Magus Opus - Winter - 1 - http://www.occultliving.com
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Magus Opus - Winter - 3 - http://www.occultliving.com
Editors Letter
W
elcome
to
the
first
winter issue of the Magus Opus, for those
of you who live where it snows say hello to the snow fairies for us and for those of you who hate the cold, we strongly suggest to listen to our advice “don’t give up on life, say no to snuggies” yes, sadly the snuggy is taking the world by storm (or so they’d like to think), but why not be warm in style for a change and wrap yourself up in a nice warm cloak in the true pagan style. Anyway that was our little vendetta against that hideous mutant piece of clothing, someone had to say something. This issue is all about the best things about winter; Yule, Imbolc, winter activities and some light reading that you can do snuggled up on a couch and also some more in-depth subjects to bend your mind around. After all winter is the time for study and reflection on how your plans for the past year have panned out and to regroup and plan your next projects. The winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, some might say is the most important festival of the year for it is when the sun dies and has to defeat his dark brother to regain his place in the sky. The Holly King is slain by the Oak king and the Goddess gives birth to the new sun. It is the time for focusing on friends and family togetherness, for hope and inviting the sun and all the things that it represents back into your life. We have some great ideas for your next Yule celebration, warm spicy drinks, great feast recipes and some instructions on wreath construction. Don’t forget to read our winter article with everything you need to know about the winter festivals. Some of our contributors are returning this issue and some new ones have joined. Amber’Rose returns with her article on Cajun/Creole medicine with a Hoodoo twist.
Thanks to our front cover artist this month Bethaynne Bajema for her beautiful image of the magus, see more of her work in our feature artist section. If you are an artist and would like to have your image on our front cover, send us an email to admin@occultliving.com Merry Yule and a happy Imbolc to all.
Brad and Saskia
Contents Features
The Voynich Manuscript - 158 The Most Mysterious Manuscript in the World
Secret Societies - The Hellfire Club - 64
Craft
Sugar & Spice, Dirt & Dice - 30 A glimps into Cajun/Creole medicine with a
Creating A Talisman Bear - 126
Hoodoo twist by Amber’Rose
Making a Gingerbread House - 91 Hermes: The Elusive God - 42 Warm Spicey Drinks - 96 History of Palmistry - 50 A few interesting facts
Making Scented Candles - 103
Alester Crowleys Lectures on Yoga Analysis, PART 1 - 144 By Nick Gould
An Introduction to Herbology - 134
Magus M agus Opus Opus - Winter Winnter - 2 - hhttp://www.occultliving.com ttp://www.ooccultliving.com
Regulars Feartured Arts: Bethalynne Bajema The Sepia Stains Tarot - 20
Seasonal Article: Winter - 70 Decorating for the Season All you need to know about the Winter Festivals
Sanctum Sanctorum - 12 Lucia Part III - 116 By Jedda Lee Winkworth Remedies From History - 50 Making Precious Green Pomade from the Elixirs of Nostradamus Tarot Card : The Hermit - 169
The advertisements in Occult Living are used under the fair use policy; they are used for non-profit educational purposes.
Magus M agus Opus Opuus - Winter Wintter - 3 - hhttp://www.occultliving.com ttpp://www.ooccultliivinng.com m
Sanctum Sanctorum E
very Witch or Wizard needs special and unusual objects to display in their sacred space, it is in our nature to collect strange and wonderful things, besides they could be useful one day. We have some awesome new things to share with you in this season’s sanctum sanctorum section. So we hope you find these things as interesting and cool as we do.
Magus Opus - Winter - 6 - http://www.occultliving.com
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LivinG DeaD Dolls Savannah Living Dead Dolls Series 20 Date of death: January 20th, 1913 Light a candle but once a year And speak the name Savannah dear Before your eyes it will appear Her painted face so full of fear. Savannah was strangled On the day of the dead “It was a jealous boyfriend.” Someone once had said. But the strangler was a ghost Never to be found And Savannah still lies silent Deep beneath the ground.
Camilla Living Dead Dolls Series 20 Date of death: Nov. 1st 1939 “She loves all things morbid,” It was often said. In regards to the outcast with a flower on her head. But every single day is a date with death. When you walk the streets in the land of the dead. Stoned to death because she didn’t quite fit, Into their games, into their cliques. She tried to run but had a trip! Poor fallen Camilla didn’t die quick. Magus Opus - Winter - 8 - http://www.occultliving.com
Santeria
Living Dead Dolls Series 20 Date of death: July 3rd, 1985 She loved celebrating Dia de los Muertos so much she prayed it come every day. The only ear to hear her pleas was El Diablo’s so now once a year she rises to play. Unintentionally bartering her soul for eternity She made a deal with the devil quite unwittingly http://www.livingdeaddolls.com/lddsite.html
More than light Colorued flame Products These coloured flame oils are a magickal product that would add a mystical atmosphere to any ritual or party. You can create your own, original and Color-flamed Torches or Oil lamps (as shown in the picture below), with minimal hassle and an unforgettable and unique result. For more information go to http://www. more-than-light.com/
Magus Opus - Winter - 9 - http://www.occultliving.com
Sepia Stains Tarot Deck The Sepia Stains Tarot is a complete tarot deck with original artwork for both the major and minor arcana by Bethalynne Bajema . The cards are roughly three by five inches in size and printed on lightweight but sturdy card stock with a thin lamination. The deck comes in a hand made drawstring pouch made from embroidered Asian silk material. To find out more about this deck go to http:// bethalynnebajema.com
Magus Opus - Winter - 10 - http://www.occultliving.com
These bears are cute and scary, find more teddy bears, witches, goblins, dragons, faeries and one of a kind sculpted art dolls at the Forgotten Forest website. http://www.forgottenforest.com/
Grumpy Angus
Fang
The T he Evil Eviill One On e
Neepy Niles
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Bethalynne Bajema Sepia Stains Tarot
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sat there to protect me from all the evil things my
B
ethalynne is an artist from Michigan
brother teased that lived in the corn fields. We also
USA, she works with mixed media to
had little patches of pond water where there would be
create these beautiful dark images from
massive frogspawn through out the year. My brother
her imagination by using an intuitive process.
tried to scare me with these sudden masses of baby
With the use of sepia tones and ink Bethalynne’s
frogs; I started to talk to them. It was sort of this go
work is one of fantasy and mystery and her images
between he and I had for years. He tried to scare me;
are beautiful and haunting. The tarot deck she has
I combated it by befriending it.
created is beautifully finished and is a full deck that is for sale on her website. This deck would be suited
I am in no way trying to paint a bad picture of him,
for the collector more than for magickal use although
he's the reason I'm an artist. He is incredibly talented
she says her next deck will be more practical. I asked
and I used to watch him draw. I would try and mimic
her to share with us a little about herself and what
his drawings, and it's how I started to draw when I was
inspires her:
Bethalynne Bajema “I was born on May 19th, 1973 and started out life in a very rural Michigan town called Bad Axe. It was so small my older brother went to a school that only had one room for all the grades. Our house was a small stone structure miles from civilization and our nearest neighbours. It was off the side of a dirt road that ran between acres of corn fields and there was a massive sunflower patch across the street. My older brother was also an artist, who had an active imagination and who also got bored easily. I think I was his personal muse for years, mostly on ways to frighten the hell out of me. In my efforts to combat the fears he put in me, I started going above and beyond make believe. For example, our house had a large grass patch cut behind it with the corn fields curving around it; there were three giant old Weeping Willow trees my brother told me were evil, but instead I decided they were sentries
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about four. As he got older he got more into fantasy
artwork to illustrate it.
stuff (like D&D and Tolkien) as oppose to horror so instead would try and tell me stories to enchant me,
I come from an extremely religious family. My mother
rather then scare the crap out of me. He told me a
was in the process of becoming a Methodist minister
blinking star was actually a planet with a great battle
before she died, and gave sermons monthly. She had
taking place on it, or things of that nature. He gave
very progressive thoughts though. She felt all religions
me a rich fantasy life as a kid and filled it out with
have their place in the world for their mythos and what they provide humans in the terms of fulfilment and being able to deal with the stress of life. She tolerated my going off her path when I was barely 15. When we started getting mail order packages from schools of Wicca and Eastern Traditions, etc, instead of brow beating me as some other Christian types, she suggested I take up Theology and become more organized with my pursuit of learning about the subjects. As a result, after studying my own family, I found out I did not actually come from a line of Methodists, but actually Dutch Rosicrucians. My aunt passed down my grandparents Rosicrucian books and I was fascinated. I was actually a tad shocked to find out my great grandmother was an invested astrologer who used "witch cards" among other items. I personally have come to a point where I find all topics dealing with common religion and the occult to be fascinating and it
serves me better to embrace it all and learn what I can while I adhere to my own personal beliefs. I think we all are entitled to follow whatever path best suits us so long as it doesn't obstruct someone else's path.
My art methods vary as I'm a mixed media artist and not a digital artist. I started in traditional pen and ink and evolved from there. My tarot deck was a three year process where my biggest issue was deciding how to present the individual cards of the tarot. The minor Arcana were not so hard, as I knew I would represent the traditional suits with non-traditional instruments. But the major Arcana gave me a hard time. I wanted at first each card to have my own series of symbols, mostly star signs (for my love of astronomy) and equations (for the nerd in me) and realized I would have to really carefully think about how to explain such symbols in terms of the deck and individual cards. Then I thought perhaps I would go with the standard symbols but was not really happy with that. My knowledge of the tarot is very basic and I didn't want to represent symbols I might not actually understand. So I decided in the end to leave each card in the major Arcana without symbols and allow the card to be the
very basic card. The Fool is the fool and this card is meant to represent the journey. And each card is in that same vein.
I'm a self-taught artist, I was a graphic designer and web designer (mostly for other artist's websites) for many years to support myself and in the last five for years have lived completely as an artist making a living off
Magus Opus - Winter - 17 - http://www.occultliving.com
of my art. I am engaged to another artist, Myke Amend, who is much like me in all these regards. He used to run a site called, paganamerica. com, I believe? Many years back and is so well versed in the subject of all non-Christian oriented paths that I often simply go to him for info or advice. We work together to keep up two sites, one is the Miskatonic Archive, a Lovecraft and dark Steampunk themed site of fiction and art. And Etta Diem, our store front for our combined wares as well as the strange items we produce under the Etta Diem brand. I'm currently working on my next tarot deck which will be a companion to this one. The new tarot deck won't be as basic, and will have a lot more symbolism in it. The new deck is also going to be darker with darker imagery, the two decks will go together.”
If you would like one of these beutiful decks of the Sepia Stains Trarot, please go to her website at http://bethalynnebajema.com
Magus Opus - Winter - 18 - http://www.occultliving.com
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Book Review
which continued through the houses long history. Modern Painter’s like Cesae, Olivier Debre, Sol LeWitt started to work with Vuitton in the 1980s and these collaborations continued, creating a rich tapestry of collaborative work that certainly had reached a new level when Marc Jacobs joined the house in 1997.
V
uitton has worked with
so
many of the greats of the creative industries such
as
Stephen
Soroiuse,
Takashi
Murakami,
Richard
Price
recently
and
the Rap singer Kanye
L
ouis Vuitton is one of the top fashion houses in the world today. Vuitton has always walked a line between fashion, contemporary art and wearable art. Vuitton himself had many collaborations
West.
S
O what do you do after a life time of meeting the best of creative society, you write a book. Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion
and Architecture, gives a truly rich and detailed look into the many collaborative projects that the
Magus Opus - Winter - 22 - http://www.occultliving.com
brand has been involved in. This book presents the
Jacobs, Louis Vuitton’s commitment to the arts has
unique creations forged between Louis Vuitton and
recently been underscored by the establishment of the
a growing number of designers from the worlds of
Louis Vuitton Foundation for Creation, announced
art, architecture, design, photography and fashion. It
in October 2006 by Bernard Arnault, Chairman &
includes 400 pages of critical essays related to Louis
CEO of LVMH/Moët Hennessy. Louis Vuitton. The
Vuitton contemporary creations as well as illustration
future Foundation will be an exciting new space and
with 400 color documents.
concept intended to stimulate dialogue with a wide audience and offer artists and intellectuals a platform
Louis Vuitton’s, influence is heavily derived from
for discussion, inspiration and reflection. If the brand
modern art and it has been an obvious inspiration for
inspires artists, designers and architects, they, in return,
new products, store architecture, artistic collaborations,
inspire Louis Vuitton. This mutual inspiration is very
and for the Maison’s advertising campaigns. Vuitton
challenging and productive, not only for the luxury
will to build and grow his relationship with the
world, but also for the contemporary art world.
contemporary art world has led him to work with numerous artists, photographers, architects and
Fashion, luxury, art and architecture unite to propose
fashion designers. The House of Louis Vuitton cam
a new vision of the world and take us away from the
trace themselves through an enthralling anthology and
ordinary. Contemporary art gives us an alternative
some very significant artistic collaborations. In this
point of view. Modern architecture, inseparable from
book, the focus remains on artists that have impacted
the luxury world, plays a key role in setting Louis
the history of Louis Vuitton.
Vuitton’s name in present time. The fashion industry and its designers give a fresh energy and a unique
Of all the modern luxury brands, Louis Vuitton
creativity to the House’s ready-to-wear collections.
can claim to maintain the richest and most varied
A contemporary artist, whether he is an architect, a
associations with the world of art – indeed, it is a
photographer or a fashion designer, often produces
tradition that dates back almost to the origins of
unexpected creations. It is a bold challenge for Louis
the House. This desire to continuously create and
Vuitton and I believe that only a handful of brands
reinvent, whilst maintaining and transmitting the
have been able to surpass the boundaries to this point
history and identity of the brand, has been transformed
between luxury and contemporary creation.
into multiples collaborations, most of time quite unexpectedly.
Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture is available in all good book stores, real or online.
Constantly renewed under the influence of Marc
Magus Opus - Winter - 23 - http://www.occultliving.com
S U G A R ’ N ’S P I C E , D I R T ’ N ’D I C E Amber’Rose
A glimps into Cajun/Creole medicine with a Hoodoo twist “Now, Miss Hoodoo Lady, please give me a hoodoo hand” Lyrics: Hoodoo Lady Blues by Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup
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S
alutations, my lovely Occulties intention behind it. and Hoodoolicious Hoodlum! Let’s get down to the In this edition of Opus Magus,
nitty-gritty’s
and
my contribution comes from the syncretic look at the actual folk magick of the American Deep categorization of South. Cajun/Creole Medicine, Conjure
hoodoo
and Sorcery- how these words form a
down
broken before
picturesque vision in the mind of earthy elaborate
I
further
scents, the bayou itinerant with the murky
into
my
own
swamp waters that form a strange yet
practices.
To
coercing amalgamation of hot spices and break it down, to legends. The sweet taste of rum staining the lips and explore hoodoo with a forensic type of viewpoint tobacco lingers on the breath- mellifluous resonance
aids in better understanding how it works, and, how
of Robert Johnson playing the background, cool
to incorporate it into your daily lives; enriching
bluesy acoustic tones drifting on the sultry zephyr as
spiritual growth and bringing dreams and desires into
it stirs tufts of Spanish moss hanging from the trees.
manifestation incorporation with already established
Doesn’t this describe to you a sense of conjure and
beliefs. Unlike many beliefs that one should not seek
magick? Well, join with me in this libertine by glass of
personal gain, hoodoo however is the opposite. We
wine or whatever your chosen poison shall be, place
have the right to better our own lives, relationships
yourself in the comfort of your favourite chaise and
and finances for when contentment is achieved it gives
allow me to divulge in just what conjuring I speak of.
us the ‘personal’ power to help others, along with the
This magick: speaking with spirits, walking between
energies to provide this magickal and spiritual aid to
worlds, gris-gris/mojo bags and getting things done
all who seek to benefit from it by means. Whether it is
practically and physically within the world... getting
protection, love, money, luck, cutting away old habits,
your hands down there in the dirt, bringing tangible
separations, sex, uncrossing, cleansing, healing and
benefit to one self and vitally to the important people
even jinxing hoodoo delivers the goods with an iron-
in your life.
hammer straight into the heart of the matter.
Hoodoo certainly delivers the goods, it gets things
Whether you wish to call this legendary practise as
done without the nonsense and theatrics so many
hoodoo, Folk Medicine, Vieux Carre Rootwork,
other practices seem to focus on while forgetting
Bywater Conjure, Mid-city majick or any other of its
what is really the focal point of its importance plus the
names- it is all the one and the same a cultural diverse
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gumbo that makes up a practical and intriguing method
Kabbalism: ‘The Albertus Magnus Egyptian Secrets’,
of hands on treatment. A way of achieving personal
‘The Black Pullet’, ‘Secrets of the Psalms’, ‘Grimoire
means or that in which is to serve the means of a
of Armadel’, ‘Grimoirium Verum’, ‘The Sworn Book
client. Hoodoo incorporates and synchronizes a large
of Honourius’, ‘The Goetia’, ‘Pow-Wows or the Long
segment of African Folkloric practices in addition to
Lost Friend’, ‘Agrippa’s Occult Philosophy Book 1:
beliefs: an all-embracing mélange of Native American
Natural Magick’, ‘The Sixth & Seventh Books of
Indian botanical knowledge, Spiritist and Folklore
Moses’, along with numerous other works that were
accustomed to Christianity, Judaic and European
associated robustly to the Occult- its philosophies
traditions with extensions from Hindu mysticism,
of embracing wisdom from all perspectives and
and antiquated conjuration. To elaborate just an inch
alignments.
further, it was in the 19th and 20th centuries hoodoo Despite debates that even I have participated in, Folk magick IS an allencompassing phenomenon, indubitably not limited. Like the Folk magick of many other cultures, hoodoo attributes certain magickal properties to herbs, roots, minerals (especially the Lodestone, gunpowder, black salt, kosher salt), animal parts ( scales, skin, bones, feathers, teeth, fur) syrups & sweeteners (honey, molasses, brown sugar, corn syrup, treacle) personal possessions (clothes, nail & hair clippings, shoes) bodily effluvia of people (saliva, semen, urine,
excreta,
Elixir
Rubirosa/or
otherwise known as menstrual blood) organic/nature items (cowrie shells, salt, dirt, ash, waters) & metals/metallic’s (coffin nails, rust). The African origins practitioners familiarized themselves with knowledge
of influences are clearly illustrious in hoodoo with
from European principal books of magick, the Occult,
traditional tribal medicine such as crossing &
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race families;
birthed from the
various ethos of populace that came into America like a flood of variable colours and circumstances, from slaves to free-people. An amalgamation of edifying flavours... elements mixed with the ethnic piquancy that hoodoo was widely sought, renowned and respected for. Along with the obvious African influences, the Native American influences within Rootwork are exhibited in the names of famous herbal formulae, monikers and magickal curios such as the ‘Indian Head
Cent’,
‘Smudge-Sticks’,
‘Hummingbird/Chuparrosa’, ‘Indian uncrossing, jinxing & un-jinxing, crossroad magick, hot-footing, and, foot track magick - all of which have embedded remnants of customary beliefs from the Yoruba, Fon, Congo and Ewe people. These religions and Diaspora are variously recognized as the Palo Mayombe, Candomble, Kimina, and Santeria, Loa worship, Orisha worship, Nkisi worship and Ocha... just to name several. The generic phrase for this class of Folk-magickal operation is known as ‘laying down tricks’ or ‘tricking’ and of course ‘Daliluw’ (African herbalism).
Numerous distinguished rootwork & conjure doctors of the 19th and 20th centuries all came from mixed-
‘Ipomoea
Stop
Evil
Condition’,
Jalapa/John
the
Conqueror Root’, ‘Kinni-Kinnick/Bearberry Leaves’, ‘Black Hawk’, and the entire concept of the ‘powerful Indian’, ‘Indian spirit’ or ‘Indian spirit guide’. Black Hawk is perhaps one of the most prominent ancestral guides of the Native American Indians called upon for safety and protection, honoured and worshipped in ‘Black Spiritualist’ churches often in the form of ‘Black Hawk in a bucket’ (ancestral earth/dirt, a statue of Black Hawk and the tears of the oppressed people) a potent and powerful magico-relgious icon.
Hummingbird, also known as Chuparrosa, Mexican for Hummingbird-(classification: Chupar is to sip or
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suck. Rosa is a rose- and the rest is self explanatory).
and relationships. It is emblazoned in Spanish upon
The Hummingbird is used as a curio for luck,
the decorative glass are the words “Ven a mi. Abre
much like a rabbit’s foot, a lucky charm. Mexican
el camino” {translated to “Come to me. Open the
ladies carry a desiccated Chuparrosa wrapped in
way”} along with a beautiful prayer in both Spanish
silk in their purse to attract wealth or so that their
and English.
purses may never be empty. In Central America the Hummingbird is revered as a major Maya animal
With the amalgamation of all these ‘native’ cultures,
spirit and primarily focused on love. There is a half
the Middle Eastern & European immigrants (or cunning
folk)
bringing
their
religions and folk magick with them, it can hardly be a surprise that it too found its way into hoodoo. From Biblical Psalms, a plethora of candles, oils, various talismans, charms,
grimoires,
incense,
potions, colognes, catholic icons & figures etc. Even many aspects of the Middle East & Egyptian based deities, incantations and herbs can be found in hoodoo. From Isis (properly known as Auset), Sun Ra, Hathor, Osiris. Herbal blends like Kyphi, Khus Khus, Myrrh & Frankincense and the mentioning of Queen of Sheba, King Solomon, along with formulae dubbed names such as ‘Arabian Nights’, Wings of Isis/or simply Isis’, Cleopatra’ red and half green dedicated vigil candle that can
and ‘Egyptian Glory’ all of these which are found in
be purchased in Hispanic grocery stores throughout
the delightful blends created by Anna Riva and many
Texas and many other localities throughout America.
others available through Lucky Mojo along with
An exquisite candle to draw sweetness into one’s life
many other hoodoo delights.
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Please note that the information above contains only
Importantly to be noted and remembered, hoodoo is
a few examples of the ethnic native influences and
not a ‘formal’ religion. It does not have a structured
curious medleys of modus operandi seen in hoodoo
hierarchy or an established theology, ecclesiastic/
and is in no way adhered to just these selected few.
cleric/laity or order of liturgical structures or
Popular herbs include: Piper Methysticum (Kava,
traditions- instead practitioners are often people
Kava-Kava Root), Angelica Archangelica (Angelica
who reside in the Christian canton who have specific
Root, Holy Ghost Root, Dong Quai, Archangel
magickal knowledge and hoodoo tradition. Many
Root), Alpinia Galanga (Galangal, Blue Ginger, Chewing John, Little John Chew), Polygonatum
Multiflorum
(Solomon’s
Seal, Sigillum Sanctae Mariae, St. Mary’s Seal), Acorus Calamus (Sweet Flag, Calamus, Flagroot, Cinnamon Sedge, Gladdon, Myrtle Flag), Hyssopus (Hyssop, Isopo,
Yssop),
Tillandsia
Usneoides
(Spanish Moss, French Wig, Spanish Beard), Viburnum Alnifolium/Viburnum Opulus/Viburnum Prunifolium
(Devil’s
Shoestring, Catgut, Wireweed, Renouée Dressée,
Blackhaw, Erect Knotweed),
Syzygium Aromaticum (Cloves, Clavo, Clovos,
Caryophyllus),
Cymbopogon
(Lemongrass, Geranium Grass, Cochin Grass, Barbed Wire Grass, Herbe de Citron), Trapa Bicornis (Bat Nut, Devil’s Pod, Goat Head, Bull Nut, Buffalo Nut), Aesculus Glabra (Buckeye, Marronnier Glabre, Hetuck, Ohio Buckeye, Fetid Buckeye), Coix Lachryma Jobi (Job’s Tears, Rosary Beads, Adlay, Chinese Pearl Barley, Jobinkyynelheina, Juzudama, Lagrimas de San Pedro).
hoodoo practitioners are also seen as Gypsies as they tend to be a rather nomadic sort offering their services throughout surrounding districts and outside regions. Hoodoo is not reserved strictly for the specialist, many of the ‘conjures’, ‘spells’, ‘jobs’, ‘workings’
Magus Opus - Winter - 29 - http://www.occultliving.com
are within the realm of African-American, European
religion with its ancient roots in West Africa; its
and/or Southern socio-cultural folk remedies and
modern form is practiced across West Africa in the
contexts as this tradition is traditionally passed from
countries now known as Benin, Togo and Burkina
person to person. The bible also plays an important
Faso among others. In Haiti, Cuba and other Caribbean
role in hoodoo as it is seen as the ‘greatest conjure’
Islands, the worship of the Vodoun Gods (called Lwa
book of all time- the psalms as a source of ‘conjures’
or Loas) is practised in a syncretic form that has been
to cure ailments, protection against evil/magick/
greatly modified by contact with Catholicism. Unlike
tricks/crossings,
safe
Voodoo
travel, martial relations
actively
but not just this, it is
during
furthermore a conjuring
times, many of it Priests
talisman in its own
were either killed or
right and respects. It
imprisoned and their
can be taken to the
shrines
crossroads, carried for
this was because of the
protection,
even
threat they posed to
left open at particular
Euro-Christian/Muslim
places
facing
dominion. Hoodoo was
directions.
not outlawed due to its
while
specific For
or
example:
which
was
suppressed the
colonial
destroyed...
Open
lower threat and simply
the Bible at the 37th
was not nor was it ever
Psalm (the Psalm for
an organized religion or
Uncrossing/protection/
ever regarded as one,
unjinxing), leave the
only that of knowing
page open with the head of it turned to the east for 3
remedies & folk medicine. This is where it strongly
days- to be used when concerns of harm is suspected
differs, even in delineation and terminology; one
to a person.
should never confuse one with the other but at least know they ‘can’ work in sync as hoodoo can with
Hoodoo and Voodoo (Vodou, Voudou, Sevi Lwa,
nearly any other tradition. Luckily the clarification
Vodoun) are often mistaken for one another, this can be
has risen above speculation and these days its beliefs
due because the terms have a common etymology. The
are more out in the open and better understanding has
ancient African religion of Vodoun is an established
been provided.
