Читать книгу The Witch's Guide to Ritual - Cerridwen Greenleaf - Страница 13
ОглавлениеThe Essential Tool Kit: Everything You Need for Rites and Rituals
Magic resides inside of us; we create it with our thoughts and actions. It is our deepest personal power, and we are all born with it. This is the energy we draw upon each and every day of our life. The goal of ritual is to bring about needed change. It is how we make things better for ourselves, for the people in our lives, and for our world. From an inner place of intention, we are working to bring about change for peace, prosperity, love, health, home, spirituality, and other areas in our lives that are always in need of improvement.
When you establish a sacred space and use your magical tools in it, you can create a place where the mundane world is left behind. It can be in your home or your backyard where, despite the noise of the day-to-day, you can touch the sacred. There is no need to ascend to the top of a mountain or to a silent retreat in search of the scared; anywhere you choose can become a place of magic where you cast the circle.
The magic circle is created by “casting,” or drawing in the air with concentrated energy. Inside this circle, energy is raised, rituals are performed, and spells are worked. The sacred space is also where you call upon the gods and goddesses and become attuned to your own special desires. With attention and focus, working in the circle can be a truly intense experience. All your senses will come alive. You will feel, see, and hear the energies that you invoke. You will have created a tangible sphere of power.
You can cast a circle anywhere—out in the forest, on a beach, or in the comfort of your own home. Wherever the circle is cast, that space becomes your temple. If you are in your kitchen or living room, stack the chairs against the wall to define the limits of your circle. The Wiccan tradition specifies that the circle must have a diameter of nine feet. That said, a circle could actually be any size to accommodate a large group of people or just yourself. Many Wiccans and other Pagans case a circle for spell work and to enclose every seasonal sabbat celebration.
In truth, casting a circle is only limited by the imagination or the function you ascribe to it. The magic begins at your altar with your sacred tools. To be fully imbued with energy, your tools of magic and ritual should reside upon your altar. Collecting your ritual tools should be a pleasant search that can take months or even years. Although making ritual tools is satisfying, you can also find them in flea markets, at antique stores, and craft fairs around the country. Nowadays, the Internet and several terrific mail-order catalogs such as The Pyramid Catalog and Mystic Trader also offer superb tools for sale. Always make sure you cleanse and purify your new tools, whether they are antique or just made, to ensure that the energy is yours and yours alone. Think of your ritual tools as energy conductors that absorb and project energy of the environment and the ritual work that you perform.
Ritual Tools
Every ritual tool is sacred to the individual who is performing the ritual act. Whether your find your tool in a store or whether it is given to you as a gift, each tool should hold special meaning and should feel absolutely perfect to you as you use it.
Athame
Pronounced “a-THAW-may,” this is your magical knife. It can also be a ritual dagger or sword, and I have even seen a Tibetan dorje (the thunderbolt of the god) used as an athame. The athame represents and contains yang energy, or the male aspect of the gods. Ritual knives are also associated with the element of fire. For these two reasons, your athame should be placed on the right side of your altar. The athame is used to direct the energies raised in your ritual. Because it is not used for cutting but rather for the manipulation of the forces involved in the work of enchantment, an athame is usually a dull blade. Some Wiccan traditions specify that the handle of the athame should be black or very dark in color, since black is the color that absorbs energy. A dark-handled knife thus becomes quickly attuned to the ritualist.
Bolline
The bolline is a (usually) white-handled knife that is used for making other tools and for cutting materials such as cords and herbs within the magic circle.
You can create your magical wand, for example, by cutting off a tree branch with your bolline. This increases the energy held within it and creates a magical tool by using a magical tool. You should also use your bolline for carving symbols and names into your candles and wands as well as your other tools. A bolline generally has a curved blade and a white handle to distinguish it from the athame. It is similar to the athame in that it also embodies the yang, or male, energy.
