Midsummer and the festival of St.John the Babtist

Birth of St. John the Baptist, Litha and the longest day

Wether You are a Christian, a Neo-Pagan or actual Pagan, druid descendant, or simply European J there are some feast days ahead. From 21^st to 24^th of June, great deal of people all over the globe celebrate this time of great power. The daytime is longest on this very date, and many rituals take place, on this very day, such as inevitable bonfires, a symbol of the holiday and a method of banishing everything ill, a mean of purification and a beacon for blessings. People dance, burn Oak wood and herbs , sing , celebrate and let the energy rise and be shared amongst every participant. While each culture has it’s own way of celebrating these days, most traditions share some universal symbols and rites such as mentioned bonfires, and herb gathering.

Traditional herbs associated with the day differ in different systems and traditions, but some tend to be recurrent in different lore more than other, such as Marigold, and St.John’s wort. Often mentioned are Chamomile, Vervain and Daisy, some of which are typical Solar plants. Oak wood is burned, and a Emeralds are worn and used to decorate altars.

In Wiccan and Pagan world this is the time when the power of Green man, an archetype symbol, and a chthonic spirit, or according to Wiccans, an aspect of Solar deity , is at it’s highest point. The figure of green man is seen even in popular literature and popular culture, cunningly hidden behind faces of Robyn Hood or Peter Pan.

For Christians, such symbolism is simply unacceptable, and furthermore blasphemous. Not because “pagans worship the de*il” , but because this is a day dedicate d to the birth of St.John the Baptist, one of the central characters of Christian religion and a powerful and respected Saint. Therfore, it would be a blasphemy to celebrate anything other than the birth of a Holy man that baptized our Lord, on Jordan.

In general occultism this is a time of the year that carries three beneficial energies, energy of the fertility, energy of the money, and energy that intertwines finely between our and the other-world, connecting them, and making interaction between man and spirits so much easier. This is one of the three days when the veil is thin , others being Beltaine and Smahain.

Read more about that in another post of mine here http://shadowsmagickplace.blogspot.com/2011/05/clairvoyance-and-seeint-spirits.html

I am however certain than You knew plenty of this, or at least could find this information elsewhere. So that is why I am gonna add some more “exotic” info, and share with You some, almost, completely secret beliefs and rites associated with these days ( 21^st-24^th of June ) practiced on mysterious Balkan peninsula

Summer solstice on Balkan peninsula magick and folklore

While “old” witchery, showing traces of early Celtic folklore and beliefs and European folk lore is still very much alive in Balkan, this is the time of the year when it’s syncretism get’s in the centre of the focus.The words folk of Balkan will commonly associate with the 21^st of June are St.John the Baptist and luck. Mothers give their daughters two coins, a golden one, which the maiden will place in the right shoe, and the silver one to be placed in the left shoe. Equipped in this manner, maiden goes to attend the Mass, or goes to her own wedding ( it is considered to be a very lucky day for marriage ) , or to see notation or priest, and she will never be without money, according to folk beliefs.

Curious girls go out to pluck seven or nine different flowers from seven or nine different fields, and then they place them beneath pillow to get a glimpse of their predestinated life partner in dreams. It even happens ( and not too rarely , even nowadays in remote village areas of Balkan ) that If a girl would meet a boy of approximately her age, after she would be done with flower picking, she gets married with him. I can see how this omen can be abused by a foxy and cheeky young people , not to use stronger words :D

Magick practitioners and the cunning folk light fires since the night of 21^st of june till morn of the 24^th, and utter the charm : Light comes and brings me the luck ! nine times in nine cycles each of those 3 nights. Some instead of small bonfires on some hillside clearance, burn 9 candles in safety of their home pronouncing the very same charm. Each night after the repletion of the charm some sheep milk is warmed over the candle or bonfire and there small sips and taken. On a last day, after all of the previously mentioned ritualistic procedures are done ( fire, charms, sheep milk ) the practitioner takes dried St.John wart sprigs, makes Crosses out of them, four Crosses, and places each on each quarter, which clears away the bad spirits and calls for spiritual and occult powers to settle in practitioner and raises practitioner spiritual potential.

St John wart is gathered each of the 3 days of celebration , preferably in the noon, as it is believed it holds greatest potential just then. Crosses or bracelets and necklaces fashioned from St. John’s wart, especially that gathered on this day are believed to protect even from that magick, considered to be most dangerous type of magick on Balkans, and that is fairy magick. Incense made out of St.John’s wart plucked on these days , and Frankincense is used as a sort of “high magick incense”, to conjure extra power in rituals and spells, to cleanse oneself and area prior to work with spirits and compel demons to do one's biddings

The 24^th of the June is reserved for the spirits of ancestors which are greeted as they prepare to depart back to other-world on this day . It is customary to light 44 candles in house, and in the morning You can see curious things in Balkan villages. Superstitious people place their heads among the grass to get “washed” with the morning dew, associated with old Slavic spirit Volos. It is believed that this very morning dew will ensure health throughout the next year, particularly in terms of eyes, ears and head. Herbs are plucked and used to fashion small rings or loops, size of a bracelet , which are hung to shield from wicked spells and bring prosperity.

Balkan people associates ancestral spirits, plant spirits and animal spirits as well as Volos and St.John with days 21^st-24^th of June , and they are believed to be particularly eager to help, working together on 24^th of June, so that is why this day Is believed to ensure success in all things done respectfully, more so if magick related.

