Chakras
So the next post in my magical series is the beginning of the second part, intermediate spellwork/knowledge. So that being said it’s time to introduce you to chakras. A lot of the information I am about to give to you comes from a book “Working with your Chakras”, by Ruth White. It was a little dollar book I picked up at Barnes & Noble years ago, and I have since found to be and indespensible reference tool. I must give credit where credit is due.
So to start out with there are seven chakras, as diagrammed in the photo above. They are all connected by a central column that is also visible in the picture. The central column is pretty much the spine, but the energy of the spine, not the actual cord or bone. Chakras deal with energy, not matter directly. However matter is a reflection of the energy put into it, hence the importance of chakras. They like acupuncture meridians, are the energy vortexs that combined create the body. Its like iron filaments and a magnet under a piece of paper. You can’t see the magnet, but you know its there because the iron filaments follow. One practice is to clear the central column. You meditate from the top down, going through each chakra on the way down, clearing any blocks you might encounter on the way down, until your at the base/root chakra, and which point you ascend back up the way you came so to speak, sealing each chakra with a cross of light on the way back up to seal it and protect it. You want to meditate on the color of each chakra as you go, because the color you percieve is indicative of the health of the chakra, and if it needs healing you need to deliberately infuse it with the proper color, to recharge it.
The first chakra is the base/root. It opens to the perineum (the area between your plumbing and derierre). It deals with the concepts of rootedness, incarnation, acceptance, self-preservation, concept. The age in which it develops is between 0 and 3/5 depending, so parents if you have a child this age, they’re learning about these concepts and so positive reinforcement in this area is a must. The colors associated with the root are red, brown and mauve. It associated with the element of earth and the sense of smell and it’s body is physical. By that I mean we are layers of many different bodies or auric fields and the one associated with this chakra is the physical. There are extenal ways in which you can seek to balance chakras, fragrances that are stimulating to the root are musk, lavendar, and hyacinth and quietening ones are cedarwood and patchouli. You can also use crystals for this purpose and those that affect the base are smoky quartz, garnet, alexandrite, ruby, agate, bloodstone, onyx, tiger eye, rose quartz. The root chakra is also linked to the gonads, so if you have a problems related to these, it could stem from your root chakra.
The next chakra is the Sacral, opens to about two inches below the navel. It deals with concepts of security, sense of others, sexuality, creativity, empowerment, co-creativity and sincerity. The developmental age for the sacral is between 3/5 and 8. Again parents with children this age, should note that on the unconcious level, the afore mentioned concepts are what your child is dealing with at this time. The colors associated with this chakra are orange, amber and gold. It is associated with the element of water, the sense it is related to is taste and the body it generates is the etheric. Quietening fragrances for this chakra are Musk and Amber, while stimulating ones are Rosemary and Rose Geranium. Stones that affect the sacral are Amber, Citrine, Topaz, Aventurine, Moonstone and Jasper. It is also associated with the Lymphatics, so if you have immune system problems, they very well may be the result of an inbalanced sacral chakra.
The third chakra is the Solar Plexus. This one opens just below the sternum. Concepts associated with this chakra are Logic, Reason, Opinion, Assimilation, Psychic Intuition. The Solar Plexus develops between the ages of 8 and 12. The colors associated with it are Yellow, Gold, and Rose. It is associated with the element of fire, it is linked to the sense of sight, and the body is the astral. Quietening fragrances are vetivert and rose, while stimulating ones are bergamot and ylang ylang. Crystals that affect the solar plexus are Yellow Citrine, Apatite, Calcite, Kunzite, Rose Quartz, Iron Pyrites, Topaz, and Malachite. It is associated with the adrenals.
