The Chakras - a breif explaination

February 24th, 2009 | → Leave Comment Filed under Information |

The Chakra or Chakka means “Wheel” in Sanskrit. 

The Chakra are energy points. There are 7 diffrent points in the body where energy is absorbed. The 7 Major Chakras are:

1. Sahasrara: The Crown or top of head - This color is purple and symbolized by the Amethyst stone.
2. Anja: The Brow or “Third Eye” - This color is dark blue and symbolized by the Sodalite stone.
3. Vishuddha: The Throat - This color is light blue and symbolized by the Aquamarine stone.
4. Anahata: The Heart - This color is green and symbolized by the Malachite or Jade stone.
5. Manipura: The Solar Plexus or diaphram- This color is yellow and symbolized by the Citrine stone.
6. Svadisthana: The spleen or womb area - This color is orange and symbolized by the Carnelian stone
7. Muladhara: The spinal base - This color is red and symbolized by the Garnet stone.

The 4 Secondary Chakras located in the center palms of the hands and bottom arch of the feet.

The 8 Minor Chakras are the knees, elbows, shoulders and thighs.

Many times you will hear about Chakras being off balance or blocked. This just means that one of your energy points is not absorbing energy. This can be easily remedied though meditation and focusing.

How to clear and open up your Chakras

As you concentrate on each area, your chakra should feel warm, letting its location and presence be known. Now that you have located each of these areas, you can begin a clearing exercise. The purpose of this exercise is to push built up energies out of your body to allow a healthy flow of spiritual energy.
Find a comfortable position. You can lay with your feet elevated or sit in a comfortable position. Your back must be perfectly straight. Posture is very important. Consider your spine a pipe through which water must flow. If the pipe is bent, the water will need force behind it to move.
Now that you are positioned, remind yourself that you are a spiritual being as well as a physical being. Life itself is a spiritual experience.
Bring your concentration to your base chakra. Take a deep breath. Hold this breath and concentrate on the base chakra. When you can visualize this ball of energy, release your breath, and push the tension from this area up to the next chakra.
Repeat though all 7 Chakra points
Doing this on a regular basis should reduce your physical stress increase your energy, and give you a more positive outlook on life.

OM

February 21st, 2009 | → Leave Comment Filed under Lore |

Om is the universal name of the Lord. It is made up of the letters A (phonetically as in “around”), U (phonetically as in “put”) and M (phonetically as in “mum”). The sound emerging from the vocal chords starts from the base of the throat as “A”. With the coming together of the lips, “U” is formed and when the lips are closed, all sounds end in “M”.

The three letters symbolize the three states (waking, dream and deep sleep), the three deities (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva), the three Vedas (Rig, Yajur and Sama) the three worlds (Bhur, Bhuvah, Suvah) etc. The Lord is all these and beyond.

The formless, attributeless Lord (Brahman) is represented by the silence between two Om Chants. Om is also called pranava that means, “that (symbol or sound) by which the Lord is praised”. The entire essence of the Vedas is enshrined in the word Om. It is said that the Lord started creating the world after chanting Om and atha. Hence its sound is considered to create an auspicious beginning for any task that we undertake. The Om chant should have the resounding sound of a bell (aaooommm).

Theban Script (the witches alphabet)

February 16th, 2009 | → Leave Comment Filed under Lore |

Just for fun, I have changed the text below to Theban Script also known as The Witches Alphabet. Now if you do not have the font installed on your computer it will probably look like Times New Roman or whatever the default is, I think this blog uses arial. Anyway you wont get to see how cool it looks.

“This entry is written in Theban script also known as “The Witches Alphabet” This was a secret aphabet employed by witches in the sixties and seventies to help keep their journals, recpies and spells private and only readable by fellow witches. Also as added protection, their grimoire was commonly protected  from prying eyes with a curse.”

Ok ok I’m just playing with you. I have added a link to the font. You can download the font by going here:

Theban Script TTF

For those of you who are less than computer savvy, here is how you do it: download the .zip file and place it on your desktop. Double click the icon. Drag the .ttf file out of the zip file and on to your desktop (or you can extract to your desktop) Next go to your ”my computer” icon and double click it. Look for a folder called “Windows” and double click that. Look for a folder called “fonts” and double click that. Once that is open, drag and drop the .ttf file you extracted and throw it into the folder.  Now come back to this entry and hit the “refresh” button on your browser.  You should see a paragraph above in Theban Script!

Now that you have the font, you can keep your E-Book Of Shadows PRIVATE. Fortunately since this is the 2000’s, we have no needs for curses on our PCs and Laptops, Finger Scanners and Passwords work just fine.

Chaos Magic

February 15th, 2009 | → Leave Comment Filed under Lore |

What is Chaos Magic?

