To parallel my Eight Great Podcasts on my other blog, I thought I'd do a specialised version for spiritual podcasts. As with my other selection, there are so many out there that it's hard to choose, and just because a podcast isn't on this list, doesn't mean that it doesn't deserve to be here!
* Rune Soup
Rune Soup, the blog, podcast and community, is the brainchild of Australian Gordon White. Known for chaos magick, he also covers the topics of animism, permaculture and much more. I always come away feeling like I've had a brain upgrade.
Website
* The Fat Feminist Witch
Paige has a friendly and personal style, whether it's interviewing one of her guests, or doing a solo show. Her book reviews are always insightful, and she's not afraid to cover topics that others might think are fluffy as well as the hard-hitting ones.
Website
* Medicine Stories
Medicine Stories focuses mainly on herbalism but also covers a diverse range of topics from indigenous spirituality to death rituals. I always feel peaceful and in touch with my own spirituality after listening.
Website
* The Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Rootwork Hour
A chatty radio show with interesting stories and guests. Every episode features questions from callers, which the hosts do their best to answer. I've found out about other practitioners from the show, such as Madame Pamita (who I might feature in a future episode on YouTubers!).
Website
* Witches & Wine
Chaweon interviews interesting people from all sorts of occult circles. She's not afraid to ask the hard questions and dig deep to get the most insights possible. This is an audio-visual podcast on YouTube.
YouTube
* Circle of Salt
Circle of Salt is hosted by two friends, Felix and Rune, who love to dish salt out on whatever and whoever they feel like. Tarot, magickal nerds and TV shows are all fair game.
Website
* Witch Wave
Each episode, Pam interviews an occult figure about witchcraft, often with a bent towards art and creativity. I always feel inspired to work on my art afterwards.
Website
* Hippie Witch
To be honest, I only heard about this podcast a few days ago, and I've only listened to one episode. But Joanna Devoe's enthusiasm and positivity was so engaging that I added her podcast to the list!
Website
Saturday, 30 March 2019
Friday, 1 March 2019
Grey School Summary :: February 2019
The first half of this month, I was 'between jobs' (I'm a contract worker so that's normal for me). I had plenty of time but little motivation to study. Well, to be honest, I watched a lot of educational/spiritual Youtube videos, but I didn't do much written study. Then I was offered a job, and suddenly I became very enthusiastic about studying again! When I had all the time in the world, I didn't feel like studying, but as soon as that was taken away, my motivation returned. Does everyone's brain work that way, or is it just me?
I have almost finished my last mandatory class, Core Energy Practices 102, so I thought I'd earned the right to sign up for another subject-specific class. I chose Herb Use & Safety. I love working with herbs, and this class is a pre-requisite for many other herbal-themed classes, so I wanted to do it early. I also decided to sign up for Colours of Magick. I wasn't going to do it, but the class focuses on the different courses of study at the Grey School of Wizardry, and I'd been having trouble deciding which course to go with, so perhaps it might give me some insight.
The other good news is that my new work is in the same building as a library. It's a specialist library that only covers certain subjects, but I've been able to find some books that will help me with my studies.
Classes In Progress:
✷ Core Energy Practices 102
✷ Wizards Don't Whine
✷ Colours of Magick (new)
✷ Herb Use & Safety (new)
Assignments in Progress:
✷ Final Essay (Core Energy Practices 102)
✷ Manifestation Painting (Wizards Don't Whine)
✷ Personal Learning Style and Interests (Colours of Magick)
✷ Herbs in Everyday Life (Herb Use & Safety)
Classes Completed:
✷ Basic Divination
Assignments Completed:
✷ The Power of Words (Wizards Don't Whine)
✷ Meditation (Core Energy Practices 102)
✷ Exploring Basic Oracles (Basic Divination)
Credits:
✷ This month: 1 Total: 9
(24 credits are required to finish Level 1)
I have almost finished my last mandatory class, Core Energy Practices 102, so I thought I'd earned the right to sign up for another subject-specific class. I chose Herb Use & Safety. I love working with herbs, and this class is a pre-requisite for many other herbal-themed classes, so I wanted to do it early. I also decided to sign up for Colours of Magick. I wasn't going to do it, but the class focuses on the different courses of study at the Grey School of Wizardry, and I'd been having trouble deciding which course to go with, so perhaps it might give me some insight.
The other good news is that my new work is in the same building as a library. It's a specialist library that only covers certain subjects, but I've been able to find some books that will help me with my studies.
