spirits, Magic
Taylor Ellwood
The relationship between sacred kingship and ...

One of the books I’m reading lately is King, Warrior, Magician, Lover by Robert Moore and Doug Gillette. It’s a fascinating book that explores the archetypes of the mature and sacred masculine. This is currently part of the spiritual work that I’m engaged in as I explore my own relationship with masculinity and heal the ancestoral and contemporary wounds that I’m becoming aware of as it relates to how masculinity is treated and perceived in modern times.

One of the aspects I’m exploring in particular is related to sacred kingship and the land. I am in the process of exploring the new city and surrounding areas that I live in. While I’ve lived here for a year, I didn’t have much opportunity until recently to really begin exploring the area and developing a relationship with the land. I find it fitting and useful that part of the process has also involved cultivating a relationship with the land, particularly on the basis of the relationship has with their home and how that relationship plays out in sacromagical work one does in connecting with the land.

magical experiments

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Breaking out of the 5 Element model: A different approach to elemental magic

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I’m currently writing Walking with Elemental Spirits, which is a book that explores my system for elemental magic. One of the central arguments of that book is that the 5 element model of earth, water, fire, air, and quintessence is a bit outdated. It has worked well as a model, but its evident that there are more elements than just the aforementioned elements. Why are we holding onto an outmoded model that was used to describe reality a long time ago, as a taxonomic means of categorizing the experiences of the world? I’ll be bold and just say we hold on to such models because we are taught that something which is old is typically considered better and if it works why change it.

I don’t agree with this sentiment. While I think the 5 element model is a great foundational tool, I also think that when we hold onto an old model and never question it we’re missing out on an opportunity to evolve magically, as well as to evolve the overall discipline of magic. I’ve been practicing elemental magic since I first started practicing magic, and for many years I did rely upon the 5 element model because it was what was available. Yet being the magical experimenter that I am, I inevitably ended up questioning it.

Why its important to revisit old magical workings

When you have performed lots of magical workings and created specific types of outcomes, it can helpful to revisit that work. I share a few reasons for revisiting old work and also explain why it can be helpful to revise older workings, or shut them down, if they are still working in the background.

Magical Experiments Podcast: Italian Witchcraft with Giulia Turolla

In this interview Giulia Turolla shares her work and research with Italian witchcraft and discusses how to integrate ancient spiritual practices into modern times. We also discuss how to work with spirits and whether or not spirits modernize with the times.

Giulia is an Italian witch, High Priestess and teacher in the Tempio di Ara tradition. She graduated with honors in Archaeology and Ancient World Cultures from Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna and her field of specialization is ancient magical/religious technology and culture. Giulia’s personal path focuses on the practice of witchcraft as an indigenous form of shamanism and aims to rediscover and rebuild the Sacred Net that binds us to the Spirits and the Gods of the place we live in.

She has been leading circles for the Temple of Ara since 2008 and actively teaching study groups and advanced workshops since 2012. On her website http://www.boscodiartemisia.com she offers online courses, private mentoring sessions and hand-made shamanic and magical tools focused on European magical traditions.

What does magical partnership look like?

I was recently asked what its like to work with a magical partner. In this video I share my thoughts and perspectives about working with a magical partner and the lessons I’ve learned along the way as a result of doing this work. I also discuss different types of magical partnerships and share why its important to have a good understanding of what the partnership is and what the purpose of the work is.

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Magical Experiments Podcast: Experimenting with Magical Mechanics with Rich Kiska

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In this episode Rich Kiska and I discuss experimenting with the mechanics of magic. Rich shares her spiritual journey and how she became a magical experimenter and then we discuss space/time magic, pop culture magic, and how to experiment with magic in general.

Rich Kiska offers spiritual services and works with The Emotion Code which involves divination through channeling and muscle response testing; astrology; identification and removal of energetic/spiritual blocks, contracts, curses, and demons, to name a few. Learn more here

How to use magic to get quick results when you need them

When your life gets turned upside down and you have to scramble to get everything in order, knowing how to use magic to get quick results can make all the difference. On my Patreon I have added a new tier where I’ll be teaching a live class and this month’s topic will be on emergency magic. The video I make today gives you a taste of what you’ll get if you choose to become my patron at the live class level.

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Magical Experiments podcast: Magical Group work with Luxa Strata

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I interview Luxa Strata about the magical group work she is doing with the Green Mushroom project. We discuss the importance of group work, especially during the pandemic and how working in a group remotely can still bring you together with people. We also discuss the value of a beginner’s mindset and how this can help you learn more about magic.

