Go to TopClassroom Main ListMain List IndexRandom Madness HomeThe GreenMan's Meadow
Deep in the forests and glens of old, our
ancestors caught glimpses of the GreenMan.
They had an understanding of his wild and unbridle life force.
Men had a connection to the cycles and seasons and the Goddess.
With the coming of the monotheistic religion his influence
and sacred role became diminished in the daily life
of the people and he was seen less and less.
When the GreenMan disappeared from the lives of the people
something very valuable was lost. Men and women alike were
weakened by his disappearance. Understanding of and respect
for the male role in the cycle of Nature was an important
element of many Goddess worshipping religions. An essential
positive influence on young men was lost.
Knowing the GreenMan had kept them in harmony with the wisdom
and power of the Goddess. Once it was lost,
women's status declined and men forgot who they were
and what place they and their brothers
held in the cosmic dance of life.
Pan energy is an aspect of the GreenMan, and a valuable one,
but it is not the only natural force
represented in the GreenMan.
There are also many less hedonistic characteristics
that constitute GreenMan energy. It is in the balance
of these complex energies that men attain the most freedom,
compassion and wisdom. In our own culture men have been
controlled by the acceptance of Pan energy to the exclusion
of all other masculine energies. This left men with the illusion
that they were free, when in fact they were anything but free.
A total focus on Pan energy has isolated men and greatly
limited the acceptable modes of expression
for their masculinity and their psyche.
Pan is an essential aspect of masculine energy,
but it is not the only one.
The many GreenMan images carved into the cathedral walls
and alcoves of the Middle Ages are a testament to
the powerful position occupied by the GreenMan among
the stone masons and common folk.
Devotion to the "Old Gods" lasted well into the monotheist era.
The many Sheela-Na-Gigs and GreenMan images carved so long ago
still can be seen throughout Europe gracing the exteriors
of the conquering religion's houses of worship.
Stone Masons of the dark ages and the middle ages held true
to their Pagan roots, even as they built cathedrals to
the new momotheistic Christian religion that had invaded
Europe and overwhelmed the indigenous religions of the people.
Along with the popularity of all things Celtic,
we are experiencing a resurgence of interest in the GreenMan,
his traditions, rituals, myths and lore.
This renewed interest promises to help restore some
of the sacred balance that has been missing
in contemporary western culture. The return of the GreenMan
offers men a wholistic way of integrating all that they are
and seeing in themselves a vital role in the creation
and protection of the life force in all things.
The return of the GreenMan brings new hope and understanding
of the true strength of balanced masculine energy.
For too long, men have been isolated from that part
of themselves that honors the Sacred Mother, the divine in Nature,
and the divinity that is an integral part of men's true nature.
In the coming years, many men, those strong enough
to accept their full natures, will continue to explore
and integrate the insights they gain from the GreenMan's energy.
This will spawn a whole new generation of male authors,
artists and visionaries who understand balanced
and life affirming maleness that honors the
Goddess and the GreenMan.
It is this new understanding that will move
humanity forward in positive and healing ways.
Go to TopClassroom Main ListMain List IndexRandom Madness HomeWitch's Garder ~ Unknown
The witch's garter also known as a "witch's belt"
(as is her girdle, just to increase confusion)
has associations with shamanic rites, fairy magic,
and erotic power. Sometimes the garter also
denotes rank in a coven.
(1) Ancient garters were created from shed
snakeskin to tap into that creature's magic power and psychic ability.
(2) Place crystals atop a snakeskin
and allow it to charge overnight in the moonlight.
(3) Wear it on your left thigh.
Go to TopClassroom Main ListMain List IndexRandom Madness HomeThe Grail Quest ~ by Jarrien Wolf Beltaine
To discover the grail you first need to find yourself,
hopefully this page will cast some light upon your journey.
You will not find the grail here but perhaps I
can assist you on your travels,
now that you have entered this well.
Over the centuries the Grail has become something
of a changeling taking on many forms from the cup,
the chalice, the platter or dish, the cauldron of
the ancient Celts and the horn of plenty to name a few.
Today the popular vision of the Grail is of the cup
or chalice said to hold the blood of Christ caught
while he bled upon the cross by Joseph of Arimathea.
Joseph accompanied the Grail to the Isle of Angels (Britain)
and upon reaching Glastonbury he placed his staff into the ground.
From this grew the first thorn tree, said to represent
the crown Christ was forced to wear during his crucifixion.
There is a strong connection between the Grail of Jesus Christ
and the Arthurian Quest, but beyond them both silently lies
a far older legend, one which I shall try to touch upon here.
Within Celtic lore waiting to be discovered are the triads,
read on and all will be explained.
There are numerous examples of the triads within the legends.
For instance we have the three Grail knights Galahad,
Bors de Ganis and Perceval,
who all succeeded in crossing the Grail bridge,
a test of purity in itself.
