Category Archives: Spirit Guides
Pagan Blog Project: B- To begin
Beginning your path
Over the last few weeks I have given you a lot of information about researching and answering questions related to your path. I gave you advice on how to choose your directions and even some concepts on divinity to start with. These are all great things to know and have as an idea before you actually begin your path. However once you know where you are going, what your views on deity are and the cultures you are basing your practices off of how do you actually start to begin your practice and path? This is the question we are going to focus on and answer for you today.
There are many different ways that you can actually begin your path. The important thing is to try and spend as much time doing research and reading about new beliefs and practices you want to explore as it is to actually spend the time doing the work. If all you do is read and research and reflect on what you read and research you will have a lot of book knowledge and some great opinions. You just wont have any experience and you wont actually “know” the processes, the spirits, the Gods, or even the effects of the practices you have been dedicating your time to.
Ways to begin your practice
I remember when I took my first steps on my path as a witch I was very nervous. I was afraid of doing things wrong. I was afraid that the Gods and the spirits wouldn’t listen to me. I had no formal teachers or training. I was simply stumbling in the dark. So I remember the anxiety. It was both a positive anxiety as well as a negative or hesitant type of anxiety. I had the same feelings when I started to practice Germanic Paganism. The important thing is that you work through the anxiety and the sensations and start on the path.
So what can you do to start on your path? You can build an altar. You can start a magical journal or spiritual record of your practices. You can start a meditative practice. If you are very confident in your connection to your path you can perform a rite of dedication and direction. Finally the most important thing you can do is try the exercises you encounter in the books and websites you use as tools and references in your studies.
There are as I said many different things that you can do to start walking your path. You may not be able to do as much as you would like right away and that is ok. You may miss sabbats and opportunities for rituals and worship as you learn the important dates and times in your chosen spiritual path. The Gods know you are human and you are learning. So long as your heart is in your path and you work hard you will be amazed at the path you will create for yourself.
Altar creation
One of the things you can do to begin your path is start an altar. Altars are a wonderful way to express your spirituality. By creating an altar you are creating a sacred space in which you can focus on performing your spiritual work and practices. Altars can be very simple or they can be very elaborate. There are many different things that you can put on an altar and there are many different ways that an altar can be set up.
My basic altars when I am working with a new spirit or starting to work with new Gods are very simple. They typically include a candle that I light when I am praying to that spirit. I also light the candle as an offering to them. I also if I have them have an incense burner for burning incense as offerings to the Gods and spirits and to help as a focus when I work on meditation. I also typically have a cup or bowl for any liquid offerings I may give the spirits.
No two altars are going to be the same. If you do decide to set up an altar let it be a reflection of your relationship with the spirits you are working with. Your altar is for you and your practice alone. It doesn’t matter what it looks like or what you have on it at this point in time. Its just there as a focal point and expression of your relationships with the spirits you work with.
A lot more can be said about altar creation. I have written two entries elsewhere on this blog that deal with altar creation. If you decide to start with the creation of an altar I would recommend you look at the articles. They contain several examples and some exercises for you to use as you build your altar.
Altars part 1: 6 exercises and points for altar building
Altars part 2: Specifics for paths and practices
Magical and spiritual record keeping
The second thing I mentioned you could do as a formal start of your path is to create a spiritual journal. This journal may have already been started if you have been following the exercises and advice I have been giving you on this blog. Some traditions have specific names for the journals that are kept and others are incredibly personal. In all traditions though the personal spiritual journal is a very powerful sacred personal object.
One thing I mentioned previously is that as you do your research into the various paths out there was take note of things that you agree with and things you disagree with. I also advised you to write down quotes that gave you something to think about. I have also given you several different types of questions to answer and reasons for asking those questions.
All of the notes you have taken, the questions you have asked, and the answers you have given yourself are the start of a very important document. This document or well book is very important. This book is going to serve as your record of spiritual growth. This book will have a lot of information in it as time goes on. It is also one of the most personal spiritual items and tools you will ever make.
You may be asking why a journal of your spiritual experiences, thoughts, and beliefs is important. The answer is simple. This book and journal will show how you have grown and developed spiritually. This book will contain things you agree with and things you disagree with. You will basically put anything in here that you feel is important information about your path. There really isn’t anything you can’t put in this journal.
The act of working on this spiritual journal is also a way to connect your mind and emotions with your actual soul and spirit feelings. By writing out your thoughts and reflections to ideas and concepts you are processing how your spirit feels about these things. This allows your mind to understand what drives you and allows your mind to spend time finding ways to include those thoughts, beliefs, and practices in everything that you do.
Writing in a journal is a very therapeutic thing. It helps you process the day and it helps you really sort out how you really feel and think about many concepts and ideas. In many different spiritual paths one of the key concepts or ideas to strive for is to know yourself. Writing in a journal is one of the best ways to know yourself as you are truly honest to yourself about how you feel and what is on your mind. By knowing yourself you also know what your real needs, wants, and desires are. In spirituality this can also mean knowing exactly the type of connection you are actually seeking with the Spirits and the universe.
These books will also serve as your references for your personal experiences. In them you should include exercises you have done (the steps of the exercise and your experiences), prayers you have said and or rituals you have done. It can also include prayers and spells you have found inspiring from other sources. If there is poetry or myths you find inspiring and directly related to your path you can put that in there. Its your guide to your experiences and your development as a spiritual person.
In witchcraft most often there are two terms for these spiritual journals. One of them is occasionally called a mirror book. That book is full of your reflections and ideas. Its where your theories and beliefs are recorded. Its a reflection of your innerself and your soul. This is a very personal book and is often not shared.
The other book is often called the Book of Shadows. The book of shadows is a book containing spells and rituals. It also has the lore of the practice. In solitary practice this book is your sacred text basically. It forms a workbook for formulating spells and rituals. Its your tool in your acts of priesthood. This book can be shared with people if a solitary chooses to share their work. Typically if it is handed down it will be to children or very specific family members interested in the practice all at the individuals discretion.
In covens and in specific traditions there is a Book of Shadows that is specific to that coven or tradition. Members are expected to hand copy or make themselves an exact copy of the book for their own use. Like the individual book this also contains all the materials needed to form the rituals and practices of the coven. It may also contain coven history and tradition history. These books are also used as teaching materials to preserve the practice and and ensure that all members have the same information to go from. Ceremonial Magic has a similar practice called Grimoires, and some witches elect to call their ritual and theory books Grimoires as well.
