George Morley writes in “Shakespeare's Greenwood: The Customs of the Country” (1900) of the curious tradition of "telling the bees":
What charm or influence bees have upon the affairs of the human family is a subject as interesting as it is undeterminable; but there is no doubt or obscurity about the fact that no prudent cottager of leafy Warwickshire ever omits to take the bees into his confidence. The small honey-gatherers, indeed, in spite of their minute size in comparison with the size of their keepers, exercise quite a despotic power over them. They insist on being “told” everything, and there is a popular belief that if the bees are not informed of all leading occurrences in the family some visitations of ill-luck are sure to follow.
Thus the business of “telling the bees” of any important event happening in the homestead is never forgotten, or dreamt of being omitted. The bees must be told of a birth, marriage, departure, return, or death of any member of the keeper's family, and then all goes well; but let this ceremony be once omitted (either from forgetfulness, neglect, or design), then a penalty in some form will have to be paid. Such is the steadfast faith of the Warwickshire rustics, who, to avoid the penalty, tell their bees everything.
In concluding these brief examples of the folk-lore attached to bees existent in the Warwickshire greenwood, may I mention that in connection with the ceremony of “telling the bees” there is one belief held more strongly than many others, and that is that if, when the master of the house dies, the bees are not told of the event, they will leave the hive in a body and go right away.
The use of witch bottles to entrap and bind anything insidious being directed at the household by an ill-willed sorcerer or other psychic adversary, have been traced back as far as Elizabethan times, and also found among artefacts of colonial Pennsylvania. Unmentioned in the articles below, is the powerful ingredient of menstrual blood (but then, only witches know that. LOL) used in specific cases.
A traditional witch bottle is a small flask, about 3 inches high, created from blue or green glass. Larger and rounder witch bottles, up to 9 inches high, were known as Greybeards and employed so-called Bartmann or Bellarmine jugs. Bellarmines were named after a particularly fearsome Catholic Inquisitor, Robert Bellarmine, who persecuted Protestants and was instrumental in the burning of Giordano Bruno . Greybeards and Bellarmines were not made of glass, but of brown or gray stoneware that was glazed with salt and embossed with severe bearded faces designed to scare off evil.
A witch, cunning man or woman, would prepare the witch's bottle. Historically, the witch's bottle contained the victim's (the person who believed they had a spell put on them, for example) urine, hair or nail clippings, or red thread from sprite traps. In recent years, the witch's bottle has taken on a nicer tone, filled with rosemary, needles and pins, and red wine. Historically and currently, the bottle is then buried at the farthest corner of the property, beneath the house hearth, or placed in an inconspicuous spot in the house. It is believed that after being buried, the bottle captures evil which is impaled on the pins and needles, drowned by the wine, and sent away by the rosemary.
Sometimes seawater or earth are used instead. Other types of Witch-bottles may contain sand, stones, knotted threads, feathers, shells, herbs, flowers, salt, vinegar, oil, coins, or ashes. A similar magical deceive is the "lemon and pins" charm.
Another variation is within the disposal of the bottle. Some witch's bottles were thrown into a fire and when they exploded, the spell was broken or the witch supposedly killed.
This form of "bottled spell" dates back hundreds of years, and were prevalent in Elizabethan England - especially Anglia, where superstitions and belief in witches were strong. The bottles were most often found buried under the fireplace, under the floor, and plastered inside walls.
The Witch-bottle was believed to be active as long as the bottle remained hidden and unbroken. People did go through a lot of trouble in hiding their Witch-bottles - those buried underneath fireplaces have been found only after the rest of the building has been torn down or otherwise disappeared. The origins of this tradition have been dated at least to the 16th century. In ancient times the bottles were made of stone and originally contained rusty nails, urine, thorns, hair, menstrual blood, and pieces of glass, wood, and bone.
(-Wikipedia)
Opening a Witch Bottle "Uncanny Archaeology"
by Samir S. Patel
Around the time of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts, belief in witchcraft also persisted in England and continental Europe. Witch bottles--small containers filled with personal items, sealed, and buried--are one way witchcraft appears in the archaeological record. The belief was that the buried bottle absorbed a spell, tormenting the witch that cast it. When they are found today, they are almost always broken or empty, but in Greenwich in 2004, workers found a rare, unopened example, a stoneware bellarmine jar. They heard rattling and splashing inside, so the bottle found its way to retired chemist Alan Massey, an old hand at examining witch bottles. It was an unusual opportunity to bring all the tools of modern science (laboratory science and high-tech elemental analysis--our own witchery!) to the study of 17th-century witchcraft.