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A very distinctive characteristic of Voodoo and also related to hoodoo is a ‘Gris-Gris’ (pronounced as greegree or gri-gri) or ‘Mojo Hand’ (Toby, Nation sack, Jomo) commonly known as a ‘prayer bag’ or charm; sympathetic magick. The word gris-gris in French, defined as grey-grey, perchance named so due to the definition of being used for both white and black magick. It could also be a derivation of the Central African word merely Frenchified ‘gree-gree’ meaning ‘fetish’ or ‘charm’, In the Caribbean it is identified with the ‘wanga’ or ‘oanga’ bag. The African word ‘wanga’ again meaning ‘spell’ or ‘charm’. In Santeria these are called ‘resquardos’ or ‘protectors’. The word ‘hand’ refers to ingredients as the playing cards which make up a ‘hand’ in various gambling games and the old African tradition many of these original ‘charm’ bags contained finger bones and hand bones within them. Most of these bags are made from various coloured flannels using the colour correspondences in accordance with candle-burning magick. Leather and animal skins may be used, but this coincides closely to the West Indian, Obeah traditions and methodology. A voodoo doll is another form of gris-gris as they are a form of talisman magick, a charm, use many focal points as the gris-gris bag for example: dressing with perfumes/colognes, alcohol, oils and often contain herbs, minerals inside or attached to the effigy itself as a means to fortify the ultimate desire.
Enclosed within these small bundles are herbs & roots, minerals, petition papers, name papers, animal &
human parts (hair, nail clippings, bones), feathers, and the list goes on). Typically the fabric should be flannel, colour selected to the outcome wished to be achieved using the same correspondence colours as candle-magick. Generally there are 3 items in a gris-gris, and should always equal an odd number no more than 13. In the case of 3, one herb, one mineral and one personal item if you are making your own- a whole different procedure is taken into account when making one for another person., I strongly advise making gris-gris for a client unless you have good knowledge of gris-gris, the formula recipes to achieve the desired result & the knowing to direct your client in maintaining it power and purpose. It is vital to keep the gris-gris or mojo hand concealed, you must also ‘feed’ or ‘dress’ it regularly along with it being ‘awakened to life’ by a traditional ritual. No one else should touch it or ever see it as it will ‘kill the hand’ and render the potency unfruitful. The quintessential Marie Laveau, the most significant Vodouienne Queen of New Orleans, famed and well
Magus Opus - Winter - 31 - http://www.occultliving.com
sought after for her gris-gris, knew much in the
erotic snake dance (the snake being the symbol of the
affairs of the downtrodden and wealthy. Born in the
Voodoo god ‘Li Grand Zombi) hypnotic, unbridled,
Vieux Carre (though there are conflicting stories
unrestricted to sentiment of inhibitions, only that of
she was born in Santo Domingo- now known as
sensuality, sex and devoutness. Spirituality has no
Haiti), French Quarter of New Orleans to a wealthy
restrictions, guilt, shame, sin, corruption and tarnish
planter and a slave. Marie’s mother a Mulatto slave,
where spirit and the human body is concerned; it is
Caribbean Vodoun and Choctaw Indian- was born
about casting off our skin, the mortal coil of what
a ‘free woman’ of colour, a hair dresser and owned
adheres us to this materialistic world with shallow
a brothel. No doubt she heard the secrets of high-
creeds, suppressed vices. It is about allowing us to go
society, many sordid hidden beneath their hats of
beyond that of the veils, to reach into the unknown and
etiquette and gentile obeisance. This spirited woman
truly obtain what it is to be spiritual, and to be blessed
led a very controversial and misunderstood existence.
by the Lwa/Loa, Ghedes, Angels and Saints... even
A Louisiana Creole practitioner thought to be allied
Demons should one deem to seek their attributes.
with black magick, blood sacrifice and curses of the foulest of inflictions during the earlier days of her
1881 the ashen shroud of death claimed the life of
infamy. Rejecting such decadence and embracing
Marie Laveau I, her daughter Marie II took on her
Catholicism, calling in convicts waiting on death row,
mother’s role. Marie’s ghost still lives in the minds
bringing them her famous gumbo along with guiding
of her faithful worshippers- even today her grave is
words of kindness. Did her gumbo contain strange
visited and marked in chalk with an ‘X’ or knocked
concoctions to numb the pains of death?
upon three times to be granted innermost desires.
Nursing the sick with the sympathy of saintly
Many since have followed in the teachings and
dedication, labours that eased the plagues of sufferance
beliefs of Marie Laveau, passing them down from
against the people of New Orleans, faithful believers
person to person. This is where I finally play as an
that sought her concoctions and conjures, bringing
ingredient in this lovely stew of culture and colour.
them a hope they saw in no other. Reminisced for
For the past four years I have been undergoing a
her Voodoo rituals on the banks of Bayou St. John
substantial transformation from black magick, the
where significant numbers. Multitudes of people- all
Occult, Witchcraft (Strega x Balkan) to that of Creole/
classes and races attended the sensual rituals at the
Cajun ‘Conjure’ Hoodoo and Louisiana Vodou,
“Wishing Spot”. Sanguineous benedictions stained
Tsalagi/Cherokee Medicine. Each of my previous
the waters of the bayou, of sacrifice...decapitated
ways seen as stepping stones, building blocks to
roosters consumed, reverberation of drums rumbling,
develop, materialize and establish the stalwart
flames and shadows writhing with the silhouette of
foundation where I stand today; of clay and stone.
Magus Opus - Winter - 32 - http://www.occultliving.com
Hoodoo/Vodou has given me a greater understanding
the living, the ghosts and spirits of Louisiana for
of a deeper spirituality far beyond that what I could
countless of years. Despite her preference to work
possibly ever have imagined. It has enriched my life
the mysteries of virtue, never take mistake that, idle
and the lives of my clients beyond that which I have
comforts always make the fool comfortable and
ever seen or participated in. So with further adieu, I
Annie is no exception – as proficient as she may heal,
am blessed to introduce my inflouences and mentors,
twice as quickly she may curse. There have been two
Black Water Annie (taught from the lines of Marie
documented accounts that justice was granted in two
Laveau herself) & the Chief Medicine Woman of the
separate cases involving two children, a molester and
Tsalagi Red Nation, ShaunaSay WhiteFeather Tate.
a murderer most foul. The innocents are very precious
Below is a little information on the women who have
to her, for they are our very existence,
touched my life bringing past the waters, a spiritual
Annie is strongly voiced, though she does not sit in
awakening; rebirth and a new life.
the seat of the highest judge, only that she helps out when she has the Lords permission. Throughout the
The Legend & Mentor, Black Water Annie
Louisiana she has been identified as a Queen of her
was born from the Louisianan quagmire, purest
kind, referred strictly as a “Holy Woman”. To call her
Cajun from blood to flesh- from earthy primordial poignancy. Created, twisted hence forged from the fragments of deepest gloom, clay of the damp, every diminutive grain of sang, By murky bayou, the waters still and mirrored as the heavens above, breathed life into by the Creator of us all through the mouth of the Swamp King, the gator. Myths of medicine, healing the bedridden...those ill-fated souls cursed therefore doomed to poor health; she aided in the cure. Her tale is one of goodness, when good alone adorned the mires, rendering curse to one of health; good deed by good deed and never a sinful intent. Her age is
by her true
unknown, only the texture of skin makes way to
name... let it be whispered among the Native Bayou
thoughts of near century old, her eyes still speak of
in the truest of belief... a name powerful by itself and
youth. Only a chosen few under her wing have the
if spoken harshly or wrongly bad happenings be
means to guess unknown numbers, if they so chose
wrought. It is advisable to keep such meanderings to
to gamble, but they know she has walked amongst
the elucidation of pure intentions and only to those
Magus Opus - Winter - 33 - http://www.occultliving.com
who speak it justifiably. When given the privilege and
From the age of 13, she was then sent out among all
honour of learning the way of swamp medicine, you
Nations as a representative of the Cherokee people,
do nothing without asking permission first. Permission
spending several years among the Pow Wow circuit
was granted to give mention of Annie’s name, spoken
to become the leader of her people. The WhiteFeather
on reverence, peace and love for she is ready to make
family, over generations has served the Cherokee
her last journey in this life, to return to the swamp in
people as Head Spiritual Advisories to the Chiefs and
which she came from in peace and in perfect spirits.
Head Council, including all people of the Nation; and
Her mentioning is to pay respect, complete her last
being the peoples’ Prophets and Legend Keepers.
working of the medicine, to nourish, heal and renew
ShaunaSay continues in this tradition, by serving
life in the circle of life eternal. Still very alive, in
as Head Medicine/Spiritual Medicine Leader of the
spirit, heart and mind, wielding her strong medicine
Cherokee Red Nation plus Vice-Chief and has served
against the sicknesses of body and spirit, against evil
for the past 15 years in this capacity successfully not
known in this world and the black hoodoo; her
to mention granted the exclusive honour and privilege
teachings will continue on through the chosen few
to sit on the World Council of Elders of all Nations
that is her earnest prayer. Not that she be remembered
for the past five years. Her religion and practice is
as such, only the continuance of good medicine when
one of faith and traditions.
and where needed. Our people, and this is not limited to just the Cherokee
The Spiritual Beloved Sister & Teacher,
but also hoodoo as a whole do not give out documents
(nee
or degrees as the European and other societies do,
Franklin); born September 13, 1956 in Pensacola
people recognize us by our service to them, and deeds
Florida. Taught by the Cherokee Elders in both
spread by word of mouth. This is where we gain our
Female and Male medicine of the people by Elder
respects and our clients without tickets of degrees
Charles WalkingStick, who was the Tsalagi’s valued
of advancements; it is within our deeds that give us
and respected Holy Man. Even after his passing she
all the rewards we could ever covet. It is a personal
continued with pure dedication in North Carolina,
journey which I have nothing but pride for, vehement
including and earning the right to become a water
passion to strive for. By no means do I claim myself
pourer for the sacred sweat lodge and a pipe carrier.
as an expert or an initiated priestess- it is in my blood
This brought in her other bloodline of Ogallala
and spirit, my pure determination and the fact my
Sioux into her practices, according to the BIA and
way is that of pure intention in accordance to my
Governmental standards of Blood Quantum; she is
ancestral spirits. With 20+ years experience in many
three-fourth Cherokee and one- quarter Ogallala.
fields of the Occult, I can apply this knowledge to the
Kathleen
ShaunaSay
WhiteFeather
Magus Opus - Winter - 34 - http://www.occultliving.com
very beliefs I have in hoodoo & Vodou to this present day with clear truthful principles and scruples. As
Related Web-sites:
practitioners it is extremely important to have the
Suga ‘n’Spice, Dirt ‘n’Dice: http://mamzellecimetiere.
strongest of ethics, a sense of liability that cannot be
blogspot.com/ or http://primalcraft.blogspot.com/
questioned by inner doubts- it isn’t just about what is
Website of the Red Nation: http://rednation.org/
‘light’, ‘dark’ or the shades betwixt, it is about being
Voices of the Red Winds: http://www.snowwowl.
true to yourself, how we harvest and perceive our own
com/vwintro.html
darkness & light- our precise objective and using this to benefit our self and ultimately all who are involved.
Other Reading Material:
Remember with power comes responsibility and it is
Hoodoo Herb & Root Magic: A Materia Magica of
one we shall all bare be it a blessing or a burden.
African-American Conjure by Catherine Yronwode Sticks, Stones, Roots & Bones: Hoodoo, Mojo &
Between these two worlds lies a vast sea,
Conjuring with Herbs by Stephanie Rose Bird
an ocean of fluid that spirits traverse in
Rootwork: Using the Folk Magick of Black America
their move between the two domains.
for Love, Money and Success by Tayannah Lee
‘Power strength and honour-respect in love eternal’ +++
McQuillar Jambalaya: The Natural Woman’s Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals by Luisah Teish
Australia’s ‘Conjure-woman’ Amber~Rose also
Secrets of Voodoo by Milo Rigaud
known as Ararita Nyx Rose & Mam’Zelle Cimetiere, has written for other magazines including ‘A Spirit
To contact Amber Rose please e-mail:
Guide to Spellcraft’ is an experienced Hoodoo conjure
admin@occultliving.com
woman, with experience in the fields of gris-gris,
q
with the subject line Contact Amber
readings, herbalism, folk-lore, Tsalagi Medicine, rootworking & conjure. Should you have any enquires about Louisiana Vodou, hoodoo workings, online readings, conjures or would like a specific working done for you, please contact her via Occult Living. All question replies will be answered in the next issue of Opus Magus. Blessings to all, may gracious spirits always walk with you, in times of light, shadow and darkness.
Magus Opus - Winter - 35 - http://www.occultliving.com
Hermes the Elusive God
Magus Opus - Winter - 36 - http://www.occultliving.com
H
ermes has been known by many names and epithets, one of which is patron of all wizards.
There is something very elusive about this god; he can never be tied down to one description for his attributes are many and his transformations numerous. He is a god who has truly grown through the centuries and continues to bless his followers with wisdom and knowledge. Coming from what could be called a humble background, Logios – orator or speech maker, Hermes Diaktoros – Hermes earned himself a place in the messenger, Hermes Enagonios – lord of contests. The Olympian pantheon and later became the Romans identified him with their god Mercury, whose source point of an esoteric pathway to attributes include communication and commerce. enlightenment.
Hermes was a very ancient god of Arcadia, just as Pan
All of the ancient gods and goddesses of Greece have
was. According to Greek mythology Hermes is the
gone through transformations, from before recorded
youngest of the Olympian gods. He was believed to be
history to modern days. The ancient Greeks adapted
the father of the demigod Pan. (By no means was Pan
their Olympic gods and goddesses from regional
his only son). Hermes and Pan were both very ancient
Greece before Crete was a thriving city. Then when
gods before they were assimilated into the Greek
the Romans came into power their gods were easily
pantheon. Hermes was an ancient divinity of nature
assimilated into the Roman pantheon. But none have
and was worshiped as a god of fertility by the sheep
been through so much transformation as Hermes, the
herders. The sacrifices offered to him consisted of
Herald of the gods. For, although many other talents
incense, honey, cakes, pigs, and especially lambs and
and inventions are attributed to him; the true nature
young goats. Ancient Mycenaean inscriptions bearing
of Hermes is one of wisdom. Because of his dynamic
the name “Hermes lamb-bearer” have been found, and
qualities, Hermes had a great many epithets bestowed
his image was a bearded man with a sizable phallus.
on him, some of which came from the Homeric
The Greeks depicted Hermes as an athletic young man
Hymns to Hermes, some from the Odyssey and the
with winged boots or sandals and a winged cap. “He
Iliad, and others from ancient sources and practices.
bore in his hand a rod entwined with two serpents,
These include Hermes Kriophoros – lamb bearer,
called the caduceus.” (T. Bulfinch, 1964) The winged
Hermes Argeiphonte – Slayer of Argus, Hermes
cap represented his speed of thought and his boots
Magus Opus - Winter - 37 - http://www.occultliving.com
was reason enough for the satyrs to call Apollo. Apollo came soon after and demanded that Hermes give him back his cattle. Hermes’ mother protested, saying, “How could it have been him, he is only three days old”. But Apollo was determined to have the culprit punished so he carried Hermes in his arms back to Olympus, to the throne of Zeus. It was there that Hermes finally admitted that he was the thief, and agreed to hand back the herd. But there were only 18 because he had sacrificed two of them. Apollo was not happy with this and during his protests to Zeus Hermes started to play his lyre. Apollo was intrigued by this invention and agreed to let the issue go if Hermes gave him the lyre, so Hermes gave him the lyre and Apollo was appeased. In other stories Hermes, as an older god, made the lyre and gave it the challenge and started to look in hidden places. A couple of the satyrs went to Arcadia and heard a strange sound coming from a cave; it was the first music ever to be played and the instrument was a lyre. They found that it was Hermes and that the instrument was made with cow guts and a turtle’s shell. There were also two cow skins being dried outside the cave. This
to Apollo in exchange for the caduceus.
Hermes is also said to have invented the syrinx and after sharing his inventions with Apollo, he and the god became good friends. Apollo presented his young friend with his own golden shepherd's staff in return
Magus Opus - Winter - 39 - http://www.occultliving.com
gave him speed to deliver messages from Olympus
in Golden Dawn rituals and ceremonies.
to earth. As for the caduceus wand, it has significant
Hermes was believed to have been born in a cave on
symbology of its own.
Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. The story of his first day of life depicts him as filled with nous and mischievous
You may have noticed the symbol of the caduceus
behaviour; he outsmarted Apollo and invented music.
wand on ambulances,
Hermes’ father was
the front of hospitals
Zeus,
and on medications.
gods, and his mother
The
is
a nymph named Maia.
used in this way to
In other stories she is
symbolise medicine.
a Pleiade, daughter
Even
the
of the Titan Atlas. On
caduceus is used in
his first day Hermes
these ways, it is not a
travelled
symbol of healing. It
over Greece to steel
is however a symbol
Apollo’s cattle. On the
associated
with
way he found a turtle,
Alchemy, for Hermes
killed it and gutted it
is believed to have
to keep the shell. To
caduceus
though
king
of
half
the
way
brought alchemy to the world. He is also thought to
hide his tracks, the young Hermes made shoes out of
have brought medicine to the world; hence there is
bark and put them on the cows’ hooves backwards so
justification for using the caduceus as a symbol for
as to confuse the wrathful god. He drove the cattle
medicine. The caduceus is one of the most important
back to Arcadia and made a sacrifice of two of them
hermetic symbols, and has deep significance to do with
to the Olympian gods to gain their favour and display
the tree of life. It began to be associated with medicine
his reverence. Hermes hid the rest of the cows so that
around the 6th century; however it was confused with
Apollo would not find him. Apollo was very angry
another staff called the Asclepius, which was named
when he realised there were no cattle in his paddock.
after another character in Greek mythology; a healer.
The strange thing was there were footsteps leading
His staff was a rough, knotty tree limb with a single
into it and not out. Apollo got into his sun chariot and
serpent entwining it. This symbol is also used for
took off to search the world for his cattle but he could
medical associations in Canada and New Zealand.
not find them anywhere. In the end Apollo offered
Hermes’ caduceus is a much more powerful tool used
a reward for his lost herd and some satyrs took up
Magus Opus - Winter - 40 - http://www.occultliving.com
for the syrinx, but Hermes said the staff wasn’t enough
the desired object. Hence the tongues of sacrificial
and asked Apollo for the art of augury as well, for he
animals were offered to him.
was already good at bargaining. Apollo was reluctant to give up his oracle to Hermes so he taught him the art
Being named the herald of the Gods could have been
of prophesying by means of pebbles in water. Hermes
what gave him another of his epithets “Enagonios,
not only practised this technique,
he
also
invented the game of knucklebones and a technique of telling the future from the bones. Zeus was pleased with his little son and made him his own herald — the first negotiator and smoothed-tongued diplomat in the world. As the herald of the gods, Hermes Logios is the god of skill in the use of speech and of eloquence in general, for the heralds are the public speakers in the assemblies and on other occasions. One of the most famous statues of Hermes is of Hermes Logios, standing with his arm out looking as though he is giving a speech and carrying a traveller’s cloak. As an adroit speaker, he was especially employed as messenger when eloquence was required to attain
lord of contests” this is because a herald can also be someone who oversees tournaments.
Around the 4th or 5th century B.C.E. Hermes changed from being depicted as an older, bearded
Magus Opus - Winter - 41 - http://www.occultliving.com
God to an athletic youth. He became the patron of all
squared stone pillars with a carved head on top to
the gymnastic games of the Greeks. Athens seems to
represent Hermes as a boundary marker, which would
have been the first place in which he was worshipped
suggest that Hermes embodied the spirit of “crossing
in this capacity.
over.” He was seen to be manifest in any kind of interchange, transfer, transgressions, transcendence,
However the stories of Hermes
transition, transit or traversal, all of
always come back to his being a
which involve some form of crossing
god endowed with shrewdness and
over to another place or state of being.
sagacity. This could be why he is
There is mythological evidence that
credited with the invention of the
the stones were attributed to Hermes.
alphabet,
astronomy,
“When Hermes killed the many-eyed
music, the art of fighting, gymnastics,
monster Argus, he was brought to trial
the cultivation of the olive tree,
by the gods. They voted for Hermes'
measures, weights and many other
innocence, each casting a vote by
things. In the 3rd century BCE to the
throwing a small stone at his feet so
1st century C.E. these things were
that a heap of stones grew up around
also attributed to him: medicine,
him.” (S.Hoeller 1996)
chemistry, law, astrology, debate,
It is important to mention what the
magick, philosophy, mathematics,
effect of the ascent of the Roman
the Gregorian calendar, anatomy
Empire to power was on Hermes. When
and oratory (speech-making).
the Roman Empire expanded over the
One of Hermes’most significant roles
Mediterranean, a number of the state
was
religions lost their hold on many of
numbers,
Psychopompos,
"conductor
of the soul". In many Greek myths Hermes was
the people. This was facilitated by the political unity
depicted as the only god besides Hades, Persephone,
imposed by the Roman Empire. Hermes underwent
Hecate, and Thanatos who could enter and leave the
another transformation and rose to a new level of
Underworld without hindrance. Hermes is a boundary
worship as a result of finding his analogue in Egypt
crosser. It is possible that the name Hermes originated
as Thoth, the god of wisdom. From this time onward
from herma or hermaion which was an upright stone
the name "Hermes" came to denote neither Thoth nor
surrounded by small stones, found in Crete and other
Hermes as they were, but a new archetypal figure,
regions of Greece, erected to signal a boundary
Hermes Trismegistus, who combined the features of
or monument. This was before the Hellenes used
both.
Magus Opus - Winter - 42 - http://www.occultliving.com
Around the early part of the 1st century A.C. the that which is below and that which is below is like Egyptians had already established their secret that which is above”. communities devoted to Isis, Osiris or Hermes. This is when the re-established Hermes underwent There are no other Greek gods that are as baffling, yet another modification, this time from the Jewish confusing and complex as Hermes; he is wise and tradition. There were many Jewish people in Egypt intelligent and a keeper of the mysteries. As for his role at this time, many of whom were oriented toward in Greek mythology, he appeared to be an errand boy Hellenistic thought. The Jews’ influence on the for Zeus but he far surpassed that reputation. Hermes is Hermetic writings seemed to change them from the truly a god of transformation; his humble origins as teachings of a god to Jewish prophetic literature.
a pile of stones in Crete served as the beginnings of one of the greatest gods and teachers of occult science
Some of the deepest secrets in Alchemy became ever to grace humanity with his presence — a truly attributed to Hermes. Hermes Trismegistus (“thrice amazing character from mythology and to some the greatest”) is a combined god form representing the most exalted teacher ever to have lived. teacher of the hidden secrets of the true nature of the self and god. He has been referred to as the archetypal magician. Hermes Trismegistus was considered the greatest of all kings, philosophers and priests. He was combined with the Egyptian God Thoth for they were both deities of wisdom, magick and communication. The third manifestation was Enoch, “2nd messenger of God ”, a Hebrew Patriarch, father of Methuselah. Hermes Trismegistus is said to have written the Corpus Hermeticum. The Corpus Hermeticum, thought to have been written between the3rd century B.C.E. and the 1st century C.E., was partially destroyed in the great fire when the library of Alexandria was burnt down. Bits of it were salvaged and re-assembled, and were translated into Latin from Greek by Italian scholars, notably by Marsilio Ficino during the Italian Renaissance. The most well-known quote from the Corpus Hermeticum is “That which is above is like
.waywardharper.com
Nadia Turner The Art of Palmistry, Wayward Creation www.waywardharper.com
A Few Interesting Facts About Palmistry
I
know that palmistry has been discussed many times in women’s magazines and on morning shows, but as you know, most of the writers for our magazine are witches and as a witch one knows certain things that other people just Magus Opus - Winter - 44 - http://www.occultliving.com
W
hile researching this article, I decided
teacher to student from a time before the written word.
to look up some articles on palmistry
Most historians believe that the science of palmistry
from other newspapers and magazines
originated in India, because a few mystical characters
just to see what they had written on the subject. I
from Indian mythology are said to have practised it.
must say that some of the things I found were a bit
Some people believe it has prehistoric origins. As for
misinformed. Sentences such as, “Hand analysis has
the latter, I am not sure that there was a connection
nothing to do with magic, and although astrology
between divination and the hand in prehistoric
and palmistry are related, a hand reader’s approach is
times; there is no evidence to suggest this except for
much different.” (Torbay Herald Express) and, “The
primitive art representing the hand. Although this is
sole purpose of palm reading is to foretell the future”
significant for the general importance and symbolism
(one of the thousands of websites about palmistry).
of the hand, it is not evidence of divinatory skill.
I also found an overwhelming number of articles on
The history of palmistry is lost in the mists of time
how to read your palm and they all make
but much about the hand can be found
it sound so easy, for example, ‘How to
by looking into other mystical and
read palms in just seven easy steps’. It
social associations, esoteric practices
is not easy to read someone’s palm and
and superstitions in every country,
I imagine that many experienced palm
for the hand is a significant symbol
readers would find the implication that
in all cultures. These include using
it is rather insulting. I do not wish to
the hand as a protective symbol,
discourage anyone from wanting to
using a certain hand position during
have a go at any divinatory art, but to
meditation, using the hand as a map
discredit palm reading as not being a mystical practice,
of the body, relating certain sections of the hand
or misinforming people of its uses or history, is just
to personality traits and also using the hand as a
not right.
metaphor in various ways. There is also the question
Palmistry (or chiromancy) has a long and mysterious
of natural selection or genetics in finding meaning in
history. I am not going to claim that I know all about
the hand (as outlined below). So it is difficult to find
the art of palmistry, but what has prompted me to
the most ancient information on chiromancy. In fact
write this article is the desire to learn more about the
finding any evidence of divining through looking at
history of this elusive art. As I researched more about
the lines on a hand is extremely difficult; there are
palmistry, I discovered that there are very few written
only unsubstantiated claims that important figures in
references in ancient history about this divination
history practiced this art, for example Alexander the
technique. It is an art that has been passed down from
Great and Julius Caesar.
