Archive for the ‘Grimoire’ Category

This last Friday myself and Lady N were in charge of leading the Lughnasadh ritual for our Hedge Group. Lady N is newer to the Path (and thus doesn’t have mountains of ritual tools) and I am a terrible pack rat, who also just happened to be in possession of the Hedge’s Ritual Toolbox (or box o’ ritual tools and candles and stuff). Therefore, I found myself spending much of the afternoon beforehand going through the Ritual Toolbox, my own collections of items, making a list and checking it twice.

One item was nearly forgotten. This is the red (probably real, but may not be) velvet altar cloth I’ve had in storage for ages. Having been going through a phase these last couple of years I like to call my “The dirt is a great place for setting up my altar and to practice my rituals on because I am a hardcore Hedgewitch phase” my red (probably real, but may not be) velvet altar cloth has been sitting forlornly in storage for some time. I did remember it right before I left on Friday; as I figured this would be a good contribution to the groups’ Ritual Toolbox. I also felt kind of bad for neglecting the poor thing. So on my way out the door I pulled it, still folded, out of its place of storage and stuck it in the Ritual Toolbox.

After promising Brendan various sexual favours if he helped me get everything to the park without breaking, we arrived well before everyone else at the appointed place. I had planned to be there a good hour before the other members so that I could have everything set up and be all grounded and ready for their arrival. I talked Bren into hauling a large stone into the South to act as a hearthstone for my thurnble (thingy you burn stuff in) and then I decided the best thing to do was pull out the altar cloth and lay everything out on it so I could decide what will go where. This was also necessary as the Ritual Toolbox doubles as a Portable Altar, so you have to have everything carefully removed from the Ritual Toolbox and the lid closed before you can set up the Portable Altar.

So, I gently pried open the wicker top of the Ritual Toolbox that doubles as a Portable Altar and unfurled the red (probably real, but may not be) velvet altar cloth. Which was to my horror, covered in DOG HAIR and LINT!!! Oh, the humanity! This is no doubt due to having spent the last couple of years in storage at my mother’s house where she fosters rescue dogs. I can only blame ADD for the reason why it did not occur to me that a red (probably real, but may not be) velvet altar cloth that had been stored in such a way might be covered in lint and dog hair.

All the contents of my purse and bag were then unceremoniously dumped on to the grass as I flailed about hoping beyond hope that I might just maybe have a lint brush or even some duct tape amongst my belongings. But alas, I did not. I tried rubbing the cloth vigorously to remove the offending grey lint and dog hair but to no avail. I shook it out repeatedly as Bren watched on unsympathetic to my plight.

Alas, nothing was going to remove the copious amounts of lint and dog fur covering the red (probably real, but may not be) velvet altar cloth. Especially the lint, which mocked me most cruelly, it said “Ha ha! Fancy yourself capable of handling a Priestess’s duties do you? You fool! Everyone will see how incompetent you really are now!”

I could have simply not used the altar cloth at this point; I could have given it to Brendan to take home with him. But I refused to be defeated by lint and certainly not to sarcastic, mocking lint! “There’s no use for it” I said to Brendan, “I will have to arrange the tools in such a way as to cover the worst of the lint.”

Brendan is a wise man and kept his mouth shut, though he did raise an eyebrow.

So I cleverly placed the lint covered red (probably real, but may not be) velvet altar cloth upon the Ritual Toolbox that doubles as a Portable Altar in such a way that the least-linty area was positioned on the very top. Then I curled the ends under and tucked them against the Portable Altar to hide them.

After strategically arranging the ritual tools upon the lint covered red (probably real, but may not be) velvet altar cloth I then sprinkled dried herbs and flowers all over the damned thing to fill in the space and hide the offending lint. Luckily, the ritual called for large quantities of dried herbs, leaves and flowers and had I brought extra. Taller ritual tools were placed on the ground around the Portable Altar and leaning against it, which also helped to hide the evil lint of death.

With an amused Bren looking on I waved my fist at the Sun, demanding that it sink quickly so as to help hide the evil lint of death from sight.

Just then, I heard voices! The other members of the Hedge were arriving. Would they notice? Would they laugh at me? Mock my ability as a Priestess? Would they ban me forever from the group for daring to bring a lint covered red (probably real, but may not be) velvet altar cloth to ritual?

No!