X-rays revealed pins and nails stuck in the jar's neck (it had been buried upside-down), and a CT scan showed that it was about half-filled with liquid. Using a long needle, scientists penetrated the cork and extracted some of the brew inside. Using proton nuclear magnetic resonance and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, they determined the contents: urine. The bodily fluid was spiked with a metabolite of nicotine, indicating a smoker, and sulfur, the hellish brimstone of the Book of Revelation. After removing the cork, and taking in what was likely a rather unpleasant smell, Massey inventoried the contents: 12 iron nails (one of which was driven through a leather heart), 8 brass pins, clumps of hair, 10 manicured fingernail clippings, and a little clot of what looked like bellybutton lint. Textual sources confirm that these were not unusual items. According to British Archaeology, where the find was first reported, a court record from 1682 documents the recommendation of an apothecary: "take a quart of your Wive's urine, the paring of her Nails, some of her Hair, and such like, and boyl them well in a Pipkin." Apparently, sometimes when you have attracted the attention of a witch, you have to get your hands dirty and resort to a little of the craft yourself.
The Widdershins Walk
This term originally comes from the German "Wiederscheinen", essentially meaning a reflection. The general idea is that reality as we know it, is bound within a tenuous veil of light, obscuring the view of what actually lies beyond it. Thus, what aspires to communicate with us from beyond that veil, is more apt to do so in the form of a fata morgana, than actually show itself. This is also synonymous with the idea of the magic mirror.
In essence, the widdershins walk implies moving contrary to the apparent motion of the sun or "counter-clockwise" in order to penetrate that veil, generally opening a temporary portal to the otherwordly. Particularly in the western hemisphere this is interesting as it also works with Coriolis forces that affect energy flows, hence I prefer to work in a spiral, sometimes using white granite clacking stones if I'm clearing or energizing a spot. It also helps to choose a spot where such manifestations or even earth lights are known to occur. In medieval times it was believed such portals were found within the rings of fairy mushrooms. Nonetheless, there's nothing in traditional witchcraft that says you can't experiment.
Around the time of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts, belief in witchcraft also persisted in England and continental Europe. Witch bottles--small containers filled with personal items, sealed, and buried--are one way witchcraft appears in the archaeological record. The belief was that the buried bottle absorbed a spell, tormenting the witch that cast it. When they are found today, they are almost always broken or empty, but in Greenwich in 2004, workers found a rare, unopened example, a stoneware bellarmine jar. They heard rattling and splashing inside, so the bottle found its way to retired chemist Alan Massey, an old hand at examining witch bottles. It was an unusual opportunity to bring all the tools of modern science (laboratory science and high-tech elemental analysis--our own witchery!) to the study of 17th-century witchcraft.
X-rays revealed pins and nails stuck in the jar's neck (it had been buried upside-down), and a CT scan showed that it was about half-filled with liquid. Using a long needle, scientists penetrated the cork and extracted some of the brew inside. Using proton nuclear magnetic resonance and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, they determined the contents: urine. The bodily fluid was spiked with a metabolite of nicotine, indicating a smoker, and sulfur, the hellish brimstone of the Book of Revelation. After removing the cork, and taking in what was likely a rather unpleasant smell, Massey inventoried the contents: 12 iron nails (one of which was driven through a leather heart), 8 brass pins, clumps of hair, 10 manicured fingernail clippings, and a little clot of what looked like bellybutton lint. Textual sources confirm that these were not unusual items. According to British Archaeology, where the find was first reported, a court record from 1682 documents the recommendation of an apothecary: "take a quart of your Wive's urine, the paring of her Nails, some of her Hair, and such like, and boyl them well in a Pipkin." Apparently, sometimes when you have attracted the attention of a witch, you have to get your hands dirty and resort to a little of the craft yourself.
The Widdershins Walk
This term originally comes from the German "Wiederscheinen", essentially meaning a reflection. The general idea is that reality as we know it, is bound within a tenuous veil of light, obscuring the view of what actually lies beyond it. Thus, what aspires to communicate with us from beyond that veil, is more apt to do so in the form of a fata morgana, than actually show itself. This is also synonymous with the idea of the magic mirror.
In essence, the widdershins walk implies moving contrary to the apparent motion of the sun or "counter-clockwise" in order to penetrate that veil, generally opening a temporary portal to the otherwordly. Particularly in the western hemisphere this is interesting as it also works with Coriolis forces that affect energy flows, hence I prefer to work in a spiral, sometimes using white granite clacking stones if I'm clearing or energizing a spot. It also helps to choose a spot where such manifestations or even earth lights are known to occur. In medieval times it was believed such portals were found within the rings of fairy mushrooms. Nonetheless, there's nothing in traditional witchcraft that says you can't experiment.