Magus Opus - Winter - 45 - http://www.occultliving.com
Nadia Turner Mrs Tchoron, Wayward Creations http://www.waywardharper.com
authors of ancient times: there was such a need, as there still is, for them to authenticate their art and prove it to be as valid as the other esoteric arts such as astrology and alchemy. Unfortunately, for us as well as the rest of the world, most history from the beginning of
Christianity
to
the
Renaissance, and even after, involves the Church in some way, so you will just have to bear with me, as my research led me to the Church and its prejudices. This makes it completely
understandable
why palm readers wanted to There have been claims that information on the laws and practice of hand reading have been found in the Old Testament of the Bible and in ancient Roman and Greek writings, but as I researched further into the European written history of chiromancy I found that there was actually not much written history at all before the 16th century. Most of the documents which were claimed to have been written by well known occultist from ancient history actually date from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries. Most of these were accredited to Aristotle and one even to King Solomon. But it is understandable that early chiromancers wanted to associate their art with magical and authoritative
find references to their art in the Bible. Part of the argument is that it makes sense that there should be reference to palmistry in the Old Testament because the divinatory arts were highly respected in those days. At least a quarter of the Old Testament is a compilation of writings from the prophets, and many famous Biblical characters were renowned for their divinatory and astrological skills. On the other hand, there are numerous passages in the Old Testament condemning specific divination techniques, the most relevant being Deuteronomy 18:10-11 ‘There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through
Magus Opus - Winter - 46 - http://www.occultliving.com
the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of
referring to literal hands but only to proverbial ones.
times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or
It has been stated that Job 37: 7 is perhaps the most
a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a
significant of the three, but I fail to see why because it
necromancer.’ Still there is no reference to divination
provides no more conclusive evidence than the others
using the lines on a hand. This makes me question
as to whether the ancient Israelites had knowledge of
whether it actually was a common practice in Israel at
palmistry or not. Job 37 is about how the power of
that time; perhaps not.
God is manifested in nature and how nature is but a
The following excerpts are believed to be referencing
manifestation of the power of God. The implication
palmistry:
of this particular passage in verse 7 is therefore that
Exodus 13:9 'And it shall be to you as a sign on your
the power of God is also manifest in man and that
hand…'
this is particularly reflected in the hands. Hands are
Proverbs 3:16 'Long life is in her right hand and in her
very important to the power of man: without hands
left riches and honour.'
man would not have dominion over other animals and
Job 37:7 'He seals up the hands of every man that all
the earth. This is more important to the symbology
men might know his work'
of hands than most people realize; the evolution of
This argument is flawed because so many Bible
the opposable thumb is what made us so intelligent,
passages are taken out of context. Exodus 13:9
because we could make tools and build things. It
'And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand...' is obviously cut off mid-passage. The rest of it is, ‘and as a memorial between your eyes so that the Torah of YHWH may be in your mouth because with a strong hand YHWH brought you out of Egypt.’ ‘A sign upon your hand’ in this context is talking about practising the Torah, ‘and as a memorial between your eyes’ (i.e. ‘you will remember it’) ‘may be in your mouth’ (i.e. ‘you will speak of it,’ or in other words teach it). So Exodus 13 is pretty clearly not referring to palmistry.
could be the reflection of the power of God in the
Proverbs 3:16 'Long life is in her right hand and in her
hands that this passage is talking about, or it could
left riches and honour' is not referring to a woman, it is
mean that He stops men working so they can see the
referring to wisdom; so in wisdom’s right hand is long
work of God. Either way this argument for Biblical
life and in wisdom’s left hand is riches and honour. So
allusion to palmistry is weak.
in whichever way you choose to interpret this, it is not
This information then led me to want to know more
Magus Opus - Winter - 47 - http://www.occultliving.com
about the actual practice of chiromancy in Europe. It
there were orders of Knights decommissioned by the
is thought that the occult sciences were introduced to
Church because they were becoming too powerful
Europe around the middle of the thirteenth century,
and too well-versed in the occult sciences.
alchemy was introduced from Arabic culture as
With the increasing importance put on the belief in
was astrology and it is likely that chiromancy was
science, and the consequent need for everything to be
introduced at the same time. This of course excludes
scientifically validated, the occult sciences — which
any secret societies or schools that were still
can be considered far more advanced than the widely
functioning through the dark ages, for even though
accepted scientific theories of today — are discredited
Papal power was trying to be omnipotent like God,
and dismissed by the majority of the Western
Magus Opus - Winter - 48 - http://www.occultliving.com
population.
good at handiwork
What I find interesting
and well disposed
about chiromancy is
for playing harp
how much it has to do
or organ. Such a
with genetics. Perhaps
woman also has a
your hand can tell you
wide womb in the
so much about who you
anterior part and
are because it is actually
very narrow near
revealing a lot about your
the matrix. If man or
ancestry. They say that
woman has a small
chiromancy is a pseudo
table in the hand
science, yet it may
and large fingers, he or she will die of an apostume,
have more to do with
and she will have a wide womb near the matrix but
science than mysticism.
narrow at the mouth of the womb. And such women
This
is
an
are
from
a
chiromantic
prostitution because
treatise written in the
of the width near
15th century by the
the matrix. Those
esteemed
whose hands are
scientific
extract
astrologer
Regiomontanus:
disposed
to
neither too large
A large hand sometimes nor too small are comes from labour as in more normal. the case of a carpenter, A man with small sometimes from nature. When it is because of large hands is womanly bones and muscles, its owner is strong and robust but and
deceptive,
not of a lively intellect. If it is large from fleshiness, its vindictive and unstable. He may love profusely but it owner is luxurious and naturally an excessive drinker. soon turns to hate and such a one is never to be trusted. If one has big hands and fingers sharp at their ends, In the case of man or woman, the hatred is as vehement he is lustful and false. If the fingers are broad, he is as a serpent. But women naturally have small hands, faithful and writes well. If a woman, she has a deep unless from work. If their hands are excessively small, womb and much seeks a man. If man or woman has a their wombs are narrow at both ends and they do not broad table in the hand and thin fingers, such a one is seek a man unless one much beloved, and women of
Magus Opus - Winter - 49 - http://www.occultliving.com
this sort are very agile and ingenious and easily angered and lustful very difficult as a sparrow. Those whose fingers do not match or to
have come together do not agree in their words and deeds.
i n t e r c o u r s e When a line near the joint of the thumb is like a net with. One with composed of many lines and openings, its owner will small
hands never enjoy his riches. (British Museum: Ms Add
is weak and 15236) Extract from the original Latin manuscript timid in either as translated by Lynn Thorndike and reproduced in sex. A true Speculum v40 (1965). experiment is You may disagree but I think this excerpt is basically that a woman about how cellular memory affects the shape of your with greenish hands can quickly conceive but never hand. If you have big hands it is likely that your delivers the foetus alive. One with coarse hands is family descended from workers and therefore used naturally luke-warm and dull. If such is a woman, their hands more than their brain. Those genetics parum appetit coitum sed multum potest coire. Such show in the hands. Therefore if you have big hands persons never agree well from lack of choler and you are likely to be a worker not a thinker. That is blood.
just a simple example but there are more complicated
Those without a mass of flesh between thumb and ones in this excerpt. forefinger, below the thumb and in the palm, are Even though there isn’t a lot of evidence to prove naturally leprous; but members of religious orders do where chiromancy originated, it is a common belief not have such bunches of flesh because of their vigils that it originated in India and gradually spread over and slight use of their hands. One with thin hands is the globe. It is an oral tradition and because it goes back so far in every culture there are different ways of reading the palm within those cultures. There is no doubt that chiromancy is a commendable practice even though it has been associated with con-artists and gypsies, which has led to it not having a very good reputation. Chiromancy is often referred to as a pseudo science. I think that term is quite insulting. It is an esoteric science that has lasted through the centuries and will continue to be practised for many centuries to come.
Remedies from History Making Precious Green Pomade from the Elixirs of Nostradamus
F
irst I would like to talk a bit to 1950’s. Nostradamus however did not about what a pomade is and intend for this pomade to be used in hair. what it is used for. Pomades
This is to be used like a scented soap or face cream.
now days are usually associated with
The name pomade in French means ointment itself
hair products, like a scented wax or
coming from the Latin word pomum meaning “fruit,
greasy gel to style hair. Hair pomade
apple”. The original pomade contained apple as does
became very popular during the 1920’s
Nostradamus’s pomade in this recipe.
Magus Opus - Winter - 52 - http://www.occultliving.com
quantity, so that it weighs about a crown, and then add Take about four pounds of lard from a pig which has
a drachm and a half of grey amber. Pulverize both, add
been slaughtered just the previous day and is very
rose-water, drain it off into a pot, let it boil a bit and
fresh, and place it in a large earthenware pot, together
then strain everything, while still warm, though a fine,
with as much rose-water as is necessary. Kneed it
clean cloth into some small glass dishes, each holding
through with clean hands and mix it well together for
three or four ounces, or into a large pot, for it will
an hour. Next take twelve of the best-smelling apples
stay warm and much firmer if you do this. And if you
that you have or can obtain, chop then up into small
want it to turn completely red, then take three or four
pieces without peeling them and likewise chop up the
roots of the true alkanet, boil then up with what is left
skin or peel of four bitter oranges, two limes and half a
over from the whitening process and then it will turn
lemon, if you are able to find them. Put these chopped-
a beautiful scarlet and will be suitable for members of
up pieces into a marble mortar and crush everything
the fairer sex who have a pale complexion, and will
together as will as you can. When everything is well
be very useful for them. The sediment, however, may
and truly pounded and thoroughly mixed, add ten
be used as an exquisite and very desirable soap for,
ounces of the pulverized roots of Florentine violets,
apart from the desirable and exquisite scent which it
two ounces of well-crushed cloves, two and a half
gives off, it makes rough hands smooth and soft, if
ounces of the aromatic gum of storax calamita and
they are rubbed with it frequently.
an ounce of sweet flag. Pound everything as finely as possible, adding rose-water if there is not enough in
If, however, you desire to make your pomade something
the mixture, and put it into an earthenware pot which
special, excellent and perfect, better than ever before,
is well glazed. Let it dissolve over embers or a low fire
then, during the season when roses are growing and in
and cover it with an earthenware dish, but take care
bloom, take about 300 or 400 white ones, crush them
that it does not break or crack. If very small cracks
with the pomade in a marble mortar and, when you
do appear, it will not do any serious damage, so stir it
have done so, leave the mixture to stand for a day or
thoroughly with a wooden spatula until you are certain
two. At the end of this period take a similar quantity
that it has completely dissolved. Test it frequently in
of white roses, crush them once more, as you have
the following manner: put a drop on your hand and
been instructed, and when you have done this, put the
smell it and see whether it has been made properly,
whole into a pewter vessel, which is perfectly clean
for it does not require a lot of boiling. When, however,
and closes properly. The lid must be carefully sealed
you feel it is time to remove it from the fire, take about
with leaven. Now fill a cauldron with water and bring
a scruple of musk, though if you want to make the
it to the boil and then place the pewter vessel in the
pomade really excellent, add a further drachm to that
middle of the cauldron. The water in the vessel will
Magus Opus - Winter - 53 - http://www.occultliving.com
boil without air or steam, because of the heat. When
described attributes, the pomade has many others
it has been boiled in this fashion for about two or
for adorning the complexion and keeping it healthy,
three hours, take the vessel out of the cauldron, open
spotless, completely flawless and perfect, but you
it and strain the contents through a clean cloth into a
should not, however, use it continuously it tends to
glass container. You will then be well and truly able
make the face browner rather than whiter, on account
to say that you have the most precious pomade in the
of the fat. For to tell the truth, nothing fatty, be it a
world. For indeed no other can compare with it either
lotion or what you will, is suitable for beautifying the
in scent, potency or effect. It possesses, however,
complexion. It is nevertheless true that it will keep
another hidden virtue, which may clearly be seen
the face looking healthy and spotless, even in winter.
among those who, against their will, are impotent in
If, however, a member of the fairer sex who is old and
the work of love, for it so fills the married couple with
wrinkled uses it to preserve her complexion, she will
desire and lust for each other, strengthens and warms
appear fully rejuvenated. If, however, she is young,
the womb, indeed it joins them together in such a way
she will appear so from her natural and innate beauty
that they hardly need to use it more than once or twice
and from her colour. Indeed, if a member of the fairer
before the woman conceives. However, when you use
sex takes a little of this pomade when she comes out
it, you must add two or three drops of an oil which I
of the water or her bathroom, lies in her bed, perspires
will describe after this. I should, of course, excluded
and applies it to her face, she will change from ugly
nuns and asked them not to pass on the information to
Hecuba into as exceedingly beautiful Polyrena.
anyone for whom it is unseemly. Nevertheless, I must
Finally, if this pomade has been prepared correctly, it
point out something which has long remained a secret.
will not go musty, however old it may be. If it were
Therefore I say that if a member of the male sex is too
old. You could mix up two drachms of this pomade
week and denied the strength to acquire heirs, let him
and half of a third of a drachm each of musk and grey
take a little of this pomade, mix three or four drops of
amber, but it is not advisable to do that, though if you
proper benzoin oil with it and anoint the place which
where to do it, it is
cannot be named without offending good taste, then he
not
will acquire an unusual lust and desire and will make
mixed like that.
inefficacious
the womb, which has been cleansed beforehand, as is fitting, capable of conceiving. Similarly, if anyone has spots or ulcers on his face or any other part of his body, if he fist adds a little of the other sublimate to this pomade, it will get rid of them, without any harm or ill-effect on the person. Apart from the above-
Sweet Flag
the corners of the globe Luxury goods were
L
et me introduce to flowing into the British Empire, fuelling the you dear readers of imagination of the masses with coca, sugar, Occult Living to the coffee, silks and spices and of course the Over-privileged and depraved, these things fuelled the imaginations of those members of the 18th century in charge. This was a time when the newly hellfire club. The membership ambitious merchant, could by all reasons consisted of aristocrats and grow in social standing very fast, and it was their “fans”, and wielded through deals of silk and spice that the English extraordinary power not only Universe expanded and the banks saw credits in its native lands of Europe but like they couldn’t believe. At the centre of this new world was London, the also in the America’s. streets were filled with gangs of exceedingly
The 1760s was a time for the social animal, poor and sometimes aggressively violent men. for the ambitious to seek power and to more In this time the well to do gentleman could often than not, gain it. The British Empire was satisfy any vice that they had at the attractive, at the height of its power, and no other country fashionable clubs and casinos, or at the could really compete with its huge prosperity. Houses of St James or the Convent Gardens, With the colonies all now established and most where attractive prostitutes worked, such as of them peaceful, all except for the American the famed prostitute Frances Murray. Rebels. The monarchy’s main concern now It was at this time that sex became a true was keeping the money rolling in. From all commodity in the new London, it was Magus Opus - Winter - 58 - http://www.occultliving.com
commercialized in a way that has never been and the next that we really hear about him is in seen before, anything a man wanted done to Rome. Once there, Dashwood caused a huge him, or whatever he want to do to someone commotion when he ran wild in the Sistine else, could be provided for a price. The legal Chapel, after dressing himself in a Long Black age of consent was only 12 and at this time Robe which he accessorized with a whip, he many of the tourists were surprised about ran into the Chapel, flailing the parishioners how many of London’s Citizens were street which caused said parishioners to then flee walkers.
screaming “Il diavlo! Il diavlo!” meaning
One of the men at the centre of the new “The Devil, The Devil”, Dashwood continued world was the Baron Sir Francis Dashwood. this reign of lunacy all over the city, in taverns, Dashwood
at
a
the
bars and the like until
young age of 16 lost his
finally he spotted two
father and inherited a
cats, when began a
huge fortune and as was
powerful
customary at this time, he
vision, if it wasn’t for
began his Grand Tour Of
Colonel Fane rescuing
Europe,
accompanying
Dashwood, the gods
him was his long suffering
only know what would
tutor Colonel Fane.
have happened.
Of
demonic
course Dashwood at this
It was after this that
age was a young man
the Baron turned to the
of imagination and a
Catholic Faith and he
very social character. In
began plans that on his
Florence on his Grand
return to England he
Tour it is said that he became a Freemason, would build a massive Catholic Cathedral in as he was very friendly with a high ranking the centre of London. His conversion to the Mason, Frolich whom he not only stayed Catholic faith had made him the laughing stock with for an extended period of time, they also of fine society in England, however this did not stayed friends long after Dashwood’s return stop him deciding to set up the first of his clubs. to London.
Even though Dashwood’s reputation had been
Somewhere along Dashwood’s Amazing ruined in most social circles he managed to European Adventure things started to go wrong set up a club with seventy odd members. The Magus Opus - Winter - 59 - http://www.occultliving.com
Dilettanti Society, which consisted of having dress, with the men expected to wear colourful dinner in fancy dress, met at the Bedford Head robes and carry upon their person a dagger. Tavern in Convent Garden one Sunday out of It was around the 1740’s that a group of the month, but to qualify for membership you Dashwood’s Divan Club members began to must have visited Italy.
aspire to increase the exploits of the Club and
It was after this that Dashwood once again it was after a heavy night of drinking that it journeyed this time finding himself in Russia, was decided amongst the men of the group and also in love with Catherine, the wife of to change its focus from the recalling of old the Tsar Peter. Catherine was a Queen that travel tales to one of adultery, sex, drink and was known for her
all other manor of
affairs and adulterous
perversion.
activity,
it
was
The club moved
rumoured
in
fact,
premises at this time
that Peter had one of
to the Vulture inn,
her lovers beheaded
who in anybody’s
and
language
his
head
would
presevered and kept
not be considered
in his and Catherine’s
a private place to
Bedroom. Dashwood
meet, as it was
did however succeed
then and still is
in
sleeping
with
now a very popular
the
Queen
after
venue.
Masquerading
as
was provided to
King
the
the club though as
Charles
XII.
Privacy
they simply met in
After completing his tours in and around the the cellars. It was now that Dashwood saw Ottoman Empire Dashwood came back to what he needed to do with his fortune and London and set up another club, The Divan after abandoning the idea to build a Catholic Club. Once again a travel dinner club, this Cathedral sometime ago, the idea for a new time with people that had adventured out into Cathedral came about, Dashwood went and the Ottoman Empire and hence “The Orient”, rented the old Cistercian abbey, a dilapidated this club once again involved the use of fancy Elizabethan house that resided near HenleyMagus Opus - Winter - 60 - http://www.occultliving.com
on-Thames.
The moment Dashwood was the pattern of a naked lady, placed where her
presented with the key’s he began to call on two nipples would sit, stood two fountains, Architect’s, artisans and all other manner of which would be often filled with milk, skilled craftsman and set about making his especially when guests arrived. It is reported improvements.
that Dashwood was notorious for taking
John Wilkes M.P. member for Aylesbury, members of the Clergy up to the roof to view was intimately involved in Dashwood’s the artwork. Also in the gardens was a statue Club, he had this to say about the building of the Roman God Priapus, the god of sexual of Dashwood’s Cathedral, “I was full of and intoxicated revelry, he was somewhat astonishment that any man should take so akin with Bacchus. many pains and do so a great expense, only to At the foot of The show a public contempt of all virtue.”
Priapus
statue
And so began the Hellfire Club, at the was an engraved completion of Dashwood’s Cathedral the motto, “Peni tento, interior of the old Elizabethan House had non penitenti” – A been transformed with Italian frescos, a room tense penis, not dubbed “The Chapter Room” which included penitence. pieces of Art, mainly portraits of Nuns, Kings The abbey became and Monks, a library that boasted some of the quite
notorious
most unusual collections in Britain with topics for
tourism
on the occult, erotica and satirical novels.
operators, who in
Over the archway of the abbey was the Motto, the summer would “Fay ce que voudras” or do as thou will which come
across
would later form a large part of Crowley’s an abbey filled work, at the end of the hall was another motto, with
Demonic
“Aude, hospes, contemnere opes”, which is Nuns
and
“Dare, O guest, To despise wealth.”
Priests
The gardens however expressed Dashwood’s in
involved pungency,
true eccentricity. The gardens were arranged eroticism
and
so that they simply looked like average heavy
drinking.
shrubbery and bushes, however when viewed The
members
from the roof, you could see that they were in of the club were Magus Opus - Winter - 61 - http://www.occultliving.com
In 1740 Dashwood began the construction of the Hell-Fire caves, a series of tunnels that extended under a facade of a church a short distance from his home. After entering the caves you walk down a gentle slope and then after turning left the tunnel narrows.
As you walk down the
narrowed tunnel you will see the Roman numerals for 22, XXII, which possibly may have been at one stage there to denote a Secret Passage. The other interesting thing at the end of this passage is a statue of a steward sitting checking his roster. After that the next passage is called the Franklin’s Cave after Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin
Franklin
spent
huge
amounts of time with Dashwood, as tensions between America and England resulted in Franklin spending almost a decade in England, where the two became friends. Dashwood was fiercely loyal to George the also involved in Dashwood’s strange mix Third at the time and agreed whole heartedly of Masonry and English Eleusinian rituals. with his stance on the “Rebellious Colonies”, Perhaps as some have described it, a meeting however it is widely known that during would have been akin to a certain scene from this time Dashwood softened as he enjoyed Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut”, as Franklin’s company immensely, as is evident Dashwood’s members were all masked and in Franklin’s Letter to Dashwood about the identities remained secret as best as possible.
caves, which stated, “His lordships imagery ,
Magus Opus - Winter - 62 - http://www.occultliving.com
puzzling and whimsical, as it may seem, is as Hellfire caves was the Inner Temple. This much below the Earth as it is above”.
room sits exactly 300ft directly down from
After exiting Franklin’s tunnel, you continue the fake Church that Dashwood built on the on through the tunnel system, drifting past hilltop. It is assumed that the inner rights some more sculptures of some creepy children of the Hellfire club went on down here, the and some stone skulls. After this you enter cave of the inner sanctum is filled with a Dark into probably the most impressive of section and Malevolent Ambiance, The surviving of Dashwood’s cave system, the Banqueting members of the Dashwood family, that still Hall. This impressive room is about 40ft in retain Dashwood’s Original residence, West diameter with four indentations in the walls Wycombe Park, state that “Costumed Revels that at one time would have been the home where held down there; The maze (Caves) for certain statues. After this you enter a represents something Mythical or even part of triangular shaped room that was thought to the Human Anatomy.” You can still Visit the represent a womans sexuality. At this point caves to this day. They are somewhat of a you would have been in the inner sanctum of Tourist Attraction now, for more information the Hellfire club and it is more than likely that visit http://www.hellfirecaves.co.uk. no one but fully fledged members would have The Hellfire club prospered until the late seen this point or beyond it.
1770s when the members of the club began
You exit this room through one of the points to age and die.
When one of the prime
of the triangle and you continue down a long members, Paul Whitehead, a commoner who shaft, after this are two small tunnels that you held the positions of Secretary and treasurer simply walk through, however the tunnels of the club died, after destroying most of the appear as though they could go on for some secret documents about the Hell Fire Club, miles in the opposite direction. The first is Dashwood held an elaborate funeral for him the Miner’s tunnel and the next is the River with Soldiers, A Choir and a Cannon. After Styx. These “Tunnel Rooms” have imitation the funeral, Whitehead’s Heart was taken to stalactites and were named after one of mausoleum on the top of a hill that overlooked the three rivers of hell that are discussed in the estate and the Abbey. Dashwood joined Ancient Greek Mythologies, this River was his friend in 1781, his heart was taken to the the one that Chiron rowed the Soul’s of the same Mausoleum, which signalled the end dead across and into the underworld.
(possibly?) of the Hell Fire Club.
The final cave and pinnacle of Dashwood’s Magus Opus - Winter - 63 - http://www.occultliving.com
Winter
Magus Opus - Winter - 64 - http://www.occultliving.com
F
ather Frost is certainly nipping at our heels now, and the winter and the dark, cold months await us. Winter is one of those times in the year where even though death seems to have taken hold of the landscape, there are still such beautiful pieces of life and magick to be found. The Japanese refer to this time as a Fusoki-shugi time, when you admire the aesthetic of what has been left out, it is experiencing the beauty of incompleteness. Winter brings us closer together, and wants us to come back to hearth and home and truly live in the sublime comfort of a warm room, with cosy socks and mittens.
Magus Opus - Winter - 65 - http://www.occultliving.com
would observe the Bear disappear every Winter encompasses the festivals of Yule and winter, only to be reborn in the spring.) The Imbolc and even though Yule was renamed water in ponds, lakes and dams often freeze into Christmas, what we should remember at this time and the sounds of nature become is that it is a pagan festival and we should muted and the land lays asleep waiting for claim it for our own. Yule is a wonderful time the warmth of spring. Bare trees stretch out where you can bring your “Tribe” together to with their great gangly arms and although have a beautiful celebration, in the wintery all seems lost and dead, there is a change cold months and cheer yourselves through and metamorphism going on deep within the togetherness, merry making and gift giving. earth, a deep earth Magick, that’s true power Imbolc is the festival that is at the end of will only be realized in the spring. winter and is the celebration of life beginning to return to the earth, it again is a time for Winter is a time for meditation; it is a time to celebrating and merry making, so even in ponder the thought that the act of this death these cold months ahead, we shouldn’t worry and renewed creation is an act of Magick. It’s about the dark or the cold, as the festivals at an impossible, jubilant celebratory act and this time of the year would cheer up the most yet it occurs each year; it is a primitive and depressed of Scrooges.
powerful source and if the spring is to come, all the architecture must be perfectly in place
Winter is the time of Death, Prophecy, Mystery, for a new beginning. Imagination and Sensitivity. Winter is when the earth slows and stops.
Astrologically
winter governs the signs of Caner, Leo and Virgo in the Southern Hemisphere and Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces in the North. Winter teaches us to be still after all, in nature many animals hibernate through the winter months, only to be rebirthed in the warmth of spring, and bring their babies and new life with them out of hibernation. (Interestingly in many Native Faiths the Bear is the guardian of Death and Magick. This is because people
Winter in the Garden The winter does not have to be a time where you don’t want to go into your garden. Here in the rainforest, it is the only time that there isn’t so much rain that crops get washed out, so for us it is a time where our vegetable garden explodes with food. Winter Vegetable crops are easy to grow and there is certainly no reason not to try. It makes a wonderful Yule when you bring in lots of fresh produce
Magus M agus Opus - Winter - 66 - http://www.occultliving.com
from your garden. Try growing some Spinach, wonderful task for the winter gardener. Silver beet, snow peas, broccoli or many of the other winter crops.
