On-going experiments with magical tools

A lot of my magical work, of late, has involved the use of magical tools. In the past, I’ve gone through periods of time where I’ve been very minimalistic in my use of magic tools, but as with anything else, I find it useful to change up my routines, especially if there is justification in making the switch. Over the course of the last year I’ve been working with alchemical substances and pentacles and I thought I’d share an update focused on around how I’m using these tools and how that usage is evolving because of the work I’m doing.

The power of what you say and write

I recently finished reading The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie (affiliate link) and one of the things that intrigued me about the book was the author’s focus on the power of words. In the book, the gods have to be careful what words they speak, because if they speak something and it’s not true, it drains away their power, because their power is trying to make it true. Whereas if they speak the truth, then the words channel their power and makes what they say real.

It’s an interesting rule for that world, but it made me think about the power of what we say and write. My next non-fiction project is The Magic of Writing, which explores how writing can be used as a magical tool, but also explores the power of the word in general. One of the ways I have explored the power of the word is through how what is written or said does have an effect on one’s life.

Elemental Balancing Ritual Creativity Month 16

1-22-2020 Tonight I connected with Ratziel/Chockmah/Neptune. I know Neptune isn’t traditionally associated with Chockmah, but I actually think it makes a lot of sense, when you consider that Chockmah is both wisdom and pressure. Chockmah fine tunes everything and when I consider that seat salt is the alchemical substance associated with Chockmah as well as my previous experiences with the planetary energy of Neptune, it seems to make a lot of sense. Ironically, William G. Gray doesn’t set a lot of store by associating Neptune with Chockmah, though he notes its done by modern day quabalists. The irony is that his own explanation of Chockmah and Ratziel completely supports the connection, but it makes me wonder if ever worked with the planetary energy of Neptune.

Ratziel also showed up and what was interesting is that she made it a point to show me how Chockmah and Binah connect and work together. I felt suspended between the saturnic energy of Binah and the Neptunic energy of Chockmah and I felt how that balance played off each other and strengthened each other. It also gave me ideas about where to take this work next. Feeling balanced between both forces made me realize how essential this work is because in finding this balance, I’m also creating opportunities to deepen my connections with the powers and work with the more holistically. There’s a lot more to share, but I’ll do it once I’ve had more time to process the experience and research I’m doing for this month.

Book Reviews February 2020

Book Review: Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli (Affiliate Link)

This is a short book, but the author does an excellent job of explaining modern physics with these seven lessons, in clear, understandable language that anyone can appreciate. I came away from reading this book with a better understanding of physics, which in turn helps me appreciate the universe.

Book Review: Effortless Living by Jason Gregory (Affiliate link)

This was a rather intriguing book to read and contemplate as it discusses at some length the practice of wu-wei. I struggled with this book at times, because I see how much my own narrative of control has stopped me from gracefully being in the moment and not doing. Yet reading this book opened my awareness further around not doing and it is something I will come back to again and again, because it is worth doing, and worth letting go.

Wealth magic experiments update

At my day job, I won a superstar trophy for lead generation recently. This trophy is hand out every two weeks to the person who has most improved their lead generation in a two week period of time and I had increased my lead generation by over 7% which is a bit of a jump compared to before. I’ve pretty much always maintained a steady quota of leads at my job, but in recent months I’ve been doing some experimenting with wealth magic, in conjunction with some sales and marketing skills that I’m continuing to improve on, and this trophy was a byproduct of that work.

The wealth magic work has involved using magnetism and gravity as elements for attracting greater wealth. Below is a picture of the latest iteration of my wealth magnet generator (now with stars and moons!). I also use the pentacle of Jupiter in conjunction with the generator, to charge and amplify the generator’s work.

My experience with Dao-Yin exercises and how I learn new movements

I’m currently practicing Dao Yin exercises that I’m learning from reading The Four Dragons by Damo Mitchell (affiliate link). As with any new practice that involves the manipulation of one’s chi, I find that its really useful to learn a practice in stages, and course correct as needed based on the experiences you’re having with the practice. In the case of learning the Dao Yin practices, the one I’m currently practicing and learning are four basic exercises that are designed to help you purge pathogenic chi, through the movements.

Endarkenment Ponderings and Experiences

I decided to take a class taught by Anastacia Nutt, called Endarkenment, which explores the process of settling into the rhythms of winter, among other things. I thought I would share here my notes and observations. I’ve purposely kept this post separate from the elemental balancing work, because it is its own thing and I want to honor it as such.

12-16-2019 I got sick a couple days before the endarkenment class started and on the day before, I lay in my bed, in the dark, feverish and afraid of the dark and yet opening myself to it nonetheless and letting it fill me. It felt a lot like stillness, like a sense of timeless infinity that poured through the entirety of my being and reminded me of how small I am and yet how intricately woven I am into this thread of life.

How to improve your communication with your body

My work with inner alchemy focuses on the health of the body, and learning how to communicate with your body better than you already do. I’m always in search of additional techniques and skills that can facilitate this process, because I find that, in general, most people have a hard time connecting with their bodies. Right now, I’m reading Pain Free by Pete Egoscue (affiliate link), which is a fascinating book that explores the structure of the body and how the body uses pain to communicate that something is wrong with the structure.

For example, when you feel pain in your foot or your hips or back, its not simply a matter of feeling pain there, but also an indication that the way your body is moving may not be quite right and that you may have muscles compensating for other muscles that aren’t being worked properly. Egoscue’s solution is elegant in that he doesn’t just provide some exercises, but really explores the underlying principles that inform how the body moves and how its intended to carry a person through the day.

Elemental Balancing Ritual Creativity Month 15

12-24-2019 Tonight as I mediated this energy, I was reminded how important it is to observe and be aware of my passions, without letting them take over. Saturn’s appropriate for that because of the boundaries and limitations. Here is where power is given away for form, where potential turns into reality.

12-26-2019 I’m finding myself experiencing a curious sense of stillness and quiet…a healthy sense of it and an awareness of the value of turning inward and focusing on rest and rejuvenation. At the same time I find myself focusing even further on the essential and what really matters. Sometimes we must necessarily get rid of the clamor of the world to discover what really matters.

How I worked with 3 spirits to help me get back to health

3 weeks ago I got sick with a fever and although I broke that fever, shortly after I came down with a cold. I normally recover from sickness fast, because I have a specific regime of activities I do which include Dragon and Tiger Medical Qi Gong, as well as Reiki, and mundane resources such as medicine, and expelling everything that needs to get out. But this time around, perhaps because I’m in peak season at work, nothing was really working, or rather it was mitigating the symptoms, but not resolving the illness. On Wednesday night of last week I decided it was time to draw upon some additional help.

I first started by invoking the Daemons Verrier and Verrine. I first learned about these spirits from S. Connolly’s The complete book of demonolatry (affiliate link), and I’ve worked with them a few times, for health magic, both in regards to myself and other people. I asked them if they could help me get to the source of the illness and heal and expunge it from my body and they agreed. Shortly after I started coughing a lot more, but this was good because it allowed me to clear out the infectious mucus that had been stuck in my respiratory system.