The Blue Disk Goddess/Spirit: An Occult Identification Game

A few days ago I had a dream where I was cooking some pancakes. When I turned the first one over it transformed into a dark/deep blue disk, whereupon I immediately heard, in a distinctly feminine voice, "I have come" (or possibly "I am here"). I was then "mounted" by the goddess/spirit. I did not experience the "mounting" as a full-on possession but rather as some type energy infusement designed to demonstrate "her" power. It was an absolutely indescribable experience. While I was present during the "mounting" there was something distinctly "other" added to me. "She" then raised me a few feet off the ground, whereupon I awoke.

Who might this blue disk goddess/spirit have been? Use your occult knowledge to offer a suggestion. Alternatively, use your favorite from of divination to identify this entity. Have fun with this!


 

5-HTP: A Lucid Dreaming Supplement

In a previous blog post I relayed that I would be experimenting with several different supplements that are touted as being helpful for the struggling lucid dreamer in that they assist in establishing a proper brain environment for the likely occurrence of a lucid dream (read that post here).

The first supplement I have worked with is 5-HTP or 5-hydroxy-tryptophan. While many claims have been made about 5-HTP and its effects on the human body, its effectiveness as an anti-depressant seems to be the most substantiated. Although, there does seem to be some evidence that it assists in the treatment of Fibromyalgia, anxiety, mild sleep disorders and weight loss. The web is full of information regarding the typical mainstream uses of 5-HTP, so I will not delve into the matter further here. What I do wish to discuss in a little more detail is the use of 5-HTP as a lucid dreaming supplement (LDS).

Apparently, one of the most common side effects noted by those who ingest 5-HTP is increased dream vividness and bizarreness. This is not totally surprising, however, since 5-HTP is a precursor to serotonin and research has correlated increased serotonin levels with dream vividness. How does dream vividness and bizarreness help to establish dream lucidity? Well … rather indirectly. It is thought that if the dream is bizarre enough, the dreamer might be lead to question the reality of his/her experiences and realize that a dream is in progress, thereby gaining lucidity.

A more direct effect of taking 5-HTP for the lucid dreamer may very well be an increased amount of REM period during the latter hours of sleep, thereby increasing the amount of possible dream time that one can work with. It is believed that this increased REM period is the result of REM suppression during the early stages of sleep due to increased serotonin levels in the brain (as a result of taking 5-HTP prior to the onset of sleep) thereby resulting in a REM rebound effect. It is also believed that the increase in serotonin levels caused by 5-HTP help facilitate lucidity by heightening rational thought and self-awareness during REM sleep.

So, did 5-HTP assist me in becoming lucid at any point during my two week experimentation? The answer is a resounding “NO.” I took 100 mg of 5-HTP before retiring to bed every day for two weeks and experienced none of the effects discussed above. I did not experience any increase in dream vividness, bizarreness or REM rebound, not to mention lucidity. This is not to say that 5-HTP is ineffective as a lucid dream supplement. It may be that 5-HTP works better when combined with other lucid dreaming supplements. It may also be that my trial period was too short to bring about the desired effect or it may simply be that my physiology prevents 5-HTP from working its magic. Regardless, I will assuredly repeat my experiments with this supplement again in the future. But for now, it is on to the next supplement.

 

A Halloween Public Service Announcement

The Magical Lotus interrupts it's regularly scheduled blog posting to bring you the following important holiday message:

 

 

 

 

Meridiana: An Unbinding Spell

Oh, Meridiana, the crime was his. He tasted of your delights and then disowned you. Oh, Meridiana, I strip away the devil's mask unjustly forced upon you, permitting your sultry visage to freely enchant once more.    

Advanced Magick For Beginners: A Brief Review

    Alan Chapman’s Advanced Magick for Beginners covers all the major subjects that one would expect to be present in a beginner’s book on magick and more besides. This is certainly a plus for the book and its readers. Unfortunately, I fear that many of the chapters may be too terse to be of any great value to the novice magickal practitioner. What is more, Mr. Chapman’s presentation of his material may not be the best for beginners. The author has taken great care to speak intelligently to his audience and has, it would seem, avoided “dumbing-down” much of his work. While this should be both appreciated and applauded of an author, it may in this case (in a book marketed to beginners of magickal practice) serve only to confound the beginner and hinder learning. Simply put, this is a book targeted for beginners of the magickal path presented in an advanced manor.

Despite these drawbacks, Advanced Magick is an excellent book if you want to get practicing magick immediately. Drawing upon a post-modern paradigm, Chapman offers many techniques and suggestions as to how magick may be performed without all of the ritualism that so often accompanies magickal practice. Of particular interest is his five step model for magical enchantment that, as he clearly demonstrates, can be applied to several modes of magickal working (viz., sympathetic magick, sigil magick, physical link magick, etc).