There are also the three concealments of Britain
which involve Bran's head, the Dragons of Dinas Emrys
and the bones of Vortimer the blessed;
each hold their own secrets and offer wisdom,
understanding and knowledge once unraveled.
Another is of course the Goddess in her triple aspect as Maiden,
Mother and Crone and also perhaps the most famous or infamous
triad of them all depending on which way you look upon it,
Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot.
The list of examples is endless
you could also included the Father,
Son and Holy Ghost or Mind, Body and Spirit.
Faith, Hope and Charity etc.
So what can the triad stratagems tell us.
Well to start with they can be anything from
Deity, people, places, events or objects which
join together to aid the memory and learning.
Within Celtic lore at times a common denominator
is that they tend to end in tragedy.
Instead of looking upon the tales as simple
stories we must look beyond and discover the
mistakes which caused the downfall or heartache,
and relate this to ourselves.
Another common factor is they all kept secrets
from another person involved within the triad.
As only the pure in heart can discover the Grail the
holding of secrets points to a lack of trust
in either another or oneself.
Truth is one which the Grail demands hence lack
of trust either through our own actions or those
of others becomes a negative, which in time may
fester and breed until consciously or not
you cause harm to another.
This in turn will cause you to retreat
further from the quest or path.
Truth or honesty (honour) today seem to have become a burden
for many, instead of becoming a source of enlightenment.
I would suggest to you this is because of the search
for recognition of status (sometimes caused by a
deep insecurity) and the search for
financial gain (material wealth).
This has caused some to become confused as to the true
path and Grail quest. As the Grail resides within the
realm of Spirit it will not entertain those who seek
it for their own gain; it can only be given to others
to share and heal and can never be owned by only one.
If we take the figure of Galahad who many state brought
the grail to the wounded King Arthur (although
I feel an affinity towards Perceval for this task)
Galahad learned from the mistakes of his father
Lancelot who betrayed both his wife Elaine
and his King in failing to overcome his desire for Guinevere.
Often those who appear the strongest are in reality
(at times) the weaker emotionally. Because Galahad
experienced the suffering caused by the actions of
Lancelot he swore an oath that he would forgo all earthly pleasures.
Only by experience may we learn wisdom. Many often confuse
knowledge with wisdom, knowledge can easily be achieved
through study but this alone does not make you wise.
As Galahad held no mortal desires he achieved the seat
'Siege Perilous'. It is for this very reason I feel
Perceval was the knight who brought the Grail to Arthur.
Perceval seems a far more human figure and achieved
the Grail after his second attempt.
Raised by his mother in the woods and educated in the
ways of chivalry and conduct. He is seen as the fool
who eventually becomes the wise man
(or the Hermit within the Tarot deck).
Only after he experienced the love of a maiden
did he return to successfully secure the Grail.
Perceval is also associated with the Christian figure of Perlesvaus
who achieves the position of Grail King. It is not until later
and the growth of Christianity that he was replaced as the main
Grail Knight by Galahad, who was seen as more virtuous and in
keeping with the Christian archetype. Perhaps originally it
was Perceval not Galahad who claimed the seat 'Siege Perilous'
at Arthur's round table.
So what was the Siege Perilous? At Merlin's request around
Arthur's table one chair remained empty - this was reserved
for the purest knight in the land. Only he who remained
untainted and who served a higher purpose could fill this position.
This was the place held for the knight who would succeed
in securing the Grail for King Arthur.
The Quest for the Grail has revealed many a tale of enlightenment.
After the death of Joseph of Arimathea his disciples constructed
Castle Corbenic to house the sacred vessel.
Again arguments and jealousy festered within the castle community
which resulted in King Mordrain being struck blind by the light
radiating from the Grail, as he sought to use it for his own means.
The earliest account of the Grail is not one of a cup or chalice
but a cauldron involving Arthur and his knights, as they set sail
towards the land of Annwn to recover the Hallows.
There they discovered a glass castle revolving upon an isle.
At the center of the castle lay the object of their quest,
the cauldron of inspiration and prophecy
tended to by nine pure maidens.
The mention of the castle constructed from glass represents how
fragile we are compared to the divine and how careful we
must be not to cause harm to ourselves and others during our search.
Holding an insular or selfish approach to life in general
and stating your way is right while others are wrong will
only lead back to the realm of Annwn, which can be a dark
and foreboding place. Out of Arthur's quest for the cauldron
and Hallows only the king and six others returned from Annwn.
Throughout history from the early quests for the cauldron,
the Arthurian quest for the Grail, the Crusades of the
Templar knights for the True Cross, the magical stone etc.
right up to present day, people still seek the
healing powers of the Grail.
Numerous dictators throughout history
(who shall not be mentioned in this sacred space)
are said to have sought the hallowed vessel, naturally they failed.
