Chris Allaun's Blog

I am asked all the time by people, “ how do we go deeper in our magick?”. I think what they really  mean to say is, “how do we gain more magical power?” Well, that is easy! We rekindle the covenant we once had with the spirits. What I mean to say is that we must reconnect to the energies and spirits that witches hold sacred. We must reconnect with the ancestors to gain the energy and life force from under the earth. We must reconnect with the celestial spirits to gain the energy and life force from above the earth. We must also reconnect with the spirits of the land so that we remain in balance with all the forces of life. 

I am noticing in many magical practices that not many people work with the spirits, save for our gods and goddesses and the occasional angel. I also hear from time to time people saying to “ask their guides” about a problem they may be having. But what about the other spirits? What about the spirits right here on the earth and in the astral counterpart of the earth; the Otherworld? Facebook is full of many groups that talk about faeries, elves, and dragons. Most of these groups see these beings as spirit guides or helpful beings that find your house keys. In reality, these beings are not spirit guides or spirit helpers. They are beings who are in spirit form and they appear to us as  bright, shining, powerful beings. I think it’s human arrogance to think that these spirits are on earth to simply help us through our day. Remember, humans are a part of the spiritual universe and not at the top of it. Think of like we are but one spoke in the wheel of spiritual beings. 

There are many other beings besides faeries and dragons. Each plant, rock, cloud, tree, and all things found on the earth have a spirit. Think of it like this, we have a physical body with a spirit inside. Well, rocks, trees, and plants are the physical body to their own spirit. In my training with the Lakota, we see these beings as just as important and sacred as humans. Sometimes more so because it is from these beings that we get our healing medicines from. 

So what does all this have to do with the powers of the witch. In my magical tradition, we believe that before humans turned away from paganism and magick we had a sacred energetic and spiritual bond with the spirits of the land. The land is what gives of everything we need for life. She gives us food, shelter, water, clothes, and the air to breath. This is why Native American tribes call her Mother Earth. We lived closely with the land. We had to grow our own food, hunt animals, and build our own homes. We were very aware of the seasonal changes. We knew when to plant, when to allow plants to grow, and when to harvest. We were connected to the energies of the land for survival. To be this close to the land meant that we had to be close to the spirits of the land. It is my belief that we grew to rely on the spirits during tough times of drought, storms, and cold winters. If this is so, then the rules of hospitality say that you must help those who helped you. So, a covenant between us and the fairies and elves may have been formed because of this.

For those of us who grew up in rural areas we can see how it is easy to connect to the land and by proxy, the spirits.. We can smell the rain before it pours down raining. We see the migration of birds telling us of the seasonal changes. We can observe the changes in the forests as time goes by. The more you are in nature the more connected you become to the spirits of the land. Many of us have felt the difference when we leave the city and spend time in the country. We feel less stress and allow ourselves to slow down to connect with the beauty of nature. We are connecting with the land spirits and we didn’t even know it.

There is a reason why the old stories tell of witches deep in the woods. Witches and spirit walkers worked with the spirits of the land for many reasons. Sometimes it was to use the plants in their medicines and potions, but other times it was to add the powers of the land to their own powers for magick. These witches also knew that the old woods were sacred to the faerie and elvish beings. The energies of the land creates many places that the faeries and elves can easily travel between our world and the Otherworld. Witches knew this and sought partnership with them. Witches needed the magical influence of faeries and elves and they, inturn, needed our physical influence in the physical world.

We know that faeries and elves were experts in magick, enchantment, glamour, shapeshifting, and healing. These are all things that witches seek to perform as well. I like to think that these witches connected with them not just to learn their magick but also because they wanted to live in harmony and community with these magnificent beings. All we have is the old stories, but I’m going to guess there were those who connected to them for the betterment of all and those who simply wanted more power. I warn my students against working with the faeries and elves simply for the sake of power. They can read your aura and your thoughts and they do not like to be exploited. 

For our modern times I think it’s very important to reconnect with the spirits of the land and the faeries and elves. Over the last few centuries many people have gone further and further away from the land. This has caused a disconnect between many people and the land spirits. I believe that this is one of the many reasons that modern people are unhappy with life and what society has become. The spirits of the land cannot fix all your problems, but they can give you earth energy that is healing and balancing. Remember, it is the plant spirits where we get our medicine from. In holistic healing we believe that disease is caused by living an unbalanced life.

I also believe that our magick can become more powerful if we re-establish our connection; our covenant, to the faerie and elvish spirits. They can help us learn the “deeper” mysteries of the land and the spiritual realm. They can help us remember that our power comes from nature because we, ourselves, are from nature. They can help us summon the life force of the earth and call down the power of the stars.

There are many different ways and magical techniques that will help you reconnect to the spirits of the land. One of the best ways is to read the old tales of magick and faery lore. Learn the old wives tales of the earth spirits. Another way is to build a shrine to these spirits and leave prayers and offerings for them. Also, you can invite them to observe your magick. Later, if it feels appropriate you can ask the land spirits to join you in your ceremonies and rituals. One of my favorite ways to work with land spirits is to be out in nature and perform a shamanic journey or guided visualization with them. Remember, if you meet the spirits, treat them like you would anyone else. Be respectful. Introduce yourself. Give a small gift. 

I would highly recommend that you do more research in land spirits, faeries, and elves. There are some great authors out there and some not as great. Remember, faeries and elves are not the little winged pixies of Victorian stories. They are stately beings who command great magick. Any author who describes them as small whimsical beings are not speaking of traditional faeries and elves. For further study, check out my book Otherworld: Ecstatic Witchcraft for the Spirits of the Land. This book will give you step by step instructions on how to go into trance, work with the faeries and elves, and connect to the plant and animal spirits.