Meditative practice
One element that is common among spiritual paths is some sort of meditation practice. This practice is a way for you to go within yourself and reflect on things. It can also be a way for you to communicate with spirits and Gods. Meditation is a very powerful tool for spiritual development and daily spiritual practice. This is one tool that comes in many different forms and has different uses.
One use for meditation techniques is to understand different philosophic principles. By working with different powers of the mind in meditative states you can learn and experience different philosophies which will create spiritual experiences. Often times these meditative techniques also are building blocks to deeper spiritual techniques and can also be magical techniques as well.
Meditation techniques can also help you learn how to better focus and use the powers of your mind. Through meditation you can travel to the spirit worlds. You can meet many different spirits and interact with them. You can experience the mysteries in the universe. These mystery experiences will provide you understanding and spiritual growth. These are things that will also make your spirit and you feel at home and have deeper understandings and connections to the world around you.
Basically meditation can work for psychic development, spiritual development, mental development, and the development of focus skills. Meditation has many different effects and uses spiritually and practically. Its worth an entry all of its own. When you engage in meditation as the starting point or beginning of your practice you will want to explore many different philosophies and types of techniques. Remember to record and write down what you experience in meditation and what the techniques were.
Dedication ritual
This is often the first real serious step a person takes on their spiritual path and practices. Dedication rituals are very serious acts and indicate a specific level of commitment. When you are dedicating yourself to your path you are promising any and all spiritual powers on this path that you are there to serve them and to learn from them. You will listen to them and you will do all that you can to live your life the way they ask you to. It also shows that you are ready to make your path an intricate part of all aspects of your day to day life in some manner. You are ready to not just be a student and exploring of the path. You are ready to say this is my path. I will follow you for as long as I can.
If this is what you want to do for your first step on your path than you should go for it. If this is your choice then you have done enough research and had enough of an emotional connection and response that you know that this is where you want to go for now spiritually. Taking the step of dedication is a big step and its one that should not be taken lightly. In some paths a self dedication is the equivalent of an initiation of sorts. In other paths its a phase of learning before swearing a deeper oath and practice. For myself dedication is both a learning period and a way of swearing an oath.
I am not going to write any more on dedication here. It is a first step in a path and it is a way to begin your path. I have written an essay on this blog earlier in more depth about dedication and the types of dedication there are. That post even has two different types of dedication rituals.
Do the Exercises
Many books on spirituality and spiritual paths will have exercises scattered throughout the chapters to illustrate and give you personal experience with the concepts being discussed. Most of the exercises do have a practical aspect to them. When it comes to spirituality and magical practices the only way to really understand the concepts of energy and spirit is to have experiences. The experiences do more to teach you the philosophies and world views than just the books ever could.
Sometimes it may not be easy to see the meaning or reason behind the exercise being placed where it is. If this is something you experience that is fine. In this case finish the chapter. Read the exercises and the rest of the chapter. Reread it a few times if you have to. However once you have an idea of what the exercises and the chapter together are teaching you need to do the exercises. The exercises will actually show you more than any words can.
In spiritual paths the concept of mysteries and how they must be experienced is often brought up. The exercises including guided meditations and occasionally mini spells or rituals are there to have you gain access to the particular mysteries of that path. The author of those exercises has used them several times themselves and seen how they worked for their spiritual paths and development. By publishing those exercises in a book, website, blog, or podcast the author is providing access to the mysteries for others. They want you to share the experiences they have had.
When you do an exercise be sure to write down the exercise in step by step processes so you can repeat the exercise. Also write down everything you experience while doing the exercise. You will find that some of the techniques out there will be more effective for you than others. That is ok. By having the experiences and by doing the exercises and the work you are knowing yourself and your spiritual path bringing both into closer harmony.
Conclusion
In this post I have illustrated several different ways that you can start practicing and walking your path. Each of these first steps has a benefit to them and they also have their down sides to. Each step also plays its own role in your development spiritually and personally. These steps are all good ways to start including your path in your life in a more direct and outward way.
My personal suggestion would be to do a mixture of the journal, meditation, and exercises for a while. Then after you know a bit more about the spirits you are working with and you have gained some experiences I would set up an altar. Now the altar can be a tool for meditative focus and spiritual development. I would work with these combinations for a few months before I performed an act of dedication.
I hope that these steps help you find and develop your spiritual path. As always if you have any questions or comments please let me know. If you feel that there are other steps out there I could have mentioned also please let me know.
~Loona Wynd~
Review: The Conjure workbook by Mama Starr
The Conjure Workbook Volume 1: Working the Root is an excellent tome on Southern Conjure work. When I picked up this tome I knew that it was going to be full of Christian mysticism and biblical references. That is what Hoodoo and conjure is. The Southern Hoodoo and conjure traditions are a mixture of folk beliefs from pre-slave days in Africa and the various Christian faiths in the south. This was how the slaves were able to hold on to a bit of their previous culture and identity.
If those who are looking to learn about Hoodoo and conjure work are expecting information to come from a pagan perspective and are looking at this work they will be disappointed. Mama Starr is very clear about her roots and the roots of Southern Conjure which are in Christian belief systems of the south. While she does say that you can be of any belief system and still work the spells and rituals she provides, unless you respect the Bible and understand that it is filled with lore, spells, and practices you will not get anything out of this book.
The author begins the book by discussing the work of ancestors. Here the author begins explaining one of the core concepts and beliefs across Conjure/Hoodoo/Rootwork traditions. There is an overall belief in an existence of an afterlife and that our ancestors will be there to answer us. The author starts by describing how they help us and work with us and finally ends with setting up an altar to venerate and pray to your ancestors.
I mentioned the importance of respect for the Bible as a sacred text and as a book of power as that is the second topic discussed in the book. As I said early on the author is clear in that this book is a southern conjure book which is going to have referenced to the Bible in there. Most of the references are in the Old Testament but they are still Bible references.
After working with the ancestors is covered, crafting altars and work spaces is discussed, and the Bible is mentioned as an important source the Author gets into the spirits and beings that are often worked with in her practice of Hoodoo. Prior to reading this book I was aware of the work with the archangels and the saints. Here I learned of new spirits and beings also associated with Conjure as well as how we can even work with the prophets in the bible.
Each being mentioned came with several different prayers and ways that you can work with them. These early workings are here to give you an idea about the powers each spirit has. These workings also introduce you to the concepts of repeating works, and how actual effort is put into the work. The author makes it clear that these things are repeated several times for effectiveness.
As the book continues the author mentions and focuses on another core belief in rootworking traditions. That belief and practice is one of divination. Starr provides many different ways of working divination including a very traditional practice of reading the bones. While the actual practice of bone reading is not discussed, the author does include its history of use. The author included a photo of her own bone set.
