Rune Magicks - Change Up Spell-Navigator (Raido)

This is being written more than a year after the rest of the Raido magicks because although the initial idea for this spell was with me, the mechanics of it were not and after months of unsatisfactory meditations and plans, I left it alone because my inspiration and motivation for the subject and all the study fell completely flat. I believe it is now back, so here we go with my highly different from the original spell navigator…

I have been a spell caster for a couple of decades now (scary thought) and occasionally, maybe one in ten times, my spell needs a little oomph after the initial casting… this is generally because I wasn’t as focused on my intention as I thought I was, although occasionally it’s because something about the person or situation that was the spells target has changed in a way that the spell did not affect. So this spell has two different intentions: either just a power up or an alteration.

Useful Links

Starry Eyed Supplies ‘That Sacred Bean’ spell votive

StarryEyed Supplies ‘Twist of Fate’ spell votive

Reflecting on... Crystals

It has been a long time sit I sat to think about the vast level of diversity in all of my tools and so I am doing that today… starting with crystals; vibrational, energetic and magickal, the gifts of the planet enhance our spiritual experience in subtle and profound ways. My personal relationship with crystals was not strong when I began my journey into witchcraft but I discovered Samantha Valens on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/SamisSpirit/videos) and her enthusiasm was infectious. From then on, crystals were a part of my practice as much as I was. I keep them on window sills, in my bra, in my handbag, at work, and more traditionally, in jewellery.

So, here I have listed the myriad of ways I have used crystals in my practice over the years and I am taking this opportunity to thank Samantha too for that boost of inspiration.

·        Décor

I’ll start simply with home décor; a rose quartz in your home will promote a loving environment; obsidian or black tourmaline at your threshold will deter unwanted visitors (including spiders, I’ve found); citrine sitting on my desk, inspires me to write. So even if you do not practice energy work, crystals are pretty and can still assist you in living harmoniously.

·        Baths

I shall be posting soon about ritual bathing and crystals play a large part in that practice for me but just having them in the bathroom can be soothing.

                                    i.        Bath Meditation is a very relaxing practice for me… I like to keep a piece of Aquamarine on the side of my bath tub gaze into it and drift to the ocean when I have a soak.

                                  ii.        Direct Infusion: Many crystals can be placed in the water itself which will infuse the water and so envelop your whole body with its energy. I like this method to cleanse my aura and use seven black crystals.

not all crystals are water-safe so please do your research when choosing them for this purpose.

                                iii.        Pre-made Infusion: You can find recipes in books and online for infusions combining botanicals and crystals which make up approximately a litre of something magickal which can then be added to bath water.

·        Spell Bags

I love how making a spell bag makes me feel so very in touch with my inner-witch. Something about the collection of ingredients and the binding them all together to create something which actually affects the energetic levels speaks to me in a way that very few other magicks do. Crystals are an excellent source of power for spell bags because many of them are their own power source, capable of sustaining their own power without assistance from us mere mortals. They can be charged before and after they’re put in the bag; they can be combined with botanicals, petitions, personal items for a more potent spell; if you consider every crystal as a personality, and you are equipping your spell with that personality by adding a certain crystal, then crystals can achieve anything in a spell bag.

·        Crystal-infused Oils

Oils are as much an essential (pardon the pun) part of the craft as crystals and have wonderful properties all of their own but if you wish to combine these properties with those of your crystals, for powerful ends, then a crystal-infused oil is a great way to go for later annointments, etc. The very talented Tequila (Lady GraveDancer) has a great video on her channel for Amethyst Oil which I highly recommend - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_7CXj7WkeU&t=995s and her Rose Quartz Oil is pretty special too - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZPHxcz7Ong.

·        Crystal Grids

Do you remember sitting in math class thinking… “I’m never gonna use any of this”; well, if that class was Geometry then you may have been mistaken in your thinking. A crystal grid is the placement of crystals in a geometric pattern designed to concentrate energy in a specific direction toward your intention. Using several crystals (perhaps incorporating Numerology) and/or using different types of crystals can generate quite a wallop toward your goal.

