​Recent conversations have reminded me how incredibly crucial it is to discuss matters like the creation of sacred space in spirit work. It’s something that seems to get glossed over a fair bit, so the step most people seem to be aware of involves smudging with sage....and they don’t tend to go much further than that. 

The creation of sacred space is intimately tied to something called land-taking. The idea of land-taking is that you’re claiming ownership of a space for as long as you physically reside there. In essence, you’re stating that you’re interested in the property and intend to take care of it and, most importantly, all of the denizens that reside there. You’re entering into a covenant with the spirits of place, and in return gaining some measure of sovereignty over the locale. 

Recognizing this, there’s a number of ways to go about doing this. Traditionally, it was done with a spike and a source of flame: the spike or tent peg would be driven deep into the earth and a flame would then be walked about the perimeter of the space as a means of signaling that this space belonged to a new owner. Supplications would then be made to the genii locii, and one would go about their rituals at that point. 

You can utilize this in your own ritual works, as this is essentially the earliest known version of creating a circle. To adopt this into your own practices, procure a spike-like object that calls to you. It can be a dagger, a tent peg, or even a large nail - it simply needs to feel like it commands some attention for you. From there, consecrate the item appropriately and begin to consider it to be a physical representation of your presence & control. 

Once this has been done, procure a bowl of earth, ideally from your property. You should pick a bowl that can hold enough dirt that this spike can stand up within it with ease. Place that bowl upon your altar, and when you’re ready to claim the space for ritual, place the dagger/spike into the bowl: spear it in an act of controlled force, being careful not to break the bowl. 

Then, light a stick of incense appropriate to the ritual you’re looking to perform and walk it about the perimeter of your space. As you do this, keep in mind the idea that you’re signifying that this space is now yours. You can attach an oral prayer or statement to this, if you like. 

Once completed, provide offerings of water and fruit to the spirits of place and then get started with your rite. 

It’s simple technology at the end of the day, but its importance really cannot be overstated. It might seem a little odd at first, but this does have a tendency to amp up the potency of one’s rites. 

Have a lovely day!

Blessings,
Chris 

A discussion came up the other day that was loosely rooted in my works with Elubatel, Ebuehuel, and Etuesuel. This is, in part, the reason for the "It all matters....ish" post, and I'd like to further that discussion.

The individual who did the asking was focused on finding a way to heal herself using magical practices in addition to modern medicine. This is an incredibly intelligent route, and I applaud her for it.

If you're suffering through health issues, be they chronic or acute, here are some spirits that are worth approaching:

1. Sandalphon
An angel, though not one specifically associated with healing. Sandalphon is essentially thought to be the angelic mechanism through which prayers are elevated to God. Something to consider if you feel like you're not being "heard" by the Divine.

2. Selaphiel
Likewise, an angel, though not one specifically a healing being. Selaphiel is all about ensuring that our prayers are heard and acknowledged by the Divine, so using her in conjunction with Sandalphon as the basis for healing rituals is a pragmatic choice.

3. Ophiel
This spirit is sometimes thought to be an angel, but I tend to view Ophiel as being an intelligence of the planetary powers of Mercury. Ophiel's fantastic at finding whatever it is you need to achieve [x]. Need a proper doctor who knows how to sort your specific problem out? Appeal to Ophiel and ask for that assistance through a petition.

4. Zoroel
A spirit of directed healing, this is a kind of warlike angel who is thought to defeat specific demons of disease. Phenomenal for infections, in particular.

5. Sabrael
Often called an angel of miracles, it has been my experience that these "miracles" tend to take the shape of extreme healing. He can offer the means of closure and acceptance, while also dealing with the physical ramifications of your circumstances.

I tend to view him as an angel of trauma in this sense, as he is considerably more responsive when great need is present. I've appealed to him in times of great pain and consternation with substantial results.

Speaking from a wholly experiential POV now, its worth mentioning that Sabrael seems to respond more readily when given a reason for why you need to be healthy or able. If ever you are acting in defense of another and your health/wellness prevents you from doing so, that's when the greatest impact is had. That specific kind of situation seems to get the most attention, so bear this in mind.

6. Raphael
An archangel who is sometimes thought to be a Saint, Raphael is all about active healing and the processes through which such boons can occur. Raphael's well-acquainted with our bodies, nutritional needs, and the effects both spiritual and physical that certain practices and dietary inclusions can have upon us.

I would recommend pinging Raphael for both active healing AND direction around the act of healing yourself. 

7. St. Peregrine
As the story goes, St. Peregrine suffered from a really gnarly infection in his leg. Some call it cancer, some say it was a blood infection....the stories tend to vary, but this being has been associated with miraculous healing as a result.

