Tools of the Craft

It's about  time for my annual High Mowing Ritual, which happens to coincide with the autumnal equinox.I love the word equinox; it literally means "equal night", beautiful. There is no logical explanation for this coincidence of events, it just feels right. My excitement is heightened this year by two events, both blog related. First was this absolutely wonderful piece from Jen Rue, entitled Tools of the Game. I have been considering the magic of tools recently, there is much in world fairy lore about tools; more on that in a bit. It was after I read this reflection on Dark Ecology by Paul Kingsnorth, who was brought to my attention by the good Aidan, that I discovered what my next tool shall be; a scythe.

 BODENEHEMANN

 

To decide to take on the role of Bodenehemann or "Land Husband" is a commitment to listen and be rewarded with unexpected rewards. To take this liminal role as a boundary keeper, bridging the gap between wild and domestic is a responsibility to also maintain balance. We are the last defense on both sides.

As I dream about next years adventure with a scythe, I prepare for this year's last of the season mowing. Looking about the property I notice an amazing thing, a forest is growing. I have been combining, forest gardening, native species rehabilitation and a hands off approach, to slowly achieve a balance between my needs and the needs of the community of life in This Place. Squirrels will provide an example.

Sciurus Niger, the humble Fox Squirrel, hated by birders and gardeners alike, this lovely fiend has become one of my greatest allies. I used to fret about the competition for pecans and acorns, until I paid attention to what was actually happening in my yard. Squirrels do not eat dry pecans, they don't. They eat green pecans, and bury dry pecans. in the spring when the pecans sprout they dig them up and eat the small green tree. Squirrels are gardeners. This stunning realization coupled with the presence of pecan trees and oak trees in places that I had not planted in, lead me to reassess my relationship with squirrel. Now we have an arrangement, I don't gather pecans until late in the season, and squirrel plants trees and trim the ends of the branches. When I first saw a squirrel chewing the end of a branch I thought it was damaging it, turns out it works like pruning. The tree responds to the stress by producing more branches, which produce more pecans, brilliant. The pecans I gather by the way are still clinging to green husks, way out on the end of low hanging branches, easy for me to pick and unsafe for squirrel to fall from so close to the ground where the predators are. the pecans are usually bigger sweeter and still moist sometimes, definitely worth the wait. I only gather acorns every other year. Added bonus, I get to cull the squirrel population.

Every part of the property has it's own needs and arrangements. At first I thought I was sacrificing too much, but once I learned certain things like brush pile away from the house give rodents somewhere else to stay in the winter than in your house. Also putting said brush into the arroyo will cut down on erosion and save topsoil. I don't rake until spring, by then it is a great mulch that has helped seedlings stay warm all winter. I pile it up in spring and let it melt into the yard throughout the year. Nature wastes nothing. Slowly I have begun building "islands" small areas that are a mixture of whatever blew in on the wind, native plants and certain herbs that I cultivate surrounded by a border of rocks or logs from the property or neighboring properties. These become hands off zones where I let nature do its thing. As time goes by I am learning more and more about how to integrate into the environment. A rewilding of the physical and the spiritual aspects of myself and the land.

SCHROTFLINTE ZAUBERS

 

Shotguns and sigil shoaling work on very similar principles, by firing multiple projectiles all at once you are more likely to hit the target. Take it another step and dress your shotgun shells with sigils. then make targets of the sigils themselves and fire the gun at them. Each level adds energy. I plan on doing this, but using a barrel as the target. afterwards I will cut the barrel in half and make two fire containers further adding to the enchantment.

Do not think that this is willy-nilly random firing, no just like hunting, magic works better with target practice, a calm hand, a steady eye, and breath control. You are still definitely aiming for a target, your are just increasing your odds of hitting it. This approach can also be accomplished by combining techniques, Materia, invocation, sigil shoaling, micro- and macro-enchantments, candle magic, and spirit work are all combined whenever I launch a magical campaign. Volume is the key.