The Witches Reel
Cummer gae ye before, cummer gae ye,
Gin ye winna gae before, cummer let me,
Ring-a-ring-a-widdershins
Linkin lithely widdershins,
Cummers carlin cron and queyn
Roun gae we!
Gin ye winna gae before, cummer let me
Ring-a-ring-a-widdershins
Loupin’ lightly widdershins,
Kilted coats and fleein’ hair
Three times three!
Cummer go ye before, cummer go ye
Gin ye winna gae before, cummer let me
Ring-a-ring-a-widdershins
Whirlin’ skirlin’ widdershins,
De’il take the hindmost
Wha’er she be!
Popular Misconceptions
First of all I think it should be known, that witchcraft as an elite religious society of political influence in Europe began with the “Völvas” and “Seithkonas” of the Scandinavian Norse; just as the sibyls were to the Greeks and Romans. Before then such practices were largely shamanic and quite secularly tribal throughout Europe. While communities had their masters of ritual ceremony, this should not be confused with the practices of the Derwyd (wild man) or the Wicce (wise woman) who resided in sacred groves. What distinguished them apart from the rest was not some grimoire of ancient secret magical spells and rituals handed down through the ages. Sorry, but that is just pure Medieval fiction. It is not the spell or the instrument that carries the power, rather, how it resonates with the user and vice versa. In essence, these were people born with any number of outstanding psychic skills apt to be seen as quite advantageous to the community. As these skills are usually hereditary, that’s where the idea of the hereditary witch really comes from. To this, any oral traditions that accompany it, are second nature; as any true Seith carries the ancestral memory. Acquiring this ancestral memory is often called "Tapping the Bone" being as some may use a visionary process traditionally involving a skull on a stang, but it's scarcely necessary for more adept psychics who have little time for theatrics .As for what we aspire to define as “covens”, these were meant to be a mutual bond of people to collectively enhance the influence of the channeller. Nonetheless, this is not something you can instruct to people, especially when neither you or they have the ability to begin with, no matter how much they may agree or even exalt you as an “authority”. It has sod all to do with authority, rather, how these individuals "resonate" with each other.
Traditional witchcraft is neither a coven craft, nor a temple craft in the “old country”. As a nature based tradition its societies are tribal, hence the use of the term “Clan” or “Kindred”. However, in that sense the term “witchcraft” applies to the art of creative genius, just as much as psychic ability, in what one crafts. In essence, to transform an idea into physical reality with the utmost cunning and skill was considered a magical art, albeit farming, sword making, music, verse, healing, cleansing or even preparing food. A clan worked together, each of their own skill to the benefit of the whole. It was about improving the quality of an otherwise wretched struggle for survival. Thus, truly understanding the nature of traditional witchcraft begins with learning bush craft. It also helps us realize that our ancestors did not always have the convenience of books to guide them through this process, rather, passed on their experience or “kenning” through oral traditions of cleverly worded riddles or allegorical verse; that only one who had grown up in that environment could understand. This is why traditional witchcraft cannot be simply taught, rather must be experienced to even begin to understand this. It is not simply a practice, but a way of life.
Just the same, there is no initiation other than the “coming of age” traditions practiced by most tribal societies to this day. It is where youth is put to the test of its ability to survive on its own, in order to truly understand the needs of responsible adulthood. Under these conditions it was also where any exceptional skills amongst them usually became evident, and were singled out by the adept for special apprenticeship. A typical example of this in oral tradition is the story of Wieland the Smith.
http://fanzone50.com/Tales/Wieland.html
The Basic Rules of Magic
While paganism is essentially nature based, that means understanding that it’s not about oneness; but realizing the many different parts that make the whole dynamic. Dynamic is the keyword here, because no matter what you would like to believe, existence is based on some very fundamental laws of motion. However, there is more to the mechanics of it than the polarity of opposites- rather, the kinetics of intermediate forces that keep the two in tandem. This is where the “magical three” comes into play that alot of novices tend to misinterpret as the “three fold law”. Rather, this should be understood that no system can be absolute, but is always subject to change. In essence, continuity is in the ability to adapt and diverge from the binary into the infinitesimal; like the sprout that breaks the seed or the flap of the butterfly’s wings that over the course of least resistence makes the tsunami. Nature abhors perfection and the more you try to confine a system, the more it becomes the focus of forces in entropy. In essence, opposites in cancellation. Wisdom is knowing where to set the wheels in motion for a inevitable outcome. A question of time and place. Yes, clairvoyant ability is an asset, but then a good instinctive sense of direction and timing will do.
