Ex Penna

This week's offering comes from a wonderful little book I joyfully discovered in a junk shop some 14 years ago called "Metaphysical Meditations" by Paramahansa Yogananda.  It contains brief yet hauntingly beautiful invocations to self and spirit which can be used in a variety of ways to bring higher realization. Though not a charm, per se, each of these incantations do have elements of magic to them.  The following is one of my favorites.  It creates a deep sense of purpose and calm, bringing connection to the caster as well as the energy to make use of this potent state of mind.

Though you may choose any method you like to utilize this charm, I recommend sitting comfortably and repeating it softly aloud until a trance-like state is achieved.  Once this point is reached, stop the chant but remain in the posture for a few minutes.  This is the point of listening and all manner of information can be obtained this way.    

The Beginner Witch


All of a sudden, I have noticed a rash of newcomers to the magical community and though I'm overjoyed, I often forget the kind of advice to give the very new.  We should always be ready to help those who are just joining our ranks; their fresh viewpoint and enthusiasm are like a cool breeze to those of us to whom magic is a regular part of life.   For that reason--and general goodwill, of course--I will always offer what I can to the newcomers I meet.

To that end, you might like to check this blog, The Beginner Witch.  I adore books above all things, but a blog has a sort of personal presence that books cannot.  Because blogs are always being updated and because their authors are easily contacted by their readers, the newcomer will never be out of options for the latest information and new topics to explore.

Whether you live alone, with a roommate, significant other, or (like myself) a bustling family, your home is the foundation of your world.  As such, it can easily get cluttered with stress, fears, regrets, loneliness, or any number of other unpleasant emotions we carry around with us and then drop off someplace convenient.

A little bit of this bad stuff can quickly disperse with the usual ebb and flow of the emotional tides that surround you.  Playing music, opening the windows, cleaning, performing rituals--all these things can be used to get rid of the usual accumulation of negativity.  If, however, you have a lot of such energy or it builds up faster than you can remove it (often the case in homes with teenagers or arguing couples), try this instead.  There's no faster or more pleasant method I know that will clear out negativity and calm a restless spirit!


Method for a Simple Peaceful Incense

Light a charcoal disc in a theribule.  If you don't have either, heat a cast iron pan on the stove until it is very hot. Pour onto your hot surface a large spoonful of brown sugar.  Carry the theribule or pan (use layers of hot pads) throughout your home to suffumigate every room.  When you are done, you will easily note the change.  Welcome everyone back in and let them enjoy your renewed and peaceful home.

Six Secrets to Making Your Love Spells Successful


As you know, I don't shy away from coercive magic.  I believe that all types of spells are valid.  If it was the right thing to do, you have become stronger; if it was the wrong thing, you become smarter.

This article, however, makes love magic especially beautiful, workable, and achievable by giving the "old world witchcraft" perspective.  If you are seeking the love of someone special, of someone you haven't yet met, or that of anyone at all, read and get ready to cast some potent love magic!

The best advice I can give a spellcaster of any rank is to diversify.  You should know 3 ways to attain any goal--a big, extensive spell with all the extras; a solid standard spell for a regular day; and a quickie emergency type that can be done while away from tools or in a rush.  At some time in your life, all of these will be important.

It's also good to diversify when it comes to storing information: keep a long-term Book of Shadows, an indexed reference, and a pocket-sized book to carry or keep in your desk at work.  These three do not have to contain all the same information.   Far from it! It's actually better that each book be tailored to fit the circumstances of its use.

The carried book should be full of easy, on-the-spot spells, charms, and sigils and be arranged according to problems you might have while away from home.  The reference should be organized by what works for you, be it by title of the spell, its purpose, or the items it uses (example indexes being "candle spells" or "knot magic").  Try out your method a few times before committing to it; it should make finding the spell you need fast and effective.  Your Book of Shadows is the place for longer pieces, rituals, and explorations into concepts and theories.  You'll want to revisit these ideas, but not often.

Think today about how you can branch out and diversify in your practice.  In what ways can you open up and make magic that much easier for you?

