Additionally, one must ask oneself: what is reality’s resistance to the magick I’m intending? Oftentimes, the reason for unsuccessful spells is the fact that the flow of Fate—the flow of the Universe—is opposite the working’s purpose. There are often other unseen psychological or mundane goals that inhibit a spell’s flow into manifestation. For example, one cannot successfully cast a spell for money or love if, deep within, they feel they are undeserving of abundance or partnership. Just the same, one cannot successfully cast a spell for wisdom if they don’t study, meditate, or what-have-you. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, depending on how one looks at it), a number of people decide against further pursuing esoteric spirituality when they discover that the perceived “easy way out” of casting a spell doesn’t always live up to idealistic expectations. One must objectively examine and step back from the drama of life in order to identify spiritual roadblocks before deciding that a spell needs added “oomph.”
Supplies
• 2 portable mirrors capable of standing upright on their own (ideally 1 foot square or larger)
• a drum with a resonant pitch
• any combination of the herbs benzoin, calamus, cinquefoil, dragon’s blood, frankincense, High John the Conqueror root, lemon verbena, mandrake, myrrh, rosemary, and vervain
• 1 small stone each of yellow calcite (or optical/clear calcite), citrine, and quartz crystal
Notes
• Once again, this spell is meant as an add-on to other workings and is not a complete spell in and of itself.
• When performing the energy-raising activity described here, it is essential for the practitioner—regardless of how young or new they are to Witchcraft—to not judge themselves as acting “too weird.” Unordinary behavior is very much a part of the act of ritual, and self-judgment (which is really society’s judgment speaking through you) is an extreme hindrance to entering the flow of a solitary ritual act.
• Consider the aforementioned methods for altering one’s consciousness (see pages 17–18). This is absolutely vital if one wishes to practice any sort of magick, regardless of whether it’s a spell, a pathworking, an inner journey, or a Gnostic connection to a god or the land. If one attempts to perform magick while in a “normal” operative state of mind, both the thoughts of the day and the attention to procedure will detract from the necessary etheric work required for ritualistic success.
Procedure
Begin by casting a circle, calling the quarters, chanting, or raising energy as you normally would, performing protective exercises, and altering your consciousness. Clear your mind, bring focus to your breath, and meditate for at least a few minutes. When ready, begin the spell.
(At this point, we shall assume that the practitioner has physically constructed their spell and has summoned any desired spirits or energies they feel appropriate.)
Currently, the goal should be to send a boost of self-projected energy into the physical spell to empower it with metaphysical intention. For this reason, you now must entirely surrender to the present moment, bringing your mind completely and acutely to the spell’s intention. To entirely enter this current of energy, take a number of minutes to gaze at the spell components before you. Do not move your eyes away from the physical spell in front of you. As with any meditation, distracting thoughts may arise in the moment—these speak of the mind’s desire to escape the present, the Now. Effortlessly dismiss these thoughts as they arise and bring your focus back to the importance of your ritual.
When you feel a sort of “merging” with the energy of the spell—a feeling that many readers are well familiar with—place one of the mirrors behind the items of the spell, ensuring that you can see your own reflection within it. Place the drum either between your legs or in front of you.
With the spell items between you and the mirror, look into your eyes and chant the following many times, using only your intuition to tell you when it is a good time to stop. Beat the drum at any pace—slow, fast, or a combination of both—while you chant. Simply flow with the energy and allow yourself to determine the pace of the drumming and the chant while in trance. As long as you are surrendered to the intention of the spell, there is no wrong way to do this. Get as wild, crazy, loud, and selfless as you wish (I encourage practitioners to really push their limits and continue this raising of energy as long as possible). Chant:
Hear my calls and heed them right, piercing through both day and night.
As I wake and as I rest, make this spell come manifest!
When finished, immediately add the mixture of herbs and stones to the spell, either by sprinkling them on or in the spell components, adding them to another mixture, combusting the herbs in incense, or another method. The goal is to affix these “boosting” energies to the spell you’ve previously created.
Gaze at the now-completed spell for a minute or two, breathing deeply and coming back to the moment. Hold the spell to your third eye and push a surge of built-up energy into it. Take some time to reenter your normal stream of consciousness. When you feel a sense of success, break your eyes away from the spell and perform any other necessary grounding-and-centering exercises (such as holding stones, laying on the ground, breathing deeply, stretching out, eating, etc.).
Place the second mirror precisely opposite the first, ensuring that it reflects both the spell components and the other mirror face-on. When the mirror is situated, whisper ten times:
These mirrors magnify my ambition, amplifying power through transition.
Thank the spirits and close the circle as you normally would.