The other day I was going through my facebook feed and I happen to stumble upon a post about how the world famous psychic, Sylvia Brown, predicted that there would be a world health crisis in the year 2020. Now, until I saw this post I’ve never really given much thought to her, but I thought, “Wow! She really predicted this?” I became curious about her so I did a little googling and I found that she had many readers and supporters, but I also found that she had many criticisms as well. The people who criticised her said things like, “she’s only right part of the time” and “her predictions don’t always come true”. This got me thinking about the nature of divination and psychic prediction. 

For clarification, divination and psychic prediction are not necessarily the same thing. Divination means to speak with the divine or to speak with the spirits. Psychic prediction, of course means to give details about the future through our psychic ability. However, divination has evolved to also mean to see the past, present, and future using such things as the tarot, runes, scrying, etc. So, with that, how much of our prediction doesn’t come to pass and should we consider that fraud or taking advantage of paying clients?

To answer this question, we need to first take a look at the nature of psychic awareness and doing a reading. There are many different ways that we might perform a reading. When we use the tarot or runes, we are using a device with pictures or symbols and doing our best to interpret the meaning while at the same time sensing the energies. There have been many times I would draw a tarot card like the ten of swords that means “endings”, but rather than a dire interpretation, the energies were telling me that troubled times were coming to an end and good things were coming forth. If we are using a tool such as a scrying bowl or magick mirror, we are allowing our divination tool to help clear our minds and let psychic impressions come to us in a free form manner. 

Sometimes, a person who is inexperienced at performing divination may misinterpret the tool or the energies themselves. Another mistake beginners of divination often make is that they are allowing their own preconceived ideas and notions to interfere with the reading. For example, if a reader sees the three of swords, which traditionally means “heart break” they may immediately interpret that as an end to a relationship. It could mean that, but it could also mean many other things as well. Sometimes, it’s just a passing feeling of sadness and has no effect on current relationships. This is why it is important for anyone wanting to learn divination to practice reading the energies of the person asking questions as well as the meaning behind the divination tool.

There is a psychic ability that is called claircognizance. Claircognizance is when the knowledge of something from the past, present, or future just “pops” in your head. You just know something without really knowing why you know this. For me, when this happens, it is brought on when I am very connected to the Universe, the spirits, and the energies of the earth. This is a very valuable psychic ability, but there are a few things to be aware of. You might be right, but you might also be wrong. This is why it is important that you verify psychic phenomena such as this. If I have a strong psychic knowing about something I do not always share this with other people. Partly because I may be wrong and I do not want to steer someone in the wrong direction. Another reason is that just because I know something doesn’t mean the person it’s about is ready to hear it. Also, sometimes we have the “knowing” feeling and we are off base and incorrect. Maybe we misread the psychic impression or maybe it’s our own ego projecting something. Either way, it’s arrogant to simply assume that another person MUST be aware of our psychic impression. In my 20’s I ran an occult store and I had all these newbie psychics trying to enlighten me with their psychic impressions. Sometimes they’d say, “my guides told me to tell you (blank).” Never mind the fact that I have been performing psychic work almost my whole life and speaking with the spirits is something I do every day.

Divination can be a tricky thing. Like the t.v show Doctor Who, I do believe that some events are Fated and become a fixed point in time such as the assassination of JFK and so forth. However, other than huge events that are meant to change the world, time and space are fluid and changeable. For me, the whole reason I do divination is to see what changes, if any, I need to make on my current path. If I do a reading for myself (yes, you can read for yourself but it does take more discipline and focus) and I see good things coming, I will continue doing what I am doing to receive those good things. But, if I see challenging things, I may change my strategy or make other decisions about my path for a better outcome. When we do a reading or get a psychic impression about something please remember that even if you are right things change. If we change our current actions then our future outcome must change as well.

The last thing I want to talk about is actual psychic fraud. I have been to a fortune teller for fun only to have her tell me that someone placed a curse on me and for $300 she will make the very expensive candles and remove it for me. Never mind the fact that I have been practicing witchcraft for many decades and I can do it myself for free if there was a curse. In reality, it was outright fraud. This is a very horrible thing to do to someone who is having challenging times in their life. To take advantage of people like this is very unethical. Personally, I feel that this is one of the worst types of people in the world. Unfortunately, this happens all the time. I will say, if you get a reading and you are not sure about the information given to you, you should get a second opinion. 

If you are new to divination, the key to success is practice practice practice. Just like with anything else, you have to harness your skills with your craft. We all learn differently, but for me I can say that the way I learned was to learn the meanings of the cards, runes, etc and then practice reading friends and tuning in to their energies. Be humble in your readings, but also be confident that you are journeying down your path of divination the best you can. Another thing, allow room in your readings for things to be unclear or you to be wrong. I don’t think any clairvoyant or psychic is right all the time. The world changes too fast for that. 

 I think we need to speak up and clean out our own backyard.

In the last few months there have been many discussions about racism, COVID-19, misogyny, transequality among many other things. These are things that we should be talking about.  Along with these conversations, there are many people who are making the conscious effort to either turn the other way and ignore these topics or they are outright fighting against these things. I am a firm believer that we need to call out people in our own religions of witchcraft and paganism for being hateful, racist, anti-trans, and plain disrespectful, to not only these issues, but to the greater pagan community. Many people are responding to this by joining in the “Cancel Culture”. If you don’t already know, cancel culture is when a group of people decide that a group, person, personality, entertainer, or spiritual leader needs to be canceled. Meaning, they get people to stop supporting them which will affect their businesses and organizations. 