Book of Shadows
Your Book of Shadows (BOS) is your record of ritual work. At its finest, it should be a history of all your rituals, energy work, circles, spells, and all the magic you have manifested. It should be a journal of all that you have practiced and wrought. In your BOS, you should keep a record of your research and the lore you have discovered. Is there a particular phase and sign of the moon that works especially well for you? Document it here, and you will be building a practice that you can apply to future rituals. This will also be a great help in recording your ritual work and evolving and developing as a ritual designer. All the astrology, herb lore, crystal information, and other knowledge that I share in this book comes from the detailed notes I keep in my own BOS. I have discovered that the new moon in Pisces, for example, is the best moon phase for me to work rituals of change. After documenting this information and performing both new and traditional, time-tested rituals and spells with the new moon in Pisces, I learned from a professional astrologer that it is my natal placement—the moon is in the same phase and sign in which is positioned at the time of my birth. Thus this moon phase and sign accords with my own energy and creates a time when my personal power is at its peak. Through trial, experimentation, and much practice, you will discover secrets of the universe for yourself and record what you learn in your own BOS.
The Book of Shadows can be a tremendous aid if you use it daily or as often as possible. Whenever you come upon a bit of wisdom regarding the nature of ritual or magical work, write it down. This should also be a book of inspiration, filled with your own thoughts, poetry, and observations. Most importantly, it should be a record of results. If you track the effectiveness of a ritual, you can use this information and newfound wisdom in the future. Your BOS should be a book you turn to again and again. It can be a gorgeous, hand-crafted volume of handmade paper and ribboned bookmarks or a simple three-ring binder. Just make sure it appeals to you so that you will use it often and well.
Broom
As a magical tool, the broom was born of the practical magic of sweeping the ritual area clean before and after casting a spell. With focus and intention, you can dispel negative influences and bad spirits from the area and prepare a space for ritual work. In bygone days, pagan marriages and Beltane trysts took place with a leap over the broom, an old traditional element of handfasting, or pagan wedding. While this happens more rarely now, the broom has grabbed the popular imagination as the archetypal symbol of witches.
Your broom is an essential tool for energy management. Obtain a handmade broom from a craft fair, not a machine-made plastic affair from the supermarket. A broom made of wood and woven from straw will be imbued with the inherent energies of those natural materials. Also, do not use your ritual broom for housework, as this would mix up energies in your home and sacred space. Many of you may well consider your home to be sacred space in its entirety. Keep your regular household implements separated from your ritual tools nonetheless. This is a matter of protecting yourself and the energy of your sacred space. Any of your cleaning implements, such as a broom, can very easily have chemicals from regular housecleaning remaining on them. In general, it is not advised to use tools such as a ritual knife to debone a chicken, for example, as this reduced the effectiveness of your ritual tools and risks a confused blending of mundane and magical energies. If you treat your ritual tools with the utmost respect, they will serve you well. Over time they will become deeply imbued with magical energy through exclusive use in your workings. The Wiccan tradition holds brooms in high regard, and some witches have an impressive collection of brooms, each named to distinguish between their roles as “familiars,” or kindred spirits.
Candles
Nowadays, the popularity of candles has reached an all-time high. Candles are used by folks of all walks of life for relaxation, meditation, and aromatherapy. This simple yet profound tool can make powerful magic. Notice how candlelight transforms a dark room and fills the air with the energy of magical light. Suddenly the potential for magic is evident.
Candles contain all four of the elemental energies:
Air—Oxygen feeds and fans the candle flame.
Earth—The solid wax forms the candle.
Water—Melted wax is the fluid elemental state.
Fire—The flame sparks and blazes.
How to Charge a Candle
“Charging” a candle means instilling it with magical intent. A candle that has been charged carries that intention through all four elements and up to the heavens. It fills the very air with your magic. Ritual candles are chosen for their correspondences, carved, and “dressed,” or anointed, with the energy of an essential oil.
Candle Color Correspondences
Black: banishing, absorbing, expulsion of the negative, healing serious disease, attracting money
Brown: home, animal wisdom, grounding, healing
Dark Blue: change, flexibility, the unconscious, psychic powers, healing
Gold: solar magic, money, attraction, the astral plane
Gray: neutrality, impasse, cancellation
Green: money, prosperity, growth, luck, jobs, gardening, youth, beauty, fertility
Light Blue: patience happiness, triumph over depression, calm understanding
Orange: attraction, success with legal issues, mutability, stimulation, support, encouragement
Pink: love, faithfulness, friendships, goodness, affection
Purple: healing, ambition, business success, stress relief, power
Red: strength, protection, vitality, sexuality, passion, courage, power, love, good health
White: purification, peace, protection, truth, binding, sincerity, serenity, chastity, happiness, spirit
Yellow: mental power and vision, intelligence, clear thinking, study, self-assurance, prosperity, abundance, divination, psychism, powers of persuasion, wisdom, charisma, sound sleep
Once you clarify your intention, cleanse your candles by passing them through the purifying smoke of sage or incense. Further charge your candle by carving a symbol or sigil into the wax. You can warm the tip of your ritual knife using a lit match and carve your full intention into the candle wax. As you engrave the appropriate magical words onto the candle, you are charging it with energy and intention. Next, you should “dress” your candle with specific oil. Every essential oil is imbued with a power that comes from the plants and flowers of which it is made. The appendix gives correspondences that you can use. You can also use oils to anoint yourself at the crown of the head or at the third eye to increase mental clarity. By using the inherent powers of essential oils, you are increasing the effectiveness of your rite and “doubling” the energies by anointing both your tool—in this case, the candle—and yourself.
Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts of flower, herb, root, or resin extract, sometimes diluted into base oil. Try to ensure that you are using authentic essential oils instead of perfume or fragrance oils, which are synthetic versions. Always treat the oils with great care, as some are highly irritating to those with sensitive skin. For this reason, some people choose to wear clean cotton gloves when handling oils. Use droppers to measure the oils carefully, and avoid touching your face and especially eyes when working with them. Never drink your essential oils and use caution when inhaling them, as some of the stronger ones can have a negative effect on your sinuses. Different people have different reactions to various essential oils. My friend Nancy, for example, gets migraine headaches any time amber oil is in use. If possible, find an herbalist who will guide you as you experiment with oils in rituals and workings. I am fortunate in that I may consult with Randy, my trusted oil mixer at San Francisco’s The Sword and the Rose. He is extremely knowledgeable and generous with his wisdom. Research and explore the wide varieties of essential oils now available, and eventually you will discover those that work for you.
Essential Oil Magical Correspondences
Astral Projection: jasmine, benzoin, cinnamon, sandalwood
Courage: geranium, black pepper, frankincense
Dispelling Negative Spirits: basil, clove, copal, frankincense, juniper, myrrh, pine, peppermint, rosemary, sandalwood, Solomon’s seal, yarrow, vetiver
Divination: camphor, orange, clove
Enchantment: ginger, tangerine
Healing: bay, cedar wood, cinnamon, coriander, eucalyptus, juniper, lime, rose, sandalwood, spearmint
Joy: lavender
Love: apricot, basil, chamomile, clove, copal, coriander, rose, geranium, jasmine, lavender, lemon, lime, neroli, peppermint, rose, rosemary, ylang-ylang, vetiver
Luck: orange, nutmeg, rose, vetiver
Peace: lavender
Prosperity: basil, clove, ginger, cedar, cinnamon, jasmine, nutmeg, orange, oak moss, patchouli, peppermint, pine, wood aloe
Protection: bay, basil, anise, black pepper, cedar, cinnamon, clove, copal, cypress, eucalyptus, frankincense, rose, geranium, lime, myrrh, juniper, lavender, patchouli, peppermint, pine, rose, sandalwood, vetiver
Sexuality: cardamom, cinnamon, clove, lemongrass, olive, patchouli, peppermint, rosemary
Cauldron
The cauldron represents the Goddess, its round basin symbolizing the womb. The cauldron can hold fire and represent rebirth—the phoenix rising from the ashes of the past. Usually, cauldrons stand on three legs for practicality and mobility. You can place a cauldron on your altar if there is room, or on the floor to the left of the altar. In spring, the cauldron can be used to hold earth or water. In winter, it can represent the rebirth of the sun and should hold fire. The form of the vessel may change. In the spring, the cauldron can be a rain-filled jar or flower-filled fountain. In the summer, it can be a cup, and at harvest, it can be a pumpkin or other hollowed-out gourd. You can play with this “vessel” concept in your own ceremonies. Cauldrons are very useful for mixing your herbs and essential oils, though you must be sure to clean them before and after each use. You can scry with a cauldron full of water to foresee the future by reading images on the surface of the water. You can use this magical tool to burn paper upon which you have written your intentions or spells. In doing this, you can send your wishes to the gods and goddesses through the flames. A cauldron is not the easiest magical tool to find, as they are not nearly as commonplace as one might think. I advise you to wish and wait patiently, and the cauldron of your dreams will arrive in the most enchanted manner.