Fire works and explosives are also handy for energizing sigils and releasing spells. At new years every year we set off two large strands of fireworks with prayers of prosperity and health attached. This year we used incense sticks to light them. We written sigils and intentions on balloons with corn starch in them, thrown into a fire they make fireballs. Sky rockets, bottle rockets, and roman candles can all be utilized. Shotgun Spells are about a multi pronged attack and explosive results.

IM ERDREICH 

 

It's time to get back into the underworld.Time to reacquaint with root and bone. The bare essentials of life and death. Back down into the Unterwelt, to work with Hermekate, the grand androgyne of dark alchemy, deep shadow work. My guides on this Journey will the ever present Madre Hueso, the Necro Saint, San Cipriano, and San Lazarus. Down into the earth.

Earth magic is where one finds the overlap between the sacred and the mundane. More precisely it is where you find that the mundane is the most sacred of all. The Lord of Earth, Auld Hornie, never lets you forget this and thus is feared. To accept your animal nature is the beginning of liberation, not a block against it. To get down into the dirt is to literally get down into yourself.

HEILIGE WERKZEUGE

 

I have knives to consecrate, a scythe to purchase, and a machete to bless. Every tool I possess is sacred to me. I develop a bond, a trust with my tools.  Some tools, like those previously mentioned are used for day to day matters, and others are only used for ritual purposes. Some like my zymurgy supplies and my knives transcend both worlds.

As I said at the beginning of the year, this has been the Year of Knives, and cutting year it has been, I see a very definite rift forming in global society between those aware of our global society and those who aren't. Change is inevitable and like urban coyotes, we need to adjust to our new surroundings. For the Magi, I believe that like the Cook County Coyotes we to must become like ghosts. Operating just out of sight, but our effect can still be felt. Our cunning is our best tool.

Cunning just like knives has a sharp edge that will quickly remove the unnecessary. Coupled with Knowledge , cunning becomes a multi tool and a sword at the same time. Your tool kit is comprised of many things, both physical and non material, it is important to keep them all shiny and sharp. When did you last do an inventory on your toolbox? Sometimes we find things we didn't even know we were missing.

Being Authentic

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.

Who are you?

Where do you come from?

What is your name?

Down & Dirty

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:

1. Go outside and dig up a handful of dirt.
2. Put it in an open container.
3. Smell the dirt every morning.
4. Do this for a week.
5. 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.

Letting Go

Most of the people I know have had to let go of something dear to them this year. Deaths, divorces, and downsizing, whether by choice, illness or just time, have claimed much happiness and left a void in their wake. It is against this backdrop that I have decided to let go, more. Time is precious and the pursuit of stuff is a poor way to spend it, I want more LIFE and less stuff.

This not just a reaction to the losses I and many others have experienced , but rather an exploration of loss and surrender. For one to surrender to the forces around them and give up control is the essence of sacrifice as initiation. The Fool, and The Hanged Man; a leap of faith, a willing sacrifice, an initiation into a different state of being. Notice that I did not say "higher" state of being, such things are greatly overrated, enlightenment is not what most Americans think enlightenment is. I am looking to change my relationship to loss, suffering, and material possession, to reawaken my knowledge of the transitory, numinous nature of existence.

In my last post I made reference to Rhyd Wildermuth's post on Alchemical Capitalism, that article and this post by John Beckett, about the Commodification of Humanity, started mental workings. Then I read Decolonizing Ourselves So We Can Help Others, and remembered Paper Mage which I also recommended in my last post,and enter an Air of Inspiration from the East. Harvest and sacrifice are the same thing. Without sacrifice there is no harvest, and without a harvest there is no sacrifice. That being said, keep in mind that the harvest will never be what you expect. Taking my raw material to the cauldron of inspiration and applying flame something distinct begins to distill.

A small amount of passion goes a long way, and from that initial idea a plan has coalesced, it is time to Let Go. I will be releasing my hold on several material items from now until the Feast of the Ancestors, October 31st. This is sacrifice, ritual, reverence, and initiation all rolled into one. I am seeking to change my relationship to stuff, to embrace Immediacy, to see impermanence as it is; more stuff. So I will be giving away, sticks, stones, roots, bones, shells and feathers. A few books, and perhaps some hand drawn art here and there, will also find Their  way into the mix. I need to lighten my load for the next phase of my work. Water flows in and water flows out, stuff is the same, I'm not wholesale against it, I just need let it flow down the stream again.

