerns with reverse since December 20, planting you on your ovine lifestyle, love life or creativity. Put something to rights or backside, leaving you stranded, impatient, tired or feeling put it to bed. New friends or interests will light the way you’re not getting anywhere. What’s more, he’s backed up forward but watch for problems with communications in fiery Leo, sign of creativity, lifestyle and romance in from April 18. You’ll stutter, stumble or get the wrong your solar chart. Is anything amiss in a nominated area? end of the stick. Don’t be late for a very important date If so then fear not, for forward motion is near at hand! If and delay decisions til May 11. Don’t step in the social or you haven’t burned out the clutch, waiting at the lights, economic jam on May 18. you’ll be on the road again. Let momentum build gradually, as you head towards your Sun Return. With Venus in GEMINI your sign as well, sew extra bling onto the robes for the Equinox on March 20.

If equipment, vehicles or commuters have been sending you round the twist, Mars is the culprit, tail turned and April 7 will bring back outstanding or unfinished tasks travelling backwards, so your usually supple responses as Saturn returns to Virgo. Sort problems with work or will have had a severe technical examination through health, attend to details and put irascible authorities in delays, blown circuitry and cantankerous commuters or their place. Be organised and practical with finance from computers. Before you blow your stack again, March 10 April 18 when Mercury reverses in Taurus. Negotiate and is the ‘red letter’ day as Mars comes off the back foot and review, but don’t sign on the dotted line til after May 11. ideas flourish, engines start and parking wardens smile. If Events will move in no uncertain terms, turning work you’ve been fighting with siblings or neighbours, crack a or health concerns on their heads and setting the stage bottle and drink a toast to peace. The time is ripe for opfor some Aries pyrotechnics with home and personal life, portunity or lucky contacts so make the most of the rich midyear. pageant. The Aries fire simmers with Venus in the second week then scorches on March 20 at the Equinox. You’ll TAURUS dance at the fire with friends and get friendlier.

Venus the Goddess hits a low in week two of March as Despite feeling you’re off on a comet, it’s back to earth she shifts to Aries, inclining away from the business of on April 7 when Saturn returns to Virgo. Older people love or money to a secret liaison or a dash of privacy. or authorities will be nagging, pernickety or worried. Is it You’ll deal with fiery or extravagant folk but don’t be a just their way or is there something at home with deaddrama queen yourself. Lately, home will have been an ob- lines or with details that’s your version of the unfinished stacle course or battleground. If you’ve been tripping on symphony? To confuse matters further, Mercury reverses the wing chairs, fighting with the family or nicking your in Taurus on April 18, bringing poor communication or delicate skin, breathe a sigh of relief! March 10 will let concentration, though you’ll score well with creative inloose the God of War from his backward run in amongst spiration, universal understanding or spiritual enlightenthe domestic or familial concerns. Strop the razor with ment, even if you won’t be able to explain it. Fortunately, The Magus Opus - Autumn - 152

Mercury’s back with a convincing thrust on May 11, or a mountain top for the Equinox on March 20. Wear letting you roll into a tidal change with the balance of red and gold, and make sure someone who hales from far home life and profession or responsibility. One will have away is in the circle. to serve the other so which one will you choose?

