Devo Magix: Spoon Heka

Ever since I learned about Spoon Theory, I have had a thing for spoons. I think this is because it gave me an image to latch on to that represented so much of what I was going through, and in the process, I have collected quite a number of spoons.

Most of these spoons sit in a special cup on my personal shrine at home. Because there is no discreet or easy way to carry spoons with me, I am forced to leave my spoons at home in their cup and go on with my day without them. It has always been my hope that I could find spoons that I could hang on a necklace, or put on a key chain or spoons that would be small enough to carry on my person. It just so happens that I finally found some.

My partner found a set of teapot spoons online, and decided to get them for me on a whim. They suit me in a lot of ways- I love tea and the rhinestone on the handle is really up my alley. And the best part about these spoons is that they are small and have a loop in the handle, which can be strung up on a necklace.

My original intent was to get some thin satin cording, however my attempts at finding a color that suited my needs was proving difficult. I could find a ton of rainbow colors, as well as a bunch of really boring, washed out colors. But there wasn’t anything that really worked for me.

In my despair, I meandered around the Micheal’s and tried find something else that would work for my needs. I came across this really nice “yarn” that I felt I could use. And I was in luck because it was on sale, and there were two sets of colors that suited the gods I worked with- the red reminding me of Set, and the blue cording reminded me waaaay too much of the River and Big O. I felt like it was a win-win for me all around.

So I sat down with all of my supplies and decided what to do with the spoons. Due to the thickness of the cording, I could no longer string beads onto the necklace like I had originally hoped. However, I decided to play off of the netting that existed within this “yarn” and I worked with knots and numbers instead.

For the red cord, I chose to place two knots above the spoon. Two was a number of duality in ancient Egypt, and I have come to associate two with not only creation, but balance. Harkening back to balancing my two halves and making them whole, I can no longer look at the number two and not think about this. The same way that Ptah balances chaos and stability, I balance my work with Set and Osiris, and I balance my internal self with my external life. Balance is incredibly important to me, and so I felt that having two knots suited this need well.

The blue cording was a slightly different story, though. I decided to try and make a more complicated knot for this piece, which is perhaps a reflection on the complicated nature of mine and Osiris’ relationship. I opted to look online for something that would translate well into this thicker “yarn”, and I found this. And so I decided to give it a shot. After I created the more complicated knot, I added two smaller knots to either side of the main piece. The number 4 represented completeness and totality in ancient Egyptian symbolism, and I felt that I could use some completeness and stability in my self-care. This also mirrors Osiris himself, who is known to be the djed pillar- a beacon of stability and endurance.

Although the necklaces probably look more home made than some people would prefer, I liked the informality of each of these pieces. I also like that I could take the spoons off of the current cording, and switch them out for something else. So if I decided that I wanted to change the focus of the cord, I could either untie them, and redo them in a more suitable format. Or, I could destroy the current cording, and replace it with entirely new cording that suits my needs. Either way, there is a lot of flexibility in what I could do with these pieces, and I like that.

I am super happy that I can finally take a spoon with me to work or to family gatherings or what have you. It feels nice to be able to look down and see the cording, or to rub the spoon between my fingers when I’m stressed and know that I am not alone. And because the cording ties back to my gods, it’s another way to have them in my day to day life in a not-so-obvious way. I can’t wait to be able to take these spoons with me, and see how they influence my ability to cope with day to day life, as well as how many learning opportunities they will provide when someone asks me “Why are you wearing a spoon?”.

Have you ever performed any spoon heka? If so, how did you go about it?

Relevant Posts:

• Amulets, Talismans and Protective Items
• Spoon Magix
• Caring About Self-Care
• Ma’at Shines Through My Body

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Devo Magix: A Sa for Protection

The Sa was a commonly used amulet in the Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt and literally represented “protection”. We’re not entirely sure what the Sa was exactly- some people think it was a life-preserver of sorts, others think that it was a rolled up herdsman’s shelter (Wilkinson, Reading Egyptian Art, 197). Regardless of what the Sa actually was, it became a symbol used largely for protective purposes- and that protection could range from childbirth to traveling and was often held by deities such as Tawaret and Bes.

For this project, we’re going to create a Sa out of fabric that you can use to protect yourself, your family, or whatever you want. The supplies you’ll need are:

• Scissors
• Fabric (I chose red)
• Cordage or yarn in whatever color you’d like
• Markers (I chose black)

You will want to start by cutting your fabric into a rectangular shape. Make sure that you have enough space to write your petition onto the fabric and keep in mind how tall you’ll want your Sa to be- because you’ll want to cut the fabric to about double that length.

Once the fabric is cut, decide what you’d like protection over or from. The fabric will serve as a vehicle of protection- so you’ll want to imbue it with your needs. You could anoint your fabric with oils, cleanse it with salt or natron, leave it outside to soak up solar or lunar juju, or you could leave it in your shrine case for a predetermined amount of time- whatever will help your situation and needs.

For my particular situation, I chose to write a series of sigils onto the fabric. Like with any amuletic practices, I mentally focused while writing and made sure to keep my mind on the task at hand.

The cordage is the next step. You can choose whatever colors or numbers you prefer. I would recommend not making your braids too thick, or it could cause problems with rolling up the Sa later. If braiding isn’t your thing, you could easily take a few cords and tie a series of knots into the threads with numbers that correspond to your needs.

In this case, I chose colors and numbers that corresponded to various members of my family. I braided up the the cords and knotted each end. Like with the fabric, you could choose to anoint each cord with oil or allow them to soak up energies as you see fit. Feel free to get creative with preparing the materials that you’ll be using to make your Sa.

Then, you will want to lay your braid/cordage onto the edge of the fabric like so:

And you will slowly wrap the braid up into the fabric like this:

It can take a few tries to get the fabric tightly wound around the braid inside. Once the fabric is fully wrapped around the braid, I held it like this:

You will take another section of cordage and tightly wrap it around the joint of the Sa. You can use whatever colors you like, tie as many knots as you like, or create bows if that works best for you. In the end, I ended up with this:

You could also wrap the cordage around the body of the Sa, if you wanted. Many traditional representations do have multiple knots tied around the loop of the amulet. Alternatively, you could tie another loop at the top of your Sa so that you could wear it on a necklace.

Place the Sa wherever you will feel its benefits. If it’s for protection while traveling- place it in the car. If its for your child, perhaps placing it in their pocket or backpack would work well. If its for your house, you could place it on the hearth, or a central location where the family gathers and mingles.

If anyone out there makes their own Sa, I’d love to hear how it turns out!

Other examples of this in action:

• msarano
• thejackalsdance

Other Devo Magix Posts:

• Cleansing
• Amulets, Talismans and Protective Items
• Sigils

 

 

KRT: Execrations, Curses and Ethics

Execrations and Curses: Can you perform them? What are the ethics behind them, if any? How and when can you perform them?

For this round of the Kemetic Round Table, we are discussing the nuances of casting curses and utilizing execrations. Curses are a sticky subject amongst certain groups of the Pagan umbrella due to perceived ethical implications of performing magic with the intent of harming someone, and since execrations are very similar, we lumped them together for this post.

In short, the answer is yes, you can perform curses and execrations (as not to be redundant, I recommend looking at this post for execration basics). It was not uncommon for the ancient Egyptians to perform execrations daily (by priests in temples and by laity) and we’ve got records of curses and other hexes being performed as well.

The ethics doing such is less than clear, and I personally believe that the ethical implications of what you are and are not willing to perform or do in regards to magix is a completely personal thing. Much like morality in general, I don’t think that it is a topic that anyone but yourself can truly dictate for yourself. In antiquity, it seems that many people were okay with doing all sorts of curses and love spells and other “questionable” magical acts in order to get what they wanted. I touched on this briefly in my last KRT post about threatening and bribing gods. The ethics of what was okay magically then doesn’t necessarily reflect how many Kemetics feel about ethics now. You can look to the past as an indication of what is okay and what isn’t, but I think that you have to consider that times change and our ethical systems can change with it.

