Today is the solstice that occurs in June. What that means depends on what hemisphere you live on. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere today is the day with the longest amount of daylight during this solar cycle. For the southies, shortest. As I write this I am relaxing in the tub at 10:35 a.m. local time.
Noon local time, coffee and breakfast tacos are secured. Hearty debate about the merits of turtles versus tortoises. Followed by a discussion about the TMNT. I love my kids.
12:24 p.m. I have a pipe. Now I contemplate the mysteries. Most obvious to my mind is the solar aspect of today. Immediately I think of Helios, with whom I have only begun working. Always felt solar archetypes were too masculine for me. Well I was wrong about Helios, he has interesting friends. For instance he associated with Saturn, Hermes, and Hekate. This is a dynamic I plan to explore more over the next year or so.
1:05p.m. The coffee has whiskey in it now. The kids are playing in the lawn sprinkler. Storm clouds are rolling in from the east. The last thing we need is more rain. The ground is so wet that every new round of showers brings flooding. Nothing like Memorial Day but one tires of the news.
Back to the Sol Father discussion but first an apology. I have neglected my blog for a while, but it is because I have been very busy, in the actual world. I have been blessed with many projects and responsibilities, overwhelming at times but manageable none the less. I am going to experiment with weekly posts on Sunday evenings. Yes it will be Sasquatch's Sunday Evening Post.
My daughter interrupts to let me know that the children are doing a rain dance, just for practice.
Last night I had the strangest dreams. Possibly due to the flying ointment I liberally applied to my person. I was given instructions for my Hermes/Helios Mutation Ritual. This will begin a major campaign to align several different works into one master work. The end result will be a presentation of Post Millennial Folk Magic.
This will be based on my own experiences and some of others I know perhaps an anthology will be in the works. My personal path includes Hoodoo Folk Magic that I learned growing up in East Texas and has been expanded by the works of Hyatt and Yronwode, amongst others. I have also picked up some Santeria along the way. Almost like the protestant and catholic traditions they sprang from the regions where these traditions are practiced are divided geographically and culturally. In addition to these I use chaos magic techniques in the manner of Genesis P-Orridge, and William S. Burroughs.
2:36 p.m. Time for another pipe. The methods of which I speak mainly consist of using technology along the lines of folk magic. Photographs altered to reflect desired outcome, videomancy, cut up audio divination and ritual reinforcement techniques, and collage sigils to activate dormant psychic abilities all fall into what I consider Post-Millennial Folk Magic. The practitioner of such arts also has a penchant for tradition and uses it as a guidepost for technique. So along this path you will meet Hoodoo Hepcats, Wily Witches, Sexy Sorcerers, and Mutant Mages, these are my people. Not content to pursue theurgy alone, these Rebel Saints challenge convention and produce tangible magic. It matters not one iota if they are working with botanicals, metals, alchemical preparations, or internal combustion, they are all magicians of the highest order.
3:34 p.m. Time for a nap. Good day so far, excellent time to recharge the batteries this evenings festivities.
4:27 p.m. Nap time over. Final reflections before I make my preparations for this evening. There is no dress rehearsal, we only get one shot, make it count. Those of us who engage in the Sacred Arts must be wary of critics that claim a wrongness to our methods. Authenticity always shines above rote repetition. Esoteric wisdom has always been misinterpreted by the exoteric school, stay strong and love with all your soul. In this time and place we all borrow from one another, there is no pure path, only profane truths. We are all Mutant Mages in the end, each of us developing new ways of looking at old traditions and creating new wisdoms for future study. Do not be content to simply repeat what has been done, step off of the path, go into the woods...
At some point we must all confront the reality that we were only "practicing" magic and now we must make some magic. It is a hard transition for some, and others still never find their own voice. There is only one way to make magic happen, you must go out and do what is necessary, to paraphrase Robert Cochrane. This is always true whether you cook bread or make hot-rods.The magic is in the Doing. Hope your day went well and that you enjoyed whatever activities you engaged in to mark the occasion. Lechyd!
Memorial Day weekend, my family, my wife and our two kids, got trapped by rising flood waters along the San Gabriel River. This is the second time in my life that flood waters have affected me, but this time was very different. When I was about ten years old our house flooded while my brother and I were at my Dad's house, my mother faced that flood alone. This time I was fortunate enough to be trapped with one of the greatest groups of people I know. The entire experience has reshaped how I view my life and the fragility of life in general. I have learned much about LOVE and its expression when guided by WILL. So grab a cup of your favorite beverage and sit down a spell, I have a tale I want to share. I'm going to warn you, you will feel emotions, have thoughts provoked, and quite possibly learn something.
ANCESTRAL BLUES
In the heart of the Mississippi Delta in a little town called Indianola, in 1925, a boy by the name of Riley B. King was born. This is very relevant to my tale, but we will get back to that in a moment, first let us talk about the South. The Mississippi Delta like most of the South was once ruled by three things, King Cotton, free labor, and Rivers. All three of these play into my personal history as well. Cotton is still important and grown with free or practically free labor. Then it was slaves, now it's prisoners. In Texas, theses prison farms are located along rivers, the same rivers used by plantations. Those prison farms are named after the plantations that once occupied the same land. I know because back in 1989 I lived there for 14 months.
