Sit somewhere in a natural setting: on a beach, in a forest, a field, or even in your own backyard.
Breathe deeply and close your eyes.
If your health will be compromised by exposure to inclement weather, by all means, practice this and other outdoor exercises in an indoor environment.
As you sit, imagine that you have roots that extend from the base of your spine.
These roots reach not only down into the earth, but out to everything on it.
Imagine that this vast network of roots connects you to humans, animals, plants, objects.
Take a moment to feel the pulse of your connection to the great All.
Notice where your connection to things and people might be weak and where it feels strong.
Spend ten minutes (or longer, if you can) simply feeling your connection.
When you are finished, open your eyes.
Consider the following questions:
In what way was my connection strong?
What do you suspect is the reason for any strong connections?
In what way was my connection to things weak?
What do I suspect is the reason for any weak connections?
What actions can I take that may strengthen any weak connections?
The Element of Air
The element of Air is symbolically related to breath.
It is the refined realm between the physical and spiritual planes. Air provides us with inspiration, illumination, and the ability to communicate our ideas to others.
Air represents new beginnings, the thought process, and creativity.
Air helps us to focus and direct energy towards the desired goal. It is our ability to assume and purpose.
Herbs Associated with Dream Magick
The following list contains many of the herbs traditionally used by Witches and other magickal folks in dream magick, followed by their various applications:
Anise
To prevent nightmares, fill a white mojo bag with as many anise seeds as it can possibly hold, and then sew it to the inside of your pillowcase. This simple, yet effective, Witch’s spell from the Middle Ages is said to ensure pleasant dreams. Scatter the leaves of an anise plant around your bedroom to keep yourself protected against evil influences while you sleep.
Ash
To induce dreams of a prophetic nature, place seven leaves from an ash tree beneath your pillow before going to sleep. The ash tree, which was sacred to the ancient Teutons and symbolic of their mythological “world tree” known as Ygdrasill, is also said to offer protection against nightmares, dreamcurses, and all psychic attacks that occur while one is asleep and most vulnerable.
Bay
To induce dreams of a prophetic nature, place bay leaves beneath your pillow before going to sleep. It is said that bay leaves, when cast into a fire on a night of the full moon, can enable one to see the future in a dream. The use of bay in divinatory rites and dream magick can be traced back to the ancient Greeks, who believed it to be sacred to their god Apollo.
Bracken
If you are faced with a problem to which you cannot find a solution, an old magickal spell suggests placing the root of a bracken underneath your pillow just before you go to sleep. Occult folklore holds that the root of this plant will bring forth a dream that will contain the answer you seek. In addition, many Witches and other magickal practitioners use bracken for protection against evil and negative influences.
Buchu
To induce dreams of a prophetic nature, mix a pinch of dried buchu leaves with a pinch of frankincense. On a night of the full moon, light a charcoal block (which can be bought at most occult shops and religious supply stores), place it in a fireproof incense burner, and then sprinkle a small amount of the herbal mixture upon it. For best results, do this in your bedroom prior to bedtime.
Cedar
When burned as incense, the wood of the cedar is said to “cure the predilection to having bad dreams,” according to the late author Scott Cunningham in his book, Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Sleep with cedar twigs beneath your pillow to help awaken or strengthen your psychic powers. A cedar branch hung above your bed will protect you against evil forces while you sleep.
Cinquefoil
Also known by the folk-name “five-finger grass,” the cinquefoil is said to assure restful sleep when put into a blue mojo bag and suspended from the bedpost. Place a sprig of cinquefoil containing seven leaflets beneath your pillow before going to sleep in order to dream about the man or woman who is destined to be your marriage mate. This simple method of amatory dream divination is centuries old.
Heliotrope
To induce dreams of a prophetic nature, place some heliotrope leaves beneath your pillow prior to bedtime. A full moon is the ideal lunar phase in which to do this. If you have had personal possessions stolen from you and desire to know whom the thief is, heliotrope may help to induce a dream that reveals the true identity of the culprit.
Holly
An old Witch’s method to induce prophetic dreams is as follows: Without speaking a single word, gather together nine holly leaves at the witching hour (midnight) on a Friday. Wrap them in a white cloth and then tie nine knots in it. Place the charm beneath your pillow prior to bedtime, and whatever dreams you experience during the night are likely to come true.
Huckleberry
According to Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, “To make all your dreams come true, burn the leaves [of a huckleberry plant] in your bedroom directly before going to sleep.” After seven days have passed, that which you have dreamt shall be made manifest.
Hyacinth For the prevention of nightmares, grow a hyacinth plant in a pot and keep it as close to your bed as possible. When dried and burned as incense prior to bedtime, the fragrant flowers of the hyacinth are said to help induce pleasant dreams. Should you awaken from a depressing dream or nightmare, the smell of a hyacinth in bloom will help to lift your spirits.
Jasmine
For restful sleep and pleasant dreams, sleep with a blue mojo bag filled with jasmine flowers beneath your pillow or sewn to the inside of your pillowcase. Scott Cunningham says, “the flowers are smelled to induce sleep.” To induce dreams of a prophetic nature, burn a bit of dried jasmine in an incense burner in your bedroom just before you go to sleep.
Lemon Verbena
For a dreamless slumber, fill a gray-colored charm bag with lemon verbena and wear it on a string around your neck when you go to sleep. Additionally, drinking a bit of the juice extracted from the plant is said to help suppress dreams.
Mandrake
The mandrake is unquestionably the most magickal of all plants, and the part of it most commonly employed in the casting of spells is its mysterious root, which bears a curious resemblance to the human form. It is said that sleep can be induced by the mere scent of a mandrake root, and when one is suspended from the headboard of a bed, the sleeper is guarded against all manner of harm—both natural and supernatural. Rub a mandrake root upon your Third Eye chakrabefore sleeping to induce a prophetic dream of your future lover or marriage mate. Caution: Mandrake possesses strong narcotic properties. Handle with care and do not ingest any part of the plant!
Marigold
To induce dreams of a prophetic nature, scatter the flowers of a marigold under and around your bed before turning in for the evening. This plant is also said to induce dreams that reveal the true identities of thieves, as well as to offer protection against sorcerers who work their black magick through dreams.
Mimosa
To induce dreams of a prophetic nature, fill a blue or yellow mojo bag with mimosa flowers and then place it beneath your pillow before you go to sleep. According to author Rosemary Ellen Guiley in The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, blue is the color associated with psychic and spiritual awareness, and prophetic dreams. However, in his book on magickal herbs, Scott Cunningham lists yellow as the color corresponding to divination, psychic powers, and visions. I, personally, have always used blue or purple for this purpose, but you may use whichever color feels right for you. In addition, anointing your Third Eye chakra with an infusion of mimosa prior to sleeping helps to facilitate dreams containing prophecies.
Mistletoe
When placed beneath a pillow at bedtime or put into a white mojo bag and attached to the bedpost or headboard, the leaves and berries of the mistletoe plant are said to prevent nightmares and insomnia from interfering with one’s sleep. In keeping with ancient Druidic tradition, use mistletoe that has been harvested with a golden blade on either Midsummer or the sixth day following the new moon.
Morning Glory
To safeguard your sleep against nightmares, according to occult tradition, fill a white mojo bag with the seeds of a morning glory plant and place it beneath your pillow just before going to bed. In addition, morning glory seeds can be added, either alone or with other dream-magick herbs (such as anise, mistletoe, mullein, purslane, rosemary, or vervain), to dream pillows for the same purpose.