Basically: You have to sleep with yourself at night. If you’re uncomfortable performing any particular type of magix, you probably shouldn’t perform it until you feel secure in what you are doing. Being unsure about your magical acts will only serve to weaken your magix.

I personally try not to sling curses left and right, but I’m not above cursing in the least. I tend to execrate and bind things before I curse them. But again, my ethics are not your ethics. I can’t hold you to my ethical standards, nor should I.

The logistics of when and where you should perform such magix is also up to you. I perform execrations regularly because I feel that they help to keep me balanced and remove blockages before they get too large. Much like someone that cleanses regularly- I feel like execrations help to keep the metaphorical “ball” rolling in my life. I do perform larger, more elaborate execrations when I get the feeling that I should. And on occasion, one of the gods will tell me that I need to perform an execration- at which point I normally do.

Curses are less common for me. I usually only curse someone if I am completely and utterly fed up with a person, persons, or a situation. However, I do know of people who curse regularly, or at the drop of a hat. Different strokes for different folks, as they say. There is no right or wrong time to perform these acts. It is a matter of personal preference.

If you wish to get some ideas about what you can do with curses and execrations, here is a list of resources to get you started!

Magix and heka in antiquity:

• The Mechanics of AE Magical Practice: Ritner
• Magic in AE: Pinch
• Ancient Egyptian Magical Texts: Borghouts

Resources and examples for modern Execrations and Curses:

• Devo Magix: Execrations
• Shoe execrations
• Formal Execrations
• Spell ya Later
• Eternal Egypt
• A Tale of Two Magix
• Aggressive Spell Crafting
• Heka for everyone

To read the other entries for this topic, visit the master list here.

 

Devo Magix: Sex Magix

Please note: This post does discuss sex and masturbation. For the purposes of this article, I will be using the word sex for both “unisex” (aka masturbation) and sex with one or multiple partners. So depending on whichever you intend to do- swap in whichever word works best for you. As with all sexual acts- please use your own discretion and keep safety in mind. Do not engage in sexual acts without your partner’s consent.

I love using sexy sexy fun time in my magix because sex brings forth a lot of energy and juju with (for me) minimal effort and fuss. However, it seems that a lot of people don’t know about this awesome form of magix, and most of the posts and articles I read on sex magix just… don’t sit well with me. So hopefully this post will help get your mind going with some ideas on how you could utilize sex magix in your own practice.

Sex magix can be done solo (aka masturbation), with one or more physical partners, or with one or more astral/non-physical partners. Don’t let your current situation hold you back from experimenting. Sex magix works well solo and with friends.

The whole premise of the use of sex magix is very simple. Almost every form of sex magix will follow along the following lines of process:

• Decide what it is you want to do (consecrate an item, form wards, raise energy to be put into an object or person, etc).
• Determine if this will be done solo or with partner/s- if with other people, ask for consent and make sure that they are okay with it.
• Determine where and how you’d like to go about it. Pick your location, set it up in a way that is pleasing for you and your partner/s.
• Go to town, focusing on the task at hand.
• At the very end as everyone is feeling their release, drive and focus the energy were it needs to do.
• Bask in the afterglow.

Very very simple, yet very flexible and effective for many many things.

Because there are so many layers to sex magix, I’m going to break this down into a few categories:

• Sex and physical vs. non-physical partners (and combining both)
• Using toys
• Using what you’ve got: fluids and body parts
• Applying the concepts with a few examples

Please be aware that this guide is only a drop in the bucket for possibilities. If anything, this guide is here to serve as a primer to get your wheels turning. There are countless other ways that sex magix can be applied.

Sex and Partners

Partners (or lack thereof) is very important when doing sex magix. You need to make sure that the people you are sexing it up with are okay with using any sort of magix while getting it on, and you want to ensure that you’re comfortable with whomever you’re working with.

Sex with physical partners is pretty straight forward- I don’t think I have to explain much there (other than an emphasis on consent). But working with non-physical partners such as deities or astral entities can be a little tricky. Sex with non-physical partners can vary from person to person. Some people experience their partners as though they are here in the physical realms- when sex gets going on the non-physical side, they find that their physical body reacts exactly as it would to a physical partner being there. However, this isn’t the case for everyone- and that’s okay.

When you first start out with any sort of sexual venture with non-physical partners, remember that the same rules apply as physical relationships. Make sure that they aren’t moving too quickly for you and that you’re okay with whatever is going on. For myself personally, sex with a non-physical partner is enhanced by physical stimulation out here. So it’s not entirely uncommon for me to have a combination of physical and non-physical partners, or to be masturbating on one end, and having sex with a partner of mine (or multiple partners) on the other end. The more you experiment with this, the easier it’ll get to figure out what works best for you.

What delineates who I use as a partner/s for my sex magix depends partially on the intent of the work. If I’m trying to raise energy for a person in particular- I will usually try to get it on with them directly (where applicable) because it is essentially for them. If my workings have nothing to do with my non-physical partners, but are entirely centered around my physical life, I will opt to ask my physical partner for assistance over my non-physical partners. Other things to consider will be connection- if you need something with a lot of OOMPH, you’ll likely want to pick partners that you have particularly strong experiences and connection with, etc.

Using Toys

Toys, garments and other accessories can be helpful with sex magix. They can help to make your magix more potent or they can help to get you into the right mindset when getting started. When choosing toys, pick things that you or your partner/s will like and be sure to be aware of your comfort levels when choosing items.

Sigil in a safe location on a bullet vibrator

You can easily dedicate a certain toy or item to sex magix use in a similar fashion to how you might create an amulet or talisman. You can easily write sigils or protective/charged symbols on your items and/or anoint them with special oils of your choosing. However, be aware that many oils and markers don’t work well with your sensitive bits- so if you’re going to mark up a vibrator (for instance) make sure to only write on areas that will be safe to touch and won’t degrade the materials of the toy.

If you’re concerned about your item being safe for your skin, perhaps consider charging up a bottle of your favorite lube and using that to anoint your toy before use. That way, you’re only putting skin safe items into your more sensitive places.

An example of sigils on lubes.

You can also choose to keep your sex magix items in a protective box or bag– this way, your items will soak up all of your magix juju just be being stored away in their special place.

This concept doesn’t have to stop with toys or garments either. You could very easily charge up the sheets you do your sex magix on, or even the bed posts of your bed. There are lots of possibilities here.

Using What You’ve Got: Fluids and Body Parts

While I know this might not be for everyone, one of my favorite uses of sex magix is sealing and charging items. For me, this is primarily done through the use of fluids that come from the act of sex. Don’t discount the possible uses of fluids in your practice- you can easily use them to charge items that are tied to you and the partner/s that are performing the sexual acts. Fluids can be used to mark items as yours or can be used to consecrate an item that might symbolize the relationship btwn you and your deity (if that is the type of relationship that you have). I have also found that sexual fluids are good for warding and protection items as well. Just be aware of whether other people could be touching an item that you’ve literally marked up with body fluids- that might not be welcome in some households.

Additionally, you can easily utilize sigils and body art as a means to charge up your sex magix. Drawing a sigil on your hand before masturbating might give your sex magix an extra desired push. You can also cleanse your hands, or dip them into a special charged mixture or lotion in order to give your sex magix more direction.

You can also use your hands to charge up an item by holding onto the item during the act. If your hands are not available, you could wear the item on your person (such as a necklace) or leave it close to where you’re having sex (such as a night stand or under your pillow, etc) to allow it to soak up the juju that is created from the act.

Some Examples and Applications of Sex Magix:

From here I will discuss some basic applications of sex magix, or go through some of the basic motions of using sex magix. As stated above, this is in no way a complete list- just a few ideas to get you started.