The next chakra is the Heart Chakra. It is located on the same level as the physical heart, only it is centered as the physical heart is actually locted to one side. It has to do with concepts such Compassion, Feeling, Tenderness, Love of God, Love of others and Detachment. It develops between the ages of 12 and 15, hence many of the emotional outbursts of young teenagers. The heart’s colors are Spring Green, Rose and Rose Amethyst. It is associated with the element of air, the sense of touch and the body is the feeling. Quietening fragrances are Sandalwood and Rose, stimulating are Pine and Honeysuckle. Gemstones that affect the heart are Emerald, Green Calcite, Amber, Azurite, Chrysoberyl, Jade, Rose and Watermelon Tourmalines. The Glands are connected with this chaakra are the the Thymus.
The fifth chakra is the Throat Chakra. It opens in the neck, pretty much at the adam’s apple. It has to do with Expression, Responsibility, Communication and Universal Truth. It develops between the ages of 15 and 21. The colors associated with the Throat are Blue, Silver and Turquoise. It is associated with the element of Ether/Akasha, it is the sense of hearing and the body is the mental. Quietening fragrances are Lavendar and Hyacinth, while stimulating are Patchouli and White Musk. Crystals that affect the Throat are Lapis Lazuli, Aquamarine, Sodalite, Turquoise and Sapphire. The glands associated with this chakra are the thyroids and parathyroids.
The last two main chakras have no developmental age and in most people, they never open if you will. The two higher chakras separate the poets, artists and philosophers, as well as religious minds, from the rest of the population. The first of these two is the Brow Chakra, not to be confused with the Third Eye, as this is something entirely different. It is located in nearly the same place, but it is a little lower, with the Brow chakra being between the eyebrows. It deals with the concepts of Spirit, Completedness, Inspiration, Insight, Insight, and Command. The colors associated with it are Indigo, Turquoise, Mauve. It is associated with the element of Radium which is best described as radiant heat, the essence of the Primal Male, and it is associated with the Higher Mental body. Quieting Fragrances are White Musk and Hyacinth. Stimulating fragrances are Violet and Rose Geranium. Gemstones associated with it are Amethyst, Purple Apatite, Azurite, Calcite, Pearl, Sapphire, Blue and White Fluortie. Glandularly it is connected to the Pineal.
Finally there is the Crown Chakra. It opens to the top of the head and it’s associated concepts are Soul, Surrender, Release and Incoming Will. It’s colors are Violet, White and Gold. The element related to the Crown is Magnetum, which is best described as the magnetic force of Gravity and black holes, it is the essence of the Primal Female. The body is the Soul, Ketheric or Causal. Karma may be a better way of putting it. Quieting Fragrances are Rosemary and Bergamot, stimulating being Violet and Amber. Crystals associated with the Crown are Diamond, White Tourmaline, White Jade, Snowy Quartz and Celestite. It is associated with the Pituitary Gland.
So there is your crash course in chakras. I realize I’ve thrown a lot of information at you, and no your not going ot absorb it all in one sitting, but meditate on all of the concepts I have presented and eventually the mystery of it all with begin to unravel itself and you will see people and the world arround in a new light. It should also be noted that if you learn or know how to read auras, you are looking at the balance of a persons chakras. What colors you see, relate directly back to the concepts and bodily connections of each chakra. This is the basis of Reiki, which I must note is very effective. In Reiki, the practioner reads your aura and supplies energy of what color and nature you need, from the energy of the Earth. It is also no coincidence that when you look into a prism, the colors break down precisely the same way as chakras, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and the purple. It is also no coincidence that they form white light, theres a deeper mystery thee which I leave for you all to ponder. Either way, there you go, Happy Self-Exploration.
Just another note
For those of you just visiting my site and wondering why there isn’t a Beltane post, it is because I started that series, last Beltane, and so Ostara ended up being the last in the series. Go back in the archives to last May and you will find it. Also alot of the meat and potatoes of my blog, is older archived stuff, so poke around, there’s all sorts of crazy stuff on this site:)
Ostara
So yesterday was Ostara, and as promised I will write a little blurb about that. It is the festival of the Vernal Equinox, where the periods of light and dark are equal, and it is officially the start of spring. Now last night it snowed here, so it may not seem very springlike, but one of the rituals I have witnessed on this occasion is “waking up the Earth”. Going around with drums, cymbals, anything noisy and yelling, singing and chanting, walking through the woods, to wake Mother Earth up. Also the symbols of Christian Easter owe their roots to Paganism, both Ostara and Beltaine, with fertility symbols of the eggs and the rabbit. The time of hibernation and sleep are over. Rest assured the warmer days are coming, life once more comes forth from hardship.