The Festivals Of Winter
The winter is also the time when your garden
Yule
will become a sanctuary for foraging birds; we always try to encourage them to our garden by leaving small amounts of seed in bird feeders. Don’t ever feed too much or too often as you can teach the little birds to become reliant on the seed and they won’t forage for themselves. The smaller mammals will also come into the garden at this time foraging for any bits of food that may be about in the barren time of winter. The garden is an exciting place at this time, d observe the flower beds die back naturally and after they have use them as a mulch for the d soil and in the mean time, these piles of dead
leaves and debris make wonderful homes for (The Winter Solstice) smaller animals in the cold months, in addition it often stops them trying to make a home in Yule is such a wonderful time of year, generally your house. It’s a great time to plant your it doesn’t matter what faith your friends or spring bulbs, keep the compost heap going, family are, no one minds getting together and if you want to germinate some seeds for a wonderful Yule celebration. Here in early, plant them in the compost heap as the the southern hemisphere there are a few that compost will keep producing heat throughout celebrate “Xmas in July” however that is a the winter months and ensure that little plants little after when we celebrate it. The solstice don’t get frozen. This is also a great time is usually the 21st of June in the Southern to replant roses and other plants, digging, Hemisphere and December 21st in the North. fertilizing and putting manure around are also It marks the longest night and at Sunrise the Magus Opus Opus - Winter Winter - 67 - http://www.occultliving.com http://www w.ooccultliving.com
year begins anew and the days will begin to That is why still to this day there are certain grow longer in the waiting anticipation of Christian Groups that do not celebrate Spring.
Christmas; a funny antidote is that when the Puritans first settled in America, due to their
The traditional “Christmas” has so many hate for Paganism, Christmas was made illegal aspects that are steeped in Roman Mithraism, in Boston. The winter Solstice marks the birth Celtic Fertility rites and Nordic divination. of the Sun god and is associated with many Solar
Deities.
Oedipus,
King
Calling in the Troops by Andreea Cernestean http://my.deviantart.com
Arthur, Mithras, Horus,
Jason,
Dionysus
and
Apollo
are
all
associated
with the Winter Solstice. On
this
the
darkest night the Dark
Goddess
gives birth to the
new
Sun
God and he will begin to grow in power. Feel proud of Yule, for it is still the most major celebrated pagan
festival
worldwide, besides its been with us for even Magus M agus Opus Opus - Winter Winter - 668 8 - hhttp://www.occultliving.com ttp://www.occultliving.com
longer than the Christians, it was only decided also provide a wonderful home for any Nature in 320 C.E. by the Catholic Church Rome that Spirits that may need a home in the coldest, it would be held on that day in hopes to adopt darkest part of winter. the Celtic celebrations and the Roman Mithraic celebrations to receive more converts. It wasn’t This is so much wonderful medieval folklore until the middle ages though that “Christmas” about Yuletide, such as the animals will all was a firm holiday, well not just one, as in this kneel down on the holy night, a windy solstice time the “Twelve Days Of Christmas” were brings good luck, a child born on this day will established and people partied for the twelve see the little folk and a cricket on your hearth days and then this opened the way for the will bring you luck. Decorate your Altars at Twelfth Night Celebrations.
this time with Holly and Ivy, place a wreath at your front door and most importantly get a
There are wonderful pagan traditions that go fantastic Yule log or Solstice tree, we like to along with Yule, such as the Yule Log, The have both, it’s just wonderful. Solstice Tree, Carolling and of course kissing under the mistletoe. Yule is also a wonderful time for divination. The Yule log though is the Star of the show really; traditionally it is made from Ash and burnt for twelve hours for luck. We always like to burn candles on ours,
Imbolc
as it looks so beautiful and you can decorate (August the 2nd in the Southern Hemisphere, the log and its display table really making it February 2nd in the Northern Hemisphere) the true Star that it is. The Solstice tree which is the evolved form of the Yule log can be Imbolc is the festival of light; it is the traced all the way back to Egypt. Yule is the celebration of woman and the sacredness traditional time for feasting and merry making that is contained within them. This night is and there are many reports from ancient celebrated with fire in every form, and huge sources of large amounts of Food and Mead bonfires fires, candle ceremonies and outdoor at Yuletide gatherings. It is also a great idea to braziers should be everywhere to be seen have mistletoe, holly and Ivy around for the around your house on this night.
This is
season, as not only are they sacred plants with the night where we recognize that spring is great healing and magickal qualities, you will coming, the joy of the creation of life again. Magus M agus Opus Opus - Winter Wintter - 669 9 - hhttp://www.occultliving.com ttp://www.occultliving.ccom
Imbolc is really the beginning of spring, by this Bride is called that on her wedding day is in time generally the first buds of spring begin to honour of this great goddess, as she bestows appear and if you are really lucky you may special patronage on all women about to be be starting to see the flowers from the blubs married. As she was such a popular goddess, that you will have planted at the beginning of the Catholic Church failed demonizing her and winter. Imbolc means in the belly, and in the therefore she was canonized. It was said that belly of the earth mother, amazing things are St Brigit was a Catholic Missionary sent to beginning to happen.
Ireland and the miracles that were preformed were done so through the power of Jesus, if
To Celtic peoples this is also called Brigit’s Day you can believe it. in honour of the Great Irish Goddess, as she was the goddess of Fire, smith craft, midwifery Imbolc is a time when you can also predict the and the arts. Interestingly the reason that a weather for the next year and an old saying Magus Opus - Winter - 70 - http://www.occultliving.com
goes, “If Candlemas be bright and clear then We like to make this the most romantic and they’ll be two winters in this year.” In modern sensual of holidays, this is the day to celebrate times Candlemas can be considered the pagan femineity in all its forms, baths are particularly Valentine’s day, this is due to the fact that recommended. the origin of Valentine’s Day is in Ancient Rome. Imbolc was the time of the Festival Lupercalia, where the priest of Pan would run throughout the streets smacking the women with goat skin thongs, making them fertile, the women seemed to enjoy this attention and
The Moons Of Autumn
often stripped naked to become better targets. As one of woman’s most powerful forces is Reed love flowers, hearts and candles are all the perfect symbols for this holiday.
(First Full Moon In May (SH)\ November (NH))
This is also the most fortuitous time to make candles, traditionally this was the time that
The Moon Of Hearth And Home
candles were made by a coven for the whole year of magickal work. It a wonderful idea This moon comes when we start to think for Imbolc to have a candle making party and of home, when we start to make it more get everyone to make beautiful candles that comfortable for the winter. It is the Reed moon they can take home with them. In the British as Reed was traditionally used for fuel and for Isles many people still light candles and have thatching in ancient times and it has become them in every window of the house, they keep the symbol for home in magick. This is the them burning from Sundown Candlemas eve greatest time to work any spells that involve through to Sunrise the next morning.
your home; possibly you want a new one, to protect it or even to attract more abundance
Imbolc is a wonderful celebration of women into it. If you have never honoured the house and love and what a wonderful time to spirits such as the Domovik or perhaps you decorate your house with as many candles as would like to attract a brownie, now is also you possibly can. Nothing looks nicer than the time. Start simply by leaving some fresh an Altar filled with candles and red roses. bread, honey, butter or milk out near the stove Magus M agus Opus Opus - Winter Winter - 771 1 - hhttp://www.occultliving.com ttp://www.ooccultliviing.com
to get them interested and then possibly you Elder could build them a small spirit house or such like. There is not a more prosperous time (First Full Moon In June (SH)\ December to set up any new altars that you may want. (NH)) Don’t forget this moon marks the time to start working on your prepared winter projects; it’s a great time to start a new hobby or to get to work on those home projects that you may have been putting off. Colours: White Scents: Basil, Jasmine, Lemon Balm, Pine, Tuberose Number: 12
The Moon of Completion The Elder tree has long had an association with worlds of magick, Elder will keep bad spirits away from your home, however if you burn it they will be invited in. Elder also has an association with death. The elder tree is a tree of much magick, the Elder Mother who is the dryad that lives in the tree is a powerful Sorceress herself and the tree produces a wonderful range of medicinal products that are useful for those suffering a cold or flu. This moon is the moon of completion; it is time to thank the gods for your year and to give back to the world of Spirit. This is the thirteenth moon in the Moon Calender and therefore is the final one of a yearly cycle. Take your time through this moon to thank the Gods and spirits for all they have provided you. Colour: Gold Scents: Orange, Neroli, Bergamot, Citrus, Rose and Pine. Number: 13
Birch
The Moon Of Beginnings (First Full Moon in July (SH) \ January (NH) ) The birch tree is known as the “Lady of the Woods” and is the earliest of the trees to put out its fresh buds each new season, the birch is the symbol of fertility and new beginnings and brings wonderful luck when planted near the home. Traditionally a besom or witches broom is made from the birch tree. This is the time to launch yourself into a new life through the arts of magick. This time’s energy is all about newness, it is a time to perhaps change jobs or your personal outlook on life. Perhaps you haven’t been all that dedicated to your magickal practice, this is the perfect time to reaffirm what you believe and recast any vows that you feel need to be renewed. This is a time of purification and protection for the coming year and also children are important on this Moon Particularly. Colour: Red Scents: Rose, Amber, Jasmine, Lime Number: 1
P Winter Solstice Menu P
Entree
Pumpkin soup with yoghurt or sour cream
Main
Roasted goose with baked apples and sage
Dessert
Traditional X-mass pudding F Candlemass Menu F
Entree Warm squash, mâche and hazelnut salad
Main
Crying lamb with seasoned tomato and potatoes
Dessert
Self saucing chocolate pudding
Pumpkin Soup Serves 6 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes
½ Jap or Kent pumpkin 2 sweet potatoes 1 large onion ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger 450 ml natural yoghurt ½ teaspoon pepper ½ teaspoon Salt or to taste Fresh parsley and mint to garnish
Chop pumpkin into large chunks, removing the skin and seeds. Peel onion and chop into quarters and the sweet potatoes into slices. Put the pumpkin, sweet potato and onion into a large pot and fill with cold water until the vegetables are just submerged, add salt and boil for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add ginger and boil for another 5 minutes.
Blend with a hand held blender or put into a food processer.
Add nutmeg and salt to taste. If the
consistency is too thick add ½ cup of water or milk. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt or sour cream and garnish with fresh mint and parsley.
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Roast Goose with Baked and breadcrumbs. Melt 50g/2oz butter and stir into Apples Sage and onion the mixture. Season well and allow to cool. Stuffing 3. Next prepare the goose. Pull out the fat from 2.
inside the goose cavity and set aside. Prick the skin all
Serves 8 Preparation time: 45 minutes plus cooling and cooking times: approx. 3 hours 1.5 minutes
Spoon the cooled stuffing into the neck cavity
of the goose. Any left over stuffing can be baked alongside the goose in a buttered dish for the last 30
4 tbsp freshly chopped sage or 1 tbsp dried
minutes of cooking time. Skewer the neck skin to the
175g/6oz fresh white breadcrumbs
back of the bird and calculate the cooking time at 15
75g/3oz butter
minutes per 450g/1lb plus an extra 15 minutes.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 - 5kg/9 – 11lb oven-ready goose, giblets removed no-need-to-soak
dried
apricots
finely
chopped 25g/1oz walnuts, chopped 1 tsp ground cinnamon 8 small cooking apples Fresh sage to garnish 25g/1oz Raisins
5.
Place the goose on a wire rack above a roasting
tin. Cover the goose with the reserved goose fat, and then cover with foil. Bake in the oven for the required time, basting frequently. Remove the oil for the last 30 minutes to allow the goose to brown.
6.
For the baked apples, peel and finely chop the
remaining onion, melt the remaining butter and gently
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6
1.
over with a fork and then rub with salt.
4.
5 medium onions
50g/2oz
Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the sage
First make the stuffing. Peel and roughly chop
4 of the onions, place in a saucepan and pour over 600ml/1 pt water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes until very soft. Then drain well and blend in a food processor until smooth or push through a sieve into a bowl to form a puree.
fry the onion for 5 minutes or until soft. Remove from the heat and stir in the apricots, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon and seasoning.
7.
Core the apples and score the skin around the
middle of each. Press the fruity filling into each apple, and place in a baking dish. Place in the oven to cook for the last 30 minutes of roasting time.
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8.
Once the goose is cooked, drain and place on a warm serving platter. Allow to stand for 15 minutes.
Arrange the baked apples around the goose, and garnish with fresh sage. Serve with redcurrant jelly.
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Traditional X-mass pudding
4 organic large free-range eggs, lightly beaten 100ml Armagnac 550ml whole milk Butter to grease To serve Small ladleful of brandy Stir all the pudding ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until evenly combined; the mixture should feel quite wet. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave to stand in a cool place overnight. The following day pack the mixture into two lightly greased 1 litre pudding basins. Cover
Makes 2 puddings Each serves 6
the surface with a disk of baking paper, then cover each basin with a double layer of backing paper and secure under the rim with string.
360g suet, grated
Place a trivet in each of two large saucepans
170g plain flour
(or cook the puddings one at a time). Stand
180g fresh white breadcrumbs
the basins(s) on the trivet(s). Pour in enough
150g candied peel
boiling water to come two-thirds of the way
350g seedless raisins
up the side of the basin and put the lid on.
350g currents
Bring to the boil over a high heat, then lower
200g sultanas
the heat slightly and cook for 6 hours, topping
170g dark muscovado sugar
up the pan with boiling water as necessary. Lift
Grated zest of 1 lemon
out the pudding basin and leave the pudding
Grated zest of 1 orange
to cool to room temperature. Re-cover with
½ nutmeg grated
clean baking paper and a layer of foil and place
½ tsp salt
in the fridge or store in a cool, dry cupboard
½ tsp ground cinnamon
until needed.
Juice of ½ lemon
On Yule morning, boil the pudding (as above)
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for 1 ½ -2 hours. Warm the brandy just before serving. Turn out the pudding onto a warm plate, pour in the warm brandy and set alight. Bring the flaming pudding to the table. Serve brandy butter alongside, and perhaps a jug of thick pouring cream for those who prefer it. Enjoy!
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Warm squash, mâche a tea towel and place in a bowl. Pour on the and hazelnut salad dressing and toss gently.
Carefully wash the mâche, gently pat dry with
Toss some of the salad leaves into a shallow Serves 6
serving dish and arrange the roasted squash
1 button squash
in top. Scatter over the rest of the leaves and
40ml olive oil
finish with a sprinkle of chopped toasted
1 dried chilli
hazelnuts.
2 handfuls of mâche (lamb’s lettuce) 30g hazelnuts, roasted and roughly chopped Hazelnut vinaigrette ½ tbsp Dijon mustard 1 ½ tbsp good-quality red wine vinegar Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 5 tbsp hazelnut oil Preheat the oven to 200 C/Gas 6. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds, then slice each half into 4-6 wedges, leaving on the thin skin. Place in a bowl and drizzle over the olive oil, crumble over the chilli and season with salt. Toss together well then place in a roasting tin. Cover the tin with foil then place in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, then remove the cover and roast for a further 25 minutes or until the squash is tender but not falling apart. Meanwhile, for the hazelnut dressing, whisk the mustard and wine vinegar together in a bowl with a little salt and plenty of black pepper. Slowly pour in the hazelnut oil, whisking as you do so. Set aside. Magus Opus - Winter - 80 - http://www.occultliving.com
Crying Lamb
Place the lamb on the rack, cover with foil and carefully place on the middle shelf of your oven. Roast for 30 minutes.
Serves 6 1 leg of lamb, about 2kg Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 1.5kg firm-textured, fairly waxy potatoes, such as Desiree or Roseval 700g ripe tomatoes, such as San Marzano Small bunch of marjoram or oregano, leaves only 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 1 dried chilly, crumbled 40ml olive oil
Turn the oven settings down to 190 C/Gas 5. Remove the foil and roast for a further 1 hour, by which time the lamb should be cooked through and soft but still just slightly pink, while the potatoes will be soft and golden in colour. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 15 minutes. Lift the lamb onto a warm serving platter and surround with the potatoes and tomatoes. Carve the meat at the tables.
Small handful of good quality black olives Preheat the over to 220 c/Gas 7. Trim the lamb of most of its surface fat, leaving a thin covering – to baste the joint during cooking. Season well all over with salt and pepper. Wash the potatoes and pat dry, but don’t peel them. Slice into 3mm thick round and place in a large bowl. Slice the tomatoes into fairly think rounds and add them to the potatoes. Scatter over the marjoram or oregano, garlic and dried chilli. Season with salt and pour over the olive oil. Toss together well using your hands. Tip the seasoned potatoes and tomatoes into a large roasting tray and spread them out evenly. Scatter over the olives. Set a robust wire rack (large enough to take the lamb) on top. Magus Opus - Winter - 81 - http://www.occultliving.com
Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding Serves 6 Prepare Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes 1 Cup Self Raising flour ½ cup of milk 4 tablespoons cocoa Pinch of salt ½ cup raw sugar 2 tablespoons butter ½ cup brown sugar Preheat oven to 170°C. Mix flour, raw sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons of cocoa in mixing bowl. Melt the butter and milk in a saucepan and pour over dry ingredients. Mix well and place in well-greased dish. Mix together brown sugar and the other 2 tablespoons of cocoa. Sprinkle over batter. Add 1 ½ cups of boiling water. Cook in oven for 30 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
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Ginger Bread House
A
ginger bread house is the delight guests both young and old alike. perfect thing for a winter The gingerbread house became popular festival or celebration. in Germany after the Brothers Grimm
It looks most impressive, even though it published their fariy tale “Hansel and is surprisingly easy to make, and it will Gretel” in the 19th century. Magus Opus - Winter - 85 - http://www.occultliving.com
5-6 packets white chocolate buttons Rarely is something so enchanting so edible. This
2 nougat sweets
gingerbread house is set in a winter wonderland
Several pink and white marshmallows
of creamy white chocolate, melt-in the mouth
2 small Milky Bars
marshmallows, nougat, icicles of frosting, and drifts
Pink, green and brown smarties
of white sugar and it is guaranteed to bring out the
Icing sugar for dusting
‘Hansel and Gretel’ in you and all your friends.
Greaseproof paper piping bag
The base of the house is traditional gingerbread, made from luscious ingredients like treacle and
To make the gingerbread
brown sugar. The gingerbread is cut to size before it
Cream together butter and sugar. Add treacle, egg,
is baked, then iced into position on top of a slab cake.
flour, baking powder and spices and mix to a soft
The decoration is done last and can be as lavish as
dough. Chill for 30 minutes. Place egg whites in a
you like – experiment with your favourite sweets.
bowl. Gradually beat in icing sugar until peaking. Cover surface with cling film to prevent a crust
You will need
forming, until ready to use.
6oz (175g) butter, softened 6oz (175g) soft dark brown sugar 3oz (75g) black treacle 2 eggs 12oz (350g) plain flour ½ teaspoon (2.5ml) baking powder 1tbsp (15ml) ground ginger 2tbsp (10ml) ground mixed spice
For the Decorations 2 egg whites 1lb (450g) icing sugar 11in (28cm) round cake board 2 ginger slab cakes 8oz (225g) packet ready-to-roll icing
1 Roll out some of the dough on a floured surface
Pink food colouring
and cut two 7 x 4½in
Marshmallow logs
(18 x 11cm) rectangles for roof. Cut two 6½ x
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3½in (16.5 x 9cm) rectangles for sides. Cut out two
to darken around the edges. Leave on baking sheet for
windows on each side. Transfer pieces to a greased
10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool.
baking sheet.
3 Spread a little icing on to cake board. Sandwich
2 Cut two shapes 3½in (9cm) on sides and base slab cakes with icing and place on board. Dot icing and 3in (7.5cm) on sloping roof edges. Transfer to
gently around side sections of house and press gently
greased baking sheet and bake all pieces at 190°C
into position.
suet
4 Dot icing around each end section and place in
(300°F; Gas 5) for about 20 minutes, until they begin
position. Dot more icing around edges of roof sections
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and remainder over sides. Hold in place for a minute
small door. Dampen above steps and secure door in
or two until roof feels secure.
place. Roll thin strips of pink icing and secure inside windows for panes.
5 Use a palette knife to spread icing over the cake board, piling it up around the house to resemble swept
7 Cut marshmallows and press into icing for path. Cut Milky Bars into rectangles. Dot back of rectangles
snow.
6 Cut nougat into small pieces for steps and with icing and secure either side of windows and position at end of house. Colour a little ready-to-
door.
roll icing with pink food colouring, and use to shape
8
Cut a block of icing from ready-to-roll icing
for chimney. Cut off one corner to give sloping edge and secure to roof with icing. Position piece of marshmallow log on top of chimney.
9
Thinly cover roof sections with icing and
cover with chocolate buttons, starting at lower edge and working to top. Finish with row of overlapping buttons along top of roof.
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11 Pipe icing to base of cake at corners to resemble
10 Place remaining icing in a greaseproof piping
snow-covered shrubs. Cut smarties into small pieces
bag and snip off end (or fit with a large writing
and press into icing
nozzle). Use to pipe ‘icicles’ under roof sections by piping a blob of icing then gently pulling bag away. Pipe snow on shutter sills and over door.
12 Place a little icing sugar in a sieve and dust over top of roof to finish. Keep gingerbread house in a cool, dry place for up to one week before eating.
Warm Spicy Drinks
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T
he value of spices for medicinal purposes
to any recipe.
and in coking has been appreciated in
The basis of most of these drinks is alcohol and all
Western countries for centuries, thanks
of these recipes can be whipped up in a matter of
to the early explorers who bright these fragrant delights
minutes.
back home by the shipload. Spices are unrivalled for
Present the drinks with style for festive occasions and
the way they add interesting flavours and pungency to
when entertaining. Stemmed glasses or decorative
both sweet and savoury foods, and they can also add a
glass cups with metal holders are a wise choice , as the
certain mystique to familiar drinks.
warmed drinks will be hot to hold. Simple garnishes
The key spice used in all these recipes is cinnamon,
like lemon twists, apple or mint will add a finishing
not in its powdered form, but the curled sticks which
touch.
Glühwein A popular winter warmer, this drink is made from red wine enlivened with oranges, spices and sweetened with sugar. Don’t use expensive wine here, cheaper varieties will taste just fine. In addition to cinnamon and cloves the other spices needed are mace and fresh nutmegs. Mace and nutmeg come from the same plant. The nutmeg is the kernel of the fruit and the mace blades form around the shell. If you have trouble finding fresh nutmeg, substitute the ground spice.
You will need Four cups of red wine remind us of the source of the spice, the bark of the
An orange
cinnamon tree. Cinnamon has a delicate, sweet and
8 whole cloves
very distinctive flavour.
3 cinnamon sticks
The other useful ingredient to keep in your kitchen
3 blades of mace
is whole cloves. These are the dried unopened flower
Freshly grated nutmeg
bulbs of the clove plant. But a word of warning, this
2 oz (50g) granulated sugar
spice is very strong and it should be added with care
Slices of orange and cinnamon sticks to decorate
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and by floating rose petals on the top. Make sherbet
1 Stud the orange with the cloves. Put it into a as an alternative to the warmed spiced drinks as it is saucepan with 1 ¼ cups of water, cinnamon sticks,
best served chilled.
nutmeg to taste and mace. You will need
2 Heat gently, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring to the For 6 – 8 servings boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add
250g (8oz) granulated sugar
wine and heat gently for a few minutes.
2 cinnamon sticks A teaspoon cloves
3 Strain and serve warm in heatproof glasses. 8 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed Decorate the side of the glass with orange and float a
A teaspoon rose water
thin slice of orange in the top and add the cinnamon
3 strips of lemon peel
stick.
1-2 drops of red food colouring Curls of lemon peel and rose petals to decorate
Sherbet
1 Put 1 ¾ cups of water into a saucepan. Add sugar, Rose water is the theme of this non-alcoholic drink that
cinnamon, cloves and cardamom pods and strips of
older children will enjoy. It is spiced with cinnamon,
lemon peel. Heat gently to dissolve sugar.
cloves and introduces cardamom. Cardamom has an aromatic flavour. The drink can be given extra visual
2 Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer
appeal by the addition of a few drops of food colouring
gently for 20-30 minutes until mixture is thickened and syrupy.
3 Remove from heat. Stir in rose water and colouring. Strain and leave to cool, then dilute with iced-cold water. Serve in glasses, decorate with curls of lemon and rose petals.
Spiced ginger drinks Ever popular lemon and honey dinks are given a new twist, with the addition of ginger wine and some fresh ginger. Drop an edible flower or herb into the
drink to add to the natural goodness of the drink.
2tbsp caster sugar ½ pint (150ml) clear apple juice Juice of one lemon
You will need For 4-6 serves 2tbsp clear honey
1 Put cloves and 1 ¾ pts (1 litre) of water in a
Juice of two lemons
saucepan. Bring to the boil then add the tea leaves.
2.5cm or 1in piece of root ginger, roughly sliced
Infuse the tea for five minutes.
8tbsp ginger wine Pint or 2 cups boiling water
2 Stir in the sugar, apple and lemon juice and heat
Elder flower as a garnish
gently. Strain the tea and pour into heatproof glasses.
1 Put the honey, lemon juice, root ginger and water Hot mulled cider into a pan and boil for three minutes.
The flesh of a cooked apple, butter and brown sugar are added to apple cider to turn it into a fortifying drink.
2 Add the wine and bring just to the boil. Serve in Allspice berries are the unusual spice used for this heatproof glasses and float an elder flower in the
drink. The small dark berries resemble a combination
glass.
of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in flavour. Substitute a dash of powdered mixed spice if the berries are
3 Alternatively serve the drink chilled on crushed unobtainable. ice. You will need Spiced tea
For 8 – 10 servings
Use a combination of lemon and apple juice, plus
Four cups of medium dry cider
some spices for a non-alcoholic pick-me-up drink.
A large cooking apple
The tea is infused with the spices, the juice is added
14 whole cloves
then the mixture is strained so it is ready to drink.
3 cinnamon sticks 6 allspice berries
You will need
¼ tsp of freshly grated nutmeg
For 6-8 servings
1oz (30g) light soft brown sugar
12 cloves
1oz (30g) butter
2 cinnamon sticks
Slices of red apple and sprigs of mint to decorate
2tbsp tea leaves of your choice
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1 Stud the apple with cloves. Slice apple in half and put, cut side down, into a saucepan. Add 2/3 cup of water, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and sugar.
2 cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Strain into a second saucepan. Remove spices and press cooked apple through a sieve into the pan. Add cider and butter and heat through gently.
3 Serve hot in heatproof glasses. Decorate with sliced apple and sprig of mint.
Negus Ruby red port is given extra punch with the addition of tangy lemon juice, nutmeg, cloves and ground cinnamon. Serve this drink while it is still warm, garnish with twists of lemon juice.