"UPG", in case you weren't aware, stands for Unverified Personal Gnosis.  It's becoming a more and more normal part of the magical experience, especially where traditions are in short supply.  UPGs can create new beliefs, new practices, and new traditions.  So what is a "personal gnosis"?  In simple terms it means mythology that was revealed from the Gods only to you.  It doesn't reflect or connect with ancient tales of the Gods; it is new information gleaned directly from the source.  UPG is fascinating, enlightening, life-altering.

To you.

Only you think your UPG is amazing.  You were blessed and given insights only known to a few in history.  Like discovering a hand-written book in an old trunk, there's treasure in the discovery itself and dense mystery in every word within.  UPGs can inspire intense creativity, connection, and a feeling of universal adoration.  They can make you a better person, a better practitioner, and certainly a better follower of the God or Goddess who gave it to you.

To everyone else, however, it's just as interesting as you describing last night's dreams.  We'll say "uh-huh" and "wow," but there's nothing in it.  We just don't care.  And that's because no one loves your experiences like you do.  We weren't there, we didn't feel it, and we have nothing to gain from getting excited over it.

Or you may be lousy at relaying the story.

Or we may have had a contradictory UPG that now feels invalid and we have to deal with that.

Or you may be changing something essential about a deity we follow and we're choking back the words "S/He would never do that, you idiot!"

Truth is, the Gods are not static.  Eternal spirits of any kind still grow and change.  I believe that UPGs are a way to help specific followers understand this, but I can't imagine anyone but their original receiver really getting it.  Sharing this kind of information with other practitioners may seem important, even helpful, but that's rarely the case.  Instead, you'll risk feeling like others don't care about you personally (not true...probably), your experience was silly or meaningless, or even that over-exposed feeling we get when someone else has private information about us that make us vulnerable.  You can nonetheless share it if you like, just don't be too shocked if you see nonplussed faces still waiting to hear something important.

Review of The Wicker Man


You know, sometimes I have to take a moment's pause for the many ways that magical thinking and Pagan beliefs have set my opinions at odds with what would be expected.  This review is a fine example of it.

After seeing The Wicker Man for the first time (happily, with no one spoiling the ending for me beforehand), I was puzzled at how it was considered a horror movie.  Sure, the nature of what is considered "horror" has changed since the '70s, just as "heavy metal" means something quite different from when I was a teenager, but I think it goes further than that.   Was anything truly scary going on?  If so, how did I miss it?  Lord Summerisle, to me, was a figure of grandeur (and not just because he was played by the incomparable Christopher Lee) and I would have been a willing pupil to his wisdom.  Willow, in my eyes, is a self-assured young woman enjoying the place of prominence that her youth, cunning, and connection with eternal Goddesses affords her.  Sounds great to me.

Unlike the woman in the review, I don't see anything sexist going on.  Yes, the penis is revered as a generator of life and given prominence but men are not.  Men are no better than women on Summerisle.  Many of the characters who do the truly important things in the story are female.  Willow, easily the most prominent female character, is unattached and doesn't consult with anyone else before acting.

And the suffering of Sgt. Howie?  He's not suffering at all to me, at least no more than anyone else playing out the fate of their lives.  I don't feel bad for him; it's the way things must be.  I also don't think that any of the deception of the people of Summerisle was devious.  There was something at stake which was of greater importance than any one person.  It all makes sense.

I suppose this is what made me also side with the townspeople in Thomas Tryon's "Harvest Home."  This was their whole world and its continuation was essential if anyone or anything was to survive.  The fact that some unpleasantness must ensue was, by ancient Pagan standards, completely reasonable.  There is always death before life and struggle before peace.  This is an essential part of true reverence of the earth.  We must shed the rose-colored glasses that make us see the world as a place of unending happiness and open our eyes to what it really is--a place of potential and possibility.  Sorrow eventually begets joy, pain will give way to pleasure, and death opens the door to life.

Enjoy this darkly comic review and think about which side makes sense to you.