My dismay
I sit here on this Thursday evening, troubled. I have many thoughts travelling through my mind, kind of a chaotic jumble, as I sit like a vegetable on the couch, wrapped in a blanket that isn’t mine. I’m sitting at my son’s father’s house, where I have sat very similarly every night, for the last three weeks. Why, because I am homeless. I sit in clothes that i have worn for the last two weeks, and my waist long hair is in a messy loose bun, because it is the only way to protect it, as it gets further and further knotted and dreaded, because I have no comb to comb it with. Some would classify that as too much information, but to me it is the brutal truth, the candid honesty that is all too often missing in this life, replaced with a veil of secrets and lies, and we all wonder why the misery gets worse as we get older. Wisdom a common child has, but us rotting decayed adults have forgotten along with Joy and Trust.
I have many things to be troubled about these days. I broke up with my boyfriend of two years, who I am currently 4 months pregnant by, and he has no interest in helping me, he’s is only concerned about himself at this point. I quit my job, only to lose the next one I had lined up because I became ill. I lost my home, because I lost my job. In the span of a month, my car, my phone and my computer all broke beyond repair. I traded in my car that I couldn’t afford to fix for an RV, which has broken down more sinced i took over ownership of it than it has worked. I didn’t get paid for a month. I tried to stay at the Pagan retreat I am a member of, being initially told I could stay there for up to six weeks and then they turn around and tell me no, I can stay only a week, and I get accused of using them. My own family save my sister will not take me in because of my son and my three cats. So here I sit, wrapped in the blanket that isn’t mine, isolated by my own thoughts.
There is so much that has happened in the last four months, I couldn’t possibly get it all out here, or anywhere else for that matter. But as I sit, dumbfounded, something has occured to me, and it is enough to get me out of my stupor and write something halfway meaningful for the first time in a very long time. See I have been writing, but not because I have wanted to, and I am sure that it shows. I look back on the entries i did in 2007 and everything since pales in comparison. So what is my epiphany, that cuts through the murky mire that is my conciousness of late? Fellowship.
You see I am a person that has been moved around alot, just about every friendship I have ever had I have watched die, and after a while you get to a point where you lose the ability to be a friend, or make new ones or even know what is missing from your life. But even I can see something greviously wrong with the world around me, yes I have been treated appalingly in the last few months, but it didn’t dawn on me until I sat here today and watched one of my son’s father’s roommates move out because he’s sick of being taken advantage of. I question that. I know that on a few occasions, he has had to pay someone elses portion of the rent(there are four bachelors living in this house), but it really strikes me that he is abandoning his friends when they need him the most, and it triggered a chain reaction in my befuddled mind and what came out is that everyone is doing this right now.