·        God & Goddess Representation

This is something I have done for a very long time… I have a large piece of rough sunstone on my altar which is representative of God-energy. I purchased it very inexpensively from a garden store where it was being sold as pond/rockery decoration – I knew better. It has now been sitting on my altar for approximately seven years and whenever I touch it, I feel the masculine energies of the Universe emanating from it – gooooorgeous!

Many deities have crystals that are sacred to them and so they can be used as offerings too or as decoration for an altar dedicated to that specific deity. On the flip side of that idea is that certain crystals will help you connect to deity too. If you do not have a matron/patron deity but are drawn to, for example, garnet, meditate with that garnet and you may be surprised by who you find.

·        Casting Circles

Oh, the art of casting circles is a beautiful and magickal working all of its own; to weave a place where enchantment dwells, to open a door and experience divinity… this sacred practice can also be enhanced by incorporating crystals; whether they line your physical barrier or you use them to cast with, the delicate resonance crystals have with magick and divinity will strengthen the connection you experience whilst in a crystal circle.

·        Healing

The term crystal-healing is somewhat common place these days as the effect crystals have on the physical body and emotional aura have been well-researched and scientifically proven. This process can be done in any ways but I have two favourites:

                                    i.            The first is how crystals can cleanse the chakra system. Placing crystals of corresponding vibration and colour on the chakra points will resonate with that chakra and help to shatter any blockages.

                                  ii.            The second is crystal massage – I have experienced this with a rather bulbous quartz (polished, obviously) and it was incredibly relaxing for the body whilst reaching my astral self too; my astral body melded around and into the crystal as it moved, my vibration echoed through it, and echoed back through me. Truly amazing.

·        Spell Work

Many of the things I have already listed are or can be a part of spell work but there are other means of incorporating crystals into your magick:

                                i.            Meditation Aid. This has been partially covered in connecting with deities but holding a crystal for meditation can strengthen your sight, determine what you see, set the tone of the meditation and help you interpret what you see.

                              ii.            Visualisation Aid. Similar to meditation, visualisation is enhanced and strengthened by crystals and as visualisation is a key component in a lot of spell work, having your abilities in its application made more potent can only lead to more fruitful ends. For example, I have a large piece of yellow calcite which resonates so intensely with my solar plexus chakra that I only have to look at it and my chakra burst open to greet it; the reason I add this little anecdote here is that even after 20 years of studying and practicing spirituality I still struggle with chakra visualisation but not with this crystal because from seeing that one chakra bursting open, the others will follow suit. Thankfully, no messy clean-up!

                            iii.            Motivational Aid. In this instance, for me, a crystal is a spell all by itself… if, for example, I want to feel  very sexually confident; I want to really open my base chakra and feel that energy radiate from me, pulsate through me, this can be achieved with a crystal. I raise my energy in circle and hold a bloodstone between my hands, I visualise myself as a siren, a vixen, a proud, confident, sexual woman and channel that energy into the crystal, saying a few words to seal the charge of the crystal and set the intention that this crystal will always give me this feeling.

It works for other examples too – a sodalite would work well as a communication spell, so would a lapis lazuli for a means to dominate an argument, such as for a lawyer in court.

There are other ways to use crystals in spells but if I told you all of mine then you lose the fun and wisdom of others experiences and your own experimentation. Happy charging!

·        Fine-tuning Intuition

This could be one of the most delicate, precise and awing abilities that crystals have. Far from just fine-tuning intuition, a crystal is like a sound board in a movie-editing studio. Very few card-readers will spread their cards with a crystal or two on their table because these innumerably faceted, sparkling gems of earth energy are beacons of divinity and guidance. Intuition isn’t limited to divination though, it is your inner voice, your conscience, your nature and a crystal is a key to unlock the door that keeps the mind unenlightened. I believe in something I’ve never heard of before, a soul crystal; this is the idea that one type of crystal, be it agate, amazonite, quartz, tourmaline, lepidolite, etc. resonates in complete harmony with your soul; when you hold it, it feel like a reset button, like freedom, the wisdom and power and wild energy of the Universe explodes in your very consciousness and you can see the way ahead. I don’t claim to have had this happen exactly but I believe in it wholly because crystals are the children of earth and earth is a daughter of the Universe, that is an impressive family tree and I trust in can be completely tapped into. Crystals help our intuition because they echo that connection into our consciousness and all we have to do... is listen!