As the book continues the author continues an easy to follow step by step instruction on workings. The author also continues her straight talk. The author is very serious about their work and their tradition. Throughout the book the author mentions how some of these works are dangerous and are not to be simply played with. She does this not to discourage people from doing these works, but to encourage people to take the work seriously.
The author does speak only of their own tradition and practices. While the author does give you all the information you need to create your own Hoodoo/Conjure practice she does encourage you to find an actual teacher to learn more complex works. As an example the author explains why some packet spells written by other authors aren’t as effective as they could be because of folding the paper of the packet in a different manner than she was taught with an explanation of why the other method may actually backfire.
This book is filled with practical information. With the authors attitude, explanations, and the step by step processes in the book the tome The Conjure Workbook volume 1: Working the Root provides everything you need to know in order to effective start working your own spells and rituals. By working the spells in the book you develop understanding of associations and correspondences which can be useful in creating your own effective spells.
Pagan Blog Project: A is for Angels
What are angels? This is a question I have found myself asking myself recently. I once believed that I knew exactly what angels where. Then I heard conflicting stories of them being servants of only one specific God, the God of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism and there for bound to only help and work with those who follow Yaweh/Allah/Jehova. Other people claim that they are simply servants of divine forces and are not limited to a specific set of religions or religious beliefs.
I personally believe angels to be servants of the God Jehova/Allah/Yaweh. Other Gods do have servants or minor Gods that work as messengers and intermediaries between them and humans but I don’t necessarily believe they are angels. That being said I believe that so long as there is a connection in your life to those three religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism) they will help and work with you. This connection could be continuing family celebrations, a belief in them, and or a belief in Jesus or that God as a God just not the only God.
I have always held a belief in angels. Though I have not worked with them since the early years on my path as a witch. I knew others still worked with them magically through enochian magic, ceremonial magic, and at times Hoodoo. These three magical traditions are associated with Christianity and angelic magic and angelic work for spiritual practices as well as magical practices. Now I have started to work with angelic forces again.
If you want to work with angelic forces and angelic spirits you simply need to be open to their force. The force that angelic spirits are made up is pure unconditional divine love. If you have any sort of connection in your life to the three paths of Abraham you can work with these spirits. You just need to open yourself up to working with them. They will make themselves known to you.
Pagan Blog Project D: Direction, Decisions, & Divination
Direction and Decisions
The last few posts have given you several things to think about as a seeker. As you have thought about those things and your own beliefs you should have compiled or started to find a list of belief systems or religions that match up to what you are looking for to some extent. These religions and spiritual paths should have as many things related to your beliefs as possible. You may find there are a few which only have a few of your major beliefs in them but not all of them. That is ok. The point is you have a list of paths and options. No what do you do?
You need to make some choices. You need to make some decisions on where you want to go now. There are options. Now you need to choose. So how to choose?
Direction
Right now you may have a list of belief systems you are eager to explore that have things you want to explore. There may be many parallels in beliefs to what you hold. This is a good position to be in. It means you know what you believe you are just looking for more structure and concepts to develop from. You are looking for direction. Having a direction in which to focus allows stability and confidence building. Focusing on one specific direction can and will deepen spirituality.
Choosing that direction can be difficult. I myself look over all the paths I have studied that have things I believe in and wonder where I should go in my studies. I’m sort of in a cross roads right now myself as well which is part of the reason for writing this post. Directions can and will change in your studies and as your path and your spirituality grows. This is also a good sign that you have learned a lot in one area but need to grow in another. By changing directions and choosing a new direction when you start you already really begin to grow.
So to begin choosing your direction you should look at two of the paths or religions that inspire you the most. These are good places to start your exploration. These will be the focus of your deciding factor. You will still want to read about and research the other paths out there that interest you. There is a reason they are interesting to you. They have something to offer that you will benefit from. For now though having one direction or focus is essential.
This direction will for some time be the focus of your studies and growth. You will use this to establish your foundation if you are new to exploring spiritual options. Here you will start to establish relationships with specific gods and spirits according to the path you choose to walk. Here after you do additional study you may want to then do a dedication and deeper studies for a while before exploring elsewhere. The point is the direction you pick will be the foundation of your spiritual home and your path.
If you have been exploring spirituality your new direction will add a new level to your spirit house and you will have a deeper knowledge base to choose from. This will expand your spiritual awareness. You will probably meet new guides and spirits in the new direction you choose to explore. Your previous understandings will develop and may slightly change. You are reaching the next level in spirituality and practice as it were.
Making the decisions
Now that I have highlighted the reasons for choosing one direction rather than exploring multiple paths at once it is time to explain and go over how you can make the decision for yourself. There are many ways you can make the decision about which path to take. I am going to list them here and then go into each one in a bit more detail. In the end there are two ways you can really go about making this. You can do a soul and spiritual searching of it or you can do some practical work. You can also do a combination.
Spiritual decision making aids
Here are the spiritual and insightful methods. There is a meditation method. There is the prayer method. You have divination through cards or even using a pendulum. You finally have the what does my heart say about what I know about this path right now method. All of these methods involve working with a spirit or some aspect of the hidden self you have to contact in some form. Now I will expand on each of those methods.
I am going to start with the meditative method. The meditative method actually comes in two forms. The first form involves contact with your own spirit guides and guardians for advice. The second form of the meditative method is a bit more introspective yet just as effective. Both are in a meditative state so they are both the meditative method of making your decisions.
The first meditative method to discuss then is the method where you contact your spirit guides and guardians. Here you can go into a meditative state and contact your spirit guides and guardians for advice. You can give them an idea of why you are having difficulties with this decision. You can ask them where they think you should go. They may give you an idea or they may show you something that you have to think about. Either way through contacting your spirit guides you have been given their insight on the matter which should prove useful for your own decision making.
The second meditative method is less about spirit guides and more about yourself and your thoughts. The idea here is that you will get into a meditative state and you will be able to focus on asking yourself the question “which path is mine?”. You may find symbols appear that relate to one path. That is your answer. You may even find yourself brought on some sort of vision quest by your higher self. That quest there and that experience there. Either way your answer comes from yourself, your heart, and your spirit.
The prayer method is a method that many people use. Here you will work on praying to spirits or guides for the answer. If there are specific Gods and Goddesses in either path that you are interested in more than others you can pray to them. If there is a specific type of spirit found in each culture you are interested in you can also pray to them. You can also pray to both pantheons in a general reaching out prayer and see who answers. The same thing applies to the various spirit entities found in the different paths.
