Ghosts, Specters, Spooks, seances and necromancy

"White Lady" apparition, artistic  depictio n

“Ghosts and the supernatural have intrigued and terrified mankind since the dawn of history. Some people simply dismiss both as being nothing more than mere superstition or the products of an overactive imagination. However, anyone who has ever witnessed a ghostly manifestation or unexplained supernatural phenomena firsthand knows differently” 

 Dunwich, Gerina, “A witches  guide  to ghosts and supernatural”  ( page 14^th )

 

"The word “Ghost” implies that the  dead soul maintains a presene in the realm of the living , or perhaps refuses to leave”

Illes, Judika “The Encyclopedia   of Spirit”

“The Spiritualistic movement has rendered an  incalculable service in bridging the gulf that used to separate the living from the dead. The fact of   survival  of bodily death, has been established beyond any possible question by any reasonable person who  will take to acquaint  himself with the evidence.

Dion Fortune

Dark,  late autumn,  and winter nights are ideal time to  work on contacting ghosts and learning about them. In Celtic culture,  October was the last month of the year, and thus was associated  death,  and ancestral working.

Ghosts are much like people, extremely variable in terms of character and  behavior.  Ghosts can be useful source of information, and powerful allies and guides, indeed.  But they may need help too. Don’t be fooled by all the new-age-wannabe-ghost whisperers, many are extremely dangerous, and much like ( we have ) among the living, criminals and offenders, and thus You should not “respect them and talk to them”, least You have death-wish or at least desire to end up in mental hospital or injured.

The veil between our and the world(s) beyond will be thin and easy to transcend in just a few days, from the time when I’m writing this, Samhain , Halloween, All Hallow’s eve(n) is  at the doors.  The day when the dead roam the Erathly  plane, freely . And while You are , all cozy and warmly snuggled in Your soft sofa,  watching horror movies and eating candy, mind that someone unseen, might just be watching alongside. Maybe even laughing to all the silly Hollywood misconceptions J    

Ghosts and Spirits, and ethics of Necromantic and spiritualist practices

There is a difference between a spirit and a ghost. Simply and plainly put, most of the spirits were never human to begin with, and they very few that were transcended after death to something else. Ghost on the other hand  is a non-corporeal  form of humans. Human being that had, by death “shed” it’s flesh.   Here is Merriam Webster’s dicitionary definition:

“A disembodied soul; especially :  the soul of a dead person believed to be an inhabitant of the unseen world or to appear to the living in bodily likeness”  [1]

Other than this  meaning, which is what we are interested  in, here, it can also mean variety of things, such as small trails or remains of  something, or can even be used to refer to an erythrocyte that had lost it’s hemoglobin.  

The very term itself comes from old   English “gast”, which was probably imported from High German “geist” , both of course signifying  a , ghost, specter, apparition.

It’s also important to differ two types of ghosts that exist, one of which,  is actually not a ghost at all. There are energetic/energy imprints, in shape, form  of the deceased, even mimicking some of  their actions, or “reenacting” their death. These are just that, energy imprints, or “energy carryovers” [2] , they do not possess consciousness or intelligence,  they are oblivious to their surroundings , and often  repetitive in terms of their actions.   The other type are actual ghosts, so as we said, disembodied souls  of human beings,  with all the possible consciousness, able to perceive and interact with their environment and the living.  While colloquially, in mundane speech is fine to  refer to both  aforementioned as “ghost/s”, in occultism only the latter is seen as ghost.  It’s also probably wise to note here, that even though I’ve  been  referring ( throughout previous bits of text )  to ghosts as entities which were once human  , ghosts can, obviously come from animals, and in very rare cases even plants.

Spirits, on the other hand are creatures that lack physical body, but were not human, or If they once have been, they’ve transcended the ghost status after their death. The fine example of the  last would be Lillith, who was according to one Hebrew legends first Adam’s wife , but later she became a demon. So “spirit” in mundane terms would include any non-corporeal entity in it’s broadest meaning, often ghosts included , but in occultism , when we use “spirit”  we refer  to non-corporeal entity which was not human, like angels, demons, fairies, djinns,  elementals    and so on. Merriam Webster’s dictionary definition of spirits is as follows:

“1

    :  an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical organisms

 2

    :  a supernatural being or essence: as

 

a capitalized : HOLY SPIRIT

b : SOUL 2a

c :  an often malevolent being that is bodiless but can become visible; specifically : GHOST 2

d :  a malevolent being that enters and possesses a human being “ [3]

 

Once  again, in terms of occultism, anything but  what’s listed under 2. b:  in the above description may apply to the word “spirit”.

The art of communication with the spirits for purpose of gaining information is called “necromancy”, or the art of divination using the dead souls, or ghosts.

According to  Rosemary Ellen Gulley

“The magical conjuration of the dead for the purpose of DIVINATION. Because they are no longer bound

by the Earth plane, the spirits of the dead are believed to have access to information beyond the capabilities of the

living. Conjured spirits are asked about the future and where to find buried treasure.”  [4]

Futhermore, R.E. Guilley explains:

“There are two types of necromancy: raising a corpse itself to life, and summoning the spirit of the corpse. The second type is more common.” [5]

One must understand here, that even necromantic rituals  that were intended   to raise  the corpse , meant summoning an entity, most often ghost which once was a resident of body in question, to inhabit the body once again. The difference is purely practical, it was easier to understand the ghost who inhabited , albeit temporally a physical body and could thus speak, and even gesticulate, and moreover, such rituals had a higher rate of success. Body was a material, beaconing and grounding point.