Favourite Workings - Blessed Be My Tools

Blessed Be My Tools

A Blessing by Dorothy Morrison

You will need:

·       Sandalwood incense

·       White candle

·       Small dish of water

·       Salt

·       Full Moon

To Do List:

1.    Get everything ready and lit.

2.    Pass tool through incense smoke and chant:

With scented Air so light and free

I give you breath now. Blessed Be!

3.    Pass tool above or quickly through candle flame and chant:

With Fire that dances wild and free

I give you passion. Blessed Be!

4.    Lightly sprinkle tool with water and chat:

With Water so pure, I give to thee

The blood of life now. Blessed Be!

5.    Sprinkle tool with a bit of salt and chant:

With the salt of the Earth, I give to thee

Roots in magic. Blessed Be!

6.    Gently caress tool to your heart and chant:

I am yours and you are mine

From now until the end of time

I give you life now willingly

As I will, so mote it be!

Apple Blossom Wand Blessing (with Quert)

Harvest the branch for an apple wand under the earliest, sliver-of-light crescent of a new moon between May and October, always asking for permission from the deva of the tree.

Leave the bark natural or strip away and anoint with oils… as a wand with a loving energy, rose would make a beautiful compliment to the this type of wand; much like, adding a rose quartz to the tip of an apple wand.

1.         Cast your circle in a manner consistent with the intention of your blessing… apple is generally associated with love and so petals are pretty; maybe an astral fire for passion, but with Quert’s element association being water, perhaps a flow of astral waters permeated with blossoms.

2.        Anoint the Quert votive with it’s oil and place it in West area of your altar and light it

3.        Anoint the wand with the oil too – centre to base, centre to tip, reciting these words whilst holding it:

Oh blessed oil, of crafting hands

Dance on this wand like a wave on the sands

It’s power strengthened, imbued with your light

Bring love to it’s core so its magick shines bright

4.    Place the wand on your altar with the tip almost touching the candle and so facing West. Surround it with the crystals so they form pentacle points around the wand and the top point of the pentacle being a crystal between the wand and votive.

5.    Visualise a pentacle of water connecting these points before seeing the wand draw in that energy… allowing the branch to be charged by it.

6.      Now, focusing on the wand, the crystals, the pentacle, the light of the candle and the scent of the oil, raise your energy until it harmonises with the vibration of the items before you. I like to manifest this energy is the heart chakra and then visualise it emanating from the chakra into the wand.

7.        Lastly, the blessing salts are sprinkled over the wand with the incantation:

Blessed be, oh, wand of emotions

Filled with love and romantic notions

Open hearts, relieve confusion

Heal hurts, dispel illusion

Bring to light the love I see

As I do will,, so mote it be

8. Your wand is now charged by Quert infused candlelight, oil and blessing salts; also, the energy of aventurine (a higher heart chakra crystal) and rose quartz (a lower heart chakra crystal) and will work in alignment with loving magicks. Thank the energies which you invoked and close your circle 

Book of Shadows - Spell Pages – Healing Page

Oh, this has been a long time coming. I have wanted to bring this idea to manifestation for so long but for some reason the timing wasn’t right or the energies were off and I just couldn’t bring it out of my mind and into my Book of Shadows. Therefore, it is with a great sigh of relief that I relax my shoulders, breathe deeply and exult in its presence. A true labour love was undertaken to create this amazing working which sends gentle healing energy through the aether to a million recipients for a plethora of ailments, problems and issues that need a little healing energy to nudge them in a more positive direction.