I would recommend procuring for yourself a St. Peregrine medal, badge, or photo, knowing that you can carry it with you. Sanctify this image and recognize it as an earthly manifestation of the Divine.

Make known your prayers for health and healing, and follow the flow that life brings you. St. Peregrine won't do anything that's strictly outside of what's "allowed" in the Cosmic sense, but he's a damned powerful healer when given the wiggle room to be one.

I hope this information is of help to you. Have a wonderful day & may you find the healing you seek!
​-Chris

Hey folks!

I'm excited to announce that I've created a new Instagram account! I'll be using it to share photos and musings that don't really have a place here on the blog.

If you're interested, you can find me as @sorcerousendeavors.
Thank you for your continued support!

Blessings,
Chris

​Everything you choose to throw into a spell matters...to a point. The quality of the ingredients, the force of their preparation, the nature of the candles used, the consecration of the individual physical aspects of the rite, and correctly choosing the appropriate times to do the Work are all components that have some manner of impact on the outcome. 

These are not, however, deciding factors in the efficacy of the Work. Instead, they are means of causing the magic to manifest more strongly, and with greater oomph. The thing that seems to be the primary factor of importance is mindset and personal preparedness, as it’s our headspace walking into the ritual that makes the utmost difference. 

What this means is that you can essentially pad your results by increasing the quality of the ingredients used in your spellwork, but that won’t matter much if your heart’s not in it. You’ve got to be in the right headspace for this to be effective, so bear that in mind when you’re Working to change important aspects of your life. Take responsibility for what you’re trying to achieve and be fully present as you do so. 

Have a great Friday!
-Chris 

​Magic's a fascinating area of study and practice, as when you first leaf through a grimoire, there's this understanding that the world is essentially at your fingertips provided you can decipher the cryptic language and make use of the signs and seals therein. That understanding can and often does hold true for those who make a point of seriously studying such things too. There is, however, a point of some contention that's essentially a necessary lesson in ritual works: picking the right tool for the job.

This applies both to the magical  objects one creates, but its far more than that. When working with spirits, learning to recognize them as finite beings with their own skills and lacks is incredibly important, as I have yet to find a spirit that does literally everything equally well. 

Instead, there are gray areas and what amount to hidden footnotes within the body of Work, and only experience is really going to help you to ascertain the natures of these spirits and their skillsets. Learning this and then learning to apply this to your life and magical practice is an intensely rewarding experience, though its difficult as hell at first, as there's not really a well-established guideline to follow.

Learn to pay attention to these spells you do and spirits you work with. Jot down notes about the materials you use and how their inclusion affects the Works you do. There are an infinite number of subtleties that really cannot be adequately conveyed within the body of a blog post, so I invite you to experiment with this concept mindfully. ;)

Enjoy your Thursday.
-Chris

After years of working with Elubatel, I thought it appropriate to create and share an Invocation of the Angels of Omnipotence. Elubatel has long had an association with success, and so too do his compatriots, especially when invoked in tandem.

I would suggest that you use this as an entryway through which you may build a connection with these extraordinarily powerful beings. ;)

This can be performed as a spoken invocation, and I would invite you to connect this with your spiritual works. They are a powerhouse that can be used to cultivate extreme changes in the status quo of one's life.

Blessings,
​Chris

Hello there!

Earlier, a really interesting point of discussion came up on StudioArcanis that I'd like to share with you here. The question asked essentially boils down to "why do things sometimes go sideways when practicing magic?", and I think that its a very important thing consider. Consistent successful magical practice has some pretty far-reaching effects for us, and as magically-inclined folks it is something to be aware of. When you're constantly angling to create beneficial change in accordance with will, these shifts in the narrative become a part of life. A necessary part, and enjoyable part, but its a part with some risks attached. We probably should strive to minimize the difficulties attached to these practices.

Everything we do as magicians (or witches, warlocks, spirit workers, cunning men and women, shamans, and so forth) revolves around some manner of result v. displacement. Literally all things we do have some manner of shift to occur alongside them if we're doing things correctly. As a result there are times where things are going to go a bit pear-shaped even though there's no overt indication that we've done wrong.

When we've done everything rightly, there's an aspect of displacement that can occur. This means that the Universe needs to make space in your life to manifest the things you've been looking for. If you enchant for a new car, you might wreck your old one, for instance, as a means of making space for AND affording the new vehicle you're interested in. This is a viable strategy for creating and achieving results, sure, but there's also a whole lot of danger associated with it. 

It might not be solid to approach such ventures without some serious thought, as we do need to consider Risk v. Reward.