Classes In Progress:
✷ Core Energy Practices 102
✷ Wizards Don't Whine
✷ Colours of Magick (new)
✷ Herb Use & Safety (new)
Assignments in Progress:
✷ Final Essay (Core Energy Practices 102)
✷ Manifestation Painting (Wizards Don't Whine)
✷ Personal Learning Style and Interests (Colours of Magick)
✷ Herbs in Everyday Life (Herb Use & Safety)
Classes Completed:
✷ Basic Divination
Assignments Completed:
✷ The Power of Words (Wizards Don't Whine)
✷ Meditation (Core Energy Practices 102)
✷ Exploring Basic Oracles (Basic Divination)
Credits:
✷ This month: 1 Total: 9
(24 credits are required to finish Level 1)
Wednesday, 13 February 2019
Making My First Magickal Oil
Yesterday I made my first magickal oil. Oils have many names, depending on tradition: anointing oil, dressing oil, holy oil, condition oil, hoodoo oil or conjure oil. The oil I made was based on the Hoodoo tradition, and they have various names in that tradition alone. Spiritual oil is a good general name that doesn't tie the oil to any one tradition or religion.
My oil is made from things I had around the house -- essential oils and herbs from my stash. It's inspired by some Van Van Oil recipes I found online. Van Van Oil is a great oil for general success and luck, and is also worn as a perfume. It has a fresh, citrusy, grassy scent, and often contains vervain or lemongrass.
Please note this is not an officially recognised Van Van Oil recipe!
I have never used it before and cannot vouch for its effectiveness!
I mixed the oil in a small jar, which I'd purchased from a metaphysical shop and had previously contained herbs. I added the essential oils first:
* lemongrass, approx. 9 drops
* ginger, approx. 8 drops
* patchouli, 1-2 drops
* bergamot, 1-2 drops
Then I added the herbs:
* Melissa (Lemon Balm), approx. 1/4 teaspoon
* Poke Root, as above
* Bee Pollen, approx. 7 grains
* Pink Salt, a pinch
I didn't measure anything out precisely as I wasn't following any particular recipe. I tried to choose oils/herbs that have a fresh and citrus note. One source said that some Van Van Oil recipes have patchouli as that adds an earthy note, and I had some, so I added it. I have no idea whether it will smell good or terrible! I added Poke Root as it's good for protection and luck, bee pollen as its golden colour made me think of success, and pink salt as it was the only kind of salt I have, plus the pink colour added a warm and friendly aspect.
I then filled the jar with good quality olive oil. I was going to use standard olive oil from the supermarket, but then I found an extra virgin oil from a small company at the back of the cupboard, which we'd purchased while on holiday. I'd completely forgotten about it. I feel it must be a sign. There's enough to make perhaps 4 more oil blends.
I placed the jar on my kitchen windowsill to infuse. I will shake it every day (multiple times if I remember!) and open it in a month's time. The moon is waxing right now and it will be again then, so it seems appropriate. I'll report back then!
Sources:
http://doctorhawk.blogspot.com/2014/10/free-hoodoo-formulas.html
https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/eight-famous-magickal-oils-and-how-to-use-them
My oil is made from things I had around the house -- essential oils and herbs from my stash. It's inspired by some Van Van Oil recipes I found online. Van Van Oil is a great oil for general success and luck, and is also worn as a perfume. It has a fresh, citrusy, grassy scent, and often contains vervain or lemongrass.
I have never used it before and cannot vouch for its effectiveness!
I mixed the oil in a small jar, which I'd purchased from a metaphysical shop and had previously contained herbs. I added the essential oils first:
* lemongrass, approx. 9 drops
* ginger, approx. 8 drops
* patchouli, 1-2 drops
* bergamot, 1-2 drops
Then I added the herbs:
* Melissa (Lemon Balm), approx. 1/4 teaspoon
* Poke Root, as above
* Bee Pollen, approx. 7 grains
* Pink Salt, a pinch
I didn't measure anything out precisely as I wasn't following any particular recipe. I tried to choose oils/herbs that have a fresh and citrus note. One source said that some Van Van Oil recipes have patchouli as that adds an earthy note, and I had some, so I added it. I have no idea whether it will smell good or terrible! I added Poke Root as it's good for protection and luck, bee pollen as its golden colour made me think of success, and pink salt as it was the only kind of salt I have, plus the pink colour added a warm and friendly aspect.
I then filled the jar with good quality olive oil. I was going to use standard olive oil from the supermarket, but then I found an extra virgin oil from a small company at the back of the cupboard, which we'd purchased while on holiday. I'd completely forgotten about it. I feel it must be a sign. There's enough to make perhaps 4 more oil blends.
I placed the jar on my kitchen windowsill to infuse. I will shake it every day (multiple times if I remember!) and open it in a month's time. The moon is waxing right now and it will be again then, so it seems appropriate. I'll report back then!