I have seen in the last few months things, that have nothing to do with me, that truly speak to me that the world is coming unravelled. It’s little things like watching assinine commercials for Lexus’ or the like, when most people are so poor their lucky if they even have a car. The sheer absurdity of watching the dismal economic news on CNN, and then going to commercial and seeing ads that are so out of touch with what’s going on in this country is insane, literally. I get so lost in my everyday life, and think that everything that happens is my fault that sometimes I completely fail to see the big picture, and that what is going on in my life isn’t just me, it’s everybody. Fellowship is another one of those things. I have been being rebuked by everyone around me,a nd I take it personally thinking that maybe I deserve it, but the truth of it is, no, it is a sign of the times. As things get worse, people start to hoard and stockpile what they can, and cut off any excess burden, lest it drag them down too. But my friends that is the worst possible approach, and it must stop if we as a nation, or as a world are going to survive. We got in this mess because we stopped working together with our neighbors and our communities, and put our power in the hands of people that wanted it only for that end, their own aggrandisment and greed, and they left us with nothing. And now when we stand at a very crucial moment in our history as a nation and in the history of the world, what have we learned? To isolate ourselves even more, to hide behind our TV’s and SUV”s and computers (I realize that may sound hypocritical, but I do get out, I do try to have human contact, it’s kind of hard when everybody else is still hiding, asleep), and cut off like a gangrenous arm anyone who asks for help. Sure it’s just fine to stick a few dollars in the salvation army kettle at christmas, and pat yourself on the back for a good deed done, but then not even a month later turn your back on the homeless, hungry, downtrodden, neighbor, friend, relative, or even worse child that crosses your path in real life. Tell me, how does it feel, knowing you survived, when you think of those you had to turn away to do so. Kind of a hollow victory isn’t it?
Of course not everybody is like that, but out of all the people that I know, two were willing to help, and I know a lot of people. What particularly stings is the treatment I recieved from the pagan retreat I mentioned earlier, my church, and a place where one is supposed to find sanctuary. A place that prides itself on being community minded, and they cut me off, a member of their community. The shame of it is appalling. If we are to overcome the obstacles we face, we must change. We must learn to work together again, and to understand that a community is only as strong as it’s weakest member, and the solution is not to cut off the weak individual, but to heal them. To help them be able to stand on their own again. Blame and judgement are two of the most worthless concepts in all of humanity, and in truth they bely weakness on the part of those who would blame and judge, they are the ones who are sick, not the ones who have stumbled. For we all stumble from time to time, and he who has wisdom knows this. I humbly pray that we learn these lessons, and those who read this heed my words, for even though I will be fine, I will survive, there are those who will not be so fortunate as I.
Imbolc
So February 2nd was Imbolc. The year turns once again and we are blessed to stand witness to it. Imbolc is the start of the end for winter. It’s a time to step back, take stock and be like, “hey, we made it!!” From here on out, we can expect warmer days. Yes there is still going to be cold snaps and blizzards, but they are on the wane. In six weeks is the vernal equinox, and the official start of spring, so if you haven’t started planning your gardens, you might want to start. It is a time to gather with friends, and be thankful for your continued existence. I know I am, because the last few months have been extremely trying for me, surviving -20F temperatures in an RV with no heat that isn’t properly insulated is no joke, it sucks. Some Imbolc traditions are that it is a traditionally ascribed to the Goddess Brigid, of Celtic lore, friendship bread, the oath ring and others. It is also the time of years when sheep start having their babies, which for our most ancient ancestors was a definate blessing because it meant they had milk, which is another tradition of Imbolc, the associations with milk. So there you go, there is you’re extremely brief overview of Imbolc:)
Update to Mining/Rib Mountain
There’s one little tidbit of information that I stumbled across of late, and true to the form of the U.S. government, I have not been able to find any corroborating evidence. But I know that it is true because several people have confirmed it for me. Apparently Rib Mountain used to be host to a uranium mine. It’s been closed for many years now, but apparently the entrance lies close to the Queen’s chair in the state park section of it. I know of the quarries on the mountain, but I did not know of this.
All I have to say is more attention needs to be paid to the stuff that is done to the mountain. It’s bad enough it’s got a gigantic radio transmitter on top of it, but apparently it’s been violated for the sake of the abomination that is the nuclear program of this country. And for all you stupid zealots out there that are actually arrogant enough to think that nuclear weapons are a good thing I have only this to say, why don’t you round yourselves up and find out what is like to be blown up in nuclear fire first hand? You’d be doing the rest of us a big favor.