I wrote an article on my blog called “Racism in Witchcraft and Paganism” as a response to the many, and I mean MANY, racist people who decided to speak up against Black Lives Matter and Black issues in general. I was mortified to see that white people, especially white pagan leaders, felt entitled enough to speak up against black people and black issues. In the article I talk about calling out and bringing our leaders to task. This is something I feel very strongly about. Very. There were a few groups that I belong to who didn’t want me to post the article because it would “rock the boat” or “make people uncomfortable” to which I say GOOD! Spiritual growth is uncomfortable and we should be challenged.We are magical people after all! Magick is not always comfortable. Is there a difference in calling someone out and cancel culture? 

If there is someone who is anti-LGTBQ in any form I’m pretty much at the point where I no longer feel obligated to educate them. Google is an easy tool to use. That being said, I will no longer associate with that person, group, or leader. But should we cancel them all together?

This is a very good question and something I believe each one of us should think about as an individual before we make a personal decision about this. Allow me to explain what I mean by this. When we get our groups, friends, and our community to “cancel” someone out, what we are saying is that we are making a decision to cancel their business or at least their name. Should we do this? Maybe. I think it depends. Call me a sensitive softy, but I do believe in second chances and allowing someone the opportunity to spiritual grow. If we immediately cancel someone what we are saying is that we no longer have any interest in giving them this opportunity. Is this the right thing to do? Maybe. I think if someone has spoken out of turn for the first time or said something out of ignorance, then we should direct them to resources so they can become better people. As a white person, I am aware of my privilege and believe strongly in BLM, but working to be anti-racist gives me the opportunity to address any lingering racism I might have and not be aware of. But! There is a difference between working on your “stuff” and trying to be better and slipping up on occasion versus blatant hate that seeks to harm others and bring someone down. I have unfriended so many people on facebook because of their racism. So I am no stranger to drawing the line.

What about people who make the conscious choice to not correct their behaviors? I think this is a completely different situation. There have been many community leaders, authors, and teachers who have been called out who refuse to address their hate, misogyny, racism, and anti-LGTBQ views. Just a short time ago I saw a favorite author of mine say horrible things about racial equality. I remember trying to process this because this was someone I looked up to though I had never physically met them. I remember thinking, ‘that’s a horrible statement but they are such good teachers of magick’. Then I quickly came to my senses and chose to never associate with them again no matter how “good” of a teacher I thought they were. You see, for me, a teacher who teaches things that are contrary to what I believe in my heart as right, just, and good, cannot possibly be a good teacher in truth. At least not for me. 

Should we give people a second chance? Maybe. This is a decision no one can make for us. We have to make this decision on our own. I think if someone is making the effort to grow as a person and try to understand why they were hurting others, then I do think we need to allow that growth to happen. However, it can be very difficult for us to forgive people when they have hurt us. This is why the decision is up to each person. Only they know what is right for them. Then there are those who never seem to learn. They get better for a little while and then they once again say horrible things to people for the sake of harm. I think in this case we need to call a spade a spade and move on. I also think that after we have given someone a chance to grow and they only care for themselves and continue to spew hate then we need to ask ourselves…why are we allowing this behavior in our community?

I think because in many witchcraft traditions there is no three-fold law, no karmic return, and cursing is justified with the right reasons, some people take this to mean they can bully the rest of us. Maybe they can, but it is our decision to accept this behavior or not.  I do think people can change if they want to, but it is not my path to change people who do not want to change. So, I will simply disengage with these people. Should we get our friends to also disengage with these people?

How I approach this is that each case is individual. Meaning, I weigh how harmful I think someone may be to the people I know and on my facebook friends list. For example, I will unfriend people who say ignorant things because I don’t have the time for their nonsense. With that, I allow each of my friends to make their own decisions and I will trust that they know what they are doing for the good of the path that they follow. There have been some people, especially pagan leaders, who are very toxic and do not hold the same ethics that I hold. I will speak with my spirits about how to handle the situation and if they spirits and guides believe I should share my experience with other people then at that point I will. I have a strong working relationship with my spirits so I trust their advice. My intention with this is not to harm the toxic person but to give my friends the information they need to make a decision for themselves. 

Do I think the Cancel Culture is effective for growth and change? This is hard to say at this point. I do think that many toxic people only change and if their money is affected. This is why you see anti-LGTBQ companies and celebrities  apologize only after they begin to lose money. For me, I think each of us has to make our own decisions about what energies we allow into our lives. What we watch on t.v., read on facebook, and the books we read affects our energies and our spirit. My goal is to be the best spiritual being having a human existence I can be. I will  make mistakes along the way, but I will try to be my best as a healer and a friend but that doesn’t mean I want toxic energy in my energies. So should we cancel people out? Well, that’s up to you. 

 

 

When I think of healing I think of the warm summer sun. I think of the warmth surrounding me with solar magick that takes away impurities and sickness. The sun rekindles my inner fire and I am renewed. The sun has always been a source of healing. My own patron god is Asclepius, the Greek god of healing. He is the son of the sun god, Apollo, and is considered the father of medicine. Symbolically, Asclepius is represented by the rising sun in the east that dispels the cold dark night. He is the renewer of life and health and is called upon when someone needs healing from an illness or wound. In many pagan cultures the gods and goddesses of the sun are seen as deities who bring health, happiness, growth, and joy. If we look at the Tarot, the major arcana card of the sun traditionally means joy, health, and happiness. 