You will need For 10-12 servings A bottle of ruby port 1tbsp soft brown sugar 4tbsp lemon juice Finely grated peel of one lemon ¼ tsp of freshly grated nutmeg ¼ tsp ground cinnamon 4 whole cloves 2 ½ cups boiling water Thin strips of lemon peel to
decorate
1 Pour the port into a saucepan and heat it gently. Do not allow to boil.
2 Add sugar, grated lemon peel and juice and spices. Stir well together and leave over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove cloves.
3 Add boiling water and serve hot in heatproof glasses, decorate with strips of lemon peel.
These recipes will be perfect for your Yule celebrations after a feast. The cold weather makes these worm spicy drinks the perfect end to any day.
Making W Candles
hen making scented candles
you
should
choose
the
fragrance to reflect the mood
of the occasion. For example, perfume candles with rose for a romantic evening or freshen a room with a clear, herbal scent. Alternatively, select a perfume that depicts the season like a spicy pine scent for winter. The colour and shape of the candle can also be altered to create a beautiful fragrant candle that is just right for the occasion.
Materials and equipment
Using herbs Whole sprigs of highly scented fresh herbs, such as
Paraffin Wax
rosemary, lavender or lemon thyme, can be steeped
Paraffin wax is white and unscented, it is an excellent
in hot wax and then removed before moulding. The
base for making candles. To help it burn steadily and to
candles will produce a very mild fragrance as they
prevent dripping, it should be mixed with 10 per cent
burn.
stearin (or stearic acid). However, do not add stearin
Dried herbs, such as alecost, bergamot, lemon
to wax when using rubber moulds, as it will rot the
verbena, hyssop or mint, can be crumbled into the
rubber. It is best to use a good proportion of paraffin
melted wax before it is poured into the moulds. The
wax when making candles scented with dried herbs as
burning candles will emit a refreshing scent.
pure beeswax and herbs make too soft a mixture.
Herbs react in different ways in the moulds. Some kinds sink, some stay near the surface and others
Beeswax
become more evenly distributed. To capture the
Beeswax is the oldest form of candle making wax
scent of dried herbs, without producing candles with
and it has its own honey-like scent. This scent blends
a mottled look, remove the crumbled herbs before
well with herbs but care must be taken when using
pouring into the candle mould; this is easily done by
special candle perfumes. Use beeswax alone or mixed
passing the melted wax and herb mixture through a
with paraffin wax. Beeswax is available from craft
fine fabric, such as muslin or stockinette.
suppliers in its natural ochre colour or whitened. Candle perfume, such as special candle maker’s floral oils are made on a special base that enables the scent
Moulds
to be evenly distributed throughout the wax. Mix a
Metal and glass moulds are the best choice for making
few drops of oil into the wax just before pouring it
candles scented with herb sprigs, crumbled dried herbs
into the moulds.
and special candle perfumes. Do not use loose dried
Candle perfumes are available from candle maker’s
herbs in rubber moulds: they will spoil the shape of
shops in a wide variety of fragrances, including
the final cast and small stalks may also puncture the
jasmine, lavender, lilac, mint, musk, pine, rose,
rubber. Use only metal, glass or rubber moulds for
sandalwood and violet. Scents suitable for fruit and
wax scented with candle perfumes, as the perfume
vegetable candles include apple, grape, lemon, pear,
will cause plastic moulds to crack and warp.
pineapple, orange, strawberry, pepper and tomato
Scents
varieties. Do not use ordinary essential oils as they do not mix well with paraffin candle wax.
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Special dye discs Special dye discs containing both colour and perfume, also have an additive which enhances the density look of the candle and helps it to burn longer. Wax soluble dye discs are available from craft shops. Where possible, match the colour to the fragrance for example, use a warm reddish brown for a spicy scent, pale and orange for honeysuckle, or light purple for lavender. Only use small amounts so that the final colour remains translucent. Where beeswax is in
a mixture, bear in mind its natural colouring when choosing a dye disc. A delicate rose pink would be spoilt if mixed with ochre-coloured wax, but brown, deep yellow or orange would blend well. Herbs can colour white wax slightly. Steeping herb sprigs in hot wax or mixing in crumbled dried herbs may produce a pale green colour. If necessary, this can then be enhanced with a small amount of green dye. Alternatively, for a natural, red-orange dye sprinkle chilli powder into the wax.
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Using fresh herb sprigs 1 Prepare the candle moulds before melting the wax. To do this you will need to prepare the wick. Cut your wick so that it is long enough to tie around a pencil or small stick that is to rest on top of the mould and hang straight to the bottom of the mould. To make sure the wick is straight you can dip it in the wax a few times before making the candle. Also grease up the mould with petroleum jelly to make sure the candle doesn’t get stuck.
using fresh herb sprigs.
2 Add the paraffin wax and let it dissolve completely. Then mix in the crumbled dried herbs.
3 When the temperature of the wax reaches 82°C (180°F), carefully pour into the mould. To finish add the wick and leave to completely set. If you wish, polish with cotton wool dipped in vegetable oil.
Using candle perfumes
2 Melt the stearin in a double saucepan with a small amount of colouring dye disc if you are using colour. Add the paraffin wax and/or beeswax and let it dissolve completely.
3 Add the sprigs of fresh herbs and bring the temperature to 82°C (180°F). Keep the wax at this temperature for 45 minutes. Use tongs or a skewer to remove the herbs and then carefully pour the wax into the moulds.
4 Place wick in centre of mould and allow the candle to completely cool.
1 Follow steps 1 and 2 of making scented candles using fresh herb sprigs.
2 Add the paraffin wax and let it dissolve completely. Then gently heat the mixture to a temperature of 82°C (180°F)
3 Mix in a few drops of candle perfume and then carefully pour the wax into the moulds. To finish, follow step 4 of making the fresh herb sprig candles.
Perfumed candles These candles are delicately scented with fragrant rosemary, lemon balm and honey. The instructions
5 Once completely cool gently ease out the candle from the mould. If you wish, give the candles a glossy finish by polishing them with cotton wool dipped in vegetable oil.
Using crumbled dried herbs 1 Follow steps 1 and 2 of making scented candles
here are for beeswax candles, with their lovely ochre colour they need no extra pigment. If you prefer, use white paraffin wax and dye in a mixture of pastel shades.
You will need 8oz (200g) natural coloured beeswax
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4oz (100g) paraffin wax 2 fresh sprigs rosemary 2 fresh sprigs lemon balm 4 drops honey-scented candle perfume Double saucepan Shaped moulds Wick Wicking needle Small sticks to go across the top of the moulds Tongs or a skewer
Decorating your candles for festival occasions Add a special touch to home-made or bought candles by sealing decorative designs of real pressed flowers and foliage into wax. This type of decoration is especially suitable for festival occasions as you can, if you wish, choose the flowers that suit the festival.
Straight-sided, white or plain-coloured candles look the best decorated with pressed flowers and leaves. Keep in mind when burning flower inbeded candles
Method 1 Prepare the moulds by rubbing petroleum jelly inside them
2 Melt the beeswax in a double saucepan and heat to a temperature of 82°C (180°). Add the herb sprigs and keep the wax at the same temperature for approximately 45 minutes.
3 Remove the herb sprigs with tongs or a skewer. 4 Add the honey-scented candle perfume and then pour the wax into the moulds.
5 Use the Wicking needle to sit the wick in the mould.
that the design may catch on fire, so do not leave these candles burning unattended. To prevent this happening use a wider candle that will burn down in the centre leaving the outside design intact; alternatively, arrange the flowers near the base of the candle and don’t let it burn down as far as the design. Candles made in shaped rubber moulds or those made with crumbled herbs are not suitable for decorating.
It is a nice idea to decorate your candle with the same herbs or flowers it is scented with. Before applying the pressed flowers or herbs to the candle, plan the arrangement. Bear in mind the shape and size of the candle when deciding the position of the pressed material. Use the pressed materials singly or grouped together
6 To finish making the candles, follow step four of the fresh herb sprig candles.
to make delicate, posy-like arrangements. For instance, the sides of a square-shaped candle could be decorated with either one large flower, such as a pansy, or a small arrangement of mixed flowers. When using tall, cylindrical candles, it is better to twist sprigs of
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pressed herbs up and around the sides. On thinner
Pressed flowers, sprigs of herbs or pressed leaves of
candles arrange smaller leaves in a spiral pattern.
your choice A special dipping can or similar tall, narrow, metal
The most successful way to decorate ready-made
container
candles is to use a small amount of melted wax to seal
Enough melted wax of the same type as the original
the pressed materials in place. This method insures a
candle to cover the candle when it is immersed
smooth professional finish to the candles.
Tweezers Paint brush
Using melted wax You will need
Method
A tall, straight-sided candle
1 Plan the arrangement of the pressed materials
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before starting.
5 For a smooth finish, hold the candle by the wick and dip it into a pan of molten wax. Hold it there for
2 Put the dipping can into a pan of water and gently 10 seconds and then remove stand it on a flat surface melt wax; heat to a temperature of 180°F (82°C).
so that the base will dry evenly. Repeat the dipping once more in the same way.
3 Using tweezers, pick up the first piece of pressed material; dab a small amount of the wax on to the
6 Leave the candle for at least two hours to dry
back of it with a paint brush. Quickly place the
completely. For a professional-looking, glossy finish,
pressed material on the candle and gently press so it
polish the candle with a soft tissue dipped in a little
stays in place, taking care not to tear delicate petals.
vegetable oil.
Continue in this way until all the flowers and leaves
So there you have it, these candles will make a great
are in place.
centrepiece for your table at Yule or just a nice thing to put on your altar or mantel.
4 After the last piece has been put on, put the candle to one side to allow wax to dry.
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Festival Wreaths
Welcome Yule visitors by handing a festive wreath
flowers are scarce, winter is the time to experiment
to them, made from lush foliage, seasonal fruits
with different materials, as well as traditional ones, to
and nuts, on a front door or in a hallway. As fresh
create an original design.
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S
ince early times, wreaths have been used
Fruit should be firm and healthy, with strong stalks.
as decorations. They are traditionally
Before starting, decide how much fruit is to be
regarded as tokens of renewal, peace
used and experiment with grouping it in different
and friendship, so a special wreath will ensure a special, warm welcome for visitors.
Texture and Colour By experimenting with an assortment of dried materials you can create a variety of textures, adding depth and appeal to a wreath. This may take a little more thought, but the effects can look lush and striking. For example, moss adds a velvety texture, while pine cones, nuts and bark give more of a rustic effect. Use colour to help create a scheme; for example, red and green are traditionally winter colours, while pastel shades look wonderful in summer arrangements.
Scent Consider the appeal of fragrance when making a wreath, so choose materials that will give an appealing scent as well as look attractive. Evergreen leaves,
numbers.
such as pine, give off a musky, herbal aroma. And
Nuts and cones. Use larger varieties of nuts, such
citrus fruits have a tangy sweetness, especially when
as walnuts, since smaller nuts are more difficult to
mixed with the fragrance of star-anise and cinnamon
attach. Fir cones can be wired for a woody effect.
sticks.
Secateurs to trim away any untidy moss or foliage. Stub wires are used to attach the foliage, fruit, nuts
Materials
and cones to the wreath base.
Wire frame to wire your materials to (available from
Green gutta tape to disguise any visible wires.
your local florist or garden centre).
1yd (91cm) of ribbon, made into a lavish bow, adds a
Sphagnum moss provides an ideal base.
professional finishing touch to the wreath.
Foliage is used to cover the moss base. Use spruce,
Spices, such as cinnamon sticks, not only look good
ivy and holly to create a traditional winter wreath.
but add a wonderful, spicy fragrance.
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You will need 18in (46cm) wreath frame Pair of scissors 12in (30cm) stub wires 7in (18cm) stub wires Sphagnum moss Reel of mossing wire Green gutta tape 1yd (91cm) of ribbon Holly, ivy, pruce Firm red and green apples Limes Walnuts Cinnamon sticks
To make your wreath 1. Roll out a handful of damp sphagnum moss to form a fat sausage-shape that just fits around the circumference of the wire frame. Tie one end of the mossing wire to the frame. Keeping the moss tightly packed to an equal thickness all around, wind the wire tightly around the frame at ½in (1.2cm) intervals. Use the scissors to cut off any straggling bits of moss.
2. Prepare the foliage by removing any smaller stems from the main branch. Trim any needles or leaves off the bottom ½in (1.2cm) of each stem. Fan out three of these smaller stems, keeping the stems together. Wind one half of a 12in (30cm) stub wire tightly around all three stems to bind them together.
3. Attach each group of three leaves to the wreath by pushing the other half of the wire vertically through the moss. Tuck the ends into the underside. (This prevents doors or surfaces being scratched when you hang up the wreath.)
4. Using this method, decorate the entire wreath with the bunches of foliage, leaving a 2in (5cm) gap between each set of leaves. Make sure that all the leaves are lying flat and facing the same way.
5. Tread a 12in (30cm) stub wire around the bottom of each fir cone, and twist the two ends together to form a stalk. Push the wire through the moss, bending it under to anchor the cones securely. For walnuts, push a 7in (18cm) stub wire through the base of the shell, and twist the two ends of wire together. (If necessary,
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use a blob of glue to stick one end of the wire to
stick. Disguise the rest of the wire with green tape,
the shell.) Attach to the wreath by pushing the wire
attach to the wreath.
through the base. 7. To make the bow, hold the bow, hold the ribbon of your choice 3 in (7.5cm) from the end, and form a small loop over your thumb. Make four large loops for the bow itself by gethering the ribbon into the middle each time. thread the end of the stub wire through the thumb loop, around the four gathers, and twist the wite around itself. push the wire into the wreath and bend it over on the other side to secure it. (7.5cm) from the end, and form a small loop over your th ojumb. Make four large loops for the bow itself by gathering the Wreaths are traditionally put on your front doors. The circle shape and the use of evergreen leaves represents 6. Prepare the apples and limes by sticking two 12in
strenth. Wreaths are a magickal object that will will
(30cm) stub wires at right angles, horizontally, through
bring protection and cheer to your home. n into the
the base of each fruit. Twist the ends together to form
middle
one stem and attach to the wreath base. If adding
each time. Thread the
end
of a stub w i r e through the
smaller fruit, such as berries, pin them in place using hairpin or fine wire. Tightly wrap one end of a 12in (30cm) stub wire around the end of each cinnamon
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Lucia Part III Magus Opus - Winter - 110 - http://www.occultliving.com
© Jedda Lee Winkworth
The story so far...
W
e have come into the world of Lucia, a young woman thrust upon an uncertain fate by the decision made to leave her homeland and journey to 'The Pinnacle' (a famed, legendary college of the occult). We are told that Lucia was offered the
choice by a man, a stranger named Pelgrin who came to her village, saw magical potential in her, and promised her the chance to live out her dreams of becoming a scholar and a sage. However, when we first meet Lucia, she has realised that the man Pelgrin tricked her into work at a foreign castle, and promptly disappeared, leaving her there, in servitude, to defend for herself. We see that Lucia will not be defeated so easily, for already she has plans to buy her way free from the castle, and continue on her way to the Pinnacle. However, the means for her escape is thieved from her, and so in the pursuit of it she enters the inner world of the Lord's castle. At this point her tale takes a strange turn, for the true, twisted underbelly of the castle is revealed to her. She brings herself to the attention of it's rulers, and a nasty fate is almost the consequence. But, with a mixture of luck and pure adrenalin, she fights her way to freedom, only to be devastated by the surfacing of her magical powers in a truly unexpected way. And at this conclusion, Pelgrin re-appears, claiming to be her guide and ally, and not really that which he has appeared to be. Uncertain yet in imminent danger, Lucia has no choice but to accept his help in order to continue her escape...
In the darkness of the forest, Lucia ran. With her, keeping time, never too far ahead, ran Pelgrin. His was a steady lope, a sort of gait adjusted to covering long distances with minimal fatigue. Hers was a ragged, startling trot, for in the darkness of her mind, Lucia swam in the horror of what she had done. The sucking, wretched sensation stuck to her, and she felt as though splashed with the gatekeeper's blood, stained and tainted with it for all of this life. As they moved through the dark and creaking forest, rogue branches whipped her tear-lined face and outstretched hands, and she cursed softly to herself. They stung and drove the fear Magus Opus - Winter - 111 - http://www.occultliving.com
http://sd-stock.deviantart.com
and guilt deeper and deeper, until Lucia was numb of crying, and of hurting, and could feel nothing but each hot, ragged draw of breath. In time, they began to slow, and she could feel Pelgrin's eyes settling on her from time to time. She avoided his gaze, her own eyes dead and her mouth set into a cold, stubborn line. She still did not know why he had come back for her. She did not know if she cared to find out. In the moments after she killed the gatekeeper, when Pelgrin emerged from the shadows, he had urged her to follow him, to trust him, murmuring to her that he was not her enemy, was not what she thought he was. She had been confused, terrified, and his promise of an explanation had finally lured her from the gate, with him, away from the baying dogs and sounds of pursuit. Now she wondered what he could possibly have to say that would make up for what had happened to her. She doubted it would be worthy. She believed it would be more lies. As a luminous half-moon rose above the blackened tree-line, Pelgrin reached out to steady her. They were coming upon a protected, wooded grove he knew, and it was time for rest, time for some explanation. Lucia snatched herself from his reach, scowling viciously at him through the shadow of her hood. He dropped his hand, a little shocked. He could see that the girl was retreating further and further into some fortress inside, and that would not serve either of them at this time. He had to get her to the Pinnacle. He had waited too long already and she was needed. He was responsible for what had happened to her, and could see full well why she would be angry. But, he reassured himself, if he could reveal just enough of the truth, she might soften, might become pliable enough for him to open the way for their journey to continue. He had not wanted it to be this way. Such an expenditure of magic, with such devastating results, did not often bode well for those discovering their powers. Power used in desperation begot mistrust of it, for often it manifested in an unrelenting, nondiscriminative manner. She had survived, and that was good. But what path she would now take was uncertain. It was awoken, and that could not be undone. She could never walk away Magus Opus - Winter - 112 - http://www.occultliving.com
from it now. He had to make her see it was borne of light, of good, of ancient inheritance. He could not let her believe that she was bad, that what she had done was unforgivable, or he would lose another one to the dark. Pelgrin sighed, his leather booted feet scuffing the dry grass as they came into the clearing. He wasn't sure how to explain his motives. How much should he keep veiled until she was in a more fit state to comprehend it? Then there was the small matter of the nature of his own powers... "Are we just going to go on like this all night?" Lucia said, halting abruptly next to a giant, overhanging tree. The light of the moon dappled them both where they stood, and Pelgrin could see she was puffing a little, her chest rising rhythmically under the cloak. "Sit, please. I'm sorry, but we had to get out of the Lord's territory. We are in the mountains of the Badlands now, Lucia." He reached into his satchel to rummage for some food and water, buying himself time to think. She waited, arms now crossed, not sitting, silent. "You know, I didn't intend for it to be that way, with the guard, with your escape," he looked at her, his face pained, though she couldn't see it. He looked away and took a chug from the water flask. Lucia laughed, a dry, humourless chuckle. "And what way would you have had it, Pelgrin?" She spat his name, and her voice was ice. Pelgrin choked a little on the water, and wiped his mouth quickly, retaliating. "I would have saved you!" "Bullshit!" she countered. "You're nothing but lies! Because you left me there, in that place, when you now obviously could have saved me, and you watched from the trees while I killed a man. What sort of a man does that make you?" At this final comment, Pelgrin let the water bottle drop from his fingers, and as it clinked on the ground, his cloak rippled with a sudden, rushing breeze. It hovered around his form, catching leaves and seeming to shimmer, then whipping the hood off his head with a snap. He reached out and grasped Lucia's hand, pulleding her firmly out of the shadows of the oak tree and into the moonlight with him. She struggled to wrench free of his hold as he came closer, and seemed to grow taller and change before her eyes. She cried out, frightened. "Look at me, Lucia. Look at me now." He peered into her eyes, and she stared, her mouth Magus Opus - Winter - 113 - http://www.occultliving.com
open. She saw that he had changed from a faded, yet still handsome man of 45 years or so, with goatee and black hair, http://fervalosious-stock.deviantart.com/
to a tall, lean man whose hair was a close cropped blonde. His eyes struck her, shining with conviction, holding her, different than before. "I never would have let him hurt you." He held her still, looking at her wondering face, and she believed him in that moment. And yet, she pulled herself free, pacing a few steps away, not knowing what to say. That didn't explain alot, rather provoking more questions. She was still mad as hell. "I'm a shapeshifter, it's part of my magic," he sighed, sitting on a tree stump. "I had to test you, Lucia, only those that have real magic can be allowed to see the secrets of the Pinnacle and its world. Oh sure, some have abilities, impressive mostly, but real magic, well, you can see for yourself that it's quite different." "I see," she said, "but what I don't understand is why you had to put me in danger, abandon me in so evil a place. I mean, what would happen to me if I proved to have no real powers? Would you have left me to that fate? Are you only cold and thoughtless, or are you really just a coward?" Now she was angry again, certain she knew what he would say next. "No, Lucia," he finally seemed to react to her fury, clenching his jaw as he answered her. "I knew you had powers. You never would have been in that situation if I thought you didn't. We just had to find out if you had enough guts and resilience to use it to defend yourself, to free yourself. We had to find out if you're a leader, or just another follower." he stopped himself, his voice raw, knowing he had gone too far. She nodded her head softly to herself, as though this confirmed something she already believed about him, about this whole situation. "No, I..." he tried to backpedal. Magus Opus - Winter - 114 - http://www.occultliving.com
"Oh I think you've made yourself pretty clear already, Pelgrin," she snapped. She turned her back on him, marched over to the other side of the grove, and hunched herself down into the emerged roots of a giant oak. She called out to him as she shifted to turn on her side, pulling the thick cloak about her firmly, tight. "I need rest. This is all too much. Too many lies, too much that's different, and not how I wanted it to be. Tell me when you want to move again." Pelgrin stood uncomfortably, wanting to persist, to tell her more, but knowing she would not listen. He sighed yet again into the night, accepting that he couldn't wait any longer. He would have to ready himself to open their passage to the Pinnacle tonight, while she slept. They were safe now, well out of the territory of the lord. No sizeable search would be mounted until daybreak. And they would have disappeared by then. "I have to scout around a bit. You're safe here, but don't go anywhere else. I'll be back to keep watch, so sleep for a while. We'll be on our way soon." She made no response. In her dreams, Lucia was running. She was weeping for her lost love, who had abandoned her and gone off to war. She searched her village in the dream, calling out to those she had loved. But there was no one there. The homes were all in decay and disrepair. It looked like no one had lived there for many years. She wept, and when she pulled her hands away from her face, they were covered in blood... In the dark light of the now sinking moon, the shapeshifter stood, his arms extended, palms turned up, hands soft. Magus Opus - Winter - 115 - http://www.occultliving.com
http://karezoid.deviantart.com The witching hour was upon them, and as the girl slept, turning restlessly and emitting small cries in her sleep, he readied himself to open the portal. If she was ready, she would pass. If she was not, he stubbornly resolved to will her through anyway. This one was special. It had hurt him in some way, to watch her fear and sadness as he observed her, unseen, in the castle. He had stayed within it, though she didn't know that. It was he who had moved the tapestry, willing her to find a way free in time. There would be plenty of time to explain everything once she experienced the other side. He didn't know her, but he wanted to. He wanted to start afresh, where she belonged, in the Higher realm. Chaos was mounting there, and the blood of true power was becoming diluted. The time was now. Magus Opus - Winter - 116 - http://www.occultliving.com
As the deep, silent boom of the Earth's power began to echo through the soles of his feet, then up through his being to burst out towards the stars, Pelgrin sought to reach his most quiet spot within. It required supreme concentration to make the crossing. If he lost it, she could be flung off to re-emerge in a different destination than him, and the realm was vast. Sparking, green flames rippled to life in slow motion from the centre of Pelgrin's palms. He groaned, sweat beading on his face with the weight of the portal's power. Around him, through him, the breeze began to gather, and then whirl, circling the grove, rising in a low moan. White, glowing particles emerged to swirl through the dark, multiplying faster and faster, until the earth gave a shudder, and walls of shimmering magic rose up, circling the whole grove, whirling everything, till he couldn't see, and he prayed that he could hold on to her until they were through. But suddenly, before the last blink when everything turned upside down, he felt the power rip and fray, and Lucia thrashed behind him, screaming into the nether. The walls of magic closed about them, and with her scream, burst her will. Her power was vast! The force of it split the portal, and Pelgrin felt it separate to become twin vortexes, before he was sucked into his own, separated from her, and spun away... Lucia screamed and screamed, and the dark rabbit hole she fell down in her dream got narrower and narrower, until suddenly the world flipped, and she was struck by a rush of air, and landed with sliding, crashing impact on the hard-packed ground. She rolled in a cloud of dust, coughing and spitting, trying desperately to gain her bearings. She looked to her left and gasped. She was inches from the vertical drop of a cliff-face, and she scrambled back and away, till she was pressed up against a wall of sandstone boulders. She was on a flat ledge jutting out, high above a scene that took her breath away. Like giant stone stairs, the cliff-face dropped and dropped to where a ragged jungle landscape crept over its base, giving way to vast plainlands below. Massive herds of great, shaggy beasts milled amongst clouds of dust, small and far away, giving the savannah a strange, shifting visage. And in the night-dark forest looming at the edges, unseen creatures fluttered and moaned. There were monsters within those trees, she could sense them. Predators and opportunists. The odd, strange shriek that rose through the gathering night to the precipice Magus Opus - Winter - 117 - http://www.occultliving.com
where she sat only gave substance to her fears. Lucia sought to gain control, and her quivering fingers reached down to scatter the stony, red earth beneath her. She felt the cool dustiness of it, and wished she could plunge back into the earth, back into the birthplace of creation, away from this place. What had she done? How had she gotten here? All she remembered was falling asleep, angry, and then running in her dream, and then... She had no idea. She fell from her dream into this place, and she was alone again. And for the first time the loneliness hit her, like a reverberation of loss coming back in a wave from some faraway place. She wept, full of bitter regret. All she had walked away from. All that she had ridiculed, and dismissed, and sought to discard and leave behind for some imagined dream of importance and glory. How selfish she had been. Now it was all gone. Family, friends. A way of life. A deep, wailing moan rose from some part inside she knew not. This was real, and it wrenched the defence from her. Her cry became a keening, sharp and new, a release of hot tears, a longing of times gone by. It was now her past. Lucia could not stop the tears and, exhausted, cried for a time, beyond any point of hope. But eventually, when she was spent, and the sun had sunk in the sky, she lay back onto the stone of the precipice where she sat. How was it night again? When she fell asleep it was headed for the dawn, but here the sun was setting. Lucia wondered if she would survive this place, survive this night even. She shivered. Certainly her odds were lowered considerably with no guide, no one to tell her where the hell she even was, but how could she go back? Wherever back from here was. She knew nothing of where she was, and had only vague suspicions as to how she had got here, but something about it echoed within her, comforting her. She felt for a single moment only the warm heat of the rock and the earth, still captured in the sandstone at her back, and the spiralling, cool-edged breeze of the night starting to rise from the savannah. But then, unwelcome thoughts of her escape from the castle flooded her mind. She tasted again the panic and desperation. She felt again her hands growing hot... Lucia buried her face in her hands, trying to look away from the details as they unfolded within her mind. There was no escape. She had done what had been done. There was no accident and she had not imagined the light, the force-field that originated from in her, seeming the suck the very life out of him, extinguishing, burning, destroying. She felt ill at the memory of his dead weight hitting the Magus Opus - Winter - 118 - http://www.occultliving.com
ground, a smack that was driven forever into her mind. Lucia sighed, feeling suddenly spent and apathetic. Maybe he deserved to die. He was going to hurt her anyway, that much was certain. The non-feeling coldness of her thoughts sent another shiver down her spine. It was cold, and dark, and she was scared and lonely and overspent with the gravity of her circumstance. It was all too much, too much to think about, too much to deal with. A welcome numbness crept over Lucia's shell-shocked face. She stared, her jaw a little slack, her gaze empty. Inside her, the voices stopped whirring, the fear crept away, and a deep-boned tiredness came over her. Pulling her cloak about her tight, Lucia slid onto her side against the boulder, red hair strewn on the red dust, eyes now closed, and was once more
http://staub-und-schatten.deviantart.com
asleep.