Censer
A censer, or thurible, is an incense burner and represents the elements of air and fire. Place your incense at the center of your altar. Incense can be used to purify your other sacred tools and to cleanse your ritual space. The evocative scent and smoke can also transport you in a sensory way. Always test your incense prior to ritual, however, to discover how much smoke is produced by your incense stick or herbal mixture. The purpose of incense is to release energy into the ritual space, not to create billows of smoke that can cause respiratory problems in the circle. If you or someone else finds incense smoke irritating or worrisome, consider using another symbol of air instead, such as potpourri, fresh flowers, feathers, or a fan.
There exist an abundance of incense burners nowadays, so use your discretion and choose one that pleases you—perhaps a smoking dragon or a goddess to hold the fiery embers of your incense would add to the energy of your altar.
Incenses themselves contain inherent energies that you can use to further your intention and promote your purpose. I depend on Wylundt’s Book of Incense, which I consider to be the ultimate reference for excellent information about essences and properties of incense. It contains an enormous amount of information in regard to loose, cone, stick, and cylinder incense. It also tells you how to work with herbs, which part of a plant to use, and how to gather, dry, and store the plants. The following is one of my recipes for an incense to use to cast a circle.
Circle Incense
2 parts myrrh
4 parts frankincense
2 parts benzoin
1 part sandalwood
1 part cinnamon
1 part rose petals
1 part vervain
1 part rosemary
1 part bay leaf
½ cup orange peel
This incense will significantly aid the formation of the sphere of energy that is the ritual circle. A fine grind of all the ingredients is the key to good incense, so you should add a mortar and pestle to your list of tools if you intend to make a lot of incense. A blender or food processor is a more modern approach that may save on time and elbow grease, especially if you are making a large batch of incense for a group.
Clearing Incense
1 part sandalwood
3 parts myrrh
3 parts copal
3 parts frankincense
This is an optimal mixture of essences to purify your home or sacred working space. Negative energies are vanquished and the path is cleared for ritual. Open windows and doors when you are burning this clearing incense so the “bad energy” can be released outside. It is also advisable to use this clearing incense if there have been any arguments or other energetic disruptions in your home. You can recreate a sanctuary with this incense.
Dream Incense
2 parts rose petals
2 parts cedar
1 part camphor
1 part lavender
6 drops tuberose oil
6 drops jasmine oil
This mixture will bring on psychic dreams. If you set up a bedroom altar, place this incense in your censer and allow the scented smoke to imbue your sleeping space with its unique energy before you drift off. Prophetic dreams may come to you and, even better, you will remember them!
Chalice
The chalice—another vessel symbolizing the feminine, the Goddess, and fertility—is a goblet dedicated specifically for use on your altar. Holding both physical fluid and the waters of our emotional body, it is connected to elemental water. Place your special chalice on the left side of your altar with all other representations of the energy of the female and the Goddess. A grail is also a chalice. Legend tells that the Holy Grail brought life back into the decaying kingdom of Camelot and restored Arthur and his people to health, giving rise to the rebirth of England itself. On your altar, your chalice can hold water, mead, wine, juice, or anything that has been blessed. It can contain holy water for consecrations and blessing rites. At the end of many ritual ceremonies and sabbats, it is customary to toast the deities with a hearty ale, cider, or wine and thank them for being present. After the circle has been opened, you can pour the contents of your chalice into the ground outdoors as an offering to benevolent entities.
Wand
A magical wand is a powerful tool used to cast the circle and invoke deities. Like an athame, a wand focuses, projects, and directs energy. Because it gathers and stores magical power, a wand is wonderful for healing and can also be the device with which you “draw” the shape when you cast the circle. If possible, find your wand in a serendipitous manner. Draw it to yourself through attraction. A wand makes a mighty gift. It may, however, be more practical and expedient just to purchase your wand. When you do this, purify it, cleansing off the energy of the shop, so it is truly yours. Before you race off to the nearest metaphysical five-and-dime, take a walk in the woods. You may very well find the wand of your dreams waiting there for you on the forest floor. Some folks favor “live wood,” like cherry, willow, or oak branches that need to be cut off the tree. I prefer fallen wood that Nature has already harvested. Some folks like to ornament their wand with magical metals, such as copper, gold, or silver, and encrust it with gems and crystals. The most important determining factor for any wand is how it “feels” in your hand. You will know when you have found the right one.