Over the Memorial day weekend I attended the first regional Burn festival established outside of Burning Man; Flipside. I actually volunteer my time to help keep the festival going. This year I worked Pre/post which means I went out early to set up and stayed after to tear down. Only it didn't quite go down like that, more on that later, let's get back to Riley King. While I was at this event I took the opportunity to enter the Land of Fey. While there I took a stroll through the city of Pyropolis to see the theme camps that had sprung up like so many Mushrooms after the rain. As I passed one camp the music they were playing called to me like a siren. A guitar named Lucille, played by B.B. King, who was born, Riley King.
Transfixed I followed the sound and found a comfortable seat with a view of a pecan tree and the sound of the river in the background. As B.B. King played I heard the muddy bottoms of rivers, and cotton fields. I remembered my Cajun Grandmothers beer joint were the blues used to play on the jukebox, back when they still had 45's in them. Lucille's siren song took me back to East Texas, to my childhood. Then the Ancestors came, marching down the road, one by one to tell me something. Each had a different message, the overarching theme was, that if I wanted to be a worthy ancestor I must follow their examples. When I inquired as to the nature of this, the reply was simple, every ancestor literally dies carving out a path for the future. The very mud spoke to me.
WHERE EARTH AND WATER MIX
From the very start this years festival was very different than any other I had attended. ( I have been doing this for 11 years now.) It wasn't the presence of the rain or even the timing, it had rained the two previous years. No it was the volume. The absolute sheer amount of rain. We have been in a severe drought for about seven years now, so rain is appreciated, just not 10 years worth in one month.Even when we end a drought in Texas, we do it in a big way. And lest you think I'm pulling your leg check this out:
There are a few quite predictable things that happen when this much water falls in one place. The first thing is mud, even the limestone caliche of the Texas Hill Country turns to mud. Mud was everywhere, at some point one gives over to it like dust on the playa. We had mud on our boots, mud on our pants, in our tents, on our faces, probably trace amounts in our food.
My Wife the Muse, informs us during the ritual of smoke that mud is really heavy emotions. Her reasoning to which I defer, goes a bit like this; Water+ Earth = Mud. Whereas water = emotional being; and Earth= Physical Being; Mud = Bodily manifested emotion. There was a more social one-on-one atmosphere, we were forced together out of the rain. Huddled together we talked and discovered new things about one another and we bonded. The rain and mud brought us together and so emotions were released. It was beautiful. I believe many of us moved through some major blockages this year. Bodily emotion could also be trauma, and I definitely talked to a few folks who were working through theirs. The mud spoke to my heart.
THE HEART OF LOVE
As I navigated this wondrous landscape, something amazing happened; the scales fell off my heart. LOVE was everywhere, the grass and trees were expressions of it, other people embodied it, the volunteers sacrificed some time for it. Everything that was happening was a manifestation of love that some one felt like sharing. I brought my Spirits and the traveling shrines with me, out of love. Others shared food or companionship, performed art or played pranks, stayed whimsical and supportive, while swimming through the mud.
Blood and bone, heart and sinew, something primal emerged and we found ourselves. Washed clean by the rains and reborn in the mud. All became Other and embraced one another. Tendrils of love spectrally enveloping masses of souls. We became more fluid with our identities and the boundaries of imposed society. It's all an experiment. Stolen kisses, proffered kisses, kisses of souls, all floating in the wind, softly landing on willing recipients.Embracing Huggery ensued, and minds were freed. The wine flowed, as did the mead, and hedges were crossed by many. All of this was just foreplay, the main event loomed. We were Wizards of Odd and we had a wizard to burn.
Gathered together as in days of old we waited and watched as the effigy burned. Then we reveled. the celebrations lasted well until dawn. A New Day, shining forth with promise and hope. We had gathered in LOVE directed our WILL and succeeded at the task we spent so many months building. With the flames we released our sorrows, hopes, failures, triumphs, and wishes to fly upon the embers into the night. In that moment we were one. The time had come to part. The mud had spoken to us all.
GATHERING CLOUDS
Every year the exodus leaves one feeling drained and exhausted, yet with a new outlook on life. This year as we prepared to get everyone out, we were warned that another major downpour, like the one we had experienced the night before, was to be expected. We got soaked the night before, but our tents and shelters held strong. I and one of the other volunteers in our camp were staying for post, so we made sure everyone got on the road before the storm. He grew up in Oklahoma and I grew up on the Texas Coast, so we were familiar with storms. We watched the clouds gather and prepared for rain. We had no idea what was coming.
During the ensuing deluge, we gathered under my EZ-up and discussed our exit strategies. We were planning to pack up everything we didn't need after the rain. In the morning, my wife would take our kids home, and I would join them later, after I finished breaking down event infrastructure. So we sat down to wait for the storm to pass. After about twenty minutes the rain suddenly stopped and the air pressure dropped so fast I felt it in my ears. We checked the sky for the green clouds that always spell doom no matter the storm. Before we could figure out what was happening, 55 Mph winds hit us and tore down pop-ups and collapsed tents. My wife put our kids in the car and we tried to prop our tent back up. We had no idea what was coming.
The winds, as I mentioned were gusting at 55 Mph and tree limbs were coming down. My wife and I decided to give up on the tent and get in the car with our kids. Safety volunteers came and told us to come with them to a safer location.The rain that came with the winds dumped 4"-6" in 45 minutes and the river was rising. The land owner had conveyed to Safety HQ that we needed to be moving people to higher ground. We spent the next 18 hours in disaster mode. During all of this my wife ended up on the opposite side of the property from me and the kids. It was a very long night. We had no idea what was going on.