When you are working with the prayer method you are leaving the answer to the question up to the Gods and the spirits. In the end it will be them who make the decision about accepting your worship or working with you or not. You can not force a deity or spirit to work with you that is not willing to work with you. For this reason many people recommended prayers above other methods. All of the methods I am telling you about are useful and worth trying. I do have to agree that prayer is one of the more powerful ways to connect with willing spirits and Gods.
Divination methods of decision making
Divination is a method that takes many forms. Here you have tarot cards and oracle cards. You also have pendulums and scrying. Channeling is also a form of divination. In using divination you are spending the time contacting the spirits directly. From how you connect to the spirits the various forms work to provide the answer.
In the oracle card methods (tarot decks and other decks) the answer comes out through the meaning of the cards pulled. By looking at the order the cards were pulled and where they stand in the reading your answer can be interpreted. There are thousands of different oracle decks out there. Tarot cards are one form. Doreen Virtue has several oracle decks out there as well. In working with these decks you will find that some card decorations and symbols speak to you more than others. Those are the decks you want to work with.
On to Pendulums! With the pendulum you will have a movement answer for yes and a different answer for no. One of the best ways to use a pendulum in this fashion would be to hold the pendulum over the text of the paths you are interested. Ask it if its for you. The answer will be in the movement. Do it over the other text and see the answer. If you don’t get an answer from either of those you may just need to take more time or try another method.
Now not everyone has a stone pendulum. That is ok. I am going to share a secret with you. Ready? Every one can make one themselves. Yes. You can make a pendulum yourself with objects you have around your house. If you have string or something to suspend the item with you can make a pendulum. The best examples are taking a necklace chord unused and put a ring in the center. Then hold the necklace with the ring suspended. Ask it for yes and ask it for no. Presto instant pendulum.
Scrying is the next item on the list. Scrying is basically starting into a reflective surface and relaxing your gaze. After some time an image will appear. There are many methods and ways of accomplishing this methods. You have the fire method which can include candles, campfires, wood stoves, and much more. There is the water method. Here you can use ice, a glass of water, a lake, a pond, or basically any form of water you can think of. Other methods include using a reflective mirror made for that purpose or through using a crystal ball. Other people may be able to use incense smoke of fire smoke to scry. Try it and good luck.
Channeling is the final method that was mentioned as a way of working divination. In channeling you basically call a spirit into your body or mind for the answer. You ask them the question and they will be answer. This is the process that mediums use. If you are not comfortable speaking you can try the same method with automatic writing using a paper and pen to let the spirit basically write down the answers to the question.
So I have given several different ways you can work divination to get an answer. The idea behind divination is that you are working with a spirit or your higher self for an answer. The answer is coming from outside of you. The only real difference between these styles mentioned is the fact that they all use different techniques. The philosophy behind their use and why they work though is basically the same.
Spirits and Gods can be powerful allies in answering questions. They have access to wisdom that we do not have. They can also be very powerful teachers in our spiritual development. All of the above methods are ways of contacting these guides and beings for assistance in making the decision about the path you are about to take. I must be mentioned however the above methods of making a decision with spiritual aids can be used for other situations in life. Here they are just used as tools in choosing your spiritual paths.
Practical decision making tools
I have just spent some time illustrating ways that you can combine looking for a spiritual and religious path with doing active spiritual path work and spiritual development. While these tools are important to be used in working with spiritual choices there are other options. You can use your day to day decision making tools as well to work with this.
What are your day to day decision making tools? Well there are a few. You have pros and cons, evaluating available information on the topic at hand, space and time, economic, and you also have emotional aspects to play into this as well. Anything you would use to make a decision in the rest of your day to day life you can use for spiritual choices as well.
I’m going to start with a basic tool. The pros and cons tool. This tool allows you to list all the good things about taking this path. It also gives you a place to list any issues or problems that could come up because of practicing this path. You can if you feel the need to make a column for places of thoughts that are not an issue or a great thing but just there, or something you are not sure where it goes. That would be the column for that. When you have listed everything you can think of in one page for one path do it for the other path as well. When you have done both take some time to rest before looking at them and comparing the three lists.
The tool of evaluating the amount of available information on a subject is actually quite important when choosing a path to work with. There are some paths out there which have a lot more information on them than others. This may have already been a consideration in the Pros and Cons aspect of the path. For some people the lack of or overwhelming information of a spiritual paths practices can be a key reason in their interest in pursuing it. You should consider this as you look at your options for paths.
The factors of space to practice, time to practice, and the economic aspect may actually all fall together under one thing which is can I practice this path where I am now with what I have now? Some cultures have rituals that require elaborate dances or at least a lot of movement for space to work the spiritual paths. Other paths may work with herbs that are expensive and exotic or out of your reach. How much time will it take to perform the ritual? These are all things to think about. If you can’t effectively perform the rites where you are with what you have is it worth investing your spiritual energy into spirits and Gods that may not respond for lack of traditional rituals?
Finally one thing we all use in our day to day decisions is our emotional reactions. Some of us are going to have stronger emotional reactions to the tales and legends of spirits and Gods than others will. Looking at the emotional reactions we have to thinking about the culture, the myths, and the powers we read about in some cultures may be where we should be looking for answers. Here is a personal example. I for one have always been fascinated by Egyptian Gods and myths as well as their culture. Yet when I read the myths I feel no emotional response. I had no interest previously in looking at the Germanic Gods. However when I read the myths and legends I had an emotional response. This proved to give me insight into my spiritual direction. I urge you to look at your emotional responses to myths and legends as you read them.
Conclusion
In this blog post I have given you several tools to use to make your decisions regarding which paths to study and follow when you are attracted to multiple paths. You can always go back and explore the other paths after you have done some study and practice of the first path you choose. I strongly believe that we can all find truths in every path out there. It is just up to us to find them as individuals.
*Photo found on http://www.alanbrookscrossroads.com/*
D: Dedication
Dedication
The subject of this post is something that I actually have to think long and hard about. Lately when I think about it I can’t honestly say that I have been fulfilling my honest statement of being dedicated to serving my readers and myself on my personal spiritual journey. The last few weeks have been full of self doubt and self assessment. To be honest I even asked myself what right I had to run and even continue to post on a blog dedicated to helping newbies and seekers find their own paths.
I honestly felt that there was no reason for me to continue posting this blog. I have had a crisis of self esteem and self worth. It just hit me recently that while I may not be exactly where I thought I would be at this point in my life I am exactly where Fate has dictated I belong. This for me was a central part of accepting my current situation and current feelings of worthlessness.