In recognizing this, I would recommend paying some attention to any perceived conflicts that can occur within your life as a direct result of what you've already got going on attempting to "merge" with what you're looking to create. You know, if you try to get another girlfriend when you've already got one, this just might cause some tension. ;)

Its a bit of a silly suggestion, but it happens. This is a surprisingly common area of work, I've found.

Anyhow, speaking practically, this means that you should focus on creating boons that "agree" with one another when you're working to advance your enjoyment of life. Choose a project to work on and then see it through until the gains associated with it are more or less automated and/or settled-in. When you've reached that point, there's less reason to be concerned about additional manifestations mucking up time and logistic-sensitive developments that way.

Then, you can work on peripherally related components of your life as a means of generating additional increase and improvement. 

Simply put, its usually a bad idea to to bite off more than you can chew. Learning to account for these potential conflicts can be incredibly helpful, as any time you don't spend fixing things that go haywire can be spent either on other projects or on enjoying yourself.

Likewise, when difficulties occur, working wisely to minimize their impact can go a long ways towards ensuring that additional frustrations don't occur. 
​
Its a more strategic, careful approach to magical processes. This might seem like its over the top and useless to worry about, but as you start to build a life you enjoy, such care and consideration is important. Otherwise, you do risk losing what you have worked so hard to achieve.

I hope this dialogue gets folks thinking about what they want v. what they have in a more consistent fashion. We should always be striving for improvement, but doing so should not result in the loss of what you already have.

Blessings,
Chris

Note: For those who would like to read the thread I am referencing, please click here.

Happy St. Patrick's Day folks! Hope you guys had a good one and enjoyed yourselves over the weekend.

Here's to a productive week under St. Patrick's banner.

As the title suggests, today I’m here to talk about magic without its trapping. No drums, no lighters, no candles, no herbs....just yourself and yourself alone. 

One of my favorite things to do when I’m on the go is to engage in acts like this, as this magic is sacred in a whole new way. It still takes a part of me and applies it to the world, but it doesn’t do so through any kind of entrapments or encasements.  It’s literally spoken word, focused thought, and magical gang signs, and you know what? It’s potent as hell. 

I’m writing this post to take some of the hot air out of magic, as if you can learn this lesson then your work with those tools can become productive. Otherwise, you’re just reading someone else’s notes and hoping that their process will work for you. 

If you want to get to that point where you can do magic without tools of any kind, make -yourself- the tool. As in martial arts, you can hone your mind into a  razor’s edge, and that can make it the greatest tool or weapon you could ever wield. No one can take it from you unless you let them. 

So let go of pretense and meditate. Really dig in deep to those concepts and considerations that hold you back or hold you up. Determine WHY they have weight and then address that weight so that it either serves you or gets put out to pasture. This might not seem all that impressive at first, but take a leap of faith and give it a try. 

At worst, you fail and view this as a pointless exercise you wasted an hour on. At best, all of the other things you do or have done for you manifest ten times more strongly because then you won’t be standing in the way. ;)

You and I are magical creatures no matter what materialists say. Learning to harness that and flow with the Universe is an incredible thing that generates benefits both seen and unseen, so to comprehend this, you must first deep-dive within the reaches of your mind and attempt the magic of unwinding that is meditation. 

As you do so, you'll begin to learn how the Universe binds things together and how those things, once bound, then change the way that spiritual things manifest within your life. This then leads to a greater understanding of what exists beyond the fixing powders and magical oils, and that very revelation then directly ties in to an ability to awaken the latent potencies within those materials.

Magic with nothing isn't the be-all-end-all, its the beginning of it. Its a practice that allows you to begin to see the big picture, and a concept that once understood allows a greater understanding of the material world. Without that, all you've got is oil and powder...you lack the spirits that make them sacred.

Blessings,
Chris 

On the back of yesterday's post, it seems necessary to talk a bit about how important it is to honor the land. Some folks don't quite get it yet.

When you engage with the world through a materialist point of view, its all too easy to forget that everything material has its own spirits, powers, and potencies. Nothing in the world is without its spirits of place and associated affinities, and this concept applies to sacred mountains, hallowed groves, ancient forests, bounteous springs, and the mass cityscapes we congregate within. Everything has its accompaniments, and you can either work with those entities or pretend they don't exist.

That is your call, but its worthwhile to recognize that even if you forget that they exist, they do not forget that you exist. Bear that in mind, as you willingness to trample what they've built, what they reside in, and what they hold sacred equates to them being willing to do the same to you.

This can apply to job promotions, to your spellwork, to your relationships, and to all manners of activity you can get up to in your day to day lives. If you find yourself at odds with a place, recognize that you've brought it upon yourself and make peace. If not, chances are you'll be forced to leave with your tail between your legs, as that's how the spirit world works.

Regards,
SE