Using Sex as an Offering

Sexual energies can easily be offered up to a deity (or other non-physical entity) and some of you may already have this occurring with or without your knowledge. You’ll likely know if this is occurring by whether you’ve got a voyeur type deity who loves to hang around during your sexy fun times and watches (or participates). If you wanted to make this happen on purpose- you could very easily let your deity know before you get started and welcome them into the space and allow them to soak up the energies that are raised during the process. Additionally, you could set aside a certain item that you will use only when you want to invite the deity or entity into your space for sexy fun times.

So, using a Kemetic ritual as an example, you might call the deity into the space, light the incense or candles (if you do so) and give them their offerings. In between leaving out offerings and reverting them- you could “perform” your sexual part of the rite, and after you’re done, revert any offerings you’ve given back, and close up your ritual space. If you were going to us a more Wiccan ritual structure, you might want to call your quarters and set up your circle. Ask in or summon your entities of choice, set out offerings, perform your sex, and then thank your deities and release the space. Obviously, you don’t have to be this formal if you don’t wish to be. I’ve often found that, like children, gods know when sex is occurring and they’ll just show up on their own and soak up the energy as it is being raised.

Conversely, if you don’t want non-physical entities watching while you get it on- warding yourself or your room up before you get started should help with this problem.

I’m sure some will ask why a god might want sexual energy dedicated to them, and I can’t entirely explain why they would. I only know that some gods seem to enjoy it as an offering and there seems to be an awful lot of gods who love to watch. So regardless of the reasons behind it- that would be the method I would use to go about making it happen.

Using Sex to Ward up a Location

I love using sex to charge up wards. There is very little else that can really mark a spot as ‘yours’ as much as sexual juju. And there is usually so much energy that gets raised during the process of sex- it makes for a great mixture. However, depending on your situation, I would opt to use this method for warding up a room, as opposed to an entire house. When using sex to ward, I’d urge you to be careful as to which rooms you’re spilling such energy into- be sure that the people who will be using the rooms you’re warding in this method are going to be okay with those types of energies floating around them (if they are sensitive to such things).

I’ve found that sexual activity, especially when you set out with the intent to ward, tends to fill a room and the process of warding sort of happens automatically. As the release occurs, the energy fills the room, and if you’re even remotely thinking about it protecting you- its going to. However, if you wish to make this more potent, I recommend trying to direct the energy during and/or afterwards- either through movement, intent, or possibly by touching the structure of the room itself (walls, floor) during the peak of your activities will get the job done.

Warding is highly personal, so I recommend experimenting with things to see what works best for you.

Using Sex to Heal

This is a technique that I use mostly on the astral, though I imagine if you’re good with manipulating energy here in the physical, or possibly had reiki training- maybe you could make it work here, too. Astrally, sometimes we get banged up, or things get hurt, and you can utilize sex magix to heal certain things. The most common thing I use sex magix for (in regards to healing) is for repairing a bond between two people, though it could be used for other ailments as well (such as removing energetic blockages or healing a specific injury).

The purpose of this method is to drive energy into a wound or a spot that needs healing. Considering that wounded folks can’t usually move around a lot- this might not be the most practical application for certain types of healing. However, the healing of bonds and connections between people don’t usually have such physical limitations.

In order for sex to heal, you’ve got to be comfortable with your partner- that is probably the most important thing I can emphasize for this. Especially if you’re wanting to heal bonds or threads. In order for the energy to do what it needs to do, you have to be okay enough with your partner to not keep a lot of walls up- otherwise, the energy isn’t going to get to where it needs to be.

The basic layout for healing through sex is pretty simple- I utilize the application of hands to a location in order to pass the energy that is being raised into the person. If you’re healing bonds or threads, this normally involves both parties touching one another around the chest area (where a lot of bonds, threads and cores are held). If you’re healing a particular wound, I would advise the hands to be placed on or around the wound so that it can be channeled into the injury. The hands don’t necessarily need to be touching the whole time- but I’ve found that, like with most of these methods, the energy is most potent around and leading up to the orgasm- so I’d recommend being in contact during those times the most and as you go at it, to focus on pushing the energy into the person or wound.

As stated above, you could make this more potent with sigils on your hands, or with unlocking certain energy points within your body (if you know how to).

Where from here?

Hopefully this guide helps you to get some ideas flowing for how you can utilize sex magix in your practice. As always, if you’ve got any questions or need any assistance, feel free to ask in the comments below. Don’t be afraid to try new things and experiment to find out what works best for you!

To see more topics and discussion about sex magix, take a look at the “sex magick” tag on my Tumblr.

 

Devo Magix: Desert Magix

In a lot of books on witchcraft and Paganism in general, you’ll see a lot of references to plants and fauna that occur in more temperate parts of the world. You know, places that are north and east of SoCal, AZ and lower NV. Because of this, it can be difficult to know what to do with your magix when you’re stuck in the pits of hell desert.

For this post, I’m going to go over some of the various plant life you can find in the US SW desert, and how you can use the natural surroundings in your magical workings. Although it might look like there is nothing of use around you when you gaze out across the charbroiled landscape- I assure you that there are some great things out here that are very very useful for magix.

Plants and Vegetation:

With all plants, please use your discretion when harvesting parts of the plant. Don’t take so much that the plant will not survive, and please remember that de-barking trees can lead to the death of the tree (if you remove too much bark). With all of the vegetation listed below, remember that there are common parts to all plants that can be harvested- needles/thorns, leaves, bark and seeds- and all of these will have comparable uses regardless of the plant that they are harvested from. Please be aware that all correspondences used in this post are my own.

A general synopsis of plant bit associations that I have:

• Needles/thorns: Used for curse jars and execrations. I also like to use these in protection spells. Please be careful when harvesting needles. Some types of cactus (and trees) can have poisons or toxins on their needles. Use your discretion when handling.
• Leaves: I use leaves in protection (in AZ, leaves protect you from the hot hot sun) and growth spells. I also like to use leaves in spells for abundance.
• Bark: I use bark in a lot of warding. Bark is protection for the tree, and so I utilize it as a means to protect myself. I also like to use bark as a means to write sigils for spells- provided the piece of bark is large enough.
• Branches: Also used as a protection means. I like to make amulets out of branches.
• Seeds: Utilized in spells for growth, potential, creativity and abundance.
• Seed pod: Used to incubate anything that I’m trying to accomplish.

Cactus:

There are many different types of cactus that you can work with, but generally speaking- almost all cactus can be used for the same thing: their needles. These needles can be used in curse jars and execration rites as a means of causing pain to the recipient. You could also easily use cactus needles, or cacti themselves as a means of protection and warding. Energetically, I consider cacti to be very active, forceful and unyielding. You could harness any of these properties by using cactus bits in your magix.

• Prickly Pear: Prickly Pear comes in a wide variety of types, and each type will likely have its own possible uses and correspondences. But for the sake of length, I’m going to address PP as a whole unit for this post. PP are edible cacti, and you can even buy the paddles in some grocery stores. If you’re brave enough to harvest the paddles, or the flowering fruit- you could use these to represent sustenance during a difficult time. PP are very hardy and are difficult to kill- so any parts or pieces that you harvest from these plants is likely to carry those traits with them.
• Cholla: Cholla (pronounced “Choy-ah”) are evil. Much like Prickly Pear, there are multiple types of Cholla to pick from, but most of them are very similar. These cacti will drop pods of needles onto the ground. These pods are statically charged, and if you happen to be near them- they will suction to you and hurt really badly. So, just based off of this alone- I think it is a good indication of their use as a means of protection and in curses. You can also utilize their static nature to draw things to your workings- just make sure you’re okay if those things get poked when they show up. Be careful when you harvest these! You are likely to get stuck.
• Barrel Cactus: These cacti are very unassuming and they personally remind me of Daruma. Their needles are very easy to gather, as they are long and thick (please be careful when harvesting any spines). During certain parts of the year, pods will fall off of the top of these cacti. If you can collect one, they will contain a bunch of small black seeds. These seeds are useful in spells for growth and prosperity. You could even potentially use the pod itself as a rattle (depends on how shriveled up it is from the sun).