Mugwort
Of all the herbs associated with dream magick, mugwort is by far the most popular and the most potent. To induce dreams of a prophetic nature, stuff a dream pillow with mugwort leaves and then rest your head upon it to sleep. Other ways in which to induce dreams that reveal the unknown or things that are yet to be include the drinking of mugwort tea and the anointing of the Third Eye chakra with a dab of mugwort juice. Mugwort can also be made into an incense, which, when burned prior to sleeping, aids in astral projection and lucid dreaming, and summons forth dreams that facilitate spiritual and psychic growth.
Mullein
To prevent nightmares, stuff a white mojo bag with mullein leaves and then place it beneath your pillow just before bedtime. According to herbal folklore from centuries gone by, mullein also protects a sleeping person from all manner of evil and negativity. Hang mullein over your bedroom door and windows to keep nocturnal incubus and succubus demons at bay.
Onion
To induce dreams of a prophetic nature, place a white onion underneath your pillow before bedtime. This practice is believed to have originated in ancient Egypt, where the onion was at one time regarded as being highly sacred. For protection against evil influences while you sleep, cut an onion in half and keep it close to your bed. Many modern-day practitioners of herbal folk magick continue to subscribe to the old belief that halved or quartered onions work to absorb evil, negativity, and disease.
Peony
For protection against incubus demons, fill a white mojo bag with peony roots, coral, and flint, and then anoint it with three drops of myrrh oil. Pin the mojo bag to your nightgown or pajamas, or attach it to a string around your neck, and wear it throughout the night as you sleep. Rest assured that no incubus would be able to seduce you.
Peppermint
To induce dreams of a prophetic nature, many Witches stuff dream pillows with the fragrant leaves of the peppermint plant. According to an herbal from olden times, the scent of peppermint “compels one toward sleep,” which is beneficial should you happen to suffer from insomnia or other sleep disorders.
Purslane
To keep recurring nightmares from interfering with your sleep, place a handful of purslane flowers and leaves beneath your pillow prior to bedtime. According to occult tradition from centuries gone by, this herb also works to ward off evil spirits that prey upon sleeping mortals.
Rose
It is said that success in all matters of the heart awaits those who see a red rose in their dreams. If a single woman picks a red rose on a Midsummer’s Eve and sleeps with it tucked between her bosom, the man destined to be her future husband will appear to her in a dream.
Rosemary
To prevent nightmares, sleep with a mojo bag filled with rosemary beneath your pillow. It is said that he (or she) who sleeps with rosemary underneath the bed will be protected from all manner of harm while sleeping. To prevent a dead person’s restless spirit from haunting you by way of your dreams, cast a sprig of rosemary into his or her grave. According to occult lore, this will enable the spirit to rest peacefully.
St. John’s Wort
One of the most beloved magickal herbs of the ancients, the St. John’s wort has enabled many a young lady to capture a glimpse of her future marriage mate in a dream. To accomplish this, place this herb beneath your pillow before going to sleep. It does not matter which part of the plant you use, for all parts of the St. John’s wort are potent in magickal workings.
Tobacco
Many Native Americans believe that nightmares are capable of causing physical ailments and disease. To keep this from happening to you, go directly to a stream immediately upon waking from a bad dream and cleanse your body in the running water. Afterwards, in keeping with tradition, cast a handful of tobacco leaves into the stream as an offering to the spirit of the water.
Vervain
To prevent nightmares, place a handful of vervain leaves in your bed, wear them in a mojo bag on a string around your neck, or brew them into a tea and drink it just before bedtime. To induce dreams of a prophetic nature, anoint your Third Eye chakra with vervain juice on a night of the full moon. Close your eyes, open your mind, and allow yourself to drift off to sleep. Upon waking from your slumber, take care to write your dream down on paper (or use a tape recorder) to prevent it from later being forgotten. If interpreted correctly, it will provide you with an insight to events of the future.
Wood Betony
To prevent nightmares or unpleasant visions from interfering with your sleep, pick some leaves from a wood betony plant and then place them beneath your pillow just before going to bed. When scattered on the floor under and around your bed, wood betony leaves are said to keep all evil and negative influences at bay.
Yarrow
Witches and diviners alike have long used the yarrow plant in a number of different ways to induce prophetic dreams pertaining to future marriage mates. The divinatory power of this herb is legendary throughout much of the world, and its strong magickal vibrations have made it a staple of folk magick since ancient times.
Hypnosis Lucid Dreaming Ritual
Mugwort Flower Essense Remedy
* A bathtub
STEP 1: Draw a warm bath just before going to bed. Add 20 drops of mugwort into the water.
STEP 2: Sit in the bath in quiet meditation to clear your mind, for about 5 minutes.
STEP 3: Visualize the dream you want to have… and see yourself interacting however you wish inside the dream.
STEP 4: Go to bed…and dream…
Dreamwork
We have all had those dreams which we can vaguely remember and strive to figure out what they mean. So what are dreams? Dreams are the language of the subconscious, encoded in symbols, which is trying to tell you something as you sleep. I hope that this brief guide will help in this respect and will act as a few pointers in trying to understand them. First, it may be an idea to keep a pen and notebook by your bed. This is so that you can jot down what you can remember of your dream when you awake before it becomes forgotten.
Personally speaking, I have found that dreams can be interpreted at three levels:
Mundane – the everyday, e.g. dreams about work, paying that bill, etc
Psychological– This is where Archetypes can come into play, for example mother, father, hero, heroine, man, woman, queen, king etc.
Spiritual – These tend to feature gods and goddesses, powers etc
To understand dreams, it is helpful to look at Jungian Psychology. According to this, there are three aspects of the psyche or personality:
SUBCONSCIOUS (=Freud’s ID): All info we are not consciously aware of, but motivates much of our behaviour and thinking e.g. drives, repressed/suppressed experiences, data collected by inner awareness and reactions. Messages come across in form of language of symbols and dreams
CONSCIOUS (=Freud’s Ego): Awareness of what is going on around at present, either at home, office or traffic. Expresses through the personality, i.e. reactions and emotions to everyday events, like relationships, environment or situations, Also subject to defence mechanisms e.g. rationalisation and projection
SUPERCONSCIOUS (=Freud’s Superego): Links us to ‘Higher Self’ or Spirit. Aspect we refer to as Divine and Spiritual i.e. higher thoughts and feelings, mortality and ethics, conscience etc. Utilises symbols like subconscious to give answers to problems. Part of us that is Inspiration, Originality and Imagination.
In addition to this, there are other factors to consider such as:
EXTRAVERT/INTROVERT: Outward going/Inward looking e.g. flamboyant/shy
PERSONAL UNCONSCIOUS: Forgotten or repressed memories, recalled if needed.
COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS: Reservoir of latent images in our mind or psyche stemming from our ancestors i.e. the ARCHETYPES, which can be divided into four separate types:
Persona/Mask – Outward face we present to the world, actor of the personality. Reveals or conceals our true self. Allows society to conform, letting role we play dominate
Anima/Animus – Feminine/Masculine side. Unconscious ‘mirror image’ of our conscious gender i.e. the Goddess/God within
Shadow – Animal nature, like ID. Destructive, aggressive urges. Dark side of the personality. All is well if the ego and shadow are in harmony.
Self – Unites personality, giving sense of oneness. Self actualising i.e. realisation of ones potential in the scheme of things.
