2018 was a heavy year filled with a good deal of self-development, magical experimentation, journeying extensively, and "finding home". It taught me a great many things, and I know that the same can be said for others.

With that said, please accept my blessing and goodwill going into the new year. 2019 will present new challenges and new victories for each of us, and I look forward to greeting it alongside each of you.

Here's to ever greater endeavors & achievements.
Ateh Gibor Le-Olam Adonai.
-Chris

​Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to those of you that celebrate them. Stay safe, enjoy yourselves, and stay warm!

I'll see you next year.

Blessings,
Chris/SE

​Every tradition has its own Day of the Dead or like holiday during which our ancestors and holy dead are acknowledged and plied with offerings. For me, one of those times is the end of the year, right around Christmas: specifically, for the week of Yule and the remainder of the year, up through December 31st.

When this time is upon us, I like to take time to reflect on them, their virtues, and what I know of them. I tell their stories, I share alcohol and food with them, and I pay them homage. This is a pertinent form of spiritual practice. Our ancestors are the bits that make up the sum of our beings, and thus they probably have the most vested interest in our success and happiness. As a result, this process of Ancestor Worship is right up there with divination and meditation, representing no small importance.

 If you'd like to get in on this and honor those that came before us, I would recommend procuring the following: a beer your family would enjoy (or beer you yourself would enjoy if you're not familiar with their tastes), hard liquor (scotch or rum), tobacco, apple cider, and baked goods (your choice). Set it out upon a place that won't be disturbed by the living, and say the following prayer:

"Lady Hela, we ask that you cast open the veil and allow our ancestors near.
Let them close to the fire, to partake and to hear.
They are valued by us, and represent the core of our beings,
Please let them through, to sit with us this season.
Ancestors mine, recent and ancient,
Share with us your wisdom and enjoy this placement."

Sit with this some, and be aware that you have guests. At the close of the festivities, be sure to dismiss them and thank them for joining you and your family.

Blessings,
SE

PS: For those unaware, Hela is the Norse Goddess who is in charge of the dead and their placements. It is she who can open the road to communicate with her, and she has nothing to do with the concept of Hell.

Greetings folks & Happy Holidays! The celebrations of year's end are soon to be upon us, and I hope you're each enjoying the festivities.

Today, I'm here to talk about Idun, wife to Bragi & goddess of apples. Specifically, the apples that grant eternal beauty and immortality, as they are the food of the Gods in Norse mythology. She's rather sparsely known these days, as her role seems to have been largely downplayed in what lore we still have access to, but she's also one of those quiet deities who doesn't have much to say. Idun is subtle, but quite important from what we know.

You see, there's a story about how Loki tricked her into leaving Asgard to find fruits that were supposedly well beyond the measure of what was present within the castle's walls. When she left, the lack of her presence was deeply felt, and the Aesir began to feel their age creep up to them. Their skin crinkled and wrinkled, growing gray as their hairs, and weakness began to set in, for the one who created for them a life-preserving bounty was no longer present.

This was, of course, rather noticeable, and made each of these beings feel most inclined to rescue her from Thjazi, he who swept her away via Loki's trickery. Idun was ultimately rescued, and at the journey's end Thjazi's eagle form was consumed by fire (its a very cool story), bringing back to Asgard the divine boon that was the fruits of Idun's labors.

I mention this here to convey the subtle, substantial importance of such a goddess in life. As with apples, prosperity can go unnoticed by those who possess it until that good fortune is gone. This is a lesson and reminder that one should be careful with their boons & honor those responsible for maintaining them.

Likewise, if prosperity is something you seek to create, call on Idun. Ask her to grace the opportunities you're looking to cultivate with plenty of fertilizer, and request that she help you to know, instinctively, when its time to harvest. That might not seem like much of a boon, but boy howdy, it very much is.

So much of gardening relates itself to timing, and the same can be said for creating a career and making the most of it. To invoke Idun's aid, set out for her a bounteous offering of nuts (almonds and cashews in particular), figs, apples, pears, and licorice root, say a short prayer to her that's from the heart, and then reflect upon your feelings and insights over the course of the day.

Idun takes some time to get used to hearing, as she is quite soft spoken. "Listen", internally, for things that seem a bit glossy and gilded around the edges, as I find those thoughts and insights are most often from her. ;)

Blessings,
SE

A question hit my inbox this morning, and I thought I'd answer it here. The individual in question is fairly young, but lamented being bothered by demons and asked for a solution. Since this is an ongoing issue for some, I'll discuss some remedies here.

The word "Spirit" is heavily overused in our culture, mostly because we lack a cultural understanding that the denizens of the spirit world are not unified in form or function. Rather, they are different and have their own tribes, social structures, matriarchs and patriarchs. Some follow rigid rules and restrictions, while others are lawless and have no such limitations or boundaries.