So now, equipped with some interesting information I was able to persuade old folk to give away, or have found in some old local anthropological accounts , as well as general ideas presented in the begging of the article, go enjoy in these holidays and light and luck they bring. Whichever be Your faith or beliefs , and don’t forget to gather some herbs these day, Marigolds and St.John’s wart in particular ;)

Blessings from Shadow , and lots of luck

NOTES: This article was written and composed by me, Should You desire to use any part of it elsewhere, fine, but GIVE CREDITS, in form of either my e mail Shadow-333@hotmail.com or a direct link to this post. The fitrst image depicts St.John the babttist and is from http://www.wikipedia.com/ , the second shows St.John's wort and is edited by myself, and the third is a lovely pic from http://www.cauldronliving.com/ used for illustrative purposes purely with no ill will, ALL RIGHTS to owner

Have a nice Midsummer ;)

ESP and second sight

It was always a prominent human desire to know what will happen next, what the future hold and to get some guidance from Higher Power. The people who were able to “read the future”, consult the spirits or read the omen, were always respected and even had very high ( though of course “unofficial” ) social positions. Be their abilities innate, gained and honed, or both, they were consulted by emperors and later dictators and war generals. The nature of “reader’s” or “Seer’s” work, much like any kind of spiritual, or even plainly “intangible” practice or work, made it a fruit - bearing ground for hustles and hoax of all kinds, but that being a whole another story.

In this article I wish to discuss some general terms, and practice they describe, such as mantic arts or divinations, spequlums, readings, extrasensory perception mostly really , and alike, and give some basic, official information about them, rather that pseudo-poetical new age claptrap on the topic. As I stated few times before, this is a blog that focuses on practicality of magick, rather than endless philosophical discussions on “ethics of magick” or purpose of same, therefore, I will also be giving examples on how to strengthen and develop our spiritual awareness and consequently supernatural abilities.

Different cultures and religious magickal systems, have different viewpoints and theories, regarding extrasensory perception and “psychic” gifts that derivate from it, as well as PSY abilities. Christian church for example calls them “chrisms” and according to Christian theology person is either born with them, or gains abilities as a reward for spiritually faithful, clean and responsible life, mysticism and fasting, both alimental and mental ( no pun intended ) . Considering this according to Christians, seeking these gifts through any form of occult work or meditation is wrong, and potentially sinful, as only G’d decides who shall have these abilities. I myself, as a Christian believe that, it is not all that simple, meaning If You want to develop some psychic gift, which are innate to our souls in one form or another, and You have a nice respectful goals, I doubt it’s a sin. To further elaborate, the reason why chrisms are honed mostly by Saint’s and mystics is because their way of life and their religious/social/mental awareness being high enough not to abuse the same. Simply put, if you want psychic gifts only so that You could win lottery, stick with Aunt Sally’s J but do not expect to have Lord’s blessings upon Your work. If You seek psychic gifts for better understanding of omens Lord sends us, for guidance of Yourself and others, or to prevent evil/bad things from happening, than we could say it’s somewhat OK. Otherwise, most other cultures and systems see nothing innately evil in them. Metaphorically speaking they are like frozen fish, You can melt it and feed someone with a healthy meal ( omega 3 acids enriched ) or You can smack someone on a back of their head with it, meaning ability itself is neutral, the user makes it good or bad.

Acording to parapsychologists, ESP is a human ability of reception of sensory experiences and information, without the use of physical ( medically recognized ) senses, but rather through mind. We must however, note that sometimes senses are indirectly included, some psychics need to touch items or people they work with or even use other sences. Sometimes I smell the air and I can tell wether it will rain, be windy or sunny, or it might hail perhaps, or even if something good or bad is to happen ( of general, rather than personal importance ). Psychology and consequently parapsychology as a branch of the same, gave us so many useful information and guidelines regarding ESP inducement and methods, as well as connection of such altered states of consciousness with cognitive process and sensory experience. Parapsychologist note some fundamental “laws” about mechanism of ESP work, such as increased ESP as a result of sensory experience deprivation, or sheep-goat effect ( people that believe in ESP have so much better results in ESP tests than people that do not believe in supernatural ), theories about REM sleep phase, alpha brain waves and their association with ESP events. Some of the great names and “fathers” of modern parapsychology and psychology of altered mind states include J.B Rhine and Louise Rhine, Russel Targ, Harold E. Putkoff etc.

Celts have a special name for it ( Scotts to be more precise ) dahulah, and it loosely translates as clairvoyance ( including ability to see spirits ). People often confuse remote seeing, clairvoyance , precognition, mediumship abilities and spiritual intuition for synonyms, which they are not. They are all different forms of extrasensory perception with their proprietary fields in which they work/appear. So let’s shed some light on some basic types of extrasensory perception ( to make it more clear I systematized abilities in types and families in this article, please keep in mind, this is not an official parapsychology-ical classification )

HUMAN ABILITIES

HUMAN SUPERNATURAL ABILITIES

· Type: PSY

· Type: ESP

- Family clairsensitive : Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Clairsentience , Clairalience,Clairgustance, Retrognotion, Remote seeing, Precognition , Psychometry

- Family guidance – Spiritual intuition, Intuitive aptitude, Mediumship abilities

- Family mental – Telepathy, Spiritual Empathy

Spells, energy work and recipes for empowerment of psychic abilities

Spiritual work of any sort ( prayer, meditation, spell casting ) will in due time develop some specific ability/abilities in one. What they will be, depends on the nature of practitioner. Introvert, melancholic people are most likely to develop ESP powers, such as empathy or psycometry, while extrovert sanguinary people are more likely to develop psychokinetic abilities of some form.

