Spiritual Explorations of a Different Kind

Perhaps it escapes most people. But spiritual ideas come in waves, the energies usually being picked up first by creative individuals. Each trend is actually an indication of spiritual themes being explored by the human race in their own way.

Lets take for example; the use of Angel Wings in Tattoos, and graphics for clothes etc. Even the swirls and scrolls used in graphics are an abstraction of Angel Wings. Note the prevalence of symmetry in t shirt designs symbolising balance. These wings indicate the need for transcendence of self. And indeed, look at the emphasis that has been placed on self improvement in all aspects of the Human Experience. Higher education, better health, the greater need for spiritual connections...the emphasis is on a different quality of life, one than is better than the present, regardless of which point the human soul is at. The Angel wings are a symbol of the human races' obsession with the Theme Transcendence. Look at the explosion of interest in creatures with wings, butterflies, dragonflies, fairies- images of which are making their way in graphics, art, tattoos spirituality etc.....they are the same theme.

Then there are the stories of 2012, which speaks to the ascension of spirit, a release of our human bodies, and the focus on our true essence as spiritual beings.

On th heals of this trend comes another...the concept of Avatars and the virtual reality craze, which would be explored in the next post.

The Dark side

Been one of those times when the darker side of things have taken over my brain. I have been carefully assessing this preference for the macabre, the dismal, and the darker side for a couple of days now. It has not helped my relationships, and has given me the tendency to look at the negative side of somethings that...really...were fabrications of my mind. I am reluctant to work Magick at this point because the rational wise Magician in me is not present.
This though...is not scary. During this time I use this energy to pull out the decrepit part of my thoughts...yank them from my brain, and torture them internally till their essence drips and is bled dry. What is needed is returned to the psyche; what is not will be rid of with a Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.

OOOPPS

Oh dear....made a magickal mistake. The last full moon was not in Scorpio. It actually was in Virgo. The spell is still applicable to Scorpio. I apologize for the mistake........

Spell for Scorpio's Moon

~Magickal Graphics~

Sunday 28th February will see a full moon in Scorpio.
I am posting spells which use this energy.

Moon in Scorpio. Spells involving secrets, power and psychic growth


On a moon-in Scorpio Night to illuminate a secret bright
Mark a black Candle with the rune-sign Peorth.

Consecrate with Geranuim oil, that black candle for your toil
To bring hidden secrets forth.

Cast your circle good and clean, call the quarters to the scene
See the secret hidden behind a veil.

Allow the candle to burn through, the secret is revealed to you
The spell it will not fail.

Chant in the present that you see the secret’s veil now falling free
And all which is hidden is clear.

And it harm none so mote it be, is used as a precaution’ry
To keep your conscious clear.

Douens- French? Really? Are we sure?

This is a painting from A Codallo, a Trinidadian Artist long past. To the right under the tree is a picture of a DOUEN, a childlike creature with a large hat, whose feet are turned backwards.

Now since we were small, we have been told that these creatures were of French origin, and thats the story we stuck to and repeated to our little ones. But I find it intriguing the the Latin American countries have a creature called "Duendes" which varies in appearance depending on the country.

I am not making any conclusions, but there must be a link, the names are too similar. Maybe the creature is of Spanish origin and the French adopted the name?

The reason I am questioning is that I once sat back and traced an online thread about the Pierrot, right back to Italy...apparently, the character's origins came from Italian street drama, and the French picked it up in their street plays. Mind you, this was no aristocracy here...this was street art......and it became on of our leading Carnival Characters.

This lead me to question a lot of things about our "heritage" But I'll get to that some other time.

Why is this important?

Because we are working with energies in Magick. The energies of the Fae folk on the land in which you live shows the relationship that the people have with the land. Where did the Fae originate? And why, on this island in the Caribbean are the fae so hostile? Or were they originally friendly, and became hostile by what we were told? I question this again, because of what I read about the Silk Cotton Tree in another book about African Plant healing.

Silk Cotton Trees were seen as spiritual holy places, a place to meditate, pray and connect to the ancestors. Which is the total opposite to the fearful stories that we were introduced to about the trees.

Everything we have that is indigineous is attached to fear. Could that be why we as a people feel so fearful of new experiences? Fearful of explorations of the Spirit? Fearful of our own country?

Could be that the colonialists did more damage to our psyche than we care to admit. Or than we want to know.......