During this time I have had to take a look at where I stand spiritually. I have to admit I have never completed any training beyond my Reiki 1 certification. I am proud to be a dedicant in the Temple Tradition. This to me also shows and states quite a bit about the truth regarding myself. I consider myself dedicated to the truths of witchcraft and finding my own path.
So this post is about the process of dedication and what exactly dedication means. It is actually something that I consider several times a year as I look at my studies in witchcraft, paganism, philosophy, and magic. With everything that I want to do in my life I have to make sure I study diligently .
Dedication or Initiation?
One of the most common things that new witches find in books on solitary witchcraft is a self initiation ritual. A self initiation ritual does not work. One can not self initiate. To be initiated means that you are being brought into the religion or tradition. You can not bring yourself into a religion or tradition. You can however perform a dedication ritual announcing to the Gods and yourself that you are going to be following their path.
As a person seeks their spiritual path they are going to have to decide at some point if they want to a solitary practitioner (alone or maybe with a close friend or family member or if they want to seek out a group. There are benefits to both of these choices. I have never been a member of a group so I can’t speak for the benefits, though I am seeking one for fellowship and joint worship. Groups may call for initiation rituals (Any British Traditional Witchcraft coven will require it and other traditions are also initiatory). This is choice will found the rest of your path for the near future.
Types of dedication rituals
As dedication rituals are personal there are many different ways and many different types of doing a dedication ritual. When I am exploring the worship of a religion I have not studied I perform a different type of dedication ritual than I do when I committing myself to the worship of specific set of deities. All of these dedications are important rituals to be taken seriously. Each type signifies a different level of commitment to a relationship with deities.
The first type of dedication is one of an introduction. An introduction ritual is one where you are telling the Gods that you want to learn about them and their worship. That you are opening yourself to them and that you are finding your path. In this way you are not saying that you are going to stick around forever but that you are exploring and wishing to get to know them.
Here is a simple introduction ritual. It is this ritual I have used when I introduced myself to the Germanic pantheons. I will make similar rituals when I go back and study Hellenic Paganism, Roman Paganism, and Kemetic recon. This ritual is only used when I am simply saying “Hi. I’m…. I want to learn more about you and will try to honor you as I study about you, your culture, and your history”. For me it is a sign of respect to introduce yourself before you start blindly studying and working on a base relationship.
Introductory Ritual:
Supplies:
White Candle
Offering of milk,ale,red wine, or incense
Sea Salt
Table to work as an altar (see Altar entry 1 and Altar entry 2 )
Water
Ritual:
Place your hands over the water and state “By water’s natural cleansing I cleanse this water”
Take a pinch of pure sea salt and place it in the water. State “With salt this water is pure”
Take your finger and stir the water together creating a sacred holy water.
Walk around the ritual space and state “By the purity of this sacred water this space in prepared for ritual”.
Go to the altar and light the candle.
Here is where the ritual is going to essentially different for each person. Every culture and every religious tradition out there will have a different sort of prayer style. Some prayers are invocatory and others are more free form. This is where a seekers early research should pay off as they should have some sort of idea as to what rituals the Gods of that pantheon like. This is where you will state in ritual and prayer you intent to learn about them and is the first step in developing a relationship with the deities.
Say the appropriate type of prayer for the pantheon and culture in mind
Sit in silence for a few minutes.
Go to the what ever you are offering.
Place your hands over the offering and state “This is my gift to you may it nourish you and bring your much joy”
Pour the offering into the plate or bowl.
Keep the offering out for a while letting the liquid be absorbed into the atmosphere or our it onto the ground the next day
You have to keep in mind that was just a simple outline for some one who has no real experience or any real knowledge of ritual structure and organization. The more experience you have the more complexity you can add to the ritual if you so choose. This ritual was simple because it is simply an introduction and they can be very simple.
The second type of dedication ritual is one that is sort of like a marriage. You are committing yourself to your path for actual service to the Gods. During this point in time you will have many trials and tests as you figure out your role and what the deities want from you. Some its teaching, others it’s healing. Some people never quite find exactly what the deities they worship want out of them for service, so they do what comes naturally to them or they simply continue to hold rituals in honor the memory of the Gods they worship.
One thing I did for the longest time to help me gain confidence and keep on track with my spiritual studies and practices was to do a renewal ritual. This ritual always renewed my spirit in the process. It also always brought me back into myself and into my place in my studies. It also always seemed to bring me closer to the deities I had introduced myself to.
Recomitment ritual:
Supplies:
White Candle
Offering of milk,ale,red wine, or incense
Sea Salt
Table to work as an altar (see Altar entry 1 and Altar entry 2 )
Water
Ritual:
Place your hands over the water and state “By water’s natural cleansing I cleanse this water”
Take a pinch of pure sea salt and place it in the water. State “With salt this water is pure”
Take your finger and stir the water together creating a sacred holy water.
Walk around the ritual space and state “By the purity of this sacred water this space in prepared for ritual”.
Go to the altar and light the candle.
Say the appropriate type of prayer for the pantheon and culture in mind
Sit in silence for a few minutes.
Go to the what ever you are offering.
Place your hands over the offering and state “This is my gift to you may it nourish you and bring your much joy”
Pour the offering into the plate or bowl.
As you place your offering state your promise to start serving with more honesty and more dedication. Announce proudly that you are giving yourself to service to these Gods for however long you are planning to keep at this level of service.
Look for any signs in your dreams or day to day life that the deities are listening to you and ready to accept your service to them.
Keep the offering out for a while letting the liquid be absorbed into the atmosphere or our it onto the ground the next day.
The ritual you see out there is one of my reasons for having such a strong connection with the Germanic deities. I have spent a lot of time working ritual in honor of the Germanic deities. It has fostered my relationships with several different deities in the Germanic pantheon. In some ways this is a connection to my believed ancestral path.
The last name of Boynton is very Germanic. There is a shire in Yorkshire England which holds the name Boynton. My research has indicated that this shire would have been under control of the Saxxons. This is a place I need to visit when I next visit England. I mean a shire which has the same name as my biological surname? How can I not visit that place? In which case the Germanic pantheon (which includes the Anglo’s, The Saxon’s, The Franks, The Norse, and several more tribes) would be a home coming for me which is what it felt like to me.
The third type of ritual is one that indicates a more serious commitment. In this final dedication ritual you are completely giving yourself to everything any anything that the deities you worship desire. This is a very difficult and very important type of ritual that will cement your future. Here you are asking to become an active priest or priestess.
The final dedication is one of an initiation from the Gods. When witches talk about how only the Gods can initiate and make some one a priest or priestess of their path this is the sort of ritual that they have in mind. This is a life changing ritual and is one of deep meaning. It is this ritual where you finally accept what it is that the Gods truly desires.