GREY CLOUDS AND SILVER LININGS
In the midst of crisis one gets to see the true nature of people. During this ordeal I watched many people offer emotional support to others, share food, tobacco, and conversation. My children shined like Rock Stars. My daughter was so confident of the volunteers that she slept while others fretted. My son jumped in and helped put together benches and reminded people to drink water and eat snacks. I am so very proud of both of them. I am also equally impressed by the safety volunteers. These people volunteered to see this event through to the end. Many needed sleep and were preparing to go home themselves, yet they stayed on and made sure everyone was safe. Our community trains to handle situations like this, but we always hope to not need those skills. The reason these wonderful souls do this is out of love for their community. The mud binds us.
As the waters rose and fell, I thought of flood myths and their meanings. The implicit life, death, and rebirth motif. The renewal of the land with nutrients from the river bottoms. There are many flood myths from around the world, but I always liked this one from the Chitimacha of Southern Louisiana;
Long ago, a great storm came. The people baked a great
earthen pot, in which two people saved themselves. Since
rattlesnakes were then the friends of man, two rattlesnakes
were saved in the pot, too. The red-headed woodpecker clung
to the sky, but the waters rose so high they wet and marked
his tail. When the waters sank, the woodpecker was sent to
find land, but he could find none. The dove was sent next
and came back with a grain of sand. When this grain was
placed on the water, it spread out and became dry land.
Mostly I think I like it because I know these people, Rattlesnake and Woodpecker. Rattlesnake has great significance, which I promise to share at a later date, and Woodpecker has always been there. I have a fascination for the Ivory Billed Woodpecker, the stuff of legends, supposedly so big it made folks cry, "Good gawd", or "Good Lord" thus its colloquial names. Like my namesake, the Sasquatch and the Ivory Billed Woodpecker are forest guardians. They both draw people into the forest and both are found in pristine old growth woodlands.
In the same swampy bottom-lands of my youth, the Ivory Billed Woodpecker disappeared only to be sporadically spotted, but never definitively. There are other tales, blue lights in the woods at night, the Creature of Boggy Creek, and how Crawdaddy created land. All there in the bayous and creeks of East Texas.The mud binds us.
All of Texas became flood-land that weekend, and the following days. As of this writing the death toll stands at 23 with several more still missing. The most recent body was found several hundred yards away from a friends house in San Marcos. This has affected everyone, 167 of our 254 counties suffered from these floods. Experts say this is a "flood of record" that only occurs about once every 200 years. People are still cleaning up, the debris is everywhere, and everywhere there is mud. The mud binds us.
WATERS OF LIFE
Just as the waters slowly rose, covered the land, slowly retreated and left everything transformed, so too did water reassert itself into my life. Throughout the entire process I felt a vast array of emotions and yet never became so overwhelmed that I broke down. I reached the breaking point several times and had to stop and take care of myself. Thanks to my firm grounding (pun intended) in Earth Work, I was able to be a centered and focused Dirt Sorcerer. Love permeated me and I gave over to the feeling, willingly. Terror and panic tried to overwhelm me, I let them have their say and then dismissed them. I sought knowledge and fact instead of rumor and fear. Comforting others comforted me, I am a big hugger. Water slowly permeated my flesh like the flood waters took over the pecan grove. We merged, my body and my emotional self; I am more integrated. I am the mud.
Some of my earliest memories are of mud, and swampy places. Bullfrog, turtle, crawdad, and catfish were my companions when I played in the creeks. I knew them all and more importantly they knew me. In the summer we all occupied the same space. That narrow margin between water and solid earth, whether on shore, or along the bottom, it was mud. There we came together and learned about each other. We were all mud.
As I reflect upon my journey, I feel I must thank several groups of souls for all they did. First a most heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers who dedicate their time and energy out of LOVE. You are all beautiful. Thanks to my Ancestors, who reminded me of where I came from and helped me appreciate where I AM. Thanks to Saint Cyprian and Santisima Muerte for prayers answered and grace given.Mi Patron y mi matrona, mi espíritu está en sus manos. Usted llena mi corazón de alegría entusiasta. I give thanks to the Creator, for all that we have accomplished we are still the same as that first DNA strand that you formed with lightning and our raw material. We are all mud.
Originally when I decided to join the conversation started by Briana Saussy in her blogpost, Seeming Being, and the Courage to go Deeper, and continued by Aidan Wachter in his response, A Beautiful Light?, I thought I was going to write about the land I live on. Many unanticipated circumstances, however, have intervened and lead me to different place. First I did some Hedge-crossing on May Day Night. I then concluded my year and a day Earth ritual series, followed up by a massive working with both St. Cyprian and Santisima Muerte. Every step of the way illusions were shattered, expectations exceeded, and my sense of "being" tested.
FIRST STEPS
I first questioned the seeming nature of reality versus its true nature when at the age of sixteen I read the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, the same year I took High School Chemistry. As I learned about atoms and molecules and how they affect each other I became fascinated with how all that was happening at a level we could not perceive without highly specialized equipment. Remembering the Tao, I was struck by the awesome simplicity of it; what is is, but you cannot know all that is because you are part of all that is. Godel's Incompleteness Theorem, several centuries earlier, espoused by a poet mystic.