While I do recommend this book for the serious student of the occult, I do so with some reservations. It is most likely a work that the beginning student of the occult will need to read several times before he or she is able to absorb the nuggets of wisdom inside.

   

 

Lucid Dreaming Supplements (LDS) – A Preface

 

Lucid dreaming was something I did as a child long before I ever knew what lucid dreaming was. I was not particularly adept at the technique of becoming lucid, however.  It was typically the case that a nightmare would trigger lucidity and I would use that lucidity to wake myself from the dream. Thus, dream lucidness during childhood was a brief occurrence, lasting just long enough to scream myself back to wakefulness (only to find myself terrorized by sleep paralysis).

Later, after I had learned of lucid dreaming, I was lucky enough to have a few fully lucid encounters within the dream realm. Since I knew what was occurring, I was much more willing to spend some time exploring this inner world.  Unfortunately, the occurrences of lucidity during dreaming have been relatively few. Furthermore, as my interest in the subject of lucid dreaming has increased over the years, my ability to induce a lucid dream has decreased. As a result, I now find myself to be an unemployed oneironaut. While I have read a great deal of the literature regarding lucid dream induction techniques, none of the techniques have been successful for me (one technique that I have not adequately investigated [my bad!] involves a special wrist watch to prompt for a reality check. You can read my blog post about it here).

While my rather abysmal record of lucid dream events has left me rather discouraged, I have recently become aware of a growing segment of the lucid dreaming community advocating the use of dietary supplements to enhance the likelihood of lucid dreams (note: I did not say cause a lucid dream).  This has given me the hope I might be able to achieve my goals with a little dietary assistance.  There are quite a few supplements being touted as helpful in promoting an environment conducive to lucid dreaming. In the coming months, I will discuss a few of these and relay whether they have or have not been helpful to me in my quest for the elusive lucid dream.

 



Diamond Magick

 

 

Over the last couple of months I have been performing some magick that I never dreamed I would. The first bout of magick, unfortunately, turned out to be a dud.  Despite the fact that my magick failed to manifest, I can’t be too upset with the results.  Not only did I learn a few things from my working, but the first round of failed magick led me to where I am today … right at the heart of some complicated and perhaps profitable diamond magick.

In my dealings with diamond magick I have come to see that the procedure of diamond evaluation can actually be utilized as a model for aiding magickal practitioners in evaluating and structuring their magickal workings. In order to demonstrate this, we must first take a brief detour and learn how diamonds are evaluated or appraised.

 

 

Cut diamonds are appraised on four qualities (known as The Four C’s):

1) Cut – In simplest terms, the shape of the diamond.

2) Color – While most people probably are familiar with “colorless” or “white” diamonds, diamonds actually come in a wide array of colors (these colored diamonds are referred to as “Fancy Color Diamonds”).

3) Carat – This is the weight of the diamond. One carat = .0070547924 ounces; 200 milligrams; 0.2 grams or 1/5 of a gram.

4) Clarity – This refers to the number and type of blemishes or inclusions found within the diamond or on the diamond’s surface.

 

The Four C's Of Diamond Magick

Now, the Four C’s become magickally useful when we utilize them as a pre-working strategy for understanding both the situation that is eliciting a magickal response and our own mental/emotional makeup. Hopefully, these understandings will be of benefit when devising a magickal working.

1) Cut – Analyze the “shape” or “form” of the situation that is eliciting a magickal response? What does the situation “contain” and what are its limits? How is the situation structured? Does it have many levels? What is the shape of your response to the situation? Is your “shape-response” appropriate? Does your shape-response need to be reformed in order to better work with the situation at hand? Begin to think how you will structure your magical response.

2) Color – What is the “color” of the situation eliciting a magickal response? Is it a cool blue situation that can be handled calmly or a fiery red situation that demands an equally red response? Is the situation so red that it would be better to not respond at all? What “color” does the situation make you? Would a different hue be more beneficial when planning and carrying out your response?

3) Carat – What is the “weight” or “gravity” of the situation eliciting a magickal response? Is the situation “heavy” or pressing and demand an immediate response or is the situation “light in weight,” allowing one to ease into a response? Is the situation light enough that it requires no exertion on your part at all? What “weight” does the situation elicit in you? Is the weight you are experiencing appropriate or would a loss/ gain of weight be more beneficial to you?

4) Clarity – What are the imperfections or problems found within the situation eliciting a magickal response? Are they surface imperfections than can be polished away or are they invariably tied to the situation. Is there a way to minimize the problem areas that can’t be irradiated? Can the situation be worked in spite of its problem areas or should the situation be abandoned altogether? What blemishes or problems do you find within yourself that might limit your response to the situation at hand? Do you have too many blemishes at the current time to attempt to shape a response?

