We all give blessings one way or another. We say “best wishes” when someone has an important invent in their life, and we say “bless you” when others sneeze. I’m actually talking primarily about blessing yourself, your home, and your family, as magic begins at home. Blessing is seen as the lighter side of magic, and while this is true, even those that walk in the shadow realms can benefit from working blessings into their daily life.
Blessing is one of those things that get glossed over in many of the magical books, because it seems so mundane. But it really is one of the most basic magical habits to get into. Blessing provides positive energy to go towards any endeavor, to instill beauty and grace into the every day, to make sacred the ordinary. Blessing invites good things into your life. It is a mindful way of living.
image from http://crystal-cure.com/labradorite.html
Labradorite is a power stone allowing you to see through illusions and allow you to determine your dreams and goals.It is excellent for strengthening intuition. Used to stimulate imagination, develops enthusiasm, inspires new ideas, and improves clarity during meditation. A sister to moonstone, it links to darker aspects of moon energy and has this in common with black moonstone. It is used to bring light to shadowed realms of the self.
This stone is made up of minerals from the original Earth’s crust from before Earth had a moon. Modern theories in science say that when an asteroid hit the planet, part of the Earth’s crust was ripped from the Earth and formed a belt of debris around the Earth. This debris eventually formed the moon, and minerological folklore says that Labradorite and the moon share the same basic substance. It is also said that Labradorite is the oldest formed rock on Earth.
Labradorite is ancient, its energy stable and grounding. It harmonizes with the moon, and links to receptiveness and memory. It also harmonizes with benevolent Jupiter, and insignificant slow-moving Pluto. It is used as a stabilizer in magical operations. Its effects are long lasting.
Labradorite is a great stone for teachers, or anyone with a stressful job, as this stone will replenish you with physical and emotional stamina. It enhances patience and an inner sense of timing. It can even kickstart the necessary energy to get into action.
Labradorite stimulates the imagination and creativity. Its creative impulse can be erratic and rather obsessive at times. But it also enhances a sense of logic and helps you recognize hidden analytical abilities.
Labradorite is great for all chakras, particularly the Solar Plexus, and raising Kundalini. It helps to regulate the body’s metabolism and assists in digestion.
In some circles, Labradorite is known as the Wizard’s Stone. By some it is thought to be more masculine than moonstone, but to me it has a Mercurial androgynous feel. It works very well for creation and storage of magical servitors, especially servitors you plan on keeping around for extended periods.
Otherkin have reported that meditating in a Labradorite crystal grid assists with awakening to true form, especially dragon kin. Using a Labradorite crystal grid helped adjust during my own spiritual awakening of a different nature. It can also help one to remember past lives.
It cleanses well with sage and burial in brown rice, but I do not recommend burial in salt or extended soaks in water, as this can dull its flash.
Each person has their own individual color correspondence. After all, we are drawn to certain colors and repulsed by others on an individual basis. However, there are certain cultural undertones to colors that affect their energy in our relation to them. And that is what needs to be considered when working with colors for things like candle magic: How does this color relate to me and my energy? How does it make me feel? How does this color relate to the energy of the culture I am apart of? Does it go counter to my own intuition? Which holds the most power in this case?
Some colors contain opposing energies and can be turned depending on intent.
Here is a list of my personal color correspondences.