You’ll push forward to new schemes, education or a CANCER change of venue for business but April 7 will call the taskmaster, Saturn, back to your house of finance. You’ll Are you perusing travel brochures, chucking beans, tofu be up late, looking for loose change down the back of the and chilli into the wok or doing a correspondence course couch or working out which end of the calculator you on shrimp farming or the mating habits of the flake? It’s use to stir the latte. Watch for catfights, clashes or confuall in a day’s work for a Crustacean who dreams of a new sion with career or profession from April 18. Who’s in horizon to replace the old one. Jupiter, Lord of Fortune charge? Communicate clearly and delay big decisions til calls you on a mission or crusade to a wider world of after May 11. If you argue with a stubborn person, you’ll travel or education. Other than that, a lottery ticket or get a stubborn argument. With Jupiter in Pisces and your a holiday, down the coast or up in the hills, will help. solar eighth house, you’ll want the world and you’ll want Expand the vista! Widen the circle! You’ll be surprised by it now. However, the third week of May will have a saluwhat you encounter. Listen for the long forgotten jingle tary lesson on that topic. of change in the pocket or purse. There’s been a troll within, snaffling the spare cash since you heard the bells VIRGO of Santa’s sleigh. March 10 will boot the ugly beggar out on his backside, leaving you with more to wave at your You’ve been training yourself for a big task, a new duty local barrister or buy a new rubber duckie for the bath. or a new era in life and there’ll have been a separation or Exotica gives way to professional as you dole out lashings an end, as you shed the skin of past incarnations. Howof the authoritative, subduing the fiery recalcitrance of ever, in recent times, retrograde Mars in Leo will have family or underlings. conjured demons in the form of obstacles, opposition or frustrating delays, just as you tried to surge ahead. Be Set something new in motion with career, especially as patient, for all that is soon to end, with the pressure easthe Equinox burns its insignia on March 20. Who’d be ing or the manacles falling away after March 10. Don the an April Fool? You might, as April 7 brings Saturn back mantle of authority or take a strong line of action when to raise a bit of bollocks in your house of travel or com- Saturn returns to your sign on April 7. Go gently at first munication. Don’t fall foul of traffic cops or charity col- and look to close relations or a new connection, as oplectors and sort issues with phones or vehicles. Mercury portunity, luck or leadership will come from someone reverses on April 18, setting a cat among the pigeons with near at hand. The finger of fate will cast a magic spell on friends or groups. You won’t be able to save the world or a partner or associate and you can share in the shower of win a squash game unless you wait til May 11. Travel, descending stars. study or communication will go into meltdown and turn your life around in the third week. You’ll be doing new Travel plans, legal matters or study will spin off the things after that. tracks from April 18, as Mercury turns retrograde in Taurus. Heaven doesn’t favour travel but unexpected contacts LEO or news will roll in from overseas. Watch the big picture but hold important decisions til May 11. The third week If you’ve been feeling like Guy Fawkes who turned up of May is juicy, as close relations hit a sharp turn on at parliament without the matches, it’s due to a cosmic the rollercoaster, bringing a new phase in partnership or contretemps with Mars running in reverse in your sign changing your life through a shift in personal connecsince your last visit to the hairdresser, before the Christ- tions. You’ll soon be chasing money, studying the occult mas festivities. This irritating ‘au contraire’ will have put or burning with love. the wind up personal relations or it will have turned projects or activities into an obstacle course. However, crack LIBRA the champagne on March 10 when the feisty god of war moves forward, as you’ll get results if you kick things into Are there taxing tasks? Are you bearing burdens or revelaction, but only with a velvet slipper early on. It’s a beach ling in responsibility? With Saturn in your sign since the The Magus Opus - Autumn - 153

end of last October, the door is open for you to heft the weighty stuff, ascend the heights or wield the compelling rod of authority. Somehow, home or family business will be pushed in response, whether you move, bear children, run the household, marry, divorce or alter the dining room. Glitches or hitches with friends or groups will pass into history after March 10 and the practical socializing will give way to high octane stuff as Venus the Goddess sends out scorching flames from Aries soon after. In fact, partnership will feature as you don or doff the clobber and celebrate the Equinox on March 20.

Saturn returns to Virgo on April 7, causing you to step back from this newfound suit of social or professional body armour to deal with matters, inner or private. They may be work or health related. ‘Ware the fiscal gremlins from Apr 18. Talk over problems with accredited experts and don’t make major decisions til May 11. Plain speaking is best, if you can obtain it or produce it for yourself.

There will be a crunch, a breakthrough or a dramatic change in daily routines and the concerns or work or health in the third week of merry May, the month of legend. After that, new fires burn!

SCORPIO Roll the dice, Scorpio! Let the risky or seductive venture in love or money take you, step by step, away from the intense or convoluted cycle that’s been part and parcel of personal or emotional life for some time. Whatever confidence you have lost recently, you will regain it if you carry the silks of Lady Luck upon your redoubtable Scorpio jousting stick. You’ve been wrestling with authority or the demands of duty and that’s because Mars, the warrior planet and your traditional ruler has been reversing since the Solstice, pushing against you or conjuring opponents, delays or obstacles. March 10 will see relief and forward motion as you return to a known domain or start afresh.

Action will feature with career or responsibility, and a natural sense of the dramatic. Put aside the party life as the tide turns at the Equinox on March 20, focusing on work or health and stirring the fires to renew the energy or effort in your routines.

Friends or groups will come out to play from April 7, as Saturn comes back into Virgo. Organization, teaching, work or a formal role will put you amid like-minded folk.

Older people or authorities will feature, or you will be one of these amongst the others. You’ll swim into new connections or involvements later in April but Mercury will hit reverse, throwing a spanner in the works with personal communications or arrangements. Don’t argue over misunderstandings, sort them out. Don’t make deals

or relationship decisions before May 11. The third week of May will bring a wave of change to your personal sea, turning the tide with lifestyle, romance or creativity.