This isn't an essay on the philosophy of witchcraft, rather the practical facts of causality in the continuum. Physical laws that have to be understood before you can productively communicate your will without it dissipating into oblivion, completely miss its mark, or come back at you in a volley of shit. Don’t kid yourself, nature can pull a fast one on the cunning just the same as any fool. If it’s philosophy you want then consider this: Life is the great experiment in which Nature always sides with the hidden flaw. Indeed magic is neither black or white, and as far as the Luciferians are concerned, dabbling and making mistakes is the most potential part of the learning process through experimentation. We live, we make mistakes, we learn.
While paganism is essentially nature based, that means understanding that it’s not about oneness; but realizing the many different parts that make the whole dynamic. Dynamic is the keyword here, because no matter what you would like to believe, existence is based on some very fundamental laws of motion. However, there is more to the mechanics of it than the polarity of opposites- rather, the kinetics of intermediate forces that keep the two in tandem. This is where the “magical three” comes into play that alot of novices tend to misinterpret as the “three fold law”. Rather, this should be understood that no system can be absolute, but is always subject to change. In essence, continuity is in the ability to adapt and diverge from the binary into the infinitesimal; like the sprout that breaks the seed or the flap of the butterfly’s wings that over the course of least resistence makes the tsunami. Nature abhors perfection and the more you try to confine a system, the more it becomes the focus of forces in entropy. In essence, opposites in cancellation. Wisdom is knowing where to set the wheels in motion for a inevitable outcome. A question of time and place. Yes, clairvoyant ability is an asset, but then a good instinctive sense of direction and timing will do.
This isn't an essay on the philosophy of witchcraft, rather the practical facts of causality in the continuum. Physical laws that have to be understood before you can productively communicate your will without it dissipating into oblivion, completely miss its mark, or come back at you in a volley of shit. Don’t kid yourself, nature can pull a fast one on the cunning just the same as any fool. If it’s philosophy you want then consider this: Life is the great experiment in which Nature always sides with the hidden flaw. Indeed magic is neither black or white, and as far as the Luciferians are concerned, dabbling and making mistakes is the most potential part of the learning process through experimentation. We live, we make mistakes, we learn.
Dark and Light, by definition of pre-Christian tradition draws from natural order itself. Both were understood as integral parts that made the whole cycle of life dynamic. Its people understood the land. Dark is the fertile substance of matter, namely the earth; all things were born of it and return to it upon death. Thus the darkness was seen as transitory realm of “sleep” where the spirit finds its release from the mortal vessel for renewal. Light refers to the energy of the sun, lightning and all things luminescent. It is the "spark of life" that breaks the seed, the primal "will" to expand and expound. Both were regarded as warranting equal caution and respect. In this regard pre-Christian tradition makes little exception as it deals with spirits on all levels. For better or worse, depends more on the consequences of one’s actions. Under those terms, arrogance, greed and sloth were more apt to be intolerable to the survival of a tribal community.
Trance Witchcraft by Wyrdy
My Personal Experience With Trance Work In Witchcraft.By Keith E Thomas. (Wyrdy)
I have come to the conclusion through my own years of experience that the Witch is a Nature Mystic. I rarely, if ever carry out any of my workings indoors. I think it is very important to be out there in nature and away from the modernity of the modern age when I make my personal connection to that which I hold sacred. The local woods or river bank or old sacred sites become very different places indeed if you work with them in an Animistic “Pagan” way, mostly alone, with respect and honour. I personally really enjoy going to those old Barrows in the woods or high up on the downs or the Henges or Stone circles near where I live in Southern England. It is just a very magical experience to be in a place that was held sacred by people who walked over the same land many thousands of years before. To be actually there on a moonlit night with Owls hooting and the universe of this dimension tangibly all around oneself closing in, is an experience just too difficult to put into words properly. Truly marvellous! Places where dimensions collide indeed. Every time I go out to these places it is as if I am embarking on my own personal pilgrimage of a sacred manner.
These places I speak of were places, where, the ancients inturned their honoured dead and carried out their spiritual practices. Places where the centuries can slip by and possible insights , wisdoms and connections can be made. I believe, that at certain locations there are portals to dimensions and forces that the Witch can link into and use in their spiritual Pagan practice. It seems the ancients were aware of this and built many of the old circles and stone rows and Henges at these locations as markers.
I guess I decided to write this not to try to be another Pagan Guru or inflate my ego but to try and give an insight into the way I work, the way I think and what it actually is to be a Pagan Witch in early 21st century England. In fact I champion that each and every one of you become your own Guru. Nature is my inspiration, my Muse and my very spirituality and if this gives me the label “Pagan” so be it, for it is what I am about and no one will ever take this away from me no matter what book they refer to when criticising my way. My spirituality is all around me and not something written by some Bronze or Iron age zealot to control and manipulate the people around them. Enough said.