How does this work? If we take a dream about a house for example, it is said to represent the mansion of the soul. If it has three levels, the basement would be the subconscious, the first floor the conscious, and the second floor the superconscious. You would then need to interpret the dream by what is found at all three levels. So a cellar could be repressed memories, a kitchen could represent the hearth or heart and the upstairs could be your higher self.
Dreams such as falling, walking down the street naked, the queen coming for tea etc are all fairly common. As are dreams of a bill not being paid, work, the boss, family etc. These could denote worries of a mundane nature that are maybe playing in the back of your mind, so you need to address them. For psychological dreams, you need to think of whom persons such as the queen could be or mean, it could be a mother in law or another authoritative female figure like a boss. However, some dreams are spiritual; these are the ones that feature gods and goddesses, you having powers, etc so take note here, as you could be given powerful messages from the Divine. Dreams such as this can also be prophetic.
To interpret dreams, you may also find it helpful to find a Dream Dictionary to explain the quick meaning of some of the symbols. As for books, I can recommend Dr Anne Faraday’s Dream Power and Dream Game, and Nerys Dee’s Your Dreams and What They Mean. If you wish to interpret dreams by yourself, you may wish to ‘replay’ the dream in your mind and concentrate on a certain element or feature, what does it mean to you? Though it may sound silly, ‘talk’ to a particular object or person to see what they mean. What does it or they say? This is the method that Dr Anne Faraday recommends, and it is based on Gestalt Psychology
You also need to remember that there are a couple of stages of sleep, the main ones being REM or Rapid Eye Movements, which is when we actually dream. Then there is Non-REM or Non Rapid Eye Movements, which is when we are drifting off to sleep or when we have ‘chatter’ playing in the back of our minds, for example, everyday thoughts going through our head, this is our mind literally sifting through information.
Dream Catcher in Your Window
Place a dream catcher in your window to catch bad dreams before they come to you.
Also try a broom under your bed, if you can’t find a dream catcher.
Cutting Ties with Bad Dreams
An athame placed between your mattresses will ‘cut’ the ties between yourself and old bad dreams so they cannot come again.
Divination Techniques for a Solitary Pagan Practitioner
Divination is a practice that has been used for centuries by people of different cultures and religions to gain insight into the unknown. For Solitary Pagans, divination is a powerful tool that can be used to connect with the divine and gain guidance on their spiritual path. There are many different forms of divination, ranging from tarot readings to scrying, and each has its own unique benefits and challenges.
One of the main benefits of divination for Solitary Pagans is that it can help them to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their spiritual journey. By using divination tools, they can gain insight into their subconscious mind and the hidden forces that influence their lives. This can help them to identify patterns and obstacles that may be holding them back and find ways to overcome them. Additionally, divination can provide guidance and support during times of uncertainty or difficulty, helping them to stay focused and motivated on their path.
Techniques
For a solitary pagan, divination can be a powerful tool for gaining insight and guidance. There are many different techniques that can be used for divination, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Some popular techniques include:
Tarot Cards
Tarot cards are a popular divination tool that can provide insight into a variety of different areas of life. They consist of a deck of 78 cards, each with its own unique meaning. To use tarot cards for divination, the practitioner shuffles the deck and then draws cards at random, interpreting their meaning based on the position they fall in and the other cards in the spread.
Runes
Runes are a set of ancient symbols that were used by the Germanic and Norse peoples for divination. They consist of 24 or 25 small stones or tiles, each with a different symbol carved into it. To use runes for divination, the practitioner draws a set number of runes from a bag or other container, interpreting their meaning based on the symbols and their position.
Scrying
Scrying is a technique that involves gazing into a reflective surface, such as a crystal ball or a mirror, in order to gain insight and guidance. The practitioner may see images, symbols, or other visual cues that can be interpreted as messages from the divine.
Pendulum
A pendulum is a small weight that is suspended from a string or chain. To use a pendulum for divination, the practitioner holds the weight steady and then asks a yes or no question. The pendulum will then swing in a certain direction, indicating the answer.
Numerology
Numerology is a technique that involves using numbers to gain insight into different areas of life. Practitioners may use techniques such as calculating a person’s life path number or using the letters of their name to derive a numerical value, which can then be interpreted based on its meaning.
Overall, there are many different techniques that can be used for divination, each with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. By experimenting with different techniques, a solitary pagan can find the one that works best for them and use it to gain insight and guidance in their spiritual journey.
An Explanation of Divination
Among other things, Divination can be termed as foretelling the future, finding objects and people, and determining guilt by means of information obtained from signs, omens, dreams, visions, and divinatory tools.
Divination traditionally is an important skill of the folk witch.
In some magickal societies, divination is performed only by special classes of trained priests or priestesses.
However, Divination techniques are open to all as an important skill for many Witches and Pagans.
Since the earliest times in all known civilizations, people have looked to supernatural sources for help and advice, in personal affairs, and particularly in matters of state.
Methods of divination involve either interpretation of natural patterns in the environment or patterns that are formed by the tossing of objects such as sticks, stones, or bones.
Information is obtained from the way smoke curls from a fire, the shape of an animal bone, the formation of clouds, and the markings on organs and entrails of sacrificed animals.
The ancient Romans favored augury, the interpretation of the flight pattern of birds, and haruspicy, the examination of the livers and entrails of sacrificed animals. The augurs were a special caste of priests who read the signs to deter lines,
Dreams have always been an important medium for divining answers to questions, as has scrying. Oracles are persons who enter trance states.
Popular in the Middle Ages was the tossing of grain, sand, or peas onto the earth to see what could be read from the patterns.
Similarly, the Japanese set out characters of the syllabary in a circle, then scatter rice around them and let a cock pick at the rice.
Whatever syllables are nearest the grain picked up by the cock is used to puzzle out messages.
As far back as 1000 b.c.e., the Chinese have used the I Ching, an oracle that involves tossing and reading long and short yarrow sticks.
Another ancient Chinese divinatory method, which is still in use, is feng-shui, or geomancy, the siting of buildings, tombs, and other physical structures by determining the invisible currents of energy coursing through the earth.
Finding the guilty. Throughout history, divination has been used to identify parties guilty of crimes.
Despite the true psychic ability no doubt employed by many diviners, it is certain that many innocent people have been punished along with the guilty.
In the Pacific Islands, murderers have been identified by examining the marks of a beetle crawling over the grave of a victim.
The Lugbara of western Uganda fills small pots with medicines that represent the suspects.
The pot that does not boil over when heated reveals the culprit.
In other methods, suspects are forced to eat or drink various substances and concoctions, such as the gruesome stew made from the boiled head of an ass.
Whoever is unfortunate enough to choke or suffer indigestion—even a rumbling stomach—is guilty by divination.
During the witch hunts, witch suspects were bound and thrown in lakes and rivers to see if they would float (guilty) or sink (innocent).
If the sinking innocent drowned, that was simply an unfortunate consequence
Contemporary divinatory methods. Most Witches have a favored tool in divining that acts as a prompt to intuition and the tuning into psychic forces and vibrations.
The divined information comes in a variety of ways, depending on the individual.
Some persons “hear” it with the inner ear; others see visual images on their mental screens.
Divinatory information also comes through other senses, including taste, smell, and tactile sensations.
Popular tools include the Tarot; rune stones; crystals, mirrors, or bowls for scrying; dowsing; and the I Ching.
Many Witches also use psychometry, which is the reading of objects or photographs by handling them.
Astrology and numerology are often used in conjunction with divination.
Some Witches divine by reading auras, the layers of invisible energy that surround all living things.
Palmistry, the reading of lines on the hand, and tasseomancy, the reading of tea leaves, are used by some Witches.