Now the fun, interactive part; a veritable Carnival of Delights. Are you brave enough to accept gifts? Dare you receive something for nothing? Is not, Receiver of Generosity, one of your holy names? Can you surrender and accept what fate deals? Did you say yes to one or more of these questions? Then I have a proposition for you. If you said yes to all these questions, seek therapy, just kidding, go take a hike, you deserve a break. Now if you are willing, Friend me on facebook, or just send me a PM with your address and the note "I'm in." Or leave me a comment here. I will contact you with three questions, and then mail you a package based on your answers. Don't worry nothing ominous, just simple things, such as, animal, vegetable, mineral, or fungal. That sort of thing. I just love that Fungi is its own kingdom, now.

Awaiting your responses and then into the realm of Earth, where I manifest that which I have called forth. Letting go is the only way to appreciate what you have. LOVE.

High Mowing Ritual

The grass is high, about waist deep, the goldenrod is higher, and the ragweed tops out at 12 -15 feet. Time to mow. This is a ritual that must be done right, there are herbal allies to consult, post mowing libations to procure and chill. So I talk to Joe about the bean and then I eat a muffin with Mary Jane. Fully immersed in the world of the herb, das Krautwelt, if you will, I face the south and thank Fire for not ravaging my land, and offer to stand in his stead as the Harvester. I will also be Woodsman as I clear the understory from the wooded parts of my land and as Hunter I will try to create spaces for certain fowl and small game to be taken more easily. Finally the mowing begins in earnest, a dizzying array of light, sound, heat, and humidity, one is never at the finish as one was at the beginning. Plant resins fill the air and are inhaled by the Harvester. Small vines with thorns tear at the flesh of the Woodsman, releasing their resins, some poisonous into his bloodstream. By now the Hunter has begun to fully assimilate with the Land. He sees the contours, places where small pools of water will gather after the rains, protected spots in the grass where one could easily disappear into the wood, watches as Hawk uses this to his advantage. With resins of plants coursing through his veins and affecting his brain, this man, this being who has transformed himself into a stand in for fire, takes on the role and responsibility as Land husband, the Bodenehemann. In this role he must protect the homestead, and the wild, create a buffer space for them both to adjust to one another. It is this in between role that I love so much, neither fully wild nor fully domesticated, but able transverse both realms, this is where I truly thrive. The end of the day leaves tired, bruised, torn, and triumphant and exhilarated. This is my condition as I enter the family home, Friedengut, and am greeted by the elixir of the gods. A cold frosty fermented brew of grains, seeds, herbs, and resins, that with some help from yeast render a concoction that is the essence of the mown land itself. I shower and retire to hearth for the evening.

Final Earthworks and the Opening of the Aethyr Gates

My elemental workings have come to an end. My elemental workings have just begun. As I finished my concentrated study of each of the elements, I did an Aethyr Working to bring it all together. This final act turned out to be the beginning of something new and wonderful, my Aethyr working opened a gate that will inform my work for many years to come. Twice before I arrived at a place in my work where I felt total cohesion between my vocation and my avocation. A place where my cosmology manifested itself around me daily, the Subgenii refer to this as the luck plane tilting in one's favor.I can believe that about the previous events but this is different, more like fortune. Previously I lost my vision and my voice due to turbulent episodes, both involving divorce and a loss of all my earthly possessions. One of the main differences this time is that I started with nothing and due to my partner, the most beautiful Goddess I know, I have learned to protect what is important and retain those parts of life that hold real value, this is the secret of wealth. I love her more than any other and there are many wrongs I must make right with her, but she is quite simply the most amazing person I have ever met, and have the utmost faith in her.

Revelations

Lucky man that I am, I am currently suffering from what the doctors believe may be a faulty gall bladder, whatever is wrong with me, I have been ill quite a bit this year. This illness however has kept me closer to the Other Side and this has improved the nature of my work greatly. When the gates opened, I had a vision of all that is to be. Humbled, I wrote down as much as I could, and drew what I saw. The first revelation was of my paten, this served as the door to the Aethyric Temple. I have included it here with a bit of artistic flair for dramatic effect.