As a result, dealing with their interference appropriately can take a variety of forms, beginning with the most simple of rituals and ending with brazen, forceful rites of expulsion. Which you choose to use depends most heavily upon what you are comfortable with, but also upon the nature of the entity you are attempting to remove from your space. There are times where this banishing can be achieved with a light tap, and there are times where the use of a sledgehammer will be necessary....sometimes literally.

So we'll start small and work our way up to more forceful means of responding. Of the methodologies used, the burning of sage is the least offensive. To do so effectively, procure for yourself a bundle of sage that's been ethically harvested and sanctify it appropriately. If you're Christian, the Lord's Prayer & Hail Mary will do. If not, and you'd like something a bit more sorcerous in nature, use this prayer:

"Spirit of sage, waken and hasten to me
Enchant this lovely bundle, help to set this space free.
Loosen the hold of demons and troubles dire,
As I set alight your base matter through the use of fire.
Genius Loci of various skill
Abide my laws, do my will.
Those present and of ill intent, 
Leave now, swiftly - be no longer present."

Repeat this prayer as you make the rounds through your space, ensuring that the smoke touches all that might require purification. I would recommend opening windows and letting the light into your space, as locales untouched by light have a tendency to draw near things that flee from it.

If this has worked, you'll experience a sense of peace, after which you can fill your abode with warmth and good cheer. Be mindful of this need to refill the space with pleasant energies, as ANY time you clear out a space, you've emptied liquid from a jar - it must be filled to the brim once more to ensure that nothing else takes up residence in the space you've cleared.

If cleansing with sage hasn't been effective for you, and you need a slightly more nuclear option, procure for yourself Artemisia vulgaris (Mugwort), being mindful not to confuse it with Artemisia absinthium (Wormwood), for the herbs have different affinities unto themselves.

As before, you will make the rounds, but this time your attitude should be less peaceful in countenance. Instead of asking others to depart, this time you're demanding, gently yet firmly, that the entities who have taken up residence take their leave of you.

Use this oration:
"Spirits of place with ill intention,
This before me is due prevention
Of all ill and harm one'd seek to create,
And with it I send you elsewhere to seek your fate.
Leave now, gently and without trouble or harm,
For I seek to reclaim this space, making it safe and warm.
Leave now, for you are unwelcome here.
This space is reserved for those I hold dear."

Mugwort is suggested, in this instance, as its temperament is more aggressive than that of sage. Spirits are generally rather offended by it, and it can be a useful means of warding off their influence. That is the reason for it being chosen for this purpose.

To speak on offensive herbs, from a folk magic perspective, the most potent among them is rather easily recognized: Asafoetida, or Ferula assa-foetida. Its considered to be an "aromatic", and its commonly known as Devil's Dung. It smells awful to us and worse to spirits.

If sage is a gentle "please leave", mugwort's a "You need to leave, now." Asafoetida is in a class of its own, and it could be seen, accurately, as an herb that says "Get thee the f*** out of my house!" There are accounts of it being placed on coals to ward off the dead, demons, and other intrusive entities, and I can personally attest to its efficacy.

Just be mindful of using it around the house, as it stinks to hell and upsets everything around you...often to a visible extreme. This is what you use if you want to tell everything within a mile radius to go away, so bear that in mind.

You can couple this with a prayer, but its not needed. Such is the nature of this herb. 

In addition to the rootwork means of sending spirits packing, there are plenty of invocations that can be used to this extent as well. For instance, procuring for yourself a Medal of St. Michael and saying over it these words can provide a strong charm against Evil:
"St Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Spare us the wickedness of the Devil and his Horde.
Act as a shield between the Righteous and the Fallen,
Vouchsafing us before the Lord and granting us his fury."

Play with this and get creative, as there are a great number of ways through which one might safely remove encroaching entities without an insane amount of work. 

Good luck,
​-SE

Greetings folks, I hope the week is treating you well & that your preparations for the holidays are going well at this time. Its been a busy week here at SorcerousEndeavors, but I've gotten another push to write. This time, we're here to talk about Lilith, a much maligned, frequently misunderstood goddess of rather middling repute these days.

This is one of those household names that people seem a bit afraid to speak, which makes good sense given how polarizing an entity she tends to be. There are quite a few stories that have been written about her to date, but the general understanding from a Biblical perspective is that she was the first-made woman who was meant to be a bride to Adam. As the story goes, she was unwilling to lay under him for the sake of lovemaking, and thus went off to seriously upset God and pledge herself to Satan. I'm taking some liberties here, as I don't find her to be adequately depicted by the portrait painted by masculine authority in the days when the mere mention of coitus was taboo.

She is, however, a very strong deity in her own right, and she marches to the beat of her own drum. To say that Lilith is an empowering entity for women is something of an understatement, as she's most interested in her own delectation and doing things her way. When I was heavily involved in the fetishistic leanings of the D/s community, her name came up frequently as a oft-invoked Goddess by slaves and mistresses alike, citing her ability to create a sense of power in situations wherein a woman might feel underappreciated or downplayed. Not ironically, this is the perfect context to meet her in, too, as where else might one see such a power struggle in such a visceral, potentially ugly light?