When I think about my crooked path, my journey, I quickly come to the conclusion that without my direct personal experience in my own Hedgeriding/trance work or UPG’s (Unverified personal gnosis) that the rest of my path would be missing a very important aspect for me indeed. I would be left with a plethora of odd nik naks and strange statues and books.
Witchcraft, for me, is not a fashion statement or a “collecting hobby” it is a very serious business indeed and not for the faint hearted. It is all about direct personal experience and not about taking another persons word for things because it says so in a book. I mustn’t forget to mention the importance of Magic too! the twisting, weaving, sorcerous practices that make this Witchcraft path so rewarding spiritually and fit together like a good English Ale and a packet of ready salted crisps must not be disregarded.
Many folk try to turn the old magical stuff into some modern psychological framework which fits in with their modern perspectives and in my opinion are losing out on the very specialness of a Pagan Animistical way of being, entirely. The spirits of the wild wood are there if only you can gain the knowledge into how to contact them. There lies the rub!
The job in hand
There comes a point when you must haul yourself off to a sacred site or place of power and face the things and sorceries that this subject matter is really all about in actuality. The moonlit night I find best, and prefer, but that is not necessarily a prerequisite. Those places that the everyday folk are wary of or have spooky reputations are the sorts of locations that should get your juices flowing for a contact,and are probably great places to heighten your senses for the work ahead. You do need to be away from the maddening crowd. Call yourself a Witch? Then get out there with it all, I say!
Want to know what some Pagan deity of old is all about? See if you can find them for yourself rather than take someone elses description of them. Personal contact is far more enlightening and most empowering indeed.
You will know beyond any reasonable doubt when you are faced with timeless, powerful, sometimes scary, wise advisors and forces who have been sought out by mankind since the earliest of times and it is not without risk to your world perspective on returning to this world.
One symptom I discovered was that I really found it exceedingly difficult to understand the perspective of the religious Christian for example if I ever tried communicating with them. Take it from me it is a waste of time, leave them to their delusions as they are lost to the ways of a nature mystic. I have found that my very thinking is regarded as an affront to them and I offend them with my total abject disregard of all the things they hold holy. That is their problem not mine. Leave them to their man written book.
The question is how to obtain this hands on trance experience? Lets try to hint at how to get that Broomstick to take off then shall we.
The secret to success is mastering yourself a technique that enables “YOU” to personally enter into an altered state of consciousness where the old gods, elementals, tree spirits and all the other things one knows about from this subject are waiting to have discourse with you.
The basic, absolute truth, is, that all the ritual furniture. the magic circles, swords, candles, robes, incense, chants and all the other plethora of things that initially attract people to this subject, are for one thing and one thing only. That is to gain an altered state of consiousness where direct communiction and experience of spiritual forces can be made. It is thought that by bombarding the five senses with all the ritual accoutrements that this can be achieved. I think it just makes things overly complicated and is not actually necessary at all. If you enjoy a piece of theatre, fair enough but know it for what it really is!
In my early years I smile fondly now at all the stuff I thought I needed to attain such an experience, sure it was fun, at the time but really it was not necessary to carry around so much stuff, tramping through the woods with the contents of a Pagan temple with me in the quiet hours. We all learn the hard way!!
I would say all you need is a couple items, if any, and some incense, possibly if you like to work simply, as I do these days. I personally only use a Stang, something to skry with and maybe some incense. A good pair of sturdy boots is a must and so is a torch for it can be exceedly muddy or very very dark out there with nature.
Now then Trance work.
We all experience lucid dreams at some time or another, where the dream feels as real as this world, trance work enables this emersion into another realm at will and is the goal. Most of us have experienced this whilst we sleep so you must understand that the things that I talk of are just as tangible and real when you are “in there” as it may of been when you experienced this lucidity in your dreams. Is it the same place as where these lucid dreams are experienced? I think similar but not the same. The trance state I experience is very tricky to describe, I must say that I am always aware of my body, here, in this world, whilst at the same time experiencing all manner of things in my trance state in this so called inner realm.
There is always an anchor in the background that connects me back to the world of men.
If you can find a teacher who can show you old techniques that may enable this experience, do it. That being said, the teacher can show a hypnotic drum rhythm, chant, dance, swaying or breathing technique maybe alongside a path working, but it is down to each and everyone of us to unlock this portal to the so called inner realms for ourselves. Sure, a quick fire way is an alcohol induced or drug induced trance and these have their merits and their pitfalls The merit is that the “nagging scientist” as I term it, in your head that makes you feel stupid is shut up, but it is a high price to pay indeed. I know only too well what this is like as I have experienced this for myself and it was not great. Not to mention the hangover.