My cunning ass-covering worked like a charm. Instead the ladies gathered around and actually admired the beauteous creation that was my altar set up. They said things like “You have raised the bar for all of us with this” and they weren’t making snide, sarcastic fun of me either. They meant it!

One of them was so impressed with how lovely and elegant my altar was she took pictures. If you would like to see these pictures you will have to go to the As Within Blog, make nice comments on said blog, and ask Lis politely to make a blog post with the pictures. If you do just enough ass-kissing maybe she might be swayed to do so.

Of course, the lint covered red (probably real, but may not be) velvet altar cloth wound up back in the Ritual Toolbox that doubles as a Portable Altar, which was then handed over to the next person to Priestess a ritual. I really should have snagged the lint covered red (probably real, but may not be) velvet altar cloth and took it home so no one would be the wiser. I can just see her getting home, planning the ritual, opening up the Ritual Toolbox that doubles as a Portable Altar and saying to herself “Why the fuck is this thing covered in lint and dog hair?!”

Forever hiding the flop sweat,

Juniper

I am working on getting the workshop I did on at the Fest called Building a Personal Divination System up on the website and here on the blog. But I have discovered I need photographs to make it make sense. Must have visual aids! I also work weekends! So in the meantime, here are inks to some of the articles I have written on the subject so far and some other links of interest.

Dem Bones and Bits and Sticks and Stones

Collection Casting: Birthday

Collection Casting June 8

Throwing the Bones and Reading Other Natural Curios

Crystals and Tarot cards

STONE DIVINATION

Divination system update

Follow-up Friday

Solstice Thoughts on the Beach

They meet at the appointed place and time

And greet each other warmly with a smile

Up the hill and into the woods they climb

Down winding trails they walk in single file

*

Passing under maple trees, oaks and birches

Entering a hawthorn grove they slowed

Where three paths meet stood three witches

And prepared for a ritual at the crossroad

*

With candles carefully lit they begin the rite

Tentatively they start to drum and chant

Voices raised in celebration well into the night

With gratitude for gifts the gods do grant

*

Then the lights go out and into darkness they gaze

Quietly they call to the spirits and then they lay

The forest turns into a dark and ghostly haze

Witches whisper with delight and watch the fae

*

Prayers are said and magick spoken

But soon its time to pack up and head home

Offerings given as some small token

Three witches always sisters wherever they roam

“The shaman knows that the soul’s urge toward beauty is not about perfect symmetry and mainstream approval. It is not about opening doors in business, or snagging the right mate, or fitting in at the A-list parties. The shaman knows that beauty is about opening doors to joy, snagging the moment, and fitting into your own life. She knows beauty is not something to buy. It is a path, a way of living and being in the world. The only path and the only way, if you want to keep dancing and singing.” ~ Robin Rice

It is perfectly normal to have difficulty learning to enter into trance states and to cross the Hedge. Thanks to certain authors, self help gurus and the like there is a belief that everything should be relatively easy or at least achievable after a couple of tries. The fact of the mater is that training one self to enter into trance states, or altered states of consciousness is not easy for most people. Hedge crossing (being the step you achieve after learning to enter trance states) is even more difficult. It’s supposed to be strenuous. There are reasons why shamanic practitioners are, and always have been, few and far between and are well respected (and a little bit feared) members of their communities.

It takes a minimum of twelve, but better twenty four, repetitions to create a new habit. So if you were to practice entering a trance state via drumming every full moon it could take you at least a year, and maybe two, to just begin to train your mind, body and spirit slip through the Hedge at the sound of your drum. This is just to start the new habit; you then have to follow through in order to maintain it.

Hedge crossing often, if not always, requires pushing past boundaries. Not just the boundaries of your own mind or the boundaries of this world, but the boundaries of what you think you can do. How long can you sit and chant for? How long can you dance? Can you keep drumming even when your arm is sore and hurting from the drumming? Can you perform ritual after three days of fasting?

The other night I performed a night ritual with a friend, introducing her to working with flying ointments. To begin she ate little that day and mostly healthy foods such as avocado, crackers and apple juice. We began the ritual around 9pm, at sundown purifying each other in the river, going through invocations, creating a boundary around our ritual space, and making offerings. Then I performed a short crossing myself seeking any last minute suggestions from my spirits.