Since that year I have always questioned that which I think happened versus what may have actually happened. as Robert Anton Wilson said, "A flag flying in the wind is the truth, everything else is just media." In other words to know the reality of something we must experience the reality of something and even then our experience becomes a filter of interpretation skewing that reality. In this model, reality becomes fluid, which it appears to be at a quantum level.
THERE AND BACK AGAIN
The night of May first into May second I crossed the hedge with the aid of entheogens. I had visions of riding to Brocken for the Walpurgisnacht Sabbath , which of course had happened the night before. I recognized this as a projection of fantasy and desire, so I began to center myself. After becoming quite still, I felt a buzzing sensation in my thighs, it moved up my body until everything was throbbing, buzzing, tingling. I looked up and saw a cloaked figure motion me towards a large cauldron. I went to her. She told me to look into the cauldron.
I asked,"Who are you?"
"As old as the wind, and as dry too. I come in the night, ancient and full of life."
"What is your origin?"
"The fiery remains of stars, that cooled long before your world existed."
"What do I call you?"
"I have been called, Talto, Petrota, and others. You know me as Kali, but I am Lilitu."
Hesitantly I peer into the cauldron, and fall in. I say in because I did not fall down, but rather at an angle and then I lost sense of direction. I saw many things, works that I am completing, works to be initiated, and how I am my biggest blockage. Then I moved up. Up through the earth, up through my feet, up through to my head. I awoke. It was 3:30 a.m. May second.
THE END OF THE EARTH
The second of May ended a year and a day cycle of working with earth. It has forever altered my work, I have found spiritual gold in the most mundane of objects. In the process I discovered the Prima Materia Magica, Dirt. I am a Dirt Sorcerer. So I did my closing work and pledged to work for better dirt everywhere. I normally feel a small vacuum after concluding a ritual cycle, but this time I feel very solid and grounded, literally.
One cycle ends and another begins. Now I begin. I have spent so long with this bit of work that I have lost touch with some parts of myself. I will look them over and decide what no longer serves me and let it go. Other things I will choose to learn more about. My earth work is leading me towards alchemy and a renewed appreciation of Materia.
FROM THE MOUTHS OF SPIRITS
In the wee morning hours of the second day of May, I began to communicate with St. Cyprian and La Flaca. We concluded some previous work and I began to converse with them over some coffee. I asked La Flaca if she had any advice, her response was shocking. She told me to quit complaining. I asked what she meant by this and Cyprian replied. He told me to stop wearing my failure like a badge of honor.
I knew immediately what he meant, I have a tendency to give into a martyr complex. I convince myself that my self imposed suffering is somehow beneficial to the whole of humanity. Horse shit. So many times I have convinced myself that I am part of some oppressed group in the religious minority. This is only true in the sense that there is an overwhelming bias towards one religion in this country; Commerce. As for the minority part, yes I have a spiritual practice that is mine alone. He was admonishing me to own my life. Isn't that what being a sorcerer is all about?
It is these times when I hear things from the spirits that are uncomfortable, or make me uneasy that I know I am dealing with something outside of my normal experience. None of this was presented harshly, just as a nudge in the right direction. This how I know it is Authentic.
THE CAULDRON OF RETURN
After working with La Flaca,and Cyprian I went back to sleep . It was about 6:45 a.m. I dreamt of a circle of light hovering over head, and I was swimming towards it. As I broke the surface, I awoke. I had emerged from the cauldron. At first, I doubted that I had done workings until I noticed the lit candles, incense ash, and fresh roses from the garden. A flood of memories washed over me and I began to write down what I could remember. Some of it will take a while to figure out, but most is clear. I am not the same as when I entered.
I have strength and resolve that was missing before. Some of the things I took for granted are crumbling and falling apart. The facade is decaying, but there is already new growth, and I must face myself and ask those three questions.
I have started offering a service to my friends and neighbors, dandelion removal. The ones in my yard are where I get leaves, flowers, and seeds, I can't harvest their roots. so I have been volunteering to dig up peoples dandelions to get rid of them. My caveat is that they cannot be fertilized or treated. If I feel that the person is being less than forthright I may use those for talismanic work. The rest I will roast and consume. I love dandelions, they grow almost everywhere and they are very useful. Dandelion Spirit is one of my tutelary spirits, a wise sage with deep roots.
Deep Roots
Dandelion, Taraxacum Officinale, has very deep roots, both in actuality and in folklore. Historicallythey are believed to have evolved roughly 30 million years ago in Eurasia. They are considered a hardy, taproot perennial. In other words if you do not remove the root you do not get rid of the dandelion, thus my proposal to friends and neighbors. Some mythological associations include the Sun and Jupiter, in Ayurveda it is attributed to Saturn and air. It is this dualistic aspect that attracts me on the esoteric side.
The roots of dandelions can break up compacted soil and magically that is how one should think of them. They have the power to break through where others cannot. Associations with underworld currents suggest other works that could be accomplished with the roots. Saturnal work is greatly aided by the the addition of dandelion root as materia. The making of an Alruan or root talisman, is described by Sarah Anne Lawless in the article Alraun Crafting: How to Make a Herbal Root Talisman. Personally I just dry them and make a talisman as fits my purposes, but I found her article interesting.