It is always far superior to enter trance and the so called inner realms without these substance turbos because there is a danger that you will not know exactly what went on or remember everything in the process if completely out of it.
You have to practice, practice , practice, in the art of trance inducement. Even for trance veterans a good contact cannot always be relied upon. This is a magical art and like all arts it is never a constant. Some of my best experiences have been when I was not in the mood and reluctantly dragged myself off into the woods against my better judgement. Very annoying but a fact when dealing in this subject. Saying this though it seems that once the knack has been established usually something will be experienced however brief. Maybe a nugget of wisdom is divulged in an instant from some unexpected aspect of sacred nature that you wish to consort with.
I personally experience a lightness of body alongside a plethora of light anamolies along with an undulating Serpentine type energy that makes one swoon into a vortex of undulating spiralling forces that seems to rise from the ground beneath my feet whilst at the same time the very star light seems to funnel downwards into the top of my head colliding with the Earth energy rising like twisting serpents travelling upwards through my body. This fusion of forces seems to send me on my flight to the inner realms where I usually find myself at a specific location that I have learned to try to get to. From ths inner world location I am usually sought out by one of my animal totems who will then take me on my travels to a spirit/entity who wishes to impart knowledge or assist me with my weavings or sorceries.
I think I should mention something about animal totems. From experience an animal has always spontaneously presented itself to me in my inner world contact. I did not choose them, ever. In fact when the first animal appeared to me and stood before me, i did not understand what it actually was for quite some time. When the penny dropped, so to speak, everything began to fall into place and make sense to me. Since then I have had only 3 other animals offer their alliances to me up to this point . Will there be more? I cannot say as I am not the one who initiates this process. You must understand that there are secrets in this art and my totems are one that I would not discuss in this work. Each has a different power associated with it and that is all I need say.
Sometimes the trance can be so intense that the entity will overcome the Witch and take possession of them. A very spiritual experience where the Witch blends with the spirit and a true understanding of the connection between things in this world and of all things may be made. I have found these possessions to not last for too long and it is a very powerful thing to feel. I think it is for this very reason that it is wise to either work alone or only with very close and trusted colleagues who understand the process that is happening. A benefit of these possession experiences is, it gives the Witch an absolute respect for the natural world and all things in it. It can make an individual a very spiritual Pagan Witch indeed, who may possess an understanding of their union with the universe and how artificial and superficial the world of men actually is.
Something I have not touched on is that for some reason these trance states seem to be easier to experience in full emersion when you have a crisis in your life. It is as if the spirits answer the inner beacon being given off by the Witch in times of need. Great sorceries can be worked in this way when face to face with a spiritual entity whom you can ask for help to assist yourself or another.
One thing I would say when dealing with entitys in the inner realms, never threaten them as it is in written in some of the medieval Grimoires, this is just a big no no. Always be respectful because you don’t want to upset these Titans, you want them as allies not adversary’s. Also any promises made or oaths said must be kept to. If you cannot behave honourably in your spiritual practice, where in your life will it ever be possible? Trust can build a strong bond for the Witch with their spirits no matter what they be. Also the witch must be in absolute control of their will at all times. You are the moral barometer where you work your magic, as you see fit, (this is not Wicca) and you must know what you do and why you do it with all consequences accepted once the working commences. This is why the oaths made are intransigently kept to and are very serious indeed.
A yardstick to use is to see if the sorceries that you conjure whilst “in there” come to fruition or not in this world. This should cut out fantasy from fiction indeed.
Obviously when achieving this practice you are seriously rumbling around with your psychology and possibly making contact with inter dimensional realities that can seriously effect you. One danger I know of is the allure of this practice, where, one may find it very difficult to know when to put on the brakes, not keep going “in there” all the time. The call of the Fae can be very addictive. That world can start to surplant this one for varying reasons and you can suffer because of it. Unhealthy I think, as it is possible to withdraw from the world of men too much in preferance for the inner or other world experience. Take it from me contact with this stuff will make you a tad odd if you are not careful anyways but too much could possibly make you appear nuts to the rest of society. You have been warned. I make my warnings not glibly or because I enjoy the drama of it, I have known of one individual who was sectioned because of it.
Mark ye well their manner, for it is quiet and assumeth not. It is in peaceful tones they speak and oft seem abstracted. Seeming to prefer the company of Beastes, they converse with them as equals. They dwell in lonely places, there better (as they say) to know the voices of the Wind and hear the secrets of Nature. Possessing the Wysdome of the fields and forests, they do harm and heal with their harvests. They concerne themselves not with idle chatter or fashion, nor do worldly goods hold worth for them. Be not confused as to think that only Woman-kynd harboureth the gifte in this matter. Of Men there bee many that hold mickle power.”