Divination is both art and skill, and one’s proficiency depends on natural psychic gifts and regular practice.
For some, divination comes fairly easily, while others must work harder and longer to attune their psychic faculties.
Many Witches feel that the best time to the divine is between midnight and dawn when the psychic currents are supposed to be at their strongest.
Cauldron Divination
Divination is an art that has been practiced in one form or another since ancient times and in all levels of culture.
There are a number of ways in which a cauldron can be used for divining.
One method is to fill the cauldron with water or wine and place it between two burning candles or under the bright silver rays of the Full Moon.
Relax, clear your mind of all distracting thoughts, and then gaze into the cauldron as you would a crystal ball.
As with other forms of scrying, your vision will begin to blur after a while and a slight haze will begin to materialize.
Keep your gaze focused and eventually a vision, either of actual or symbolic nature, may be revealed to you.
To determine good or bad omens, according to an old Pagan method, place a cauldron on the ground and burn some incense (traditionally frankincense) or a handful of dried herbs in it.
Mugwort, rose petals, vervain, and yarrow are popular herbs of divination among Witches.
If the smoke rises straight up to the heavens, this indicates a good omen. If it does not rise or if it touched the ground, this indicates a bad one.
OUIJA
Today, most people look at Ouija boards and think, “Why would you want to open the gates of Hell?” It wasn’t always that way, however. The Ouija board came straight out of the “Spiritualism” movement, which was the belief that the dead were able to communicate with the living. Spiritualism had been popular for years in Europe, but it hit America in 1848 with the Fox sisters from upstate New York. The Foxes claimed to receive messages from spirits who would rap on walls to answer questions. Séance parties were all the rage in a time when people were desperate to connect with loved ones. Spiritualism offered solace in an era when the average lifespan was less than fifty years. Women died in childbirth, children died of disease, and men died in war. Spiritualism hit a fevered pitch during the Civil War with people desperate to connect with loved ones who had gone away to war and had never come home. Communicating with the dead was common then. It wasn’t seen as weird or strange. The Ouija board was not unlike a telegraph for the dead! After all, reciting the alphabet and waiting for a rap on a wall was boring and time-consuming. The Ouija board was fast as lightening compared to previous methods. The Kennard Novelty Company saw this and capitalized on it! In Ohio, the Spiritualists were using talking boards, or spirt boards. Kennard brought together investors and began to mass-produce Ouija boards after gaining a patent. Strangely enough, Kennard couldn’t gain a patent unless they could prove the board worked. The chief patent officer demanded a demonstration. If the board couldn’t accurately spell out his name, which was supposed to be unknown to the two patent seekers, he would allow the patent application to proceed. They all sat down together and the board accurately spelled out the patent officer’s name. On February 10, 1891, a white-faced and visibly shaken patent officer awarded Kennard a patent for his new game. Yes, I said “game” because that is how it was marketed. The first patent offers no explanation as to how the board worked, only that it did. This of course, made the board seem mysterious, and the more mysterious it seemed, the more people wanted to buy it. It made money, they really didn’t care why people thought it worked—they were in it for the money! They had found a niche and filled it with Ouija! It was marketed as both a mystical oracle and family entertainment! The only people who didn’t like the Ouija board were spirit mediums because their job as the middleman between the living and the dead was suddenly obsolete. The Ouija board offered a fun way for people to believe in something. People want to believe. Ouija is one of those things that lets them express that belief. The board found its greatest popularity in uncertain times when people look for answers from nearly anywhere, especially cheap, manufactured oracles. During WWI it had a surge in popularity, and again during prohibition. It was so “normal” that in May of 1920 Norman Rockwell painted a Saturday Evening Post cover of a man and women with an Ouija board on their knees, blissfully communing with the other side. During the Great Depression, there was another surge in popularity and the production company opened new factories. This is outstanding because during that time most other factories were shutting their doors. In 1944, a single New York department store sold 50,000 Ouija boards! Parker Brothers bought the game in 1966, and in 1967 there was another surge in popularity – over 2 million boards were sold with American troops in Viet Nam, and race riots in Newark, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee. Not just historical events prompted these amazing sales, but strange tales connected with the boards also made them more mysterious and more desirable. It was always popular, mysterious, and interesting…. until 1973 when The Exorcist debuted in theaters. Almost overnight, Ouija became a tool of the devil, a tool of horror writers and moviemakers. During the time The Exorcist rode the theater marquees, religious groups denounced Ouija as being Satan’s preferred method of communication! Even with the paranormal community, Ouija gained a rather dodgy reputation. In recent years, Ouija is popular again, in part by the crappy economy and its popping up as a plot device in multiple paranormal reality television shows. So how DOES the Ouija board work? Experiments have been conducted, and the answer is disappointing. WE ourselves make it work. If Ouija can’t give us answers from the great beyond, what CAN it tell us? Apparently, Ouija can tell us quite a bit! In the experiments, people answered better with Ouija on questions they really didn’t think they knew, but something inside them DID know, and the Ouija board can help the person answer correctly above that of mere chance. These types of questions include what the subconscious mind knows, how fast it can learn, how it remembers, even how the brain amuses itself! As it turns out, Ouija does offer a link between the known and unknown, just not the unknown everyone wanted to believe, according to scientifically conducted experimentation.
A Glossary of Divination
AEROMANCY divination from the air and sky, particularly concentrating on cloud shapes, comets, and other phenomena not normally visible in the heavens.
ALCHEMY is the practice of transmutation of base metals into precious metals (e.g., gold or silver) with the aid of an esoteric substance called the “philosopher’s stone”.
ALECTRYOMANCY is divination whereby a bird is allowed to pick corn grains from a circle of letters. A variation is to recite letters of the alphabet noting those at which a cock crows.
ALEUROMANCY is divination using “fortune cookies”; answers to questions are rolled into balls of dough and once baked are chosen at random.
ALOMANCY is divination by table salt.
ALPHITOMANCY uses special cakes that are digestible by persons with a clear conscience but are unpleasant to others.
ANTHROPOMANCY is the long-outlawed means of divination by human sacrifice.
APANTOMANCY is divination through chance meetings with animals (e.g., a black cat), birds, and other creatures. Mexico City is said to have been founded where Aztec soothsayers saw an eagle flying from a cactus carrying a live snake.
ARITHMANCY or ARITHMOMANCY is an earlier form of NUMEROLOGY where divination is made through numbers and the number value of letters.ASTRAGLOMANCY or ASTRAGYROMANCY is a form of divination by dice where the faces of the dice bear numbers and letters.
ASTROLOGY is divination using celestial bodies: the sun, moon, planets, and stars.
AUGURY is the general term for the art of divination and is chiefly applied to interpretations of signs and omens.
AUSTROMANCY is divination by the study of the winds.
AXIOMANCY is divination through the observation of how an ax or hatchet quivers or points when driven into post.
BELOMANCY is an ancient form of divination performed by tossing or balancing arrows.
BIBLIOMANCY involves divination by books.
BOTANOMANCY is divination from burning tree branches and leaves.
BUMPOLOGY strictly a modern term, a popular nickname for PHRENOLOGY
CAPNOMANCY is the study of smoke rising from a fire.
CARTOMANCY is fortune telling using cards such as the Tarot.
CATOPTROMANCY is an early form of crystal gazing that utilizes a mirror turned to the moon to catch moonbeams.
CAUSIMOMANCY is divination from behavior of objects placed in a fire.
CEPHALOMANCY refers to divination with the skull or head of a donkey or goat.
