One of the great ironies in life is that while others can take our identity away from us, it's up to us to create our identity. This particular truth can either be seen as an intellectual curiosity or a manifest truth with weight and measure. Both, even, and it becomes all the more pertinent to consider after experiencing trauma or hardship. 

After it's all said and done, it's up to us to decide who it is we want to be. Are we the sort to burn it all down and walk away, or are we looking to build something incredible? What walls do we erect and how do we go about doing so? Each of these considerations become a part of the identity we create for ourselves; each becomes a puzzle piece in the making of who we intend to be. 

They're a part of both who we are, who we're becoming, and they contribute a greater understanding of ourselves along the way.

There's a funny kind of difficulty to be found in this process too, as there's not a one-size-fits-all codification or guide. Some will find and cling to religion, others will find some manner of organization or group to define themselves, but ultimately these are social agreements we keep. They're a part of who we become, but not who we are or who we are becoming in totality, so its on us to discover what is and is not right for us.

That's a process of trial & error, and it can lead one into some dark places along the way. When it does, consider how you want to become who you intend to be. Contemplate what each decision adds to this new version of you and keep an awareness of what you're looking to be.

It's difficult work, but its rewarding work! While it might seem to be a really lonely road, it doesn't have to be. There are avenues of aid available to you if you should require them, and the world is full of seekers just trying to ascertain where they fit. When the world is populated with folks trying to meaningfully engage with this process, there's no shame in asking for help when piecing Humpty Dumpty together again. ;)

Just be sure to be true to yourself and what you want to be as you do this. Then, you'll have no regrets when you find yourself again.

Blessings,
Chris 

​I've been around a fair bit as I've done magic for other people. That wasn't the start of my travels, nor will it be the end, but my time spent working with folks from other countries & far away ideals has taught me quite a lot.

One of the most pertinent lessons I've learned is that we are tied to the land. We are tied to the land in ways that we don't consider, and it is that tether to what is under our feet that we tend to neglect most. 

Every crop we plant, every weed we pull, every bit of landscaping we do has an impact. By extension, every bit of additional TLC we give the land, every offering, and every spiritual engagement we have with the beings upon the space we occupy provides a similar impact. We exist within an ecosystem, and taking good care of that eco-system provides a foundation for each and every thing we do. 

Magic is local to an extreme degree, and so to are our efforts. When you consider how your magic works, consider the impact you're having on the land below your feet. If your spells are not working, if you're struggling with health issues, if you're failing to thrive, or struggling to get your business off the ground, I would strongly suggest considering your impact on the earth around you. Work to heal the land and you will work to remedy the troubles you have, as you have to live with that energy each and every day… You have to live alongside every spirit that exists there.

Taking good care of that land and the entities upon it has a direct impact on your life. The more care and consideration you put in to those engagements, the more you will get out of it. Start local, and focus on the things with in your neighborhood that you have a direct ability to impact. If you do so, blessings and boons will come. 

If everything isn't working, start with the land. That's where we grow our crops, that's where we grow us & what we want to be. 

Blessings,
Chris 

Dreams have become something of a focus of late, and so it is appropriate that we discuss this fascinating topic within the context of Serpent Sorcery. 

Its long been understood that dreams point to something else occurring behind the scenes. They're a portal to a different worldview and an internal change of pace, and in this way they are inherently magical. However, that is not where the profundity ends, as it is well within the nature of spirits to communicate with us; at times, those communications happen through dreams.

Just recently, a client shared with me that a dream occurring after she and I worked together was essentially life-changing. What she saw was, to paraphrase her own words, worth more than thousands of hours of therapy, and having experienced the same I can attest to the impactful nature of dreams guided by Spirit.

The same can be said for Serpent Dreams, as entities of this kind are often not as overt as others in their manifestations. They're not often the sort to manifest loudly and proudly, with massive visions attached, but rather they slither into view and we become a ride-along in this oneiric state. These beings take us through experiences and shifts in understanding that then impact our worldview in the waking state, which in turn can be intensely magical.

When this occurs, the revelations you take with you become the foundation for what else is to occur, and this is both an act of changing who you are as well as the world connected to you. This current spills out and forth into the waking state, and then synchronistic ripples tug at us to remind us of the veracity of what we've seen.

With that in mind, I'd like to provide you with an exercise to be performed when hading to bed. For some, this generates incredibly vivid dreams, and for others it generates restful sleep and rejuvenation. The lucky ones get helpings of both.

To accomplish this, as you go about your evening routine & prepare for bed, attempt to unwind and shake loose the stresses of the day. Minimize and dismiss any alternate narratives going on in you head to turn your attentions away from any distractions of the day. Return yourself to this neutral state and then imagine yourself being enwrapped in a glossy white encasement. As this egg-like cocoon enwraps you, understand that you are within it and invite your serpent spirits to protect and guide you. Sense them wrapping about this encasement, protecting and sealing you within. Consider that you are with them & they are with you as you drift off to sleep.

If you've made this connection appropriately, your dreams will feel different and seem different on some intrinsic level. For most, this feels like someone has come along for the ride, and it is not uncommon for the imagery to change rather substantially. This is part of how these beings help us to see and understand the world more clearly, as these dreams take us through both our unconscious world and the collective unconscious.

You may find yourself exploring the intentions of a lover or seeing the struggles of a friend. You might find yourself confronting your own experiences through a different lens or sense that you're being taken on a journey. When this occurs, you may or may not become lucid within this dream state, but do take mental notes of what all you see. A journal will be your best friend here, as its not at all uncommon for this to cause a waking state of clairvoyance, clairaudience, or clairsentience, so having something to come back to and reflect upon can be immensely helpful.

In time, you'll find that there's an element of oneiric sorcery which occurs too, as these state changes that are caused within you by these experiences change the way your magic works and unfolds.

I recommend doing this only when you don't have something very important to get to in the morning. Days where you plan to sleep in are best, as this can be a bewildering experience at first - its not the kind of thing you want to do before a board meeting with Fortune 500 execs! 

Make a habit of this and take note of the rewards you receive as a result of these practices. When you feel like you've had a particularly intense & beneficial experience, provide offerings to these spirits. They'll guide you through this slowly, but effectively.

Blessings,
Chris