Sometimes however, from one or another reason, we want some help in faster and/or stronger ability inducement or development, sort of “boost tool” to call it that way.

Spells and recipes material ( materia magicka )

Burning purple and white candles with intention, and/or words of power will be of significant help. One should dress them with Psychic oil, or King Solomon’s wisdom oil, Clarity oil, Master key oil, St Cyprian oil, or any of the family of empowering oil for most prominent results.

Helpful botanicals include: Yarrow ( flower heads mostly ) Lemongrass essential oil, Flax seeds, Althaea roots, Mugwort herb, Wormwood herb, Acacia resin, Frankincense resin/tears etc .

Opal stones, Lodestones, Heliotropes, Quartz, Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Sodalite, Uleksite, Amber, Fluorite, Citrine, all make good choices in abilities boosting and development stones/charms.
Psalm 23^rd ,Prayers to Holy Spirit, Prayers to Saint Cyprian, prayers to St. Claire, Moon pentacles from Claviula Solomonis, All seeing Eye ( as symbols ) are all helpful and should be incorporated in rituals for development of psychic gifts.

Moon and water as element are associated with ESP, and Angels are Asariel, Uriel.

Exercises

Here are a few ( among many useful exercises ) for psychic gifts development

Randomly cover Your wrist watch , and try to guess the time ( precognition exercise )

Take a deck of playing cards. Draw one card at time, and without looking it try to guess card color. Half guesses or more indicate psychic talents. After a while one may pass onto guessing is it a picture or number card as well ( precognition exercise )

Look at some fare away object or scenery for a while. Than close Your eyes and try to visualize that picture with as much details as possible. Open Your eyes and check just how accurate were You ( clairvoyance and remote seeing exercise )

Ask someone to lay out number of object before You, the object we use in everyday life like pen or fork for example. Don’t look as they do it, then still with Your eyes closed pass Your hand over the objects trying to guess what they are ( clairvoyance and remote seeing exercise )

Get a new pack of handkerchiefs , give few out to some of Your friends , to hold for a few minutes, and touch their faces with. Let them right their initials on inside of the handkerchief so when folded, the initials cannot be seen. Shuffle the folded handkerchiefs and holding them try to guess which one was handled by who ( clairsentence and psychometry exercise )

NOTES: Please mind that the article was composed and written by myself, therfore should You wish to use any part of it elswhere, give credits Shadow of Shadows magick place, Shadow-333@hotmail.com IMAGE CREDITS : The first image shows Zener cards, and is a common image , available in public domain , this particular one came from Wikipedia , Second image depicts Alpha brain waves associated with ESP, and is edited by myself , original source is news Softpedia

Blessings !
from Shadow :)

St. Michael the Archangel

He "Who is like G'd"

Though technically speaking Archangel Michael is not a Saint, sometimes this entity is venerated as one. In Hoodoo, he is petitioned to protect and shield from abusive people, harmful magick and demons, and their snares and trickery. In Santeria and sometimes ( by certain practitioners ) in New Orleans vodoun he is syncretized with Ogun, and sometimes with Legba as well.

The day of the weak associated with St. Michael is Sunday, so it’s clear that his planetary rulership is over the Sun. The Hebrew name translates to “brilliant one” or “one who is brilliant” and the Archangel plays important role in Abrahamic religions and Kabala , otherwise ( in other systems, such as Higher magick ) he is “imported” from those religions. His metals are gold and brass, and herbs and resins associated with this spirit are many, among commonly  mentioned Angelica, include  Orange, Bay laurel, Benzoin, Ambergris, Cinnamon and Frankincense. It is said that the results of working with St. Michael are seen in seven days after the petitioning him.

Iconography and depiction of St. Michael is rather uniform really, he is depicted as mighty warrior with the flaming sword,  as his feature, sometimes also holding the scales to weigh the souls of the deceased. In Catholic and Orthodox Christian Iconography St.Michael is often depicted defeating the Adversary, trampling the Wicked One ( a nice example is “Archangel Michael” by Guido Reni’s ) or slaying the dragon.

Here is St. Michaels signature that can be inscribed on candles or petitioner paper ( candle colors are red or white )

We can find countless invocations, and compelling words of power,  relying on this spirit's power and authority,  in many Western Higher magick text s. 

Generally, in magick ,  this spirit is seen as a “blockbuster spirit” , spirit that clears away evil spirits, demons in particular, and undoes their evil. Therefore, it should not surprise that St.Michael is petitioned in hex removal spells, uncrossing and reversal magickal  work, and here are few examples :

Uncrossing spell

It is believed that if the crossing or hex is very powerful, old or personal concerns had been  used to cast the  negative spell, and/or the originator is not known, or the crossing comes from wicked spirits, and common uncrossing procedures give no satisfactory results, St. Michael is to be called upon

Red candle is lit, in front of the St.Michaels image , dressed with any suitable oil ( Run D Run, St. Michael’s oil, Reversing oil, Uncrossing oil, Jinx killer oil ) and a petitioner paper is placed bellow the candle. The petitioner prays to St, Michael for liberation from evil that has befallen on them ( or their client ) after what a purification bath, with the addition of the same oil ( used in ritual ) is suggested.