CERAUNOSCOPY seeks to draw omens from the study of thunder and lightning.
CEROSCOPY, CEROMANCY is a form of fortune telling in which melted was is poured into cold water.
CHIROMANCY is divination from the lines on people’s hands.
CHIROGNOMY is the study of the general hand formation.
CLAIRAUDIENCE is “clear hearing” of divinatory information. Parapsychologist generally regard as a form of extrasensory perception.
CLAIRVOYANCE is “clear seeing” of divinatory information. Parapsychologist generally regard as a form of extrasensory perception.
CLEROMANCY is divination by “casting lots”, similar to dice but with objects such as pebbles or sea shells.
CLIDOMANCY or CLEIDOMANCY is divination using a dangling key. seeRADIESTHESIA.
COSCINOMANCY is divination using a hanging sieve. see RADIESTHESIA.
CRITOMANCY is the study of barley cakes.
CROMNIOMANCY is divination using onion sprouts.
CRYSTALLOMANCY is divination through crystal gazing.
CYCLOMANCY is the practice of divination from a turning wheel.
DACTYLOMANCY is an early form of RADIESTHESIA using a dangling ring.
DAPHNOMANCY requires one to listen to laurel branches crackling in an open fire.
DEMONOMANCY is divination with the aid of demons.
DENDROMANCY is divination with either oak or mistletoe.
DOWSING or DIVINING RODS are methods of divination where a forked stick is used to locate water or precious minerals.
GASTROMANCY is an ancient form of ventriloquism whereby the voice is lowered to a sepulchral tone and prophetic utterances are delivered in a trance state.
GELOSCOPY is the divination from the tone of someone’s laughter.
GENETHLIALOGY is divination by the influence of the stars at birth.
GEOMANCY is the study of figures on the ground and the influence of the Earth’s “currents”.
GRAPHOLOGY is the analysis of character through handwriting.
GYROMANCY is a divination procedure where a person walks in a circle marked with letters until they become dizzy and stumble at different points, thus spelling out a prophesy.
HALOLMANCY see ALOMANCY
HARUSPICATION IS fortune-telling by means of inspecting the entrails of animals, as practiced by priests in ancient Rome.
HIEROMANCY or HIERSCOPY is divination by observing object of ancient sacrifice.
HIPPOMANCY is a form of divination from the stamping and neighing of horses.
HOROSCOPY is the practice of casting of astrological horoscopes.
HYDROMANCY is divination by water including the color, ebb and flow, or ripples produced by pebbles dropped in a pool.
ICHTHYOMANCY is divination using fish.
LAMPADOMANCY is divination using lights or torches.
LECANOMANCY uses a basin of water for divination.
LIBANOMANCY is the study of incense and its smoke.
LITHOMANCY is divination using precious stones of various colors.
MARGARITOMANCY is the procedure of using bouncing pearls.
METAGNOMY is the divination using “visions” received in a trance state.
METEOROMANCY is divination from meteors.
METOPOSCOPY is the reading of character using the lines if the forehead.
MOLEOSOPHY is the study of moles and indicators of a person’s character and future indications.
MOLYBDOMANCY draws mystic inferences from the hissing of molten lead.
MYOMANCY is the study of the prophetic meaning of behavior of rats and mice.
NUMEROLOGY is the numerical interpretation of numbers, dates, and the number value of letters.
OCULOMANCY is divination from a person’s eye.
OINOMANCY is divination using wine.
OMPHALOMANCY IS counting the number of knots in the umbilical cord to predict how many more children the mother will have
ONEIROMANCY is the interpretation of dreams and their prophetic nature.
ONOMANCY is the study of the meaning of names.
ONOMANTICS is the application of ONOMANCY applied to personal names, particularly in the sense of occult interpretation.
ONYCHOMANCY is the study of fingernails.
OOMANTIA and OOSCOPY is the method of divination by eggs.
OPHIOMANCY is divination from serpents.
ORNISCOPY and ORINITHOMANCY is the study of omens associated with birds, particularly birds in flight. see APANTOMANCY
OVOMANCY is another type of egg divination.
PALMISTRY is the broad field of divination and interpretation of the lines and structure of the hand.
PEGOMANCY concerns itself with spring water and bubbling fountains and the omens contained therein.
PHRENOLOGY is the long practiced study of head formations.
PHYLLORHODOMANCY is a means of divination whereby one slaps a rose petal against the hand and judges the favorability of the omen by the loudness of the sound.
PHYSIOGNOMY is the study of character analysis through physical features.
PRECOGNITION in an inner knowledge or sense of future events.
PSYCHOGRAPHY is a form of mysterious writing having a divinatory nature.
PSYCHOMETRY is the faculty of gaining impressions from a physical object and its history.
PYROMANCY and PYROSCOPY are forms of divination by fire or flame, often assisted by substances thrown onto the flames.
RADIESTHESIA is the general term for divination using a device such as a divining rod or pendulum. Other forms include “table tipping” which was practiced at the White House in the 19th century, the Ouija board, automatic writing (or superconscious writing), and scrying.
RHABDOMANCY is divination using a stick or wand. These methods were forerunners of the divining rod.
RHAPSODOMANCY is a means of divination using a book of poetry whereby the book is opened at random and a passage read.
SCIOMANCY is divination using a spirit guide, a method generally employed by channelers.
SCRYING is a general term for divination using a crystal, mirrors, bowls of water, ink, or flames to induce visions.
SIDEROMANCY is the burning of straws with a hot iron, the resulting figures having divinatory properties.
SORTILEGE is the casting of lots and the assessment of omens indicated.
SPODOMANCY is divination using cinders or soot.
STICHOMANCY is another form of throwing open a book and selecting a random passage for the purpose of divination.
STOLISOMANCY draws omens from the way people dress.
SYCOMANCY is performed by writing messages on tree leaves; the slower they dry, the more favorable the omen. A modern variation is to write on slips of paper (always including one blank) and rolling them up. They are then held in a strainer over a boiling pot; the first to unroll will be answered.
TASSEOGRAPHY is the reading of tea leaves that remain in a tea cup once the beverage has been drunk.
TEPHRAMANCY is divination by ashes obtained from the burning of tree bark.
TIROMANCY is a type of divination using cheese.
XYLOMANCY is divination from pieces of wood, either from their shape when collected or their appearance while burning.