Dandelion roots also have many traditional healing uses and current scientific studies how promise of anti cancer properties. Two chemicals in particular lupeol and taraxinic acid show promise in clinical trials. Dandelion root is rich in vitamins A, B, C and D and the minerals potassium, iron and zinc. Traditionally it has been used as a diuretic and to treat the urinary tract and filter organs. This includes kidneys, liver and gall bladder. The common method of ingestion is a tisane made from dehydrated roots, sometimes they are roasted and used as a coffee substitute.
Helios and Saturn
Just as the roots are associated with Saturn, so too are the blooms associated with the sun. At first glance this may seem to make the dandelion double aspected, but upon closer examination we will see that this is not necessarily so. The bright shining face of the dandelion is happy like the sun, bursting forth with the joy of life. In ancient Greece, the Sun was Helios, and in Rome it was Sol, names also attributed to the planet Saturn. Ancient Chaldeans referred to Saturn as Helios and in their own language Alap-Shamas, or "Star of the Sun". What is most interesting about this is that many ancient sources remark upon Saturn's Bright appearance and it was often illustrated with rays or spokes. Some have speculated that there was an astronomical event that created the ring and when it happened a bright disk could be seen around Saturn. I believe there is simpler explanation.
Helios Cthonos is a clue as is Ra as Atum, the ram headed form. Even the Egyptians gave horns to their gods when they traveled the under world. Helios was likewise a traveler of the underworld by night. Saturn is ruler of the underworld, as such he would travel freely across the night. The ancients saw a mirroring of journeys and aspects. Saturn was the secret sun of the dark night. The antithesis of the sun, no longer Sol Invictus, but Sol Niger, the black sun. So back to the dandelion, a cosmos in a flower. Above ground bursting forth and shining bright the dandelion is Sol, Helios, Ra. Below ground digging deep in to Cthonic realms, it is Sol Niger, Helios Cthonos, Atum in Mesektet. This seemingly simple flower has mighty power. It may even help save the world.
One Man's Weed
Many people consider the dandelion a nuisance, just an annoying weed that must be removed. I am a weed. I don't fit in well with manicured society, many would consider me simple and rustic. I am wild and will root where ever I happen to be. Just like the dandelion I find vast riches and freedom on the margins. This often reviled plant has many great uses and benefits. Every part is edible and it has medicinal qualities which I mentioned above. The most commonly consumed parts are the leaves, the flowers and the roots.
I will put dandelion flower petals in salads and I have had them batter dipped and fried. The greens I prefer sauteed like spinach, with olive oil, fresh cracked black pepper and kosher salt. The roasted root makes a great coffee like drink, I like mine with roasted chicory. While reading up on this post I stumbled upon Eat The Weeds, which may be my favorite new find this month.
The leaves are rich in minerals like magnesium, calcium and iron. They aid with digestion and they have vitamins A, C, and E. They are high in beta carotene and contain plant sterols such as beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol. These are fatty compounds that are similar to cholesterol and help block cholesterol in the body.For a good overview I recommend the University of Maryland Medical Center's website, the supporting research is impressive.
Liquid Sunshine
Alternative to fermenter
Growing up, the elders of my family had one treat that they indulged in every summer Dandelion Wine. To me Dandelion Wine is one of culinary treats that every human should try before shucking their mortal coil. There is nothing dandier that Dandelion Wine, It will aid you in communing with the spirit of this plant, literally. Here is a recipe I have used in the past.
DANDELION WINE
Ingredients:
1 package (7 g) dried brewing yeast
2 quarts (230 g) whole dandelion flowers
Using 2 quarts+ of just the petals can make for a less bitter wine
4 quarts water (3.785 L)
3 tablespoons (18 g) coarsely chopped orange zest; avoid any white pith
1 tablespoon (6 g) coarsely chopped lemon zest; avoid any white pith
Don't do this. Flowers=Bitter Wine
8 cupswhite sugar
Wash the flower, remove green bits. Soak in water, covered for two days. Bring to a boil with Lemon Zest, Orange Zest and Sugar. Once you reach a boil, turn off fire and let cool. Strain. Paper coffee filter are good for this. Pour into a plastic fermentation container,
and attach a fermentation lock. Let the wine ferment in a cool dark area
until the bubbles stop, 10 to 14 days. Let the wine clarify and then siphon off everything but the lees (sediment). Bottle and cork, let it sit for about another week in cool dark area before decanting.
Enjoy your exploration with Dandelions. Before I part I will remind you of one bit of lore of the dandelion, blow away its seeds is thought to grant wishes. I personally believe this, because my wish always comes true and I always wish for the same thing, more dandelions.
Spring is here and many are returning to the garden. I am fortunate enough to live in a climate where I garden pretty much year round. This tends to dampen my enthusiasm for spring, in this part of Texas spring is a three week precursor for the hell of summer.I actually prefer the half of the year where the temperatures drop below 90. Despite these reservations, I do still enjoy getting into the dirt.
And when I say get into dirt, I am actually inviting you sit a spell and let me bend your ear, or captivate your mind with the wonders of dirt.
Prima Materia Magica
Over at Hotel Vast Horizon, Aidan wrote about Philosophy & Theory of Sorcery/Magic/Sacred Arts/Prayer where he uses a meadow as an analogy for the totality of experience. What struck was this snippet, "It’s full of vibrant life. Soil bacteria, microbes, fungi, teeny tiny insects & creatures from very small to huge."What I particularly love about this is the acknowledgement of the parts that make the whole. This why I consider Dirt to be Prima Materia Magica, it contains parts of the whole. Everything that ever was, is and will be started as dirt and will end up as dirt. Dirt births us, sustains us and embraces us in death, and it does so for all of life.