The next revelation involved an explanation as to why the elementals manifested to me as totems and the importance of these relationships. They will serve as spirit guides much like familiars, but with more specific purposes and less personal interaction, as if they were zeitgeists or family spirits. I also met my allies old and new; amongst whom the following did appear; Lady of the Night, Wild One, Dirt Mama, Sky Daddy, Bird Lady, Bunny Man, Lord Stag and Lady Herb.

Soon I will fully open my Spirit Temple; the Grotto of Free Form Open Source Dirt Sorcery or a reasonable facsimile thereof; names aren't really important anymore, only results.

Corporate Cannibals, Tantric Pirates, and Shamanic Clowns

So it comes to pass that I shall lie fallow for a season, from Lammas to Samhain I shall not engage in large rites other lunar and solar cycle associated events. Some time after that I will begin working with planetary energies, and true to form I will be making up much of it as I go along. I have studied enough books in the last 30 years of my life that I can create a cut up ritual in my head and so I do. This is the essence of Free Form Open Sorcery. There is a caveat however, this is my path, go get your own. I do share tips and tricks in my Open Source lessons, but I am only trying to guide you towards doing it yourself, thus the non-specificity.

My path must always remain open ended, that is why I never give it all away. Once I develop a codified system that does anything other than brainwash you into thinking for yourself, then I have failed. I will not become the foodstuff of Corporate Cannibals. I would rather you become your own vision whether it's a Tantric Pirate, Shamanic Clown, or a Professor of Transcendentalism. The point is it is your path, and much like the Bardo or a video game, there are achievement levels that must be unlocked before proceeding to next part of your adventure. Almost always you will find that the key involves resolving personal issues, this is earthwork. There is no progress to Aethyric until the elemental issues are worked on.

Organic Psychedelic Animism

I have work to do, new tools and devices. There are new souls to meet, art rituals to construct, books to write. More important than all of that, I must maintain my relationships. Both my relationships with the living and with those souls on the Other Side. I trust my familiar to make the proper introductions when the time comes, and I make sure to bestow gifts upon my familiar when the time is right. I mentioned this mutual reciprocity before in a previous post. This a theme that will keep popping up over and over for me, as my partner has helped me realize I can be quite neglectful at times. This neglect only serves to harm me in the long run, as I damage mutually beneficial ties I isolate myself. This is part of one of the kleshas I must untie regularly, if not daily.

The Earth sings to me, the Waters rock me to sleep, the Fire keeps me warm and alive, the Air gives me dreams, but the Aethyr stirs my soul. So by the Powers Above and Below, I have gained gifts that I am both humbled and honored to receive, I resolve myself to Bhakti practice as sign and token of my appreciation and devotion. So Mote It Be.

Shub-Niggurath Muladhara Aghori Trance

Fuego Sagagrado, Humo Sagrado

Reflections, mental meanderings, and randomness as I approach the end of my Earth Workings. Everything ends, everything breaks down, everything is born again, and everything is reabsorbed. Unification and Equalization through Amalgamation and Transmutation.

Yog-Sothoth connaît la porte.

Yog-Sothoth est la porte.

Yog-Sothoth est la clé et le gardien de la porte.

Passé, présent, futur, tous sont un en Yog-Sothoth.

Il sait où les Anciens ont traversé la vieille,

et où ils doivent franchir à nouveau.

Il sait où Ils ont foulé les champs de la terre,

et où elles fouleront encore eux,

et pourquoi personne ne peut les voir comme ils marchent.

 Ritual as Sigil

1. Write Ritual
2. Use online Translator
3. Pick Language
4. Translate
5. Memorize in New Tongue
6. Perform Ritual

Tsathoggua wurde von einer Vielzahl von Völkern verehrt. 

Die Schlange nahm den Mann Götzen Tsathoggua von N'kai. 

Viele andere Kulte haben die Kröte Gott als Symbol angenommen. 