So here we are and my Healing Page is ready for regular application into my practice. It is a two page entry into the ‘Spell Pages’ section of my Book of Shadows…

«     Spell Page: Explanation of the healing energies and the mood and motivation required to send the energies; the ritual method of the spell with the items needed and how to perform the ritual; the element invocation I wrote and employ for…

«     Recipient Page: This is the page that lists the names of those I will be sending healing to; for privacy reasons I will not show that page but in addition to family, friends and requested names to be on the list, I have added the Royal Family, all the Armed Forces, all the emergency services, as well as teacher, social workers, carers, charity workers, foster carers, freedom fighters, and aid workers, etc. All those people who might not necessarily need healing but need something, just a little energy boost. This spell I have devised covers all of those little down-moods, dark days, as well as the aches and pains. 

As it’s not very easy to see the actual working on the image, I have added the write up below. Please feel free to use it as it is or make your own adaptations to suit your practise. I’d love to see any changes you make if you choose to take on this idea for your own Books of Shadows.

The Ritual

·        5 tea light candles or spell candles

·        A healing crystal (Blue Calcite)

1.          Cast a circle, inclusive of calling the quarters, this is vital as this rite utilises them.

2.        Light your working candle, then ground and centre. This is necessary so that when you send you healing, your only energy is in good condition.

3.        Place the candles at the pentacle points on the opposite page and light them. Place the healing crystal in the centre of them. Visualise an energy pentagram over the printed one between the candle flames.

4.       Raise and manifest healing energy to the hands by drawing from the rune and Ogham symbols and using the surrounding rhyme/invocation/chant; this will also charge the energy as it manifests. For me the healing manifests as bluey grey smoke, swirling, pluming and thick.

5.        I push this energy through the visualised pentacle to every person listed, see it travel through the crystal, circling the page, gathering its list of ‘patients’. Visualise it disperse into the aether as it takes your healing out.

Element/Direction Association

I thought I would take the time to mention, as you will probably notice, that the associations between elements and directions are not traditional. This is by design and specifically changed to assist my energy flow during ritual. I’ll go through them individually with the reasoning behind each.

Air/North

This is not an uncommon switch as Earth and Air are often interchangeable between North and East but my choice is based on two things. Firstly, I am an Air sign and therefore I consider this element my personal North; the second reason is because physical air that we breathe is north of the physical earth; everyone on the planet breaths in the air that is above them and around them…this is a connection I will use to send healing.

Fire/East

This decision was based on the Sun. As the largest body in the sky, it feels like the most sensible representation of constant fire and the first place I see it, just like the rest of the world, is in the East as it rises. Again, this connection will be a channel for healing.

Earth/South

I walk with the earth beneath my feet… as does everybody else; the Earth is South of every physical body; this is a connection everyone on the planet shares and I am using this connection as a channel for healing.

Water/West

Quite apart from being the last available pairing, the nearest body of water to me, at least a place where I visit, is in the West. Also as I consider water to be the opposite of fire, it made sense to me to make the directions opposite of these two elements opposite as well. The connection here is that we all use water and so regardless of how we use it, what its condition is or how much or little we have of it… water links us as a form of sustenance.

Many Blessings x)O(x

Sabbat Discovery - Lammas

Samhain   Yule   Imbolc   Ostara   Beltane   Litha   Lammas   Mabon

“Summer’s end is nigh, for today is Lughnasadh”

The sun is setting on summer as the wheel turns to Lammas, mourn its ending and celebrate the autumn nights drawing in. Lammas/Lughnasadh is celebrated in the month of the Barley Moon at the beginning of August when the sun is at its hottest. Though the earth is dry and parched, the harvest season is upon us with its bright reds and yellows.

As the Wheel Turns

Lammas is the festival which falls between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox. It is the first of the Harvest celebrations and is opposite on the wheel to Imbolc, which begins the spring celebrations. This is the time to celebrate the ending of summer days and the oncoming cool of the autumn. However, there is more than the harvest to celebrate at Lammas; it has a pseudonym in the Celtic traditions: Lughnasadh and the namesake God of Lughnasadh is Lugh – the Skilful God. This time on the wheel is His time, honour Lugh at Lammas to honour a Celtic heritage.