As people begin to tend there gardens I hope they take a moment to nurture their dirt. Dirt is a community of bacteria, fungal mycellium, and microbes. These are the things that along with minerals will help your plants grow. Love your dirt. To acquaint yourself with the primacy of dirt try this simple exercise:
Go outside and dig up a handful of dirt.
Put it in an open container.
Smell the dirt every morning.
Do this for a week.
Write about your experience.
Tip: If the dirt loses some of its "oomph" water it with a mister. I guarantee you will feel better just from doing this. Dirt is magical.
Dirt Magic
When it comes to dirt Magic it is hard to know where to begin, so I will start with the dirt beneath me.Quite simply dirt is the flesh of the Mother and as such a connection to her. Through this you are connected to the entire web of life and death. Since I work with both hands I will talk about how dirt can harm and heal. There are many uses of dirt in many traditions, but I will confine myself to HooDoo and Santeria, the two traditions with which I have the most knowledge and experience.
Graveyard Dirt
This is by far the most popular dirt used in magic and it has a wide variety of uses, although the two that seem most common are protection spells and harmful spells. I personally use it in rites of necromancy amongst other things. The important thing about graveyard dirt is to obtain it in the proper manner, in HooDoo this is called buying the dirt. If you want to know more about that I strongly recommend The section on Graveyard Dirt at Lucky Mojo as a good start.You will also find information about the different types of dirt to be had in the graveyard. As an example if you are going to use graveyard dirt in a love spell (it happens), then you probably don't want collect it from a murderer's grave, that sort of thing.
Crossroads Dirt
The dirt of the Crossroads has the power of the Crossroads itself, the power to bring about change. This dirt can be used as a proxy for the Crossroads as well. A colleague keeps some on her altar, in a cauldron with a miniature stang so she can access this power at anytime. She does have to recharge with fresh dirt about once a month. Crossroads dirt is also used in protection work and banishings. On the other side it is used to "Cross" a situation or even to cause great indecision in a person. always leave an offering when taking dirt from the crossroads.
Track Dirt
Track Dirt comes from the path any animal makes in the dirt. Some dirt from the animal track will have some energy from the animal in it. In the case of all animals other than shod humans there is liminal quality to this dirt, it is literally the point of contact between that organism and the Mother. This could be used for anything from shape-shifting to spirit communion. It will depend on what animal made the track and your relationship to that animal as to how you choose to use it.
Churchyard Dirt
This is exactly what it sounds like, dirt form the grounds of a church. Again this is a dirt that is used in a variety of ways, but mainly either as a blessing or as a curse. Some also use it to communicate with Angels or Underworld Spirits. Traditionally dirt from Catholic Churches is used as most still sanctify the land before the church is built. I wonder if Synagogue dirt could be used the same way?
Other Dirts
Other Dirts are used in a contagion type of way, in that where the dirt comes from will exert influence over that energy. Some examples are:
Bank Dirt - Prosperity
Library Dirt - Knowledge
Racetrack Dirt - Gambling
Courthouse Dirt - Legal Issues
Once you begin to work with dirt, you will discover more and more ways to use it.
Geophagy
Geophagy literally means earth eating. I have cousins in East Texas who ate dirt. I used to believe this was just some quaint southern thing, but then I found out about diatomaceous earth and bentonite clay. While researching these topics I came across a New York Times piece, Southern Practice of Eating Dirt Shows Signs of Waning, again I was confronted with the image of southerners eating dirt. More research yielded this nugget from Berthold Laufer (love that name), simply titled "Geophagy". That was written in 1930 and as far as I know, there are not many papers that attempted to present such a comprehensive picture of the practice, which is Global.
Now, however, the internet seems to be teeming with information on the topic, even mainstream news has covered the topic in a more positive light. Then I hit the Mother Lode, that kernel that had eluded me for so long, evidence of ritualistic geophagy. In section 23.3.3 (yes I like that number) of Soil and Culture, edited by Edward R. Landa, and Christian Feller, several examples are cited, most exciting is a reference to present day Guatemala. In Guatemala, small clay tablets are baked with crosses and other symbols and consumed in much the same way as the Host in communion. At Esquipulas Basilica, pilgrims gather to venerate Christo Negro, or the Black Christ. Kaolin clay, which is used in Kaopectate, is baked into the aforementioned clay tablets and consumed.
I personally incorporate geophagy into some of my rites. It gives me a certain connectedness to works involving earth energies, and aids in shape-shifting. I have used diatomaceous earth and bentonite clay, both with profound effects. When it comes to geophagy, I say, "Eat Dirt!"
Using Dirt
In addition to geophagy there are other ways one can incorporate dirt into their practice. Some of the methods I use are Point of Contact, Powders(Polvos), and Sachets. Each of these techniques is useful in different ways and I will attempt to briefly describe each.
A point of contact is a magical link, which works along the lines of quantum entanglement. To connect to the power of a place take some dirt. This technique is more powerful if it comes from a place of power. Always when taking dirt ask permission. Of whom? The spirits of the land, the crossroads, the graveyard, and sometimes the property owner. This why dirt is powerful, is stores energy, it is the ground of all things.