-Edward Johnston, Esq. Sudbury, Suffold, England 1645 A.D
Not sure if the above is genuine of time and date stated.
I might add that all the above was written by me and not Plagarism of any sort. Apart from the final quote of course!
It's a popular misconception that ghosts should appear transparent, rather they are a very solid looking manifestation of altered time. Take for instance the case of Roman legions marching through the basement walls of a house that was built atop an ancient road. The figures look very real, yet, pass through the basement as if its walls didn't exist. Indeed, these walls didn't exist in their time. These, however, are not to be confused with spirits, whose forms can be highly suggestive. Either way we can forget about catching them on optical frames of visible light, rather, would require algorithmically mapping their quantum signatures- something which our brain actually does quite unconsciously- that we have yet to replicate technologically. At most we can only catch the thermal absorption anomalies they leave behind, otherwise it's about as effective as trying to photograph radio waves.The earth is a great natural dynamo for all the tidal forces in its atmosphere, the great oceans, and the magma convections under its rather tenuous crust. This, along with the gravitational effects of its mass spinning at an equatorial speed of 1,674.4 km/h or 1,040.4 mi/h has a measureable effect of distortion on the fabric of spacetime, and that’s aside from orbiting the sun at a speed of 29.77 km/s. Thus, it should be no surprise that we see some pretty strange things wherever these forces attenuate into the transcendental.Spirits are a different story, for the simple fact that they interact with us; though most times on a subliminal level. They are everything from wights and little people, down to the unresolved souls of the dead. One must understand local spacetime on this earth as a multilayered thing, with the occasional “thinning of the boundaries” at the nodes of these attenuating forces. We can suddenly find ourselves within their alter-reality in a different order of time- where a few seconds can seem like hours or quite the opposite. They may come to us through a mere energy signature, rather like a signal- the experience of their presence seeming more a tele-projection or dreamlike synthesis. Sometimes we may only hear a voice, or perceive a very vivid scent. To understand the nature of these different manifestations gives us something more tangible to work with in comprehending their messages- in effect, learn how to work with them in a better understanding of existence as a whole. This is the essence of spirituality as nature intended it.
Shapeshifting 101
This isn't just about taking on the appearance of an animal or someone else, rather the uses of remote telepathic suggestion to project a wide variety of psychic impressions- from empathic sense, to full scale clairsentient projection. First of all, we must understand that much of what we call instinct, largely involves sense of smell, taste and touch. Ever notice how the scent of certain things can bring back vivid memories or in the dream state make the imagery so superreal? Unlike other creatures we are often only unconsciously aware of the bioelectric signatures these so-called lesser senses perceive. Yet in our mind's-eye they actually complete the mental map of our surroundings, beyond all limitations of sight and sound. Through instinct we can feel the vibrations of something approaching, changes in atmospheric pressure, the electrostatic medium, mosture, and a host of other signatures. Through the smell and taste combo we can sense friend or foe, imminent danger, even what other's impressions or moods are. Thus the real trick is to be able to recognize/identify these signatures and what they describe. This is where true psychic ability is harnessed. To be able to use all these faculties to map out the actual multidimension of this thing we call presence in the space-time continuum as well as communicate it at that profound level. Pheromones and other bioelectric signatures specific to certain emotional states or imagery are key in the communication of its impressions to others. In essence, you emulate the image/impression you wish to project, and your bioelectric chemisty does the rest. Naturally this is something you must experiment and practice with in order to put to practical use. Of course, this also requires a fair degree of mental/emotional self-discipline, otherwise the signatures of intent are liable give away the game to those who can recognize them! In fact, if you can mask yourself well on that level, you can even elude people from even noticing that you are there, in otherwords- blending into your environment. Important above all in the use and dealing with these skills is to Know Yourself!