This is where one becomes a true servant of the Gods. You are not only doing rituals for the Gods, but you are also offering services to the community. You may start doing more volunteer work, you may teach a few people, you may even become an interfaith Chaplin. In accepting the true mantle of what it means to be a member of the clergy (a true priest and priestess) one has given all that they are to their deities.
Remember when I said that a person would have to choose between being a solitary practitioner and as a member of a group and how I mention that BTW requires an initiation of sorts? The level of commitment that this dedication entails is the same as an initiation into a BTW Coven. How can I say that with out actually being initiated into BTW? It’s simple. I have enough friends within various BTW traditions both with valid initiations and one oath breaker related tradition to say for sure that initiation into BTW makes you a priestess of those deities. That means that within your coven and in your day to day life you are serving the needs of those Gods in what ever way they need from you. That is the sort of commitment that this level of dedication and initiation requires.
I am actually at this point in the development of my own witchcraft tradition. I have yet to formalize the arrangement through a ritual. This is something I am working on. I have some what reluctantly accepted the mantled of priestess. Perhaps this is the only way I can develop access to the mysteries that my Gods have instore for me. For this reason I can not give a sample ritual. If you are looking for some ideas you might want to look at:
- A witches Bible By Stewart Farrar
- What witches do by Stewart Farrar
- Solitary Wicca by Scott Cunningham
- Witchcraft for Today by Gerald Gardner
- Wicca for One by Raymond Buckland
- The Outer Temple of Witchcraft by Christopher Penczack
Spiritual Guides-Post one what are they and what are the forms they take
Spiritual Guides
Part 1
What they are and the forms they can take
The overall purpose of this blog is to help seekers find simple advice on how to find their own way. I do this by providing lessons I have learned and by answering some of the most common questions I have been asked in my years of posting on message boards and e-mail lists regarding witchcraft, paganism, and spirituality. To be honest I understand the question as it was something I wondered about myself over the years, but have recently decided I have an understanding of how guides will manifest in a person’s life (and trust me they are not all what you would expect).
The questions I am referring to are:
- “What are spirit Guides?
- What forms can guides take?
- How do I contact them?
- Why do we need them?
This essay is going to focus specifically on the topics of what spiritual guides are and what some of the forms they can take. I figure this would be a good starting point. In order to contact and find out who/what your spiritual guides are you need to at least know what they are and the forms they can take. Next week I will write about why we need them and how to contact them.
Before I continue writing this post I need to explain how I define a guide in my path. The thing is I don’t limit guides to just spirits and other worldly beings that I work with and have contacted. Guides for me can come in the form of authors, teachers, poets, ect. For me a guide is any one who provides you something on a spiritual level that has an effect on the way you view the world.
So that means a guide could be basically anything right?
Yes. However the effect the being has on you should be quite profound. I can’t tell you what to classify as a profound experience. It’s one of those things you know when it happens. If the author inspires you to think about things in a new way they can be a guide. If they give you advice that seems to click with your intuition they are in many cases a guide.
To be honest I have learned somethings about nature simply by watching the world around me and it had an impact on my world view. In that way nature herself would be one of my most important spiritual guides. Yet she is not the only guide I have. I have given a few examples of people you may consider guides, but I think a more direct explanation of each of the examples is important.
I’ll start with the obvious concept of teachers being guides. To be honest one of my guides in recent history has become my first philosophy teacher. He is the one who has basically told me to start writing. He also suggested that I do something with my passion for philosophy, anthropology, religion, mythology, and metaphysics into something I can do with my life. He also said that I need to get into academia.
He has encouraged me to work on my dream. That’s one of the reasons I have started this project. It has helped me work on polishing my writing and getting my thoughts out clearer. It also gets my name and voice out there. Even though this information is given freely, it is still published. The material is still out there and accessible for any one who desires it.
Next you have authors. Many people read a lot of books when they are starting out. I was no different and to be honest I still read as much as I can. I have found that there are some authors who have influenced me more than others. I consider those authors to also be guides as they are providing me with text and information that I have been able to apply to my spiritual development and growth. I have been taking classes with one of those authors who is now a teacher.
If that writers work clicks with you and you suddenly seem to have a better understanding of something you have been struggling with that would be an author I would consider a guide. Now this can be poets, musicians, fictional authors, neo-pagan authors, philosophers, myths or what not. In the end what matters is if the work has an effect on your path and understanding of the universe.
Finally in the physical world you have your role models. To me a role model is someone you look up to and you try to be like. They have inspired you in some way to be the person you want to be, and you feel that they have had an impact on your life. Role models come in all shapes and sizes, and to be honest I have a few myself though if you were to ask me it would take me a minute to tell you one of them.
So far guides have essentially been people who has changed your life in some way. That’s true. They have pinpointed you and helped you out. A guide should never give you the answers and advice you seek directly. They should provide hints or insight into their own struggles or opinions, but in the end you are the one who has to do the work. This is more prevalent when you are dealing with “spirit guides”.
The key term in spirit guide is the word spirit. It has come to the point in the essay where I must actually get into the metaphysical aspect. I am ending with this so I can start the essay with a review of what spirits are and then get onto how to contact them and end with why they are so important.
So what is a spirit?
To me there are many types of spirits. I essentially see them as beings that live in this worlds and in the other worlds that do not have a physical form as we understand it in this world. They are the elves, faes and the ghosts. These are the dragons and gnomes, slyphs and undines, and angels as well. Any being mentioned in lore that does not exist in this physical world but in the spirit world are spirits.
When you deal with spirit guides there are things you need to keep in mind. The first thing is they they will trick you occasionally as a test of your own wisdom and intuition. They will also speak in riddles. Some times there are no words spoken, but you get images or sensations. The communication is going to come in which ever way they feel will get their messages across to you in a way that you will understand. You also have to know that they are no infallible. Spirits don’t know everything and its absurd to think that they do. They may have insight that we don’t due to the nature of what they are and their existence, but they don’t know everything.
Ok. So what forms can spirit guides take?
The most common form aside from an angel is that of an animal. Some people would call these beings your totems, but I do not as totem is a term that applies specifically to a Native American practice. Other paths have other terms for animal guides. Myself I just think of them as my animal guides.
The animal guide or guides you have are typically aspects of yourself that are hidden or that you need to understand. Many people have guides that represent aspects of themselves that they need to face up to and confront, others the animals have special meanings to the person. The first assumption that many people have is that the animal guide will appear in the form of an animal you like or enjoy. The fact is there is no guarantee of that fact. Your guide may be an animal that you hate, and if that is the case there is a lesson there for you.