Another prime example that the Grail cannot be used for self gain
and included here exactly for that purpose.
So where lies the Grail today? Unfortunately I cannot answer
this and if I knew should I tell? However this much I can tell you.
To search for the Grail you must first encounter the
wastelands, which in this case represent yourself and inner self.
This perhaps is one of the hardest challenge laid down by
the Grail guardians, Manannan and Pryderi.
Within each of us lies the source of the Grail residing next
to the divine child Mabon. To discover them we need to remain
true both to ourselves and to others.
To overcome our desires for material wealth and stature while
learning to channel our emotions, yet never
denying them, no small task in itself.
Guidance towards these goals is recorded in the wisdom of the
Celtic triads, the Grail stories and within Celtic lore.
Their magic reveals an ability to blend all three within the self.
Once this has been achieved, sometimes taking many lifetimes,
only then may we begin our search for the Grail,
but first the wasteland needs to be crossed.
Now that I have taken you this far along your journey
and perhaps prepared some of the ground along your path,
I must bid you farewell. Take care during your travels
as many venture down the path of the inflated ego rather
than the spirit, failing to recognize
the differences between the two.
Again we need to balance the spirit and the ego with
a third, that third entity being yourself.
Perhaps now you are that little bit closer
to starting your quest for the Grail.
Bear in mind the responsibility you hold towards yourself a
nd others; remember if you seek the Grail, seek it not for
self gain and I wish you well on your travels.
Go to TopClassroom Main ListMain List IndexRandom Madness HomeSomething To Think About ~ UnknownBeauty:
First on the Goddess's list of virtues is beauty.
This is consistent with Wiccan philosophy in general,
with its emphasis on celebration of love and pleasure,
and the other appealing qualities of Nature.
Beauty is the province of the Love Goddesses such as
Aphrodite, Oshun, Venus and Hathor. What pleases the sense,
pleases the Goddess. She invites us to dress as well as we can afford,
to adorn ourselves and our homes in a way that appeals to us. However,
we must also remember not to pursue our ideal of beauty to
a degree that causes us, or other people, harm; so the impulse
to tan until we have skin cancer, malnourish ourselves into
an unhealthy body type, "beautify" in ways that require
the torture or death of animals, to be cruel to others who do not
meet our own standard of beauty, does not fall within
the scope of the Goddess's virtues. The Goddess embraces
the beautiful aesthetic and calls us to reawaken to its healing powers.
She exalts in beautiful music that stirs the emotions,
in rich colors and textures that call out to be touched,
in shapes that flow pleasingly from one to the next.
She is present in the elaborate Japanese garden.
She tends the dandelion that emerges victorious between
the cracks of the pavement.. We also need to remember
to honor the beauty of destruction. While creation is beautiful,
without destruction to temper it, it runs wild and makes
everything into a cosmic junkpile. To make a garden beautiful,
we plow up and make a shambles of the soil so that our
seeds have a place to grow. So in life, in order to
cultivate inner beauty, we must be willing to be torn open
to make a place for the seed, to neglect even things theoretically
of value-that class we keep meaning to take, that unpursued fantasy
of becoming a rock star-in our pursuit
of the greater good we have chosen.
Strength:
The balance of beauty is strength. Like beauty,
strength has a physical virtue, because the Wiccan
faith embraces the physical as an aspect of the Divine.
We make our bodies as healthy and whole as we can,
since this improves our strength.
We study the use of herbs, eat organic food,
sometimes become vegetarians. Yet we frequently neglect
the more obvious practices, like eating less and getting
regular exercise. Strength is in the buck as he charges
through the wood, in the lioness as she pulls down the antelope,
in the mother bear as she charges the hunter threatening her cubs.
Physical strength is the power to survive,
and to pass on the best chance for one's offspring to survive.
It is the cardinal virtue of the Horned God,
and of the Lady of the Beasts. Strength also implies the ability
to stand firm in the face of opposition.
By pushing through resistance,
by moving through adversity by force of will, we gain strength.
Power:
Wiccans easily embrace the word "power" when we imagine
that it means magickal force. Yet there are other meanings
for "power," and these we seem to find more intimidating.
Many of us wish for a world in which all people are created
and treated as equal, and in which our decisions can be made
by consensus. But in our society, inequity of power is the norm,
and "equality," even in our circles, often an illusion.
("Once they know you can cook," my friend Karen says,
"it's always your job to bring the food.") it is a natural
human desire to want recognition for good work..
In celebrating and using our unique gifts,
we come into our personal power. Power sometimes manifests
in the ability to lead othersA good leader,
someone who is able to move decisively on behalf of a group,
and to inspire the group to fulfill its goals, is a wonderful asset.
Compassion:
Compassion is the ability to feel for others
and is the natural balance of the virtue of power.