Viele dieser Kulte nicht von Tsathoggua wahren Namen kennen und die Kröte Symbol 

geworden ist eindeutig als Symbol des Bösen.

The Cost of Consumption

So keeping in line with my earth workings is a renewed interest in protecting Mama Dirt. Part of this is trying to waste less,  but let's be honest, rituals are wasteful and expensive at times. What to do? Well I dug into my post-punk DIY days and decided to revisit some of my Obtanium Sources. Finding bargains on ritual supplies happen in many ways, the easiest being look for the cheap stuff. The problem with cheap things, candles for example, is that you must be careful about why they are cheap. did they come from countries with questionable labor practices? What are they made of? Are they at Wal-Mart? I buy Kosher Hannukah candles half price around the end of December. Blessed by a Rabbi and they come in many colors? Yes, please.

Other ideas include foraging in woods and alleyways, estate sales, and church thrift stores. Reuse second hand items and give them new life. The spirit of it will be thankful. This leads to a more delicate sort of cheap ritual supply, bones of road kill.

Several things to consider when collecting road kill;

1. Wear protective gear. You do not want an infection from improper handling.
2. Make sure its legal and act accordingly.
3. Thank the soul and help let go of the pain and cross over.
4. Only take what you need and bury the rest.
5. When you no longer need it, bury it. From the earth to the earth.

Quod ex ritu chorus, accurato inter nudum 

et sacerdos sacerdotum, qui eum sequitur, 

lupus etiam solida flagellat autem sacerdos. 

Rituali pinnaculum flaminica verberibus ad 

mortem lapis movetur movet infantem sacerdos 

super eam. Bufo et Deus videtur, in summa, 

et altare holocausti, ut et virgo est datum est ..

 Pacts are Relationships

As we discuss cheap ways to acquire ritual supplies, i would like to take some time to discuss gifts for familiars. I am one of those who makes pacts with spirits, familiars if you will. These pacts are more like romantic relationships in that they rely on mutual support to prosper. Most of the time small trinkets and knick knacks will suffice for tokens of appreciation, but for proper feeding and significant aid in workings, you can not skimp on quality.

Some spirits (most of the ones I work with) have very specific needs and will not respond well to improper energy transferals. My familiars are all wild spirits and prefer gifts from the wild, but on special occasions like our anniversaries or big workings I must make an effort to find something special.

Every spirit has different requests and idiosyncrasies so one needs to pay special attention to what is being asked for. Do not neglect your familiars, they will aid your work in ways that nothing else can. Added benefit of developing deep meaningful relationships with non corporeal spirits is that you will begin to develop better relationships with all spirits. That does not matter if they are Human, Flora, Fauna , or Mineral. Trees are great friends as are birds and stones.

Cefais fy hun a wynebir gan enwau a thermau fy mod wedi clywed mewn mannau eraill yn y ffordd fwyaf erchyll cysylltiadau – Yuggoth, Cthulhu, Tsathoggua, Yog-Sothoth, R'lyeh, Nyarlathotep, Azathoth, Hastur, Yian, Leng, Llyn Hali, Bethmoora, Arwyddion Melyn, L'mur-Kathulos, Bran, a'r Magnum Innominandum - a daeth yn ôl drwy oesoedd yn ddienw a dimensiynau annirnadwy i fydoedd o hynaf, endid allanol lle mae'r awdur wallgof y Necronomicon ond wedi dyfalu yn y annelwig ffordd .... Mae cyfan gwlt gyfrinach o ddynion drwg (bydd dyn yn eich ddysg cyfriniol fy neall pan yr wyf yn eu cysylltu â Hastur a'r Arwyddion Melyn) neilltuo ar gyfer y diben o olrhain i lawr ac yn eu anafu ar ran y pwerau monstrous o dimensiynau eraill.

 Random Misfirings

 Moths are awesome. Mothra is a goddess. Armadillos look cool with wings. So do moose. Lemon pin spells work extremely well. Your soul is and always will be your best lover. Cosmos is indifferent to your existence and this frees you to do what you will. Everything returns to the earth, everything.