These practices are most likely those addressed in Bible,  in the  Exodus 22:18

 

"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” ( King James’  Version )

“Do not allow a sorceress to live” ( New International Version ) [6]

 

Even the second version is based on King James’  translation, which is proved not only to be fallacious  in many places, and even suspected to be intentionally translated as such.  Here the word “chaspech” ( Hebrew word translated as witch ) could as well be translated also as poisoner,  and necromancer .  In the Biblical times, people who did Necromancy, did it properly, often undergoing week or more worthy of preparatory rituals, some of which required grave profaning,  stealing bones and clothes,  or even eating the flesh of dogs ( in Greek Necromantic traditions for example ) , and other, and were thus considered very sinful and bad. Ill intentioned and misinformed people often claim how Bible condemns the attempt to communicate with the deceased, but  this is however plainly put misleading. It’s much more likely that the Bible was condemning the methods used. Many serious,  practicing Necromancers of modern day will readily admit they often invoke demonic spirits, to help them evoke ghosts, and will explain how they often use actual bones, including skulls in their rituals, perform in graveyards and so on.  Christianity views such practices as profaning, as well as most common reasons behind them (  obtaining buried treasures, finding out the future ) profaning and sinful.  In Christianity, the dead ones are treated with respect and take important place in ritualistic practices of Christians. So it’s not what is being done , but rather how, which is problematic from Christian perspective.

Bible also speaks of the witch of Endor, who had conjured prophet  Samuel’s spirit according to king Saul’s request, which ended up with spirit foretelling the death of king Saul. (1Sa 28:20-25)

It was widely believed that Edward Kelly, and possibly Dr. Dee engaged in necromancy and were supposedly prolific necromancers, but Kelly never wrote about this in his diaries. Eliphas Levi ( XIX )  however, well documented his own attempts of necromancy and gave extremely elaborate instructions on how to perform evocation of the ghost of the  beloved dead in his “Transcendental magick” .

A séance is  an ethically  more  acceptable form of necromancy, even though the mediums who most often organize,  and hold séances will call such practices a part of “spiritualism”. Technically speaking, as You probably   already know, a séance is way to contact and obtain information from the spirit of the dead, hence it is a method  o f necromancy.  In essence spiritualism is a religion, but certainly not one that “invented” séance.  

 

It’s commonly held that the organized practice of séances came to be , as an invention of Fox sisters ( Katy, Margaretta, and Leah Fox )  circa  1848^th year, which  developed a code-like way of communicating with an entity that haunted their family house in Hydesville (Wayne county, NY ) . This is also commonly seen as   time when the modern spiritualist movement has been established.  [7]  At that point,  sisters were kids that mimicked  the  rapping sounds entity  had been creating for a while.  In doing so, they, along with their  mother,  noticed they can use these sounds to communicate with the entity,   and even get simple YES, or NO answers, depending on the number of rapping sounds  made ( odd and even ).  The very method is often used even today to get answers from ghosts and spirits, who can make noise and create other kind of sound. 

Some famous mediums, who were renowned for their mediumship abilities,  are  Fox Sisters ( Katy, Margaretta and Leah ),   Edward Kelly, Apollonyus of Tyana , Moses   ( 1839 - 1892 ) a physical medium, Lees  the kid who channeled Prince Albert , Daniel Dunglas Home  ( XIX century ) etc.

 

Ghost and spirits behavior

 

They can appear naked, although in most cases they are dressed in   specific set of clothes, and they don't have to do anything, but    be present to cause fear. Sheets, chain clinging and  all the rest pop culture additions hardly ever happen, If ever at all.  It's not quite clear though  do ghosts enjoy scaring people, but some certainly seem to be   enjoying. 

 

They feed on the energy of the living, much like energy parasite, only in extremely less amount. The amount of energy they sap is often minute , and simply not enough to cause any actual harm.

Like with any living person, characters and behavior  of the ghosts  vary greatly. Don’t think for a second that ghosts can not lie, or that they get smarter after death.   Some are kind and helpful,  others are liars, manipulators and users. Experienced practitioners have their Spirit guides* to help them. Rational mind is however the most powerful tool here.  Take what  ghosts say with a grain of salt, and If they suggest You to do silly things, the kind of which in Your right mind You would never do,  simply end communication with such entities. That’s what most authors suggest, anyway. I myself would, and on few occasions have,  banished such entities.  New agers would/might  call that evil, I call that defending myself.

Also beliefs and attitudes people have developed in life, will remain , at least for a while, even after they die. Which means,  ghosts can be biased when they  speak of certain topics,  and their answers can be influenced by what they believe in.

Ghosts who cause material phenomena  to occur, who are angry,  overly persistent or haunting, still may be just all that, and not evil, they might just  baldy need their message  delivered. However in 9 of 10 cases, they are just plainly  ill intentioned  , and dangerous,  and  such entities, in my humble opinion should be banished/vanquished. For even if they just want to communicate there is a line they should never really  cross. Imagine person stalking You on the street to tell You they like You, leaving You flowers,  following and observing You.  Such person does not plan to kill You, but their obsessive behavior  makes    Your life difficult and threatens to evolve into something more dangerous. Same case with ghosts and spirits. If they can not play nice, neither should You, forget about the junk that people who bought too much into “Ghost whisperer” advocate. You are not, and will never be a ghost councilor / psychoanalyst / therapist, for there is no such thing !  Ghosts don’t need You to “guide them into the light” there are all sort of psychopomps  that  do much better job  at it, than humans ever could.