Compassion moves forward and embraces others,
regardless of difference; it looks out not
only for "its own kind," but for all beings,
simply because they are. In the Boddhisatva Vow of Compassion,
for example, a soul that has attained enlightenment chooses
to remain within the cycle (viewed in that tradition as the
ultimate sacrifice) in order to light the way for others to follow.
Yet we should not become so consumed with the needs
of others that we forget to nurture ourselves.
If we become so fixated on others that we take no time to
replenish ourselves, we burn out-and again the world is
impoverished, because we have nothing left to give.
Honor:
Honor appears in balance with humility; therefore,
we must take honor to mean, in part, respect for ourselves.
To honor someone means to pay respect to them
and pay respect to the Goddess through our rituals.
Living by a code of honor is also a source of power,
as it trains the will and enforces a connection to the
ethics by which we believe we should live. We must remember,
through our lesson of compassion, that other cultures
and religions have different codes of honor,
and react to members of those systems accordingly.
Appropriate behavior varies widely from one locale to the next.
Humility:
Humility allows us to look at our shortcomings.
We must do this with compassion toward ourselves
as well we are cautioned against believing or
hoping that we can be perfect,
or wishing that we could be.
A popular idea is the thought that we all
create our own reality. The concept correctly
applied can be helpful in creating positive
changes in our lives. Unfortunately,
this easily crosses into a "blame the victim" mentality.
It tempts us to turn a complacent eye to the suffering of others,
with the justification that they must have
"asked for it" on a karmic level.
This mindset flies against the virtue of humility,
and once it takes hold, it also erodes compassion.
For an attendant of the Goddess, the point of gaining
power is to use it to serve the highest
good through compassion. It is humility that allows us
to keep this balance. By the same token,
it allows us to pick ourselves up and keep
going when we have our inevitable bad moods,
selfish moments-knowing, in the balance of honor
and humility, that everyone has down times,
and that we can get back up again and keep trying.
Mirth:
Mirth balances all the virtues and their opposites:
it can help create beauty where there is ugliness,
give courage to those who feel powerless,
and deflate power and honor when they become
too heavy with their own importance. Cultural structures,
whether secular or religious, tend to fear chaos.
When we divide our world into dualities,
we often assign "evil" to chaos and "good" to order.
However, Pagan religions traditionally acknowledge
that the forces of chaos are also the source of
creation often honoring this paradox by assigning
the Trickster a special day or season during which
He is celebrated with a temporary reversal
of the culture's normal rules. Of course,
no gift is without its potential for misuse,
and so, mirth misapplied can become cruel
rather than cleansing.
Practice of the other virtues, particularly
humility and compassion,
can help keep this side of mirth in balance.
Reverence:
Reverence must be part of any sincere religious
system. Reverence encompasses
respect, which makes it the balance of mirth.
Humans have an innate need to hold something
as larger, greater, dearer than our limited
self. For Pagans this "something" often
begins as Nature, which we come to understand
in turn as a reflection of the Divine.
For others it may be a particular ideal,
such as liberty or peace or their homeland
or people or a concept like "the advancement
of science." Reverence not only gives us a
feeling of connection to a greater whole,
which is one of the main sources of fulfillment
in life but it also inspires us. The dark side
of reverence is zealotry. We come to believe that
the end justifies the means. The practice
of humility and compassion, as well as mirth,
can help to safeguard against this extreme.
Go to TopClassroom Main ListMain List IndexRandom Madness HomeThe Earth Witch ~ by Lady Gabriele
Earth Witches resemble kitchen witches or green witches.
They grounded within there home and family.
Earth Witches are very nurturing.
No matter if the earth witch does her gardening,cooking
or cleaning,she always brings magick into her life.
The Earth Witch accepts everything she does
as a reflection of the cycle of nature.
She becomes one with the Earth.
She loves to grow her own garden with magickal herbs
and vegetables and loves to work and touch the earth.
The Earth Witch blesses her seeds before
planting them into her sacred space.
After the young seedlings emerge,
she ones again will bless them
and the earth before she transplant her magickal plans.
The Earth Witch watches very closely over her magickal
garden and ones the garden is ready for harvest,
she ones again bless her plants
and gives thanks to the earth.
The Earth Witch is also very attuned with
the wildlife and can communicate with the animals.
She always plans a little extra in her magickal garden,
for those little bunny rabbits who sneak
into her magickal garden.
The Earth Witch also knows her herbs
in magick or cooking and she usually
decorates her sacred space accordingly to each season.