I've been working with Lilith on and off for years now, and she's an impetuous, willful entity who is both an initiatrix and a challenger of substance. For me, she acted as a kind of gatekeeping entity, creating change by throwing me into the thick of what was going on, forcing me to find my way and challenge my own perceptions in the process. To put this into an example that will be more easily grasped, imagine being in a situation where you're deliberating on whether or not you want to ask someone out...other deities might inspire them to love you from afar or otherwise change their disposition towards you. Lilith will fling you into interactions with that person, creating an environment in which she can actively glamour you and change the way others respond to your words and deeds.

Its a confidence-building experience, to be sure, but it can also be threatening and a tad terrifying. There are easier roads to travel than working with her, but if you've been stuck in the sidelines for the vast majority of your life, she's one way to achieve a kind of personality makeover. Lilith is not a wallflower, and she's pretty well disinclined to let you be one. 

With her comes the ability to be embrassed, yes, but also the ability to make use of your embarassment towards productive aims. She will catapult you into the thick of it, and she is a remarkably rebellious spirit, but that's part of what makes Lilith herself, and its that temperament that can create the strongest of beneficial changes.

Lilith will, in corelation to this tendency, force you to develop spiritual chops, so to speak. If you're not terribly comfortable or skilled within the Art, she'll use her influence to bring you down that road. She teaches glamours, sex magic, bits of tantra, self-confidence, and in her way she's got a strongly therapeutic side for those who have been victimized in their lives.

To connect with her, you will print or trace the following sigil:

Consecrate the image as you see fit, and then say the following:
"Lilitu, Lilitu, Lilitu
From this place I call out to you.
Shrieker in the night, whisper in the dark
To your shapely form and taloned feet we hark.
Entreat with me and enchant my position
Such that the changes I seek come to fruition.

I seek...[note carefully in rhyme what it is that you wish]
Lilitu, Lilitu, Lilitu
Thank you for your presence
I honor you with incense."

Light a stick of lust-inspiring incense for her, fold up her seal and place it in your pocket. Carry it with you.

If you've done this correctly, life will take some interesting turns for you. Take note of each of these developments, as you will wish to grant her accolades in a semi-public fashion for having done so. She craves this validation, so be sure to do so.

Most importantly, enjoy! Have fun with this!
-SE

Hello and Happy Monday to the followers of my endeavors. I hope each of you has had a wonderfully productive weekend & have returned to the week bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. If not, have some blessings with your coffee! ;)

I am writing this particular article at the direction of Thor, a good friend of mine and rather reliable source of help, for this is about his wife, Sif. She of the golden hair is his relatively silent support, but also a goddess of the wheat fields, fertility, marriage, and the fruits of that union. The name "Sif" is the singular form of the Old Norse word "Sifjar", which implies a marital union, and it speaks to her nature as a Goddess.

Not a whole lot is known about her from a mythological perspective, as the Christian man who recorded many of these stories (none other than Snorri) either didn't have much to work with or didn't care to record what he saw as a "minor deity". As such, we have to rely upon inspiration & UPG in order to carry forward and appropriately understand her influence in our lives.

Sif is a deity that I have a relationship with through Thor, rather than the other way around. I met him many years ago, and while he is not a constant companion, he picks up when I call. In those interactions, Sif has always been a quiet, relatively reserved force, but she is clearly powerful and present despite her tranquility.

I would recommend appealing to her for assistance in separating the wheat from the chaff in your life, as well as in bringing grain to harvest in both a literal and metaphorical sense. These things are her domain, and as such she can well assist you in bringing long-term projects to bear in a flourishing, beneficial way.

Likewise, if you seek to marry another, call to her for approval and see what she has to say on the matter. It has been my experience that you will get your signs and portents through other people in your life, rather than through direct manifestations. I can't tell you how many times a woman of blonde hair has, after working with Thor & Sif, delivered a message that felt to be from her lips...

To invoke her, use this prayer, and then leave for her a cup of mead, honey water, or a cut of grain out for her.

"Sif, treasure of Thor,
She by whom golden locks are bore - 
I call out to you and ask for grace
To visit itself upon this place.
For I seek boons that are yours to give,
Happiness, joy, and a wonderful life to live.
Bless me and mine with gentle mien,
And loving wits aplenty, kind and keen.

Blessings to you and me, oh gentle goddess.
For we seek to learn to love those with promise.
[Place here what you seek, preferably in rhyme]"

If you're doing this correctly, you'll likely feel a warmness in your chest and a sense of beaming joy that overtakes you. For me, even in the bleakest of days, she feels like a gentle ray of sunshine that leaves my eyes brimming with happy tears. ;)

Blessings to you, and Happy Holidays.
-SE