At the Crossroads

I feel like I am in the center of this picture. But honestly , there are a few more roads in my mind.
I am here, where I am supposed to be always, but feeling for the first time a sense of expansion, and opportunity. I feel larger than I have ever been before. I can spiritually pivot on one foot, and turn in all directions and cannot find the path to take which seems exciting. I am only talking about inner mental journeys here, please note that. Nothing which I used to explore anymore seems magickal. The sparkle of the inner has been lost a bit, and I know why.

There is someone, who keeps me in tune with the outer world. That someone is bent on living this life with as much fun as he can possibly have. His boyish good looks, and his zest for life and all the experiences it can offer; has pulled my inner child out facing the world to see what's there on the outside to be experienced.
On the outside, I am holding his hand and skipping down the pathway to happy experiences. Life with him is "rich" in experiences. Life is fun again, new again...and there is magick on the outside of my mind again.

So internally I am at a crossroads, and I will pause for a spell- because externally I may be prancing down some new reality holding the hand of someone I love.

Mass energies for spellworking

Come Monday the moon will be waxing in Pisces. It will still be in Pisces on Tuesday too. This would be a good time to spellwork for enhanced psychic ablilities, telepathy, and the inspiration of new music. It is also good for empowerment, and clarity.

Usually when spellworking, you raise energies by yourself or in a group throught meditation, dancing, spinning or any exhilarating movement. But on Monday and Tuesday, thousand of people on our island would be exhilerated themselves, raising energies as they dance through the streets in our Carnival.
I am trying to create a spell, using these energies, which would benefit all. The most needed spell for this island would be empowerment, as many people feel trapped by crime, lack of opportunity, and lack of vision. Fear of everything new and different abounds, and really, removing the fear requires a waning moon.

For those who wish to create a spell themselves, and chant to the beat of a soca tune as thousands dance close to you, you can imagine the energy as red light being given off as they "jump-up".
I think I will create a magick dust of earth, bay-leaf and red glitter, and summon some Mars energy to bring empowerment to our people. I still have to create the appropriate chant.

But the ethics has me concerned...am I interfearing with free will in asking for empowerment? Perhaps I am. Perhaps it is not for me to make that judgement. Perhaps I'd be better off spellworking for me alone.

Well..... in that case I'd prefer to work for clarity, and clairvoyance.

Imbolc

Yesterday, the Pagan / Witch community observed Imbolc, a festival of candles, Brigit and the coming of the Sun. Newness and springtime, new life emerging all resonate with this festival.

I could not observe it. Why. Because there is no such cycle where I live. There is no "coming of spring." In a tropical island, birth happens all through the year. Warmth happens all through the year. Our time when the Earth awakens is closer to the Spring Equinox when all the trees and flowers begins to bloom.

Wicca teaches about following the Wheel of the Year. The Solstices and Equinoxes are marked by the relationship to the sun and moon. These are termed the minor Sabbatts. The major ones are the ones that happen midway between these. For me though. The Equinoxes and Solstices should be the major ones, because they are marked by heavenly events larger than our experience. They influence the entire universe by their positioning. Evidence of these can be seen in Nature, the tides, the plants, the very air seems to be teeming with energies respective of the cycle.

The minor ones, which are not marked by any celestial happening cannot possibly resonate for the person who cannot experience them. I do not feel an Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas...and I only feel Samhain because it is marked a bit here.........

For us on the island, we are in the midst of a creative outpouring as our festival time heats up, and soon we will all be tramping up and down the streets, following music truck in our lovely Pagan Festival called Carnival. Its the only time that this country comes alive, really alive, really showing what the life-blood of the island is about. Is that our Imbolc? Is that our awakening?

There is a concept called the Souvreignity of a land, where the energy and needs of the people dictate or direct what is needed for the land. For me feeding off the already existing energies, and learning the cycles that already exist is just as important to Magickal practice. Now imagine using those energies around you, and spellworking in the middle of a large party. Imagine using the energy to create excitement in your life. Imagine, magickally, what could happen if the thoughts emminating from all the masqueraders on the road (about 60,000 plus revelers)could be directed to a focal point for the energy (say banishing Crime)? The Magickal results would be amazing.

Emotional Pavlovs

The image shows Pavlov's experiment, where the scientist conditioned a dog to drool at the sound of a bell, just by associating the sound with the arrival of food.
I remember two statements which I read concerning our conditioned response to situations. One was that we choose to respond to the same situations in the same way, (Deepak Chopra) and that our responses to situations have been conditioned into us by the expectations of society (google noospheric operating system).