One form that is common amongst those who follow a more ancestral worship path is to have an ancestor actually be one of your guides. Maybe this ancestor is a recently passed loved one, or maybe it’s a few further generations back. This is an ancestor that has come to help you on your way. In either case if your guide is a family member and not some magnificent being be respectful. To be honest I would prefer to have ancestral guides than an other being as they are actually tied to my blood and my wyrd and thus my fate.
There are angels. Angels are any beings that serve as messengers to the gods. They are intermediaries between the Gods and us at times. They also have wills of their owns at times. They can choose their friends and teach them their crafts. Angels are beings of mass power and should be respected as such.
There are many other beings that can be your guides over the years. Some people believe that Matron and Patron Gods can be guides, but I see that differently. Divine beings are more than guides. They are divine beings and are Gods. They rule many things and have more important things to do than to teach you. They may have lessons for you, but in the end its a riddle what those things are.
The list could go on. I have covered some of the most common guides that people see. I hope that this has been a helpful essay and will provide you with a lot of insight. Next week you will be able to have some technique and tips on how to contact the guides and why they are important. Even if you don’t know your guides right now, you do have them.
Trance work an outline and some techniques
Trance work
Part 1:
Define trance, meditation, and altered states of consciousness.
I have mentioned several times that I use trance work as part of my religious and spiritual practices. For many people this is a scary and confusing subject. A lot of people are not comfortable with sensations of being out of the body or even of being slightly out of touch with their bodies. This is a perfectly normal fear. However there are many reasons to use some sort of trance work, and there are ways of overcoming those sensations.
One of the first things that people who chose to work with trance and meditation need to know is that there are many ways to achieve these states and there are going to be ways that will work for you and ways that will not work for you. Going into trance and meditation isn’t scary or complicated. It can seem to be that way because many people associate meditation with sitting still and emptying their minds of all thoughts. I’m sorry but no. That doesn’t work for some one with ADHD. I found other methods and other ways to define trance and meditative states.
Ok. So you mentioned that there are many different ways of getting into trance, and there are many different types of trances. I’m following you so far. What I need to know now is how exactly do you define trance and meditative states? Then I have more questions.
For me trance work is essentially any work that takes place in an altered state of mind done for spiritual or religious purposes. If a person is going for a walk along the ocean and drifts off into a space where they start to commune or have inspiration or understanding they have been in a trance state of some sort. That’s why I say there are many ways of getting into trance.
The Temple tradition of witchcraft gives a scientific outlook on trance and meditation. This outlook is one that states that meditative and trance states occur when your mind has reached a different brain wave state. There is some debate about these states and the wave lengths and their importance in psychology. Needless to say I think that there is something about brain waves shifting frequency but that may be sue to my understanding of the principle of vibration.
Wait psychology? Brain waves? I don’t want science I want metaphysics, and the mystical and occult. This is after all a blog and essay on trance work and how it relates to religion, spirituality, and magic right?
Yes. This is a blog on witchcraft, religion, spirituality, magic, and the occult. However I am a member of the Temple tradition. I do hold that there are some scientific possibilities that may explain why and how magic and the universe works the way it does. As a former psychology student and a member of the Temple tradition the fields of psychology and neuroscience have been influential in how I understand the mind and trance work. That is why I mentioned it.
Ok. Science is important to you. I get that, but what does that mean to some one who hasn’t studied psychology or brainwaves?
In the most basic sense it’s kinda like daydreaming and sleeping in class. When you are in a meditative or trance state your brain is no longer functioning as if you were driving, watching tv, playing a game, ect. It is in an altered state. There are many different depths to the states of consciousness (psychology).
There are also many ways of altering consciousness. There are ways to elevate your minds state (ecstatic work is common here) and there are ways to slow your mind (deep breathing, muscle relation, ect). For some people the states that are more active and energetic are not effective for trance and spiritual work, and the opposite is true. You also have people who find that sometimes one things works and sometimes it doesn’t (that would be me).
Ok. So trance work and meditative work are essentially religious and spiritual work that occur when your mind is not in your normal every day consciousness right? If I understand you a Rave might be a higher energy vibration and mental state than a countdown relaxation would be? Sort of like chillin out or hyping yourself up before an activity or action? So those would be altered states of consciousness right?
Exactly. You got it. Trance and meditative work is spiritual work that is done purposely under those states of mind. The idea is that you get into those states of mind with the intent of doing some sort of spiritual work. Then when you are done with the work you are able to return to your day to day consciousness at will with the lessons learned.
That sounds reasonable. So how can we get into these states?
Part 2:
A few trance techniques
The first thing I can suggest is that you make sure you are in a place where you can be alone and quiet. Many people set up a meditation shrine or altar where they have candles and incense and in some cases soft music that they play. The idea is to set up an atmosphere where you will be relaxed and able to focus on your intent.
So with that in mind I am going to give two techniques for relaxation meditation and one technique for more ecstatic trance and motion. I figure that these will provide a start. I hope that you will take these techniques and then find some more. There will be some recommended reading material at the end of this post.
These techniques are for your first starting into trance work. I provide no guides for what work can be done at this point. These are simply techniques to help you ease into trance work. Trance work takes a lot of time and effort to get anything out of it. The first techniques that you learn are often simply to help you train your mind into focusing at those states as they are “not normal waking consciousness”.
Yes. I said trance work is training and hard work. In order to get the deep trance work that will lead to the unveiling of the mysteries of the universe you need to train your mind and body to be comfortable with these various states of consciousness. How long this will take I can not tell you. I can only tell you that it will be beneficial.
Technique 1: Breathing and focusing
In order to get the most out of this technique you should set aside 5 to 10 minutes a day for two weeks. This should be at the same time every day. This is done to ensure you build a practice and discipline. The training of discipline in the mind is part of the training that is done in trance work.
Get yourself into a place where you can be alone and quiet. If you feel that it will help light a candle and some incense and play some low soft gentle music. Sit in a straight back chair with your feet on the floor if possible. Sit as straight as you comfortably can, not like a board but comfortable.
Due to the nature of this technique set a timer for 5 minutes and stop after 5 minutes for first several times. This is done to ensure that you do not make yourself dizzy. I also suggest that there be some peanuts or cheese available after the exercise to try and bring yourself back to normal. There will be another exercise on grounding later on.
With that said here is the material list for the exercise:
- Note book or journal for results
- food and drink for grounding
- chair
- Optional: Candles, incense, music and the like
Set up the area you are going to be doing the exercise in. Make sure you have your chair and notebook handy. Have some sort of food waiting for when you are done. I recommend protein, salt, and a little sugar. Trail mix would be ideal.