White: Cleanliness, crossing over into death, oneness, energy, light, neutral, positive energy, protection, Divinity, purity, single-mindedness, meditation, banishing darkness, releasing energy, house blessing, commitment in relationships. I substitute white when I cannot find silver, and also substitute white for most every other color. Air Element, Crown Chakra, Moon planetary energy
Silver: Divinity, Lunar planetary energy, manifesting desires, divination, opening the Crown Chakra, angelic invocation. Air and Water Elements, Crown Chakra, Moon planetary energy
Ivory: A less pure version of white, having the same energy of light, neutrality. More meditative, less easily corrupted. Sweetness, mercy, forgiveness, divinity, antiquity, ancestors. I substitute ivory candles if I cannot find gold, rather than substituting yellow. Earth and Air Elements, Solar Plexus and Crown Chakra, Moon and Sun planetary energy
Gray (includes blue-gray): Neutrality, shadow, blending of opposites, resolution, hiding, invisibility, mystery, humility. Earth and Air Elements, Root Chakra, Saturn planetary energy
Black: Absorbing power, drawing energy, solemnity, authority, mystery, chaos, law and order, magic, drawing, banishing, protection, creativity, seduction, invisibility, astral travel/flight, inviting spirits, shape shifting, dragon magic, transformation, emotional neutrality, control of low-vibration, non-human entities, counter-cursing/reversal. Use black as a substitute for other colors when using their darker sides. Earth Elemental, Root Chakra, Saturn planetary energy
Indigo-black (blue black, navy blue): Use for more spiritual aspects of black, such as invocation, astral travel, creativity, chaos, cosmos, transformation, beauty, water Elemental, Third Eye Chakra, Saturn planetary energy
Blue (cobalt blue, sky blue, and denim blue): Spirituality, creativity, protection from psychic attack, astral travel, mental powers, concentration, positive energy, divinity, opening the Third Eye, discerning the truth, Water Element, Throat and Third Eye Chakras, Jupiter planetary energy
Light blue: Cleansing, purification, peace, blessing, angelic energies, Air Element, Throat and Crown Chakras, Moon planetary energy
Turquoise (teal, blue-green): Sea magic, communication with other people, expression of ideas, water Elemental energies, emotional balance, telling the truth, Earth, water, Air, Elemental, Throat Chakra, Jupiter and Venus planetary energy
Blue-violet (indigo): astral travel, mental powers, past life regression, spirit offering to higher level non-human entities, opening the Third Eye, techno-magic (use of technology for magic, or to help technology to run smoother), Spirit and Fire Elements (blue flame), Third Eye and Crown Chakra, Jupiter planetary energy
True violet (purple): creativity, offering to human ancestors, divination, abundance, luxury, power, compelling, opening the Third Eye, imagination, balance of male/female, seduction, Spirit Element, Mercury planetary energy, Third Eye and Crown Chakra
Maroon (black cherry, wine, plum): Passionate motherly energy, abundance, protecting a fetus, living life to the fullest, offering to certain deities, Earth and Fire Element, Root and Sacral Chakra, Mars planetary energy
Magenta (includes bluer shades of red, like cherry): dominant feminine energy, sex magic, fast energy, attraction, commanding, attention, Fire Element, Sacral Chakra, Venus and Mars planetary energy
Red: Passion, protection, attraction, attack, leadership, defense, will-power, danger, survival, dominance, sexual relationships, dragon magic, cursing and reversal of curses, healing of blood-related issues and the Heart, Fire Element, Root and Sacral Chakra, Mars planetary energy
Pink (I go for light and rosy shades of pink. No pepto bismol shades allowed): Love, especially the state of being “in love”, friendship, devotion, self-love, emotional healing, soothing after traumatizing events, gently grounding, beauty, youth, Fire and water Elements, Heart Chakra, Venus planetary energy
Crimson (Orange-Red, or like the color of carnelian): Power, employment, leadership, prosperity when green hasn’t helped enough, success, fertility (as in conceiving a child), motivation, Fire Element, Sacral Chakra, Mars planetary energy.
Orange (as in the shade of the citrus fruit): Health in the area of nutrition and exercise, weight loss, detox, motivation, zest for life, Fire Element, Solar Plexus and Sacral Chakra, Mars and Mercury planetary energy
Peach (salmon, light orange and pink-orange): Friendships among children or parent-child relationships, simplicity, weight loss, youthful outlook, anti-aging. Earth and Air elements, Solar Plexus Chakra, Moon, Sun, and Venus planetary energy.