 

So in essence, ghosts are to be approached cautiously, and treated pretty much the way they treat You, or  at least avoided If they are nasty. Do not try to fix them, this is my friendly advice, or otherwise You may learn the hard way what I explained in the paragraph above.

Ghosts in culture(s)

 

“The reputed presence of Ghosts is a selling  point in many hotels, inns, and bed-and-breakfasts”

Illes, Judika  “The Encyclopedia of spirits” 

 

Belief in the ghosts may very well be, as old as human race itself.  The prehistoric cavemen painted bones of  deceased ones with red paint, which is generally interpreted  by anthropologists and sociologists alike, as an attempt  to ensure that their ghost “survives” and passes into  afterlife.  Egyptian, Ancient Greek and Roman culture had all these extremely elaborate ceremonies and cultic worshiping of ancestors.  Just   read up on Egyptian book of the dead a bit. All these fascinating rituals, that where done to ensure the safe passing of the soul in the afterlife.

 

 Mummification or embalming,   afterlife amulets, mouth opening,    gifts for  the otherworld etc. Body had to be preserved in a very specific way, tombs had to be build in a very specific way, even  the pyramidion had to be made according to specific guidelines.  Ankh amulets and Scarabs,  and small marble “fayan”  charms/figurine were  left in tombs , all followed with certain invocations and words of power. Failing to do any properly, could mean that the  sould will not end in the afterlife. [8]

 

Romans held festivities to appease the dead, who were often very feared, and notorious, as they would , according to ancint Roman  belfs , often come back  as Lemures  or Larvae** .  These were the  ghosts of the drowned people ,  executed criminals ,  childless people, or non placated ancestors [9]  in essence very dangerous and volatile souls that feed on energy of the living, haunted their dwellings or even murdering them, or  driving them to suicide.  It is no wonder then, that the whole month of May was  reserved for various exorcism  ceremonies, to banish the angry dead souls , although the 9^th, 11^th and 13^th  of May  were the central points of the festival, called Lemuralia or Lemuria. An illustrative formula, using black beans and banishment of the angry and dangerous ancestral ghosts was described by Ovid:

 

“It was the head of the household who was responsible for getting up at midnight and walking around the house with bare feet throwing out black beans and repeating the incantation, "I send these; with these beans I redeem me and mine (haec ego mitto; his redimo meque meosque fabis.)." nine times. The household would then clash bronze pots while repeating, "Ghosts of my fathers and ancestors, be gone “nine times.” [10]

 

In Slavic cultures,  ghosts  were equally feared and respected, and they were believed to be able to inhabit a tree ( particularly Pyrus tree, or Elder in Balkan peninsula ) , or even a stone and thus render them “shadowed” or inhabited by ghosts. Even the notorious vampires are rather sort of ghosts than actual risen corpses , how the popular media tries to depict them.  In essence they were ghosts that somehow  retained astral and most often ethereal  husk ( body ) after physical death, and even  the astral cord, and would drain blood and energy to sustain their physical bodies. Garlic, Hawthorn and Basil were seen as universal protection agents against  ghosts and vampires, in Slavic cultures, as well as some animal curios , and pretty much no   household would allow themselves to run out of those, particularly during winter and so called “unbaptized  days” 

 

Even spiritual movements and religions which believe in reincarnation have their “ghosts” , such as Preta  , or beings in Naraka , or which some Buddhists, Hindu and also Jain texts speak of.  Pretas are ghosts    that  haunt their  former place of residence, and are often stricken with insatiable hunger for something which is repulsing or disgusting, such as corpses, feces, or even blood. In more “modern” versions it can be virtually any object or person.  They cause illness, bad luck, involuntary possession  and they drain energy.  They are said to enjoy the intoxicants like marijuana, alcohol,  then spit, feces and so  on. [11]

 

Reverence of the Ancestral ghosts  is one of the cornerstones of Vodoun, and consequently New Orleans Voodoo.  Christian people respect their beloved dead, light candles for them and pray for them.

Modern celebrations of festivals associated with dead and ghosts  are popular even today, such as Halloween, Chinese Ghost month  and  “Dia de los Muertos” or the Day of the Dead in Latin America and  Spain. 

 

In modern days, ghosts  have became a  prominent part of popular culture, and belief or rather disbelief. According to Gallup, 1/3 of Americans ( 32% ) believes in ghosts, and  it seems how the percentage of people who believe decreases with the age  [12]  . The  modern stories about ghostly haunting and sightings are endless, and in my humble opinion most are fake or fabricated.  And that’s because ghostly haunting have became a profitable tourist beaconing tool. Just read the quotation at the begging of this article section.  They are also frequent motives in literature and movies, such as “The Centerville Ghost”  short story  by Oscar Wilde, or even his novel “The picture of Dorian Gray” , movies such as “The Other’s” ,  “Volver” , “White noise”, “Pulse”,  “Shutter” , then TV shows like “Being human” ,  “Medium”, and even the sappy “Ghost whisperer” , which, while being fun to watch, is not even a remotely accurate about  how people should actually deal with  ghosts.  The Halloween   as a modern day holiday, based  upon old beliefs   serves to even further popularize and use ghosts  as both spiritual, and plainly commercial motif. 