Finally as we neared midnight I allowed her to coat herself with the ointment I had prepared. I had her do yoga for about half an hour. Then breathing exercises and swaying combined with chanting. Then I got her to plough the furrow (or Compass Round), dragging her feet and clapping her hands (or slapping her thighs). She did this through a hawthorn grove, being pricked by thorns that lay on the ground. I had her plough the furrow for quite some time, dragging her feet harder and harder, pushing against the tides. When she began to get out of breath … I made her chant out loud. I asked if she was tired and she nodded, so I had her keep going a little longer. Then, when it began to look as though she might rebel against my abuse, I helped her wrap herself up in a blanket against a hawthorn tree and attempt to cross.

She stayed there for about three hours. Her experiences are her own.

(All you people who write me saying you’d love to learn from me still wanna be my apprentice after reading that?)

This is how you cross the Hedge. Hedge riding is hardcore witchcraft and by that I don’t mean “hardcore” as in “cool” I mean it as in “hard right down to the very core”.

Here is a Hedge crossing checklist (in an undetermined order):

* What is your goal? What is it you want to achieve? Why? What is your motivation for crossing and what do you want to gain from it? Until you know what you want to do and why, everything else will not fall into place. Be clear, do your research. Have intent.

* Do you know where you wish to go? Many people report that they want to cross but do not know where they wish to go. They do not know for sure if they want to astral travel within the Middle world, if they wish to journey to the Underworld etc etc

You need to know if you wish to cross within your body, going deep within to converse with spirits and gods and ancestors. Or do you wish to leave your body behind and take your spirit for a flight else where, even if only within the confines of your ritual space?

Until you have a clear idea of where you want your spirit to go, how can it go? This is like walking out your door without knowing where you want to go or how to get there.

“Intent is not a thought, or an object, or a wish. Intent is what can make a man succeed when his thoughts tell him that he is defeated. It operates in spite of the warrior’s indulgence. Intent is what makes him invulnerable. Intent is what sends a shaman through a wall, through space, to infinity.” ~ Carlos Castaneda

* Study and research. It’s a good idea if you are going to cross to the Underworld that you have some idea of what you might find there. It’s easy to get lost while wandering around on the otherside and to find things that are strange, even scary. Study up on ancient and modern cultures mythologies and understandings of what lies beyond the Hedge.

* Find your safe entrance. Creating or finding a safe place that acts as your entrance and exit for crossing can not only help you make that “jump” across but it can also help provide you with a way to get the heck out if things go wrong.

Basing your visualization on something meaningful to you, or something with cultural significance will work better than just trying something from a book as well. Take the time to really build up your visualization, give it character, make it yours long before you even attempt to go through that hobbit door.

Also don’t try a million different entrances. If a cave doesn’t work for you the first two times don’t try a hedge the next time, then a tree the time after that, and then mountain after that. Giving something a fair try means doing more than just three or four times. If something isn’t working try variations before you scrap it entirely.

* Practice, practice, practice. You need to train yourself to slip into altered states and then across the Hedge. Once you’ve been doing it for a while (possibly years) you will find it easier to make that transition and be able to cross, do your thing and come back all under an hour. But even someone who is experienced will struggle at times. If they are out of practice it may take time to get back to where it is less difficult. I don’t think it ever gets “easy” it simply gets less difficult and requires less effort over time.

* Know yourself. Become comfortable with yourself. Face your demons. Love yourself. You do not want to be in a drug induced Journey and then be forced to face an aspect of yourself or your life that you were unprepared for. When walking between the worlds you cannot wear masks, you cannot be in denial of who you are and the things you have done. Break down your inner barriers before you try to break through the barriers of the unseen. Going to therapy now to deal with your issues is better than going to therapy and a shaman later to deal with your issues and the trauma of having to face them in the Underworld.

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” ~ Jalal ad-Din Rumi

* Check your ego at the door. Waltzing out of your body or into the realms of gods, spirits and ancestors full or pride and with your hand out like some spoiled child will get you slapped down. Pretending the gods, spirits and ancestors are not greater or more knowledgeable or are less powerful than you are will not keep your safe from them on the otherside. Folks often like to think the gods (etc) are not bigger and badder than they are because the thought that they might be makes them uncomfortable, prepare to be very uncomfortable. People who say that they are equal to the gods or ancestors obviously haven’t met them in their own territory.

There’s a fantasy novel I adore wherein the main character who has had run ins with the gods before comes across a bunch of pilgrims. One of the pilgrims is going on and on about how she would love to meet the goddess face to face and all the things she would say. The main character thinks to herself “yeah right, if you found yourself in Her presence you’d be face first on the floor pissing yourself”

* If you want to start Hedge crossing on a regular basis I suggest you spend a little time studying things like Shamanic Death before they happen to you unexpectedly.

