Century of Spells

by Draja Mickaharic

  A General Astral Cleansing Bath

  Psychiatrists who follow the philosophy of Dr. Wilhelm Reich often prescribe this bath for their patients. They use it to release astral dirt and thoughtforms, also known as DOR. A friend of mine claims this bath rebalances the electromagnetic field of the person taking it. It has a strong effect on many people, and it should be taken only when you are able to go to sleep afterwards.

  I have recommended this bath successfully for those who suffer from over-excitable natures. It gives them at least some degree of calm. I usually accompany this bath with a recommendation to see a professional therapist.

  Draw a tub of cool water and add 1 pound of bicarbonate of soda and 1 pound of sea salt. Mix the water thoroughly to be certain that the salts are dissolved. Enter the tub and immediately immerse yourself. Remain in the tub for at least twenty minutes, immersing yourself frequently and relaxing between immersions. When you leave the tub you should dry thoroughly and go to bed and sleep until you awaken.

  If you are greatly disturbed after this bath you should consult a professional therapist, as it means you need to discuss your problems with someone.

  A Skin Tonic Bath for Negativity

  This bath may be taken either to release negative influences or to assist you in toning your skin. The bath has been used as a cosmetic aid for many years, but because it also has some benefit in releasing negative influences it is included here. This bath can be used as a regular bath—with soap, bath oil, and whatever. The usual time you spend in the tub is usually sufficient for this bath for the bath will allow the release of minor negative influences while you bathe. Add the following to a tub of bath water:

  1 cup apple cider vinegar

  1 teaspoon salt

  If you wish to use this bath strictly to release negativity, bathe for five minutes with a minimum of three full immersions. Pray for the release of any negative energy around you.

  A Bath for Self-Discipline

  When you have difficulty in dealing with the everyday situations of life, you are probably experiencing two very similar problems. First, you may have a problem with self esteem, and second, you probably lack self-discipline. These two difficulties seem to feed on each other, and the end result is that your life becomes a tangled mess.

  The usual solution to these difficulties is to seek some form of therapy. Taking this bath in the initial stages of therapy will usually assist you to gather enough self-discipline to see at least part of your problem dissipate to the extent that you can deal with what remains.

  The bath has an action which firms up willpower and it will temporarily remove anything which is acting as an impediment to your will. You need some form of therapy to overcome learned difficulties, and this bath is not a substitute for psychotherapy or any other form of therapy. It is merely an assistance in the early stages of your attempt to break out of a negative life. It is at best an aid, not a remedy.

  The bath is also useful if you wish to break a habit pattern with which you have become consciously identified. An example is giving up the habit of smoking. The bath will give some assistance by strengthening your willpower to overcome the addiction to tobacco. Here again, the bath is an aid, not a remedy.

  The difficulty with relying on magical aids to drive off negative influences or change character is that there is always something within that calls the negative influence to you in the first place. This “something” is not removed by the bath. It must be removed through the exertion of personal effort. If you cannot make the effort, or will not make the effort to remove the “something,” the difficulty will return. Any magical spell, charm, bath, or whatever can only allow your astral nature to see just what it would be like if this “something” were to be permanently gone. It is then up to your astral, mental, and animal nature to get rid of it.

  If you have tried to work with people over any length of time, you are probably aware that most people do not wish to change, they wish to become comfortable. Thus they are not likely to wish to divest themselves of any ingrained habit or negativity. What they want is to learn how to be comfortable with the ingrained habit or negativity that they have.

  With these caveats in mind, the Cherry Blossom Bath for self-discipline is still a very useful bath. If for no other reason, you might wish to take one to assist yourself in working some of the other spells in the book!

  To make this bath, take a handful of fresh cherry blossoms and place them in a two quart bowl. Pour a quart of boiling water over them and let them steep until the water cools to room temperature. Strain the blossoms out and pour the liquid into a tub of bath water. Soak in the tub for twenty minutes to a half hour, immersing yourself four or five times. Air dry after this bath to keep the vibration or feeling around you as long as possible.

  A Bath for Ending Relationships

  When relationships between people are ended, either through mutual agreement or divorce, there is still an astral connection between them. The astral connection is caused by their sexual contact, which energizes this connection. This astral connection may cause a great deal of discomfort until it finally weakens over time. There is a simple way to end this astral connection once and for all. This is through the use of a ritual bath made with walnuts. The bath makes it easier for both parties to end the relationship. Don't use this ritual bath if you are not sure if you really want to break the tie.

  Simmer six unshelled walnuts in an iron pot full of water. The walnuts should simmer about three hours, with water being added as required. Allow the last quart or so of water to cool to room temperature, remove the walnuts and add the tea to a tub of bath water. When in the tub you should make a sincere prayer to end the relationship. On no account should sexual relations with the other party be resumed after taking the bath.