 

 

NOTES: This  article  was written and composed by myself, hence If  You wish to use parts of it  elsewhere online, feel free, but add credits :   Shadow of Shadow's magick place , Shadow-333@hotmail.com  or a direct link  to this post 

CREDITS AND REFRENCES:

 ,

*In spiritualism Spirit Guides are almost  exclusively ghosts, who make friendly relations with medium and are always around them , particularly when they perform the séances , to guide and advise them, as well as provide certain degree of protection. Not to be confused with  so called “doorkeepers” who allow certain spirits to  pass through during séances or necromantic rituals, and negate “entrance” to others.  In more broad sense ( outside spiritualism, in general occultism ) spirit guide   can be an entity that never was human to begin with, an Angel for example.

 

** Although   based on Anicent  Roman beliefs,  Larvae,  singular Larva, meaning possessed or  masked, is actually a middleage Latin term rather than ancient,  now seen as;   archaic Latin

 

[1] Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghost

[2] “Energy carryover” is a term used by Arthur Myres in his work “The Ghostly Register”
[3] Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spirit
[4]  from: Guiley Rosemary, Ellen, “Encyclopedia of magic and alchemy” page 215^th
[5] As under [4]
[6] Retrieved from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2022%3A18&version=KJV;NIV
[7] According to the writings of  Raymond Buckland in his : “Bukland’s book of spirit communication”  ( Llewellyn publications, 2004^th ) , chapter III
[8] read more about it here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_burial_customs
[9] According to Judika Illes “The Encyclopedia of Spirits” , page 627^th
[10] Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemuria_(festival)
[11] Judika Illes, The “Encyclopedia of spirits”
[12]  Retrieved from ( the numbers ) : http://www.gallup.com/poll/17275/onethird-americans-believe-dearly-may-departed.aspx

IMAGE CREDITS : First image is from: http://www.thedungeons.com/berlin/images/main-images/the-white-lady.jpg used here for illustrative purposes without any ill will

Second image is from : http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/36/4a/03/364a03bf4e9229bc318fb35333c2d334.jpg  used for illustrative purposes only , edited here  by    me,  without any ill will

Michelmas and Angelic times

"The Assumption of the Virgin" , by Francesco  Botticini

Michelmas, also called Feast of Saint Michael  and  All Angels ( which, to me at least, is the most  befitting name actually ) is Christian holiday celebrated on 29^th of September ( according to Gregorian calendar )  or 21^st of November ( according to Julian calendar ) .  The holiday commemorates Angels,   all the hierarchies and all the Angels, lead by St Michael the Archangel, which had defeated and hurled down the Lucifer from Heaven, after the Great war in Heavens. 

It’s the ever present Angels, and their sincere love and guidance and help the provide to human race which is celebrated on this day.   Angels lack the physical body,   because they are made  from different, let’s say more subtle matter,  and they can travel distances nearly inconceivable to human mind in matters of 100^th parts of second, hence why they are often depicted with wings. They’ve also most often appeared with wings to human beings.   Word Angel, comes from Greek “angelos” which means messenger. 

Angelic  hierarchy

Angels had in old days been worshiped as Deities, but the  Council in Laodicea circa AD 320^th  anathemized and banned such practice among Christians .  Instead, Christians established proper way  to pay respect to them, address them and so on.   Angels have also been divided  into categories,  called spheres, triads or Hierarchies, each of which containing there orders or choirs of Angels.  Such division was purposed by Pseudo-Dionysius Aeropagite, [1] and the  orders/choirs are as follow  ( from highest to the lowest , or in descending order ):

·         Seraphim – six winged guardians  of G’d’s Throne, continuously praising the Lord, singing : “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole Earth is full of his glory!”

·         Cherub – Four-faced angels, with faces of human, ox , lion and an Eagle. They guard the way to the Three of Life ( in Garden of Eden ) and G’d’s throne. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, Satan was Cherub.

·         Thrones – Living symbols of G’d’s justice and authority, which appear utmost peculiar, in form of “wheel-within-a-wheel” whose rims are covered with thousands of eyes. They appear in chariot  vision of Ezekiel

·         Dominions – extremely beautiful,  anthropomorphous  angels, who regulate duties of lower angels and preside over nations.

·         Virtues – angelic choir that stands behind Thrones  ( also called Wheels )  ,  monitor and control  the movements of the heavenly bodies to ensure the order in the cosmos

·         Powers – Also called authorities collaborate with Principalities, also called Rulers, and are guardians of consciousness and   history  . They oversee the distribution of power among human beings ( hence the name ) and are extremely loyal.

·         Principalities – Angels with scepters and crown, they carry out the orders of the Dominion, and bestow blessings on the material world. They also inspire people on great acts and discoveries in Arts  and Science, they entice ideas and creativity in humans.

·         Archangels – Called Chief angels, are guardian angels of countries and nations  and they also rule Angels. Traditionally Judaic and Christian sources see that there are seven  Archangels , four  of which are sometimes mentioned as “major”, namely Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel.

·         Angels – Messengers of G’d, tightly connected and concerned about living things. There are many of them, and  they are what people normally thing of when the word “angel” is mentioned.

Seven Archangels

Seven Archangels is  part of old tradition in Abrahamic religions of grouping Seven Archangels together. The first mention of Seven Archangels is held to be the  one from non-canonical and apocryphal “book of Enoch” , although some believe that  the Seven Angels for the  “Revelations” in Bible are the Seven Archangels: 

“And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them”   [2]

Pope Saint Gregory I mentions Seven Archangels as : Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel/Anael, Simiel, Orphiel and Ragiel.  Catholic church mentions only three Archangels , being the first three listed.

In Orthodox Christian tradition, Seven Archangels are as follow:  Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel, Jegudiel and Raguel. 