I am also a child of Diana the goddess of the moon so I love moonlit nights very much, but I also think that in our modern culture of witchcraft and paganism the sun is often overlooked as a source of magick. In my tradition of witchcraft, I was taught that not all spells have to be done at night, however that is certainly when most of us have free time from working all day long. I was taught that, ideally, we should separate our magick into lunar magick and solar magick. Lunar magick of course would be any spell that is coordinated with the phases of the moon as well as magick for love, psychic powers, spirit work, ancestors, dreams, journeying, and dark magick. Solar magick would be any spell for healing, jobs and success, protection, earth magick, wealth, and magick that brings good luck. Of course, I do magick when I have the time like everybody else, but if I can use the sun for magick I certainly do!

One of my favorite practices I enjoy doing with the sun is healing. Physically, the sun is the source of vitamin D for humans, but it is also a source of energy for plants that allows them to grow. The sun is also the source of heat that warms the earth and allows life to thrive. This wonderful solar energy can also be used to energetically heal the body. The sun is a powerful source of life force. Life force, also called prana, chi, or qi, is what gives all life the energy to heal, grow, and stay in balance with all things. Life force can also be found in the earth, the food we eat, and the air we breath. 

One of the ways the sun is healing for us is our emotional state. I live in Chicago, so it is cold and cloudy for many months at a time. Many people in this city become lethargic, depressed, and become more sick in the cold cloudy months of fall and winter. When spring finally arrives, the warmth and light of the sun renews not only the plants of the earth but also our spirits as well. We become happier and more energetic. The summers in Chicago are usually the best time of the year. Everyone is out and are more physically active. The sun gives us energy and life and many of us feel so much better and energetic. The sun fills our spirit with joy.

There are many times in our lives when we will need healing. There are many factors that lead to imbalances in our bodies and our emotional state. Between the toxins in our food, water, and air, and the stressors of daily life, our bodies can quickly become sick. There are also genetic factors that can lead to imbalances as well. I have found that using the sun’s energy to help find balance can be very powerful magick. It’s relatively easy to call upon the sun’s life force to bring your energy bodies into a state of wellness. 

There’s a simple ceremony that I have created to call upon the healing power of the sun. The most important thing to remember while performing the ceremony is to try to connect to the energies of the sun the best you can. Connect to the light, the warmth, and if you like, the gods and goddesses of the sun. For this ceremony, you will need an offering of some kind. I use either tobacco, wine or ale, water, or flowers that relate to the sun. You may also light incense if you like. For a solar working, I prefer frankincense, but any scent related to the sun will do nicely.

Find a place outside where you will not be disturbed. It’s better to go outside, but you can perform this ceremony in your home or temple space as long as you can see the sun through a window.
Spend some time connecting to the land around you and the earth beneath your feet. Then connect to the air around you and the sky above. Know that each of these things contains spirits of healing.
Light your incense. You can give the smoke and the aroma of the incense to the spirits as one of your offerings. 
Bring your attention to the sun above.Open your heart and connect to the energies of the sun.  Focus on the healing qualities of the sun such as light, warmth, healing, joy, balance, etc. Now, think of the many gods and goddesses associated with the sun. The ones that come to my mind are Apollo, Asclepius, Brigit, Horus, Sunna, and many others
Call out to the sun. Speak from your heart and call to the sun and ask them to send you healing energy.
Inhale the healing solar energy. Visualize the yellow light of the sun beaming down to your head and  filling your whole body with healing energy. See how your cells drink up the life force of the sun. See yourself balanced and whole.
On the exhale, breath out toxins, sickness, and negative energies. Continue to breath in the healing solar energy and breath out sickness and disease.
After a while, visualize your whole body pulsating with the magick of the sun. Know that the healing solar energy is healing your body, your mind, and your spirit.
When you feel that you are finished, ground the remaining solar energy into the earth. 
Give your thanks to the gods of the sun and the energies of the earth. Leave an offering for the spirits.

 

This ceremony is one of my favorites to do. It is very simple and incorporates energy work, the gods, and the energies of the earth. The main thing to remember is to try to connect with the solar energies the best you can. This ceremony can be performed at any time of the year. In fact, I do at least one solar healing ceremony for each season of the year. When performing the ceremony, don’t forget to leave an offering for the gods of the sun. The more we show our gratitude to the god for their healing energies the more connected we will become with those gods.

Black lives matter!

In witchcraft and paganism black lives matter!

During this time of protests and riots I am doing my best to educate other white people to confront our racism as a white culture. It’s not easy to say, “Wow, I didn’t realize I still have these racists thoughts and patterns.” One of the important things I try  to remember about working on my own racism is that I don’t have to be perfect, but I do have to be willing to confront my own racism and be willing to change behavior patterns. This is the time for all white people to listen to black people and really hear what they have to say. I think that for way too long we have swept the problems of racism under the rug. It’s time to take the rug out and clean up our dust. It’s time to really address the problem. I am very happy that many people I know are going to protests and addressing their own racism. That being said, there is a shadow to the good things that are happening with the protests. With the fight for racial equality, there have been many voices that are trying to stop this progression and are advocating for more racism.

I think I was naive when it came to racism in witchcraft and paganism. In fact, I was naive up until a few years ago. I just assumed that all witches and pagans were accepting to all people no matter their gender, race, or sexual orientation. Witches were persecuted for hundreds of years and even recently, people could lose their jobs, their children, or their home for being a witch. So, I just assumed anyone who had to deal with such persecution would not be racist. Well, I have never been so wrong in my life! 