To connect with Luxa visit her instagram

Check out the Lux Occult podcast

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Magical Experiments podcast: Experimenting with Ancient Magic

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In this episode Alison Chicosky talk about her magical work with Greek Papyri and pentacles. We discuss how to experiment and reconstruct ancient magical workings as well as how spirits can help with this kind of work.

Visit Practical Occult

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Case Study: Creating the Elemental Balancing Ritual

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I created the Elemental Balancing Ritual in 2004 and I have used it ever since then as a year-long (or more) magical working dedicated to an element that I work with during that year, as a means of both doing internal work and aligning myself with the elemental energy I’m working with. Elements I’ve worked with include earth, fire, and water, but also include emptiness, love, movement, still, and creativity. This year I’m working with the elements of Connection and Truth, which is the first time I’ve worked with two elements, but there’s a reason for it, because of the spirits I’m working with.

My definition of an elemental energy and/or spirit differs from the conventional definition which only recognize 5 elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit in the West and Earth, Water, Wood, Metal, and Fire in the East. I’m not basing my definition of elements solely on a seasonal perspective or from the perspective of what constitutes the Earth in a primal sense of the word. Instead I consider elements to be primal forces that move us and are mediated by us. For emptiness, as an element is something most people grapple with at some point in their lives and it is something that can move a person to take actions to try and fill that emptiness or come to peace with it.

Why magic isn't meant to be prescriptive

I discuss why magic isn’t meant to be prescriptive, but often is treated that way because of how it is written about. I also discuss how to take a more descriptive approach to writing about magic and what the benefits of such can be for people who are learning about magic.

Learn how magic works: https://magical-experiments.teachable.com/p/home

Get free e-books: http://www.magicalexperiments.com/free-books

Become my patron: https://www.patreon.com/TaylorEllwood?fan_landing=true

When should you experiment with magic?

One of the questions that pops up from time to time in my inbox or on social media is the question of when someone should start experimenting with magic. In other words, when can you step off the beaten path and start exploring and experimenting and trying things out that don’t fit within conventional occultism. This is a good question to ask because when you experiment with magic that’s when you begin to really make what you practice your own work.

My answer may surprise many of you, but I didn’t start experimenting with magic until I had practiced magic for two years, and even my initial experiments were very low key. It really wasn’t until I had put in a good five years that I really began to experiment with magic. The reason why is simple: I didn’t know enough about magic to know what questions to ask or what experiments to come up with. The only way I get to the point that I could experiment with magic was to actually read the books, do the exercises in them and pay close attention to the resultant experiences. I also didn’t have teachers to talk with and was self-teaching myself magic, so that too contributed to me simultaneously taking my time, but also asking questions.

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Magical Experiments Podcast: Spirit Relationships with Bill Duvendack

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Bill Duvendack and I discuss how to build relationships with spirits and discuss the commodification of magic and why its important to create the right type of connection with spirits.

To learn more about Bill visit: http://www.418ascendant.com or subscribe to his youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfP7dWvhhyvGo0Aa2PLAnXA

Learn how magic works: https://magical-experiments.teachable.com/p/home

Get free E-books at http://www.magicalexperiments.com/free-books

Become my patron: https://www.patreon.com/TaylorEllwood?fan_landing=true

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Algorithms and magic

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I recently finished reading The Creativity Code by Marcus Du Sautoy (Affiliate link). What really fascinated me about this book was the in depth exploration of algorithms, which essentially are code that is used to predict behavior. A basic example of this can include visiting a website and then later seeing an ad for that site on your Facebook. When you visit a site, if that site has a Facebook pixel, then when you are on Facebook, you get ads from that site because by visiting that site you’ve indicated interest in what is on that site. Amazon employs algorithms on its site for similar purposes, using your behavior to predict what you are likely to buy.

You’re probably wondering what if anything this has to do with magic. Reading that book and learning more about algorithms got me to thinking about how you might design a magical working to be self-improving or to be behavior based, depending on what you or the focus of the magical working did. In general I treat my magical workings like programming code, because I don’t see a magical working as just a strict execution of the working, but rather as an organic, evolving working that can change, depending on the variables that come into play. Applying an algorithmic perspective could take this even further.

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How non-occult books inspire my magical practice

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In today’s video I share how non-occult books inspire my magical practice and explain why non-occult disciplines and practices can help you develop creative approaches to magical work that expand how you understand and practice magic.

Learn how magic works

Get free e-books

Become my patron