Rib Mountain is made of Quartzite, a mineral that magnifies any energy put into it. What has been done to the mountain is magnified by a 1000. I don’t know how many times I have to say it, but what we are doing is being reflected back on us, we’re only poisoning ourselves. I go up to the quarry on Rib Mountain and just look at what was done. It’s nuts. I have the idea of carving the rocks into something, likes Rameses’ Abu Simbel, something to atone for what was taken out of that mountain. Come on people, can’t we think about something greater than ourselves or money for once? I can only hope.
Yule
Yule (also known as Candlemas) is Winter Solstice and most of it’s mythos stem from this association. The solstice is the time when the days are shortest and the nights are longest, but it is the night where the sun is reborn if you will. Even though January is where you get those bitter cold snaps (as I’m sitting here writing we are going through one right now, it’s -23 F, and that’s before windchill) you can assume that as bad as it’s gotten before Yule will be how it will be for the rest of the winter. It is a time to share with others and gather together in friendship to survive the long cold. There is the ritual of the Yule log, something you decorate and invest with intents/”things” you would like to perish from the old year and hopes for the new. Save the ash if you like for other spells, or for Samhain or Yule of next year
Samhain
So it’s a little after the fact, but better late than never. Samhain is, for you muggles, Halloween. It is the day of the dead. It is the end of the pagan year and it is the time where the veil between the worlds is the thinnest, hence the legends about the witching hour at midnight where unwary travellers run the risk of being abducted by disgruntled spirits and ghosts. It is a day to remember those who have come, and gone, before.
Basic Spellwork
I guess the next order of business as I outlined before in the series I’m supposed to be writing is basic spellwork. I have no idea what tradition or whatever my practice most closely resembles, as far as I am concerned if it works who really cares, and I have not really much more than disdain for the purists who say if you don’t do something in a specific way it’s worthless, because what in essence they are saying is that the words are more important than the intent/spirit, which is bassackwards to say the least.
To do any kind of magical working you need to create sacred space. There are a few no brainers obviously such as have a clean working area, be clean yourself, have all distractions eliminated and make sure your in a centered calm state of mind. I cannot stress enough that you need to do stuff like this calmly, you’re peeling back the fabric of the universe and tinkering with it, it is all to easy to get more than you bargained for.
Once you’ve done all that you want to call the Watchtowers/Quarters. Watchtowers are Elementals, Earth Air Fire and Water, and they correspond to the four directions, North East South and West respectively. I start in the North (Earth) and go clockwise, calling each Watchtower. Usually I just say something to the effect of “Hail to the Watchtower of the North, Earth, I call you to this rite and ask your blessing” standing in the North of the circle, then I move to the East, repeat for East/Air, than move to the South and repeat for South/Fire, and then move to the West and repeat for West/Water. You can be more fancy with the invocations if you like, but the Elementals aren’t dumb, they’ll get it if you just stick to the basics. One you’ve done this the circle is open, you are standing in sacred space. I ususally pronounce it as such but I don’t think it is necessary as long as in your mind you recognize it as such. The next step is to purify the circle. I have a special powder made of herbs that I use for this purpose and I go around the circle clockwise, again starting in the North sprinkling it and saying while I am doing it “I purify this circle, only Love may enter, only Love may leave”. Now traditional Wiccans will purify the circle by the Elements, that is sprinkling salt for Earth, then waving a feather or something of the like for Air, incense for Fire and water for Water. Again it’s up to you to do what you want. Sometimes I also use bells to purify by sound. I especially like this method because if you meditate on it as you’re doing it, which you should be anyway, it’ll clear out your head. The next step after all of this is to purify yourself. I use either frankincense oil or a combo of violet and white musk (balancing to the crown chakra) for this purpose and I anoint my brow while saying, “I purify myself, may I be filled with love, purity and with bliss” Again I’m sure other people do it differently but whatever, as long as the intent is there, you’re good. At this point you’re ready to welcome the Lord and Lady to the rite. When I first started I looked at them as being a man and a woman like me, only invested with divine powers. As I have matured in my practice I now look at them as the primal forces of the cosmos, but I still have that kind of child talking to her parents relationship that I did when I dedicated myself. I have my own names for them, which I share with no one, just I have a name that only they know me by which I will also not mention. Either way, welcome them to your working, in whatever way you see fit. At this point do your spell/working, keeping in mind you are in the presence of the Divine and you stand between the worlds. It’s not going to feel really all that different, it’s not like you’re going to see all sorts of freaky stuff, at least not usually. When you’re really going to notice is after you’ve closed the circle, and you realize that you’ve been sitting there for twice if not triple the time you thought you were. I’m not joking when I say you are literally standing between the worlds, time has no meaning here.