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Creating A Talisman Bear
eeing as this is our winter issue I thought I would give you a craft project to do that is cuddly and comforting. This is a project you can do while sitting next to the fire while the weather outside does what it will. Lots of people like teddy bears so why not make a magickal one?
S
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Is what I asked myself after my first attempt to make
power of their own. The idea is to tailer the bear with
a teddy for one of my dear friends. A talisman can
one person in mind. Put special herbs and stones
be any object, whether it be sacred, profane or just
inside the bear picked specifically for your loved
seemingly obsolete with or without appropriate
one’s needs. Make a bear for healing or for love, the
symbols. Just as long the object has been charged
purpose is up to you. For guidance on the magickal
or consecrated by appropriate means and made to
properties of herbs and stones consult Cunningham's
serve a specific purpose. No one knows where the
Encyclopedia Series. I have decided to make a bear
word “talisman” came from although it has been
for my mum as a protective talisman. I will be using
said to come from the Arabic word talisma meaning
fennel, juniper berries, tigers eye chips, rose quartz
“magick writing”. An amulet is similar to a talisman
heart and an angels hair brain plus a few other herbs.
but is used more to keep things away like the evil eye
It is important to focusing on the purpose of your
whereas a talisman is used to bring things towards
bear with every stitch you sew; this will increase the
you like money, good health or luck. But this is only
talisman’s power.
some people’s opinions; amulets and talismans could
You don’t have to be an expert sewer to make a
be used for either the difference is really up to you,
teddy bear so don’t get scared away if you are not an
they are both simply magickal objects that have been
experienced sewer. Perhaps before you start, if you
charged with a purpose.
need to practice, saddle stitch on scrap material to get
A talisman is a powerful object if made correctly so
the hang of it. For those of you that don’t know what
before you make this talisman bear, make sure the you
a saddle stitch is, always poke the needle through
have carefully considered what it’s purpose will be.
the same side of the two pieces of the material you
Some people suggest that you do a divination before
are sewing together and before pulling it tight bring
hand to ensure that it is the right course of action.
the needle under the loop that you have created and
In regards to which moon phase you should make your
then pull tight. To make the best bear make sure your
talisman in there is one simple rule; if you are making
stitching is close together and evenly spaced.
a talisman for bringing things to you for example
What you will need:
money, create the talisman during the waxing moon.
Needle
If however you are making a protective talisman
Thread
and the purpose is to repel attention from a group of
A piece of material big enough to cut out all
people or entity, make the talisman during the waxing
the pieces of the bear taking note that some pieces
moon, this will strengthen the talisman’s power.
need to be cut out four times. You may wish to use a
A talisman bear makes a great gift because bears are
different colour for the insides of the ears.
often given as gifts already and have a comforting
Teddy bear pattern provided (see below)
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Sewing scissors
a thimble for your thumb. Select a cotton thread that
Pins
matches the colour of your material. If you can’t get
Buttons for arms, legs and eyes (optional, if
the exact shade get one that it slightly darker rather
tou prefer you can buy plastic eyes and nose as over,
than lighter than the material you are working with.
and just sew arms and legs on)
When sewing the pieces together, make sure you sew
Stuffing
the seams on the inside of the bear (with the furry
Thimble (if sewing with leather)
sides are facing each other).
Embroidery thread
Step One.
Stones, herbs (filling of your choice)
Sew the arms Start by sewing the arms leaving enough room at the
Deciding what magickal things you need to fill your
top to turn inside out. Stuff the arms, you may wish to
teddy with should not be a difficult process if you
put herbs or rock chips in these as well. Sew the arm
have a specific purpose in mind for your bear. I am
up after stuffing and put aside. Do the same for the
assuming you are familiar with the five elements and
other arm and put aside.
their attributes you can use this knowledge along with
Step Two
your magickal stone and herb books to enhance the
Sew the ears.
powers of your magickal teddy bear.
You should have four ear shapes that are identical or two that are a different colour for the insides of the
To start you will need to print out/trace this teddy
ears. Sew the pairs back to back and turn inside out.
bear pattern and cut it out. Then get your material and
Put aside
trace around the individual pieces and cut them out.
Step Three
You may wish to pin the pattern to the material and
Sew the head.
cut around them so as to not leave any marks but this
You should have three separate pieces for the head: the
can be fiddly with small patterns. Most of the pieces
sides and the top. Make sure you know which end is to
need to be reversed and cut out again, these pieces
be the nose. Pin the top of the head to a side, making
are quite clear on the pattern, some need to be cut out
sure the tip of the nose on the top piece matches up
four times, two of each side. I have decided to use
with the tip of the nose on the side piece. Remember
leather for my bear to give it a craft look, although all
to sew back to back, also remember you are creating
the bears in the photo above were made using fure.
a 3 dimensional head so the pins are crucial.
(All these bears were made from the same pattern).
The pattern says to sew the ears onto the sides of the
Sewing leather by hand can be hard on the fingers so if
head but I have decided to sew them into the seam on
you are working with leather I would suggest getting
top of the head. To do this you will need to pin the
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ears into the seam pointing down because you are sewing the inside of the head. Make sure if you have a different colour for the inside of the ear that it is pointing the way you want it to. If you decide to sew them onto the sides, sew the rest of the head first so you can position the ears where they look the best. Once you have sewed one half of the head pin the other side and ear to rest of the head. Sew together and turn inside out to see your teddy’s head. Step Four Sewing on the nose
Find your two tummy pieces and sew them back to
To make a nose you will need the embroidery thread
back, you will need to pin them first. Next, sew the
in a colour of your choice. Make a knot on the end
back pieces back to back. Pin the belly to the back so
of the thread and piece the needle through the back
that the inside of the bare is on the outside and sew
of the nose. Sew over and over the nose area until
together to make a sort of sack shape. Make sure you
you have formed a triangle shape. Sew a knot in the
leave enough room at the neck to turn it inside out.
back so it doesn’t come undone. Or if you are using
If you would like the arms and legs to be able to move,
a plastic nose pole a whole where the nose should go
sew buttons on where they need to be attached. Make
and pop it in and slip the back on.
sure these buttons are sewn on particularly well as
Step Five
they will hold the limbs on.
Sew eyes on
Stuff the body tightly and add anything here that is
It is important to partially stuff the head before you cut
essential to the talisman. I have put a rose quartz heat
the holes out for the eyes so you can judge properly
in mine.
where they are to go, the worst thing you could do it
Step Seven
poke the holes in the material and then realise that
Sew the head to the body
they are lop-sided. Cut the holes with some scissors
This one of the more difficult steps, you will need to
and pop the front of the eye in and then push the back
pin the head to the body. If you have sewn everything
onto it.
else right it won’t be as difficult.
Step Six
Step Eight
Sew the body
Sew the legs
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Sewing the bottoms of the feet to the legs it also one
•
Pentacle
of the most difficult steps. You need to pin it so the
•
Candles, you may wish to choose the colours
outside of the foot is facing in and pin the outside of
depending on the purpose of your bear, black is
the leg around it facing in. The circumference of the
good for protection or you could get five candles
bottom of the foot may seem too big for the end of the
representing the five elements if this would suit you
leg but just make sure when you are sewing it is sewn
better.
into the leg evenly.
•
Incense
Leave a gap at the top to turn inside out, stuff the legs
•
Salt
and sew up.
•
Water
Step Nine
During this ritual you can call on whatever deities or
Attach legs and arms
entities you like to help the bear with it’s purpose. If
If you like just sew them on in the desired places.
you like you can call a spirit to possess the bear but
If you are using buttons: Cut slits into the arms and
that is a more advanced ritual.
legs for buttonholes and attach. Depending on what
First you should purify yourself and your ritual area.
material you choose you may wish to sew around the
To do this visualize a brilliant white light coming
buttonholes to prevent splitting or fraying.
from the ends of the universe, coming down though the top of your head and filling your body, then going
After the bear is finished now is the time to consecrate
down through your feet and into the earth. Know that
it with its purpose.
this light is purifying so any unnecessary thoughts or
The following ritual will ignite the teddy’s powers,
energies that have been plaguing your mind and body
and activate the herbs and stones concealed within.
should be eliminated by this light.
What you will need:
Before you start light some incense for the gods,
•
call on whichever deities you wish to witness this
Alter
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consecration. Talk to the bear, explain to it it’s purpose, what you have put inside it to help it complete it’s task and who it is for. Whatever the purpose of your bear whether it be for prosperity, health, protection or fertility you can tell the bear to direct it’s powers to whomever names it. Pass the bear through the candle flame and say “I consecrate you with the element or fire”. Sprinkle the bear with water and say “I consecrate you with the element of water”. Pass the bear through the incense smoke and say “I consecrate you with the element of air”. Place the bear on the pentacle on your altar, sprinkle salt over it and say “I consecrate you with the element of earth”.
sea, as I say this so mote it be”. So there you have your talisman bare, it will be one of the best presents you will ever give to someone, especially if they love bears. Here are some suggestions of stones and herbs you can put inside year talisman bear:
Protective stones: Eye agate, tigers eye, angelite, snowflake obsidian, red jasper, serpentine, amethyst. Protective Herbs and Plants: Elder, heather, carnations, coriander seeds, pine. Prosperity Stones: Citrine, pyrite, smoky quartz, tigers eye, moss agate, aventurine, emerald, chrysoprase.
Place the bear back on the altar and hold your hands over it, visualize a brilliant white light from above pouring into the bear.
Herbs and Plants for Prosperity: Basil, cloves, cinnamon, honeysuckle, juniper berries, strawberry leaves.
Then say something to this affect: “I charge this bear to serve as (the purpose of the bear) for whomever names it, with help from (whichever deities) and god in the name of the Tetragrammaton”. “This bear will perform its purpose by the powers invested in me, by the powers of earth, fire, wind and
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An Introduction to Herbology
A
s a witch it is an important thing to know as much as you can about plants; plants are the most useful rescores we have. It is also important for a witch to have their own garden and to know how to grow and harvest the plants we need. Magus Opus - Winter - 128 - http://www.occultliving.com
We have decided to put together a plant encyclopaedia
medicine. He undoubtedly learnt the properties of
on our website www.occultliving.com that we will be
these plants by instinct and trial and error. Shamans
adding to all the time. It is comprehensive and useful
of tribes have been known to discover the properties
fact finder about plants; their medicinal and magickal
of plants just by communicating with them.
qualities. We also have information about the history
In written record, the study of herbs dates back 5000
of herbs, how to collect and keep them, drying and
years to the Sumerians who described the medicinal
storing, how to prepare them for use and much more.
uses of such plants as thyme, laurel and caraway. The
The following is an introduction on the various ways
first known Chinese book on medicinal herbs dates
you can use and prepare medicinal plants for use, but
back to 2700 c B.C.E it lists 365 medicinal plants and
first a little on the history of the use of plants.
their uses. The Egyptians in 1000 B.C.E are known to have used garlic, caster oil, coriander, opium,
Herbs and History
mint, and other herbs for remedies, dying and
The definition of an herb is: a non-woody plant
food.
that dies down to the ground after flowering. But
De Materia Medica was the first European
the term herb is used for many other plants that
treatise on the properties and uses of
we use for cooking, herbal medicine, plants with
medicinal plants, and was compiled by the
nutritional value, plant dies or food seasoning
Greek physician named Dioscorides in the
and scent. In history the most important use for
first century, this compendium of over 500
herbs was medicinal, Man had limited recourses for
plants remained an authoritative reference into the
treating illnesses and injuries, there were no chemical
17th century. Another important text to botanists and
drugs only what nature had produced. Medicine men
herbalists is a Greek book called Histotia Plantarum,
and shamans from tribes used herbs in combination
written by Theophrastus in the 4th century.
with the following: magick and sorcery, prayer, music,
During the Middle ages the church looked down on
crude operations (amputation, bleeding, trepanning)
using herbs for medicine or anything of that sort of
physical therapy, psychotherapy, internal remedies
nature but people still continued to use them with
and external remedies prepared from plants, animals
the knowledge being passed down through folk lore
and minerals. All these plant remedies are the most
and families, specifically witches and “wise-women”
continuous and universal form of treatment. In fact,
who prescribed ancient, secret herbal remedies along
household herbal remedies are based on word-of-
with spells and enchantments. Many Greek books on
mouth traditions that probably stretch back into an
medicine at this time were preserved by hand copying
unbroken line to prehistoric times.
in monasteries. Thus, the monasteries became centres
Prehistoric man used plants for food, shelter and
of medical knowledge, and their herb gardens were
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used for treatments of simple disorders. At this time
Great Herball of 1526, but the best-known books in
plants were burdened with both Christian and Pagan
herbals are The Herball or General Hitorie of Plants
superstitions that were usually more important to
by John Gerard which was published in 1597 and
the people of time than the plant’s actual
The English Physician Enlarged by Nicholas
properties
Culpeper, which was published in 1653.
As for aromatherapy many of the citrus,
Now we get to the eighteenth and nineteenth
spice and floral aromatics came to Europe
centuries when the position held by plants
from the Middle East at around the time
as sources of therapeutic effects started to
of the crusades for it was in Persia that the art of
degrade when the physician Paracelsus introduced
distillation was perfected around the 10th or 11th
active chemical drugs such as arsenic, copper sulfate,
century C.E.
mercury, iron and sulfur, followed by the rapid
As science and the arts flourished in the renaissance
interest in chemistry and the other physical sciences.
so did herbals. During the fifteenth, sixteenth and
Now chemotherapy – chemical medicine – is the
seventeenth centuries many books on herbals came
orthodox system of medication. However the
out in English rather than Greek or Latin. The first
knowledge as I said above is still passed down
herbal book to be published was the anonymous
through folklore with many people still practising
herbals and simple kitchen remedies.
tips on how to collect them. After it rains wait until two or three sunny days pass
Homeopathy
before you go venturing out. Set out on a morning as
Homeopathic medicine was founded and successfully
early as possible, but not before the due settles. Choose
practiced in Europe by Samuel Hahnemann. It works on the premmies that symptoms such as fever or boils are the means by which the body acts to eliminate the cause of disease. Homeopathic remedies are therefore designed to reinforce symptoms instead of combating them with chemicals. This is done by using microscopic doses of herbal drugs that when given to a healthy person will produce the symptoms of the disease. Homeopathy is built on the Hippocratic idea of eliminating the disease by helping the body’s natural recuperative powers, as is naturopathy.
Getting and Keeping Herbs Collecting herbs from the wild if you live in the country is definitely the cheapest way to acquire them but it is also a lot of hard work. Law often protects wild plants growing on public land, besides, you never know what chemicals may be sprayed on them. But suppose you do have access to wild herbs that are unspoiled, here are some
only healthy plants to gather, ones that have not been ravaged by insects or disease. Collect both roots and bark (the living inner bark) best for gathering during autumn or spring, (before or after flowering). Collect only from small branches or twigs that can be cut off the tree or shrub. Never damage large branches or the
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on where they grow will make them easier to locate and identify. If collecting plants from the wild seems all too difficult, maybe you should look into growing your own supplies. Whether you have a yard you can turn into garden or just a few pots on the windowsill growing your own herbs will always be rewarding. The first ever plant I really looked after was a basil plant and I used it in many ways, in cooking and in magick. In magickal workings I fully believe that if you have a connection with the plant you are using the spell will be more trunk. If you need a whole plant it is best to collect it when it is in flower and gather seeds and fruit when they are ripe (unless specified otherwise). It is crucial that you know how to identify the plants you are looking for because you could mistake a poisonous plant for a non-poisonous one. If you are not sure what you are looking for it is best to take someone with you that has knowledge of the local fauna or go somewhere where you can study the actual specimens you plan to find. Their safe usage requires absolutely positive identification, and knowing any dangerous properties they might have. Familiarity with botanical structures of plants and information
potent, I also believe this to be true with herbal remedies. A few herbs that you should grow are wormwood, sage and yellow gentian, which according to Sebastian Kneipp make an entire garden pharmacy. The easiest and probably most expensive way of acquiring your herbs is through an herb dealer. Herb dealers offer herbs in many different forms, for example dried, fresh, the live plant or seeds ready for planting, plant parts or plant mixtures, often with the choice of cut, powdered or whole forms; you can get them in capsules, tablets or liquid forms, plus the variety of plants an herb dealer has or can attain is extensive. If
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you find yourself in possession of an herb catalogue
lengthwise. To dry bulbs remove the outer coat, slice
I guarantee you will want one of nearly everything.
and heat dry with heat not over 37°C. For drying bark
The first place you should look for an herb dealer is
peel off the layers of the inner bark and dry in sunlight
in the yellow pages, you can find them under
(except wild black cherry, which should be
Herbs, Health Food products, Perfumers’ Raw
dried in shade). You know your plant is dry
Materials and Supplies, Pharmacies (look for
enough when the stems are brittle and brake
ones that list botanicals), Seeds and Bulbs and
easily.
Spics.
Now that you have your dried herbs it is time to consider storage. The two greatest
Drying and Storing Herbs
concerns to preservation are light and oxygen; if your
Whether you have collected wild plants or grown
dried herbs are exposed to ether of these things they
your own, it is always useful to dry some of them
will lose potency and if exposed to moisture they will
for later use. But you must remember that drying the
go mouldy. The best way to store dried herbs is in an
plant often decreases the effectiveness of the desirable
airtight jar made of dark glass. These may be hard
properties. To conserve these as much as possible it is a good idea to dry them in the shade. Avoid temperature extremes and be sure to disturb them as little as possible during this process. There are two ways that are the best in which to dry herbs; the first is to lay them out thinly on a flat surface or net of some sort and the second is to string them up in bundles. For either method ensure it is a dry well-ventilated place where no moisture or direct sunlight can affect the plants. When handling the green plants be careful not to bruise them for this can cause unsightly discolouration on the dried plant. Plants and leave temperatures should not be over 29 to 35° C and for roots not higher than 46°C. Small roots can be dried whole but large ones should be cut into two pieces
to find so your other alternative is an old milo tin or
day there comes a time when you have need of your
something of the sort. Then store that in a cool dry
green friends to heal yourself or someone you know.
place. A loss of potency in time is inevitable so do
Although some plants are better used only dried or
not keep dried herbs for more than a year. Bark can
in professional preparations to avoid detrimental
be kept for three years before it loses potency. If your
effects. But even the best specimens can be ruined if
dry herbs have been exposed to moisture and are not
not prepared in the right way. The choice is primarily
mouldy you can dry them out again in a warm
decided by the identifying qualities of
room.
the plant, the plant parts being used, the elements to be extracted (if any) the form in
How to Make and Use Herb Preparations
which the remedy will be taken or applied,
Since the effectiveness and potency of most
of the descriptions for preparing remedies I
and the effect to be achieved. Although most
herbs are best when fresh the best remedies are ones
will go through next, there are some standard methods
that you can make yourself from freshly gathered
that you can use in many cases. The only remedies
herbs from your garden or your neighbours. How
that can be kept for any length of time are ointments
rewarding it is to be able to identify plants for their
or those made with alcohol.
natural healing elements and put that knowledge into use. Finally after tending your herb garden every
Infusion An infusion is like making tea because making tea is an infusion. An infusion is usually made with the green parts of the plant or the flowers. The plant needs to be steeped to extract the active ingredient. The usual amounts used for infusion are 14 to 28g of the plant parts in 2 cups of water. Usually the water is poured over the plants but in some recipes require the plant to be put into the boiling water, then the pot to be taken immediately off the heat. Use a ceramic or glass pot to steep the plants for about 10 minutes, keep a lid on it to minimize
evaporation. For drinking strain the water into a cup, add sugar or honey to taste if necessary. For most purposes dink the infusion lukewarm or cool; but to induce sweating and to break up a cold or cough take hot. Most herb teas should be taken over a period of time until the ailment has disappeared. The cumulative daily dose ranges from 1 to 4 cups a day depending on the severity of the problem or the potency of the plant.
Decoction Use this process when trying to extract primarily the mineral salts and bitter principals of the plant, rather than vitamins and volatile properties. Hard materials like bark, wood, roots and seeds usually need boiling to extract their active ingredients. Use about 14g plant part 1 cup of water. Boil in a non-metallic pot. Bring green plant parts to the boil for 3 to 4 minutes then steep it with a lid on for another 2 to 3 minutes. Harder plant parts need boiling for about 10 minutes and steeping for longer. Directions on how to take the decoction are the same as infusion.
the amount of plant part that you would use to infuse. Add this to cold water and let the mixture stand for 8 to 12 hours, strain and serve. Directions for taking are the same as infusion.
Powder To make plant powder simply put dried plant parts in a mortar and pestle and crush them. Powder can be taken with water, honey or
Cold Extract Preparations with the cold extract
To extract properties with cold water you need twice
technique
effectively
preserve
will the
most volatile properties of the plant and extract minimal amounts of mineral salts and bitter principals.
soup; sprinkled on the food or swallowed in a gelatine capsule. A number 0 capsule holds about 10 grains and a number 00 capsule holds about 15. The most common dose for powder is about the amount you can pick up on the end of a diner knife.
Syrup Syrup is especially good for serving medicines to children. To make a syrup start with boiling 1.3 kg of raw or brown sugar in 2 cups of water until the right consistency. Make sure not to tern it into toffee. Add plant material before boiling. You can also boil plant material in honey or store bought syrup.
Tincture Combine 30 to 100g of powdered herb (depending on
Heat and stir the mixture slowly until melted and mix
the plants potency) with 240 to 300ml of alcohol. Add
together. A drop of tincture benzoin per 30g of fat will
water to make a %50 alcohol solution. Let stand for
help preserve the ointment.
two weeks, shaking once or twice a day, then strain into a glass bottle and store. These will keep for a long
Poultice
time; most homeopaths use very diluted tinctures as
A poultice is used to apply a remedy to the skin with
their basic medicinal preparations.
moist heat. To prepare the poultice, bruise or crush the medicinal part of the plant to a pulpy mass and then
Essence
heat. If you are using dried herbs or the plant parts
Dissolve 30ml of the herbs essential oil in 2 cups pure
are not moist enough, add a warm soft adhesive like
alcohol. This is a good way to preserve the volatile
moist flour or corn meal, or a soft mixture of milk and
essential oil of many plants, which generally not
bread or honey. Apply to the skin by spreading it on a
soluble in water.
warm moist cloth and wrapping it around the limb if possible. Keep moist by adding hot water periodically
Ointment
as necessary. Where irritant plants are used keep paste
To start mix one part powdered herb with four parts
between two pieces of cloth to prevent direct contact
hot lard, petroleum jelly or a similar substance. Boil in
with the skin. After removing the poultice wash the
water until the desired properties are extracted. Strain
skin with water or herb tea (especially camomile or
the liquid and add the decoction to oil (olive oil or
mugwort) to remove any residue that may have gotten
other vegetable oil) and simmer until all the water has
on the skin. A poultice can be used to sooth irritated
evaporated. Add beeswax to get a firm consistency.
skin or to draw impurities from the body, depending
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on which plant part you use.
Hydrotherapy: The Herb Bath Fomentation
Hydrotherapy is the use of water for treatment of
A fomentation is applied to the skin much like a
illness. This is particularly popular in Europe where
poultice, but it is much less active in its effect. To
they have elaborate facilities for all types of water
prepare soak a cloth or towel in an infusion or
cues. Often these have herbal or mineral additives
decoction and ring out the excess and apply as hot as
to enhance the natural healing power of water or to
possible to the affected area.
produce particular effects on the body. But it is easy enough to do this at home if you have a few simple
Cold Compress
supplies.
To make a cod compress soak a towel or cloth in an
Full or partial herb baths come in all shapes and sizes,
infusion or decoction that has been cooled and wring
from a full bath tub to an eyecup. Basically they are
out the excess. Apply to the affected area and leave
baths which plant decoctions or infusions have been
until warmed by the body, which will take about 15
added. Depending on the plant parts used, the bath can
to 20 minutes. Repeat application with a fresh cool
be used to ether relax or stimulate the body or mind,
compress until the affected area is relieved.
open or close pares, relieve inflammation, itching or pain amongst many other things. To make a decoction for adding to a full bath you can use anything between a few cups of plant material to a couple of kilograms. Anything you can fit into a pot to boil. If you are not having a full bath simply reduce the quantities. If you like you can sew or tie the plant material in a linen bag to boil and put into the bath with you to extract more of the properties and use it as a herbal wash cloth to give yourself a brief rubdown. Now you have a pretty good idea on how to prepare and use herbs for remedies you can go to our website or look through your own books to find plants with the desirable medicinal and magickal properties for your needs and plant them in your garden.