* Are you really, REALLY, called or do you just want to be a shaman? Do you know what the difference is? I am not saying you should not add shamanic practices to your spiritual path if you are not called to shamanize, but I am suggesting you be honest with yourself about whether you really have been called or not.

* Chant out loud, not just in your head. Repetition is only part of the purpose of chanting, using your voice and your breath is also necessary to make it worth your while. Vibration, breath, voice, repetition, intent, focus, energy and consciousness raising … these are what chanting is about.

* Ritual before a crossing matters, especially when you are first starting out. Think of it this way: First you enter into a ritual mindset, then into an altered state, and then you cross. X, Y, Z. There are good reasons why shamans around the world do certain things a certain way, wearing a specific costume, fasting, drumming, lighting candles, making offerings and so forth. Yes, part of the reason for these things may simply be for show (nothing like the placebo effect to help you along a bit right?) but the main purpose for these ritualistic actions is to prepare the mind, body and soul.

* Stick to it. It’s hard to stick to a single visualization or one chant or one drumming rhythm in a single ritual. But the idea here is to train your self like Pavlov’s dogs. Changing chants and such mid rite is like switching gears in your brain. Experienced practitioners have worked with one rhythm, one herb, one chant or one visualization until they know exactly how it affects them and what it does for them, and then they work with something else for a while, adding to their repertoire. Then they can “switch gears” according to their needs.

* It can take a while to learn what an altered state feels like for you, how to hold on to it and what to do from there. This is why the things listed above are so important.

* Flying ointments are like the usher in a posh theatre. Their purpose is to hold the door for you and help you find your seat. However you still have to buy the tickets, get to the theatre, walk through the door, watch the show and find your way back up the aisle afterwards. They can only do so much for you, they make your work easier but you still have to do the work.

Full on entheogens and hallucinogens, such as a good sized dose of datura, work a little differently than a flying ointment of mugwort or wormwood. These will grab you by the throat, drag you into the theatre, shove you into a seat and you don’t even get to choose what play you watch before being ejected face first out the door at its end.

* Expect it to be unpleasant. Many people give up once they start to feel seasick, dizzy, or uncomfortable. Altered states and Hedge crossing can be disorienting and feel very strange and be rather unpleasant. When working with tools such as ointments, tinctures, and smoke (to name a few) your body may be unhappy. Drumming, swaying, rattling and many meditative postures can give you sore muscles. You’re supposed to puke during a sweat lodge, a Sundance is really quite painful, and most entheogens make you sick and you can get lost wandering around on the otherside and fuck yourself up. Hedge crossing is for the stalwart souls willing to deal with a little discomfort and for those willing to risk going crazy as well.

* What is your goal? What is it you want to achieve? Why? What is your motivation for crossing and what do you want to gain from it? Until you know what you want to do and why, everything else will not fall into place. Be clear, do your research. Have intent. (Yes this is a repeat)

* If at first you don’t succeed try, try again.

* Yes, for some people this all comes naturally. Those folks are rare, don’t be sad if you aren’t one of them.

* Check out these articles and the books they suggest (if any) also read using your brain and critical thinking skills.

http://witchofforestgrove.com/2010/06/18/walking-between-worlds/

http://witchofforestgrove.com/2010/04/14/shapeshifting/

http://www.sacred-texts.com/sha/sis/index.htm

http://www.sacred-texts.com/earth/boe/boe16.htm

http://www.sacred-texts.com/sha/anim/index.htm

http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe03.htm

http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/sce/index.htm

http://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/otherworld.html

http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/wcwe/wcweapp5.htm

http://bitterwitchx.livejournal.com/3982.html

* Check out these books (click here)

“Observe the wonders as they occur around you.

Don’t claim them.

Feel the artistry moving through, and be silent.” ~ Jalal ad-Din Rumi

(And yes I know a Sufi poet and a Shaman are two different things, but you can never have too much Rumi)

Related Post: Risk vs Reward

I went for a lovely walk at a local nature reserve with a friend. We walked half way around the small lake then settled down to sit on the dock, give offerings and watch the geese try to con us out of food.

(Honestly folks don’t feed the wildlife and especially don’t feed them white bread!)