Keep Your Muse Close
Any time an imaginative person feels her creativity is blocked, or if she feels uninspired, she can call upon a muse. Whether you’re passionate about growing plants, painting, or writing music, you can stay in touch with your muse by using a special tool that will draw her to you with sweet-smelling smoke of sage.
Sage is hardy and sun-loving, so keep a pot of it on the windowsill. There are very simple steps to take to create a sage wand to use when you need inspiration. First, you will want to create a tight braid of materials. This braid will consist of a long fennel stalk, a twisted bundle of sage, long sticks of incense (I prefer cinnamon), and purple (for power) and gold (for money) string or thread. When you are about to embark on an artistic activity, simply light one end of your wand and gently wave it around your head to clear your environment. Your mind will be cleared in the process, freeing the way for creative ideas. A little sage smoke goes a long way, so you will not want to burn the entire wand at once. Keep a cup of water or a small bowl of earth on hand to extinguish your wand when you are done.
Making the Tools of the Magical Trade
Just as you can design your own rituals, you can create your own ritual accessories and tools. Your intentions and personal energy are the driving forces behind the enchantments you create, and the same is true of crafting magical tools.
Charm Boxes
Native Americans, Greeks, Celts, and Egyptians all used magical boxes during ceremonies and for storing sacred objects. Christian religions followed suit—the famous biblical Ark of the Covenant was, in fact, a magical box. Spell work during medieval times involved boxes for love, health, fertility and home and in the fields, prosperity, and changes of luck. In more modern times, a young woman’s “hope chest” contained her wishes, intentions, and materials for a happy marriage.
You can make charm boxes, also known as spell boxes, very easily. A job spell box should contain aventurine or peridot stones, patchouli incense, green candles, and ferns. You can make a psychic spell box with cloves, rosemary, and amethyst and quartz crystals. A good love spell box contains a pink candle, rose petals, two pieces of rose quartz, and two copper pennies. These are just some of the examples; more suggestions are in the appendix in the back of this book.
Mirrors
Throughout time, people have been looking for answers in mirrors, gazing balls, pools, and even using bowls filled with ink to peer into another dimension. Primitive people used obsidian and other shiny rocks to communicate with spirits. Surfaces that are shiny, smooth, and reflective have always lent themselves well to scrying and other intuitive work. Because of their use in scrying, mirrors came to be seen as magical portals to promote psychic awareness to other worlds.
It is possible to create your own scrying mirror and empower it with energy and intention in a variety of ways. First, find a round mirror with a frame that will make it easy to apply crystals or other objects with glue (I like to use wood or plastic). The frame should have a lot of surface area on which you can affix your magical objects. There are many objects that are suitable for your mirror. If you collect sea glass or shells and pretty rocks, those will suffice. If you don’t have any objects on hand, visit a rock shop or a New Age store. You can purchase seashells and fifty to a hundred small crystals. The crystals can be various quartzes and semiprecious stones of similar shape and small in size.
You can use a rainbow of colors or you can stick with just one kind of stone. I prefer to use all amethysts on my mirror; I feel more connected to this lovely purple gem because it is my birthstone.
Before applying the clear-drying glue to your frame, clean it with a soft, dry cloth. Take your crystals, shells, glass or other items and affix them one at a time, in any pattern you like. Some examples of mirrors I’ve come across featured concentric circles of color, following the spectrum from dark red garnet to clear quartz, and gorgeous spirals and paisley prints all across the frame.
Different kinds of questing and querying may call for several different magic mirrors.
Different Gems to Use for Your Mirror
Peridot—Issues relating to self-image and matters centered upon you
Rough Rubies—Matters relating to love
Jade—Money matters
Sea Glass and Seashells—Effective for Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces), especially if gathered during a walk on the beach while searching for answers
Anyone who feels drawn to the ocean will benefit from a seashell magic mirror. Many of us go for walks along the water to think. Using seashells on your mirror can help you be twice as effective in finding your answers.
Swords and Knives
Swords were used before gunpowder as the weapon of choice for warriors. The concept of a sword to us is that it is wielded within the spirit world to keep bad energy and negativity at bay. With sword in hand, you are the master or mistress of your domain, and you rule your circle of magic with your spiritual weapon. You can make your own sword, or athame. Purchase the metalwork from a New Age store or from a sword specialist. Find crystals that represent what you want your sword to do and affix them to the sword. If your athame already has crystals on it, you can charge them with your energy.