Sources:
http://doctorhawk.blogspot.com/2014/10/free-hoodoo-formulas.html
https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/eight-famous-magickal-oils-and-how-to-use-them
Saturday, 26 January 2019
Magic is "Getting Something for Nothing" - My Thoughts
Recently I was listening to a podcast and one of the guests mentioned that some people disapprove of magic because they think it's "getting something for nothing." I apologise that I can't recall now which podcast it was. The guest didn't quote a particular source so perhaps it doesn't matter anyway.
When I heard that some people have this opinion, I was taken aback. Magic is certainly not "getting something for nothing," not in my experience or the experience of people I've observed who practice magic.
Magic takes a lot of time, effort and in many cases money, to practice. Let's start with money. Of course, you don't need to spend a lot of money on performing a spell or other magickal work, but for many people, having the right tools is essential to put them in the right frame of mind, and this may mean purchasing rare or antique tools or ingredients. Knowledge is even more valuable. My library of books is quite small -- only two bookshelves' worth so far -- but I've heard of people who own thousands of books, which is quite an investment. Then there's the online courses and workshops one can take to increase their knowledge. For those who interact with deity or other kinds of spirit being, there's the cost of procuring and preparing offerings. In several cases, I've even heard of people who've purchased a property due to it's suitability for performing magick at.
As for time, I've done spells that lasted 3, 5 and even 9 days. It takes commitment to get up every morning and spend up to an hour or more working an enchantment, setting up an altar, or worshipping beings. It takes time to track down the correct ingredients for a spell or find just the right tool for the job. The research required to follow a spell or ritual correctly can take days, weeks or even months. Magickal practitioners who follow the planetary hours may find it necessary to get up at any hour during the night to perform rites, or clear their schedules if a particular hour during the day is called for. Those who practice in groups need to spend time and effort in organising all of the logistics that come with that.
All of the above activities require effort, but there's also the effort and intention put into making handmade items, tools or offerings. Most people agree that magick involves energy, and the practitioner's personal energy is essential for magick to work. Expending energy is draining. Organising group activities requires effort, as does the study required to do magick effectively. The Grey School of Wizardry, for example, is a seven-year undertaking, requiring hundreds of hours of study and practical activities.
So, for those who claim that magick is "getting something for nothing," I beg to differ!
When I heard that some people have this opinion, I was taken aback. Magic is certainly not "getting something for nothing," not in my experience or the experience of people I've observed who practice magic.
Magic takes a lot of time, effort and in many cases money, to practice. Let's start with money. Of course, you don't need to spend a lot of money on performing a spell or other magickal work, but for many people, having the right tools is essential to put them in the right frame of mind, and this may mean purchasing rare or antique tools or ingredients. Knowledge is even more valuable. My library of books is quite small -- only two bookshelves' worth so far -- but I've heard of people who own thousands of books, which is quite an investment. Then there's the online courses and workshops one can take to increase their knowledge. For those who interact with deity or other kinds of spirit being, there's the cost of procuring and preparing offerings. In several cases, I've even heard of people who've purchased a property due to it's suitability for performing magick at.
As for time, I've done spells that lasted 3, 5 and even 9 days. It takes commitment to get up every morning and spend up to an hour or more working an enchantment, setting up an altar, or worshipping beings. It takes time to track down the correct ingredients for a spell or find just the right tool for the job. The research required to follow a spell or ritual correctly can take days, weeks or even months. Magickal practitioners who follow the planetary hours may find it necessary to get up at any hour during the night to perform rites, or clear their schedules if a particular hour during the day is called for. Those who practice in groups need to spend time and effort in organising all of the logistics that come with that.
All of the above activities require effort, but there's also the effort and intention put into making handmade items, tools or offerings. Most people agree that magick involves energy, and the practitioner's personal energy is essential for magick to work. Expending energy is draining. Organising group activities requires effort, as does the study required to do magick effectively. The Grey School of Wizardry, for example, is a seven-year undertaking, requiring hundreds of hours of study and practical activities.
So, for those who claim that magick is "getting something for nothing," I beg to differ!
Monday, 21 January 2019
Plans for 2019
First of all, happy new year!
I didn't make any new years' resolutions/goals this year (a break from a long personal tradition of mine). I wanted to try something different. Deep down inside though, I still have that urge to change, to be better than I was last year. To learn more, study harder, do more. But also to relax more, worry less, have more fun. Sometimes it seems impossible to do all of these things at once!