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and with your breath exhale all images and feelings you have towards your day and all other worries. Do this a few times until you feel the stress of the day or the tensions of the day further back in your mind. As you do so let your mussels relax by enjoying the air flowing through you.
Now focus. Exhale for the count of 4 and hold for 4. Slowly and deeply inhale for 8 counts and hold for 8 counts. Exhale for 8 counts and hold for 8 counts. Repeat for a few minutes. After a while you will find that you stop counting and your body and breathing has reached a natural relaxed deep breathing. Keep in this state. If you see any thoughts or images keep them in your mind. Don;t think about the images just hold them and remember them.
Try to stay in this state until the timer goes off. If you can’t then let yourself out of it and record in your notebook your impressions. If you can stay in the trance and meditative state until the timer goes off do so. Once the timer goes off write in your notebook your impressions. If you felt silly or odd or anything write it down. This is also the place to write down thoughts you had during the exercise as well as any images.
Eat and drink. Don’t stand or move until you know you are back in your normal conscious mind.
Technique 2: Count down with breathing
This technique comes second as in some ways it goes beyond the first and utilizes the first. This is the technique that I use to this day when I am having difficulties getting into a trance or meditative state.
In order to get the most out of this technique you should set aside 5 to 10 minutes a day for two weeks. This should be at the same time every day. This is done to ensure you build a practice and discipline. The training of discipline in the mind is part of the training that is done in trance work.
Get yourself into a place where you can be alone and quiet. If you feel that it will help light a candle and some incense and play some low soft gentle music. Sit in a straight back chair with your feet on the floor if possible. Sit as straight as you comfortably can, not like a board but comfortable.
Due to the nature of this technique set a timer for 5 minutes and stop after 5 minutes for first several times. This is done to ensure that you do not make yourself dizzy. I also suggest that there be some peanuts or cheese available after the exercise to try and bring yourself back to normal. There will be another exercise on grounding later on.
With that said here is the material list for the exercise:
- Note book or journal for results
- food and drink for grounding
- chair
- Optional: Candles, incense, music and the like
Set up the area you are going to be doing the exercise in. Make sure you have your chair and notebook handy. Have some sort of food waiting for when you are done. I recommend protein, salt, and a little sugar. Trail mix would be ideal.
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and with your breath exhale all images and feelings you have towards your day and all other worries. Do this a few times until you feel the stress of the day or the tensions of the day further back in your mind. As you do so let your mussels relax by enjoying the air flowing through you.
Now focus. Exhale for the count of 4 and hold for 4. Slowly and deeply inhale for 8 counts and hold for 8 counts. Exhale for 8 counts and hold for 8 counts. Repeat 8 times.
Start a count down in your mind. Imagine as you count down the numbers in descending order this time. Some people see it as a series flights of stairs as they walk down. Others have their own ways. Start with the number 13. As you count down count at a relaxed and natural pace. The technique will not work if you rush the countdown. Go 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
At this point you are in a light meditative state. You are aware of your surroundings but yet aware of more. This is the first trance state you get to. Take a moment and enjoy this state. Then count down from 12 to 1 with the same pace as before not visualizing the numbers. Now you are at your next state of consciousness. This is where the exercises I post with the guides post will take place. For now keep this as your place and your trance state.
After a moment count back up going at the same pace you did before. When you get to 12 again take a quick pause and get to know your mind and body at this state a bit. After a moment count back up from 0 to 13. As you reach each number your awareness comes more and more gently back to your body and your place. It is not necessary to visualize the numbers as you ascend, but some may feel it helps.
Record all your thoughts and impressions in your note book. Eat and drink as before and get back to your daily consciousness.
Technique 3: Chanting and motion
This technique is more about exciting your brain waves and bringing you into a higher state of consciousness where you are still seeing the world and the universe in a different view. This technique differs in that your eyes are not closed and you are not focused on going inwards. The idea is to go outwards and higher and inwards and lower.
This is also the first technique I will have introduced that can be directly related to magical working.
You mean we finally get to learn something that will apply to magic and spells and the like?
Yes. However that will come later as there is another essay that needs to be written first. The exercise here still does relate to trance work and spiritual development. The chant I chose for this example comes from a game I played in a Theater summer camp. That is why I see it as a perfect exercise for energy work and trance work.
Due to the nature of this technique set a timer for 5 minutes and stop after 5 minutes for first several times. This is done to ensure that you do not make yourself dizzy. I also suggest that there be some peanuts or cheese available after the exercise to try and bring yourself back to normal. There will be another exercise on grounding later on.
With that said here is the material list for the exercise:
- Note book or journal for results
- food and drink for grounding
- chair
- Optional: Candles, incense, music and the like
If you have a place set up as mentioned before use that place. This time sit in your chair comfortably. As you sit there chant something like “Zip zap Zop” over and over again. Start slowly but pick up pace. As you chant rock your body back and forth with the increasing speed. If you don’t want to rock you can stand up and move side to side or find some other swaying motion that will help you work with this. The important thing is that you are moving with the chant.
After a while you may find yourself getting louder and louder as well as faster and faster. That is fine. That is what you are looking for. These exercises and techniques are best done in a place where if you get loud it wont be to much of a problem. The idea is that you have gone out of yourself and have become so into the motion you have lost normal reality. Thus you have reached a trance.
Once you feel that you can’t hold the energy or the motion any more release the energy and come back to yourself. Sit down and record everything you experience and felt in your note book. Once you are done writing down the experience eat the food and return to your day to day life.
Part 3:
The conclusion
Ok. There you have it. I have given you three techniques that deal with altered states of consciousness and trance. I have also given you a definition and an idea of what some people can mean when they say that they do a lot of trance work. The last thing I have to say on the subject is why I ask you to record the experiences and why you may need or want to use trance in your work.
The record is simple. It is a way for you to record your progress and see how things change. It is something that is used for spiritual growth and development. Many witches and pagans have these sorts of books. Witches and magicians often call their books Books of Shadows or Grimiores. Other pagans may call them ritual books or simply spiritual journals. Its just a way to see what you’ve done, where you have been, and what you may yet do.
Why Trance is important? Well it can help you contact deities, spirit guides, your higher self, gain insight into the cosmology and much more. In the end trance work is a central part of my practice because of the versatility it has with me. I use it in worship and I use it in communion. I also use it to talk to my higher self and get some answers from with in.
I hope this was helpful.
May your search be fruitful
Pagan Buisness Network
Mystic Echoes 