Yellow: Sun energies, happiness, optimism, health, healing skin injuries or breakouts, energy, plant healing, learning, mental powers, concentration, (unless you have ADHD, and then go for blue for mental powers and concentration), Air Element, Solar Plexus Chakra, Sun planetary energy
Gold: Prosperity, leadership, success, power, prestige, honor, divinity, will, True Will, Air Element, Solar Plexus Chakra, Sun planetary energy
Copper (Color): Prosperity, abundance, love, Earth Element, Heart Chakra (as combining pink and green), Venus planetary energy
Brown (silt, chocolate, mahogany): Grounding, abundance, fertility (plant), animal protection, satisfaction, satiety, primal animal instincts, grounding Earth Element, Root Chakra, Saturn, Jupiter, and Sun planetary energies
Beige: Neutrality, centering, balancing, meditation, sobriety, invisibility, Air and Earth Element, Root Chakra, Saturn planetary energy
Light Green: Growth, new beginnings, spontaneity, opening the Heart to love, dealing with feelings of jealousy, Earth Element, Venus planetary energy, Heart Chakra, and in some shades Solar Plexus Chakra as well.
Green: Prosperity, plant magic, abundance, growth, increase, attracting money, gaining material possessions, fertility (many types), love, health, healing, nutrition, detox, nature, Earth Element, Heart Chakra, Venus planetary energy.
Dark green: Faery energies, prosperity, saving money, ecology magic, forest, wilderness, survival, primal instincts, grounding, connection with natural forces, Earth Element, Venus and Saturn planetary energy, Root and Heart Chakras
TED Talks is a channel that every person should be subscribed to. I refuse to qualify that statement.
True Magick by Amber K
This was my first book on the occult. It presents a strong foundation in basic NeoPagan witchcraft that is influenced by outer court Wiccan ideas. I have never found a better book to give to a beginner who is unsure of which path to choose, since it describes a number of different magical and Pagan paths. It presents ethics in a way that does not assume that you’re an idiot, and helps uncover what magic really is and what it is not. As shown here, I had the original edition, the $5 paperback. There is a new edition with added stuff, but I have not read the new edition, yet.
Progressive Witchcraft by Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone
While the authors caught some flack for deviating from the standard Alexandrian-based teachings of their previous works, this book presented a good layout of things that I needed further study on, such as the Kaballah, the Chakra system, and energy work.
The Goodly Spellbook by Lady Passion
This book is about so much more than spells. It covers a number of magical topics suitable for anyone who wants in depth knowledge on spellcraft. They provide spells, too, and go into examples of times they’ve used them. This touched my heart because I get the feeling that a lot of authors write and publish spells they never use. I get the sense that these are real people living a magical life.
Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland AKA Uncle Bucky’s Big Blue Book
It’s a classic, what can I say? Many editions have come out since the first time I read it. I’ve owned several copies and given them away. It gives a practitioner a lot to do as far as exercises, things to learn, and a jumping off point for further study. If one wished to create a Wiccanesque coven, then this would be a very helpful book.
The Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells by Judika Illes
This book has only been out for a few years, but it has become an instant classic. It is full of spells and formulas from just about every source imaginable. I love to flip through this book just for fun. Sometimes, when I’m stuck for an option in creating my own spell, I can go through this book and immediately find something that I can tweak a bit this way and that and come up with something perfect for my situation. A must have.
Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic by Catherine Yronwode
If you are interested in Hoodoo, or even if you want to delve into the magical use of certain materials used in Hoodoo and apply it to your practice, this is another instant classic. Cat Yronwode not only tells you what something is used for, she gives examples. This is a wonderful book and should be on every Witch’s shelf. It never ceases to be a useful reference.
“Temple of Witchcraft Series” by Christopher Penczak (Includes The Inner Temple of Witchcraft, The Outer Temple of Witchcraft, The Shamanic Temple of Witchcraft, The Temple of High Witchcraft, and The Temple of Living Witchcraft, parts 1 & 2.
It’s too much to try to put an image of all his works up here, but going through the Temple series is a really great idea for an eclectic solitary witch. Some prolific authors just rehash the same old in a disjointed way, but Penczak lays it all out in a very do-able lesson plan. It won’t throw you headlong into spells and rituals, but learning how to create magic from the inside, out. Some other great books by CPenz are The Witch’s Coin, The Witch’s Shield, and Instant Magick. Beware that the history he presents in the first book is not all that accurate. I have also made great use of the companion CD’s for the Temple series and The Witch’s Shield.
