As a follow-up post to my previous blog entries about working with spirits, I thought I'd jot down some information about my own practices.  Those who know me know that I do what I do in service to the deities I follow, which seems to set me apart from most of my fellow practitioners.

Simply put, I serve the Horned God in all of His guises.  I am generally not a reductionist, so there is a part of me that is pained to call Him this, as opposed to by a singular well-accepted name.  He is of many names, and of many guises.  Some call Him Pahupati, Shiva, or Mahakala, and others refer to Him as Cernunnos, Baphomet, or Pan.  One might go so far as to refer to Him as the Witchfather, and while the names attributed to Him are numerous, no one really seems to know what He is.

Following the traditional suit, I've known Him for many, many years, but He is as much of a mystery to me now as He was to me when I was three years old. For all of the questions about who or what He is, here is but one clear and present purpose within His work: He provides and keeps the balance of Nature through His endeavors.  I, being one of His servants follow suit in this.  That desire and goal fuels my work, be it for pay, pro bono, or simply to fulfill my personal needs.

To that end, one might go so far as to wonder why it is that I do what I do, despite the fact that it oft wreaks havoc in my life.  Simply put, it is a calling that you cannot ignore.  I tried that path in the past and failed miserably, so this fact has now set me on the life I lead.

I now assist clients with various needs through the use of magic, and work to become a force for growth in my community.  I, like my Patron, care not for boundaries formed through ignorance or by one's race or theological views.  In turn, I work with deities of any and all persuasions, combining thaumaturgy, theurgy, and spirit work into one somewhat cohesive system of magick.

In turn, I feel as though it is important that I record this for your benefit, dear readers. One of you may well be called to do the same thing - to live in service to a deity.  Know that, for those of you who do feel this pull, you are not alone.  You are, regardless of tradition, one of many people who does just that.

But, keep in mind that this path is not easy.  It is fraught with dangers, and can often be a bit rocky.  It is not for everyone, despite being immensely rewarding.  Think carefully before making the decision to serve a spirit.

If you are unsure whether or not you are called to service a deity, please feel free to message me through my "Contact Me" page.  You may ask whatever questions you wish, and should you desire a reading, I can do that as well.

Regards,

The Sorceror

As I'm sure that you're all positively brimming with excitement, I now write the third installation of my blog trilogy regarding relationships with spirits. Today I will be discussing the merits and methods of thanking your familiar spirits for their aid.

To use a mundane example, over the weekend I had the "pleasure" of having to move into a new home.  I moved from a third floor apartment to a first floor apartment, and boy was that hellish (I'm all kinds of sore today).  I was able to recruit three dear friends of mine to help my wife and I in this rather troublesome endeavor, and they each showed up and helped me for several hours during the day.  If it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't have been able to do most of it myself, as I have a couch that weighs over 400 pounds, and I don't do all that well in the sun.  So, [C], [K], and [M] all helped me out immensely, and now I am in a position where I would like to repay them for their time and effort, but I am not fiscally able to do so.  My offering to each of them is that I will do my best to return the favor in any way I can, be it through a physical move or through magickal work.  Its all about giving and taking equally, or giving more then you take, as that's the key to having a solid relationship with other people.

The same can be said for spirits, as they are more like us then you might think.  For those of you who've been working with spirits for a while, you already know this.  For those of you who haven't been doing this for a while, take me at my word here, as it will help you later.  To that end, you should be doing what you can to thank your familiar spirits for the things they've done for you, as that will continue a balanced and lasting relationship.

As with physical relationships, this can be done in a multitude of ways.  They range from being G-rated to being X-rated, of course, so the method you use really is up to you.  Below, I will detail a method one can use to do just that.

Materials Needed:

• 1 shot glass (this will be dedicated to the spirit you're offering to, so keep this in mind)
  
• 1 candle (color should correspond with the nature of the spirit)
  
• Drink (Whatever the spirit seems to like)
  
• Candy *Optional*
  

Ritual Instructions:

As with the previous rituals, go find a cozy and comfortable place to sit in, preferably in front of your alter or the place where you're going to leave the offering.  Sit down and work yourself into a light trance through your preferred method, and try to communicate with the spirit you are trying to reach.

"Spirit N., I [your name] again call out to you, this time with an offering of thanks.  Please come forth and join me, and enjoy the energy set forth for you in the form of food, drink, and a candle.  I'd like to thank you for all of the aid you've given me, as I greatly value our friendship."

After this has been said, when the spirit shows up, talk with Him/Her.  You'll likely know if the offering has been accepted or not, as you can feel it when that happens.  Then you can meditate and connect with Him/her for a while.  When you feel as though its time to close, close the ritual with the following.