Earth Stones :
Brown jasper - for grounding
Coal - money drawing,absorbs negativity,removes psychic blocks
Emerald - increases psychic powers,
attract money and love, banish negativity, healing
Green agate - happy life
Green calcite - prosperity
Green jasper - healing,increase empathy
Green tourmaline - increase business and to stimulate creativity
Jet - transformation,absorbs negativity
protection,increase psychic powers
Malachite - increases magickal powers
protection,attracts love and peace
Moss agate - gardeners stone,magickal
safeguard for the garden,healing,
happiness and riches
Peridot - protection,healing,prosperity,calming
Salt - cleansing,protection,grounding
Turquoise - protection,increase courage
and attracts money,love,friendship
and luck,healing
Earth Herbs :
Alfalfa,Barley,Beet,Buckwheat,Corn,Cotton,
Cypress,Fern,Honesty,Honeysuckle,
Horehound,Horsetail,Knotweed,Loosestrife,
Mugwort,Oats,Patchouli,Potato,
Primrose,Quince,Rhubarb,Rye,Sagebrush,
Tulip,Turnip,Vervain,Vetivert,Wheat,
Wood sorrel
Earth Gods and Goddesses :
Flora,Fauna,Demeter,The Dagda,Corn Woman,The Green Man
Go to TopClassroom Main ListMain List IndexRandom Madness HomeWhat is a Vortex ~ Unknown
We do not have a clue. To date, Vortex Hunters does not have
any definitive proof that vortexes exist at all.
But, that is why we started this web site.
This is what we have found out so far:
Some vortexes, or vortices, like a few locations in Sedona,
Arizona, are reported to promote a sense a well-being
to those that are in tune with its energies.
This type of vortex is called an energy vortex.
Other types of vortex claims include:
Paranormal portals that act as doorways
to the afterlife-- or other dimensions
Vortexes at the convergence of ley lines
Sites of ancient rituals like Stonehenge, Machu Picchu, Chichen Itza
Vortexes associated with crop circles
Centers of UFO/USO activity
Go to TopClassroom Main ListMain List IndexRandom Madness HomeThe Proper Use Of Magical Intent ~ by Michael Blackthorn Furie
Magical intent is one of the most important facets of working magic.
For the magic to be ideal in its success the intent must not only
be properly focused and projected but also,
it must fit the actual goal of the spell.
For example, if you cast a protection spell designed only
for spiritual or psychic protection, you may still
be vulnerable to physical attack.
If the intent of a spell is not complete or proper
in its scope, the effects of the spell will be diminished
or diverted. To demonstrate, I will give some examples
and some corrective measures for the main goals
of most magical practitioners.
Let's start with love magic.
Love:
Before performing a love spell you should be able to define,
as precisely as possible, the type of person you wish to attract.
You should also evaluate whether or not you are ready
for a long-term relationship or if your true goal
is merely sexual fulfillment. In the case of sexual fulfillment,
I would suggest that you modify whatever love spell
you are using to only include positive sexual attraction
and take out any references to lasting partnerships or
lifetime commitments. You should also be wary of using magic
to fall in love if you only want to be in love
"just to be in love.' Any magic done that will involve
the lives and free wills of other people should only
be done with a proper level of maturity.
In addition, it is highly inadvisable to ever cast
a love spell on a specific person.
This is an outright attempt at overpowering the free will
of an innocent human being and would result
in "unsavory' consequences. In order to cast a spell
on another living being, they either have to
subconsciously allow it to affect them or you have to
channel enough energy to overpower their subconscious
shielding (which every being has)
and force them into compliance.
A spell of that magnitude is harder to cast than
you might think when using positive energy
and the more energy you send out the greater the eventual return.
If you send out an enormous amount of energy essentially
designed to break the free will of another,
when that energy returns to you, well…don't expect
the relationship (or anything else) to go according
to your wishes for a long time. You will then become
someone whose will gets continually overpowered.
Also, "relationships' created in such a compulsory
manner usually don't last long since the target's
subconscious mind is aware of what you did and so,
resentment and conflict will eventually
bubble to the surface and destroy the relationship.
The proper intent for a love spell would be to focus
on the type of partner that you wish to attract into
your life with the desire that it be for your mutual
good and with free will.
This type of love spell if properly cast,
is guaranteed to be free of harsh side effects.
Money:
Money is an interesting thing.
It is in fact, artificial.
The concept of money is one of agreed upon value;
everyone agrees that a certain coin or piece
of paper is worth a given amount and…poof!
It is. Truly understanding that money is
more of a perception or concept as opposed
to being the most powerful factor in
existence is the key in using magic
to bring money. Don't get me wrong,
having money is important!
But not for its inherent value, for it has none.
Money is important only because of the security
that it can bring and the only reason it has
this power is because we agree that it does.
Now, I'm not saying that if we personally stop
believing that money has value in our lives
our need for it will stop.
I'm not even suggesting that.
I'm also not saying that money is a bad concept;
merely that it is in fact, a concept.
Prior to the use of money, the barter system
was used to trade goods and services.
This system is of course, quite cumbersome
and would be totally unworkable in today's society.
I realize that we basically have no choice whether
or not to agree on the value of money.
Society decided that ages ago but,
it's not really money that we crave; we crave safety,
health, comfort and security.
