Friday, September 16, 2011

Gotta love the Muses!

I love it when inspiration strikes me!  I was doing my practice and I decided to begin empowering my Commanding and my High John oils.  For the High John I used a nifty little success spell from the Greek Magical Papyri, which I'll share at a later time.  For the Commanding Oil, I was just winging it when the following incantation came together:

My will supreme, my will is true;
My command extends across the land.
For now I know, wherever I go,
All shall fall under my command.

I mean, sure it's bad poetry.  But someone once said that bad poetry makes for good spells!  This incantation helped me focus, too.  And as I had called several categories of spirits together for offerings just before this, I give this shout-out as thanks to whatever spirit (if any) inspired it.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Quote About Karma

From user Roland Deschain at OccultCorpus:

"Just because karma is from a different country and culture does not mean it wasn't invented to keep the Hindu masses in order. Belief in karma is just a restraint for our morals. I can decide on my own what is right and wrong, and so can you. If some of you are afraid your magickal fire is going to come back and burn you, maybe you shouldn't play with it."


This matches closely with my thoughts on karma in magic.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Commanding High John

Tonight, as I write this, I am making two condition oils.  The first is Commanding oil, a la Brother Ash's 5 Black Saturdays post #4 (whose posts I am really enjoying; great stuff, Brother Ash!), except I'm also macerating the ingredients in the oil on the stovetop to start it all out.

I also decided to make some High John oil with the two roots I have of the same name.  Unfortunately this meant taking them out to the sidewalk in a ziploc bag and pounding the shit out of them with a hammer.

I can't wait till it's all finished!  :)

Cleaned Up & Organized

Over the weekend, I finally unpacked my materia.  Between herbs, oils, and candles, they took up all three shelves in one of those small bookcases.  I'm thinking of remaking my Uncrossing and Fiery Wall of Protection oils, because I've become proficient at macerating such oils since making these.  We'll see, though.

Over the weekend, I also started making what little supplies I'll need for another...um, "project", I guess.  Since getting my feet wet with the Trithemius/Rufus Opus method of evocation, I've decided to start including some more evocation in my work.  I also received the Strategic Sorcery Mini-Grimoire weeks ago, and it's spirits fascinate me.  Additionally, I've gained the vision of the Joyful and Fierce Bodies...so, I'm gonna have a go at it!

Initially, I was going to employ a particular spirit of debt and a spirit of domination from the Mini-Grimoire on the "downside to my recent move" mentioned in my last post.  Plans have begun to change since then, as I might just cut all ties with the person involved and wash my hands of the whole thing.  However, I'm also going to employ a spirit of money from the MG as part of bigger plans I have.

It's been a bit since I got the Saturn initiation, so I think I may attempt the Jupiter initiation soon.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Post-Move and Upcoming Plans

I got moved!

Last weekend, I moved to another apartment.  I finished moving everything over Saturday night, and since then it's been a big ol' Unpacking bonanza!

As I left the old place for the last time, I gave an offering to the Genius Loci of the apartment and the complex. That same night I gave a similar offering along with introductions to the Genius Loci of the new place.  So far, the feel of the new place is really nice.  It's not like other new apartments I've had, where things felt strange and a little scary.  Unpacking has even been easy.  It seems like me and the Genius Loci are getting along so far!  ;)

Last night I got even more unpacking done, and in the process setup my temple area.  I have two workings planned for the apartment:

House blessing
Fiery Wall of Protection

There is a downside to the move, but I'm not going to talk about it openly...yet.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Boxes

Hello, my readers.  It's been a while!

I'm moving in a couple of days, and so as one would expect, my apartment is being turned into a trainwreck of boxes and other containers.  So far things have fallen together rather well for this move, which to me is a possible indicator that I'm acting in alignment with what is "supposed" to happen in my life.

The state of my apartment isn't the only reason I've named this post "Boxes".  I also named it such because of recent magical and personal work I've been doing.  On the personal level, I've been trying to stay mindful of boundaries in myself and in others, and keep from breaching them.  Decisiveness and conviction is something I've been trying to cultivate more of.

On a magical level, I recently underwent the initiation into the Sphere of Saturn via Tzaphkiel.  A slight, "background" depression set in as the angel manifested its presence, and when I viewed it in the crystal, it had an appearance very similar to that of the statue of Giordano Bruno, but with wings and ashen-white skin.  It's been a week or two now, and I can't quite remember what Tzaphkiel said to me, but he agreed to give me the initiation into Saturn and integrate its forces into my Sphere.

What happened as the initiation commenced was not altogether unexpected.  Sadness enveloped me, and a small depressive episode came on.  But after a short time of this, I began to feel very calm and felt like I was perceiving this fathomless reality.  It was infinity, but just a tiny glimpse.  The feeling that all shall be, and that all shall pass filled me.  Although the sadness didn't go away, it was modified by this and became the melancholy I've read associated with Binah and Saturn.

After some time of this, Tzaphkiel caught my attention again, but for a moment looked like it had the "typical" features of an angel.  A good example would be the way Neil Gaiman portrays them...except Tzaphkiel was dressed in dark rags.  After a moment the vision reverted to the Bruno-esque appearance, and it told me that was all that could be done for now.  After I dismissed Tzaphkiel, the saturnine feeling lifted.

The results since the ritual have been interesting.  I've finally been able to swing things at work so that I've become more productive, for one thing.  Also, there has been my treatment of boundaries, and a better awareness of my limitations, both ingrained and self-imposed.  Looking back over the past couple weeks, it seems like I've been working with those limitations more, and actually managing to be more effective as a person!  Finally, time management has taken on more importance.

Patience and organization has been an increasing theme for me lately, as though mentally, things have been put into boxes for me, helping me to see things that are going on and work with situations.  Eventually I am going to get sick of the Saturnian influence working so strongly in my life, and I'll move on to the Jupiter initiation (besides, I really need a 2nd job; don't worry, I'm already doing practical work on it).  But in the meantime, the organization feels good.

Time to go continue putting all my physical stuff into boxes!