Judika Illes suggested blending Frankincense, Myrrh and Salt in Almond oil as base, as suitable oil for such work.

Reversing and protection spells

St.Michael is also called upon, when returning the evil spells to their originator, and a very popular ( and very powerful ) method calls for writing Your enemy ‘s name ( or just "enemy", if  the name is  unknown ) on a piece of papper, placing   the paper in the  glass  , sprinkling it  with sea salt and pouring ( spring or Holy ) water over it. The saucer is than placed over the glass and the glass is swiftly overturned, so that it rests on saucer, without any water  being spilt , I n the process, and should some water escape, the ritual act is repeated. Then, a white candle is turned upside down, so that one could pick out the wick from the bottom of the candle, now becoming the top. Candle is divided into nine partitions ( in some version into nine small candles ) , and burned atop the glass for nine ( in some version seven days ) while praying that the evil spells are returned to the originator. I like to use St. Michael prayer by Pope Leo XIII in any apotropaic or protective magick work with Archangel Michael ( even though I’m an Orthodo x Christian ) , whether in Latin or other language . The English version is this:

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle;
be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray:
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen

There is a nifty protection spell I was taught to use employing the mentioned prayer,  and the Psalm 91^st ;

Light a Novena candle to St. Michael the Archangel or white or red offertory candle fixed with St.Michael’s oil. Read the Psalm 91^st and then the prayer given above and it is believed that as long as the candle burns, You will be safe from all ills.

Holy cards or St. Michael medallions are common ingredients in protection mojo’s and New Orleans Home Protection “packets” alongside protective herbs and salt. St. Michales holy card or printed images are often used in creating protective “amparos” a type of amulets used frequently in Latin America or Spain[1]

St. Michael image is believed to be a powerful ward on itself, and is often found on Hoodoo altars dedicated to more "dangerous" spirits, such as Santissima Muerte, to ensure that they "behave". Other than being a block buster spirit, St. Michael is also seen as an psychopomp.

St. Michael the Archangel’s oil

This is my personal formula I’d like to share with my readers, based upon cross-reference on various herbal correspondences given for this Archangel, as well as resin, and essential oil’s correspondences and my personal inclination towards certain of the ingredients

This oil formula ( among many others ) will be available in my upcoming document that I will post on my Scribd page, so check often ; )

· Frankincense resin

· Dragon’s blood resin

· Myrrh resin

· Angelica root

· Bay Laurel leafs or essential oil

· Cinnamon powder or essential oil

· Salt

Mind that cinnamon essential oil can act as skin irritant , so if using use a in a pinch, sort of say. All in base of either Almond or Ambergris oil.

Expressing gratitude

Though in Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity, there are no suggestions for a tribute, in Hoodoo it’s customary to “pay” a spirit after they have helped, and I myself find such practice reasonable, very respectful and very beneficial. A candle lit, or a contribution to loccal police or comunity watch shall do, among other. It does seem like least we could do, right :D

NOTES: This article was composed and written by myself, so If You wish to use any part of it, elsewhere provide credits Shadow of Shadows magick place, Shadow-333@hotmail.com or a direct link to this post. [1] to learn how to make St. Michaels amparo visit this brilliant video by Devi sprig www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAAsVF-rZeY The first image show Catholic holy card depiction of St.Michael and is from www.luckymojo.com , page/entry about St. Michael ( lucky mojo amulet’s archive, St.Michael Archangel ) respectfully. The second image is edited by myself and shows Michael's Angelic signature

Have a brilliant day and may the Lord bless You !
Shade :)

Hoodoo Herbalism Wood Betony

Wood Betony or Bishopwort is a common, yet neglected magickal plant. While “imported” in Hoodoo Herbalism from European, American people did use plant Pedicularis canadiensis as Wood Betony, prior to the introduction of the aforementioned. In this article I will be speaking of Stachys officinalis, and while some authorities will claim they are used interchangeably, and that such practice is justified I beg the difference, well regarding the justification of equal use of plant. They are not even botanically related, let alone magickaly, well according to my knowledge that is, and I will elaborate on that later in the article.

Bishopwort or Lousewort is very common in Europe, where it’s native ( occurs naturally in some parts of Asia and in Northern Africas ) and it’s easy to distinguish, even to those without proper botanical taxonomy, morphology and systematic knowledge.

It can grow up to , about 60cm ( sometimes slightly more ) , and it can be recognized by purple inflorescence ( S. officinalis and S. betionica ) . Flowers have 5 teeth calyx and a corolla with anthers that stick straight out, making a positive taxonomic marker for Lamiace family. Being a skyophyte, it like’s grasslands and open wood, or meadows. In magick we use the two mentioned species S. officinalis and S.betonica. A species S.subernata is quite resembling, but yellow color of the flowers helps differentiate it, as they tend to occur together sometimes.