This is why there are money spells in magic.
We must work within the modern system in
order to achieve the life security that
nowadays, only money can provide.
When working with spiritual forces to acquire a mundane,
physical thing (which is a large chunk of what magic
is used to do), it is important to focus on what the
exact desired goal is rather than thinking in general terms.
Specifically, when using magic to bring money,
focus on why you need this money; what it will
be used for, instead of just trying to
"draw in money energy' or something like that.
We must focus on the truth behind things and not just
a thin veneer or a means to an end. Focusing on the
money itself is akin to over-analyzing the process
of how magic will manifest a goal, which,
as previously stated, then hinders that process.
The true worth of money is what should be focused
on and that can only be done by focusing
on what it will be used to obtain.
So, if you need money to purchase a new car,
focus on the need for the car.
You may also focus on the specific amount
of money needed to purchase the car, if desired.
Do not however, only focus on the money!
That cannot be overstated.
Money magic is about growth, security,
and abundance and not money for money's sake.
Magic, in general works best if there is genuine
need (as opposed to selfish want).
If you need money for something, cast the spell for that something.
If you merely want $150, 000 dollars for the fun of it well,
you can try for it but trust me,
it will be a LOT harder to achieve.
Healing:
When working healing magic for one's self or others,
it is necessary to visualize the person in a relaxed,
healthy state as opposed to seeing them "becoming healed'
or "growing in strength' or something along those lines.
Surround them with healing energy and state that
the injury or illness shall no longer exist.
In your mind' eye, "see' the person healthy
and with no illness. Visualize only the outcome;
not even one speck of the process of healing.
Otherwise, there will be delays, or mixed results
due to confusing signals being projected by you.
Any healing magic must be done with a true sense
of compassion and love infused with it.
This maximizes its effectiveness since magic
done without proper feeling is only
marginally successful at best.
Protection:
As noted earlier, the type of protection magic worked
is an integral of its success. If you feel that
someone is trying to work negative magic against
you (however, that is a rare occurrence)
or that a dark spiritual entity has become
attached to you in some way
(an even rarer occurrence),
or that you spend time around an energy vampire
(a surprisingly frequent occurrence),
then you should work magic for psychic protection.
If on the other hand, if you are worried
about physical danger, then work magic
for physical protection. Now, if you are under
immediate physical threat or danger, then you
should first take all necessary mundane
precautions like locking doors, calling police,
going to a safe public place etc. Most people
work protective magic as a precautionary
measure to avoid any such threats
and I would recommend doing so.
I personally feel that it is a good idea
when using protection magic to aim for
a combination of both types of protection;
both psychic and physical,
to make sure you are truly secure.
A good dual protective measure is the witch bottle.
When working protection magic, you should be
filled with a sense of safety and serenity
(no fear!) and infuse this serenity into the spell.
If you are filled with fear, you will only infuse
that fear into the spell and it will offer no protection;
it will only increase the fear. You must project
how you want to feel with the end result
for effective protection.
Binding:
This is in an area known as gray magic.
Binding can be used for positive ends
but does involve the overpowering
of the free will. Because of this, unless skillfully
done (and even then),` there could be serious repercussions
to the spellcaster. Many modern practitioners never
use this type of magic and prefer to not even discuss
such things but, given the fact that we live in an
unpredictable, sometimes harsh world,
I feel that it is best to be fully armed
and knowledgeable with the use of defensive magic.
The key here is defensive. Bindings should not be
done merely to control another person for some type
of ego boost or a cheap thrill. They should only be
done to stop a dangerous person or situation from
continuing on in its destructive ways.
Additionally, it is possible (but, difficult)
to bind oneself to help curb negative tendencies or bad habits.
The proper intent for a binding is to visualize the person
bound and unable to escape then, give them a specific set of
commands to follow according to need. You should feel fully in
control without malice or fear. Feel as though you are
overwhelming the person into giving in to your demands
(think angry nagging as opposed to kidnapping and threatening) .
Bindings do require lots of energy to be effective
and if the person's subconscious mind is strong enough
to reject your spell, you will quickly suffer the
consequences of rebound. This is why this type of magic
should be rarely done and when done at all,
should only be in times of true need.
The reason for specific orders is twofold.
First, it speeds the success of the spell by giving
it clear focus and second, it helps eliminate rebound
upon the spellcaster since the stated conditions
do not apply to the one casting the spell.
Let me give an example, if you need to bind a thief then,
do a binding with the specific command that the person
will no longer steal the possessions of others
and since you are not a thief (at least I hope not…)
there would be no rebound of binding your free will.
That being said, there is always an energy return
from every spell cast and this is unavoidable.
This is one reason why it is inadvisable to dwell
too often in the realms of gray or black magic.
You don't need all that negative energy returning
to you and disrupting your life.
Cursing:
Ah, the most controversial magical topic of them all.