Since its rededication I have been dragging my bag of bits around everywhere with me. Its good to go through a bonding period and it also makes sure I don’t fall into a bad habit of just leaving it to collect dust on a book shelf.

After some pleasant conversation and giving the lake a couple of small pieces of rose quartz I decided to bring out my bag. Mostly just on a whim (it felt right) and partly because I’m always looking for an excuse to cast. We got the cloth directionally aligned and laying flat and as I pulled the collection out of the bag I said “Let’s see what the spirits of this place have to say”. Then without much pomp and circumstance (I did tell the bits to not fall off the dock) I cast them.

It was obvious right away this casting was not intended for me. Firstly there are certain motifs that always come up when the spirits are talking to me, about me, through the collection. Sort of like how when working with tarot, the same cards will often show up for the same person again and again. These did not show up in this casting at all. The second indication was the bright eyed interest of my friend.

When doing a reading I will try not to ask leading questions, such as “I see the romance/love stone is in the west, how is your love life right now?” I feel rather like this is cheating. I also don’t like to pry. If there is information that I need or that the client is willing to share, they will usually offer it to me without prompting.

My job is not to tell people what to do or how to do it. Nor is my job to tell people what is going on in their lives or impress them with my special knowledge or any such silliness, my job in not even to tell their fortune. The gods/spirits/ancestors use the collection to communicate, it my job to translate, to facilitate a dialogue between the client and the spirits. That is all.

I will ask the client if there are certain groupings or pieces that have a stronger draw or that feel more significant to them. I will also ask if they feel that any pieces or grouping are connected to each other.

I also encourage the client to tell me their own impressions of the casting. What a grouping might mean to them. I will give them a brief description of the meaning behind the pieces and a general idea of what a combination of pieces might mean and allow them to come to some of their own conclusions, should they have any. Allowing the client’s thoughts and feelings help to direct the reading can be very helpful. Many of the pieces are self explanatory and people will often know what their meaning is without needing me to tell them. A key means more or less the same thing to everyone, as does a wedding ring, a coin or a turtle.

I don’t allow them to do the actual casting as I find it requires a certain amount of practice to cast a collection that contains pieces of varying shapes and sizes properly. It is much easier to cast lots or stones that are roughly the same shape and size.

I do not actively encourage the client to touch the bits, but I do allow it. I watch carefully which pieces in collection the client seems most drawn to touch, poke, shift and pick up. This can give me additional information that will help me with the reading.

My friend touched a few pieces, especially the grouping in the southwest and the centre grouping with the rabbit bone. The pieces she touched the most were the acorn, the thorn stick, the key and the rabbit bone. The antique ring is the only piece she actually picked up to examine.

Turtle facing away from centre but looking towards amethyst means “Hurry up towards spirituality/religion”. This is in the north and therefore in the physical realm, the here and now, the mud between your toes reality. But it is also at the edge of the circle, meaning that this is not something totally vital, or something at the edge or just outside.

The Goddess Charm is combined with the Stone with a Silver Stripe in north. This says something like “women/goddess will bring the light at the end of the tunnel/be the silver lining in a dark cloud” that this is in the north tells me that this is something very real that will affect my friends life not just some esoteric mystical hocus pocus.

In this reading my friend felt that the pieces in the west were connected strongly with the grouping that bordered the west and south. We both agreed that the whole of the groupings in the centre were strongly connected to each other and possibly also associated with the other pieces and groupings in the west and southwest.

The whole clump of objects in the centre reads something along the lines of “Commitment of resources (both emotional, physical and material) is at the foundation of your otherworld journey to find what you seek. The ancestors, heritage and tradition along with arts and crafts (and possibly commitment to a certain Witch and Stitch group) are what lie below and at the very heart of the matter. Journey with/to find the goddess/feminine can be dangerous and you must be cautious, however doing so will lead you to the male deity that you seek. This male deity is associated with magick, witchcraft, the otherworlds/shamanism and nature. (My friend took a look at that grouping and decided it was probably Odin and I had to agree. Another possibility would be the Horned One) Searching for your animal totems and familiar spirits is what surrounds the matter and will bring you spiritual/magickal purification/clarity.”

(This all seems reinforced by the Goddess Charm and Stone paring previously mentioned)

The objects in the west and southwest point towards the objects in the centre, this is what they say:

“That which fuels you emotionally, as well a romance, is either causing a blockage or causing you to create a protective blockage. Once this protective blockage is removed it will lead you to unlocking a change that will be like a bolt out of the blue, a flash of insight and inspiration that leads to all the things spoken of by the pieces in the centre.”