Symbolism for Divination
● Acorn- youth, strength, man, small start for large accomplishment
● Airplane- travel, new projects
● Anchor- voyage, rest, problem solved, security
● Arrow- news, disagreements, direct action
● Basket- gift, security, comfort
● Baby- new interests, security, new beginnings
● Bees (hive, comb)- fertility, industry, community, self-sacrifice
● Bell- celebrations, news (good or bad, depending on other indicators)
● Bird- psychic power, flight, luck, friendship end, communication
● Boat- discoveries, travel, companionship
● Book- wisdom, learning
● Bottle- celebration, success
● Broom- Goddess, purification, healing, end of a problem, changes
● Bridge- crossing to new endeavors, transition, partnership, travel
● Butterfly- the soul, spiritual contact, frivolity, insincerity
● Castle- financial gain, security, inheritance, life of bounty
● Cage- isolation, restriction, imprisonment, containment
● Cat- wisdom, spiritual access, female friend, domestic strife
● Car- local travel, movement in business affairs
● Cauldron- Goddess, transformation, endings/new beginnings, vitality
● Candle- illumination, innovation, inspiration
● Clock- time indicated for a spell’s completion, change
● Chair- relaxation, pause, comfort, entertainment
● Clouds- mental activity, thoughtfulness, problems, hidden obstacles
● Coffin- end of a matter, lengthy but not serious illness
● Clover- good fortune, success, rural location
● Cow- money, property, comfort, tranquility
● Cradle- newcomers, beginning of a new idea or project
● Crescent- Goddess, wish granted, newness, freshness
● Cornucopia- Goddess, abundance, fertility, prosperity protection
● Cross- solar (+): God, nature works with power; Roman (Christian cross symbol):
suffering, conflict
● Cup- love, harmony, close friendship, gift
● Dagger- complications, dangers, power, skill
● Distaff- creativity, changes, sexuality
● Dog- fidelity, friendship, companionship, faithfulness
● Duck- plenty, wealth, success
● Elephant- advice needed, obstacles overcome, good luck
● Egg- increase, fertility, luck, creativity, new start, hoarding
● Eye- introspection, awareness, evaluation, spirit
● Fan- indiscretion, disloyalty, things hidden, inflammations
● Fence- retention of possessions, defense, isolation
● Fish- riches, luck, sexuality, productivity
● Flag- warning, defensiveness, identification with group/ideals
● Flame, fire- purification, change, domination of the will
● Flower- marriage, unhappy love affair, passing joy
● Glove- protection, luck, aloofness, nobility, challenge
● Gate- opportunity, advancement, change, new directions
● Gun (any type)- power to gain goals, discord, slander, infidelity
● Hammer- hard work rewarded, building, creativity, fortitude
● Hat- honors, rivalry, independence, self-assertion
● Hound- advice, help given, companionship, trust
● Heart- love, pleasure, confidence, strength of will
● Harp- contentment, spirituality
● Horns- God, fertility, spirituality, forces of nature
● Horse- travel, strength, work, grace, power
● Horseshoe- protection, luck, start of a new enterprise
● Hourglass- caution, passage of time
● House- security, authority, success, comfort
● Key- understanding, mysteries, opportunity, gain, security
● Kite- warning for caution, new ideas
● Knot- restrictions, marriage, bindings
● Knife- duplicity, misunderstanding, direct action
● Ladder- initiation, rise or fall in status, connections
● Lion- power, strength, influence, ferocity, pride, domination
● Lock- protection, concealment, security, obstacles, sealed
● Man- visitor, helpful stranger
● Mirror- reversal, knowledge, karma
● Moon- the Goddess, intuitive wisdom, guidance
● Mountain- hindrance, challenge, obstacle, journey, steadfastness
● Mouse- poverty, theft, frugality, inconspicuousness
● Mushroom- shelter, food, business complications, fairy contact
● Nail- labor, construction, unity
● Owl- wisdom, spiritual communication
● Palm Tree- respite, relief, security, protection, blessings
● Parrot- gossip, flamboyance
● Peacock- luxury, vanity, baseless pride
● Pineapple- hospitality, good things hidden by harsh exterior
● Pipe- truth obscured, concentration, comfort, ease
● Purse- monetary gain, possessions kept close
● Ring- eternity, containment, wheel of life/year, wedding
● Rose- love, lost or past love, fullness of life, healing, caring
● Salt- purity, stability, cleansing, grounding
● Scales- balance, justice, careful evaluation
● Scissors- duplicity, arguments, separation, division, strife
● Shell- Goddess, emotional stability, luck, artistic ability
● Ship- travel, news, material gains, romance
● Skull- consolation, comfort, personal hurts, endings and a new life
● Snake- God and Goddess, wisdom, immortality, knowledge, prophecy
● Spider- good luck, industry, entrapments, secrecy, cunning
● Spoon- luck, sustenance, the basic needs of life secured
● Sun- the God, success, energy, power
● Star- good luck, divine protection, opportunity, success, destiny
● Swan- good luck, love, evolving beauty, noble spirit
● Sword- power, strife, conflict, overcoming adversity
● Tree- blessings of nature, good fortune, stability, power, security
● Turtle- fertility, security, defense against obstacles, slow gains
● Umbrella- temporary shelter, limited protection
● Unicorn- purity, nature, fairy blessings, Otherworld intervention
● Well- blessing from the Goddess, inspiration, spirituality, health
● Wheel- completion, eternity, season/life cycles, rebirth, gains
● Windmill- business dealings, factors working together for one goal
Mirror Divination
One of the most ancient forms of divination is crystallomancy or catoptromancy, performed with a magic mirror.
The Magi of Persia are said to have used mirrors, as well as the ancient Greeks and Romans.
In ancient Greece, the witches of Thessaly wrote their oracles in human blood upon mirrors.
The Thessalian witches are supposed to have taught Pythagoras how to divine by holding a magic mirror up to the Moon.
Romans who were skilled in mirror reading were called specularii.
In lore, mirrors are believed to reflect the soul and must be guarded against lest the soul be lost.
These fears carry over into superstitious customs, such as covering the mirrors in a house after death to prevent the souls of the living from being carried off by the ghost of the newly
departed; and removing mirrors from a sick room because the soul is more vulnerable in times of illness .
According to another superstition, if one looks into a mirror at night, one will see the Devil. In Russian folklore, mirrors are the invention of the Devil, having the power to draw souls out of bodies.
The Aztecs used mirrorlike surfaces to keep witches away.
A bowl of water with a knife in it was placed in the entrances of homes.
A witch looking into it would see her soul pierced by the knife, and flee.
According to another belief, witches have no souls, and therefore, like vampires, have no reflections in mirrors.
Medieval and Renaissance magicians often used mirrors, bowls of water, polished stones and crystals for divination, to see the past, present and future.
Village wizards frequently employed mirrors to detect thieves.
Whatever the purpose, the magicians would stare into the polished surface until they hypnotized themselves into light trances and saw visions that answered the questions that were put to them.
John Dee, England’s royal court magician in the 16th century, employed both a crystal egg and a mirror made of polished black obsidian, reportedly taken from Mexico by Cortés. Cagliostro used mirrors, as did the famous 16th-century occultist Agrippa.
According to one legend, Cartaphilus, the Wandering Jew, asked Agrippa in 1525 to produce a vision of his dead childhood sweetheart in his mirror.
Agrippa asked the man to count off the decades since the girl had died, and waved his magic wand at each count. Cartaphilus kept counting far beyond the girl’s death.
At 149, Agrippa felt dizzy but told him to keep counting.
Finally, at 1,150, a vision appeared of the girl in ancient Palestine. Cartaphilus called out to her—in disobedience to Agrippa’s admonitions—and the vision dissolved. Cartaphilus fainted.
Later, he told Agrippa he was the Jew who had struck Christ as he carried the cross and was condemned to wander the earth.
European royalty believed in and used magic mirrors.
Catherine de’ Medici, a devout believer in the occult arts, had a mirror that revealed to her the future of France.
Henri IV also relied on a magic mirror to discover political plots against him.
The medieval magician Albertus Magnus recorded formula for making a magic mirror: Buy a looking glass and inscribe upon it “S. Solam S. Tattler S. Echogordner Gematur.”
Bury it at a crossroads during an uneven hour.
On the third day, go to the spot at the same hour and dig it up—but do not be the first person to gaze into the mirror.
In fact, said Magnus, it is best to let a dog or a cat take the first look.
Pendulum
A pendulum can be made of any weighted object on a string. It can be a stone
weight, crystal, metal, or even just a button on some thread. You don’t need to go spend
money at all, just use what you have on hand at home already!