Now, this does qualify as black magic and as such,
should only be done under very severe circumstances.
To work a curse first, you must be filled with angry,
vengeful energy and second, be willing to project
that energy on to someone else. This will definitely
result in dark energy being returned to you so,
you must make sure that you are willing to deal
with the consequences and that there aren't any other,
less severe options (see binding, above)
that could accomplish your goal.
A curse will cause misfortune to the target
of the spell and will result in a life of misery for them.
Unfortunately, to curse another is to curse oneself so,
be prepared to be on the receiving end of misery as well.
If the consequences of curses are so awful then,
why do people use them?
Well, they should only be used in times of greatest need.
Dark energy travels quickly on this plane.
Much more quickly than positive energy,
this is the lure of cursing.
It's quick and effective magic.
Many people become addicted to the sense of power
that the use of such magic brings.
This is ignorant and dangerous behavior.
The only justifiable reason to cast a curse is if
someone has greatly wrong you or a loved one with
no remorse and intends to continue doing so
(either to yourself or others).
In such a case, a curse could be used to
force a realization of the person's own actions
into their mind, creating a kind of tortured empathy
or fill their lives with such chaos and misery that
they no longer have the time or even the strength
to attempt to harm you or anyone else.
You should be very specific in your goals for a curse so,
much like in the case of binding,
the possibilities of rebound are minimized.
Again, even if the curse doesn't rebound upon you,
the dark energy will eventually return and you will
face the consequences of your actions.
To cast the curse, you must be filled with anger
and rage and infuse this feeling into your spell.
This can be exhausting, as it requires enormous
energy for the proper results to be achieved.
For the most part, it is advisable to leave
the negative magic alone in order to avoid
the harsh repercussions of its use.
The positive magical path is always a safer and highly encouraged choice.
With all of these skills, anyone should be able to fine tune their intent,
cast successful spells and reap the rewards of living the magical life.
Go to TopClassroom Main ListMain List IndexRandom Madness HomeFolk Medicine ~ by Peggy S. Fisher
As you walk down the aisles of your local drugstore seeing
the array of brightly colored bottles and boxes whose
contents are designed to treat an almost endless
variety of ailments, could you ever imagine them
as flowers once growing on a forest floor or as a bark
cut from one of its trees? From the chemicals developed
by nature have actually come 25% of all our medications.
The history of the relationship between products from
living plants and healing medications goes back to
the very beginnings of medicine itself,
from 3700 B.C. Egypt, followed by the Chinese
and later the Greeks and Romans.
In the early frontier days of West Virginia,
the vast majority of settlers in our region
were cut off from any kind of "formal" medical care
and moreover, competent physicians long
remained beyond the reach, both physically
and financially, of a vast segment of the population.
For residents deprived of these benefits,
folk medicine derived from time-honored
and age-old traditions was used.
Even after new and better treatments became available,
residents clung tenaciously to folk remedies handed
down from generations long past. Many such remedies
survived well into the twentieth century and even
yet constitute a part of the home treatments practiced
in remote areas of the mountains.
In 1610 King James, King of England, enforced
what was known as the "Great Settlement" or the
"Kings Plantation." It was an attempt by King James
to gain control of the Irish by putting
a Protestant population into Ireland.
To do this he confiscated the lands of the Earl of Ulster
and bestowed them upon Scottish and English lords on
the condition that they settle the territory with
tenants from Scotland and England.
While in Ulster, the Scots multiplied and after
about roughly 150 years became dissatisfied with
the English and began emigrating in large numbers
to the English colonies in America, hence the term
"Scotch-Irish." As a whole, these were superstitious
people who held great value in weather signs and nature
lore, remedies, omens and family customs.
Most folk lore (including folk medicine) having
been passed down from generation to generation were
held accepted as fact. Even today, many health care
professionals have difficulty treating rural West
Virginians due to the old beliefs that occasionally
conflict with modern medicine.
Many plants provided the basic ingredients that
were used in the preparation of medicines
and remedies by the backwoodsman. There seemed
to be a belief among the early settlers that
the more distasteful or obnoxious a concoction was,
the more effective it would be.
Some of their remedies are still used today
in patent medicines. Wild cherry bark for cough
medicine is an example. The principle ailments
of the early settler included a variety of
stomach troubles. Inasmuch as the diet of the
mountain people left much to be desired,
a diet which included fatback and sowbelly
along with many other greasy items,
there is little wonder that they
had any stomach at all!
Sassafras, catnip, horehound and pennyroyal
were all brewed into teas and used to treat
coughs and colds. The leaves and twigs of red
cedar were boiled and inhaled for bronchitis.
White and black willow leaves and bark were
made into a tea to break up a fever which
makes perfect sense today since we know that
willow is very abundant in salicylic acid
aspirin. Bloodroot, golden seal, wild ginger
and the corm of the jack-in-the-pulpit were
used in a variety of concoctios. The pitch
from the white pine healed wounds and sores.