Alester Crowleys Lectures on Yoga Analysis, PART 1
........ By Nick Gould
I
have the unfortunate joy of trying to share a great piece of occult literature with you. The Joy is that this text is brilliantly written, the
sorrow, that I could never do it justice in this analysis. Crowley writes with a lucidity and clarity which makes his works a joy to read. He can bring decades of research to a topic whilst still maintaining a light and inspiring tone. As the first lecture sets out, his goal is to explain Yoga in clear language, and to my eyes this is exactly what he has done.
The first lecture begins with Crowley trying to dispel some of the mysterious aura which surrounded Yoga at the time. Let us not forget that for a long time in the west, all that was known of Yoga was the incredible feats of the Yogis who had achieved self mastery and connexion with nature, the universe, and the divine.
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This is a far cry from the over-praised exercise classes
Churches.
attended by the uninitiated which we call yoga these days.
Crowley then goes on to Examine the first aspect of this union, the union of the subject and object
“Yoga means Union”- If there is one message that Crowley wants us to take away from the first lecture it is this.”
of consciousness. He explains this as the union of seer and the seen. Through example Crowley illustrates that any material phenomenon cannot be caused exclusively through material means, for they
In the west this union is perceived in its diluted form,
are experienced differently by each person. The
as a way of uniting mind and body. There is also
phenomena are not exclusively in the mind either, for
an ever growing trend to perceive this in a purely
in the absence of the thing itself, all we have are the
physical sense as increasing the efficiency of neural
memories of it.
transmission between brain and motor receptors. Thus Crowley sets the basis for all of our experiences, The first lecture then goes on to describe that this
as our mind unites with different aspects of the
union, although practised in different forms, is found
material realm, this blissful union causes a plethora
in all of the cultures of the earth. It asserts that the
of sensations and experiences which would not be
emancipation of the individual and union with the
experienced if either of the ingredients were isolate.
absolute is the true nature of Yoga. However, Crowley
Crowley in no way portends that this is all that
is highly critical of the common preconception of this
there is to Yoga. He does stress however that it is a
emancipation.
fundamental concept in yoga.
In the mind of a pious person, the inferiority
Crowley then likens this act of union to Love, for
complex which accounts for his piety compels
the phrase 'love is the law, love under will', forms
him to interpret this emancipation as union with
a fundamental basis of Crowley's philosophy. This
the gaseous vertebrae whom he has invented and
Love, or union, must occur in accordance with the
called God. On the cloudy vapour of his fears his
true will of the subjects involved. Crowley then
imagination has thrown a vast distorted shadow
employs further examples from chemistry to explain
of himself, and he is duly terrified; and the more
that, while some combinations of molecules produce
he cringes before it, the more the spectre seems to
no result at all, others such as the combination of
stoop to crush him. People with these ideas will
Hydrogen and Oxygen, produce heat, light sound and
never get to anywhere but Lunatic Asylums and
one of the most precious substances in the world –
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Water.
sound, but it adds another layer of meaning to some of the basic tenets of Buddhism.
The resultant formulation has entirely different properties than its precursors and as such, it has its
This desire for union is a recognition of separateness
own true will, which results in further new substances,
from the object of desire. Yet, as one union produces
with new properties, and the process continues
a new substance with its own desire, there is never to
indefinitely.
be a release from the Yogas of suffering.
Thus, if the Yoga of Mind and Universe is the Cause
Crowley suggests that the proper focus of our Yoga,
of all phenomenon then it is also the cause of all
is with what he calls the 'Absolute'. While he offers us
suffering. Crowley thus seeks to interpret Buddhism
no proofs, no worked examples or chemical equations,
in terms of Yoga. The first Noble Truth of Buddhism
he does accurately portray the goals of yoga. As he
is that Desire causes suffering. Whilst traditionally
suggests earlier, it is not just the goal of yoga, but the
this is interpreted as referring to emotional or mental
goal of every belief system in all the world, and in all
cravings (desire) or sentimentality (attachment),
time.
Crowley identifies Desire with love and completes the paradigm using the above explanation of love as
In Hindu belief systems there is a concept known as
Yoga.
Brahman-Atman. Atman is the localised, personal consciousness. It is not the Ego, or our concept of self
In the same way that certain atoms are attracted to
along with all of our accumulated patterns, beliefs,
each other, so are our minds attracted to various
desires and prejudices. It is the spark of our awareness,
phenomena, and while some chemical reactions are
which can exist free of the ego during meditation.
spectacular, other mundane, and others toxic, so it is with our minds. Our minds can literally become
Brahman is a concept in Hindu philosophy which
ensnared and attached to the phenomena of the
is equally as convoluted as western conceptions of
material realm.
god. It is considered to be personal, transpersonal and impersonal my different schools. Suffice to say
Although he takes a fairly uncommon approach to
that at the very least it can be considered to be our
Buddhism in this regard, students of Buddhism will
higher self. At the most refined interpretations it can
eventually come to realise that he has described the
be considered the soul of the universe and the heart of
mechanism by which the mind becomes attached
god. But the names of a thing are far less important
to things. Thus Crowley's interpretation is not only
than their reality and the path to achieve them, and the
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unification of Brahman and Atman is one of the underlying themes in all Hindu philosophy and thus, in yoga.
As mentioned earlier atoms can be caught up in lesser unions, just as the mind can. Thus the forces of our rich, if not tattered, social tapestry push and pull on the mind dragging it into lower Yogas and preoccupying it from its proper and complete union with the absolute.
It
is
therefore
incumbent upon us, if we wish to make the universal and final Yoga with the
LECTURE TWO
Absolute, to master every element of our being, to protect it against all civil and external war,
Crowley begins lecture two by reiterating the universal
to intensify every faculty to the utmost, to train
nature of Yoga. It is the underlying principal of all
ourselves in knowledge and power to the utmost;
systems, though they each find different practices
so that at the proper moment we may be in
and terminologies, and each become fascinated with
perfect condition to fling ourselves up into the
their own intricacies rather than with their goals. He
furnace of ecstasy which flames from the abyss of
proposes that it will be relativity easy to extract a
annihilation.
suitable explanation from the Hindu system, which is probably one of the reasons why the lectures are on
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yoga rather than Taoism or one of the myriad other
Crowley does give slanderous mention to Panatjali,
schools.
one of the defining philosophers on yoga, and the
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very source of Crowley's information. This attack
geographical nature of many of these prescriptions.
is a great injustice, as Patanjali's work is superior to a great deal of occult philosophers. On the other
Crowley recounts the story of a typical moral
hand, the fact that these other philosophers are not
guideline as laid down in the Yama. The story is of the
mentioned at all gives some indication of Patanjali's
Maharajah of Kashmir, mahsir fishing was forbidden
relatively high status in Crowley's opinions.
throughout his territory; because, when a child, he had been leaning over the parapet of a bridge over
The Focus of the second lecture is 'Yama'. Yoga is
the Jhilam at Srinagar, and inadvertently opened his
comprised of eight limbs, or branches, which contain
mouth, so that a mahsir was able to swallow his soul.
the many different aspects of Yoga. These branches
It would never have done for a Sahib -- a Mlecha! --
are -
to catch that mahsir.
1. Yama. 2. Niyama.
The geographical nature of Yama can be seen in the
3. Asana.
fact that both Jews and Muslims have made it an
4. Pranayama.
article of faith that pork is not to be eaten. This is due
5. Pratyahara.
to that fact that such pork was infected with trichina.
6. Dharana.
In order to explain and enforce such a rule, removing
7. Dhyana.
all temptation, it had to be elevated to the level of
8. Samadhi.
religious observance, Yama
While a large portion of this lecture is devoted to Yama is often translated as 'Morality' and as
examples of unsound religious observances Crowley
Crowley tells us, with a certain contemptuous bile
does give us some insight into the true nature of
to his words, that they missed the point entirely. The
Yama.
purpose of Yama is not to be the fixed application of a rigid doctrine of morality, but rather the continually
The attitude to 'take it as read', and adopt these
evolving lifestyle which supports one's practice.
behavioural proscriptions is almost certainly counterproductive If we are not observant enough to notice
While the guidelines set down in the second century
which factors are affecting our practice, for better or
may have helped practitioners of the time, it is almost
worse, then we have much more than Yama to worry
certainly not relevant today. This is even more evident
about before we can become Yogis. Sir Richard
when one takes into account the largely cultural and
Burton said: “He noblest lives and noblest dies, who
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makes and keeps his self-made laws”
restrict our pursuit of our true will.
To obey a set of rules is to shift the whole responsibility
Crowley then begins to wander from discussion about
of conduct on to some superannuated
yoga to discussion about personal freedom. Although
bodhisattva, who would resent you bitterly if he
it is a little off topic his thoughts here are an insightful
could see you, and tick you off in no uncertain
as those on yoga. It is in the same vein as 'Freedom is a
terms for being such a fool as to think you could
Two Edged Sword', by Parsons, who was a colleague
dodge the difficulties of research by the aid of a set
friend and rival to Crowley. It should be stated that its
of conventions which have little or nothing to do
brevity denies us a proper comparison, though I think
with actual conditions.
it likely that the two men shared many views on such matters.
As our practice progresses, Crowley assures us that the conditions which we find beneficial will alter
Because the Law of Thelema is the law of liberty,
dramatically. We must continually evolve our path
everybody's
as we evolve ourselves. Crowley likens this, several
particular hair stands on end like the quills of the
times, to scientific research and the search for a method
fretful porpentine; they scream like an uprooted
and tools which are suitable for the conditions.
mandrake, and flee in terror from the accursed spot. Because: the exercise of liberty means that
Even when you have discovered what your code
you have to think for yourself, and the natural
is, you will have to modify it as you progress; it 'remould it nearer to the heart's desire' -- Omar Khayyâm. But it is possible to indicate (in general terms expressed with the greatest caution) the 'sort' of thing that is likely to be bad for you. Anything that weakens the body, that exhausts, disturbs or inflames the mind is depreciable.
At several points during this lecture, Crowley reiterates the Law of Thelema - “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law”. The connection to the topic seems tenuous at best, though I think he is alluding to the oppressive nature of moral laws, and how they can
inertia of mankind wants religion and ethics ready-made. However ridiculous or shameful a
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theory or practice is, they would rather comply
in such environments. As Socrates said however, the
than examine it.
horse trainer must practice on the most spirited horse. All well and good to be able to cope with the emotional and mental disturbance of a bird chirping. How much more exquisite the soul who withstands the torments of daily life! That being said, I' sure Crowley is referring to the difficulty and impracticality of trying to maintain such interactions throughout a process of constant personal evolution and the associated changing Yama.
Moving on to Niyama, Crowley is somewhat apprehensive about applying the translation of 'Virtue'. One can see from the linguistic relationship that Yama and Niyama are related concepts in Yoga. Crowley expresses that it is possible to achieve a spiritual apprehension of such concepts where an intellectual one is sure to fail. If you seek the relationship between LECTURE THREE
these two concepts then it is only from listening to your spirit rather than your mind that this will occur.
In the third lecture Crowley recaps and expands slightly on what he covered in his second lecture,
Describing this Virtue seems to be elusive for Crowley
Yama. He also covers, in great detail, the concept of
and he simply explains it as a 'positive power' latent
Niyama.
in man. The various Qualities and energies which are described in the Yoga texts are Re-interpreted
With regards to Yama, Crowley states here that any
by Crowley. He gives the following explanation by
kind of social existence, and in particular, domestic
explaining the correspondences with certain Planets
life, are completely incompatible with Yoga and
and Anatomical features.
should therefore be part of our Yama. However, I wonder if in setting this proscription that he had even
“The planet Saturn, which represents anatomy, is
glanced at his notes from the second lecture. It does
the skeleton: it is a rigid structure upon which rest
take a considerable degree of control to pursue Yoga
of the body is built. To what moral qualities does
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inaccessible joy in the Great Work; and it is the attainment of the trance, of even the intellectual foreshadowing of that trance, of joy, which reassures the Yogi that his work is worthwhile. Jupiter digests experiences; Jupiter is the Lord of the Forces of Life; Jupiter takes common matter and transmutes it into celestial nourishment.
The next planet is Mars. Mars represents the muscular this correspond? The first point of virtue a bone is its rigidity, its resistance to pressure. And so in Niyama we find that we need the qualities of absolute simplicity in our regimen; we need insensibility; we need endurance; we need patience. Another quality of Saturn is melancholy; Saturn represents the sorrow of the universe; it is the Trance of sorrow that has determined one to undertake the task of emancipation. This is the energising force of Law; it is the rigidity of the fact that everything is sorrow which moves one to
system; it is the lowest form of energy, and in Niyama it is to be taken quite literally as the virtue which enables on to contend with, and to conquer, the physical difficulties of the Work.
Mars, moreover, is the flaming energy of passion, it is the male quality in its lowest sense; it is the courage which goes berserk, and I do not mind telling you that, in my own case at least, one of the inhibitions with which I had most frequently to contend was the
the task, and keeps one on the Path.
The next planet is Jupiter. This planet is in many ways the opposite of Saturn; it represents expansion as Saturn represents contraction; it is the universal love, the selfless love whose object can be no less than the universe itself. This comes to reinforce the powers of Saturn when they agonise; success is not for self but for all; one might acquiesce in one's own failure, but one cannot be unworthy of the universe.
Jupiter, too, represents the vital, creative, genial element of the cosmos. There is an immense and
fear that I was going mad. This was especially the case when those phenomena began to occur, which,
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recorded in cold blood, did seem like madness. And
hitherto been masked by our preoccupation with
the Niyama of Mars is the ruthless rage which jests at
more active qualities. Venus resembles Jupiter, but
scars while dying of one's wounds.
on a lower scale, standing to him very much as Mars does to Saturn. She is close akin in nature to the Sun,
The next of the heavenly bodies is the centre of
and she may be considered an externalisation of his
all, the Sun. The Sun is the heart of the system; he
influence towards beauty and harmony. Venus is Isis,
harmonises all, energises all, orders all. His is the
the Great Mother; Venus is Nature herself; Venus is
courage and energy which is the source of all the other
the sum of all possibilities.
lesser forms of motion, and it is because of this that in himself he is calm. They are planets; he is a star. For
The Niyama corresponding to Venus is one of the most
him all planets come; around him they all move, to
important, and one of the most difficult of attainment.
him they all tend. It is this centralisation of faculties,
I said the sum of all possibilities, and I will ask you to
their control, their motivation, which is the Niyama
go back in your minds to what I said before about the
of the Sun. He is not only the heart but the brain of
definition of the Great Work itself, the aim of the Yogi
the system; but he is not the 'thinking' brain, for in
to consummate the marriage of all that he is with all
him all thought has been resolved into the beauty and
that he is not, and ultimately to realise, insofar as the
harmony of ordered motion.
marriage is consummated, that what he is and what he is not are identical. Therefore we cannot pick and
The next of the planets is Venus. In her, for the first
choose in our Yoga. It is written in the Book of the Law, Chapter 1, verse 22, 'Let there be no difference made among you between any one thing and any other thing, for thereby there cometh hurt.'
Venus represents the ecstatic acceptance of all possible experience, and the transcendental assumption of all particular experience into the one experience.
Oh yes, by the way, don't forget this. In a lesser sense Venus represents tact. Many of the problems that confront the Yogi are impracticable to intellectual time, we come into contact with a part of our nature
manipulation. They yield to graciousness.
which is none the less quintessential because it has
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Our next planet is Mercury, and the Niyama which
The last of the seven sacred planets is the Moon.
correspond to him are as innumerable and various as
The Moon represents the totality of the female
his own qualities. Mercury is the Word, the Logos in
part of us, the passive principle which is yet very
the highest; he is the direct medium of connection
different to that of Venus, for the Moon corresponds
between opposites; he is electricity, the very link of
to the Sun much as Venus does to Mars. She is more
life, the Yogic process itself, its means, its end. Yet he
purely passive than Venus, and although Venus is
is in himself indifferent to all things, as the electric
so universal the Moon is also universal in another
current is indifferent to the meaning of the messages
sense. The Moon is the highest and the lowest; the
which may be transmitted by its means. The Niyama
Moon is the aspiration, the link of man and God; she
corresponding to Mercury in its highest forms may
is the supreme purity: Isis the Virgin, Isis the Virgin
readily be divined from what I have already
Mother; but she comes right down at the other end of
said, but in the technique of Yoga he represents the
the scale, to be a symbol of the senses themselves,
fineness of the method which is infinitely adaptable
the mere instrument of the registration of phenomena,
to all problems, and only so because he is supremely
incapable of discrimination, incapable of choice. The
indifferent. He is the adroitness and ingenuity which helps us in our difficulties; he is the mechanical system, the symbolism which helps the human mind of the Yogi to take cognizance of what is coming.
It must here be remarked that because of his complete indifference to anything whatever (and that thought is -- when you get far enough -- only a primary point of wisdom) he is entirely unreliable.
One of the most unfathomably dreadful dangers of the Path is that you must trust Mercury, and yet that if you trust him you are certain to be deceived. I can only explain this, if at all, by pointing out that, since all truth is relative, all truth is falsehood. In one sense Mercury is the great enemy; Mercury is mind, and it is the mind that we have set out to conquer.
Niyama corresponding to her influence, the first of all, is that quality of aspiration, the positive purity which refuses union with anything less than the All. In Greek mythology Artemis, the Goddess of the Moon, is virgin; she yielded only to Pan. Here is one particular lesson: as the Yogi advances, magic powers (Siddhi the teachers call them) are offered to the aspirant; if he accepts the
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least of these -- or the greatest -- he is lost.
world are infinite pleasure, infinite perils. The True Niyama of Neptune is the imaginative faculty, the
At the other end of the scale of the Niyama of the
shadowing forth of the nature of the illimitable light.
Moon are the fantastic developments of sensibility
He has another function. The Yogi who understands
which harass the Yogi. it is the unswerving purity
the influence of Neptune, and is attuned to Neptune,
of aspiration that enables us to surmount all these
will have a sense of humour, which is the greatest
difficulties. The Moon is the sheet-anchor of our
safeguard for the Yogi.
work. It is the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel that enables us to overcome,
Pluto is the utmost sentinel of all; of him it is not wise
at all times and in all manners, as the need of the
to speak. .... Having now given vent to this Sibylline,
moment may be.
obscure and sinister utterance, it may well be asked by the greatly daring: Why is it not wise to speak of
Herschel represents the highest form of the True Will,
Pluto? The answer is profound. It is because nothing
and it seems natural and right that this should not rank
at all is known about him.”
with the seven sacred planets, because the True Will is the sphere which transcends them. 'Every man and every woman is a star'. Herschel defines the orbit of the star, your star. But Herschel is dynamic; Herschel is explosive; Herschel, astrologically speaking, does not move in an orbit; he has his own path. So the Niyama, which corresponds to this planet is, first and last, the discovery of the True Will. This knowledge is secret and most sacred; each of you must incorporate for yourself the incidence and quality of Herschel. It is the most important of the tasks of the Yogi, because, until he has achieved it, he can have no idea who he is or where he is going.
Still more remote and tenuous is the influence of Neptune. Here we have a Niyama of infinite delicacy, a spiritual intuition far, far removed from any human quality whatever. Here all is fantasy, and in this
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The Voynich Manuscript The Most Mysterious Manuscript in the World
A
collection of quotes from people who have studied the mysterious Voynich manuscript.
“The Voynich Manuscript, which has been dubbed ‘The Most Mysterious Manuscript in the World’, is named after its discoverer, the American antique book dealer and collector, Wilfrid M. Voynich, who discovered it in 1912, amongst a collection of ancient manuscripts kept in villa Mondragone in Frascati, near Rome, which had been by then turned into a Jesuit College (closed in 1953).” - Jacques Guy.
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“From a piece of paper which was once attached to the
which some have seemed astronomical objects seen
Voynich manuscript, and which is now stored in one
through a telescope, some live cells seen through
of the boxes belonging with the Voynich manuscript
a microscope; of charts into which you may see a
holdings of the Beinecke library, it is known that the
strange calendar of zodiacal signs, populated by tiny
manuscript once formed part of the private library
naked people in rubbish bins.” - Jacques Guy
of Petrus Beckx S.J., 22nd general of the Society of
“Dating at least to 1586, the manuscript is written in a
Jesus.” - R. Zandbergen, G. Landini,
language of which no other example is known to exist.
“Wilfrid Voynich judged the Voynich Manuscript to
It is an alphabetic script, but of an alphabet variously
date from the late 13th century, on the evidence of
reckoned to have from nineteen to twenty-eight letters,
the calligraphy, the drawings, the vellum, and the
none of which bear any relationship to any English
pigments. It is some 200 pages long, written in an
or European letter system. The manuscript is small, seven by ten inches, but thick, nearly 170 pages. It is closely written in a freerunning hand and copiously illustrated with
bizarre
drawings
line that
have been watercolored:
drawings
of plants, drawings of little naked ladies appearing to take showers in a strange unknown script of which there is no known other
system of plumbing (variously identified as organs
instance in the world. It is abundantly illustrated with
of the body or a primitive set of fountains), and
awkward coloured drawings. Drawings of unidentified
astrological drawings - or what have been interpreted
plants; of what seems to be herbal recipes; of tiny
as
naked women frolicking in bathtubs connected by
Manuscript is at the Beinecke Rare Book Room at
intricate plumbing looking more like anatomical parts
Yale [catalogue number MS 408], it is accessible
than hydraulic contraptions; of mysterious charts in
to any serious scholar.” - Terence McKenna, The
astrological
drawings.
Magus Opus - Winter - 153 - http://www.occultliving.com
Since
the
Voynich
Archaic Revival
“Historically, it first appears in 1586 at the court
“Nobody knows, but the many illustrations suggest
of Rudolph II of Bohemia, who was one of the
some kind of alchemy book, that somebody may have
most eccentric European monarchs of that or any
wanted to keep secret. The manuscript has several
other period. Rudolph collected dwarfs and had a
parts identified from the illustrations (although there
regiment of giants in his army. He was surrounded by
is no guarantee that these are the subject matter of
astrologers, and he was fascinated by games and codes
the sections): a Herbal section (mostly unidentified
and music. He was typical of the occult-oriented,
and fantastic plants), an Astronomical section (with
Protestant noblemen of this period and epitomized the
most zodiac symbols), a Biological section (with
liberated northern European prince. he was a patron
some “anatomical” drawings and human figures), a
of alchemy and supported the printing of alchemical
Cosmological section (with circles, stars and celestial
literature. The Rosicrucian conspiracy was being
spheres), a Pharmaceutical section (with vases and
quietly fomented during this same period.”
parts of plants) and a Recipes section (with many
“To Rudolph’s court came an unknown person who
short paragraphs). In addition there are: pagination
sold this manuscript to the king for three hundred
and gathering (signature) numbers, several “key-
gold ducats, which, translated into modern monetary
like” sequences throughout the book,
some old
units, is about fourteen thousand dollars. This is
German writing (most probably added later), names
an astonishing amount of money to have paid for
of the months in the astronomical section (probably
a manuscript at that time, which indicated that the
added later) a few instances of extraneous writing
Emperor must have been highly impressed by it.
(different from the rest of the manuscript) text not in
Accompanying the manuscript was a letter that stated
‘Voynich script’ in the last folio reading something
that it was the work of the Englishman Roger Bacon,
like ‘michiton oladabas...’ suggesting a key to
who flourished in the thirteenth century and who was
decryption... - G. Landini and R. Zandbergen, The
a noted pre-Copernican astronomer.”
European Voynich Manuscript
“Only two years before the appearance of the Voynich Manuscript, John Dee, the great English navigator, astrologer, magician, intelligence agent, and occultist
(2)
Ruldoph’s Collection
had lectured in Prague on Bacon.” - Terence McKenna, The Archaic Revival
Magus Opus - Winter - 154 - http://www.occultliving.com
“The manuscript somehow passed to Jacobus de
tabulating machines could process, the war was over
Tepenecz, the director of Rudolph’s botanical gardens
and
(his signature is present in folio 1r) and it is speculated
disbanded....”
that this must have happened after 1608, when Jacobus
David Kahn, The
Horcicki received his title ‘de Tepenecz’. Thus 1608
Codebreakers
is the earliest definite date for the Manuscript.” -
“In 1976 Captain
Dennis Stallings ,
Prescott
the
group -
Currier
gave a paper in “Codes from the early sixteenth century onward in
which he showed
Europe were all derived from The Stenographica
that, judging from
of Johannes Trethemius, Bishop of Sponheim, an
the
handwriting,
alchemist who wrote on the encripherment of secret
the
Voynich
messages. He had a limited number of methods, and
Manuscript must have been written by at least two
no military, alchemical, religious, or political code
different people, and that the two texts differed
was composed by any other means throughout a
markedly in the frequency distribution of their letters
period that lasted well into the seventeenth century.
and combinations.” - Jacques Guy, (jguy@alphalink.
Yet the Voynich Manuscript does not appear to have
com.au)
any relationship to the codes derivative of Johannes
“The discovery of the two ‘languages’ in the Herbal
Trethemius, Bishop of Sponheim.” - Terence
Section was the principal reason for transcribing
McKenna, The Archaic Revival
and indexing this material. It was hoped that by application of comparative techniques to the Herbal A
(3)
Attempts at Decipherment
and B texts, ostensibly dealing with identical subject matter, some clue to the nature of the two ‘systems
“There
have been many more attempts [at
of writing’ might be forthcoming. The results were
decipherment] that did not result in publication because
completely negative; there was no sign of parallel
the would-be solvers honestly admitted to defeat...In
constructions or any other evidence that was useful in
1944, from among specialists in languages, documents,
this regard. It was impossible not to conclude that:
mathematics, botany, and astronomy then doing war
(a)
work in Washington, William F. Friedman organized
recording of data and
a group to work on the problem. Unfortunately, by
(b)
the time they had, working after hours, completed
accompanying text. Study of other sections of the
the task of transcribing the text into symbols that
Manuscript where ‘A’ and ‘B’ texts are found has
we were not dealing with a ‘linguistic’
the illustrations had little to do with the
Magus Opus - Winter - 155 - http://www.occultliving.com
produced nothing to alter this conclusion. Further, it
(reprint available from Aegean Park Press). It uses
has so far proved impossible to categorize or to classify
Prescott Currier’s notation, which is described in her
grammatically any series of ‘words’ or to discern any
monograph.” - Jim Gillogly (jim@rand.org)
use patterns that that would suggest any recognizable syntactic arrangement of the underlying text. Perhaps
(4)
A Cathar Manuscript?
even more important, I have been unable to identify ‘words’ or individual symbols in either language’ to
“...Dr. Leo Levitov, author of Solution of the Voynich
which I could assign even tentative numerical values.