The Moon
Zodiacal rulership: Cancer
Color association: Violet
Sephira: Yesod
Number: 9
Day: Monday
Archetypes: Lunar Goddess, Night Queen, Lady of the Crossroads
Themes: Subtlety, psychic ability, emotions, magick, compassion,
wisdom, intuition, hearth and home, nourishment, security,
imagination, patience, empathy, fertility, motherhood, femininity
Much of our adult behavior is formed during our childhood. It’s exceedingly common to have experienced traumatic events in youth that still have emotional effects in the present day. Virtually everyone experiences some level of suffering and trauma in their youth—being young and vulnerable is often difficult. However, the degrees of those experiences vary from person to person.
In this ritual, you will be working with painful experiences from childhood. The Moon is ruled by the element of water, and rules the sign of Cancer—all of which carry emotional energies. In this spell, you may wish to tackle issues of childhood abuse. You may wish to remember injurious words that were said to you, or bring to mind cruel names that you were once called. You may wish to remember accidents, injuries, parental mistreatment, or other emotionally disturbing experiences. If some incidents are too difficult to deal with in a ritual setting, consider other ways that you can work through these imprints, including counseling.
The events that you bring to mind in ritual could be ones that occurred to you at a very young age, or those that happened when you were a bit older. I would recommend only working with pre–high school memories for this particular ritual.
Thankfully, I was never abused as a child. Still, I know many people who were; I don’t pretend to empathize with those levels of emotional damage, but I do know that they can be worked with and worked through. Though we never fully “get over” deep trauma, we can get to a state of acceptance. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and one should truly consider all their options. For deeply traumatic events, let me emphasize: this ritual is not enough. Everyone who wishes to heal and come to terms with trauma deserves to discover the best ways of doing this—and everybody is different. My foremost suggestion for working through trauma is therapy. Research various therapi
sts, counselors, and psychologists who specialize in specific areas of trauma. Look in the phone book, spend some time on the Internet, get recommendations from friends and acquaintances, make phone calls, and schedule various introductory meetings with local counselors. Get active, get motivated, and do the work—there are always options. Additionally, there exist a number of no-charge counseling services (both over the phone and in person) that could be of benefit. One may also wish to consider working with a reliable spiritual teacher. Therapy and counseling are often the best methods for navigating traumatic occurrences and working to change present behavior and patterned thinking.
Oftentimes, it’s difficult to realize how events of the past influence our present circumstances. To use one example from my past, I’ll mention that I was sometimes tickled as a child. The adult tickling me seemed not to understand the boundaries I was trying to communicate and would keep tickling until I felt extreme pain. Though this person didn’t mean to cause pain, my mind translated the incidents as fear-inducing emotional injury. As a young adult, it wasn’t until heavy thinking and regression that I began to understand why I would clench up in fear any time someone touched my belly area. The incidents from the past influenced the unconscious, instinctual behavior to guard myself from even the slightest touch in that area.
Because the pain was psychological and emotional, it was also spiritual. Only after working with the mental and energetic imprints could I change the instinctual behavior, banish the associated fear, and invoke trust and safety. This wasn’t accomplished in a day and was not an easy process. For those who have experienced much harsher issues of abuse and damage than my simple example offers, the work will be deeper and greater—as will the rewards. Healing and reworking one’s mind takes time and often requires working with—and trusting—other compassionate souls.
This spell is not the answer to healing childhood wounds. However, it can be a step toward greater healing and can accompany other healing methods.
Stepping Back & Further Application
Examine your mental approach to this ritual. It is essential to know your intentions and approach the spell in a balanced state of mind. This is one of those spells that is dualistically fun yet serious, lighthearted yet intense, creative yet pensive. Maintaining this mental and psychological balance is the key for the spell’s success. One mustn’t get caught up in either the “silly” things being performed in the spell or the incidental pain that may be brought up as a result.
To what extent are you willing to follow up on this ritual? If you come to a realization that your present circumstances and modes of behavior are greatly affected by negative experiences in childhood, will you work on changing your present state of being? If so, in what ways will you work with the behavior? Will you vow to notice your thoughts throughout the day, both pinpointing and changing the negative patterned thinking immediately when it occurs? Will you change restrictive things in your life that have resulted from past experience? Seek cognitive-behavioral therapy? Will you open up about these things with friends? Have conversations with those who have had similar experiences? Perform specific visualizations and meditations? Read self-help books? The possibilities are both endless and available—you are the only one who has the power and ability to seek necessary healing for yourself.
Supplies
• about 1 ounce of powdered valerian root, in a bowl
• a pink candle
• any number of toys and stuffed animals from your childhood (or purchased secondhand items)
• a notebook of sketch paper
• a set of watercolor paints (used or new)
• a pack of crayons (used or new)
• a small crab leg or claw, sitting in a large bowl of warm water (see Notes)
• 1 stone each of rose quartz and pink calcite
Notes
• I recommend that, if possible, you dress in “kid clothing” for this ritual. This can be adult-sized clothing that mimics common clothing you wore in your childhood. Otherwise, I would just recommend wearing loose-fitting clothes or going skyclad.