Powdered bark of the hemlock was used to staunch
the flow of blood from a cut.
Tannin in the bark of the hemlock was good for burns.
Cooked pine needles were used for toothache.
Rhododendron oil was used for rheumatism.
Whether these remedies were effective or not,
is not recorded. Who dared to get sick,
with all that faced them on the frontier.
Blood letting was popular during these frontier days.
Dr. Joseph Doddridge, author of Notes of the Settlement
and Indian Wars was a great proponent. Dr. Doddridge
observed that the danger was not in using the lances
too freely but in using it too sparingly in which the
patient might be left with a spitting of blood
(such as in might be brought about by some
pulmonary disturbances) or even consumption.
Many cough syrups were built around Virginia snakeroot.
Pioneers also put great faith in dried Indian turnip
mixed with honey, but they knew that unless the
Indian turnip had been scraped from the top
downward the mixture would have no effect.
Poultices were also very highly regarded
and depending on what ailed you -- there were
different poultices to cure you.
Mustard plasters or poultices were used to
"break congestion." Apparently there was a fine
line of time to leaving it on. You left it on
until the skin turned pink but did not blister.
Yarrow and jimson weed, two very common,
summertime weeds in West Virginia,
have been greatly touted as ingredients
in poultices that are to be placed
on wounds to draw out infection.
The American experience is deeply rooted in the
lore of Native Indians. Though there was not a
large Indian population in West Virginia per se,
there were those that were "transplanted" here
for one reason or another. My mother, who was
born and raised a Clay Countian, remembers an
old woman who lived way up one of the hollows
from her family's farm. Prudy White was a
full-blooded Blackfoot Indian who "doctored"
the people who lived nearby.
My mother remembers a time when she was seven
years old and was coming down with chickenpox.
She had a terrible fever and was chilling though
covered with many quilts and sitting in front of the stove.
My grandmothers concern was that the chickenpox
"had not come out." The fear was that if the pox
didn't come out on the skin, they would go inside
and could cause a child to die. My grandmother
sent my grandfather after Old Prudy.
My mother was scared to death of Old Prudy
particularly since local legend had it she was a
witch and could put a spell on you and make you die.
My mother said that Prudy came in and took one look
at her and walked back outside and into the woods.
When she came back she had her apron full of roots
and bark and berries that she told my grandmother
to brew into a tea. My mom says it was the nastiest
tasting stuff she'd ever tasted but, within 15 minutes
the chickenpox began coming out" and within 1 hour
she was covered head to toe with the little red spots.
She ran the regular course for chickenpox and was soon
on her feet again. She also recalls the time her father
came down with double pneumonia. Prudy was once again
summoned by the family but she came into the house,
looked at my grandfather and told my grandmother to
make him comfortable, there was nothing she could do.
He died the next morning. When my mother was older,
in high school, she said she had a small wart under
her left thumbnail. She sent her sister to Prudy's
house to ask her what to do since my mother was still
rather afraid of her. Prudy told her to take a kernel
of corn and rub on the wart. She then said to take the
kernel of corn and wrap it up pretty like a gift and
place it in the fork of a two roads at night during
a full moon. My mother did everything Prudy had said
and within 2 weeks, the wart was gone. The bad part
was that Prudy had also said that whoever found the
kernel of corn would get the wart. My mother went to
school the day after her wart disappeared and to her
dismay saw, sitting next to her, the meanest girl in
the whole county with a small wart under
her left thumbnail.
I am a Home Health RN that makes visits
to patients in their homes.
The majority of my patients are elderly
and have offered me a wide variety of cures.
The blood of a black chicken rubbed on
the affected area will cure the shingles.
Black chickens are also good to bring
out chickenpox particularly if you go
out to the chicken coop after the sun
goes down and let one fly over you.
Tea made from hot water and corn silk
will cure bed wetting in children.
The root of rhubarb worn on a string
around your neck will prevent stomach aches.
Tie a big red onion to the bedpost
and it keeps the ones in the bed from having colds.
Boils are caused by impure blood,
you should eat sorghum molasses, raisins and onions.
A dirty sock worn around your neck
when you go to bed will cure a sore throat.
(My grandmother had a dog that had tonsillitis,
and she did the above and the dog got well.)
Don't let the moonlight shine on your face
while your sleeping, it will cause you to go crazy.
A buckeye carried in the pocket will cure rheumatism.
Don't cut your hair in the dark of the moon or it may cause you to go bald.
Tea made from sumac leaves is good for and can cure asthma and hay fever.
An iron key pressed to the back of the neck will cure a nosebleed.
To stop a toothache in your left jaw,
tie a string around the little toe of your right foot.
For the right jaw, reverse the directions.
Essays
Classroom Section Main List Index Random Madness Home