Psychic and Dream State Defense
As a child I used to have the same spurious nightmare at the oddest occasions. I was born with a very powerful sense of causality, apt to be quite disturbing to a young mind as mine was. Nonetheless I had a pretty good idea that some kind of parasitic manifestation kept trying to sneak a particular scenario into my dream state, however, because it would pitch up so totally at random, it took me years of conditioning to finally catch the bugger in the act. The scenario was always some lonely road in an endlessly flat prairie landscape at the end of some non-descript town. A couple of childhood friends were there, going into a panic about becoming horribly lost in approaching nightfall. I was reassuring them while contemplating a suitable solution. Being in a strange place, day or night, is no fear of mine, as I was already quite apt at mastering myself in foreign places at an early age (my family traveled alot) so naturally this is my tendency. Well, in the midst of calming my friends this vagabond suddenly lunges at me out of nowhere, wielding a sizeable knife. The most I could do at that point was wake up cursing. Years later I had an unpleasant encounter with a creep in the military who had been through all that CIA training shit such as remote viewing and telepathic hypnosis. As this guy was hell bent in doing a psychic number on me, I really had to muster my forces fast. This involved taking complete control of dreams he tried to invade as well as blocking his empathic suggestions. My advantage was a lifetime of practice as opposed to his lab rat mentality...but aside from all that, in the heat of the battle, that stupid nightmare pitched up one last time. When that vagabond appeared wielding a knife, I pulled out a 9mm and shot him right between the eyes. The look of shock/horror on his face was priceless. At that point it was like the dream exploded in a million pieces and I haven't seen the likes of it ever since. I don't know if you can relate to this, but there comes a point with pernicious things like this, where you simply have to have a mind like a steel trap.
I really wish the contenders would finally take the spook out of it instead of just writing it off. There is nothing “paranormal”, “parapsychological” or “extrasensory” about well developed cognitive ability- and it’s not like we don’t have the medical advancements to explain it in detail. Back in the day of Zener cards, they only had the electroencephalogram to assess neural activity. Psychology was still very much theory and pretty much in its baby steps over the bio-electric processes involved. We have since learned that these messengers in the olfactory process can be extremely graphic. While for all our domestication, we may only be subconsciously aware of these signals, that does not say those that advanced this acumen in the wilds haven’t retained that awareness. Evolution is just as much dependent on environment and circumstance despite heredity. Genes get switched off and on even within a generation. That we know now from our studies of mutations in the genome.
I hear so many people make claims about locations that have a certain “vibe” to them. I have often found this to stem from an acute sense of these bio-electric markers left behind, especially where drastic things have happened. Then there is also the sensitivity to a variety of geophysical anomalies. It seems the punters tend to underestimate the human sensory capacity at it’s peak, especially when the brain becomes wholly aware of these things. My faculties involve what some define as clairvoyance, even chronokinesis, but being the sort that can recognize outcomes in the algorithmic patterns of things, I’d much rather attribute it to my rather graphic non-linear scope of causality. Now having said that, I tend to be critical of fortune tellers and above all mediums. While a deck of cards or the roll of dice can be conducive to the symmetry of local causality (especially if you’re a strange attractor) much of these half wits can't seem to get that bigger picture (say nothing of cold reading) because they just can’t grasp the physics. Of course to deny them their superstitious enigma could mean the end of a very profitable fashion industry, say nothing of religion. So this is the real problem.
Advice to the Inexperienced with Otherworldly Spirits
I often hear of people attempting do workings “by the book” in “haunted” locations. While some resident ghosts may seem merely lost in transit between life and death, there are other manifestations on that borderline apt to exploit whatever open channels they can find.
First of all, one must understand that these are entities whose energy forms subsist in what is known as a state of suspended time or dilation. How this altered time state appears to us is rather like watching a film strip where every ten frames an alternate scene has been spliced in. While it is not enough to distract from the bulk of what we are viewing, we become aware of something vaguely showing through, rather like a ghost image. Change the frame speed, and the alternate scene becomes ever more tangible. This much the same as what we achieve during a deep meditation, by slowing our metabolism- or, as I mentioned before, there are various geophysical forces of resistance that can also slow the effect of time.
Secondly, one must understand that altered time states are no less subject to the laws of conservation as any other. So really, these entities are only prolonging the inevitable- that without some dynamic source of energy to maintain this suspended state, they degenerate into something parasitic, even predatory, drawing it from whatever “living” host happens to venture their boundaries. This accounts for the icy chill often experienced where these things appear present. The faculties of hunger and thirst are no longer human, rather reduced to a sensitivity to polarity, automatically attracted to the energies it requires. This is where human fear becomes their prey. It is pure raw energy with no particular direction, wide open for the taking Like it is with any predator, fear attracts much the same as the cry of an injured animal or the scent of blood. There is no reasoning involved just pure instinctive reflex.
The bottom line here is, that it makes no difference what wards, banishing spells or groundings you invoke, if you have personal insecurity issues it’s an exercise in futility. It is your emotions and the will behind it that they are responding to, not anything else. Thus it’s best to respect the old proverb “know yourself” before you even consider doing any sort of working with the spirit realms. The power comes from within yourself and not the spell book or magic device, these are only tools. These can only channel what you comprehend.
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