Category: Spirituality/Paganism & Magick

Several years back, I read a book on the Tarot in which the author compared the twenty-two images of the Major Arcana to some Jungian archetypes. In her write-up on The Hanged Man she pointed-out that if you turn the Rider Waite version of this card upside down, then the central figure is no longer hanging upside down, but is right side up and dancing a jig.

So you want to be a Ceremonial Magician? You've bought a copy of Donald Kraig's book Eleven Lessons In The High Magickal Arts as well as a copy of Regardie's The Golden Dawn. You've studied many of the High Magick sites and asked questions on their forums. You've taught yourself the Middle Pillar meditation and the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. All that's left for you to do is to set-up your altar and fire-up your temple.

In studying history, one discovers kings whose characters and acts could not have been transformed by more legends than historical reality could possibly have authorized. In the words of Frederic Thieberger (which are reported in this article for their historical authority) regarding one of these monarchs: "If this is so, let's not try to deny it. This is solely because the real man should be gifted with radiance capable of justifying so much admiration." And Samuel Fallows will write: "This is confirmed by the universal voice of antiquity." Solomon was one of these kings.

When I'm doing a Tarot reading, when The Fool card comes-up people will often ask, “That doesn't mean I'm a fool, does it?” Many people are so afraid of seeming foolish or silly that they often see no positive attributes to The Fool at all. Actually, The Fool is like every other card in the Tarot deck and has positive and negative attributes. The meaning of this card in a reading depends on its placement within the spread, the other cards around it, and “what's going on” in the life of the person being read.

Amethyst: Amethyst is not only one of the most beautiful gemstones, it is one of the most useful in a metaphysical sense. Considered to be the universal antidote in gem healing (if you're not sure what stone a person needs, get an amethyst), amethyst is known for its stress relieving qualities. Just looking at an amethyst's cool purple hues has a calming and soothing effect, without any hint of sedation. This makes amethyst a perfect gemstone for you to wear if you are constantly under stress or if you tend to be fearful or nervous.

What's in a number? As children we all have favorite numbers, just as we have favorite colors. When I was a child, my favorite number was seven. I couldn't tell you why I liked the seven, but it almost seemed as if the number had a personality that was greater than the mere fact that it was one more than six. In other words, to children it seems as if numbers are alive and are much more than a function of logic.

I had gone to bed relaxed, not knowing that on this night I would be pulled into the Dream Maker’s realm. I was awoken by a howling wind that penetrated and passed through my neck. As I became more aware of the texture of this auditory phenomenon I realized it was Jagür’s roar, awakening me into that mysterious realm where my benefactor and his companions were conspiring to change the fundamental fabric of my cognitive system. I was suddenly standing in the room where the four men had appeared previously and from the darkness leapt Jagür. She flew through the air and pinned me by the chest and as we hurtled backwards, scenes and memories of past events streamed by sequentially. While plummeting towards the floor I realized that the imagery was somehow erupting from behind Jagür’s paw, and when we landed she intently locked my eyes with her gaze. There was a determination in this animal, the same determination you would see in a wild cat just before it snapped the neck of it's prey; but her purpose was not to kill me. She was taking me into past events through her fierceness. I heard from behind her a voice, calling: “Jagür.”

Crystals and gemstones are sensitive to the energies they encounter. For this reason, you'll probably want to clear any residual energies that your crystal might have picked-up before you begin working with it. In most cases, either of the following methods will work fine.

1. The simplest method to clean your crystal or gemstone is to let the clearing power of the sun gently work for you. All you have to do is to set the crystal or stone in a place where it will be undisturbed and where it will receive an ample amount of direct sunlight. A window sill with a southern exposure or a rail on your porch or deck might be perfect for this. At the end of three days your crystal should be all clear and ready for you to use.

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The full moon hung low in the southeast, shining pale and thin through the smog and the city lights, as we drove up Thirteenth Street and circled, widdershins as all traffic must, the local heart of darkness, a portal to the realm of shells, the Qlipot of the Kabbalists, and the antechamber of the undead. Think of it as Hell’s bus station, where the doomed go to wait for the Grim Reaper to catch up with his to-do list.

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The guard at the prison gate is utterly ruthless. Brutal treatment of prisoners has proceeded for millennia, so now the prisoners are beaten, hopeless, huddling on their cots, staring out through the bars of their cells. A good day is simply one endured without pain.