Hold the thread between the thumb and forefinger on your power hand
(dominant hand), rest your elbow on some hard/solid surface (like a table), and allow
the string/weight to dangle without touching the surface of the tabe or your arm.
Relax and focus your sight into the center of the pendulum. If the pendulum is
moving, say/think: “Be still,” and focus that thought into the center of the pendulum. It
will stop moving, then you can begin. First, you need to find out what means yes and
what means no. You can simply say, “Show me, ‘yes’” and then, “Show me, ‘no,’” or ask
questions you know the answers to already to determine this. Did I have coffee today?
Do I have red hair? Etc. The pendulum may swing left to right for no and forward and
back for yes… or circle for yes and be linear for no, or vice versa. This will vary person
to person, so figure this out first, then move on to the questions you are here for.
For your answers, if the pendulum is swinging slowly/weakly, it is not a definite
response. This answer, if not to your liking, is open to changing, just needing a bit of a
nudge in the right direction. A strongly swinging pendulum is a stronger answer (firm
yes/no). The stage is well set already and the energies are predisposed to this response.
To change this kind of strong response is more difficult than the nudge needed to
change a weaker response. It may be a situation where you choose to prepare yourself
for what is coming, or try to blunt the impact, rather than throwing a lot of energy into
attempting a total change of such a future.
If you do wish to make a change, think about alternatives. This may require
meditation to come up with new solutions/directions you would like to take. Once you
have several ideas, return to the pendulum and address each idea as a possible means of
making changes. If the pendulum responds enthusiastically to one of these ideas, it
would be the direction to take. If it’s sluggish toward all ideas, perhaps consider internal
changes rather than external ones. Remember, Divination is a guide, to advise. What
you do with the information is up to you.
If you are working the pendulum for others, it’s best to ask the question for the
other person. Ask them what they want to know, then ask the pendulum. Otherwise
you must go through the steps of establishing what is yes and no again, since it may vary
for that other person.
Becca’s note: In a similar way to this, you can use dowsing rods to
communicate with spirits or your guides. They’re limited to yes or no questions, for
the most part, just like a pendulum. Copper is ideal if you can find it, especially when
the handles are hollow copper tubes that the rods rest in- with the hollow handle, it is
not easy to tell the rods what to do- and the copper allows the spirits to channel a bit
of your energy through the rods, making it easier for them to work with.
When I’m working with these, I start by asking to see yes and no. Yes is
typically an X of sorts with the rods, and No typically points them away from each
other. Small yes barely crosses the rods. Big yes makes them spin around and touch
me or they may go straight and simply face each other.
For bigger confirmation of things, I hold them out and ask them to do specific
things to confirm what I said/heard/felt. “Spin the left one 3x clockwise.” “Spin the
right one 3x counter-clockwise.” “Spin them both together.” Etc.
The Sigillum Aemeth
The Sigillum Aemeth, or Seal of Truth, illustrated above, was inscribed by John Dee upon a disk of “perfect wax” that was nine inches in diameter (nine is the number of the moon) and one inch thick.
It was placed directly beneath Dee’s crystal ball during scrying sessions with the Enochian angels.
Similar designs were marked by Dee upon four smaller wax disks that he placed under the legs of the table that supported the shewstone.
All this was done in obedience to the explicit directions of the angels.
Tea Leaves
Anything from clouds, crystals, incense smoke, or tarot, oracle, or playing cards can be read for divining purposes.
All you need is to feel attuned to interpreting what you see.
Images may appear to you unbidden with a voice within you, telling you the meaning of what you see.
The image you see may even change upon acknowledging it, to confirm your thoughts/feelings on the matter.
As always, listen to that inner voice.
Divination is not necessarily to predict the future but to see the energies affecting future events to see how they’re aligned.
From there you can allow things to flow as they were, or make changes to alter that alignment, to change that future possibility.
Nothing is predestined in witchcraft because The Power of the Craft comes from the ability of the witch to create changes.
If you see something you don’t like, you can perform magic and call upon The Power to shift that thing you don’t like to something better.
There are a number of tools you can use for Divination, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money on them.
Crystal ball scrying is typically thought of in connection with witchcraft, but a pan or bowl of water works equally well for scrying.
Divination can be done with fire, smoke, cloud shapes & movement, bird flight, and the patterns of the falling leaves.
Anything that is connected with nature that inspires a feeling of meaningfulness within you is a possible source of Divination.
If the Lord and Lady (etc) want to show you something, they can use anything to do this.
Even the bowl of cereal you’re eating for breakfast.
Visions can be found anywhere.
You just need to be open to them to start seeing them.
Scrying the clouds works on different levels of divination. Sometimes they show events to come, but usually, the things you see will resonate on a personal level.
If you see a wild and reckless “rade” of horses and riders flying across the sky, you’re getting a a glimpse of the Wild Hunt, warning of turmoil in the place where the clouds are heading.
If you see white unicorns, you have good fortune and success with you.
If you see black unicorns, call upon the white unicorns to chase them away from where you are, for they are emotional storms and portents of disruptions in your life.
Watch the clouds around the moon during Esbat. Look for cloud formations during unusual planetary events like eclipses.
Check the clouds for replies to your spell workings and invocations.
For divination in cards, you can use tarot cards that speak to you in the store that you purchase yourself, or are gifted by a friend (never steal!), or a basic playing cards deck can be used with just as much success.
The point of the divination tools is that they offer a tool to focus on, not that they hold the power themselves.
You can use a variety of small stones as cards if you pick up ones that provide you with distinct impressions.
When you gather stones, meditate on each one in a quiet time with a white candle, and a gentle incense to open your reception to the meaning of the stone.
Once you see what the stone represents for you, name the stone and write down its meaning.
Keep them in a bag and when doing divination, reach in and pull them out the same way you would draw your cards.
Hermes
ORIGIN
Greek. Messenger of the gods.
KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP
circa 800 BC but probably earlier until Christianization (circa AD 400).
CENTER(S) OF CULT
Pheneos (Arcadia); otherwise few specific places, but strongly associated with wayside shrines and cairns.
ART REFERENCES
probably certain prehistoric phallic figures marking boundaries; Parthenon frieze; Hermes of Praxiteles in Olympia.
LITERARY SOURCES
Iliad, Odyssey (Homer); Theogony (Hesiod).
Hermes is the son of a nymph, MAIA, who consorted with ZEUS. He was born in the Arcadian mountains, a complex, Machiavellian character full of trickery and sexual vigor.
His most significant consort is APHRODITE.
He is a God of boundaries, guardian of graves, and patron deity of shepherds.
Perversely, he patronizes both heralds and thieves and is a bringer of good fortune.
According to legend Hermes as a day-old infant stole the cattle of his elder brother APOLLO while playing the lyre.
Legend accords to him the invention of fire also generated on his first day.
Hermes’s skills at theft were put to use by the other gods of Olympus, who sent him to liberate ARES from a barrel and to bring King Priam of Troy into a conciliatory meeting with the Greek war hero Achilles after the death of Hector.
Classical art depicts Hermes wearing winged golden sandals and holding a magical herald’s staff consisting of intertwined serpents, the kerykeion.
He is reputedly the only being able to find his way to the underworld ferry of Charon and back again.
Hence he was sent to bring both PERSEPHONE and Eurydice back from Hades.
In company with other Greek gods, Hermes is endowed with not-inconsiderable sexual prowess which he directs toward countryside nymphs and with which he also maintains a healthy and thriving population of sheep and goats!
He was often represented in wayside shrines in the form of a phallic pillar or post which was regarded as a funerary monument, hence the role of grave guardian.