Seven Archangels amulets, 1. and 2. seven vowels variations, 3. classic Seven Archangels gnostic amulet, from   " Egyptian magic" by E.A. Wallas Budge  

Kabbalah speaks of ten Archangels ( according to the interpretations of Golden Dawn ) each correspondent to one of the Ten spheres on  Tree of Life, each presiding over one of the ten “orders” also   correspondent to one of the Ten spheres.  

At least four Archangels ( Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel  ) are associated with a planet, cardinal direction and element each, but these teachings are rarely, if ever seen as even remote part of Abrahamic religions, but rather spawn from the occultism and hermeticism.

This  ( Seven Archangels )  is one of the teachings remembered and reverenced  on Michaelmass. 

MIchelmass customs and traditions

·         Michaelmass is a day  which is in occult thought  believe to be highly prominent for works of Enochian magick, magick of blessings, healing and spiritual development and all kind of spiritual work

·         In Europe, particularly Western,  tradition associated with Michlemass  is Curfew, which was a symbolic  hinting the upcoming arrival of the winter. This was most often done by tolling the Church bell each night, in distinct number of strikes, until the Shrove Tuesday. It was also time of the year when household  fires were supposed to be doused .

·         In Serbia and Montenegro, Michaelmas is a “slava” ( lit. feast-day ) but unlike with other “slava” the wheat was not cooked, nor the special cake prepared,  nor had the wine been spilt, for these Slavic people believe “Angels have neither body nor blood” [3]

·         “A great custom in England was to dine on goose on Michaelmas . One reason for this was said to be that Queen  Elizabeth I was eating goose when news of the defeat of the Armada was brought to her. In celebration she said that  henceforth she would always eat goose on Michaelmas day . Others than followed her lead” [4] It’s no surprise knowing this, that one of the alternative names in UK for  the holiday was  Goose day.

·         It’s believed on Balkan peninsula that rising with the Sun on Michaelmas, and then staring into one own’  reflection in the mirror for a while served to prolong youth of the body, and promote longevity. In fact old folk say that If,  one sees image on St. Michael in the mirror, instead of their own, will  attain immortality*

·         There are many weather  divinations associated with Michelmass in UK.  For example : “If Michaelmas brings many acorns, Christmas will cover the fields with snow”, or “A dark Michelmas, A light Christmas”

·         Eating goose on MIchelmas , was apparently  believed ( also in UK  ) to ensure a constant flow of wealth/money throughout the year , which  the following  example of  folk rhyme illustrate: “Eat a goose on MIchelmas da y, want not for money all the year” , or  “He who eats a goose on Michelmas day, shan’t  money lack or debts to pay”  [5]

·         Catching a  ( naturally ) falling leaf and making a wish,  on Michelmas,  is a popular tradition among European people.

·         It was customary in Eastern Europe to eat an apple in the morning on Michelmas, before anything else is consumed,  in order to signify how we  recall the sin of Adam and Eve, and thus indicate our devotion and humility  and servitude to G’d

·         Balkan peninsula folk believe anything  You find important, should be symbolically done 7 times, or asked for ( in prayer ) seven times on this day. Anything that brings us luck should also be done  7 times. If we wish to  be successful in something we must “re-enact” or mimic the positive outcome of the event in some manner  7 times on Michaelmas. [6]

Asking for help from St. Michael the Archangel

Michelmas is ideal day to petition St. Archangel Michael , particularly to deliver us from our own sins, and long standing, and persistent conditions, such as chronic illnesses, mental troubles, heavy and long standing crossings and so on.  I have written on how to  work with St. Michael   on here , before, so You could use that as an guideline to outline some kind of appropriate ritual .  There is also an interesting  spell circling around the net, much like a chain letter  and is called “Three day wishing spell”  which  asks for help from Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael in making three of Your wishes come true.

Seven candles ritual

This is a folk ritual, I’ve seen done on Michaelmas, few times here, on Balkan peninsula. It’s simplicity itself, but  people seem to believe here it has great power.

One is required to light Seven white candles, or seven pure beeswax candles,  on Michelmas, and pray for seven things they need, or one urgent, serious and intricate issue. These things must never be pure whims, they have to be things the petitioner actually needs.  The candles were lined up so as to form a straight line, and lit from left to right. When each candle is lit, one of the Names of Archangels is uttered silently three times. Then the petitioner would light some Frankincense in the censer and  fumigate the area around the candles, three times clockwise. After this the incense would be placed behind the candles. After this Archangels were petitioned, and some people would  recite “Our Father” prayer before and after prayer to the Archangels.  After this the candles were left to burn all the way down, and the wax was disposed of either by burying them in Your own yard, or leaving them near some Church. There are people who would also throw them into river that runs towards East.  

Celestial incense

I’ve came up with the following formula to aid me in my spiritual works associated with Angels, but it also makes a very nice Uncrossing-Cleansing formula . It can be used in ritual work with Angels, and it can be used in conjunction with  Angel oil   .

Combine:

·         Camphor resin
·         Powdered Bay Laurel leaf
·         Angelica root
·         Frankincense tears
·         OPTIONAL: Powdered lemon rinds or few drops of Essential oil to scentless talc base

And burn on charcoal blocks to honor the Angels ( and Archangels )  and get their  assistance in any matters where You may need their help.