Power of the Witch by Laurie Cabot
I am aware that there are a lot of people out there that don’t like Laurie Cabot. I get it. She dresses weird and there’s a lot of pretentiousness about being as witchie-poo as she is. I don’t care. I think she’s awesome! I like this book because it was the first book on Witchcraft that I read that went in depth into the science of magic, and Hermeticism, even though I found out later that some of its accuracy is a bit sketchy. I love her wolf’s hair “protection potion”, the “Crystal Countdown” and all the little bits that make this a delightful witchy book.
The Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford by Lon Milo Duquette
I have a secret crush on that old guy, Lon Duquette. He’s incredibly witty, and incredibly REAL compared to every other Ceremonial Magician on the planet. If Aleister Crowley was the Beast 666, then Duquette is Santa Claus. I consider myself a pretty intelligent person, but it has taken me nearly 13 years to understand even the point of Qaballah, and then Duquette just laid it all out so simply that I had an “Oh, DUH!” moment. For that, I will be eternally grateful. Any of his books are worth picking up, but I particularly like this one, The Magick of Aleister Crowley, and Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot. Duquette’s memoire, My Life With The Spirits is also wonderful.
Liber Kaos by Peter Carroll
This is a hard read. I think even a lot of Chaos Magicians skip this book out of laziness in favor of the easier Phil Hine works. I had to read slowly and break down each sentence one at a time and write down a plain English interpretation, and then re-read it in context. But it was worth it. It opened my mind to worlds of possibility in the realms of magic.
Magical Rites from the Crystal Well by Ed Fitch
This is a darling spell book based on a Pagan magazine from the 1970’s. It conjures memories of a simpler time when witchcraft was coming out of the shadows and was new again, fresh with the ideals of the hippie generation (without all the baggage, of course). There are classic light and airy rituals such as the “Spell of the Comb and Mirror” for beauty. The illustrations are beautiful and if you have access to a copy machine, it makes a very nice coloring book.
Power Spells by Lexa Rosean
This was the first book I read by Lexa Rosean and is filled with kitchen witchery in a very non-fluffy way. I love the “Kill Your Boss” spell. (More like kill reputation/career… she claims to have worked it on a high profile politician.) She also turned me onto the wonderful magic of the “everything bagel”. Also recommended are the Encyclopedia of Magical Ingredients and Supermarket Sorceress.
A Witch Alone by Marian Green
This book made me more comfortable in my skin as a solitary practitioner. Every word was helpful during a key point in my spiritual development.
Be a Goddess by Francesca De Grandis
This works strongly with the idea of change yourself first line of thought when it comes to working magic. While working closely with the divine, you tune into who you truly are, clearing out the old junk, and tap into your true power.
The Kybalion by Three Initiates
This book is a major influence on all modern occult philosophy, from Witchcraft, to Ceremonial Magick and its associated lodges, to the New Age movement. It is required reading for any student of mine.
Green Witchcraft by Ann Moura
I’ll admit that I do not find these books as useful today as I found them when I first started out. I got my start in circle casting, fairy lore, and the elementals from Green Witchcraft, and my venture into the shadow through Green Witchcraft II. The rest of this series is mostly a repeat of what I learned in the previous books. The history is made up whole cloth and I don’t have the same fondness for Ogham as the author. That said, the books of this series were instrumental in forming the witch I am today. I do recommend the first book if you don’t follow a particular religion but still want to practice the Craft.
Incense, Oils, and Brews by Scott Cunningham
This book is a classic. The recipes are often used by people from all walks of occult life, despite that many people think that Scott Cunningham was a bit too fluffy. A really valuable member of my library.
A Witches’ Bible by Janet and Stewart Farrar
Sure, it’s Wicca. No, I’m not Wiccan. But I do enjoy this book. Combining Eight Sabbats for Witches with The Witches’ Way, I find the latter portion more useful to my purposes, as I do not practice with a coven and don’t observe most of the Wiccan Sabbats. Frank magical advice can be found towards the back of the book. It’s worth a look, even if you don’t practice this way.
Witchcraft In Theory and Practice by Ly DeAngeles
This book is Witchcraft. It is not any flavor of Wicca and never claimed to be. It is dead-animals Witchcraft. It is plant Witchcraft. It is Kaballah as a system and and not a dogma Witchcraft. It is passionate Witchcraft. It is non-fluffy, brutally honest, and also hails from the Southern Hemisphere, so be aware that if you accidentally get a copy printed for the Southern Hemisphere, elements and Sabbats are differently placed down under.