SAGITTARIUS There’ll be big doings in the domicile as Jupiter rolls through your colourful corridors, teeing up parties, visitors, purchases or new shades of purple for the bathroom. Whatever has been pending or stuck with plans for study or travel, March 10 will free it up and set you loose in the big wide world. Don’t clash with border security or immigration officials til then. With the waters of Pisces shifting to the fires of Aries as the month rolls on, frock for the Equinox on March 20 and salute the Sun as you circle a heartening blaze. A dash of chilli on the provender will go down a treat too. Social life, romance or recreation will feature but, on April 7, Saturn lowers the boom on errant antics as he returns to Virgo, laying down the law with career or responsibility, demanding attention for the unfinished task. You’ll re-enter the arena of duty to wrestle with a unforgiving authority or list.

The devil’s in the details, so don’t leave them to flutter in the breeze of inattention.

Just when you thought you had it under control, Mercury reverses in Taurus on April 18. Gremlins will invade travel or communications at work, possessing co-workers, turning good sense on its head and making the tape dispenser a dangerous beast to subdue. Minor mishaps or confusion will arise so keep it basic til May 11, avoiding big decisions or the testy ‘tete a tete’. Stick to practical negotiations and don’t be done over with the dosh. In the third week of May, professional demands or responsibilities will, by the hairs on their chinny-chin-chin, blow down a house of straw or sticks, so make sure the domicile is built of sterner stuff. There will be pressure to determine the true source of your happiness and focus your efforts there.

CAPRICORN There’ll be a tight rein on finance for the moment but things are certainly moving on the hurdy-gurdy of the outside world. Jupiter in Pisces will bestow opportunity for advances, urge you to further education or just take wing with the weird and wonderful individuals and ideas blowing in the winds of change around you. Ride the eagle’s back! March 10 will see fiscal pressure or constraint ease as you overcome opposition or resistance. Erotic life might blow a spark back into the inferno it once was. All along, the push is towards transformation with career or

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responsibilities but you’ll have to go back to the drawing board of study, travel, legal matters or your place in the big picture to get where you want to go.

April 7 brings Saturn back to Virgo, pushing for a review or a retrace of your steps in recent endeavours. Keep a weather eye out for a hitch or a glitch in dealings with lovers or children, as April 18 rings the bell to announce a few weeks of confusion when Mercury reverses in Taurus.

Creative projects will hit the skids. Take care with safety in extreme or vigorous pursuits and don’t promise what you can’t deliver or override other’s interests or ideas. You’ll hit a wall or break a barrier come the third week of May. Get ready for a new foray into ‘high level’ achievement or committed work. Home life is set for radical change beyond that.

AQUARIUS The gods are stirring fizz and pop in the cosmic beaker with the name ‘Aquarius’ on it. The first cocktail is from Mars, a fiery brew in Leo, mixed by the warrior god on his bicycle going backwards since the time you sent out the Xmas Cards. If there’s a kafuffle or contretemps with lovers or partners, ex, current or potential, it’s due to this reversal in your seventh house. March 10 will see the smoke clear and business or romance return to normal (or not) when Mars takes a head-on back into life.

Hostilities or hitches will decline. Next, quaff a dose of nasty fiscal medicine as Saturn, the taskmaster, returns to Virgo on April 7, demanding scrupulous attention to the mortgage, credit or joint finance. You’ll want the ‘beach too far’, philanthropic fame or just to become a ‘rich as Croesus’ sybarite, but stringent authority or regulation will force you to do your sums first. Ugh! If there’s a fight over the dishes, taking the bins out or confusing notes on the fridge, it’s Mercury reversing in Taurus, chewing up the communications carpet in the domicile from Apr 18 until May 11. The next round of fiscal ambrosia comes as Chiron the wounded healer shifts out of your sign after a journey of healing and personal change or involvements. April 20 will give you a look at new skills, streams of income or ideas about money. You will find you’re on a new path in life as the cosmos hits the reconfigure button on your values system. Dosh will be in focus with Jupiter in Pisces. If you want to learn about it, make a lot of it or hobnob with people who do, now’s the time.

he swans along in your sign. You’ll hire staff, buy new outfits, fall in love or take the job or trip you’ve longed for. Life will seem like an endless grand gesture, but make sure it doesn’t involve expanding the waist line while contracting the bank account. It’s a time for the gamble and the lucky turn of a card, if you play the game wisely.

Upgrade skills or education! Put the microscope on the microcosm on March 10 and sort tensions or problems at work. There will be a change of tasks or the soothing oil of diplomacy on the troubled waters of dispute. Treat any health concerns with the right remedy. Elsewhere, the mood is ‘party’, so dress up, step out but don’t be an April Fool when the bills come.