I first started to hear about white supremacy groups in Heathenism. These people would spew this nonsense about keeping the tradition pure blood. First and foremost, Heathens of the past never felt this way. In fact, the Vikings would often bring back things from other cultures and share in their wisdom. This whole “pure blood” thing is a new thing that was invented by white supremicist, so please, don’t be fooled into thinking this idea is “traditional” because it definitely is not. I, myself, practice Heathen Witchcraft, it’s something I have been doing for 20 years. Never in my teachings with my teachers did this ever come up. I think what shocked me the most was when Heathen authors I respected started saying things like this. To me, an author is a teacher, and I hold teachers to high standards. When it comes to racism, I hold everyone to a high standard, but to see authors say racist things was too much for me. I remember seeing one Heathen author who didn’t say racist things on their facebook page but would allow others to say racist comments without question. To me, they were equally as guilty! Heathenism is far from the only pagan or magical group who I have seen say racist things. I have seen many other people from other traditions say racists things as well. Now, let me be clear, for the most part, it is not the group themselves that believe this racist rhetoric, it is a few obnoxiously loud voices who feel emboldened (because of their white privilege) to speak up. 

In the last few weeks I have deleted probably 100 or more people from my facebook page for racist comments. I’ve seen racism comments from pagans and witches from many traditions. It’s shocking actually. I expect “spiritual” people to do better. Actually, I expect all people to do better, but to call yourself spiritual and have racist beliefs is simply mind boggling.  I have seen racist memes, jokes, and outright hate. I say enough!!! I’m noticing racist people are coming out of the woodwork on social media. I have been hearing many people say that social media is giving racist a platform. That is very true. However, I have also noticed that there are many keyboard warriors out there. Being behind a computer screen has made them feel embolden enough to show us their racist side. I think many of these same racists would never say their racist garbage in front of people face to face but they feel they can say anything they want on social media. By them “outing” themselves as racists it is showing us what kind of person they really are. This makes it easier for us to call them out. 

As a community of witches and pagans it is our job to call these people out. I have had some people say, “Maybe you shouldn’t rock the boat because you are an author and spiritual leader and all…” As a leader in the community I think it is important for white people to call other white people out. It is NOT the responsibility of POC to educate us! It is our responsibility to call other white people out on their racism and educate them. Another thing I think we need to call out is “All lives matter”. All lives do matter, but right now we are talking about the needs of the black community. Yes everyone is important and everyone has a voice, but the voices of white people have been heard while the voices of the black community have not. In fact, white voices have often stifled black voices and tried to silence them. Again, all voices are important, but it’s time for us white folk to sit down and listen to the voices of black folk. 

So, what should we do?  As white people, we cannot and should not sit on the sidelines. If we are to call ourselves witches then we cannot allow racists to continue to harm the black community. It is not enough to be non-racists, we have to be anti-racists. Remember, one of the most important aspects of witchcraft and magick is to give the people hope and help us rise up against oppression and tyranny. That is what magick is for, to make our lives better for everyone, especially the oppressed.  

I think that spiritual leaders should step up to the plate to call out racism. As leaders, we need to make sure that our circles, groves, temples, and churches are free from racists. It saddens me that since the protests many racists have spoken out against POC, but this helps us find out who is a racist in our groups. How each leader handles the situation is up to them and the guidelines of their organization. I also think as leaders we need to make our feelings known about racism publically. We are role models and our behavior will be modeled by others. It is also my hope that people who honor our spiritual guidance will take a good look at their own racists behaviors and hopefully make changes.

Angela Y. Davis said, “In a racists society it’s not enough to be non-racists, we must be anti-racists”. This quote is very important. We have allowed racist witches and pagans and other magical people to have a voice in many of our groups. White pagans and witches need to continue to take action against all acts of racism, hate, bigotry, and repression. We must not only educate ourselves but educate the white community. We must also stand up against racism in whatever way we can. We can no longer stay silent on the sidelines thinking this will pass or it is someone else’s job to educate white people. As white people, it is our job. No one else’s. As magical practitioners we can perform acts of magick for healing and justice against racism. We can heal ourselves and others as well. We can send magick to strengthen those who need our magick to continue the fight and to heal our society. Racism will not end unless we take the steps to end it.

 

I have never been so interested in politics my entire life like I am now. Every single day I read news articles from different news sources. I watch CNN when I can and see what they are saying on FOX News. Granted, sometimes I have entertained FOX for two seconds before I turned it off. I want to know everything I can on the issues and what is going on in our world. Before the ill fated election of 2016, I kept up with politics, but would often go days and sometimes a couple of weeks without checking the news. I’ve learned my lesson. We cannot afford to let anything slip by us. There are many of our political leaders who do not have our best interest at heart. It seems it’s all about money and doners and tax cuts for the greedy. If you have seen my facebook pages or twitter you will see I post political things from time to time. We, the public, we the people, need to make changes. We must stand up for our rights and we must be informed. But what does any of this have to do with witchcraft? Everything.

As I have talked about before, there are many types of witchcraft. There is Traditional Witchcraft, Wicca, Feri, Satanic Witchcraft, Reclaiming Witches, Green Witches, and many others. Each is as individual as we are. This is a good thing! At their core, they all have one thing in common; to empower the witch! Yes, witchcraft at its core teaches us to take our personal will and develop personal power. What we chose to do with that power is up to each individual witch. Everyone’s path is different and this is a wonderful thing. Our paths help us develop our own spirituality and strengthen our soul. But what happens when someone or some organization tries to take away our personal power, our personal choices, and our spirit? We must use magick.