Pragmatic Magics by Moloch
Moloch is a professional sorceror who I have been acquainted with over the internet for a number of years. His methods of spellcasting are spot on most of the time.
Candle Magic by Phillip Cooper
As a book about Candle Magic, there is a lot of magical theory and challenges some of the commonly held ideas of the status quo when it comes to magic, such as questioning how necessary it is to cast circles or banish. While my theory is “can’t hurt, can only help”, I enjoy the authors point of view. I introduced myself to planetary magic through this book, but it is not a comprehensive guide to planetary magic and actually discounts its usefulness. For those, like me, who love magical theory, it’s also a wonderful read. Someone stole my copy several years ago and I’ve only recently gotten another copy.
Love Is In The Earth by Melody
Very new-agey, but highly worth owning for anyone that uses crystals for anything metaphysical, from magic, to shamanism, to healing and chakra work. Every mineral I’ve ever wanted to know about is in this book. Highly coveted is the LIITE fantastic encyclopedia edition with color photos that sells at prices to rival university text books.
The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall
Quite frankly, some of the pictures are wrong, but only a couple. I have seen that some of the mistaken identities are repeated in Judy Hall’s other books. (Howlite is not a creamy translucent green, folks.) But I use this book ALL THE TIME along with several of her other books. This does not contain information for magical uses of stones, but the new age healing aspects. Even so, one can read between the lines and figure out how to apply this information magically.
Gerina Dunwich’s Gemstone Sorcery
I gotta give Dunwich credit… there aren’t many books on the subject of using gemstones and crystals in magic. Sure, there’s Scott Cunningham, and I appreciate him too. However, one of these days I’m going to write my own and it’s going to blow these two out of the water. Gerina Dunwhich’s book is pretty good for knowing history and lore of gemstone magic.
image removed by Bedazzlecat due to malware warning
The Illustrated Goetia by Aleister Crowley
The reason for calling on the Goetia is “Control your demons or they will control you!” They are aspects of the human mind that manifest themselves in a variety of ways, including bad habits, fears, obsessions, etc. Other spirits are not as insidious as the ones who live within you already. It has the potential to be very dangerous, if dealt with carelessly. I recommend Lon Duquette’s edition simply because Duquette can be trusted to present this information in a way that can be understood and in a responsible way.
Psychic Self-Defense by Dion Fortune
I think everyone should read this book. It’s just that important. It was written way back when, so some of the attitudes and prejudices of bygone eras abound. What are the symptoms of psychic attack? What is a curse? What is a psychic vampire? How can you protect yourself? The answers are found in this classic occult book.
Utterly Wicked by Dorothy Morrison
Sometimes you have been abused one too many times. It is then that a Witch may or may not decide to curse. If you think you may get backed into a corner and want to leave the option of cursing open, this is a book to start with.
Mastering Witchcraft by Paul Huson
This is a pretty good introductory book for Witchcraft of the non-Wiccan variety, as there are so few that teach witchcraft without it being influenced in some way by Wicca. I dislike that it gives a smidgen of info about a bit of everything, but not enough to really dive into. But it’s good to have, regardless, because of the impact of the little it contains.
The Faerie Way, by Hugh Mynne
This is the most valuable (and deceptively thin) book about faeries that I’ve ever seen. The realm of the faerie is an immense area of exploration, of which this book is but a jumping off point. Many books give you lists of types of faeries and their associations without ever explaining their nature. Others present cuteness and couch it as real “magick”. Instead, this book explores where they came from, what their existence means to humanity, and how to really connect with them.
I love this! It’s all the little things that make a magical life.
I use this spell everyday….it is my morning routine, so to say!
After I fix my coffee to my tastes in the morning hours…as I take my first sip in the morning, I recite this incantation…
Into the darkness I safely slide,
Knowing my magic dwells inside.