If you step back from your life for a while, and look for cycles which you keep going through, you would realize that there are certain situation which you respond to the same way all the time. Ask yourself.....is this how I really want to react? Or am I reacting the way I was taught to react? What would happen if I reacted the opposite way, or a different way?

Having had the realization from my last blog that emotional residue is a real thing which can cloud your judgement, I begin to question if what is in my mind is really mine. Or am I just a bundle of programmed responses to situations?
What really fills me with passion? Do I even know? Or have I been taught what should fill me with passion because of someone elses passions? Most interesting thoughts for a woman who, at this late stage in her life is really trying to find herself.

What is me? No...not who am I. I know who I am.....my issue here is ; is who I am really me? which parts of my programming are me, and which parts need to be let go completely? This calls for meditation, quiet, and lots of reflection.

Magickal Mind 2 - Changing your belief.

Spells, Runes, Tarot cards and the like are all interesting. But what captures my attention most is how the mind processes information when working magick. Actually, learning Magick really assists you in focusing, and learning how to differentiate between fact, and opinion. When you can analyze your thoughts to the point where you know which thoughts are fear based, and which thoughts are "truth for all people" your world really opens up as you realize that the possibilities for the individual are endless. The only thing we have to fear is..fear.

I can bring to mind many instances where I have believed in something, and haven't discussed it with anyone (to be silent) and the thing came to pass. However I noted that when I believe something is possible, and have to share that belief with someone who thinks it is not, then the probability of it happening diminishes.

The belief in something, is directly proportional to its manifestation. Also, there is a process which you can undertake to "change your beliefs." People have serious doubts that this is possible. The number one rule to remember is " Anything you can imagine can be made manifest." Keep that statement. Hold it, repeat it, remember it when things are not going your way.

Lets analyze how to change your belief. Write down your goal. Then honestly write down all the thoughts that come into your head, positive and negative; about your goal. All...everyone. The mind has a tendency to look at all aspects associated with the belief and labels every statement that matches as confirmation of the belief. Those that don't match are labelled "execptions to the rule." It never dawns on us that if exceptions exist, then the opposite of what we believe is also true.

The next thing you are going to do is to take every negative statement and find an example which makes the negative untrue. If you can find more than one statement, fact, or example, so much the better. Write down all those too. Then ask yourself. "If this is truth for these people, in theses instances, how can I make it truth for me?" Find ways in which the thing you want can come to pass. Use your imagination...."It can happen if........."

Lets take an example: Winning the lottery.
I like to use this because it resonates with so many people. We never believe that we could win the lotto. Yet people win every week. As a matter of fact there are 104 winners every year. A minimum of 104 million dollars are given away to Average Joe person every year...here...in Trinidad and Tobago. Why do you believe that it can't happen to you? Work on changing those beliefs.

Now think about the goal again...have your beliefs in the possibility of its manifestation changed? If not, you need to go back to the thinking board and write down all the statements you have associated with the thing in the past. Look for the things that echo from your upbringing. "Money doesn't grow on trees." or the classic, "only people who do illegal things have that amount of money."
Follow this exercise with any goal working that you are doing. Declare waht you really want always, make steps to change your belief in the possibility. Know, that if your inner critic keeps coming up with every thought of what you want, then you really don't believe its possible.

When you state your goal......and there is nothing but a smile, and a "hell yeah, that would be cool!" from your inner voice; then you know you have indeed changed your belief.

Emotional Residue

I remember an essay that I read which put forward that our experiences shape our conclusions, and not always in the correct direction of truth. We go through life, experiencing, interacting, becoming hurt, feeling joy; and sometimes, similar experiences create emotional triggers in our future experiences.

I am noting this, because as I go forward, I am experiencing what I consider triggers in my interaction with new people. I seem to analyze a situation in terms of what was experienced before, and how the individuals reacted or acted then- and in my new situation which may be similar to one from the past, I have the expectation that the same result will be played out even though the players are different.

To what degree can we "learn" from our experieneces? And to what degree shall we keep an open mind and just observe how things play out? It is important to note, especially in close relationships, that emotional residue left behind (baggage) by the interactions of the last relationship, can warp clear judgement in the new one. It is important to tune into every reaction carefully, every uneasy feeling, and really try to discern whether your conclusion is "truth" for this relationship- or whether your judgement is clouded by emotional residue.
If it is, I think they should be noted, and a banishing spell at the next dark moon is in order. It also helps to be aware that they may pop up again....but you can mentally flick that beastie thought back into the ether where it came from, and immediately forbid it to enter your mind.