Saturn returns to Virgo and your house of partnership on April 7, bringing responsibility, an absence or a standoff with people close. The cosmos gets testy after April 18, so if you can’t find a park, send an email or speak civilly to a neighbour, blame it on retrograde Mercury.

Wait for May 11 while double-checking arrangements and communications. Negotiate the balance of demands and duties in close relations but watch for a meltdown or a shift in the circuitry in the third week of May. Whether it’s philosophical, practical or legal, don’t paper over the cracks. Talk it through.

Thank you to Neil Giles for our astrology section, if you would like to contact Neil For his Services please use the information below.

READINGS WITH NEIL GILES ASTROLOGY, RUNES, TAROT & THE CELTIC OGHAM SCRIPT ~ FOR ALL ENQUIRIES ~ PH 0061 2 66791167 MOB +61407665879 EMAIL: nimbus-9@bigpond.com

PISCES Jupiter, Lord of Fortune, will open doors this year as The Magus Opus - Autumn - 155

Card # XV

Tarot: The Devil F

AIRFIELD- Experiencing boundaries and lim-

Major Arcana

The Devil

its. Seeing that options and choices are being

narrowed and your life is becoming more structured and somewhat less flexible. Making certain assumptions or establishing baseline conditions, which rules

A

RRIEN - The Principle of Mirth Combined out some of the options.

With Stability: Humor at What Bedevils Us. The

Joker, Worker, Stabilizer. Handling life from a place of humor. During the next 15 weeks or 15 months, you

G

REER - Principle of Urge to Separate: Choice to fear. Obsessions and limitations. Mate-

may be attracted to creative people, projects, and inspi- rial form. Projections of what is hidden or repressed.

The “shadow” self. Raw, untamed power and creativ-

rational events.

C

ity which calls for a sense of humor and being able to OWIE - Beware of Emotions: Emotions close laugh at yourself and your own self-importance. Social to or out of control. Warning that even with and sexual taboos.

the best of intentions, one may be wrong.

C

ROWLEY - Capricornus. Ain.

age to some power. In some way subscribing

With they right Eye create all for thyself, and to the dominance-submission mentality, and the issue

with the left accept all that be created otherwise.

E

N

OBLE - Denying the Spirit: Being in bond-

of power is at stake. Maybe abusing power in some way, exercising personal will over others, or letting the

AKINS - The world of the dark subconscious. ego take the reins. The soul in need of liberation.

A struggle for truth amid seeming contra-

dictions and haphazard or incomplete information through which there are glimpses of light. Accepting

P

OLLACK - A narrow materialistic view of life.

Any form of misery or depression with illusion

the presence of paradox and realizing your own truth. that no alternatives are possible. Being the slave of deCelebrating life, laughter, play, and dancing upon the sires or a controlling obsession. A feeling of helplessEarth.

ness or shame. On a deeper level, going into your own darkness. Or, freeing yourself from oppression.

The Magus Opus - Autumn - 156

S

HARMAN-BURKE - Inhibitions and blocks that hinder growth but which may be removed.

Carries the promise that if removed, great growth and progress is possible. “Out of apparent evil, much good can come.”

S

TEWART - Energies of purification, disillusionment, and rebalance. Restriction for positive

ends, or thresholds beyond which it is dangerous to cross. Often provides the key to solutions for difficult or negative problems in life.

W

AITE - The chain and fatality of the material life. Being sustained by the evil that is

within and blind to the liberty of service. Signifies the Dweller on the Threshold without the Mystical Garden when those are driven forth therefrom who have eaten the forbidden fruit. Ravage, violence, vehemence, extraordinary efforts, force, fatality: that which is predestined and is not for this reason evil.

W

enemy of unity. He sets the worlds against the World and having incited people to wish to be like God, then

ALKER - The ancient Lord of the Under- indicates the instinct which relates everything to themworld worshiped under such names as Plu- selves, as if they were the centre around which every-

to, Hader, Nergal, Saturn, Zeus Chthonios, Apollyon, thing must gravitate. and Ahriman. His identification with the Underworld developed the belief that he controlled all the mineral wealth, including buried treasure, hence the Christian notion that he could make a person rich.

W

R

ILEY -Butting In: The hubris, or specieism, of the human race, people believing they are

better than other life. Or mirth. Receiving this card is a reminder to live life just for the fun of it, for what

ANLESS - (Devil’s Play) To live fully and other reason is there? If it isn’t close to laughter, it isn’t joyously, and to work and play to the point close to God.

where play and work are the same. Celebrating the expression of creative energy.

W

IRTH - The Prince of the Material World which could not exist without him because

he is at the base of all differentiation between one individual and another. The one who differentiates, the

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Templates

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Pumpkin Carving

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Templates

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Creepy House Tem

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mplates

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