Okay so you do whatever it is you wanted to do and you’re ready to close the circle. You do everything you did to open it (except purification) only backwards. Thank the Lord and Lady for their presence and blessing, I usually say “Lord and Lady, I thank you for your presence and blessing, I walk with you always”. Whatever you say be respectful, but don’t grovel. If you are doing this you are well on your way to becoming an adept, and those who serve the Gods eventually become the Gods themselves. After you’ve said your “farewell” to the God and Goddess, you then walk around the circle counterclockwise, starting in the West, dismissing the Watchtowers. I usually say “Watchtower of the West, Water, I release you and thank you for your blessing”, and the repeat the process for South, East and North. Once you’ve done that, you can pronounce the circle closed because it is, and there you go, you’ve done a spell. Some helpful hints, do not not discuss a spell for at least 24 hours after you’ve done it. Also the more you let go of it the better, ie don’t be looking for results, let them find you, trust me they will:)
I think the only other thing to cover is the pagan wheel of the year. There are 8 sabbats that mark the turning of time. Yule/Winter Solstice, Imbolc, Ostara/Vernal Equinox, Beltane, Midsummer/Summer Solstice, Lammas, Mabon/Autumn Equinox, and Samhain. Even though I haven’t been keeping up on it on my blog like I said I would I will go into details in the other posts specifically as to what each sabbat represents. What I will say here is that these are days of High Magick, meaning they are established Holy days and are more important than any personal spellwork. By observing these days you are centering yourself and aligning yourself with the energies of the Earth and of the Cosmos. You are also helping to keep the world glued together by helping will the “Wheel” to turn once again. Any sabbat observance is done in the same way as an ordinary ritual but instead of a spell, you meditate on the meaning of the particular sabbat and you make offerings as is appropriate. Like Lammas is a harvest holiday, the first one, so an appropriate offering would be first fruits from your garden if you have one, and if you don’t have a garden get something from your local farmer’s market and offer that. Also offer “cakes and ale” to the Lord and Lady at this point. This can be whatever you see fit, turth be told mine are usually a really big Little Debbie Zebra Cake and some Sangria table wine. You eat them (although pour and drop a little on the ground for the Divine and spirits etc). Other than that you do the same as you would for any other ritual work.
One thing you will notice I have omitted is ritual tools. They are omitted because when it comes down to it, they mean nothing. The magick comes from you and the universe, not your tools. I run into far too many pagans who get lost on not only the words and “procedures”, but on tools and such. They mean nothing everything comes from within. Yes I have tools, I have a staff, an athame(knife), a chalice, incense burners and candles, a consecrated altar and a consecrated statue of Ma’at sitting on said altar, but they are just ephemeral material things, nothing more. The most powerful magick I have done has been performed on Rib Mountain (which is made of quartzite so it serves to magnify Magickal energies times a million, and that’s not exaggerating) with nothing more than myself, some incense and some oil, with the ritual written down on some paper. More often than not tools are distractions to me.
So there you go, there is your crash course on basic ritual work. Blessed Be!
Mabon
The next Sabbat to mention is Mabon. Mabon is like Lammas in the sense that it is a harvest holiday, but Lammas is first fruits, Mabon is the main event if you will. It is also the autumn equinox, the day on the waning half of the year where the days and nights are of equal length. You better darn well be on your way to preparing for winter at this point, becauase there is only six weeks left in the pagan year.