*wether actual, corporeal immortality was what folk refer to with this, it’s hard to say, however, it’s seems to be rather  an “poetic” way to suggest aging extremely graciously, which meant looking decades Younger than one really is, and being extremely healthy

NOTES : This article  was composed and written by myself , hence If You wish to use any part of it elsewhere  online, feel free, but add credits: Shadow of Shadow's magick place, or Shadow-333@hotmail.com  or a direct link to this post

CREDITS AND  REFERENCES:

 [1] http://www.aren.org/prison/documents/religion/Misc/The%20Celestial%20Hierarchy--Dionysius%20the%20Areopagite.pdf 

[2] Retrieved from: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%208:2&version=NIV
[3] acc. to writings in “Kalendar za Srecne Dane” ( lit. Calendar for the lucky days ) by “Jasna Jojic Pavlovski
[4] Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSVlxT525vo
[5] As under [4]
[6] As under [3]

IMAGE CREDITS: First image is from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Francesco_Botticini_-_The_Assumption_of_the_Virgin.jpg   used for illustrative  purposes here without any ill will,
Second image is my own creation. The third image is from "Egyptian magic" by E.A. Wallas Budge, page 178th
 

All Hallows Eve when the veil is thin 4

I’ve written about  Samhain, or the All Hallows eve before, on here, and I shall try to do so in the future , If possible.  For me it’s one of the greatest times of Power throughout  the year, and mind You, I am a Christian J  The nature, around us on this day, simply resonates with such intensive and  hastily energies, that even the tad bit sensitive people can not fight the feeling  of “something out there, in the air” .

It’s a  great time of power, which is plainly foolishly neglected sometimes.  And it should not be. It’s  ideal time to create charms, make oils, potions, powders, bless candles and alike, for any spiritual work done on this day will be greatly empowered, and much stronger that it normally would.  It’s indeed the time of wonders, and miracles, the in-between time, when the veils  nearly completely dissipate , to allow this and the world(s) beyond to meet, and  interact.

The Celebration of All Hallows eve,  so celebration of Samhain ( Celtic-Gaelic festival , prior to Christianization  ) have deep roots in celebration of death, and the dead. Hence, this is an ideal day for spirit communication and necromantic rituals, as well as devotional rituals and ceremonies to our ancestors and beloved deceased people.  It’s also the  best possible time to appease ghosts, or any sprits, which You might have  aggravated, or offended. 

It’s also amazing day for spiritual growth, power raising as well as longevity , and rejuvenation magick and rituals. The  extraordinary energies of the day, make  such goals achievable, in a fragment of time which would otherwise be need  for them.

All those spirits walking feely among the living on Halloween, it would be an utter shame,  not  to conduct some guidance and divination work. And being that the veils between the worlds are the thinnest  on this day, throughout all the year,  “the lines are open”  for any intelligent influences from “beyond” which  affect our readings. Great insights have been gained on All Hallow’s eve, and  this is nothing  new , really, it’s simply often neglected, which is a pity. Seeing a good chance, wise shall seize it, You know.

Let not be Your decorations, just that, an empty vast fetishes without proper reasoning between them.  So instead of paper and plastic, tacky, pap, toys, have some place for herbs, vegetables and fruits, straw dolls,  Jack O lanterns  , crystals and stones that resonate with this time of the year, You can consult Samhain correspondences   , to help You with  Your choices.

Dark(er) side of Halloween

Be cautioned though, as this is time of wonders, make sure You are not faint of heart, If You decide to engage in necromancy, and darker aspects of the magickal art. On this day, the results may astonish  and even terrify You. So, be careful what You wish for.

Whatmore, as much as this is a great time of power for people and spirits of good nature, so much is for those vindictive, ill-spirited ( mind not the pun ) humans and non-corporeal entities as well.

So keep in mind that on this day all sort of spirits walk the Erath freely, without constrictions, and limitations they normally experience, seeking avenge, or simply taking enjoyment  in  works of mischief , and evil.  The masking festivities, originate from customs, which served for protection, for the mask is the powerful tool for protection from, and confusion  of ghosts, and low(er) level spirits.  The very latin term for mask “larvae” shares meanings of mask, and spirit.  Even the latter, Medieval Latin word for it “masca” while quite  different in terms of letters and pronunciation, preserved the meaning which could be translated to : mask, specter or nightmare   [1]

Jack of Lantern, is another powerful charm   ,  and the light which emanates from it glaring, fiery eyes, and mouths is believed to hold the power to vanquish  evil spirits, and demons likewise.  I spread some Basil, Blessed salt  and Angelica root  on the bottom of mine, and make sure the candles I light in them are blessed or pure was made.  I believe they confer extremely strong protection,  very much needed on  this day. I’m not trying to act all smart, or overly cautious , dull and old-fashioned,  this is the day when all sort of things happen , good and bad. It’s very stupid ( feel free to get insulted ) to take this day  and  the magick of it lightly, and simply go to reckless parting, and  give in to mindless  cravings . Of course, we can only warn those carrying for warnings.  What one does with it’s personal safety is just that, personal thing, but don’t  You expect help from people when You fall into hole, If everyone yelled You will, and You mocked them for it ;) Arrange Jack o Lanterns strategically around Your house. Swift herbal charms, like branches of Rowan, Hawthorn, Basil springs tied and hung together with red yarn, St John’s wart, Dev*l’s shoestrings on a lace, Dev*l’s bit  roots and others, will provide protection when hung in home, or carried on person.

Finally take great care of Your personal possessions, as well as any personal concerns ( nails, hair, clothes with Your sweat and DNA ) for If You have enemies, and they get a hold of such, they can work strongest of crossings on You, on All Hollow’s eve.  Which is why You should take all the laundry hanging to dry inside after sunset, and make sure not to do any nail clipping or hair cutting etc.  If You come to suspect someone could have stolen  something Yours, sprinkle Yourself and Your clothes very lightly with powder made of  Motherwort, Mint and either Red brick dust or Graveyard dirt, to kill the  link between You and stolen personal concern/ item.