Use in European based magick


Old Roman entries are consistent with later European ( mostly British, Wells and German sources ) that prescribe the plant against sorcery and ghosts. It’s a typical plant to be used in Beltaine and Midsummer bonfires, and is found in various purification and protection mixtures. It’s often grown or sprinkled nearside homes to provide a sort of “protective barrier through which no evil can enter” [1] as a late occult herbalist stated. My experience taught me that it has brilliant evil repelling, banishing and vanquishing properties, hence it’s a ingredient in a potion recipe against evil spirits that I composed, and that calls for combining :

• St John’s wort
• Wood Betony
• Blackberry leaves
• Garlic cloves
• Basil
• Salt and
• Pepper

Europeans make similar mixtures with Wood Betony to treat notorious “Elf’s shoot” a mysterious condition belived to be caused by Elven arrows. Depending on sources recipes differ, some containing only the key ingredient, being Lousewort, while other common ingredients include Garlic, St John’s wort and Nettle.
It’s still common to found in some churchyards, to calm or banish the angry ghosts.
Anglo Saxon works on Herbalism suggest placing it bellow pillow, around neck or the juice of the plant ingested prior to going to bed to “prevent dreaming” and “nightly visions” and some modern authors assure us that it protects body and soul during astral journeys.

Hoodoo uses of Wood Betony

As I stated before, Hoodoo people use also “another” Wood Betony ( Pendicularia canadiensis ) but they use it interchangevly with Wood betony ( S. officinalis ) mostly to shield from spirits and diseases, and can be found in some “Reversing” incense recipe alongside Agrimony. Here is my personal formula of such incense “genre” :

• Wood Betony
• Agrimony
• Hyssop
• Patchouli Leaves ( optional )

It’s used in a bath to undo witches curses and to protect from same, along with 8 other herb , according to Miss Catherine Yronwode ( among other ingredients Wood Betony, Whitw clover, Nettles etc )[2]

I myself find it useful in countering unnatural diseases ( brought by magickal work ) and in a form of oil such as my formula I like to call “Vigoro oil”
• Wood Betony
• Self Heal
• Boneset
• Samson snake root
• Camphor essential oil
All to base oil or Almond or Olive, with a vit E capsule.

NOTES: This article was composed and writteb by me, therfore should YOu desire to use it elswhere, feel free, just add the credits Shadow of Shadows magick place, or Shadow-333@hotmail.com or give a direct link to this post
CREDITS: While no consulted literature or sources were quoted, I do want to note sources ofr specific information, as indexed in the text
[1] Cunnungham Scott, "Encyclopedia of magick herbs", entry on "Betony, Wood"
[2] "Hoodoo herb and root magick" Catherine Yronwode

Clairvoyance and seeing spirits

Please, take my sincere appologies for the delay in posting this very post, it was due for 25th or 26th of april. Due to technical troubles I was unable to publish it on time. I hope You will still find the text useful, particularly for Middsummer. Thank You for the understanding, cordially Shadow.





As the Beltaine approaches, and we feel the spirits around us , be them fae, or the souls of dear deceased person, we might wonder how can we see them ? For people with mediumship abilities, it’s easy, they just roam the space with their eyes. Intuitive and open-minded people may also get a glimpse of the spirits, in their peripheral sight, or may dream of them, or even see them when astral projecting.

I wrote on significance and folklore Bletaine and Fairy magick before ( LINK ) and being that on this day the veil between the worlds is thin ( just like on Samhain ) it’s ideal time to converse with spirits or attempt to see them.

Is this advisable to try ? Honestly, it seems mostly subjective. If one feels ready to see specters of Fae ( and / or other nearby lingering spirits ) they should try, well in my humble opinion anyhow. If their aim is right and heart’s are without ill will they might get a glimpse of that often , in jargon, described as “more than meets the eye” , physical one at least  On the other hand, seeing spirits may be a highly traumatic experience, even
If one does not perceive it as such, even remotely, so to sum it up, both the choice and the responsibility are Yours alone

For Your convenience I collected, edited, wrote and presented some formulas to help You in becoming able to see spirits and here I will be discussing them

Folklore belifs and secrets of the cunning folk

According to some occult experts, on Samhaine and Beltane, all You need is to be on a place where spirit/s might appear and to be of an open heart.
You would be surprised how many different kind of spirits may appear near gravesites , especially old ones, and I do not refer only to ghosts of the dead, although on such places they might be most inclusive. Or an isolated clearance in the woods, mushroom rings, or fields with Daffodils or Digitalis flowers, all those are places, upon which not only possibility of encountering fae or ghosts increases, but so does our innate spiritual averseness and even clairvoyance.

Furthermore, time of the day when the spirits become easily visible are “threshold times” such as Twilight ( and no I do not mean the obnoxious and tacky movie trilogy >_< ) and Midnight. Circling three times around a graveyard, according to cunning folk, will significantly increase Your chances of seeing spirits. Should You, carry some Lavender and inhale it’s scent while at it, You are more than likely to see them. There is an interesting claim by famous deceased author Scot Cunningham : “In a wild and lonely place, preferablyby moonlight, hold a holey stone up to one eye. Close the other one and peer through the stone. You may see visions, ghosts, or nonphysical entities” , found in his book about gemstones [1] According to certain Scottish priest, Robert Kirk ( author of the significant and influential text on fae , from 1815th year ) , You need to procure a rope that had been tied around a coffin, and, tie it around Your waist, bend over and look, in-between, or “through” Your legs ( like kids often do ) some funeral procession, and You will ( according to author ) see the fairies. [2]


Herbs, herbalism and potions of spirits

There are many herbs that increase clairvoyance, reveal what is hidden or invisible or attract spirits.