On my other blog, I talked about how, instead of setting goals for the year, I'm trying a different system. Instead, I have a cycle runs for 6 months, from equinox to equinox. The idea came to me after experiencing the semester system at the Grey School. The seasons are important to me, and there are many activities I only do in Summer or Winter, so I thought, why not try setting up my plans and goals around the seasons?
I divided up all the activities of my life (both fun/voluntary and obligations) into seven categories. Spirituality is a whole category to itself. At first I was surprised at myself for this, but instinctively I must have realised that my spirituality is a very important part of my life, and it deserves its own category!
For this cycle (which is already more than half over!), my spiritual goals are:
★ finish 2 classes at Grey School of Wizardry (1/2)
★ continue Rune studies
★ work 3 magicks (2/3)
★ do divination 4 times (2/4)
★ meditate 10 times (1/10)
★ Spring/Summer altar refresh (done)
Most of these goals are underway: I've already refreshed my altar, which I posted about here. I've also pledged to blog more, both here and my other blog. I'd like to write more about what I'm learning. I'd also like to do write-ups of spells I've done, but I don't like to do that until after the effects have become known, which can take several months. Look out for them in future.
Until then, a teaser:
I didn't make any new years' resolutions/goals this year (a break from a long personal tradition of mine). I wanted to try something different. Deep down inside though, I still have that urge to change, to be better than I was last year. To learn more, study harder, do more. But also to relax more, worry less, have more fun. Sometimes it seems impossible to do all of these things at once!
On my other blog, I talked about how, instead of setting goals for the year, I'm trying a different system. Instead, I have a cycle runs for 6 months, from equinox to equinox. The idea came to me after experiencing the semester system at the Grey School. The seasons are important to me, and there are many activities I only do in Summer or Winter, so I thought, why not try setting up my plans and goals around the seasons?
I divided up all the activities of my life (both fun/voluntary and obligations) into seven categories. Spirituality is a whole category to itself. At first I was surprised at myself for this, but instinctively I must have realised that my spirituality is a very important part of my life, and it deserves its own category!
For this cycle (which is already more than half over!), my spiritual goals are:
★ finish 2 classes at Grey School of Wizardry (1/2)
★ continue Rune studies
★ work 3 magicks (2/3)
★ do divination 4 times (2/4)
★ meditate 10 times (1/10)
★ Spring/Summer altar refresh (done)
Most of these goals are underway: I've already refreshed my altar, which I posted about here. I've also pledged to blog more, both here and my other blog. I'd like to write more about what I'm learning. I'd also like to do write-ups of spells I've done, but I don't like to do that until after the effects have become known, which can take several months. Look out for them in future.
Until then, a teaser:
Tuesday, 6 November 2018
Fake Oracle Decks and a Message from Beyond!
I recently bought two oracle decks, and when they arrived, I realised they were fake. I bought them from Wish for about half the price I would normally expect to pay for an oracle deck. I should have known there wasn't something right about it, but I bought them anyway. It's something I'm not proud of, but I want to share my experience and hopefully it won't happen to others.
When the decks arrived, the first thing that alerted me that something was wrong was their size. They seemed to be no bigger than normal playing cards. While this isn't particularly unusual for oracle cards, I wanted to investigate.
According to Aeclectic Tarot, the goddess cards should be 12.7cm (5in) tall, but as you can see from the photo, they are only slightly larger than the standard playing card which I've used for comparison, which is 8.9cm (3.5 in) tall.
They should also be edged in gold, which they are not. The box was very plain with no images and only generic text. I couldn't help noticing too, that the images on the cards weren't as sharp as I felt they should be. Not only that, but the guidebook wasn't included.
The other deck had similar issues: small size, fuzzy images, box plain on the back, and missing guidebook.
Also, why would there be a $1 coupon offered on the box at such a random site? The QR Code supposedly leads to an electronic version of the guidebook, but I wouldn't trust it. The caption says 'tarot', not 'oracle'.
And as for the message from beyond?
When doing my research on the goddess cards, I read that the creator of the cards, who has created many decks, has recently changed her spiritual beliefs and has disavowed everything she created before. I won't mention any names, but the information is readily available online with a little searching. I have to admit, I thought to myself: knowing that the creator doesn't even want the profits from the cards, maybe it would be all right to use them after all?
I put them with my other oracle cards, which I keep in a box on a high shelf in my bedroom.
As you can see, the box isn't very deep, but the sides are high enough to stop anything from falling out. A few weeks after putting the cards in the box, however, I heard a crashing noise from the bedroom and went to investigate. I found the deck of cards on the floor!
I don't have any rational explanation of how the cards would have fallen to the floor. I concluded that it must be a sign. I mustn't use the cards. From now on, I'll be more wary, buy quality products, and if something seems too cheap to be true, it probably is!