First off, an article explaining Chaos Magic probably doesn’t belong in a strictly Pagan listing of traditions. Since many Pagans may be into certain occult practices, they may have heard of Chaos Magic. This article was written for two reasons: To counter any preconceptions or prejudices some Pagans may have towards it; and to show the beautiful and vivid collection of approaches to magic that fall under the term. There are also many Pagans of various traditions who practice Chaos Magic, so perhaps this can enlighten the rest as to what they are up to.

Chaos Magic (CM) is strictly speaking, a set of approaches to magic that strip away a lot of occultist pedantry and get right down to the bare bones of magical activity itself. The criteria for success first includes observable results. These results can usually be shown to be replicable. The problem is that with any practice involving human individuals, there are variations and an individual’s personal system of beliefs or sense of what is possible can affect the results. (Parallel examples of this can be found in other human fields such as art or music if you need an example.)

In the first decade or so of CM, it wasn’t so much a magical tradition or paradigm in itself but more of a “metaparadigmatic” approach. Beliefs were seen as simply emotive and mental tools to use in rituals to accomplish whatever the group or individual practitioner’s goals were. Though, since those times, CM has accrued to itself some pretty standard and distinctive elements and practices, these could still be seen as a means to an end and not to be used towards establishing any sort of new magical body of beliefs and rituals. Despite this stance, CM may be seen as its own distinctive tradition, depending on the group or individual practitioner.

To get a handle on what CM is, it may be useful to describe the difference between one who practices CM and someone who practices, say Wicca. Whereas a Wiccan is a follower of the religion and belief system of Wicca, CM itself doesn’t mean its practitioners adhere to any one tradition or set of beliefs. Thus the CM practitioner could very well be a Wiccan, a member of Asatru, or a Druid. Usually the Chaos Magician is the type of individual who can successfully see the world from within more than one belief system or paradigm. In this spirit, many Pagans who are polytheists may also be practitioners of CM and not even know it. Many successful and well-known practitioners of CM are conscious members of one or more Pagan traditions or occult groups as well.

Chaos Magic can be seen as the heir to all of the magical traditions of humanity that stretch back to the distant and mostly imagined prehistory of our species. The one key difference is that outside of any useful belief in any sort of continuity with the past, Chaos Mages care little to nothing about philosophizing or taking it too seriously. The focus is on magic itself and the joy that can be ours by simply paying attention to the fact that reality is so much more than any one of our minds can conceive. Reality will and often does allow a certain amount of flexibility and tends to conform to the ways in which we see it. The point of CM is not to allow for any sort of solipsism to arise from this knowledge (which is a perennial danger) but to get the Chaos Mage to see exactly what is “really going on.” This can only be done if one is willing to allow that all of what one thinks about reality is in one’s mind. So we allow ourselves to play with the mind, to see just how much of reality may or may not be influenced or filtered through our mind. It is the mind that is one of reality’s most beautiful expressions of magic, and contrary to what some may argue, the mind is one of the most flexible and fickle aspects of our existence.

It also helps to have a flexible and infinitely adaptable mind so that one will be able to handle life on the day reality simply does not conform to one’s own conceptions. If beliefs are holding you back from succeeding at an endeavor, than CM would say (if it could say anything) that one should jettison those beliefs and adopt something that will work better. This will lead (and has lead) to some interesting developments in the practice of magic within the CM approach.
Author: Irreverend Hugh, KSC
Posted: February 18th. 2007
Times Viewed: 8,743

The Power of Shiva Lingams

February 9th, 2009 | → Leave Comment Filed under Information, Learning |

Shiva Lingams are a unique crypto-crystalline quartz withinclusions or a matrix of iron oxide and goethite. These high vibrational stones are found only in the sacred Narmada River, one of India’s seven holy sites. They are gathered from shallow river beds, and while they are naturally egg-shaped, stones are typically polished in order to balance its proportions.

 Shiva Lingams represent unity and creation. The body of the stone represents male energy (knowledge) while the markings represent female energy (wisdom). They are often worshipped as a stone of fertility, and they are revered by Hindus as the embodiment of Lord Shiva and his union with his consort, Kali. They have been sacred for thousands of years as symbols of sexuality and strong male energy. They are excellent for sexual healing, and they can help reinstate trust in male energy.

Shiva Lingams help to realign and balance the chakras and are also very grounding. They are a stone of nurturing, and have also traditionally been used to raise and control Kundalini energy, which helps you to comprehend the profound mysteries of enlightenment, bringing spiritual growth and evolution. They also facilitate looking within so that you release all that is outgrown, and they are particularly useful for dealing with emotional pain that arises from early childhood. They are sometimes referred to as “The Jewel of the Lotus”.

Siva Lingams come in a many sizes. From the small pendant size to larger more monumentious sizes for your garden. It is thought that the horizonal markings are more for males and the verticle ones (more represtative of the Yoni) are for females, but either is acceptable.

Essential Oils vs. Fragrance Oils

February 8th, 2009 | → Leave Comment Filed under Information |

So is there really any diffrence? Yes, there is a diffrence!
Essential oils are made of acutal essence of the particuar plant that the oil is harvested from. Such as lavendar or pachouli for example. These oils are extracted meticulously via an oil distiller among other devices. This appears to be painstaking and requires a coupious amount of material to produce such a small amount of oil. Whew, I’m glad someone likes to do it!