Powders, polvos en Español, are made with herbs, magnetic sand, salt, cobwebs, dirt, seeds, seashells, and anything else that can be ground up into a powder. Normally one uses an odd number of ingredients, the reasoning behind this is intriguing. Basically even numbers are balanced or settled, whereas an odd number is active or unbalanced. In order to push a work you must upset the way things are and shape how things will be. Information on this is everywhere, but I strongly recommend Catherine Yronwode's big green book,Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic: A Materia Magica of African-American Conjure. You leave powder anywhere you believe your mark will be.
Sachets, mojo bags, and nation bags work on similar principles, but for different reasons, do a search you'll find all sorts of information. Just start reading Hoodoo in Theory and Practice by Catherine Yronwode at the aforementioned Lucky Mojo. One either starts with a cotton or flannel (sometimes silk) drawstring bag, picking a color suitable to the work. Certain items are added to the bag, again in odd amounts. The bag is then fed over time. This involves either oils or powders being applied to or into the bag. This bag is carried to bring the work directly to the person.
I am sure there are many more ways to work with dirt, I have only scratched the surface. The key as always, is to experiment and communicate with your guides. They will show you things about dirt you never imagined. Right there in the garden and at your feet the most profound of the Mysteries; Dirt.
This is the trailer for Dirt! the movie, if you have not seen it, please do, it will change everything about how you see dirt. Life's a garden, dig it.
"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." –Attributed to the Nazarene
PORK
Aaah, the delicious pig. I'm sorry if you do not enjoy swine-flesh, I do not mean to offend. That being said I am going to defend the pig a bit, for I feel there is no better totem for earth as the pig. Both revered and feared, the pig has a rich history and a long association with magic, the underworld, and fertility of the land. Pigs are not what I want to talk about, but rather pork. Pork was always a meat of luxury, raising a pig was like raising a child and used about the same amount of resources. As a result of the expenditure incurred when one decided to raise a pig, its meat was reserved for special occasions; Seasonal Feasts, Holy Days, Celebrations, etc. Pig is an embodiment of the fertile Earth, Pork is communion. Ultimately that is my aim, communion.
I have felt very connected lately to a very international community of people dedicated to the various currents of the Craft as expressed by traditional methods. It pleases me that more and more often I am reading blog-posts and articles, listening to pod-casts, and participating in discussions stressing the importance of Thaumaturgy. I feel very strongly that the Western Tradition has spent far too long venerating Theurgy and the Logos. Hoary praise for the PIG, meanwhile ignoring the pleasure of bacon. I feel that some of the aforementioned conversations have been a bit one-sided, always a call to use physical components to ritual, but ignoring the actual thaumaturgic work that various members of the craft are manifesting. My earth work has deepened my appreciation of Sacred Artists, Hexenkrafters, Wort Cunners, and Rebel Saints. It is my intention during this Year of Knives, to highlight individuals and organizations that are making manifest their Sacred Vision. Yes honey, I'm bringing home the bacon.
PEARLS
Prolonged Earth work has led me to new depths, and encounters with serpentine energies of a most primal nature. Strange thoughts have occupied my mind, I am indeed being educated by Tutelary Spirits. St. Cyprian opens the doors, makes the introductions, and offers suggestions for improved technique. I know this energy, it has worn many guises in my own life, this is what make me think. St Cyprian, Old Horny, Ganapati, Hekate, Santisima Muerte, and Babalon all overlap to some degree in their aspects. More like nodes on a spectrum rather than completely differentiated from one another. Again and again I find this to be true across traditions, techniques and religions. There are certain energy forms that manifest around humans across millennia that seem to exhibit the same strange and interesting properties.
The Snake or rather the Serpent, for instance, occupies many niches in folklore and spirituality, but
they all exhibit similar properties. Most interesting is that the part of our brain that is called reptilian, is where one will find Serpent Wisdom. One can also find the serpent Kundalini coiled at the base of the spine. Like wise in the depths of the underworld one can find the Cosmic Serpent that encircles All. These are Mysteries laid out in plain sight, much as the magic of dirt is often ignored, so too the Sacred Mundane is neglected. The Serpent Path is the Crooked Path and there is wisdom in this. The Way of the Witch is a meandering way, and sometimes there is no path at all, merely an exploration through the brambles and boggy creek bottoms. Just like the Serpent.
Cthonic Spirits and serpentine energies, these are my companions on the path through my Earth work. The treasures I gain are manifest as well as transcendent. I will soon begin introducing you to others who make the transcendent manifest, those who not only work the Materia Magica, but actually make the Magica Materia.
Get comfy, no I mean it, this a long ride, but we will stop occasionally...
Postcards From Naraka
Bursting Forth Sasquatch Jones 2015
It has been a while since I last did this, so be patient and I will be as gracious a host as I can. Those who have been reading my posts for a while will know that I have been engaged in a year long Earth Working, by which I mean that I am engaged in many workings that are all related to the elemental aspects of Earth. Like many of my kin, I first learned about the Witchcraft Revival through Buckland's Big Blue Book (4B), then explored other avenues. This has resulted in my associating winter with earth as many Wiccans do. Even though I passed by Wicca nearly twenty years ago, the imprint is strong. Over the years I have always turned inward during winter and devoted this time to intense study. This winter is no different, except that the depths I have reached far outpace anything I have done before, that and I may have awakened a dragon. More on that later.