Please be aware that it is against the law to go out into the desert and remove certain types of cacti from their natural habitat. Please obtain all cacti through legal means. Additionally, in AZ, such cacti as the Saguaro are protected by law. Don’t mess with them ❤

Trees:

• Mesquite/Acacia– Acacia trees are well known for their very long and sharp needles. As with cacti, the needles are very useful in curse jars and warding techniques. Some needles are big enough to actually be used as needles- which you could do. You can easily use the bark, seeds, and leaves of the Acacia as well. I like to use these parts for resiliency (Acacias are not easily killed. Many can be hit by lightning, or knocked over by monsoon winds and still manage to survive).
• Ironwood– Ironwood trees are known for their silver wood and light purple flowers. The wood of the Ironwood tree is a very slow burning wood and is very hard. I like to use branches, needles and bark from this tree regularly. The thorns are much smaller than Acacia trees- so be careful when harvesting them. Due to the slow burning nature of the wood, and the name of the tree itself, I like to use Ironwood in spells where endurance or strength is needed.
• Palo Verde– I consider Palo Verde to be the Sakura of the desert world. These plants have a very bright and short-lived flowering season in the early spring. If you can collect up any of the flowers that are shed during this season, you could utilize them in magix for enjoying things while they last, accepting transience of a situation, or perhaps utilizing notions of frail beauty. Additionally, this tree is almost always green, so you could collect branches or leaves to attract some “green” into your life, or to represent resilience and steadfastness. Also, sometimes the leaves form on long, thin flexible … branches? leaves? I don’t know what to call them. But these pieces can be used in knot magix as well.

Shrubs and Bushes:

• Creosote: My family calls these bushes “Greasewood” bushes, and if there is anything AZ is known for, its the smell that these bushes emit once they’ve been rained on. These plants are about as hardy as you can get. They can remain dormant for decades, and can survive without water for years if they have to. Their leaves are very waxy and their branches are very flexible. These bushes can be used for a wide variety of things. All parts of the bush can be utilized for resilience, endurance and flexibility. You can collect the little white “puffs” that form after the flowering season is over- these are the seeds of the bush.
• Brittlebush: I use Brittlebush leaves the way most people use Sage- I dry and burn them to cleanse my house or workings. I also like to add the leaves and flowers to various working for cleansing and protective purposes.

Other stuff you can pick up off of the ground:

• Sand: Sand is a great cleanser. I use it as a base for a lot of my magix boxes. I like to use it to ground out spells, to help cleanse items, to lock items up (bury the item in sand to suffocate it). For me, sand is often used as the equivalent of “salt” to a lot of other people. You can buy sand in home improvement stores, or if you’re lucky- you can gather sand from dried up washes.
• Feathers: Please be aware that it is illegal to have feathers that belong to birds of prey. So collect feathers at your own discretion, as local laws vary regarding this. Feathers can be used to represent agility, speed, or grace (depending on the bird). You can use feathers to help spread messages or ideas to new people and places. You can use feathers to represent wind or air, or to help new ventures “take flight”.
• Rocks: We’ve got a lot of rocks down here in the desert. Some of the most common rocks you’re going to find are quartz blends such as granite and straight up white quartz (often sold as “clear quartz” in fancy frou frou stores). But all rocks have the potential for good uses, and desert stones are great because they’ve been baking cleansing in the sun for a long time before you decided to pick one up. You can use stones to ground out your house, or to protect a location (place a stone in every corner of your room/house/property for protection, or perhaps one on either side of your door). You can draw sigils on rocks for various needs as well. Rocks have limitless possibility and there are many interesting stones you can find out in the desert. Please be careful when picking up stones, though- often times snakes, lizards and scorpions like to live underneath of them 🙂

Creepies, Crawlies and Dead Stuff

The desert has a lot of critters and neat things that you can find (living and dead). Due to the nature of the dry desert, you can sometimes find remains of animals and other things that can be used in magical workings. As always, please use your discretion when handling potentially venomous or poisonous items such as snake bits, spiders or scorpions.

• Spiders: You’ll find a lot of different spiders out here in the desert. The most common ones that I see are the standard Daddy Long Legs. However, it’s not unheard of to find Black Widows, Tarantulas and Wolf Spiders. Sometimes, you will find dried up versions of Daddy Long Legs or Black Widows which you can use for your magix. A common myth around here is that Daddy Long Legs bring rain- so you could use them in weather spells. You could easily use Black Widows in curses or protective spells. Just be careful when handling them. Additionally, you could try to collect some of the webbing from these spiders and use them in your workings. Webs are good for entangling people and making situations sticky- for better or worse. You could also use webs in protective workings- making it so that your enemies get caught up in the web.
• Coyotes: Coyotes are common around the more rural areas of the desert, and can be seen regularly- depending on where you live. While I wouldn’t recommend trying to hunt down a coyote for its bits, you can sometimes find dried out skeletons, knucklebones, skulls, and bits of fur along the side of the road or out in the deserts. Knuckle bones could be used in spells regarding chance and luck. Any of the bits could be used in spells for resourcefulness, being clever, ability to get out of bad situations, or elusiveness.
• Scorpions: Sometimes you will find these guys all dried out as well. I have found them in my shed before, and sometimes in places like garages and storage closets. You can use the stingers the same way that you would needles or nails- in curse jars and the like. The pincers can be used for protective workings, spells where you need to “get a grip” or potentially lock something down (think of anything that my require a firm grip or a vice grip). You could use scorpion bits for laying low and being undetected (these guys are good at that- trust me), or you can use them as a ‘hardening’ or protective agent (their “skin” is like armor, so utilize that aspect of their makeup).
• Lizards: Sometimes you will find dead lizards. More commonly, though, you will find lizard tails (many lizards can drop their tails when they feel threatened). So you could use said tail in magix where you are trying to get out of a bad situation or are trying to escape. You could also use the tail in magix that is diversionary in nature (since the tail flops around on the ground and distracts the predator while they run away). If you find a whole lizard- many of the lizards here are capable of scaling multi-storie buildings, and are also masters of blending into their surroundings. You could easily use both of these aspects when using lizard pieces in your magix.
• Horses: It probably sounds really bad- but sometimes you do find horse carcasses out in the desert. We do have wild horses in the desert out here, and sometimes people will drop dead, domesticated horses out in the desert because they can’t afford to have them properly disposed of. Additionally, many people out here in the desert have horses on their property- so you could ask them for some stuff, if they are okay with it. Horse hair is very very strong. You can braid it and use it in knot magix. You can also use it in bindings. You can get horse hoof shavings (a normal part of keeping horse’s feet properly trimmed) which can be used for travel or getting rid of the old and bringing in the new. Sometimes, with a carcass, you can find dried out bones and teeth on a horse which you can use as well.

Make the weather work for you

I know that many people think that the desert only comes in one form: hot and sunny. And while this is normally true, there are still aspects of the weather which can be used in your workings. The sunlight that shines down every day here makes a great incubator for cleansing items and for helping to melt wax or seal workings (as an idea, you can take a bunch of broken crayons, put them in a wax paper cup, leave it in the sun and let it all melt. Take it inside to cool. Remove the cup- now you’ve got multi-colored magix crayon to write with. You can include other things like salt if you wanted, too). The sun here is very scalding and burning- so you can utilize the sunlight to strip away old, unnecessary things so that new stuff can come through. I often like to leave workings in my car to cleanse and gather up a ton of solar energy. Or, you could leave a curse in the car to bake the recipient’s brains out (metaphorically, hopefully).