I’d like to take you back in time to the 16th and 17th Centuries where witches were still persecuted for their beliefs. Yes, I know you have heard the story, but humor me for a moment. During this time the witch hunts were running rampant in Europe and were felt in the US. If you were thought to be a witch, you were arrested, “tried”, and executed. Often the victims of the witch accusations were old women who were hot tempered, odd, husbandless, or simply undesired by the community. Likewise, many women and men of all ages were accused of witchcraft. Those horrid men in power were taking away choices and free will away from the people to feed their political and religious agendas. It was the greed and bigotry of men in power who were trying to destroy the power of those who were considered less than or “other”.” Meaning those people who did not fit into the social norms of the time so they were considered a threat.

Many of the accused were not witches, but some may have been. See Emma Wilby’s wonderful book The Visions of Isobel Gowdie for further reading on those who actually were witches. That being said, why would people work with the Horned One or Devil to practice witchcraft? There were a couple of main reasons. First, many older women had lost their husbands and sons to death and were on their own. They had little means to make money and their survival depended on something more; the magick of witchcraft. Witchcraft allowed people to reclaim their independence and power and, bottom line, survive. Performing magick and having familiar spirits do their bidding aided them a great deal. Another reason was that, contrary to popular belief, not everyone during that time was a god fearing christian. There were many people who were atheist or simply did not believe the hogwash of the ruling Christians. They wanted personal power and witchcraft was a way to get it. There are many reasons why someone at that time may become a witch, but this is a discussion for another day. Witchcraft has always been about developing personal power and living a life the way YOU want it to be.

So then why are we not using our witchcraft for personal power during these troubled political times?

There are many ways that we can use our magical power to help each other and become a witch activist. I have read articles on facebook that talk about witches who continue to curse Trump and his family. I am not one to judge another witch, but for me, this is not the way I want to be a magical activist.  One of the most important things I think a magical activist can do is support each other. There are many people who are volunteering, making phone calls, and sending emails to help. I for one think it’s very important to use our magick to send healing energy to these wonderful people. Not all of us have the time and resources to do these things and we cannot win without them. Another thing that we can do as a magical activist is stand up for other cultures that are being targeted. Personally, I don’t understand religions that treat women as second rate citizens or repress them, but that does not mean that everyone should not have the freedom to practice their chosen religion. So as a magical activist I will stand up for targeted religions to help them the best I can. Sometimes that means educating people. Sometimes that means putting magical protection on their places of worship. Hell yes, I will ask the gods to protect a temple, a mosque, or any other religious sanctuary that is being targeted by hate.

Being a magical activist means that we have special powers and can work with the spirits in order for justice. The witch has the power to commune with the spirits of the land. We can establish a relationship with the spirits of the land we live on, the spirits of cities, as well as the spirits of the country. Yes, each of these things has a spirit. By communing with these spirits we can ask them to adjust the energies of that land to favor justice, freedom, love, and protection from tyrants. Here are a few easy steps to get you started to work with the spirits of the land in which you reside.

 

You may sit or lie down. Make sure your spine is straight so as not to impede the energies of your body.
Use a shamanic drum recording or a song that makes you feel Otherworldly.
Take a few deep breaths and relax your body the best you can.
State allowed your intention to speak with the spirit of your town, city, or country.
Visualize your city or country as a whole. See the lands, rivers, lakes, or any other landscape. Take a moment and open your heart chakra. Connect to the land. Feel the natural energies of the land. Now, take a moment and feel the energies of the people who reside in the city or country. Feel the different cultures and religions. Feel how people are unique but are all part of the human race.
Now, visualize a place that feels like the heart of the city or country. For a city, is the heart city hall or downtown, or is it a natural landscape that is prominent in your area. For a country, is the capital city? Or is there some natural landscape that it is famous for? For example, the US is famous for its prairie and farm lands. I may visualize the heart of the US in the prairie lands where the farmland is.
Once you have found the heart of your area, visualize yourself in that landscape and ask to speak with the residing spirit of the city or country.
Once they appear, spend awhile getting to know them. Explain the situation at hand and ask what you can do to help the spirit take care of the land and the people. When ready, give your thanks and return to everyday waking consciousness.
It is important for you to follow through with the things the spirit asked you to do. Follow through and take the energy of change into physical manifestation.

This is a time of upheaval and change for all of us. I am a firm believer that magick gives power to those who the political elite has taken power away from. I believe that when the term “Majority Rules. Minority Rights” is ignored, then it’s up to us as witches and magical folk to stand up for people who cannot stand up for themselves. Let’s take a brief look at what the term means. “Majority rules” of course means that the popular vote on a law should prevail unless it takes away “Minority Rights”. Meaning, if everyone wants something to happen but it takes away equal rights from a minority, then the minority wins out. An example of this is civil rights in the mid 20th Century and marriage equality. There are many other examples as well, but that is a conversation we should have another day.

There are many people who see “rights” and “justice” in their own backward outdated way. I am sick of seeing police officers kill black people for small indiscretions while white mass shooters are taken in without so much of a bruise. This is beyond sickening. I am tired of seeing immigrant children locked in cages. I am tired seeing political leaders profit off of the poor. I am tired of churches cry “evil” everytime someone is gay, muslim, pagan, or any other thing they deem the “Other” that they don’t like. I think as witches, shamans, Spirit Walkers, healers, and magicians it is our responsibility to take action. Not just pray for peace, but to perform magick for change and peace. Many of us first came to magick for power. So, let’s use that power to make a better place for the people.