  A Bath for Spiritual Growth

  Spiritual power is associated with spiritual growth. If you desire spiritual power you need to look more to spiritual growth as a way to gain that which you seek. There is no external road to true spiritual growth, as the process of growth must be undertaken yourself and you will probably need the guidance of a spiritual teacher.

  The following bath can assist in cleaning away the detritus which keeps one from true spiritual growth. It also has the side benefit of making it somewhat easier for the teacher to draw you near. A student who is ready is never too far away from a teacher; you may only be ignorant that the teacher exists.

  Take 1 tablespoon of ground white eggshells and 1 tablespoon of ground lotus root powder.

  Stir into the bath by hand, and pray over the bath before you enter it. Once in the tub, immerse yourself immediately. Continue to immerse until you have made a total of eight immersions. Then leave the tub and air dry. Do not take another bath for twenty-four hours.

  A Mate Tea Bath

  Mate tea, made from Ilex paraguaniensis leaves, is a very common tea in South America. In addition to its use as a beverage, it is also used as a cleansing bath in spiritual practices from Mexico to Brazil. It is a favorite in many of the Spanish spiritual practices as it has a positive cleansing effect. As a bath it will remove most of the astral detritus of everyday life, and is effective in removing the effects of malochia, as well as breaking minor curses.

  Mate tea is available in teabags from health food stores. Use 2 cups of strong mate tea and stay in the tub for six to eight minutes. Immerse yourself at least three times while in the tub. This tea can also be used as a sponge bath. Sponge the solution over yourself after taking a shower or otherwise washing yourself. Air dry after sponging.

  A Broom Herb Bath

  Broom herb (Cytisus scoparius) is used in baths as an astral “broom,” clearing out the influences of the lower astral realms. The tops of the broom plant are placed in a pot and about two cups of boiling water are poured over them. Once the mixture has reached room temperature the broom herb is strained out and the liquid added to a tub of bath water.

  In this bath, water should be continuously poured o
ver your head while you sit in the tub full of water. After six or eight bowls of water are poured over your head, you should leave the bath and towel dry your hair. Air drying completes the bathing process.

  Broom herb tops, like many other herbs, can also be used to make an alcohol. The procedure is to simply soak the herb in ethyl rubbing alcohol for a week or so. The alcohol can be used for cleansing the aura by wiping the body down, or by placing about 3 ounces of the alcohol in the bathtub, and taking a bath as above.

  A Clove Bath for Protection

  Ground Cloves (Eugenia aromatica) may be used as a protection bath. They act to protect you from any negative influences sent either consciously or sub-consciously by others. Before you attend a meeting or interact with people with whom you are likely to have verbal or psychic conflict, a clove bath is recommended.

  Pour 2 cups of boiling water over ½ teaspoon of ground cloves. Allow the mixture to steep until it reaches room temperature, and add it to a tub of bath water. Stay in the tub seven or eight minutes, immerse seven times. Pray for protection from all negative influences. Air dry yourself to maintain the protective influence of the bath.

  1Franz Bardon, Initiation into Hermetics (Albuquerque, NM: Brotherhood of Life, 1981).

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  Incense Spells

  The magical influences of water operate most effectively on the astral-emotional nature. We will find that incense also has its special effect. Incense has its greatest effect on the mental-intellectual nature. When we burn incense we are activating the mental plane and manifesting the force of the air elementals. The activation of the mental-intellectual nature by the use of incense also has an effect on the astral emotional nature as well. When we stimulate the mental intellectual nature by burning an incense, we stimulate the flow of communication with the forces of the universe. Burning incense also enhances the flow of communication between people. The interested reader may want to read Incense and The Magic of Perfume for additional information.1

  To burn incense without marring furniture, place the charcoal (A) on top of an overturned can (B) placed on a saucer (C).

  To make a censer, place charcoal (A) on a bed of sand (B) in an empty can (C). Poke three holes in the rim of the can and use wire or chains (D) to suspend the censer.

  Figure 1. Two methods of burning incense. Top: using an upside down can with charcoal and incense on top; and bottom: making a censer out of an empty can.

  In the more advanced magical techniques used to summon a spirit to visible appearance, incense not only promotes communication with the spirit, but through the medium of the smoke flux it makes it possible for the spirit to manifest to visible appearance with the least possible expenditure of energy. In many of the lesser techniques of magic this dual function of incense plays a large part in gaining the effects desired.

  You will find that burning incense is not an elaborate process. The spices and gum resins which are mentioned here are available in many health food, herb, and occult supply stores around the country. Self-lighting charcoals may be purchased at most of these stores, or at religious supply stores in almost every city. Many of the incense mixtures that follow can be made from spices found in your kitchen.