Cauldrons
Iron kettles typically serve as cauldrons. You can make your own symbolic cauldron out of any bowl-shaped object, including large stones or crystal geodes.
Magic Cord
A magic cord is a rope that binds you to magic. Ideally, your nine-foot-long magic cord should be made from strands of red (the color of life) wool, or ribbon, braided and tied into a loop at one end to signify feminine energy, and left loose at the other end to represent male energy. If you are braiding your own magic cord, start your braid with three strands that are fourteen feet long to achieve the nine-foot-long cord. To compound the magical quality of your cord, weave crystal beads into the strands. I recommend using clear quartz crystal beads because they are energy amplifiers. Other meaningful crystals you might want to include are citrine for grounding, amethyst for improved intuition and psychic ability, blue lapis for creativity, rose quartz for love, and jade for prosperity and success in work.
Magic Bottles
Spell bottles, or magic bottles, have been around since the 1600s and were often filled with hair, nails, urine, or blood. Now, they are used to empower us and they also serve a more decorative purpose. Though their popularity has waned since the Elizabethan age when they were known as “witch bottles,” they are still used for a variety of intentions. You can customize your own spell bottle with crystal stoppers. Put one in the garden to help keep your plants healthy. A spell bottle on the mantel will protect your home. One next to your bed will bring love and happiness. A bottle in the kitchen will guard good health. Spell bottles are used for protection primarily, but you can also put symbols of your dreams and desires in them: cinnamon for the spirit of life, a rose petal for peace, or rosemary for remembrance. Make your own magic bottle by filling it with symbolic objects and inscribing the sigil of your choice into the lid or cork top.
For a peaceful and secure home, gather a teaspoon of soil from outside of your house and put it in a bottle with some smoky topaz or brown jasper. Put the bottle into a potted plant near the entrance of your home, and think about the sanctity of your home every time you water the plant. As your plant grows, so will the tranquility of your residence.
A bottle with a rosebud or rose petal, rose essential oil, and rose quartz next to your bedside will help with love. For six days, take oil from the bottle and burn it in a pink candle. On the seventh day your romantic prospects will brighten.
For luck with money, place three pennies and some pyrite or jade in a bottle and put it near your workplace. Whenever you think about your finances, shake the magic bottle and your fortune should improve in three days.
Purification Broom
A purification broom can be used to purify any space, usually a home space. You can use a home purification broom to clear away bad energy after a fight with a loved one, or if you are feeling blue and want to sweep away the sad feelings. Rid negative energy from your personal space with your broom. You can even sweep the “blahs” out every morning to freshen your surroundings. This makes room for good energy you want to bring into your life. You don’t need to clean intensely—just symbolically sweep to maintain your home as a personal sanctuary.
You can make your own purification broom. A broom purchased from a craft fair or broom-maker will serve you fine, as long as you add energy to it. Or, you can bind straw to a fallen tree branch and create your own. Use copper wire to attach the straw to the stick. Copper is associated with Venus, and this will lend an aura of beauty as you brush away negativity. Attach crystals to the handle or to the wire for further energy.
Scrying Tools
Scrying, the art of divining by looking into a reflective surface and receiving visions, has been used by witches, magicians, and others since pre-biblical times. The word “scry” forms the root for the English word “descry,” which means reveal or discover.
The ancients had special prophets and priestesses who engaged in foretelling the future, and it is certain they used scrying tools from various crystals. Perhaps a chunk of black obsidian was the first scrying mirror used by a Stone Age shaman. All these centuries later, we still use crystal balls made from quartz and obsidian.
It is known that Queen Elizabeth I employed Dr. John Dee, a mathematician and metaphysician, in all matters of the heavens and unseen. Dee’s assistants used a mirror of polished black obsidian, which led the next generation of magicians and psychics to prefer black mirrors. Dee and his assistants used scrying to call upon certain angels and reported hearing knocking, and even voices that sounded like an owl screeching, during sessions. The legacy of alchemist and metaphysician John Dee lives on, and modern seers such as Edgar Cayce have built on his foundation.
In addition to divining the past, present, and future, you can use scrying to contact spirit guides or to improve your skills of creative visualization. Some practitioners of scrying even use it as a gateway to the astral plane.