I also find that the monsoon storms in the summer allow for great energy that can be harnessed and directed into spell work. You can also gather monsoon rainwater to utilize in later spells. Water is very precious out here- so any amount of natural water that you can gather up is very potent and useful stuff. I find that monsoon weather creates a very charged atmosphere that reads to me as being borderline chaotic. So these types of energies could transfer into any workings you do with the monsoon.

And don’t forget that the clear desert skies can make for great moonlight and starlight workings as well! You can use cool desert nights to help charge up items in a way that won’t cause them to melt.

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Hopefully this have given you some ideas on things you can use in the desert for your magical workings. This list is by no means complete- there are tons of other plants and possibilities out there that I probably haven’t even considered. If you’ve got any questions or need any other suggestions, let me know in the comments section below! 🙂

 

Devo Magix: Container Magix

I will admit, I love boxes. It’s a common saying on Tumblr that witches love jars, but I honestly love boxes. They are awesome. One of the forms of magix I have really perfected over the years is box magix. However, box magix, satchet/bag magix and jar/bottle magix are all very similar, really. And for this post, I have combined them into something I call Container Magix.

How does Container Magix work?

Container magix is a lot like making an amulet. You use a variety of items that are associated with your need, and you combine them together in a certain way in your container to create the change you desire. Like always, you will start with what you want to get done. Most of the times, I create a container piece with someone in mind. I often will consider what that person likes or doesn’t like when I choose my container- which is always where I start.

Container Ideas:

• Boxes (fancy, paper, wooden, glass, large, small, etc)
• Jars (clear, opaque, colored, patterned, etc)
• Shaped containers (jewelry boxes, pyramids, animal shapes, you name it)

When picking a container, you will want to try and pick something that works well for your particular cause. If you want something that no one else can see or penetrate, you will want a box that is opaque in color. If you’re creating some type of box for the fae (as an example) you will likely want a box that is not made of metal. If you need something that is very secure, you might want a box that has a lock. Clear jars for transparency of a situation. Air tight containers for trapping someone or something – etc.

In everything that you do, try to make sure that everything is an aspect of what you’re trying to achieve or create. This will help to make the magix stronger.

Filling Your Container:

This is the fun part! You can fill a container with just about anything, though as stated above, I prefer to tailor my contents to the person I’m working for.

For example- if I make a box for someone who hates mint, and I’m trying to help them become happier with the aid of magix- I’m not going to put mint in their container- even if every correspondence chart on the planet says mint = happy. Conversely, if I’ve got a friend who loves spicy things- I might add spicy things in their job jar- to help them be in their element, even though spicy things are generally reserved for curse jars.

I also make sure that when I create a container I take all of my senses into account. If I want to create a jar for happy things- I want to make sure that the colors and scent are appealing to whoever it is being made for. If I want to curse or piss someone off- I want the scent to be bitter or painful on the nose, and the colors will likely clash (if the appearance is even taken into consideration. aka make it ugly).

Don’t be limited in what you can put in a container. Here are some basic ideas:

• Rocks and stones
• Paper sigils and writings
• Pictures of items, people, scenes, etc.
• Plants, leaves, sticks, shells, dirt
• beads, glitter, crafty items
• liquids such as beer, water, lemon juice, tabasco
• tea mixes, herbs, spices, salt, pepper
• fabrics, lace, ribbons
• trinkets, coins, pendants, jewelry
• ground up incense
• pretty much anything you can fit inside the container

With that in mind, here are some generalized ideas to get you going:

Curses/Execration Jars/Containers:

• Spicy things
• Items the subject is allergic to
• Nails, needles, pointy things
• Thorns
• Blacks, reds
• Broken glass
• Citrus or bitter/corrosive liquids
• Usually sealed with wax or placed in an airtight container.

Happiness Jars/Containers:

• Things the recipient likes
• Soft items
• Items that are mellow and pleasant smelling (to the recipient!)
• A container that is warm and inviting
• Images that evoke happiness

Money/Work Jars/Containers:

• Coins or currency
• Semi precious stones
• Expensive (or expensive looking) items
• Greens and reds
• Water
• Mirrors

Okay, so now I’ve got my container and my items. What now?

That entirely depends on what you want to do. You can easily cleanse the container and the items, and possibly anoint them with oils, perfumes or special waters/liquids. You can charge up any of the items that go inside (see the amulets magix post for examples) along with charging the container itself.

How you place the items inside is entirely your call. Sometimes I throw everything in and give it a good shake. Other times I am very specific in my placement of the items. Use your judgement during the creation and filling process 🙂

To better illustrate how this works, let me show you some examples of container magix that I’ve done.

Nakama/To Feel Loved Container:

Nakama is a Japanese word that more or less means friends or allies. It has connotations that generally relate to people who are not related being as close as family (at least, in the forms that I’ve seen it used). I created this for someone as a means to create stability of mind and calmness/soundness of heart during a troubled time. I chose the pyramid because the recipient really really liked it. The pyramid contained images of nakama, mint tea, natron, sand, a teakwood box, slabs of stone and tumbled gems to represent the various nakama that were called upon for the task at hand.

The pyramid was surrounded by deities for protection, an owl which is close to the person I created it for, stones for various protective elements and a spire to collect and draw positive energy into the situation.

Better Health and Chill Out Containers:

This was two fold- the box is for one person, and the pouch for another.

The box was created for someone who needed some assistance with their health. I chose a tea box because the recipient loves tea. Inside of the box is a short letter I wrote, reminding them of their value and that others loved them. I filled the box with various tea blends that make the person calm and happy, stones that represent happiness, stability and close friends, and some various feathers. I also included a small metal pig- to symbolize their ability to gain weight and health.

The pouch was created for someone who desperately needed to calm down during a difficult time. The pouch contains a paper with their name on it and multiple grounding stones.

Both are surrounded by deities and protective items to help solidify and stabilize the situations that both were experiencing.

Homesick Containers:

These containers were made for someone who is currently overseas and doesn’t seem to be doing so well in the location that they’re at. They’re currently residing in a desert, and its sorta sucking the life out of them. I know exactly how this feels, so I made a container to be sent to the person, and another container which will stay here with me. I did it this way so that I could keep the container on this end charged and stable- which will travel through magix to the other container- and hopefully help the person. The hope was that one would help keep the other working properly.

Each container is made to be more or less the same. The tin was sent off to the recipient. I chose something that was small and portable, and the fact that it was once used for calming lozenges was a metaphorical bonus for this purpose. The container that is glass will stay with me. I chose something transparent so that we would be able to ensure that the recipient stayed safe and kept us all up to date on their condition while away.

The base is filled with two sigils and two pictures of the couple that this was effecting. I filled the bulk of each container with a mixture of calming herbs, petals and teas. I also added stones that represented both members of the situation and stones that evoke a sense of calmness and tranquility, as well as stones that were associated with water and forests.

Finally, I added some desert plant material to the containers to help reinforce durability while in the desert. The plants in the desert have spent thousands of years learning how to survive here. My hope was that they would be able to transfer there ability to the recipient of the container.

As you can see- you can place a wide variety of items in your containers. Each of the above containers was made specifically for the person and situation at hand with each person’s likes and dislikes in mind.

I hope that this guide helps you in creating your own magixed containers! If you have any questions, or make any containers based off of this guide, I’d love to see them!

Other posts in the ‘Magix’ Series:

• Amulets
• Cleansings
• Sigils

 

Devo Magix: Energy Manipulation & Movement

One of the biggest tools you can have for magix is knowing how to sense and move energy around. Even if you can’t visualize very well, or you don’t have a lot of tools or supplies- you can accomplish just about anything with the ability to sense energy and move it however you want it to go.