 Madness of Halloween

Be it due to plain suggestion,  or some kind of  spiritual influence, cosmic radiation or other, All Hallow’s eve is the day when people go plain nuts.  I see it as plainly coming in touch with the darker aspects of both personality and soul/spirit, and inability to cope with them or channel them properly.  The plain collective “hysteria” the holiday entices is equally to blame though. Regardless, all sort of crazy things happen on Halloween.

And I do not mean “conspiracy theory/Satanism/New World’s order ritual/evil occult/etc”  junk. That’s just product of delusuional minds and self-righteous Christians, who really only focus on persecute- homosexuals-and-witches false doctrines, which, it’s wise to note here, are trending in parts of Christian community for centuries, but they were never and are not part of Christian teachings and doctrines.

I was more referring to strong psychic energies, which cause people minds to haywire  in a way lol. Here are just few examples to illustrate it:

·         In Tennessee, law bans certain sex offenders from dressing up and taking part in public celebrations of Halloween . In New York "Operation Halloween: Zero Tolerance", prohibits sex offenders from wearing  costumes and even answering doors on Halloween, to trick-or-treaters . In Orange County, California, offenders not only can not answer the doors, but must also post a sing outside that there is not trick or treating at their residence. Some people admittedly, perceive these measures as silly and without foundation, but some statistic researches do support the theories that criminals get  “more active” on  Halloween, but this does not really include sex offenders [2]

·         In Russia,  on 2005^th , on Halloween eve,  happened an outstanding outburst or “epidemic” of alcohol intoxicated people in  Voronezh ( South Russia ), in  such number that hospitals were full. Bottles of Vodka  were latter shown to have contained  antifreeze ( like proplyene glycol )

·         All around the Europe, as well as in America, certain individuals  and groups, with either delusional disorders, or radical cultic viewpoints and agendas, hunt dogs and cats , sacrifice them, mutilate and torture in extremely heinous ways.  The L.A. Times, had in more occasion than one, wrote about animal sacrifice on Halloween and precautions needed to be taken to prevent such [3]  Please keep in mind , that these are mostly acts of vandals, hooligans and sick people,  they are not work of cults and people into occults, least it happens incidentally, and even then it’s probably unrelated to Halloween

·         People like to get rid of old candies, and the Halloween is ideal chance for that. Kids , and their parents however, in vast majority seem to be oblivious of this fact.   Some on the other hand go as far, as perpetuating the Urban myth that some companies, or groups of people, or individuals intentionally temper with the candies, adding hazardous or lethal substances to them, or drugs. [4] If You ask me the real danger lies in date-expired and not properly stored  candies, which people seem to completely ignore , as well as possible overeating and quite rarely hyperglicemia ( You’d be amazed how much sugar can some people ingest before they throw up lol )

Do those prove something peculiar , and supernatural occurring on All Hallows eve ? Maybe not, but they are certainly suggestive and utmost interesting  findings . It’s not impossible that such human behaiour is  caused be excess of  psychic energy, which   unprepared mind simply can not process and channel properly.

Halloween lore and superstitions

Here are some common Halloween lore and superstitions according to  amazing  “Witches Halloween” by Gerina Dunwich

·          Also an  tradition associated also with Michaelmas , catching the naturally  falling lea on Samhain is done   for health , and wishes coming true

·         Casting a headless shadow on Halloween some see as death omen

·         Child born on Halloween is seen as able to see and converse with ghosts and spirits and immune to their attacks

·          Observing our own Shadows on Moonlight on Halloween may bring us bad luck

·          If the Samhain fire goes  out, it has to be rekindled by  or with a lighted sod from the home of a priest. 

·         It is believed that if a person light a new Orange color candle on the Halloween , on the Midnight, and lest it burn ‘till the sun rise, he or she will have a lot of luck

·         On the other hand baking bread and journeying after Sunset is not only bad luck but also dangerous

·           “  A very old spell that hails from Ireland calls for the fresh blood of a Young rooster to be sprinkled a t the corners of a house to keep it safe from the haunting of ghosts and the spells and curses of sorcerers.   “ [5] 

Now, having those  covered J let’s proceed with some spells and rituals ideas:

Pet Protection spell

Pet protection spells   are traditionally ( as of  more recent days, anyway  ) , done on Halloween .  The methods vary, but here is an swift and powerful example.

Take few hair of the pet You wish to protect.  Write it’s name , or draw it on a piece of red paper, and wrap the hairs in it, along with some  salt,  dry basil leaves,  dry mint or  dry sage.  Light a green candle then,  set the paper with hair alight on the candle’s flam e and say :

“I seek protection for this animal, my beloved friend,

Bring it longevity, health and put all of its ill to an end.”

Scatter the ashes   in Your yard,  or sprinkle them into  the river.   This spell is often done either outdoors , or in a bathtub, due to fire hazard, and nasty odor  produced when the Keratin  from the hair ( or feather if it’s bird )  combusts.  If You are doing it in the tub, which would be very practical, just flush the remaining ashes down the  drain .