Diferent cultures may have some of the plants related to spirit different, unique to the specific culture and geo-ecological areal.
Anthurimum ( Obake anthurium ) is for example a very strong spirit beacon and is indigenous to Hawaii areas , then there are Indian pipes ( I think they are pretty common in Arizona , USA ), with their perky yellow, slightly eerie flowers, or even the European Datura also known as Angelic Trumpet ( Datura stratimonium ) strongly associated with ghost and even evil spirits, and also very toxic to human and most of animals.

There are also those, cosmopolite or widely available plants, well famed for their powers to connect us to kingdoms of intangible , mystic and realms of mists and shadows.

Carrying a ring made of Rowan branches or Hawtorn ( Cartaegus monogyna, C.officinalis ) twigs, and looking through it on Bletaine ( or Samhain aswell ) should according to herbalists enable one to see fairies and spirits of nature through this unique “looking loop” . If You try this under Moonlight, You have certainly increased Your chances of seeing, what’s hidden from eye.

Cowslip ( Primulla verris ) or as also called Calver’s key reveals that what is hidden and invisible , and is often carried for such purposes.

Eyebright ( Euphrasia officinalis ) and Poppy ( Pappaver communis, P. somniferum ) petals can strongly increase one’s clairvoyance and spirit sight or faery sight as some phrase specific aspects of the same ( clairvoyance ), and are often applied as “eye baths”

There are potions drunk, eye infusions, and special incense/s called suffumigations, that are designed to aid us in seeing spirits or help them materialize. Following are two examples of such, written by myself

Potion of sight

• One part of Lunar slime ( or Lunar water )
• One part of Moonstone essence
• 1/15 – 1/20 part of Dried Mugwort
• Tincture of Opium*

Make strong infusion of Mugwort using, mixture of Moonstone essence and Lunar slime, as a base for decoction ( You can add a Moonstone to a lunar slime when making it and spare Yourself of excess work ). In strained and
Cooled infusion add up to 5 drops ( on a cup ) of Opium tincture. Drink and wash Your eyelids, and brow chakra with potion.
* If You do not know how to create the Tincture of Opium, get if from some occult shop, or learn how to make ( so it’s safe to use , as long as proper dosage is respected ) from a trusted source. If You feel uncomfortable or scared, using the Opium tincture, simply use Poppy petals instead

“Corpora spiriti” incense

This is my personal formula for suffumigation incense, that will act as medium for materialization of the spirit. I chose the seven ingredients ( seven being the number of the spirit ) that are reputed to invoke spirits and help them become visible, perhaps even tangible up to a point.

Combine

• Woods aloe *
• Acacia
• Dittany of Crete
• Small amount ( pinch ) of Saffron
• Some Myrrh resin
• Amaranth flowers or dried Amaranth
• Lavender flowers or few drops of essential oil

*Should You lack Wood’s aloe ( or feel more incliened to ) use Dragon’s blood resin in it’s place
Mix well and create incense, either with saltpeter ( self ignitable ) or as dry mixture . Light, or burn on charcoal to make spirits materialize.


Incense to see spirits of the dead in our dreams

Combine Acacia, Althaea and Star Anise, and burn before going to bed, on altar or besides candle dedicated to the dead, and they should appear in Your dream.

NOTES: This article was written and compounded by myself, therefore should You desire to use it or any part of it elsewhere, You may, as long as You provide the credits, Shadow of Shadows magick place, or Shadow-333@hotmail.com , or of course a direct link to this post.
CREDITS: [1] ( Cunningham’s encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem and Metal Magick. Llwellyn Publications, USA , entry on Holey stones,102nd page )
[2] The information came from Rosemary Ellen Guiley’s “Fairy Magick” 2008th edition book, but the original source is a 1815th year occult work called “Holly community” by Robert Kirk, entry here is paraphrased/edited by myself
The potion and incense recipes are written by myself, and If You want to use it in any media other than online ( and If You do use it online You must give credits ) such as magazine articles or book, e-mail me for approval using above given address.The image shows holey stone and is from http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1094/1215132184_8d8faf1306.jpg, used for illustrative and explanatory purposes here, all credits to the author

Hoodoo Blue ( Laundry bluing, haint blue )

Though to some may appear reminiscent to “Hoodoo blues” and therefore remind of Doctor John, and in general, music genre associated with African American Conjure community, this article will deal with the power of different kind of blues ( as in blue,  the plural form ). The color that comes to my mind, when speaking of Hoodoo, is pale yellow  and brownish pastel color, present so much on roots of all kind and old, parchment paper leafs of Hoodoo recipe books. But on a second thought, there is another color so prominent,  and respected in Hoodoo. This color is blue.