"Spirit N., I'm glad you enjoyed the offering I set forth for you.  Stay if you will, go if you must.  I look forward to seeing you again."

When all is said and done, you can banish if you'd like, or simply let the spirit hang around.  That is totally up to you.

With that said, enjoy!

Regards,

The Sorceror

For those of you who were reading my blog last Friday, here is the second part of the "Relationships with Spirits" blog post trilogy.  Our topic today is petitioning the spirits that you've developed relationships with to have them do work on your behalf.

After a time, you will have developed a close enough relationship with the spirits you work with that you will be able to petition them for assistance with some of the obstacles in your life.  These can range from little things ("Hey, I need twenty bucks for gas!") to much more monumentous issues ("I need to get a job that pays 10,000$ more a year!") depending on your needs.

Keeping that thought process in mind, you would do well to petition spirits to do things that align with their skill set, lest you risk angering them and causing your relationship with them to fizzle, or worse yet, they do what you ask, but do it wrong.  That could get you in a deeper hole then you were to begin with, so you need to keep that in mind when asking for things.  The mandate of the day is "Be careful what you wish for!"

With those warnings in place, here is a simple rite that you could use for petitioning a spirit that you've got a relationship with.

Materials needed:

• 1 Candle - This should be, if possible, of a color that corresponds with what you need from the spirit.
  
• Appropriate oils *Optional*
  
• Notepad
  
• Pen
  
• Matches/Lighter

Ritual:

Sit down in a comfortable working area, be it in front of your altar, or out on your porch.  Meditate for a while and ensure that you are in a state wherein you can clearly articulate your needs to your spiritual friends. Once you are ready, say the following:

"Spirit N., I find myself in need of your assistance now.  Please come to me and grant me a boon, of the sort I will write on this pad.  Please aid me in my time of need."

As with the previous ritual, you may need to say this a couple of times.  If you've got a good relationship with the spirit, it shouldn't be an issue.  Once the spirit shows up, write your petition on a piece of paper, fold it in half, and place it in front of the candle.  Afterwards, say the following:

"Spirit N., I thank you for whatever aid you can give me in this, my time of need."

After this, sit and meditate on your petition for a time.  You may get some information from the spirit, or instructions on what to do to ensure that your petition is fulfilled.  It is not uncommon for spiritual allies to make requests of you in return for what you are asking for.

Let the candle burn out, and then you can do what you wish with the petition.  I usually burn it to signal that the petition has been made.

As always, think carefully on what you request....you just might get it.

Those of you who have seen my posts on EvocationMagic.com have likely realized that I tend to prefer developing relatiosnhips with the spirits I work with.  These range from being wights, elementals, human ghosts, Gods, Goddesses, Demons, Angels, etc.  To me, it doesn't really matter where a spirit "comes from", so to speak - its all about developing some sort of rapport.  So, to assist in that endeavor, I am planning on writing a three-part series on developing relationships with spirits.  This is part one of three, so I hope you find this to be informative.

Depending on your personal style, proclivities, and worldview, you can go about this in different ways.  For those of you that are unsure of methods by which this can be done, I will post a method of starting a relationship with a spirit.

But first, I'll go into details about the benefits and drawbacks of having relationships of this sort.  When endeavoring to form a bond like this, you must first realize that spirits are just as unique as you and I are.  Some might share some characteristics much like you and I might enjoy a specific sort of pizza, but that does not make them identical to one another.  If you think, for a moment, that they're all the same, you may get a similar response from the spirit.

Assuming you follow my advice here, you'll find that each spirit will have certain proclivities, so you should try to keep that in mind.  Certain spirits may love you, and others may hate your guts, so its worth being careful before trying to open a line of communication with them.  When yo do open that line of communication, do so respectfully and cautiously, and you should remain unharmed.  If you do manage to follow my advice and start communicating with different spirits, in time you'll realize that many of them have a great many things to teach.  They may or may not be willing to teach those things to you, as that depends entirely upon your relationship with the entity at hand.

Should you be blessed with the affections of a spirit, they may decide that they will teach you certain tricks in exchange for you doing things for them.  These things can be very easy to do, and they can be very, very inconvenient or downright unpleasant.  Keep this in mind, as you want to know what the specific terms of a bargain are, as you do not want to be unsure of this before accepting.  Otherwise, you may well lose your job, gain an unwanted responsibility, or have some other weirdness occur.

In my own practices, I now work 70-90 hours a week thanks to some of the promises I made in return for the abilities and knowledge that I possess.  I also have a wife and a girlfriend, so things can get very complex very quickly.

Now, if after reading the above, you still want to proceed, I'd suggest using the following ritual to initiate contact.