So how does one sense or move energy?

In order to sense or manipulate energy, we need to decide what exactly is meant by the term energy. Google isn’t much assistance as it only defines energy as:

1. The strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity.
2. A feeling of possessing such strength and vitality.

And Tess Dawson makes a great point in her post here that energy is used to mean just about anything and everything.

So in order to clarify what it is I’m referring to, I’m going to pull something that I’ve worked with since I was a kid, and that is the concept of qi (often called “chi” in English). Qi isn’t very easily translated in English, but it more or less relates to life force. In Shinto, it’s often said that the sun’s rays give us solar qi. This qi surrounds our planet and helps things to grow and flourish (or if you get too much, things can die). Qi is everywhere around you. It’s always flowing through you, your house, your body- everywhere. And when I’m discussing “energy” or “juju” I am discussing this concept- this qi that flows through your body and the world around you.

It’s the unseen web that connects us all and sustains us.

So now that I’ve attempted to sort out what I mean by “energy”, let’s discuss how to start working with it.

The first step is to realize that it’s all around you- always. All. The. Time. If you’ve ever been in a place that makes you feel really calm and happy- that means that the energy flow and balance there is really nice. If you’ve ever realized that one room in your house makes you feel like crap- that means that the energy flow or qi in that room is not balanced very well, or is stagnant (and in Feng Shui, if the qi is going south, it’s usually called Sha). When you’re trying to harness your energy, you have to realize that it’s not just in your body. It floats around your body (usually called an aura in English) and surrounds you and your environment. So when you’re trying to soak up energy and move it around, you’ve got to get out of the idea that energy is purely inside of you- because it’s not. It’s like the new Dolby Digital intro– “all around you”.

In realizing that this energy flow is all around you, I think it helps to realize that energy can come in many forms. When you listen to the radio- the music is a form of energy. When you move, you release energy as heat. Water contains its own form of energy.

Energy is in everything. There isn’t a single thing that you can lay your eyes on that doesn’t contain its own form of energetic signature.

A simple exercise for learning to feel energy:

1. Find a room (I recommend starting with a small room) where you won’t be disturbed for a while.
2. Go to the center of this room and lie down or sit down. Calm yourself down by breathing slowly.
3. Once you’re calm (try to keep your mind fairly passive during this), look around the room. Notice where your eyes drift and wander. Do they stick places? Do some places feel nice and bright and happy, while other corners feel really dingy and stagnant? That is energy as it moves and sticks in locations.
4. You can also try this with closing your eyes- note where areas might feel warm or cold, where certain areas may call out to you. This is energy movement and flow. It’s drawing your attention to areas that are active or stagnant.
5. You can also do this on yourself (I recommend lying down for this). Focus on your body and your body alone- and notice where energy sticks or pulls. Notice any tension, hot spots, tingling- any of that. That is the energy flowing through your body and sticking in areas- much like it does a room.
6. Once you are more comfortable with sensing the energy, you can try moving things around in the room and seeing how the energy shifts and changes, or try another room, or someplace outdoors and see how things feel there.

The more you practice, the easier it’ll be to tell where the qi is flowing around you. Knowing how things flow and move and being able to feel them is key to being able to effectively move energy.

Starting to move the energy.

I started working with energy as a kid. My grandmother was into all sorts of Asian based stuff- including things like tai chi, so working with energy was something I was raised around. Something that I was taught when I was younger was to breath into your gut. As you breathe, imagine a ball rotating in your stomach. When you breathe in, it will rotate one way, as you exhale, it will rotate the other way. This is building the energy in your stomach.

Once your breathing is under control, take your hands and rub them together slowly. They will slowly start to tingle, which (as described to me) is the buildup of energy on your hands. Once the tingle is going strong, you move your hands back and forth slowly and try to feel the energy btwn them. Usually, as your hands get closer, you’ll feel a sort of resistance between them- which is the energy that exists between them. The goal is to form a “ball” of energy between your hands. To explain it a bit better, here is a video representation:

Once you’ve hit this state, you’re officially messing with your own energy.

You can also take the example I listed above and lie on the ground with your limbs apart, and try to focus your energy on one foot and move it to another foot, or drag it up your torso to your hands, etc.

Getting someone else in on the action.

The ultimate “point” to focusing your energy into a ball and into your hands (from the example above) is that you can transfer that energy into someone else or something else. Of course, in order to practice this, you’ll need a willing partner in order to give this a shot.

You can start with your hands on or off of the person, but ultimately, you will place your hands on the person and more or less focus your energy into your hands and then see the energy flowing from your hands into the person. My family used to do this in attempts to help with healing or calming people down. I used to do this with a friend who was getting horrible headaches from her attempts to stop smoking, so I’d attempt to lessen those headaches via touch.

For those who are into reiki based healing, I imagine that the transfer of energy from one person to another is very similar for healing purposes.

If your friend is interested in trying, it’s possible to sit down and place your hands on one another and circulate energy between one another. Now, if you’re going to do this, I urge you to be careful about what energy you’re passing out and taking in with other people. You will not want to give out a bunch of energy if you’re sick and you won’t want to pass out negative energy to people either (nor take it into yourself). Qi is tied to health and happiness, so please be conscious about what types of energy you are swapping with others.

Think of it like this:

Have you ever walked into a room where a fight has just occurred? The air feels heavy and nasty, and if it was bad enough, you might leave the room wanting to go shower or feeling like crap- that’s because there was icky qi hanging in the air that is now stuck on you.

Energy is everywhere. It’s in everything. And you can pick up bad energy- so always keep this in mind.

So I’m getting to where I can move some energy around. What now?

Once you can start to feel and move energy in your direct vicinity, I urge you to branch out and try new things. Try listening to music and see how your personal energy fluxes and changes. Try dancing or yoga to see how your energy flows and moves. Slowly try to move and sense bigger and bigger amounts of energy.

Then, you can start to apply that to warding or other magix. Ward up a room or a house. Try to cram a bunch of your juju into an item, etc. Experiment and test new things to see just what you are capable of.

Keeping energy clean.

Because our energy rubs elbows with other people daily, and because surrounding areas can affect the energy in our houses and living spaces- it’s important to try and keep the energy in those locations clean and happy.

For keeping your house or office happy and clean, I recommend taking a look at the Cleansing post that I created a while back.

For keeping your personal energy clean, I recommend some of the following:

• Move around! Try something like yoga, taking a walk or dancing to shake your energy up and get rid of any bad stuff still hanging around you.
• Take a shower or bath. I’ve found water to be very purifying (you could marry these two ideas and try something like Misogi Shuho).
• Get the dirt off your shoulders. You can cleanse via the use of spraying a cleansing solution (such as natron and water, Florida water or Rose water) around you, or by using something like a charged broom to cleanse your energy via sweeping (in Shinto we have the haraigushi for this).
• Get your mind on something else entirely. Sometimes the garbage we carry in our minds pollutes the energy around us. Sometimes all we need to do is get our minds off of the issues at hand in order for our energy to feel better.

Even if you’re not doing much with energy manipulation, I suggest up-keeping the cleanliness of your personal energy and the energy of your surroundings because it tends to lead to healthier, happier people.

When it comes to energy work, I highly recommend experimenting and trying new things because there are a million ways to do this sort of thing. I also feel that there are lots of untapped ideas and potential with energy manipulation and the only way we’ll figure some of those methods out is to test them out!

As always, if you’ve got questions or feedback, post them in the comments below.

Relevant Posts:

• Energy Working Basics
• Warding Through Movement
• Visualization and Focusing
• Cleansings

 

KRT: Heka

This round of the Kemetic Round Table is about heka and what it is, and how we can work with it.

So what is heka?