Fragrance oils are mainly made of artificial scents. This is why you can find oils such as orange creamsicle, sex on the beach, mai tai, nag champa and chocolate mint. They are also substantially less expensive and you can find them virtually anywhere, for example grocery stores, arts & crafts shops and even Target.

Now, I know what youre thinking, essential oils sound expensive do I really need to use them for rituals and anointing? Well yes, they can be expensive honestly and NOPE, you do not need essential oils for your rituals anointing.  I’m sure alot of books, guides and videos will tell you to use essential oils in your rituals, I’ve seen this myself. They may even use the excuse of having to be “pure” for your ritual to work properly. Yeah, WHATEVER, I’ve had wonderful success using wild berry fragrance oils for my candles. Remember, the power does not come from your items, it comes from YOU! The fact of the matter is that it can get very expensive and also difficult to locate certain oils. Can you imagine if you accidently broke a bottle of rare $400 ambergris from having oily fingers? I’d be devistated. Maybe not because of the cost but, how the heck am I gonna find it now? It took me forever in the first place!

The only time you actually need to use essental oils is if you are creating an incense blend or if you are making perfume. Because of course, having a fragrance oil will make your incense or perfume come out very strange and not at all like you imagined it, possibly even vile and nasty! Use your fragrant oils for rituals, heck you can even use EVOO for ritual and anointing!

So next time you are at that witch shop, pick up a bottle of Strawberry Cheesecake, it smells so good while you rub it on your candles, and you can throw it in your oil burner too! If it breaks, big deal, you’re out 3 bucks. Go buy more.

Skyclad and the Great Rite.

February 7th, 2009 | → Leave Comment Filed under Lore |

This was initially an Ask the Witch question that I recieved via email but thought instead of answering it in my Ask the Witch section, I’d make a post about it. Reason being, I had quite a bit of anxiety over it years ago myself. Undoubtedly it seems there are others out there that face the same anxiety.

For those who don’t know what these are, let me start out by explaining. Skyclad is another name for nude. You are allowing the sky to clothe you instead of traditional fabric garments, thus the term Sky Clad came from. Many covens utilize this practice and encourage it. Apparently it is supposed to make you feel “unrestrained” and “free” when performing rituals or rites. The Great Rite is a rite of passage once you reach your 3rd degree within your coven. This has been described as having intercourse with your high priest or high priestess. When you make this “union” it is viewed as becoming one with the god or goddess and you be come somewhat of a spouse. It is more or less a coven marriage.

The question that was posed to me was “Do I really have to take my clothes off to peform rituals and do I have to have sex with my coven leaders?”

Let me put your minds to ease when it comes to performing Skyclad and the Great Rite. The answer is “No” on both questions. No, absolutely not.

Now keep in mind, being Skyclad is more or less a right when you are in a coven. No, no one can force you to perform Skyclad and No, you can not stop anyone else from performing Skyclad.

In a previous entry I had briefly touched on both. (see: Seekers Bill of Rights) If you ever become involved with a coven that demands that you perform skyclad and demands that you engage in sexual intercourse with your coven leaders to move on to 3rd degree, you are dealing with an unscrupulious circle, and this is abuse. No one should ever make you feel that you have to engage in sexual intercourse to move though the ranks OR in any sort of ritual celebration. True some covens utilize the Great Rite sexually and have ritual sex end of a ritual. If this is something that you are not comfortable with nor consent to, leave at once!

Unfortunately since our Pagan path is so varied and not quite accepted by general society you will in fact come into contact with people who will abuse you in this way. Also unfortunately there is no Pagan laws that will protect you from such. However, there are state laws that everyone, regardless of religion must abide by.

So what of the Great Rite and advancing to 3rd degree?
The Great Rite as I said has been described as sexual intercourse with your leaders BUT THIS IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE THE GREAT RITE! The Great Rite is also symbolized with an Athame and a Chalice. The Athame being the phallic symbol of the God and the Chalice as the female representation of the Goddess. During the Great Rite in leiu of sexual intercourse, the HP would plunge the Athame into the Chalice if you are female, or the HPs will have you plunge the Athame into her Chalice. This is how it is achieved. This is called taking the Great Rite in token meaning symbolicly. Which is very much recognized as well as taking it in true where you have sexual intercourse.

It is very important to ask many questions before joining any Circle/Coven. Talk to them about Skyclad, if you are requried to participate in ritual sex and about the Great Rite. If you do not feel comfortable with how these are utilized, then you should find another circle.

Remember, it does not matter if you are a new seeker, no one has the right to take advantage of you  nor should they make you feel that you are not up to par or adequate enough to be part of thier circle because you do not want to engage in sexual intercourse or peform skyclad. Your body is yours and yours alone.