The questions above are just a sampling of many that can be asked as a precursor to any magickal operation. Hopefully, by utilizing “diamond magic” modeled on the Four C”s the stage can be set for a more efficient and productive magical operation.

 

 

A Kurukulla Sigil Working

The above photo is a derivative of Shakira Rock in Rio 08 003 by Andres.Arranz. Permission granted under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Spain license.

The Good, The Bad and the Novel: Some Thoughts On Magical Innovation

Whether or not you have evoked a demon listed in one of the many grimoires, chances are that you have at some point become cursorily familiar with one or more them. They are the “bad boys” of the Western Magical Tradition and as such have ignited the imaginations of magicians and muggels alike for hundreds of years. If nothing else, you have probably encountered a fictionalized analogue of one or more of them in a movie.

 Working with one of these demons using the traditional methods set down in the grimoires can be a real challenge. The acquisition and preparation of the necessary tools to accomplish the evocations is in itself a daunting task, not to mention the mental preparation and purification of the mage him/herself. Not only is working with these grimoire demons difficult, it can be dangerous as well. There are abundant warnings to the would-be-conjurer that precautions must be taken to avoid getting their ass kicked by one of these malevolent entities.

Despite the warnings about deviating from the traditional methods of dealing with these entities set down in the grimoires, I have begun to witness a growing tendency among magical practitioners to attempt interacting with these beings in non-traditional ways.  Even though I am a non-traditional eclectic magician, the idea of working with these malevolent beings in innovative ways causes me some concern. I mean, after all, the texts that deal with them and the traditions that work with them both warn of the capricious and malicious nature of many of these so-called “demons.”  Is it really wise to call upon Bune for financial success, for example, without a traditional protective circle? (Please do not assume I am suggesting that you will be entirely safe even if you use a traditional circle … after all, Bune can be rather nasty. If you don’t believe me, just ask Rufus Opus, author of Head for the Red blog. According to RO, Bune graciously burnt done his house! You can read about RO's tragic encounter with Bune by searching with the key words "burned house" here.)

So, what is a magician to do when he or she cannot, for whatever reason, work with a grimoire demon in a traditional manner? My answer … don’t work with them! There are many benign entities in other traditions that can be incorporated into ones practices that do not require a preoccupation with ones safety. Instead of seeking riches through Bune, one might try working with the Buddhist deity Vasudhara (or Vasundhara), for example, who according to tradition is a Bodhisattva that specifically offers financial assistance to lay practitioners. While there are specific rites and meditations (sadhanas) to work with Vasudhara (primarily performed by Buddhist monks for the benefit of the laity), it is highly unlikely that she will burn your ass if you approach her in a non-traditional manner. I do not mean to suggest that working with Vasudhara will be all peaches and cream. In addition to providing sentient beings with material wealth she is a bodhisattva, and as such she is concerned with their highest good. Thus, she may present the mage with situations that might not be experienced as pleasing if they are directed to further the mage along the path of the Great Work. Unlike a grimoire demon, however, she does not act out of animosity.

If you want to work with Vasudhara, there is a great deal of information to be found about her on the Internet. Just remember, if you work with Vasudhara she will expect you to pay forward to your fellow human beings some of the “wealth” that she bequeaths upon you.

*For those interested in working with Buddhist deities, I highly recommend reading Aghor Pir’s recent blog post on Kurukulla, a tantric deity whose specialty is enchantment and subjugation.

I Do Not Believe In Spirits, Yet It Would Seem They Believe In Me

So, you’re a Muggle and you want to become a wizard wielding powerful magics. In that case, I recommend you start your magical career by performing a simple ritual offering to the spirits at least once a week. What is that you say? You don’t believe in spirits?  It’s quite o.k. that you don’t believe in spirits, because the spirits probably believe in you. How do I know this? I know this because I too do not believe in spirits, but it would seem that they do indeed believe in me. Let me tell you my story (of course all names have been changed to protect the innocent and the guilty).