Like ma’at, heka is both a deity and a concept, and it is the concept that we are concerning ourselves with today. Heka, which is commonly referred to as ‘magic’ in English, is about authoritative speech and also means “activating the ka”. To put it in laymen terms, heka is about words of any shape or variety. Spoken words, written words, signed words- just about any form of communication you can throw a stick at falls under heka. Everyone on the planet has the capacity to utilize heka as it was given to all of us by the gods (Ra is often cited as the main ‘giver’) to help protect ourselves from the perils of the world.

Despite the literal translation of ‘heka’ referring to words and communication, heka rituals can involve much more than just speech. According to Rittner, heka can involve circumambulation, licking, spitting, binding, trampling, blowing, swallowing, the use of images, breaking, burning, piercing, etc. While this may seem confusing as first, I believe that the two concepts go hand in hand because ritualized action (and all actions and body language in general) fall under the realm of communication- which is essentially what heka is all about (the use of words in all forms to command and create change in the world around us).

What makes one person’s heka more powerful than another’s is knowing how to effectively use both of these elements to create that change. What makes it difficult is knowing that pretty much everything you say or do is heka, and that everything you say and do creates ripples in the world around you, which creates change in the world around you.

How do we use heka well?

Also like ma’at, using heka effectively will vary person to person, but I think it can be summed up fairly simply:

Be considerate of all that you say and do.

Now, when I say ‘be considerate’, I’m not necessarily saying that you always need to be considerate to others, I’m saying that you need to consider every action that you take. To ensure that your actions and words have the greatest impact, you have to understand the situation you’re in at any given time, and consider which actions you can take that will bring about the desired reactions and changes in the world around you.

That is where the power of heka lies.

This means being concise in your statements- making sure that you have enough details to get the message across without having too many details. Its about making sure that your words and actions are tailored to the person/s you’re around and that you are communicating n a way that will create the desired response from those you are interacting with. Some might consider this a sign of being a charmer or charismatic.

I consider it a sign of being good with heka.

How can we work with it?

That is difficult to answer because, to me, the answer is so diverse and large that it’s hard to put into words. Heka has the capacity to permeate all aspects of your life- in magical, mundane and religious aspects. Every ritual you do for the gods is heka. Any magical rite you do could be considered heka. Talking with your boss can be a form of heka.

Anything and everything can go back to heka.

That is why learning how to communicate effectively (both in speech and body language) can be so important and useful- because you can use those skills just about anywhere and with anyone.

Relevant Posts:

• Heka is a Two Way Street
• Warboar’s Heka for Everyone Series
• Heka is…

 

Devo Magix: Recent Shenans

I’ve written guides on how to do various magix, but I wanted to show some of the various magix bits I’ve been up to lately. Hopefully some of these can be used to give you ideas on some of the things that you could do for your own magix! Spoon Magix I talk a lot about spoons. How to keep them, how to spend them better, how to work with the amount that you have. And recently, I decided that I would magix some spoons for some of my friends in an attempt to help them keep their spoons or gain more spoons. Enter spoon magix! I searched around at local thrift stores for spoons. I didn’t want to buy a whole silverware kit, only to utilize the spoons, and our local Savers has bags of various silverware bits and pieces. And it just so happens that sometimes, they have bags that are nothing but spoons. I hunted around for a nicer quality of silverware- and managed to find some that are actually silver plated. I took them home and washed them the old fashioned way with soap and water. I polished them to the best of my ability with a silver cleaning cloth. I then put some of my special oils on them and put then into a grid setup to soak up juju.

 

This grid is multiple layers. There are two levels of magixed doilies and in btwn them is a sigil that I created to help bring more go juice to the grid.

I let the spoons sit there for about a week. In the meantime, I created pouches for each spoon to go into. The pouch is a two fold method going on- it can be used for other magix, or it can be used to help recharge the spoon. Each pouch was hand made (via sewing machine) with fabrics that I hoped would suit each person. In btwn each layer of fabric is another sigil hand tailored for the person or persons each spoon would be going to. I then finished up each spoon by wrapping it with various ribbon. Another form of knot magix at work.

Windchime Magix Wind chime magix is actually something that my non-pagan grandmother taught me about. She told me once that when she was a child in Japan, the locals would hang various things on their furin chimes- which would help to spread word of whatever it was they desired by whomever could hear the chime. Now, I have no clue if this is true- but the idea of using wind chimes as a means of magix is something I’ve grown up with. There was a time when my grandmother was trying to make it selling particular products to people (think Avon or Tupperware)- and in order to get more people interested, she put a piece of paper with the logo of the item she was trying to sell on her wind chime weight. To this day she will also write the names of pets that have passed onto some of the weights of her wind chimes. That way, she will see the names as she walks by every day, and she also feels that their spirit and remembrance of them is kept alive whenever the chime rings. So there is a lot of possibility for magix here. Here is how I went about it recently. I found a furin chime at a local thrift store, but the paper weight at the bottom was missing and the cordage that you hang the wind chime by was completely filled with dry rot from the AZ sun. No worries! I can combine sigil magix and knot/thread magix and create something that is even better! Here are the supplies needed:

string, paper, furin and tape

I selected a piece of paper that I wanted to use for the weight. I folded it into a narrower shape, which is typical for furin, and on the inside I wrote my sigil. You could just as easily write in plain English whatever it is you’d like to attract to you, or you could draw a picture- any and all work. I used to write out different stuff a couple times a year and switch out what was hanging as the weight.

The inside of the weight.

Because the weight is folded and taped together, you could even stick herbs or coins or whatever else you wanted inside. But I fold up the paper, tape it closed and cut a small hole for the string to go through. I then take my string (I use multiple strands because AZ is violent towards threads and dry rot is a pain) and braid it up. While braiding, I focus on what I want to achieve. I then attach it to the clapper inside of the bell. And because this chime’s hanging string was all messed up, I do a braid for that as well.

Finished Wind chime

Finished!

And once its all said and done, I hang it outside so that it can ring and attract what I want to me!

Red Rose Magix The Red Rose Curse is something that I swiped from someone else, actually. I saw it posted on Tumblr and I decided I had to give it a go. I already had someone in mind, so I figured it’d be an awesome experiment. To read the original Red Rose Curse, go here. I recommend you take a look at it before continuing on, otherwise this might not make any sense. So the main ingredients are as follows:

a white rose, jar and red paint

The original curse calls for a white rose, a jar and red paint. However, you could easily spice this jar up with other things- herbs or nails or what have you- to make the jar more inhospitable to the person its aimed towards. For my own jar, I ended up painting the tip of the stem black, which has had an effect on the curse’s progression. In the original curse, its said that you could remove the curse by breaking the jar. So initially, I had considered putting things in the jar that I might remove or reuse later- because I thought the rose would dry up and die. Oh no. Do not put anything in this jar that you want to use later. Just trust me on this. You likely won’t want to re-open this jar later, either. It gets nasty. The rose painted and in its jar- the very first night.

I was sure to cover every surface possible of the rose, even pushing my paintbrush down into the petals. It took a bit, and the rose got a little beat up for it- but I think it was worth it.

And here is a few days later:

And another week later:

Three weeks in:

Current (as of publishing this post) condition:

As you can see, it gets very very nasty looking, and the black sharpie on the stem has created a nice black liquid for the rose to fester in. So the idea of reusing something from this jar is probably not advised.

I suppose the main question you want answered is: “Is this working?” It appears to be. I did a version of this curse on the astral as well, as it is against an astral entity that I’ve placed it against, and it has seemed to make him even more batshit than he was before.

So in short? Yes.

I will continue to post updates about this curse on my Tumblr, which you can see here.

 

Devo Magix: Vision Questing

Alternate title: How to Crack Out

Disclaimer: I have no clue if vision questing is the right term to use. I’m not taking this term from any other culture- it’s something I came up with to try and describe what I do when I literally go out looking for visions. If there is a better term for this sort of thing, please let me know so I can use what is considered “standard” terminology.