Deities Of The Moon
Invoke these for gentle increase, power and banishing energies, fertility, intuition, magick and dreams.
Arianrhod
Arianrhod is a Welsh goddess of the full moon and also of time, karma and destiny.
She ruled over the realm of the Celtic Otherworld, called Caer Feddwidd, the Fort of Carousa.
Here a mystical fountain of wine offered eternal health and youth for those who chose to spend their immortality in the Otherworld.
She brings inspiration, renewal, health and rejuvenation, and is a focus for all magick, as she is a witch goddess.
Diana
Diana is the Roman counterpart of Artemis, and because of her strong association with the Moon in all its phases, is a goddess of fertility as well as love.
Like Artemis, she is goddess of the hunt and a virgin goddess but can be invoked in her role as an Earth goddess and as protector of women in childbirth.
Her beauty and hunting skills make her a perfect focus for the pursuit of love, especially from afar.
Myesyats
Like the lunar goddesses, Myesyats, the Slavic Moon God, represented the three stages of the life cycle.
He was first worshipped as a young man until he reached maturity at the full moon.
With the waning phase, Myesyats passed through old age and died with the old moon, being reborn three days later.
As he was the restorer of life and health, parents would pray to him to take away their children’s illnesses and family sorrows.
Other sources have a female version, Myesytsa, a lovely Moon maiden who was the consort of Dazhbog the Sun God, and became mother of the stars.
Myesyats brings healing and family harmony.
Selene
Selene is the Greek goddess especially associated with the full moon, sometimes forming a triplicity with Diana and Hecate, the twin sister of Helios the Sun God.
Selene rises from the sea in her chariot drawn by white horses at night and rides high in the sky in her full moon.
At the time of the full moon, she is invoked by women for fertility and by all who seek the power of intuition and inspiration.
Deities for Protection
Anubis (Egyptian) : The jackal headed god. Anubis is the gatekeeper to the underworld a protector and a guardian. Anubis can walk with you during challenging magickal situations. He can help to remove fear so you can find the courage to do what needs to be done. Colors: Green and Black. Crystals and stones: malachite and nebula. herb: Myrrh
Artemis (Greek) The maiden Goddess of the crescent moon and the hunt, Artemis leads the hunt with her wild women. Artemis can teach you to be brave and courageous no matter what gets thrown your way. She is known for acting quickly and decisively to protect and rescue those who call on her for aid. She is swift to punish offenders, even though she detests violence itself. She is a protector of women in childbirth and of mothers and their children. Colors: Silver and white Metal: Silver
Crystals and stones: Moonstone labradorite and selenite. Herb: mugwort also known as Artemisia.
Hecate (Greco-Roman): The triple-faced torch-bearing goddess of the crossroads. A deity of choices endings and beginnings hecate is called the phantom Queen and is a patroness and protector of witches. She may appear as a beautiful young woman, an attractive matron or a wise old crone. Hecate is a powerful and no nonsense deity to work protection magick with. While she has always been associated with darker magick and curses she is also incredible for calling upon her assistance in turning back and stopping baneful magick. You can always tell when Hecate is near, as dogs will begin to howl and the wind will blow. Colors blocak green and silver. Crystals and stones; snowflake obsidian and onyx. Herbs: lavender and willow.
Horus (Egyptian) The falcon headed son of Isis and Osirus. Horus is associated with both the sky and the sun. he is the patron of matters of law and justice. naturally the falcon is linked with this deity. he is a powerhouse of warrior god type energy. Horus is the protector of Egypt and his symbol, the Eye of Horus, is a classic protective symbol. Colors; Gold and white. crystals and stones fire opal, citrine and sunstone. herb Sunflower.
Isis (Egyptian) The supreme Egyptian Mother Goddess, isis is a winged high priestess of magick and enchantment. her area of expertise is magick and she is very protective of her devotees. Her other specialties include magick for marriage family divination and protection. The cow is her sacred animal and one of her magickal symbols is the full moon. Isis is typically depicted with a throne on top of her head which is her hieroglyph. Colors white and deep blue. Crystals and stones: Red chalcedony, lapiz lazuli and azurite. herbs water lily and lotus.
Kali (Hindu) The “Great Protector” And champion of women in peril. Call on kali if you are in physical danger and she will come to assist you. over the years I have heard many stories about women who called on Kali when they were in danger and each time something amazing happened. I must caution you to invoke her only in extreme situations. kali isn’t the one to call on if you’re feeling pissy or just having a bad day. She is a force of nature and is called ” The Destroyer” keep that firmly in mind. Colors black and red. Crystals and stones jet and garnet.
Lilith ( Sumerian) the divine lady owl and ultimate femme fatale. Lility is often thought of as a beautiful vampire. She is seductive powerful and dangerous but if you need help fending off unwanted psychic vampires she’s just the deity to call on. the screech owl is her sacred animal . Colors Red and black. Crystals and stones: carnelian and obsidian. herb: Deep Red thorny roses.
The Morrigan (Celtic) The morrigan is intense. This is a goddess of bloodlust, revenge and prophecy, and she reigns over the battlefield. She is a ferocious vengeful frightening challenging goddess but in the best possible way. She will challenge both you and your fears and any preconceived notions you may hold of her. She is a berserker’s rage the washer at teh ford and the Bean Sidhe all rolled into one. Ravens and crows are her sacred birds and remember these are carrion eaters not just witchy black birds. The Morrigan will test you constantly and she demands both a healthy amount of fear and respect. Crystals and stones : blood stone and garnet.
Nepthys (Egyptian) The green eyed dark sister of Isis, Nepthys is called the Revealer and she can help you discover what would remain hidden. Nepthys is excellent for darker magick general protection and psychic self defense. She can show you your shadow side and teach you how to accept yourself as you truly are. Nepthys is best called during a waning moon and her energy is siilar to Isis just a bit darker and more intense. Nepthys is always depicted with a basket on a stand on top of her head. Color: Midnight blue. Crystals and stones sugilite and blue goldstone. Herb: Lotus
Sehkmet (Egyptian) Sekhmet is the lion headed goddess associated with Upper Egypt. She was called ” The terrible one,” ” She who is Powerful” and the “Eye of Ra” while she was in her protector form. A mighty solar goddess of fire power destruction and war her breath created the desert. She is an extremely protective deity and an excellent goddess to call upon if you feel you are under psychic attack Sekhmet will come roaring to your aid so long as your respectful of her power. Colors: red and black. Crystals and stones : red or borwn tiger’s eye.
Shiva(hindu) The lord of sweeping change. Call on Shiva if you need change to come right away. He will dance into your life and clear things out quickly. Just be sure to be very specific with what your magickal goals are and what you actually need removed from your life. Symbols for Shiva include the crescent moon and the trident. Colors Red and white Stone: Shiva Lingam.
Thor( Norse) The everyman’s god. thor is a great warrior and is thought to admire acts of bravery and courage. Thor likes a good fight and is always happy to lend his aid to people who genuinely loves his people. Thursday is named after him it is literally Thor’s day. the lightning bolt and the hammer are his symbols. Colors: silver, red and yellow. Crystals and stones, granite quartz and slate.
Zeus(Greek) The leader of the Olympians and a storm bringer, Zeus is a powerhouse of energy and magick. he can grant wisdom and cunning, and protection if you approach him respectfully and honestly. His symbols are the lightning bolt and the eagle. Colors: white and gold. Metal gold. Crystal : amber as it is known to hold a
n electrical charge.