Strength and safety, dreams and…
I don’t pretend to understand the programmer talk on this blog. But the gif image won’t show up as animated when I post it here on Tumblr. Click on the link and check it out. I’m interested in knowing what you experience when you meditate on the image. I had a lot of pressure on my 3rd eye from it, and if I took time, I’ll bet I could receive visions from it, but I’m with my 7 month old daughter right now and can’t zone out completely. It certainly does produce an effect on the brain.
As for what specifically I can visually see, I see skulls and pentagrams, hexagrams, heptagrams and nonograms.
Reblog and tell me what you see!
Since apparently you can’t reblog “asks” and the “replies” only have so many characters, I figured I’d repost it and respond this way, make it easier :) This is a conversation with http://bedazzlecat.tumblr.com/
I really do like your view point on this. It makes a lot of sense, at least to me. When I first got into Wicca and Witchcraft almost 7 years ago and until recently, I tried to keep the “harm none” in the back of my mind, even used it as a defense for Wicca when confronted by others about ‘casting curses’ and the like. But in my reveling of it, I didn’t really look at the big picture. As you said, you are harming every moment. Opening a cabinet drawer could kill a spider you didn’t know was in there, etc. You can’t be vegan and claim that you aren’t “killing to feed” because plants die for you. It also, more importantly, made me closed-minded about different things which, looking back, makes me in a way sad because my whole speel about being “wiccan” was it “opened me up” to other faiths.
For example, sacrifice. I shunned Voodoo for the longest time because of the use of ritual animal sacrifice. Because I was looking at it through the doctrine of “harm none”. And I felt a deep calling down in my bones to folk magic surrounding voodoo and hoodoo, but I pushed it down for fear of breaking the “harm none” rule. I shunned the use of hexes and curses by voodoo and hoodoo practitioners for the same reason. It wasn’t until I started looking into Dianic Wicca and discovered that they believe in ‘self-defense magic’ and working magic to bring justice in what ever means to say, rapists or child abusers. It started me thinking about what was ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ when it came to my personal beliefs and morals, not just by following a doctrine of ‘harm none’.
When I began working with my current coven our high priestess brought up the topic of ‘karma’ and how sometimes, YOU are karma. If you have the power to right a wrong, to bring justice, or to help defend someone or someone else, to enact karma essentially, you should take into consideration that you may need to go about doing so. Instead of waiting around for ‘karma’ to handle it, you may very well be that act of karma. Which again, may very well contradict the ‘harm none’ rule.
Nowadays, I use it as a light base for my magical workings. As in, harm none in a malicious way that has no means other than some sort of egotistical, personal fulfillment. Really think about the situation- does it deem a curse or a binding? Can you go about working your magic to help the situation without causing true ‘harm’ to the person(s) involved (and what do you personally, deem as ‘harmful?)? Or is it necessary to get the job done? Are you willing to be responsible for that? I ask myself those kinds of questions. I also try to use it as a way to live better. I don’t go out of my way to hurt something or someone. If something can be done in a more humane or say, environmentally-friendly manner, I will try to go out of my way to limit the harm/impact I am making. But in doing so, I understand that there is no perfection, no avoiding completely the harming of something or someone with every action, or like you said, inaction. But I am trying to do my best, not be perfect.
I like to look at it in a sort of comical manner. Like from Pirates of the Caribbean, the Code is more of a set of guidelines than actual rules. This is one of those cases, that many spout as a rule, and may not even follow it themselves, but use it when convenient.
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Thanks for continuing the conversation. I had another thought but didn’t have enough room in the reply either. I had said to you that there has been a large effort to “seem harmless” by Pagan publishers. Perhaps this is an attempt to control the masses that now have access to magical skills, or perhaps this is to keep from provoking the ire from the establishment who likes to keep common people powerless.
I agree with the idea that we have to “be Karma” sometimes, although I don’t personally use the term Karma, but the idea is essentially the same. We’re all divine, and my hand turned to do magic is every bit apart of divine Will (if I’m in tune with my own True Will) as any other consequence. Think about what may have happened if long ago during the Great Depression, witches had vowed to bind anyone who uses their monetary and political power to exploit ordinary people and rape Mother Earth. Perhaps the world would not be in the mess it is in today, with noticeable global climate change and being on the verge of economic collapse.
I think it is important for us to stop thinking small scale and start thinking big when it comes to making the world a better place.