Great Tarot Symbols explanations

My interest in Tarot was sparked because I was looking for universal symbols in art, as well as the emotions which certain colours can evoke in a human being. But this has to be the best site ever for explaining tarot symbols, animal totems and even tattoo symbols. Just posting it here for interested persons.

Click on this link to Avia Vnefica

The Flags and Blood Rituals responsible for Crime in Trinidad and Tobago?

“And I have a theory about why our young people are into so much crime and killing. It is the blood sacrifice performed by the Orisa and Khali pujas, and all the flags being put up all over the country. All that blood shed bringing more blood shed.”

So says Mr. Pastor as we sat in a meeting discussing a completely different topic. I held my tongue. I wanted to ask him if he ever sat with any members of either faith to find out what the symbology behind the blood sacrifices were. I am very wary, of any Pastor or religious leader who is bent on discrediting other faiths, and ignorantly blaming them for crime and discord in this country.

Firstly, I think it is important for people to understand the effect and purpose that religion has on the individual. Understand first and foremost that the individual brought up in the Orisa home, or in the Rastafarian home, is just as convinced that Christianity is responsible for crime and divisiveness in this country, as you, Pastor believe that they are.

We will not get into who should take the blame for the crime in the country, but I will get into the ridiculous idea being perpetuated by the “Pastors and dem” about other religions, which they have not explored in any way at all. (My social circle has predominantly Christian and Catholic believers, so I am more exposed to these points of view and I am writing from that perspective)

Religion is meant to be a tool to accessing your spiritual side. It is meant to be a way of bringing you closer to the orchestrator(s) of the Universe, putting the individual in touch with the higher mind/being/conciousness which makes things as they are. Religion comes in many colours and flavours, each being taken up by the mind which finds the one that appeals to its sensibilities. They are all valid.

When we point fingers to other religions and label them as something evil, without understanding them, we are adopting the same narrow-minded atitude as the colonialists who took over islands and countries and wiped out the indigeneous population branding them as savages. And I will point out a very poignant comment made by Pocahontas in the Walt Disney movie : It is you who are the Savage, you do not try to understand.

Again.....for those who have seen AVATAR.....look at how they were quick to label the people as savages without trying first to understand the perspective of their world.

So....my curious mind went digging to find out the symbol of blood in Orisa, and had a chat with an online friend who recently became a priest of that faith. This is what he told me:

There are instances whereby blood sacrifice is done. Two examples are in the ceremony that gives birth to a priest. Blood is shed to remove any and all negativity that the person has accumulated by word thought or deed in his life before. As well as to clear the way for him to receive blessings for the future.


Hmmmm... sounds quite like a certain individual who shed his blood to cleanse some people's sins.

The second example is whereby blood may be required to prevent untimely death of someone.
Blood as any person that studies or practices any of the higher sciences knows is full of life force. Blood has a lot of power. Everything that exists has power or life force. Depending on what needs to be done a fruit may suffice. This fruit has power as well. However, there are times when the fruit may not be enough so blood is used.
The universe exists on the basis of fair exchange nothing is free. We do not exist in a vacuum. To live, plants and animals die to provide us with nutrition and shelter. To make transformation the same principle comes into play. We use divination to find out what is the exchange for this transformation.


So there it is in his own words.

Understand the ceremony as a tool to achieve a particular end. Understand that all ceremonies are mind transformative, and have effects on the psyche being able to create new belief in a person. ALL CEREMONIES AND RITUALS, including the ones done by any CHURCH OR RELIGIOUS BODY, are designed to cretae change in the mind of the individual.
ALL religions at some point use blood, even symbolically, the reference is the same.

To state then, Mr. Pastor, that the use of blood in ritual, and the presence of flags, is the reason we have so much crime, shows where your divisive, misunderstanding mind starts from. This is not the issue, this is not why we have so much crime, and I really hope that this is not being preached from your pulpit, as it will only serve to add to the negative energies which prevail in this country. It is no more beneficial, than the politicians who use race as their drawing card. Any leader, who seeks to gain followers by causing fear and suspicion does not have the country's interest at heart.

I think when we are faced with a leader, or institution that blames something else on a problem, with a reason that incites fear or suspicion, we need to understand that those fears are their fears. We need to find out for ourselves about the issue before we adopt their fear into our hearts. I have learnt, that fear itself, is the only thing to fear, because it keeps the mind from truly understanding truth.