Although scrying tools usually have shiny surfaces, you can scry with nearly anything. Water, a mirror on the wall, a crystal sphere, a slab of rock, flames of fire, ink in a bowl, or the bottom of a teacup all serve as scrying tools. You may find that smooth, neutral surfaces are less distracting and images will come through to you with less distortion. The ritual you follow when cleansing your scrying tools can be as elaborate or as simple as you like. My ritual involves cleansing my scrying tools before and after each use with rainwater that has sat through at least one day of sun and one night of moonlight. Just like with crystal balls and other sacred tools, you should polish any scrying mirrors or surfaces with a clean cotton cloth and store them in a special protective bag.
Crystal Balls
For thousands of years, highly polished, glasslike spheres of beryl and quartz crystals have been in use by healers, shamans, witch doctors, and medicine men for divination. Beryl, long reputed as a stone of power, was favored by the Druids. Crystals were used to see the future throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The mythical wizard Merlin kept his crystal ball with him at all times. At the height of the Renaissance, Paracelsus, a great philosopher and physician, claimed that conjuring crystals should be used in “observing everything rightly, earning and understanding what was.” They still appear in fairy tales and Disney movies, too. This proves how ingrained the notion of a crystal ball is to our culture. From these examples, we can see that crystal balls have been an integral part of our folklore, myth, magic, and metaphysics for a long time. When even mainstream people are familiar with the power of crystal balls, you can be sure their popularity has not declined in the slightest! The reputation and the power of crystal balls have not dampened, either. We still use them today for the same purposes they were used ages ago.
When selecting a crystal ball, your choice should not be taken lightly. This is a very personal tool that will become instilled with your energy. Crystal balls have their own authority and they can strongly influence the development of our psychic abilities. You should think of the crystal as a container that houses your energy and make sure it feels right for you. The crystal should feel comfortable to hold—not too heavy and not too light. You should not allow anyone else to touch your crystal ball. If someone does touch it, place the ball in a bowl of sea salt overnight to cleanse it of outside energy and influence. Because quartz crystal balls have an inherent power, you have to practice working with them first. Pure quartz crystal balls can be quite expensive, but the price is worthwhile if you are serious about harnessing your intuition and using it for good. Don’t expect your experiences to be like the movies. Most of the people I know who use crystal balls, including many healers and teachers, see cloudy and smoky images.
Work with a partner to sharpen your psychic skills. Sit directly across from your partner with the crystal ball between you. Close your eyes halfway and look at the ball and into the ball while harnessing your entire mind. Empty out all other thoughts and focus as hard as you can. You will sense your third eye, the traditional seat of psychic awareness, begin to open and project into the crystal ball. By practicing this way, you will train your mind. The patterns you see will become clearer and your impressions more definite. You should trust that what you are seeing is real and find a place of knowing, as I do with my stomach. Verbalize to your partner what you see, and then listen to your partner as she reveals her visions to you. After at least three rounds of individual reading and revealing, share visions at the same time to learn whether you are seeing the same things!
You should also do crystal ball meditations on your own. In a darkened room, sit and hold your crystal ball in the palms of both hands. Touch it to your heart and then gently touch it to the center of your forehead, where your third eye is located. Then hold the ball in front of your physical eyes and, sitting very still, gaze into it for at least three minutes. Envision pure white light in the ball and hold on to that image. Practice the white-light visualization for up to a half hour and then rest your mind, your eyes, and your crystal ball. If you do this every day, within a month you should start to become an adept at crystal ball gazing.
When we gaze into a crystal ball, it is possible to see into the fabric of time, both the past and the future. At first you may be able to see a flickering, wispy, suggestive image. Some of you may be able to see clearly defined visions on your first try. Most of us have to practice and hone our attunement with the energy of the ball. You must establish clearly your interpretation of what you see. Many psychics use a crystal ball in their readings, and some report seeing images of clients’ auras in the ball. Projecting information about people’s lives is a huge responsibility, so you need to feel sure about what you are reading. Learn to trust your body’s center of intuition. For me and for many other people, it’s a gut feeling—literally in my stomach. If I don’t get a feeling of confidence, of knowing in my gut, I simply explain that I don’t know what I’m reading or I’m not really “getting anything.” Be wary: It is far better to say you don’t know than to fake it.
Making Wonderful Wands
Most likely, you will use a wand in many of your daily activities. I recommend making your own wand, though you can find beautiful pre-made wands in metaphysical shops.