 

Mirror wishing spell

NOTE: The following  three spells come from the same source, used for compiling superstitions associated with Halloween  in this  article,  from the brilliant and concise “Witch’s Halloween”

The first one is a wishing spell, as wishing spells are frequently done on Halloween. It’s well written, and simplicity enough, hence why I decided  to post it here for Your convenience.  Mirrors are, spiritually considered , to have, among others, power to double things, which is the idea with this spell :

“     This simple et potent spell dates back to antiquity and is a Halloween tradition, among many witche s. To perform this spell You will need three things: an ordinary mirror, a candle that has never been lit before, and a sincere wish.

     Begin after sunset on Halloween night by lighting a candle with a match. If You desire You may anoint Your candle with three drops of Your favorite ritual oil, prior to working this spell. Turn off the lights in the room and stand before the mirror,  holding the lit candle in Your hand ( the hand You normally use for writing ) . Gaze into reflection of Your own eyes and clear Your mind of all thoughts, except for those pertaining to Your wish. Visualize Your wish coming true as You whisper the following incantation:

“Looking glass and  Witch’s flame,

Let they powers interweave,

Grant the wish that I proclaim,
On this most enchanted eve
My secret wish is  … ( state Your wish )
So mote it be !”

Gently place Your lips upon the mirror to seal the spell with a kiss.  The secret wish mirror spell  is now complete, but take care not to reveal Your secret to anybody or  it will not manifest. “ [6]

Spell to vanquish weakness

NOTE: Samhain, as I’ve mentioned already is ideal time for dealing away with something nonproductive,  hazardous, bad, obstructive, something that keeps pulling us back, and needs  not to be so. The following spells, from the same source listed for the previous, employs banishing powers  of the fire element. Dragon blood, among others, possesses banishing and strengthening qualities, and black candles are used to  remove something negative.

“    One modern Halloween spell to destroy weakness calls for the following items:  parchment paper, Dragons blood ink, and a Samhain bonfire.  If an outdoor fire is not possible, do not despair.  A black candle and any fireproof container such  as an ashtray or, a iron cast cauldron, can be used to take it’s place.

    Using the Dragon’s blood ink, write on the piece of parchment whatever weakness of weaknesses You wish to be rid of. Crumple up the paper as You concentrate upon  Your intent, and then either toss it into   the bonfire,  or set it  ablaze by holding it above the flame of the black candle and then placing it it into the fireproof container. As the parchment burns to ashes, so, too, will Your weaknesses be destroyed  by flames of magick. “   [7]

NOTE: If You  are to work indoors and hence use the “cauldron version” , I suggest collecting at least some of the ashes, if not all, and burying them in the ground, on sprinkling them in graveyard, to further supercharge the spell. They can also be flushed down the toilet , scattered on the wind  ,  released into body of water,  so anything that would ritually mimic either spreading of  human ashes, or burial.

Rowan Tree protection spell

NOTE: From the same source, as previous two. Rowan is always held  to be  an extremely strong protective  botanical, much due to it’s association with Fae. Hence it was believed that branch of it, is a symbol of Faeries protecting the one who wears it or the house that bears it, on their front entrance. But for this it must be gathered politely,  offering some small token to Fae after, You’ve asked for permission to cut, and plead the Fae not to be angry , but to   confer You protection. Alternatively You can collect broken or fallen twig. Neglecting  to do so, more so on Samhain, could potentially make ghosts, and bewitchment the least of Your worries. I assume that Gerina Dunwich  simply assumed this is a well known fact and did not stress in the following spells, for she mentions that in some of her other works, like “Herbal magick, a witch’s guide to herbal enchantments, folklore and divinations”

“To keep Yourself safe on Halloween  from  bewitchment, ill wishes, or evil doings of supernatural beings, cut a branch of the Rowan tree that is covered with red berries. With a red thread attach it to Your clothing or hair as You thrice recite the following magickal verse:

Rowan tree and red thread

Gar the witches dance their dead.

The Rowan three has long been regarded as the most magickal of all trees, and it’s protective powers are legendary. “ [8]

A little bit of lagniappe

More spells on Halloween,  I’ve posted in my earlier articles:

When the veil is thin I http://shadowsmagickplace.blogspot.com/2010/10/all-hallows-eve-night-when-veil-is-thin.html  
When the veil is thin II http://shadowsmagickplace.blogspot.com/2011/10/all-hallows-eve-when-veil-is-thin-2.html
When the veil is thin III  http://shadowsmagickplace.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-night-when-veil-is-thin-iii-just.html
If You can go to New Orleans, or are close to it , check out these links as well:
New Orleans Halloween I http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/seasonal/halloween.html
New Orleans Halloween II http://www.examiner.com/article/halloween-voodoo-hotspots

 There You go , have a Happy Halloween, and Carpe diem !

 

NOTES: This article was   written and composed by myself, hence If You wish to use it  elsewhere online feel free , but add credits:  Shadow of Shadows magick place, Shadow-333@hotmail.com

or a direct link to this post

CREDITS AND REFRENCES:

[1] acc. To/ see more on : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mask

[2] acc. to/ read more here : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/emilyhorowitz/manufacturing-fear-hallow_b_4135793.html

[3] Here is one of the Articles http://articles.latimes.com/1997/oct/27/news/mn-47240

[4] More here: http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/halloween/a/Is-Halloween-Candy-Tampering-A-Myth.htm

[5] Dunwich, Gerrina,  Red Wheel Weiser, "Witch's Halloween" various pages

[6] as under [5]

[7] as under [5]

[8] as under [5]

IMAGE CREDITS:

First one is taken by myself

Second one is from http://guides.wikinut.com/img/359gnrush1pk69o2/Halloween-Pumpkins.

Third one is from http://solacetemple.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/candles.jpg  both used here for illustrative purposed, without  an y ill will