Materials needed:

• 1 candle - color should correspond with the spirit in question
  
•  Corresponding magickal oils *Optional*
  
•  Offerings of water or food or both
  

Ritual:


Sit down in a comfortable area, be it inside or outside, and do it during a time that seems like it would be auspicious. If you are calling a wight, put yourself out in its environment if at all possible.  Observe the same thought and care for the spiritual guest as you would for a guest made of flesh and bone, as that care is essential to forming a mutually beneficial relationship.

 Meditate for a while, and when you feel as though you are entranced enough to be able to attempt communication with a spirit, make the following call:

"Spirit N., I approach you because I would like to open up lines of communication between you and I.  Please teach me the wisdom you have to offer, and take care not to harm me in body or mind.  I wish to befriend you and learn from you, so please accept my offerings and join me."

You may have to repeat the call a few times to get the spirit to show up, or He/She/It may not show up at all.  If/when the spirit shows up, talk with it, listen to it, meditate, etc.  Do what feels right.

After you've had your fill, you can give the spirit a generic license to depart.  An example follows:

"Spirit N., I thank you for joining me this day.  Stay if you will, depart if you must.  Take care, stay safe, and feel free to visit me when you will.  I welcome your lessons and your guidance."

Feel free to change the above wording as you see fit, as it will change depending on the nature of the spirits you're communicating with.

With all of that said, attempt this at your own risk.  I take no responsibility for anything that comes of this information, good or bad.  You are responsible for your actions, so be smart about it.

Regards,

The Sorceror

As of late I've been doing some thinking on the subject of warding homes and other places of import.  This thought process was spawned, in part, by a thread over at EvocationMagic.com, and, in part, by a class a good friend taught over at a local pagan shop here in AZ.

To that end, I'm sure we've all thought, to some extent, about the methods we can use to ward our homes and places of interest.  That subject becomes increasingly important as we practice more and more, as we're essentially inviting various spirits into our home to share our space.  That can be fine and dandy if the entity in question likes us, but if its "mean and nasty", its time to be a great deal more careful.  The same can be said for defending your home from external threats, such as thieves, vandals, peeping toms, and otherwise unsavory folk.  

There are a great many ways to go about setting up wards in your home, and you can do it for a great many purposes.  That is really up to you, as our spaces are as unique as we are.  One could use runes, sigils, brooms over doorways, household servitors, wights, and spirits, brick dust, grave dirt, black sand, shards of black tourmaline, enchanted stones, special woodcarvings, enchanted posters, weapons, and the list goes on and on.

One of my personal favorites involves creating 4 enchanted pieces of wood or stone with the runes Thurisaz and Hagal on them.  The runed pieces are then nailed to the walls inside the house, facing outwards, with the intent of discouraging anyone who means myself or my family harm from entering, as hagal breaks up their manifestations and thurisaz sets brambles and thorns upon their path.  That, of course, is not the end of it, so I will type up the ritual below.

Materials Needed:

• 5 candles (they can be in whatever color you like)
  
• 4 stones or wooden discs
  
• A dremel *Optional*
  
• A marker *Not optional if you don't want to use a dremel*
  
• Matches or a lighter
  
• String or wire

Ritual Instructions:

First you will want to setup the candles such that there is one for each cardinal direction in front of you, with one candle at the center.  Next to each of the "outside" candles, place the stone that will be attached to the wall that faces that particular cardinal direction.

Then you will light each of the candles, acknowledging the dwarves who hold up the the four corners of the world, as indicated below.  When you finish with the cardinal directions, light the central candle and call upon the Aesir and Vanir to bless your home.

• North candle: Norði, helga ve thetta, ak hindra alla illska!
  
• East candle: Austri, helga ve thetta, ak hindra alla illska!
  
• South candle: Suðri, helga ve thetta, ak hindra alla illska!
  
• West candle: Vestri, helga ve thetta, ak hindra alla illska!
  
• Central candle: Aesir eða Vanir, helga ve thetta, ak hindra alla illska.  All ye benevolent Gods, wights, and ancestral spirits, come unto me and hallow my home.  Protect it from all those who would wish to do me harm!

Once this has been done, carve Hagal and Thurisaz on each of the stones/discs, and then nail them up around the house in their corresponding directions.  After hammering in each piece, say the following "Fe, Vit, Frið, Grið, Heil!"

After each of the blessed pieces has been hung up around the house, relax, have a beer, or do some other such thing that grounds you out.

The intent of the ritual above is to call in the various benevolent forces that would assist you in the goal of keeping your home safe and blessed.  It is one of many different ways you can go about doing just that.

So, now I beseech you, dear readers, to give me your feedback and share any such rituals you've come up with.

Regards,

The Sorceror