Exactly how my friend goes about removing this blockage is up to her. Will she be open to these emotions and the romance she is blocking/protecting herself from, or will she remove the person involved so that she doesn’t have to protect or block? Only she knows what its best for her. I find with these readings people usually know what needs to be done, they just need that validation or the kick in the ass to make it happen.

Another thing worth noting is the Jingle Bell and the Bloodstone together in east. Perhaps this means something like “Intellectual creativity and artistic pursuits can lead to a connection with the land”

Also in the east is the Tooth of Communication: “Communicating intellectually” or “Intelligent communication” or “Talking about it is smart” possibly associated with this is the Tiger Eye in the north: “Think about the land”, “Study the Earth” or “Learn about what is physical”

Well, that’s it!

EDITED TO ADD: Check out Emma’s updates on building her own system! I don’t have a livejournal account so I can’t post comments but I thought I’d send you her way.

There are two methods I use for casting my collection: formal and informal.

The formal method means going through a whole ritual process. This is done for more important readings and when I juts plain old have more time.

The basics of this involve all the usual suspects such as lighting a candle and incense, meditating for a while before hand and all that good stuff.

Usually a spirit house or two will be brought out, such as one of my decorative skulls for the ancestors, a fetish or figurine for familiar spirits, a deity idol and so forth. Full invocations are spoken, along with knocking on the ground before me to call them.

The area around me is blessed. This is not a Circle casting or even any kind of making sacred space. It is recognition of the inherent specialness of wherever I’m at, as well as giving a blessing and some love to the genus loci and to the area around me. This involves saying a few words, kissing my hand and then placing that kiss in the different directions around me; before me, to the right, behind me, to the left, above and then below.

*

The informal method involves a quick meditation, knocking once to call my spirits and giving the spirit house (quartz skull bead) that hangs on my bag a kiss.

*

I should mention I always cast while sitting on the ground and place my casting cloth on the ground. This is a common thread I’ve noticed in my studies of aboriginal bone (and bits) casters, especially in Africa. I think it is partly an energetic thing, partly a traditional thing and party practical; its sucks to have things fall off a table and roll away under your chair.

My casting cloth is laid out according to the directions, so the area that represent north points north (of course). I usually try to sit at the south and face north but sometime space is limited and it doesn’t always work out that way. Being from the Northern hemisphere and a northern country north means up and south means down!

I run my fingers through the collection in the bag and gently “wake them up” then gather them in one hand. Normally I use all the pieces in the collection but sometimes only a few are chosen, especially if I am seeking something more along the lines of “yes” or “no” answers.

With the bag empty I set it between my knees and make sure the skull bead is sitting facing the proceedings.

I then hold the collection in both hands up to my lips and whisper to them. Then I shake them up a bit in my hands.

I hold them over the centre of the cloth, trying to choose just the right height. Too low and they don’t cast well landing in one large lump, too high and they scatter all over the place.

I close my eyes, take a few deep breaths and “listen” … when the time is just right I drop them on to the cloth.

The first thing I do is take a look at the over all spread as a whole. Then I take note of anything that has decided to lay outside the casting cloth. Then I look at groupings, pairings and singles. Working from the south to west to north to east but sometimes going by which quarter has the most or least bits in it. I also work from the outside in and the centre out. Then having all the details, I take a “step back” and look at the whole picture.

*

A LOT depends upon context!!!

The closer to the centre a bits is the more immediate and important it is.

Things outside the cloth or the main circle are either not involved, on the way out, or on the way in.

Items in the North represent things in the physical realm, the body, health, solidarity, that which changes slowly, the Earth and the Land.

Items in the East represent things that are on the mind and in thoughts, things that must be thought about, things that are related to study and learning, the intellect, sudden or quick change that maybe unpredictable, Sky and Air.

Items in the South represent passions, that which fuels us/the situation, driving forces, temper, lust, sexuality, infatuation, the love of new change that burns bright and then wanes, the Sun and Fire.

Items in the West represent emotions, feeling, undercurrents, going with the flow, may mean stormy seas or clear sailing or the transition from one to the other, gradual change, The Moon and Water.

Items in the Centre are the heart of the matter, the foundation upon which everything else stands or is built upon, the most important issues and influences, the very core of the issue/answer/the client.