To make your own wand, you should find a tree branch that has fallen to the ground on its own (no pruned branches!). Sand and polish the rough edges of the stick. The smoke of burning sage will nicely smudge the wand if you pass the stick through the smoke. You’ll need a variety of crystals to complete your wand. Affix large quartz near the handle. You should then find crystals with properties that will complement your magic to the wand. I recommend using citrine as the pointer for the wand, as it aligns your self-identity with your spirit. Refer to the table for more on stones you can use to harness various powers.
Stones for Your Wand
Amber—Grounding
Amethyst—Balance and Intuition
Aventurine—Creative Visualization
Bloodstone—Abundance and Prosperity
Calcite—Warding Off Negativity
Fluorite—Communicating with Fairies and other Unseen Beings
Garnet—Protection From Gossip
Geode—Getting Through Periods of Extreme Difficulty
Hematite—Strength and Courage
Jade—Wisdom to Interpret or Realize Powerful Dreams
Jasper—Stability
Lodestone—Bringing a Lover Back into Your Life
Mahogany Obsidian—Feeling Sexy and Emanating Sensuality
Moss Agate—Powers of Persuasion and Healing
Quartz Crystal—Divining Your Dreams
Rhodochrosite—Staying On Course With Your Life’s True Purpose
Rose Quartz—Love
Turquoise—Safety When Traveling
Watermelon Tourmaline—Help with Planning Your Best Possible Future
Consecrating Your Ritual Tools
You should design a personal consecration ritual for your magical tools. Use the following ritual as a simple “temple template” to build on. In essence, in this ritual you are dedicating yourself and your tools for the betterment of all and setting a foundational intention for your good works. Every time you acquire a new tool or treasure, perform this rite. As you grow in experience, you can embellish the ritual. Refer to your Book of Shadows. Is there a certain phase of the moon that brings you more clarity? Should you use corresponding colors, crystals, essential oils, incenses, and herbs for your own astrological sun and moon sign? Is there a specific deity with whom you feel an affinity? Use these correspondences to begin designing the rituals of your dreams. The more associations you learn and use, the more effective your power will grow. Keep good notes of your ritual work in your BOS, and soon you will become a “maestro of magic.”
Ritual Tools That Need Charging
You will need a symbol of each of the four elements—air, earth, fire, and water—such as: a candle for fire, incense for air, a cup of water, a bowl of salt.
One way to design your own ritual is to look at Chapter 8, which explains the four elements. Choose a symbol from the information there or from the appendices. Also let your instinct guide you to choose as you wish or what you are inspired by.
Take the new ritual tool and pass it through the scented smoke of the incense and say:
Now inspired with the breath of air.
Then pass the tool swiftly through the flame of the candle and say:
Burnished by fire.
Sprinkle the tool with water and say:
Purified by water.
Dip the tool into the bowl of salt and say:
Empowered by the earth.
Hold the tool before you with both hands and imagine an enveloping, warm white light purifying the tool. Now say:
Steeped in spirit and bright with light.
Place the cleansed tool upon your altar and say:
By craft made and by craft charged and changed, this tool [fill in the actual name, bolline, Book of Shadows, etc.] I will use for the purpose of good in this world and in the realm of the gods and goddesses. I hereby consecrate this tool ______ .
Other tools you will use in ritual are more intangible. These include your breath, your intuition, your psychic powers, and your ability to focus your mental powers and spiritual intentions. Because they are intangible, only your intention can purify them. From time to time, you will use colors, herbs, oils, crystals, and numbers. Many of these ritual correspondences and associations have been passed down through the centuries, whereas many of them were invented by modern authors. Information on them can be found in the appendices in this book.
Crystals can also be charged. But tools that come from nature and are not “manmade,” but are of divine design, such as flowers, feathers, and herbs, already contain an intrinsic magic of their own and can be used as you find them.
Your tools will collect and hold the magic that lives inside you. They will become instilled with your energy and stored at your altar or in your sacred space. They will become your power source and will magnify the strength of your ritual work. Your altar should be a place of peace and meditation where your spirit can soar. Adorned with your treasured objects and the tools of your practice, it is a place of focus where you can enrich your life through ritual. You can create a wellspring of spirit so you can live an enchanted life every single day.
You can also perform rituals and make magic without any tools or implements at all. Your intention alone is extremely powerful. This simple approach could be called “Zen magic.” When you perform ritual in this way, you are one step closer to the methods by which early men and women created ceremonies.