• The purchased crab leg should ideally have been discarded from a restaurant or store. However, if buying it fresh and unused is the only option, I recommend doing so at the butcher deli of an organic or all-natural food store. Don’t forget to smudge the claw and give offerings of gratitude to the spirit of the crab. Put the claw in a large bowl of warm water before starting the ritual.
• It might be a good idea to jot a list of the most damaging childhood experiences—those things you wish to touch on during the ritual—and keep it near you in circle, so as to not forget anything you intend to work with.
• Please note that the crayons and watercolors will not be reused after the ritual, so go nuts.
Procedure
Begin by casting a circle, calling the quarters, chanting, or raising energy as you normally would, performing protective exercises, and altering your consciousness. Clear your mind, bring focus to your breath, and meditate for at least a few minutes. When ready, begin the spell.
With all the spell’s items situated in front of you, grab the bowl of powdered valerian root and liberally sprinkle this in the space around you in order to secure its energy in the area.
Light the candle and begin rocking your body back and forth while sitting. Allow your mind to slip into a trancelike state and release inhibitions associated with the ritual. Think about yourself as a child. If your childhood modes of behavior don’t easily come back to you, allow yourself to take on the attitudes and perceptions of any child. Slip into a state of mind where you are innocent, curious, creative, risk-taking, and expressive. Allow your “adult” views to slip into the background and your childlike nature to emerge. Invoke the archetype of Child. Take as long as you need to get into this state of mind. Imagine yourself as a very young kid (under five years old), regardless of which memories you’ve chosen to work with during the ritual.
Opening your eyes, everything should feel a bit different. You’re not sure why a candle is lit and you’re sitting in a strange place. Explore. Pick up the candle, analyze it, and question how the flame keeps burning. Do you like the color pink? Put the candle down and explore your immediate surrounding environment. Look at items around you as though you’re looking through the eyes of a curious child. Examine, explore, and let your curiosity get the best of you. Play with the toys and stuffed animals, going through all the motions and behaviors of a little kid having fun. Curiously analyze items on the altar, on the walls, around the room. If there’s something shiny, check it out. If there’s something soft and fluffy, lay on it, or pet it!
After a while of exploring, you notice the paper, paints, and crayons in front of you. This gets your creative juices flowing and you decide to make some pictures. Go wild: sketch rainbows, horses, stick figures, sunshine, and anything else you can think of. Be a creative kid, and don’t worry about making a mess. Nothing matters except the art you’re creating. Dip your watercolor brush in the bowl of water and splash it without thinking. Rip pages out of the sketchpad, especially after you’ve finished making a picture. Break some crayons so that you can use their “thick” sides. Scribble, clap, laugh, sing, talk to yourself, jump around, throw things across the room, paint your cheeks, and enjoy your artistry.
After you’ve made some pictures and a decent mess, grab the crab claw from the bowl of water (which should now be colored from the watercolors). Tightly grip the claw in your fist and allow a painful memory from childhood to emerge. Stare at the claw, regressing to the painful experience. Remember how you felt at the time—how long it’s taken you to mentally work through the issue. Vividly recall how you were hurt and how you reacted. Think about this for about a minute, and allow yourself to cry if you need to. When the time is right, lift up your shirt (unless you are skyclad) and put the end of the crab claw to your chest. Drag th
e claw across your chest, applying pressure so that it causes a small amount of pain or discomfort. Shout:
Stupid dumb pain, I hate you! I am sick and tired of feeling this pain!
Immediately return to your drawing and painting activities, placing the claw back into the bowl of water. Draw a picture that represents the painful experience you just thought of (the image can be as simple or complex as you’d like, and should be from a child’s perspective—that is, you when you experienced the pain). Immediately after finishing, rip the page from the sketchpad, get a black crayon or watercolor, and put symbol 3 on the back of the piece and a giant black X on the front, covering the image. Crumple the picture into a ball. Declare:
You don’t have power over me! Goodbye, stupid hurt! You’re just a monster in the closet and you don’t exist! Get away from me and leave me alone . . . right now!
Throw the crumpled piece of art across the room and shout:
So there!
Cross your arms across your chest and smile to yourself, knowing that you’ve banished that particular boogeyman. Repeat this process as many times as you’d like. Cover all the traumatic childhood experiences you feel comfortable reliving at this time. If you experienced extremely traumatic incidents that you feel would be too difficult to work with in this setting, consider approaching them in a different ritual or through professional therapy. There is no shame in getting help from outside sources in order to work through difficult issues.
After having repeated the process as many times as necessary, grasp one of the stones in each fist and gaze at the burning candle. Draw the energies of healing and love into yourself, ground and center your energy, and visualize a soft pink light surrounding your body and entering the scratch marks on your chest. Lie on the floor, meditate, and draw the healing energy from the candle and stones all around you and within yourself. If you’ve had a particularly difficult time reliving the memories within this ritual, you may want to take a nap in the ritual space before continuing.
Planetary Spells & Rituals Page 6