  You can make an incense burner from an old catfood or tunafish can and a saucer. Place the can on the saucer and put a self-lighting charcoal on top. Light the edge of the selflighting charcoal with a match and allow the flame to travel across the surface of the charcoal. This is accomplished with a lot of popping and sparking. Once the charcoal is lit all across its top surface the sparking will stop. You may now add incense to the hot charcoal about a quarter teaspoon at a time. If you wish to do so you can always add more incense to the charcoal after the first batch has gone out.

  Once you have experimented with burning incense you may want to try using a censer. A censer is simply an incense burner which is swung by hand. Using a censer will allow you to apply incense throughout your entire living quarters using only one charcoal, for you can carry the incense with I you as you apply it throughout your home. You can make a censer from another catfood can and three small pieces of chain. Place some sand in the bottom of the can and a self-lighting charcoal on top. Light the charcoal, and once the sparking has stopped you can put some incense on it. Then pick up the censer by the chain end and swing it gently as you slowly walk through your home. Figure 1 will give you some idea of how this is done. Once you have tried this method you will be surprised how easy it is to do.

  When you bum incense in your home you will find that the effects last from four to twelve hours afterward. If you frequently burn similar incenses you will find that the place where they are burned has a tendency to maintain the vibration of the incense blend permanently. If you are comfortable with the incenses you are using this is all right. If the incenses you are using are all calls for help, however, you will find that they become self-defeating. If you burn only incenses which are requests to the universe for help, protection, or money, you will find that their results drop off quickly. The forces of the universe have a tendency to look on this as a case of over-kill, so they will respond to the burning of these incenses less and less and eventually not at all. This is why many of the incenses mentioned in this chapter are marked with a request for infrequent burning. The number of times a year you can safely burn them and still have them work for you is noted.

  If you wish to use a number of incenses in your work, or if you wish to burn incense frequently, you should select those which are calming and of a spiritual nature. The area where you will be working will then take on this calming and spiritual vibration. When you have set up the spiritual vibration, other more specific incenses will have the desired effect because the forces of the universe will always respond to a spiritual call. It's only calls based on human greed which are ignored. Specific incenses should only be used for specific tasks, and only when you really need them.

  Some people like to burn incense simply to maintain a mystic aura to their living quarters. When this is the only reason for burning incense you should question your motive. I have never met a real magician or occultist who burned incense simply because he or she liked the smell. On the other hand incense is burned by people who would like you to think they are “into” the occult. You must remember that incenses are a powerful tool in magic. Those who misuse powerful tools lose the right to use them constructively.

  MIXING AND STORING INCENSE

  You will find that the incense formulas presented here will make more incense than you might wish to use at one time. You can store the surplus in small bottles or plastic jars. Baby food jars are good, so are plastic vitamin tablet bottles. The important point is that they should be kept sealed. Incense, like almost everything else, will deteriorate over time in contact with air. If you keep incense in small sealed containers you will find that it will last almost indefinitely. I have used incense that I have had stored over ten years with good results. In some cases, when certain incenses need to blend together, long term storage enhances the effect. The incenses will not lose their virtue, but they may lose most of their scent if they are left exposed to the air. Spices are said to lose their seasoning qualities after six months in a kitchen. This is not true for their effect as incenses in my experience. You may wish to adopt my own rule of thumb-use the incense unless it looks bad. If it looks bad, throw it away and make up some fresh incense.

  I have found that the best way to mix incense is by using a mortar and pestle. I have a good ceramic mortar and pestle given to me by a friend who is a chemist. They may also be found in house ware stores, in a variety of sizes. If you have a mortar which will hold about a cup of liquid you will have one which is the correct size for almost any practical use.

  Gum resin incenses, such as frankincense, myrrh and benzoin, are easier to work with and last longer if they are purchased in large lumps and stored in closed containers. This usually makes them difficult to break up and grind in the mortar however. If the pieces to be ground a
re placed in the refrigerator overnight before they are ground or broken up in the mortar they will be easier to work with. If they are ground to a powder, the excess can be stored in a glass or plastic bottle and used when next required, saving having to grind each batch.

  When incenses are made entirely from spices it is often easier to mix them on a piece of paper. The paper may be creased and used as a funnel to place the finished incense in a small bottle, which you can shake to complete the mixing.

  Incense is one of our oldest offerings to God, and you should enjoy working with it. Please remember to label and date all the incense you make and keep it out of the reach of children and adults who do not understand its use.

  INCENSE FROM THE KITCHEN

  Kitchen spices and blends are useful as incenses. The effects they have are indicated on the following list. These simple incenses may become your favorites.

  Allspice: Good for social gatherings; increases the flow of conversation and the rapport between people.

  Cinnamon: Calming; has a protective vibration. It stimulates the mind to some extent, and it can also bring money into the home. It is good to burn in the nursery, as it has a calming and quieting effect on young children.

  Cloves: Psychically protective, it keeps negative thoughtforms out of the place it is burned.