It can be  an  “Angelic influence candle” or a haint blue paint in ( and on lol ) folk’s dwellings, or it’s a blue water colored with Laundry bluing ( laundry blue Reckit’s or Mexican anil balls ) or with Bluestone Cu ( SO4 )2. This nice blue color inspires respect, and instills peace among conjurers and root doctors, as well as among arguing clients, and strikes fear into malevolent. Alongside these, well-known uses, I’ve encountered some of these items in "Bend over" or  other kind of Influence formulas, and  in the  Hyatt’s anthropological works, we encounter usage of bluestone in gambling luck. So let’s go through some of the “sources” of Hoodoo blue ( followed by some exemplary formulas, as I do, after all, tend to write practical articles ) And their uses :


 Laundry Bluing and Bluestone

Laundry bluing and Mexican anil balls, a washing products, composed of Ultramarine ( or more rarely Persian blue ) dye,  and compressed washing soda, entered Hoodoo spiritual works, as a safe substitution for the toxic bluestone,  which was used in apotrophaic and gamble luck spells among Conjure community. Although it’s pretty much safe ( as long as You are careful not to come in direct contact with ) to use Bluestone in mojo’s and gamble luck spells, as well as in making Blue water for placing around, for bathes or any other type of product we plan using on humans, or other living beings, we use laundry bluing or Mexican blue balls. You can encounter names such as "Roman vitriol" and "Blue copperas", and they all refer to copper sulphate  , a crystalline, sulfide salt of Copper acid, a form of fungicide used in agriculture .

WARNING : If You have any doubts of how to properly handle, bluestone, keep in mind that is corrosive and highly toxic, and that If You decide to ignore this warning , for any possible injury, intoxication or otherwise harmful effect on Your body homeostasis I WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. You can always use LAUNDRY BLUING ( like Reckit’s crown laundry bluing or Mexican balls ) as magickaly equal substitute.

Spirit repelling blue water

Dissolve some Laundry bluing in metallic pans or glass bowls, or metal bowls, and strategically arrange those in places infested with evil spirits to drive them away, while at the same time  to beacon the kind ( benevolent ) spirits . A florwash made Copper blue, salt and Blessed water can do wonders as well, and will rid the place of evil, where used.

Gambling charm ( mojo bag )

Hyatt’s “Hoodoo – Conjuration – Witchraft – Rootwork “ entry 13000, teaches us to place ( sew together ) 9 silver dimes with a piece of Bluestone in a red flannel mojo, to have success in games of chance and gambling. [1]

Aura of Influence

One spell suggests adding :

• Coriander seeds
• Licorice
• Sweetflag
To a jar or a bottle of Laundry bluing ( meaning either  Reckit's stuff dissolved in water, or the liquid laundry bluing ) and leaving it sit for 7 days, then straining. The liquid is used to wash clothes, and  when  the clothes have dried,  one   is to wear them to inspire respect, and make others agree with him/her, improve leadership qualities , personal power, and boost self-confidence. [2]

It can also be used to dye, one of the components of Peace water, meaning either the oil or water. I’ve heard of folks mixing it with Florida water and using that as Peace water instead.

Haint Blue paint

Haint blue is a pale, celestial-marine , to aquamarine paint/color often seen on porch ceilings, doorways and even inside the Houses all over the world, particularly in Southern States (USA), Indonesia, Haiti, some parts of Africa and Mediterranean. There seems to be a neverending discussion between scholars of all sorts, anthropologists, sociologists and occultists about the origins of the custom of painting walls, ceilings or doorways  with haint blue, to keep evil dead sprits away.
Does it comes from  the Gullah tradition ? Or from the Cherokee beliefs, that every spirit of the deceased ancestors are by nature angry and mischievous. Maybe it comes from old German-Anglo-Saxom customs of warding off similar ( but by no means same ) hag creatures? There are no solid proofs that the belief comes from a single culture-bound system.

In my humble opinion , it might as well be coming from Mediterranean. I live in a Mediterranean country and the common folk belief, if not even a part of culture, here is that angry and mischievous spirits can not cross body of water, let alone sea or ocean water and that they greatly fear pale, aquatic tints and colors. Most likely however seems, that such beliefs are not culture bound at all, furthermore they may be cosmopolite and probably even developed simultaneously In many parts of the world. Because, regardless of the part of the world, haint blue paint has pretty  much the s ame purpose everywhere, to repel evil spirits and negate them entrance to a dwelling of a kind, most often house. In States , and  some other English speaking areas, these spirits are often called “haints” ( aka angry ancestral spirits ) , hence the name. The paint is supposed to confuse the spirits, and make them think it’s either water or the celestial infinities , what  they see in front  of themselves, and haints as earthbound creatures, eager to remain on , our physical plane must by all means avoid those. All sorts of demon, and lower-level malicious spirits, likewise  fear it.

Indigo powder ( or indigotines )

Indigo tint , although not as light and pale as that obtained from Bluestones, has similar properties in magick and can additionally be used to dye oils and other products. You can get pale-er tint, If You use less indigo powder in base. Indigo powder C16H10N2O2 ( though mostly synthetic for those purposes ) , known as indigotine or carmine indigo is what is used to dye texas ( like Denim for example ) pants/jeans. Source of Indigo are plants of Indigofera genus, or less commonly Woad ( Isiatis tinctoria ) or Dyer’s knotweed ( Polygonum tinctorium ). In magick, it founds popular use in Uncrossing baths, and is often suggested by some Conjurers, for such. It is not, however that much present in traditional Hoodoo, were people will   simply go ahead and use Laundry bluing.  Also, alcoholature of the indigotines, malkes a brilliant Saturn related ink and a good addition to bath in small doses. It can also be found in some very old, spirit repelling and vanquishing potions and recipes.