Once upon a time there lived a wealthy ogre who purchased a great deal of land within the town of Sod. Being industrious, this ogre set about petitioning the town’s council to grant him permission to build an ogre fortress on his newly acquired property. Despite opposition by the town folk, the ogre secured all of the permissions necessary to build his fortress and began to mark off the territory for construction. Now it just so happened that there lived adjacent to the ogre’s property a peasant by the name of Mift. Peasant Mift knew that if the ogre built his fortress next to his land that not only would he have to endure an increase in ogre traffic but that his property would lose some of its value (who wants to live next to an ogre fortress?). Concerned over the matter, Peasant Mift pondered as to what he should do. Now Peasant Mift had been making weekly offerings to the local spirits for some time prior to all of this. He was not entirely comfortable doing this since he did not believe in spirits, but he nevertheless gave weekly offerings to the spirits of the land because some roaming sorcerers had told him that miraculous things would begin to occur if he did so. Thinking about his plight, Peasant Mift decided to inform the local spirits about the ogre’s intentions and asked them to intervene. It was their land too after all.  Later, after some months passed and he became busied with his normal routine, Peasant Mift forgot all about his conversation with the spirits. Then one day, quite unexpectedly, Peasant Mift’s wife came to him and informed him that the ogre was no longer interested in building his fortress and that he would be putting the land up for sale. Upon hearing the news, Peasant Mift immediately recalled what he had asked of the spirits and began to laugh. He laughed because he did not believe in spirits, yet the spirits obviously believed in him.

Peas In A Pod Honey Jar Spell (aka, A Magical Clusterfuck Spell For Ailing Families)

In a blog post over at Strategic Sorcery Jason Miller describes a house cleansing working he undertook and articulates that the whole operation, for those coming from either a Christian or Buddhist background, would appear to be a clusterfuck (original post here). While I respect Jason and his work, you should know that you will never get a similitude of a clusterfuck here.  Here, you will get the real thing! While I have no qualms performing clusterfuck magick, I do my damndest to avoid allowing my magick to slip into being a chicken-goat-fuck.* Now, for those of you who know not the dreaded “chicken-goat-fuck,” this cursed event has been defined as:

A chicken goat fuck is a situation so hopelessly chaotic that you can only sit back and laugh (or weep, depending on your sensibilities). It's identical to a clusterfuck except in terms of scale; a chicken goat fuck is what you've got when a clusterfuck goes bad.(CGF source)

So, I take pride in my magical clusterfucks. While indeed clusterfucks, they are (I hope) clusterfucks with style and efficacy.

For those of you who are into clusterfuck magick or who feel that they can learn something from clusterfuck magick, I will present a recently created magickal clusterfuck spell below. Before doing so, however, I must first set the stage for my operation by talking briefly about families. Sometimes, family members do not get along. Sometimes, they do not get along even when love is shared between them. Sometimes, the bad days can outnumber the good and chip away at the love that remains. I know this because that family is my family. For whatever reason, my family has entered into the “dark night of the soul.” In fact, we have been there for some time. While there is recognition of this fact among all members of my family, we have been unsuccessful in remedying the situation. So, being the magician that I hope one day to be, I thought our situation calls for some magical sweetening. To sweeten our relationships with one another I chose to create a spell based upon an adaptation of a Hoodoo honey jar spell. While honey jar spells are traditionally utilized to bring forth a lover, my adaptation is designed to foster the enhancement of loving-kindness between members of my family. So, without delay here is how I perform a Peas In A Pod Honey Jar Spell (aka, A Magical Clusterfuck Spell For Ailing Families).

Essential Material:

Glass jar with lid

Enough honey to fill jar

uncooked peas (one for each family member…yourself included)

toothpicks

Green thread

Green permanent marker or paint

Permanent markers or paints the color of which corresponds to the astrological color of each family member.

A sweet/ flowery smelling tealight candle

Non-essential/optional material:

These items can be anything you choose that will enhance your working and give the spell some added oomph.

Spell Preparation:

Pea Preparation:

Take one uncooked pea for each family member and pierce it with a toothpick and set somewhere to dry.

Once the peas are dry, remove the toothpicks and place a pea under each family member’s mattress so that it is underneath each as they sleep (don’t forget yourself). By doing this the peas will become “associated” with each family member. I would suggest locating the peas near the corners of the beds as the dried peas sometimes crush if directly slept on. After a week’s time retrieve the peas and string them together with green thread.

Jar Preparation:

On the lid of a glass jar paint/draw the seal of Venus in green.

Paint or draw a green ring around the jar near the center.

After the green paint dries, paint/draw a symbol/sigil to represent each family member (in a color that corresponds to the astrological color of each) along the green line. Let dry.

Putting It Together:

Once the peas and jar are ready, fill the jar with honey and submerge the “necklace” of peas into the honey. Add anything else that will give strength to the working and seal the jar with its lid.

Spell Activation:

On Friday during a Venus hour, light a sweet/flowery smelling tealight candle on top of the jar and take some time to visualize your desired goal (i.e., you and your family members acting in a loving and kind manner toward one another).  At the end of the Venus hour, blow out the candle and preserve the jar in a safe place. Repeat the spell activation whenever needed.

*I wish to thank Robert Hager, author of Doing Magick, for introducing me to this interesting term.