There are so many different types of justice that we need right now. There are most likely injustices that are happening every day that we are not aware of. I’m very grateful that in this day and age we have video cameras on our cellphones. People are video recording police brutality, racism, crimes against our trans brothers and sisters and many other things. I found a quote online from Will Smith that said, “Racism is not getting worse, it’s getting filmed.” Even with video footage, there is so much injustice happening many people are becoming desensitized to it. My hope is that the people will rise up against injustice and bring the power back to the people.

In this spell, you will need a candle, a picture of your country, an offering bowl, one to three herbs such as sage, rosemary, juniper, dandelion, fennel, house leek, or yarrow. You will also need a fireproof dish or small cauldron, isopropyl alcohol, and an offering of either juice, wine, or ale.

To perform your spell for justice you will need to call upon a god or goddess of your choice who will help bring justice to the people. Here are a few ideas, but if you do not already work with a god of justice then it would be wise to do some research on the gods to see which one resonates with you the most. Some suggestions are Thor, Athena, Horus, Ma’at, Lugh, Diana, and Gaia.

 

Place your map or picture of your country flat on your altar. On top of the map place the fireproof container. Place your candle behind the fireproof container and light. Call upon the god of justice and speak from your heart or you may say, “(Name of god), I come to you on this day to seek justice for the people.”
Take a moment and think of the injustices that are happening in your country right now. If there is a certain injustice that is pressing at this moment bring that injustice to mind.
Place the alcohol into the cauldron or fireproof dish and light and say, “This is the fire of change. This fire represents the Will of the people who will no longer be repressed. This is the fire of justice for the people!”
Spend some time in meditation thinking about how justice will take place. Visualize everyone with equal rights, equal peace, and the ability to financially support themselves. Visualize all religions having equal rights.
Visualize the god of justice sending magick and power to your fire of justice.
Take your herbs of justice in your hands. Sprinkle the herbs of justice all over the map. Know that each herb is spreading justice through out the land.  Visualize the powers of justice empowering the people to do what is right. See the people at peace and happy.
Keep visualizing justice until the fire in the cauldron has burned out.
Place your offering in the offering bowl and say, “I give this offering to (god of justice). I thank you for the magick of justice you have done today.”
Once the god candle has burned down, take the wax and the herbs and bury them in the earth. Visualize peace and justice spreading through the land in harmony and healing.

Right now the world seems to be in a place of reset. Even though there is chaos with COVID-19, we are told to self-quarantine and to practice social distancing. All stores, bars, hotels, and any other non-essential places of business are closed. The only things open are grocery stores, drug stores, hospitals, and the post office. Many of us have to work from home, but there are also millions of people who were laid off. It is quiet, yet chaotic at the same time. It’s a kind of paradox. Wonderful yet strange. Why is it wonderful? The Earth is making us stop to pause and reset energetically, physically, and spiritually. This is a time for us to stop and reflect.

I’ve often commented that we are too busy with our work and other event that we have no time to do work on the betterment of ourselves. Many of us are running ourselves into the ground and are having health concerns because of it. On a macrocosmic level, climate change is becoming more and more prominent. Just this winter in Chicago the average high was 35-40 degrees. The normal is 10-25 degrees all winter. There is also much debate about Universal Healthcare here in the USA. Many of us believe that healthcare should be a right for everyone, but there are those who think healthcare should be a privilege. Like taking care of the people is a bad thing. And my personal favorite, anyone who doesn’t work in an office is considered “less than” in American society. 

Mother Earth has taken this as an opportunity for a reset for us all. On a personal level, this is causing people to reach out more to family and friends on video chat rather than go to the bars or spend money on things we do not need. It’s also given us a wakeup call to reach out to our older friends, whom we sometimes forget, to  make sure they are ok. What a wonderful thing to reach out to neighbors simply because it’s a heart-centered thing to do. My partner and I have reached out to family and friends, who are faraway, on video chat more this week than we have in years. The internet is an amazing thing we have to stay connected. 

This is also a wonderful time to self reflect and do personal meditations, deity devotions, and create sacred ceremonies for ourselves. One of the things I hear as a spiritual teacher is “I don’t have time to meditate or do my magical practice.” Things become very hectic and I myself have found that sometimes I don’t have time for my spiritual practices. The Universe is giving us this opportunity to reconnect to the spirits, the ancestors, and the gods. Also, we are getting the opportunity to reconnect with ourselves. Spending personal time reflecting is very powerful magick! When I do this I put myself in meditation and ask myself “Who am I at this moment?”, “How do I really feel about my life and my world?”, “What can I do to better myself and my world?”

I am also very aware that for many of us who work with the public our jobs are either gone or on hold. Many people are not making money right now. This is just as good a time as any to do money magick spells, job magick, success magick, and work with the energies of abundance and wellness. The other thing we can do is if you are in a place of abundance then it is a wonderful idea to reach out to others who are in need and donate what you can. I know many servers and bartenders have set up a go-fund me page. Donate what you can. Also, perhaps reach out to your neighbors for a wellness check to see if they need anything. We can do all of these things while practicing social distancing.