Manuscript, presents the “thesis that the Voynich is
It seems quite incredible to me that any systems of
nothing less then the only surviving primary document
writing (or a simple substitution thereof) would not
of the “Great Heresy “ that arose in Italy and flourished
betray one or both of the above features.” - Captain
in Languedoc until ruthlessly exterminated by the
Prescott H. Currier (USN Ret.)
“Captain Currier received an A.B. in Romance Languages at George Washington University, and a Diploma in Comparative Philology at the University of London. He began his cryptologic career in 1935, and was called to active duty with the Navy in 1940. He has served in many distinguished capacities in the field, and from 1948 to 1950, was Director of Research, Naval Security Group. Since his retirement in 1962, he has continued to serve as a consultant.
Albigensian Crusade in the 1230s.”
His interest in the Voynich manuscript has been of
“The little women in the baths who puzzled so many are
very long standing, and he has devoted an impressive
for Levitov a Cathar sacrament, the Endura, ‘or death
amount of rigorously scientific analytic effort to the
by venesection [cutting a vein] in order to bleed to
problem in recent years.” - New Research on the
death in a warm bath’. The plant drawings that refused
Voynich Manuscript: Proceedings of a Seminar
to resolve themselves into botanically identifiable
“There have been several purported breaks, including
species are no problem for Levitov: ‘Actually, there is
one rather recent one, but none has been widely
not a single so-called botanical illustration that does
accepted....Mary D’Imperio, author of The Voynich
not contain some Cathari symbol or Isis ‘ symbol.’
Manuscript: An Elegant Enigma (1978), [is] the most
The astrological drawings are likewise easy to deal
detailed and scholarly study to date of this document
with: ‘The innumerable stars are representative of the
Magus Opus - Winter - 156 - http://www.occultliving.com
stars in Isis’ mantle’.’
correspondence)
“Levitov’s strong hand is translation. He asserts that the reason it has been so difficult to decipher the Voynich
(5)
Criticism
of
Manuscript is that it is not encrypted at all, but merely
Levitov’s Translation
written in a special script, and is ‘an adaptation of a polyglot oral tongue into a literary language which
Dennis
Stallings
would be understandable to people who did not
pointed out to me that
understand Latin and to whom this language could be
there are other reliable
read.’ Specifically, a highly polyglot form of medieval
records of Catharism. Montaillou: The Promised
Flemish with a large number of Old French and Old
Land of Error by Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie
High German loan words.” - Terence McKenna, The
(translated by Barbara Bray), 1978, George Braziller,
Archaic Revival
Inc., New York tells about the testimony of peasants
“The person who is knowledgeable about aid, knows
meticulously recorded in the Inquisition Register of
there is only one way to treat agonizing pain. He
Jacques Fournier, Bishop of Pamiers in Ariège. In it
treats each one by putting them through the Endura
the Endura is described as a suicidal fast.
. It is the one way that helps Death. Not everyone
“There is no resemblance here to Levitov’s claim that
knows how to assist the one with pain. The one who
Catharism was the antique cult of Isis - and certainly
is with death, and does not die will have pain. But
no truth to the picture of the Voynich nymphs’ opening
those who have such pain of death, need his help. He
their veins to bleed to death in the hot tubs!” - Dennis
understands the need. He is also aware that the person
Stallings (private correspondence)
who needs help does not know that he needs it. We all
“Waite goes on to mention that part of the Lyons Codex
know that everyone of them needs help and each of us
contains ‘certain prayers for the dying’. The codex
will be available to help.” - Voynich Manuscript (as
is in the langue d’oc. Does it resemble the Voynich
translated by Levitov)
material? We are not told.” - Terence McKenna, The
“There is fortunately one fragmentary record of
Archaic Revival
Albigensian belief which has survived....I refer to the
“I could never secure a copy of Levitov’s book, and had
Cathar Ritual of Lyons which is now well know having
to rely entirely on pp.21-31, of which Michael Barlow,
been published in 1898 by Mr. F. C. Conybeare.” - A.
who had reviewed Levitov’s book in Cryptologia,
E. Waite, Holy Grail
had sent me photocopies. Levitov’s understanding of
“The excerpt is the ritual of consolamentum , which is...
the Cathar religion and its rites, from what I could
the baptism with the Holy Spirit by laying on of hands
piece together from the review in Cryptologia, and
that made one a full Cathar.” - Dennis Stallings (private
which are central to his decipherment of the Voynich
Magus Opus - Winter - 157 - http://www.occultliving.com
manuscript which
has very few sounds (only five vowels), has seventeen
he claims is a Cathar
distinct consonants sounds, plus two semi-consonants.
prayer book, is, to
Dutch has from18 to 20 consonants (depending on
say the least, rather
speakers, and how you analyze the sounds.) What is
at odds with what
also extraordinary in Levitov’s language is that it lacks
Fernand Niel wrote
a g, and BOTH b and p. I cannot think of one single
in his Albigeois et
language in the world that lacks both b and p. Levitov
Cathares
(Paris:
also says that m occurs only word-finally, never at
Presses Universitaires de France, 1955).” - Jacques
the beginning, nor in the middle of a word. That is
B.M. Guy, On Levitov’s Decipherment of the Voynich
correct: the letter he says is m is always word-final in
Manuscript
the reproductions I have seen of the Voynich MS. But
“The language was very much standardized. It was
no language I know of behaves like that. All have an
an application of a polyglot oral tongue into a literary
m (except one American Indian language, which is
language which would be understandable to people
very famous for that, and the name of which I cannot
who did not understand Latin and to whom this
recall). In some languages, there is a position where
language could be read.” - Dr. Leo Levitov, Solution
m never appears, and that is word-finally, exactly the
of the Voynich Manuscript
reverse of Levitov’s language.”
“At first reading, I would be tempted to dismiss it all
“No European language I know fails to distinguish
as nonsense: ‘polyglot oral tongue’ is meaningless
between singular and plural in its first and third person
babble to the linguist in me. But Levitov is a medical
pronouns (i.e. I vs we, he/she/it vs they).”
doctor, so allowances must be made. The best meaning
“...We are here in the presence of a Germanic language
I can read into ‘polyglot oral tongue’ is ‘a language
which behaves very, very strangely in the way of
that had never been written before and which had
the meanings of its compound words. For instance,
taken words from many different languages’. That is
viden (to be with death) is made up of the words for
perfectly reasonable: English for one, has done that.
‘with’, ‘die’ and the infinitive suffix. I am sure that
Half its vocabulary is Norman French, and some
Levitov
of the commonest words have non-Anglo-Saxon
was thinking of
origins. ‘Sky’, for instance, is a Danish word. So far,
a
so good.”
like
“...There are only twelve consonant sounds. That is
mitkommen
unheard of for a European language. No European
which
language has so few consonant sounds. Spanish, which
‘to come along’
here
construction German
means
Magus Opus - Winter - 158 - http://www.occultliving.com
(‘to with-come’). I suppose I could say Bitte, sterben Sie mit on the same model as Bitte, kommen Sie mit (‘Come with me/us, please’), thereby making up a verb mitsterben, but that would mean ‘to die together with someone else’, not ‘to be with death’ . Next, the word order in many ‘apostrophized’ groups of words (but note that a word often consists of just one single letter), is the reverse of that of Germanic. For instance VIAN ‘one way’ literally ‘way one’ is the reverse of Dutch een weg, German ein Weg, and of course, of English ‘one way’. Ditto for WIA ‘one who’, VA ‘one will’, KER ‘she understands’
his translation) anthviteth= one that knows (an =one,
etc. Admittedly the inversion of the subject is quite
th = that, vit = know, eth = it) atwiteth = one treats
common in German (Ploetzlish dacht ich: ‘Suddenly
one who does it (a = one, t = do, wi = who, t = do, eth
thought I’) but it is governed by strict, clear-cut
= it. . (Literally: “one does [one] who does it”. The
grammatical rules, conspicuously absent in the two
first “do” is translated as “treat”, the second “one” is
sentences translated on p.31 of the except from his
again added by Levitov: he inserts an A, which gives
book upon which I am drawing for these comments.”
him ATAWITETH) aneth = ones (an = one, -eth = the
Applying Levitov’s rules for translation: thanvieth
plural ending) “Levitov’s translation of the above is:
= the one way (th = the (?), an = one, vi = way, eth
‘the one way for helping a person who needs it, is to
= it) faditeth = doing for help (f = for, ad = aid, i =
know one of the ones who do treat one’.” - Jacques
-ing, t = do, eth = it) wan = person (wi/wa = who,
B.M. Guy, On Levitov’s Decipherment of the Voynich
an = one) athviteth = one that one knows (a = one,
Manuscript
th = that, vit = know, eth = it.) (Here, Levitov adds
“A complete translation of the more than 200 pages
one extra letter, A, which is not in the text, getting his
waits in the wings - a long, arduous and possibly
ATHAVITEH, which provides the second “one” of
unrewarding task.” - Dr. Leo Levitov, Solution of the
Magus Opus - Winter - 159 - http://www.occultliving.com
repetitious underlying text, that is, one that often repeats the same words and phrases. Tests also show that the low h2 measures are probably not due to an underlying lowentropy natural language. A verbose cipher, one which substitutes several ciphertext characters for one plaintext character [i.e., ‘fuf’ for the letter ‘f’], can produce the entropy profile of Voynich text.” - Dennis Stallings , “One
could
devise
many
character
substitutions with dummy spacing, apply it to a text, and obtain a new texts that reasonably fits the statistics of the VMS, but that alone is not a proof of decipherment. At least we now know that it is possible to simply code a plaintext and explain a reduction of h2 as observed in the Voynich Voynich Manuscript “Computer analysis of the Voynich Manuscript has only deepened the mystery. One finding has been that there are two ‘languages’ or ‘dialects’ of Voynichese, which are called Voynich A and Voynich B. The repetitiousness of the text is obvious to casual inspection. Entropy is a numerical measure of the randomness of text. The lower the entropy, the less random and the more repetitious it is. The entropy of samples of Voynich text is lower than that of most human languages; only some Polynesian languages are as low.” “Tests show that Voynich text does not have its low h2 [second order entropy] measures solely because of a
Manuscript. “ - G. Landini, “The ‘dain daiin’ hypothesis. “, 9 July 1998 For example, taking a Latin phrase (from the Vulgate Bible): in principio creavit Deus caelum et terram then substituting “ dain “ for the letter “n” and “ daiin “ for “m”, the phrase becomes: i dain pri dain cipio creavit deiis caelii daiin et terra daiin A comparison of the amount of information contained in each ‘word’ of the Stars section of the Voynich MS (using the Curva alphabet) with the words in Genesis chapters 1-25 (Vulgate) and De Bello Gallico (Latin) revealed: The apparent words in the Voynich Ms appear to be really words. They are as varied as the words in Latin texts of a similar length.
Magus Opus - Winter - 160 - http://www.occultliving.com
“The first and second character of Voynich words (using the Curva alphabet) have lower entropy than in Latin. The Voynich words contain more information from the third character onwards (in the conditional sense). “The word-initial statistics of Voynichese are matched by one example of an artificial language (which postdates the VMs by at least one and a half centuries). The statistics of Voynichese and a Mandarin text written in the Pinyin script (using a trailing numerical character to indicate tone) are very different. “A word game to translate Latin to Voynichese must: Increase predictability of word starts Make words shorter Maintain the length of the vocabulary.” - R. Zandbergen , “Entropy in the Voynich Manuscript not low after all”.
So there you have the scholarly thoughts on the Voynich Manuscript; the evidence is there and you have to make up your own mind on what you think it could be: a serious document or just a centuries old hoax?
Magus Opus - Winter - 161 - http://www.occultliving.com
Tarot: The Hermit Card # IX Major Arcana
A
RRIEN - The Principle of Completion,
G
REER - Principle of Introspection and Personal Intigrity: Completing karma
Introspection, and Space: The Mediator, through service. Self-reflection, The Seeker.
Philosopher, Sage, Wise Man. A deep desire Old Wise One. Journey into the Underworld. to follow that which is extremely meaningful Perfection, patience. authenticity. The inward and heartfelt for you.
search to find personal truth in which not only accomplishments and gains, but also despair
C
OWIE - Knowledge Needed: Needing and isolation, must be accepted. Solitude. more knowledge and having to listen
closely to your inner self to find the answers needed. Meditation and prayer.
N
OBLE - Turning Within: Initiate, seeker, and hermit, representing a stage of life
in which wisdom is sought--introversion and
C
ROWLEY - Virgo. Yod.
spiritual seeking. Almost certainly a time of
Wander alone; bearing the Light and thy solitude. Usually comes as a blessing, but at
Staff. And be the Light so bright that no man first may include a sense of loneliness. seeeth thee. Be not moved by aught without or within: keep Silence in all ways.
E
P
OLLACK - A deliberate emotional withdrawal to work on self-development.
AKINS - All that is, was, and ever shall Assistance from a definite inner or outer be. There is nothing new under the Sun. guide. Or withdrawal due to fear of people,
The deepest marriage which is the divine or a Peter Pan attitude of fun and games as marriage within.
a way of avoiding the responsibility of doing something with your life.
F
AIRFIELD - Temporary withdrawal from others or from the usual environment in
order to get some perspective on the situation.
S
HARMAN-BURKE - A time for soulsearching and meditation, the need for
Gathering enough data and information so patience, and a time to work things out quietly. that you have enough presonal wisdom to A degree of solitude is often needed. sort things out. A feeling that you want to analyze or understand your role within your relationship, group, job, family, or whatever.
S
TEWART - Looking within for proper answers. Understanding that is found
through meditation or self-examination and Magus Opus - Winter - 164 - http://www.occultliving.com
direction to that of the Fool, into the world of the unconscious and the mystical.
W
ANLESS - Law of Wholeness: To become complete by uniting the
highest state of attainment in the material and spiritual realms. Using your work in the world as a spiritual path to achieve your higher destiny. Meditation.
W
IRTH - The Hermit's mission is not to fix beliefs by formulating
dogma, for he is not the Hierophant; he does assessment. May also be the close of a life cycle or period, and a withdrawal of energies accordingly.
W
AITE - This is a card of attainment rather than quest. It is the man who
has the strength to lose himself to such a degree that he finds God. Intimates that, "Where I am, you may also be," because you cannot help getting what you seek in respect of the things that are Divine: it is the law of supply and demand.
W
ALKER - From the Greek Orphics' "little Hermes" came the Hermit.
Tantric tradition taught that secular life and
not address the crowds nor let himself be approached easily, and in this way he prepares formidable events, for being unknown to his contemporaries, he becomes the actual maker of the future. With no self interest, he weaves the subtle web of what is to take place. He is the prototype putting the stamp of the species onto individuals.
R
ILEY - Being Yourself: Signifies a time to look to yourself for what you
really are and what you really want, rather than what you are supposed to be or want. The Hermit is the knowledge that the value of physical life is provisional and is justified only if it allows you to live your love.
worldly affairs should be followed by the compensatory life of seclusion and meditation. The Hermit starts a journey in the opposite Magus Opus - Winter - 165 - http://www.occultliving.com
Magus Opus - Winter - 166 - http://www.occultliving.com
Magus Opus - Winter - 167 - http://www.occultliving.com
Occult Living The Best of the
Blog
The Scents Of The Gods Posted on April 26, 2011 by Brad & Saskia
Incense (We think of incense as anything that creates a smell. An Incense Burnes throughout your home or ritual space.)
Creating your own and its use in Worship. Some people may not like incense, but we love it! Incense can transport you to another place and create a space that invokes feelings of strength, of awe or even of domination. When first discovering the worlds of incense, most of us begin in the local cheap shop, buying something imported from the gods only know where, for no more than a few dollars, but really, what sort of sacrament is this to give to your Gods? Wouldn’t they and you prefer a scent that fills your home or ritual space with just the right sort of energy? Incense in the ancient world was something that was very hard to acquire and a part of its importance was contained within that rarity. Today it hasn’t really changed, good incense and good perfume is still worth its weight in gold and although some is still exceptionally hard to Magus Opus - Winter - 168 - http://www.occultliving.com
obtain there are a vast amount of wonderful resources available through most occult stores and new age outlets. The incense trade began over 5000 years ago with the Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut importing Frankincense to her temples from the Land of Punt, on her temple in The Valley Of The Kings she had carved in the stone, a mural of stacks of Frankincense, and her love affair of incense simply continued and whole trade routes where opened for incense, botanicals and perfumes. Cinnamon came from Africa, spikenard and cardamom from India and then from Asia came wonderful scents of Nutmeg, Saffron and cloves. Alchemy in sued with many of the first perfumers famed sorcerers as well, for most of the extraction methods for oils where highly guarded secrets, which were kept among the Alchemical elite. There are a few types of incense, and it really depends on what you like as to what you use. There is of course the traditional range of stick incenses, they come in a wide variety of scents but they also have a wide variety of quality. The old axiom “You get what you Pay for” is particularly apt in the perfume trade. Then there are essential oil burners, we find these the easiest to use when creating your own perfumes and scents, simply buy a range of essential oils, that you can mix together in the oil burner and create your own special blends (Don’t forget to write them down so that you can reproduce them if they are good.). What is really important to remember when buying oils for your oil burner is to buy 100% pure essential oil, DO NOT buy fragrance oil, it is a chemically made product and it is crap, most people find fragrance oil heady and it often gives people an allergic reaction, all fragrance oils are made through a chemical process and are really not worth anything. Of course one of the true old alchemical ways of incense is to mix you own blend of Alchemy Transmutionresins, oils, spices and other aromatics and then burn them, either on a charcoal block or one of the best ways in winter is to place the resins in a small, unglazed ceramic container and place this container on the top of the fire place, this way the saps and resins heat releasing their wonderful smells throughout the space.
Magus Opus - Winter - 169 - http://www.occultliving.com
We thought that it would be nice to finish today’s post with a few recipes. These are from “The Witches Goddess” by Janet & Stewart Farrar.
Moon Priestess Perfume: * 1 Drop Queen of the Night Oil * 3 drops rose oil * 1 drop lemon verbena oil * 4 fl. oz (120cc) white spirit Blend the three oils in a bottle. Add the white spirit, and shake all vigorously. (A cologne can be made by adding another 1 FL. oz (30cc)of white spirit and 3 fl. oz (90cc) of distilled water.) Moon Priest Cologne: * 1 fl.oz (30cc) lemon verbena or Lime oil * 2 fl.oz (60cc) coriander oil * 1/2 fl.oz. (15cc) camphor or myrrh oil * 1/4 fl.oz. (7cc) white spirit * 3 3/4 fl.oz. (105cc) distilled water Blend the oils in a bottle, add the spirit and water and shake all vigorously. Increasing the myrrh oils gives a darker perfume; increasing the camphor, a lighter and more spicy one. All perfumes ‘behave’ differently on different skins, so it is worth experimenting to find your own balance.
Earth Mother Perfume: 1.
Musk oil
2.
Patchouli oil Magus Opus - Winter - 170 - http://www.occultliving.com
3.
Rose Oil
Blend in equal parts, bottle and shake well. Isis Perfume: 1.
Rose oil
2.
Blue Lotus Oil
Blend equal parts, bottle and shake well. Sun Goddess Perfume: 1.
Cinnamon Oil
2.
Lemon Verbena Oil
3.
Ylang-Ylang Oil
Blend equal parts, bottle and shake well. Oil For The Dark Of The Moon: 1.
2 fl.oz.(60cc) tincture of myrrh
2.
1 fl.oz.(30cc) oil of cinnamon
3.
1/4 fl.oz.(7cc) Queen of the Night Oil
4.
1 fl.oz.(30cc) oil of rose
Blend, bottle and shake well. Oil For The Rites Of Isis: 1.
7 drops oil of rose
2.
2 Drops oil of Camphor
3.
2 drops tincture of myrrh Magus Opus - Winter - 171 - http://www.occultliving.com
4.
3 drops oil of blue hyacinth
Blend the oils of rose, camphor, and blue hyacinth during the waxing moon. Bottle and keep till the Moon wanes. Add the Myrrh.
Samodiva Incense: * 1 oz (30gm) musk amberette * 1/2 oz (15gm) dragon’s blood (resin used in violin staining) * 4 drops patchouli oil * 4 drops civet oil * 4 drops of blood from your own finger
Sparkly New Altar Tiles Posted on April 23, 2011 by Brad & Saskia
Today we continued our tour\Family Holiday of South East Queensland. As both of us are really into Art (we met at Art School) we went to Studio 13, the stuio of one of the Occult Living approved designers, Christopher Hulme. Christopher has been an artist for over 40 years. He has worked in many mediums, however now his work seems to be more focused on his glass, ceramics, screen printing and painting work. He has spent many years manufacturing glass and ceramic tiles in a handmade and commercial industry which is why we decided we would commission him to create for us some wonderful Altar Tiles. When we arrived at the studio, it really was perfect timing as the kiln was now just cool enough for us to open and check out the first couple of sample tiles and weren’t we impressed! The Altar Tiles are wonderful! Two of the sample Altar Tiles in The Kiln are glazed with a brilliant golden glaze and due to the amazing crackling effect of the metallic glaze, it almost looks as if the Altar Tile itself is made from a beaten sheet of gold. They are very Egyptian and we must say that when we first saw them both of us got a deep Isis vibe and being gold they just Magus Opus - Winter - 172 - http://www.occultliving.com
have to attract goodness! They have a deeply indented pentagram design on the top and are slightly concaved, which just makes them perfect for most people’s Altars, as we all know how annoying it is to use the Altar Tile as a offering plate just to have everything on it all rolling around. The other Altar Tile is a design that Saskia completed, which depicts the elements as the elemental creatures, in their correct colours
and
directions,
which is beautiful too. The Altar Tile or Pentacle is one of the most important elemental weapons. More than likely it is the one that most people start out with, as it is often the easiest of the magickal tools to acquire. Pentagrams on an Altar can be as simple as a bowl of salt or dirt with a pentagram drawn into it, or they can be elaborate artworks that you may spend massive amounts of time on or you may simply decided to purchase it, either way the Altar Tile, Pentagram or Pentacle in the center of the Altar works in a few very different ways. The pentagram when it is displayed on an Altar is symbolic of the earth and the earth mother. It symbolizes the deep wisdom and ancientness of the earth and helps to ensure that your magick is always balanced, true and correct. A word on differences: It is correct to call the Altar Tile a Pentacle IF it has a circle that runs around the outside of the Pentagram. If it is just the five sided star it is a Pentagram. Some people are very particular Magus Opus - Winter - 173 - http://www.occultliving.com
about it, so it pays to know) Altar tile aesthetic differs greatly from person to person, there are many different designs out there from the triquetra and the triple moon symbols, to the more elaborate Kabalistic designs of the tree of life. Whichever one you choose or have chosen for your Altar, make sure that it feels right and also make sure that the symbology of the item works with your practice too. For example if you are a die hard pan-Gaia-ist probably not the best idea to get one with a tree of life on it, as the Kabalistic symbolism is not going to work in with you or your practice. Well that has completed our tour of South East Queensland and tomorrow it is off back down the road to the Mountain, the most amazing and magickal place in the whole world.
The Many Altars At Our House Posted on April 12, 2011 by Brad & Saskia
An Altar Tour At Brad And Sas’s Today we decided to write about the many altars that we have in our house. Altars are an extremely important part of spiritual practice in our opinion. Altars provide a focus for energy and also the ability to petition certain spirits, energies or gods in order for them to become closer to you and bring the things that you truly desire into your life.
Main Altar Once you start building altars, you just won’t stop! For some unknown reason they become a little addictive, and before you know it most of your flat surfaces Magus Opus - Winter - 174 - http://www.occultliving.com
are covered in candles and devotional items. There is really no correct way to set up your altar however you should always have a main one that symbolically represents the microcosm, your world and the elements. Often it is import for there to be a black and white candle on either end , although as we all know, black pillar candles can be hard to get (At least they are here). Our main Altar which is in the centre of our house is probably our most abundant. As this is the main Altar this one is probably the most important. We feel that this altar should be a good description of your whole practice through symbols. On the altar are the representations of the elements, Earth, Air, Fire Water and Spirit. We have a bottle of water from the Chalice well in Glastonbury, a wonderful collection of crystals displayed, we have an offering bowl of leaves, and all sorts of other items dedicated to our practice. All the other Altars are all around the house. At the front door we have an Altar to Papa Legba. Papa is the gatekeeper and as such opens the gates to the spirit world and other energies to flow into your life. He loves tobacco, so you can see on his altar there are some cigarettes and some decorative pipes, as he is the gate keeper there is a key, he is personified as the catholic St Peter who holds the keys to heaven and therefore you can see his image and above that, you can see his Veve a symbolic spirit drawing from the Voodoo tradition. I think what is important to remember is that all of the gods in our humble opinion are one. What do we mean by that I hear you ask? Well we feel that all the gods are personifications of the one source energy, to read about this more fully see the article Who is god and the nature of Oneness in our Summer Issue.
Ancestor Altar Across from the door is our Altar dedicated to the ancestors. This has a black hat on it, symbolising the Gede spirits, some Magus Opus - Winter - 175 - http://www.occultliving.com
bowls containing water for the spirits to drink, a candle in a bowl and another candle in a family heirloom ashtray. Still in the same sort of area we have another altar dedicated to the fae and nature. This altar has a massive image of the Green man hanging above it, which is awesome. On this Altar are some very special things. We have a rock\fossil that has come from Tibet, that has a spiral in it, which is amazing, our smudging fan, some Shivalinghams which are amazing stones from India quite hard to get now we are lead to believe but thay are the representation of wisdom and knowledge coming together. We have some crystals on there also that help with deva and fairy connection.
Altar to Erzuli Freda Finally in our bedroom is our last Altar. This is our Altar to Erzuli Freda, she is a beautiful goddess who represents the energy of love and wealth. On her Altar you can see a statue of the Mater Delarosa, or Our Lady of Sorrows for the Catholics. Elzi (as we like to refer to her as) loves finery and gold, pink candles and girly things. You can see that we have some fairy lights up around her image and Veve and on her Altar. You can see pink candles burning, some money (So we attract more in ;D) and an offering plate. So those are the Altars at our house, hope you enjoyed the tour and that it encourages you to try your hand at building one at home. We find that they add the most beautiful energy to our house and make it a truly desirable place to be. Cheers Brad and Saskia
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