Harvest Hub

Lammas is a celebration of the first harvest; the golden hue of wheat deepening in the fields, the ripening of fruits in orchards and groves and the rich green summer vegetables being picked. Reap what has been sown; gather the grain, the wheat and the oats and use them. Use them to nourish, use them to craft for the celebration of Lammas is to rejoice in the magick of the Sabbat which brings us the abundant gifts of the divine union between the sun and earth - such a bounty that this festival was created around it.

Lugh Love

Lugh is the most prominent deity at Lammas; in Celtic traditions, the Lammas Sabbat is named for him: Lughnasadh. He is known as the Sun God, High King an Bright God of the Tuatha de Danaan and the sacred day of Lammas/Lughnasadh is an auspicious and ideal time to honour Him most whole-heartedly. Be you a descendant of Celtic heritage or a follower of its traditions, Lugh is Lord and Master of this day and should be treated as such. Revel in the mastery he wields over skill and craftsmanship; sing his name as you dance with sunflowers, as you decorate your home with wheat sheaves and place a wreath of golden poppies in your hair.

Traditions

Corn Dollies

Corn dollies are created from a very old practice called wheat-weaving. This practice, like many in pagan traditions, was started with the hope of abundance. The corn dollies of old would be made by farmers from the last few strains of a bountiful harvest; they would weave the strains in hope of capturing the spirit of the wheat. The following Spring, the farmer would plant that weaving/dolly and make it the first grain planted with the wish of a bountiful harvest.

      

Making Corn Dollies is a fun activity to do with children and though the point of them is based in magickal protection, the making of them is highly enjoyable and builds the excitement level for altar decorating. Personalise them with decorations, even a naming rite for children to perform could be incorporated into Sabbat happenings.

There are many instructional videos on youTube regarding how to make them but these are my favourites:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV12nUgKK_k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAJDWY6BwlE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwwxVbtdjGo

Hand Fastings

Much like Beltane, Lammas is a traditional time for Hand Fastings; this is credited to Lughnasadh, which is the Celtic celebration of the first harvest. In it’s most literal translation from Gaelic, Lughnasadh reads as Marriage of Lug – he who is the celebrated God of the Harvest and ‘nasadh’ meaning to give in marriage. This is perhaps why the tradition of being wed during the hot days when summer is beginning to give way to autumn is so popular – to revel in the heat and the headiness of the Sun God’s waning reign.

With this in mind, a hand fasting at Lughnasadh is a wonderful way of not only honouring Lugh but also having an abundance of harvest decorations at your wedding celebration. Golden light that mirrors the sheaves of earth’s bounty and the passionate heat that is ingrained in the air.

Activities

I partake in the fruits of the First Harvest,

So that I might share in the wisdom it offers.

The traditions of Lammas go back centuries and epitomise the time of Harvest; golden fields of wheat that shiver in the late summer breezes; bronzed sheaves ploughed for an abundance of flour. It stands to reason then that one of the most sacred symbols of the Lammas festival is bread – loaves and biscuits and cakes. Baking is a form of alchemy and I have here provided several recipes which make a delicious feast respectful of Lammas traditions.

Bread Baking

I have collected many recipes devoted to all the sabbats over the years but I am posting a selection of my favourites to my second (recipe) blog. Please take a look if you are in need of baking inspiration for the celebration of Harvest.

Lammas Breads

Covenstead Bread

Loaf Blessing

I considered several ways to approach this blessing but as grains are a gift from the earth and are a direct result of exposure to all the elements, an element blessings seemed the most fitting to bestow thanks and positive energy on the spoils of their harvest. I used crystals as element representations this time but I have included other options which are effective alternatives.