When the decks arrived, the first thing that alerted me that something was wrong was their size. They seemed to be no bigger than normal playing cards. While this isn't particularly unusual for oracle cards, I wanted to investigate.
According to Aeclectic Tarot, the goddess cards should be 12.7cm (5in) tall, but as you can see from the photo, they are only slightly larger than the standard playing card which I've used for comparison, which is 8.9cm (3.5 in) tall.
They should also be edged in gold, which they are not. The box was very plain with no images and only generic text. I couldn't help noticing too, that the images on the cards weren't as sharp as I felt they should be. Not only that, but the guidebook wasn't included.
The other deck had similar issues: small size, fuzzy images, box plain on the back, and missing guidebook.
Also, why would there be a $1 coupon offered on the box at such a random site? The QR Code supposedly leads to an electronic version of the guidebook, but I wouldn't trust it. The caption says 'tarot', not 'oracle'.
And as for the message from beyond?
When doing my research on the goddess cards, I read that the creator of the cards, who has created many decks, has recently changed her spiritual beliefs and has disavowed everything she created before. I won't mention any names, but the information is readily available online with a little searching. I have to admit, I thought to myself: knowing that the creator doesn't even want the profits from the cards, maybe it would be all right to use them after all?
I put them with my other oracle cards, which I keep in a box on a high shelf in my bedroom.
As you can see, the box isn't very deep, but the sides are high enough to stop anything from falling out. A few weeks after putting the cards in the box, however, I heard a crashing noise from the bedroom and went to investigate. I found the deck of cards on the floor!
I don't have any rational explanation of how the cards would have fallen to the floor. I concluded that it must be a sign. I mustn't use the cards. From now on, I'll be more wary, buy quality products, and if something seems too cheap to be true, it probably is!
Thursday, 1 November 2018
Grey School Summary :: October 2018
I renewed my tuition with the Grey School of Wizardry on the 9th of October, so technically this wasn't a full month. I was pleasantly surprised however, to find that I was closer to finishing off some assignments than I'd remembered. I had the satisfaction of completing a whole class as well! This brought my credit count to 8. I need 24 to finish Level 1, so I have quite a long way to go, but I'm not feeling discouraged.
The next thing I want to focus on is finishing the meditation assignment for Core Energy Practices 102. I've read the lesson and it involves trying several forms of meditation over a number of weeks. I'm looking forward to trying different types in a more formal way, but also a bit nervous as I still have that little voice inside me that tells me I'm 'no good' at meditation. But I'm willing to give it a try.
Classes In Progress:
✷ Core Energy Practices 102
✷ Basic Divination
✷ Wizards Don't Whine
Assignments in Progress:
✷ Meditation (Core Energy Practices 102)
✷ Exploring Basic Oracles (Basic Divination)
Classes Completed:
✷ Online Communication
Assignments Completed:
✷ The Power of Thought (Wizards Don't Whine)
✷ Communications Essay Questions (Online Communication)
✷ Exam (Online Communication)
✷ Shielding (Core Energy Practices 102)
Credits:
✷ This month: 1 Total: 8
T.O.R.C.H. Award Progress:
✷ Classes completed: 1 of 4
✷ Forum Monthly Check-Ins: 1 of 2
✷ Forum Conversations Participated in: 0 of 1 (not for a couple of months but I hope to change that)
✷ Take initiation oath -- NOT YET
The next thing I want to focus on is finishing the meditation assignment for Core Energy Practices 102. I've read the lesson and it involves trying several forms of meditation over a number of weeks. I'm looking forward to trying different types in a more formal way, but also a bit nervous as I still have that little voice inside me that tells me I'm 'no good' at meditation. But I'm willing to give it a try.
Classes In Progress:
✷ Core Energy Practices 102
✷ Basic Divination
✷ Wizards Don't Whine
Assignments in Progress:
✷ Meditation (Core Energy Practices 102)
✷ Exploring Basic Oracles (Basic Divination)
Classes Completed:
✷ Online Communication
Assignments Completed:
✷ The Power of Thought (Wizards Don't Whine)
✷ Communications Essay Questions (Online Communication)
✷ Exam (Online Communication)
✷ Shielding (Core Energy Practices 102)
Credits:
✷ This month: 1 Total: 8
T.O.R.C.H. Award Progress:
✷ Classes completed: 1 of 4
✷ Forum Monthly Check-Ins: 1 of 2
✷ Forum Conversations Participated in: 0 of 1 (not for a couple of months but I hope to change that)
✷ Take initiation oath -- NOT YET
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