This winters studies have been aided by many sources and I would like to share a few with you. I will start with books, because I always do. Pod-casts have been very instrumental to my studies this winter, I will tell you about my favorites. Blogs of course are always on the menu, but there a re a few notable articles that I will invite you to read. Finally I want to share some music and recommend a movie. Then I will tell you all about the Dragon.
Ocultas Libros
I have read so many books as of late that I decided to only review the titles I have finished. I am only going to give the title, the author and a brief impression of what I liked and/or disliked. I am not a book reviewer, but I do love to share knowledge, so perhaps this will give you some inspiration.
The Magical and Ritual Use of Herbs, by Richard Alan Miller- If you walk the Poison Path as I do, this little book is very handy. Written like a field guide with identification, history, chemistry, preparation, etc., this is about as stripped down as a technical manual. In fact that is exactly what it is, a Technical Magical Field Guide. I strongly endorse this book. Thanks to Sarah Anne Lawless for recommending this one.
Plant Spirit Shamanism, by Ross Heaven and Howard G.Charing- Both Ross Heaven and Howard G. Charing have a considerable body of work between them (which I highly recommend if you work plant spirits), so I was happy to find this book co-authored by these two, with a foreword by Pablo Amaringo as a bonus. I love this book. First each author shares from the traditions they are most familiar with, which allows one to find points of intersection between differing traditions, hinting at that old Ur-sorcery beneath all things. Then just to ice the cake they introduce herbs from the Western Traditions that correspond not by chemistry but by energy, by Spirit. If you work with plant spirits reading this book can inform your work.
Pharmako Gnosis: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path, by Dale Pendell- What everyone else says about this book is true, put it into your library today. Unless you already own it.
The Sorcerer's Secrets, by Jason Miller- This book impressed me so much I signed up for the Strategic Sorcery course, this will be my first foray into Formal Magical Training. The results so far, just from reading the book, are noticeable. This tome will improve your work regardless of your path.
Mandala Sasquatch Jones 2015
The Vision and the Voice
I am just going to recommend three pod casts series I have enjoyed over the last few weeks. The first is HedgeFolk Tales, by Sarah Anne Lawless. Great lore and interpretation from a wonderfully witchy perspective. Next is the Crooked Path Pod-cast by the late Peter Paddon. There is a wealth of information here that is passed in the Old Way, as oral tradition, truly a treasure. Finally, Lamplighter Blues, with Dean and Doctor Hob. I love Doctor Hob's voice, and his depth of knowledge is wonderful. If you are interested in HooDoo or Conjure, check this out.
Intermission
Words of Inspiration
I am a reader, hands down my favorite mental activity. I read blogs because I love the way they are like an ongoing conversation between several people. I love watching the way certain ideas will get amplified and contemplated by different minds, absolutely beautiful. Upon Westminster Bridge, by Gordon White over at Rune Soup offers up a meditation upon this very subject. Since I brought up Rune Soup be sure to check out the following two installments, Teaching Birds How to Fly and The Other Avian Flu.
Tres Senoras Sasquatch Jones 2015
Can Witchcraft be civilized? I find that Nicolaj de Mattos Frisvold addresses the question rather nicely over at the Starry Cave.This dovetails nicely with my Year of Knives foci. These are the posts that have me thinking, for something that inspires in a different way, try Sailor on the Seas of Fate, The Orphans Almanac, or Rue and Hyssop.
The Devil's Own
When I was growing up in the late seventies and early eighties, in East Texas, many Baptist preachers were still turning coin preaching about the evils of Rock-n-Roll and Hollywood. Needless to say, but I was a lost cause. I have always loved secular music, but a few pagan musicians have helped me appreciate the value of spiritual music. Wendy Rule's Black Snake, is amazing, her voice is sultry and this album highlights that. Infernal Proteusis for the Krautnerden (Herb Nerds) amongst us, not always the greatest music in my opinion but I like it.
On Netflix, Daniel Radcliffe stars in Horns, totally entertaining murder mystery with a twist. Pop some corn and enjoy your evening.
Intermezzo
Here There Be Dragons
I have been treading the mill for some time now to depths I have never been. Something compels me onward ever downward, the pressure on my ears is painful and the heat is almost unbearable. Then darkness and silence envelopes me. Something is here, alive. Massive, its energy hits me like a wall. It smells of copper and soot, but mostly of serpent. It is aware...of me.
Symbiotes Sasquatch Jones 2015
"Hoomaan, dare you to disturb me?", it hisses.
"I beg your pardon, I meant no offense", I reply.
"How do you come to be here?", questions the thing in the depths.
"Exploring" say I.
"What are you looking for?" it asks.
"Knowledge", my response.
It laughs. IT. LAUGHS.
"You will gain so much more", it assures me.
"Thank you."
I awaken beneath my tree, cold,wet and achy, the weather has turned. Time to go back inside. I never had a visual, but I know this was a dragon. Wrapped around the base of my skull the whole time.
The Roots
As the world turns towards spring for the Northern Hemisphere and autumn for the Southern Hemisphere, I begin to rise from fallow slumber and join the coming chorus of life bursting forth. Upwards I ascend with knowledge plumbed from the depths, this dirt is fertile. The dandelions are blooming, I have work to do.
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