Preparation

Start by gathering together your items:

·        Circle casting items

As this ritual is being performed during Harvest time, I cast a circle which mirrors the abundance of colour and bounty the harvest is famous for and will usually draw the energy of my altar out to create my magickal boundary or use a single strand of wheat to cast a golden light; a physical circle could be cast with grains, the quarters could be marked with element/direction decorated corn dollies. Be creative, be inspired, set a harmonious and bountiful intention.

·        Element items (must be safe to consume)

As I am currently very taken with crystals as a representation of the elements, this is the example I am using for the ritual; a tumble stone of each should be gathered.

Earth: Amazonite/Pentacles/Isa I

Air: Citrine/Swords/Ansuz A

Fire: Carnelian/Wands/Soweluz S

Water: Lapis Lazuli/Cups/Laguz L

·        The loaf or other baked goods to be blessed

Method

1)         Ground & centre in your usual manner or add a harvest flair; there’s no such thing as too many correspondence.

2)       Cast your circle; I personally cast a harvest circle for this rite and because I am using the elements for the blessing itself, I make a substantial effort in calling the quarters. My ‘Advanced Quarter Calls’ can be found HERE (still to be added).

3)       Now, place the loaf on your altar or focal platform. With each element crystal at its corresponding cardinal point – North/Earth; East/Air; South/Fire; West/Water.

4)      Ring a bell five times or light your working candle and four others or do both if the mood takes you; this highlights the beginning of ritual.

5)       I like to invoke deity here and to include the magickal touch of autumn, I specifically using the Autumn Goddess Charge: (http://acantharayne.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/autumn-goddess-charge.html).

Ring your bell once or extinguish one of you candles to close the invocation.

6)       Visualise them creating a cage of energy above and below the loaf to create a sphere of delicate elemental light. I touch each crystal to ‘activate’ it’s beam of energy being released and recite:

Earth energies of bounty

Grow abundant light

Above, below my sustenance

Be present this Lammas night

        

Air energies of knowledge

Breathe abundant light

Above, below my sustenance

Be present this Lammas night

Fire energies of strength

Burn with abundant light

Above, below my sustenance

Be present this Lammas night

Water energies of wisdom

Flow with abundant light

Above, below my sustenance

Be present this Lammas night

Ring your bell once or extinguish one of you candles.

7)       In turn, from your Earth crystal, place each one upon the loaf from top to bottom and as you place each one, recite:

Abundant light of the Earth

Send blessings, one, two, three

Your first, I’ll hold within my heart

The second on this loaf impart

Your third will, for the year ahead

Provide your bounty to keep us fed

Abundant light of Air

Send blessing one, two three

Your first, I’ll hold within my heart

The second on this loaf impart

Your third will, for the year ahead

Provide your bounty to keep us fed

Abundant light of Fire

Send blessing one, two three

Your first, I’ll hold within my heart

The second on this loaf impart

Your third will, for the year ahead

Provide your bounty to keep us fed

Abundant light of Water

Send blessing one, two three

Your first, I’ll hold within my heart

The second on this loaf impart

Your third will, for the year ahead

Provide your bounty to keep us fed

Ring your bell once or extinguish one of you candles.

8)       Release deity with a simple incantation:

I am a witch of the physical plane

I watch the earth’s cycle of wax and wane

I am the witch; in circle I stand

The Goddess beside me, holding my hand

Ring your bell once or extinguish one of you candles.

9)       Remove your crystals and place them back at the cardinal points.

10)     Slice the loaf into 7 – I chose 7 because Lammas is the seventh Sabbat if you count Samhain as the first. Use the middle slice as an offering to the Goddess; bury the crusts in the earth after the ritual closing. If you adapt this to a coven ritual, the coven will partake of the remaining slices at this moment or at a Lammas meal after closing the circle; any bread that is not being used by the coven or the individual practitioner can be left out for the birds.

Ring your bell one last time or extinguish your working candle. 

11)         Close your circle; ground and centre.

12)       Lastly…

a)       Collect your crystals and place them into a spell pouch to use in another element blessing.

b)      Clean up any breadcrumbs and bury them with the crust ends of the loaf.