As I’m sure many of my readers have heard by now – I have a proverbial IV of crack flowing in my veins. I’ve received visions and weird ass images in my brain for many many years now. Sometimes, these visions just come to me. However, over the years I have learned a thing or two about chasing visions down. I wanted to discuss some methods about how I track down visions, which I lovingly refer to as crack. While I initially used these methods to obtain visions, it is possible to use these methods to access the astral, the gods, or a host of other things. So be aware that it can be a mixed bag of what you could get when you dip your toes into the crack filled lake that is the UnSeen.

Please be advised that these methods will not be suitable for everyone. Please use your discretion when trying these methods and I am not responsible if you hurt yourself from using my ideas.

When I started seeking visions, I found that I needed the right mixture of tired and awake to get anywhere. If you’re too exhausted, you’ll fall asleep. If you’re too awake, you’ll likely be too excited or alert to actually get anywhere. In my experience, you need to be passively alert to get the best results.

But Devo, how on earth do I do that? That doesn’t sound possible.

Believe it or not, you’ve likely hit this place of passive alertness before and not even realized it. Ever found yourself daydreaming while staring at the wall? That’s a good example of it. How about having a cat nap- where you’re not really asleep, but not really awake? That’s another good example. Often times we hit this state without even realizing it. And that’s part of the trick- realizing you’re in this state without breaking the state. When I first started, I’d often get into a good rhythm, and then go “oh my god! I’m actually doing it!” and promptly lose it because I became too alert and broke the trance I was in. Learning how to get there and stay conscious enough to remember what you see is key.

With the methods listed below, I recommend that you start by letting your brain wander. Just let it go wander off somewhere. The more still you can make your brain, the easier it’ll be for you to retrieve things. However, if you sit there the whole time telling yourself “I must relax. I must relax,” you’ll end up being too tense to actually, you know… relax. So let your mind go where it wants to. The more you practice, the easier it’ll be to let your mind roam. The better your mind is at roaming, the more likely it is to return with a nice batch of crack for you to look at. You can also try asking a deity for assistance when doing this, if that’s your thing.

So, what are some common methods I use to get into this state?

Driving.
Yes, seriously. Driving. This isn’t recommended for everyone, but I find that driving at 70 miles an hour is very zen like and relaxing. I’m just focusing on the road and my brain sorta goes into auto-pilot. I’m alert enough because I’m making sure I’m not going to kill anyone. However, I’m relaxed because the vibrations of the car and the pattern of the dotted line on the road just relax me somehow. Some of my first visions came from this method and I wasn’t even trying to get them.

Puzzles, Coloring/Painting/Drawing, Cleaning/Doing Chores.
Once again, all of these are things that keep me slightly mentally active- but are mind numbing enough that I can sometimes hear or see things.

Hiking or Going For a Walk.
Many times when I go for walks in quiet places, I will find that my mind starts to wander- and gets lost out in crack-ville. Certain locations and times of the year work better than others. I find that being comfortable while I walk is important if I want to get anywhere. If it’s too sunny, cold, hot, etc. it won’t work.

Listening to Music.
Sometimes, I can listen to music and get caught up in the sound and the movement of the music that I retrieve images or visions. Different types of music will give me different results. Quiet, lulling music will likely make me fall asleep. Active music tends to give me more successful results.

Sex.
Seriously. Yes. After the fact, I am usually quite relaxed and can sometimes get into a semi-lucid state where I can see stuff.

Dancing.
For those who have talked to me about vision questing- this is more or less my “signature method.” Dancing is by far the best method I have found to obtain visions. However, this method is the most physically taxing – to the point that there was a 2 year period where I couldn’t do it because it was too demanding on my body. Generally, my process in regards to dancing is fairly simple: I dance until I can’t dance anymore. Once I can’t dance anymore, I will lay down and wait to see if things come to me. If they do- great. If not, I will attempt to get up and dance some more, basically repeating the process until something comes to me. If I’m really trying to push myself, I will combine the dancing and sexing bits to try and push my limits further. I find that dancing in a dark room works best- as my eyes will have little to focus on, and I’ll be forced to focus on the music and movement. I also find that having my music super loud helps to drown out any mental noise that could distract me (I also have a habit of cranking up my music when driving for the same reasons).

I tried these and it’s not working? What now?

There are a few things I can say when the methods above don’t work:

• These aren’t the methods for you- try to find something that works best for you. Active meditation/cracking isn’t for everyone.
• Keep trying- it can take multiple attempts (and years for some) to get good at it. Not every attempt will bear fruit. There have been times where I have danced for over an hour and not successfully received anything.
• Perhaps this isn’t your skill set. Not everyone is hardwired to receive visions or crack out. There is nothing wrong with this. Where you should draw the line for ‘having tried enough and this isn’t for me’ vs. ‘need to keep trying to develop the skill’ will be different for everyone.

I tried some of the methods above and I think I accidentally stumbled onto the astral. What do I do?

Technically, we all access the astral to some extent every day. We dream in the astral. If you talk to gods, you likely do that astrally to an extent. Some argue that we live in one of the layers of the astral. When it comes to things of this nature, I’ve found that visions usually come of one of two varieties (or a combination of both):

• Images that you can’t control- like watching a movie. No amount of will on your part will allow you to influence what you’re seeing. These are visions.
• Images that you can control or interact with- just like in your waking life. For this particular tutorial, we will call this accessing the astral.

Sometimes, an experience will start as the first- a movie you’re watching, and will end up as the second- a world or situation you can manipulate or influence.

So what happens when you end up in the second category? That largely depends on what type of situation you find yourself in. Before you being seeking visions, I recommend that you read up on what types of things you could potentially come in contact with- as it is possible to attempt to get the first selection above, but accidentally get stuck with the second (see useful links at the bottom).

If you do happen to stumble into a situation that is more than just watching a movie- your first step is to assess what exactly is going on. Are you around people you know (such as deities) or not? Do they appear friendly? Do they even realize you’re there? If you find that you are not being noticed, or that you can simply observe without conflict- do exactly that. Watch what is going on and stay quiet until you can leave or are excused. However, it is possible to blip onto the astral into a dangerous situation.

If you find yourself in a dangerous situation you have a few options:

You can cut bait and leave right then and there. Pull yourself out of the meditation/trance/etc. Ground yourself. Possibly cleanse and ward yourself up for safety (I usually do this by eating something and taking a shower). The downside to this is that you could potentially leave a part of you in that area of the astral that may or may not have it’s ass handed to it now and/or stolen (this is not common, but can happen).

Or you can fight. Fighting ability will depend highly on the realm you are in. In many cases, the sky is the limit. Anything you can think up- you can do. Don’t be scared to push the limits of logic to come up with a means to kick butt. In many cases, you can create and manifest weaponry and magix out of thin air to get the job done. With any luck, the person/entity picking on you will realize you are not worth their time and leave. At which point you can come out of the vision/trance that you are in and follow up with grounding and cleansing as mentioned above, if you feel you need it.

If you stumble into the astral once, be aware that it can happen again. If you manage to get there once, I would recommend learning more about protective measures on the astral before attempting to crack out again- just in case.

On the by and large, vision questing can be a very interesting and useful practice. It’s a good means to get insight to situations, ideas for stories or art projects, and its a good way to communicate with the gods/spirits around us. Even before I began interacting with the astral, I loved to look for visions- just for the aesthetics alone. If you do try any of the methods above, let me know how they work for you!

Good luck cracking out!

This post has been edited from its original form. I made an error in using the acronym ADD as an adjective, which is offensive to anyone who is diagnosed with or has ADD. I apologize for this oversight and have changed the verbiage above to remove the offensive sentence/wording.

Relevant Links:

• Prepping for the Astral
• Pre-Flight Checks
• Illusions and Belief