The direction things are “pointing” matters.

Each object in the bag has its own story and correspondences based on how I found the piece, what it is, its colour, where it came from, magickal meanings, folk lore, and what it means to me.

*

Here is a sketch and a photograph of the casting I did for my recent birthday. I find drawing the casting helps me remember it, helps me to slowly work through the reading and the drawings looks nice in my Book. It also means I can go back and review previous castings and if I lack time to properly read a casting I can go back to it to a certain extent. I don’t always draw them but often I do. Click on the sketch for full size.

I won’t give you the full reading, they can be lengthy and this one is somewhat personal, but I will tell a little bit about it. You can assume that each part of the reading has more to it than I’m telling you *wink*

For this casting I sat in the west facing east due to the layout of my living room and not wanting to move furniture.

I’m a little concerned that there’s nothing in the south. No passion? No sex? No fires to fuel me? That’s rather odd for a woman often referred to as a firebrand!

Acorn and Clear Quartz moved well outside the cloth, in fact Acorn tried to roll away even further and I had to catch it. Hmmmmmmmmm … why is masculine virility and clarity trying to run away from me?

Jingle Bell and Tiger Eye are on the cloth but outside the circle. Both seem to be moving away from East and South and heading off of the cloth. Creativity and education are leaving intellect and passion behind and heading out the door! Yikes!

Crystal Turtle and Herbivore Tooth are paired together and are just outside the circle, at the border of south and west. They are facing towards south. Perhaps I need to stop and think before I speak and step outside of my emotions and the look upon things with dispassion. Slow down my passionate and emotional speech.

Ivy and Bloodstone are hanging out together just outside east. Even Bren noticed how from my vantage point, the two combined looked rather like a horned god symbol. Also interesting to note that the (green) Bloodstone is used to symbolize such things as blood, circulation, Earth, physicality, the body, dirt/soil, Mother Earth, the land, land/earth deities and spirits. While Ivy is spiral path, as without so within, as within so without, encompassing, surrounding, support. Ah look … they made a shape that is a symbol for my patron and even made a metaphor for our relationship, and there He sits at the “top” of the casting, in Air/Intellect, watching the proceedings.

The Goddess charm hangs out reversed and alone in the west but looking towards the centre. Another metaphor for my relationship with goddesses, or maybe just saying I won’t become a momma this year?

Also alone and reversed is the sea shell. Resting in the east but moving towards south. I know that my connection with water is changing and as I am now in the city, I am more passionate about my connection with water. Ottawa has many water courses running through it, most of its green spaces border these waters and I find my strongest connection with the Land in these bodies of water here. I need to learn more about these waters.

The Coin with a Hole in it rests in the west near the centre and the Coin (with no hole) borders north and east and also rests near the centre but closer to the centre than the Holed Coin. Ah, so concerns about the lack of funds shall be in my emotional future (big surprise there), but there should be enough to get by (and maybe a little more than that).

Antique Ring and Black Stone with Silver Stripe are paired at the edge of south and west. Somehow I take this to mean this old city (Ottawa) and how I will grow to love it.

The Petrified Wood, Deer Fur and the Matches are hanging out together along the border of north and west. Perhaps it’s telling me that working with animals has some emotional and real risk right now? Troubling since working with animals (both with animals in this world and with spirit animals) is a very important part of my practice, even a part of my identity.

There’s two large grouping in the north, which are partially connected to each other. They speak to me of working with arts and crafts and of practical magick, they speak to me of the kind of magick Hawthorn symbolizes, unlocking mysteries, Lunar and feminine magick, goddesses, purification, witchcraft, seeking and hunting. And they all group together in the north, in the physical realm, the “real world”, the actual, the down to earth, toes in the mud realm. I find myself thinking of not just my own usual practice of hedge and hearth witcheries but also of friends I am making and groups I am coming into contact with or am now a part of.

Looking at the two groupings in the east, Brendan said to me that I will finish my book this year. I had to agree it certainly looks that way. Here in the realm of knowledge, education, intellect and Air I find the silver branch, spirituality, protection, the world tree, change, commitment, what lies at the heart of the matter and within my own heart, journeys and love. I also find myself thinking of a (university Master’s Level) class in ritual I will be taking this year, put on by an Elder I know from back home, something I expect to be difficult yet very rewarding

Whew! Well folks it’s two in the morning and I need to head off to bed, so I’m stopping here.

Cheers!