NOTES: This article was written and compounded by myself, therefore If You wish to use it elswehre, feel free, but give credits : Shadow of Shadows magick place, or Shadow-333@hotmail.com Credits [1] from “Hoodoo – Conjuration – Witchraft – Rootwork “ by Harry Middletone Hyatt, entry 13000, paraphrased here Credits [2] Original spell, in slightly different form can be found in "Encyclopedia of 5000 spells “ by Judika Illes The image is taken by me, and shows Crown reckit blue squares and altar candles in pale blue color, all obtained from occult supplier

Many Blessings!

Spring Solar magick ( Energy flow, reenergizing and renewal )

Warm air, moody weather, with interlace of sun and timely , soothing rains, dominant green in nature, scent of blossoms and spring flowers are some of the things we readily associate with, so long awaited spring. The dark part of the year is definitely gone, so is the introspection and anabiosis that normally come with it on spiritual plane. This long period of darkness, and self-battling has more than likely caused mental and physical fatigue in many people, be them spiritually aware or not. Some of the causes are mundane, some spiritual, some both, yet the result is same, weakness when we need the strength. Fear not, this is entirely normal for this time of year, even physiologically. The crafty and cunning folk, as well as those of “ higher “ magickal perspectives, had know that for ages now, they’ve worked up some rather nifty methods of dealing with energy lack.

Wether it’s wearing stones, taking potion or doing some energy channeling/meditation, it’s important to renew oneself after the long winter, so we are ready for the rest of the year and so that we do not miss a thing important, due to meekness of body and our mind.
Christians have a brilliant saying : “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!” . Sometimes, going outside, enjoying still kind, solar energy and merely smelling the spring can do wonders, itself. But there are folks that are simply not as perceptive, sensitive or are simply too worn out, depressed or otherwise held back as a result of aforementioned self struggle and winter darkness. Such people, or people that happen to be in scuh situation could use some magickal knowledge, and recipes of the wise

Solar magick and correspondences are most proficient for this kind of work as well as power of the Crescent Moon. Mind that the magick I had here in mind is similar, but not the same to Power magick, Spiritual/Occult power magick and even Road opening, yet with significant differences.Therefore in this post we will discuss way of magickal reenergizing, renewal or simply put methods of making the chi flow strong and undisturbed again 
So here are some examples

Heaven and Earth meditation

Drawing energies from both Heaven ( symbolic of spiritual, ascendance, uplifting ) and Earth ( symbolic of grounding, strengthening ) , will not only work as charging from double source, but will bring the so needed balance as well. Perfect timing for such meditation can be midday, eclipse or midnight.
Sit on the ground in comfortable position ( it’s preferable to do this outside, should that be impossible at the moment, next best choice is in a nice room near an open window ).
Raise Your hands above Your head with palms opened, and envision gold rays if light coming down, and being absorbed through Your palms, circulating downwards Your body. Then, envision roots growing from Your feet, deep into Earth, and absorbing the Earth energy in from of green pulsating, powerful light, ascending up the roots and into Your body. See the Energies of Earth and Celestial energies softly intertwine becoming strong white light pulsating through all Your body. Keep that image for few minutes in Your head and You should feel energized and empowered.
This visualization can also come handy as a part of shielding.



Energy potion ( ingestible )

• Warm infusion of small peeled, cubed Ginger rhizome ( ½-1 teaspoon to 2 dl ) in spring water with a pinch of cinnamon
• Juice of one Orange
• Some fresh Mint finely chopped or few drops of Mint juice
• Honey that stood exposed to Sun some for at least and hour after Midday ( noontime ) , as much as You see fitting
• OPTIONAL: Powdered mace in a smallest finest, pinch

Combine all together, stir thoughtfully, bless and strain if needed be, and drink in three portions during the day, or all at once, should You be in serious energy deficiency state.
Another version for those that dislike ginger can be made with simple Echinacea infusion with Cinnamon and Honey, like above.


Spells of renewal and empowerment

Very simple, and very effective. Take Sowilo runic body posture, holding between Your palms, a cleansed, and charged Sun stone or Carnelian or Citrine. Place some Honey on Your tongue ( small amount , best to use Solar charged or Lunar charged honey as described in potion recipe above ) and say some words of power

Light of Heaven , Divine fire

Give me strength

Give me power

This is my desire
!

Hoodoo strength/power drawing spell ,

On a piece of petitioner paper write Your name and cross it seven times with the word power. Fold three times towards Yourself. Place the paper in a small jar, cover it with brown sugar, add some Echinacea root or Master of the Woods powdered if You have, and then place also a fed lodestone in the bottle. Place a with candle on the lid, and light it praying for strength and empowerment.

Strenght and endurance powder

Combine Echinacea root powder with Master of the Woods and High John root powder and lay small amount in Your shoes. Such powder shall prevent tiredness.

NOTE: This article and recipes are written by myself, so If You wish to use any of it elswhere, credeits must be given, Shadow of Shadows magick place or Shadow-333@hotmail.com . First image is Albert Durer's illustration "The Sun, The Moon and the Basilisk", which is a fragment of an old manuscript kept in British musem, and is used here for illustrative purposes only ( image source www.britishmuseum.org ). The second image shows Sowilo runic body posture and is from www.sunnyway.com I believe ( I recieved this image as a part of personal e-mail correspondence ) and is used here for explanatory purposes only.
The powder recipe, was inspired by entries from "Hoodoo herb and root magick" by Catherine Yronwode