Mother Earth is also showing us that this is a time to help the people of the community. She is teaching us valuable lessons about helping The People. Much like in a tribal society, everyone is valued. Everyone has something to contribute in some way. Our government is learning that healthcare is essential and we must take care of the people, especially our elders. I’ve noticed in the USA that as long as you don’t call socialism “socialism” then it’s ok. Personally, I don’t care what you call it, just help the people! We as a society are also learning that sometimes the workers who are essential are not the CEO’s of huge corporate companies and celebrities. Essential workers are the grocery store stocker who is putting food back on the shelves. The truck driver that delivers needed medical supplies, food, and products we need for survival during quarantine. The post office worker who is helping deliver mail to people. The drug store clerk must face hundreds of people a day putting themselves at risk of infection. And of course our beloved healthcare workers who are in constant danger of being infected and are working countless hours with little rest.

Mother Earth is taking this time to heal herself as well. With the quarantines in place all over the world pollution is significantly down. It has been documented that air pollution in China has dropped 25%. The waters in the canals in Venice, Italy are becoming cleaning and more clear. With fewer people driving and being outside Mother Earth is able to take a moment and reset and heal as much as she can. This is a lesson that I hope everyone is learning. 

Even though right now things are challenging it is up to us to learn from these valuable lessons that Mother Earth is trying to teach us. As much as we can let’s show support to our community and have an open heart to those who need our help. Also, let’s take this opportunity to reconnect with Spirit by connecting to our ancestors, our gods, and to Mother Earth herself. Let’s thank our Mother for these wonderful lessons. 

 

Blessings.

 

How have you been sleeping?

I don’t know about you, but I have been sleeping extremely deep. Part of it is that I am filling my days with so many projects that it’s become a full time job. I’m not watching anymore television than normal. What has changed though is that I am sleeping very deeply and having vivid dreams. It seems that we all are having crazy dreams. Everywhere I look on social media people are talking about their weird dreams.

Right now, many of us have been in self-quarantine and isolation. Other than things like Zoom, FaceTime, and Facebook Video we are not having much social interaction. The few times we are going outside we are covered in masks and now that it is warmer we have added sunglasses to the mix. All of these things are causing us to disconnect from society and our social norms and go within ourselves. This is not a bad thing at all! Our modern culture has become one of focusing outward and never on ourselves. Smartphones and social media have increasingly directed us to focus our attention on other things except learning about ourselves. I find this ironic because there have never been more self-help books than there is on the market right now! The quarantine has forced many of us to disengage from social interaction and helped us focus on the inner self.

One of the more famous axiom’s of magick is the phrase , “Know thyself”. We know this is important because witches, Spirit Walkers, and magicians cannot learn to have the discipline to do magick and evolve spiritually unless we know our hopes, dreams, fears, and anything else that makes us unique. With our busy lives it’s been increasingly difficult to carve out time to go within through meditation and magick and learn about us. The quarantine and social isolation has changed all that. Many of us have more time to practice mindfulness and start magical practices. 

So what does all this have to do with our dreams? Our dreams are one of the ways we are connected to the Otherworlds. I think of it as an interdimensional doorway between the worlds. This is a place we can visit with our beloved dead, our gods, and many other beings from the spirit worlds. When our energies are balanced and connected to the Universe, our dreams become one of the ways that we connect with the spirits. However, when we are unbalanced our dreams may become unbalanced as well. Some people may experience nightmares or they may not dream at all. We are all different so this is just a generalization that I have observed. Now, that we are quarantined, our focus is back on ourselves and, for many of us, our inner development. 

Have you ever heard of a magical device called a witch’s cradle? Essentially, this is a bag or a hammock like structure that is hung from a tree or rafters. The witch gets into the bag and other witches spin the bag around to wind the rope that is holding the bag. Once wound up, the bag is released and spins the witch into a trance. The witch then is able to astral project or go into a deep trance for magick and communing with the spirits. The idea behind this technique is to help the witch focus on their inner self while spinning. These two things together force the witch’s mind to let go and allow a deep trance to occur. Essentially, this is what the quarantine and self-isolation is doing to many of us. Forcing our mind to let go and go into a deep trance during the dreamstate.

When we are socializing with other people we are connecting to them with our energies. This is not a bad thing at all. In fact, social connections are important for our own mental and emotional health. What we need is balanced social interaction. With self-isolation, we are allowing ourselves to be alone, or with limited people, and focus on our spiritual needs. Many of us are spending hours alone in our homes. It’s not the same, but this has become our own personal witch’s cradle. So, as we go to sleep, we are propelling ourselves into a deeper state of trance. Along with this, we are experiencing increased stress and anxiety. We are worried about our friends and family, our health, and the wellbeing of our community. With these things combined, our dreams are increasingly weird and strange.

I think part of the reason our dreams are vivid and strange is because our consciousness is trying to detox itself. Our minds are trying to get rid of the anxieties that we are feeling. Thus, we get an onslaught of pictures, feelings, and scenarios that make little sense to our conscious awareness. Another reason, I believe, is that we are reconnecting to the spirit worlds. The Otherworlds are usually strange to human standards, but they are excessively strange right now it seems. I for one, believe that the Otherworld has to compensate for everything that is going on in the world right now. Also, if someone’s connection to Spirit has been neglected or our of practice, the mind is making the best attempt to reconnect. Upon doing so, the conscious awareness (our everyday inner monologue) is trying to make sense of these energies and creating pictures and feelings the best it can to express what it is experiencing. Once the everyday consciousness becomes acquainted with putting these energies into pictures, we will once again find meaning in our dreams. Don’t get me wrong, our dreams always have meaning, but sometimes the meaning is “I need to get rid of these feelings of anxiety and repressed emotions!”

My advice I have for you at this time is to continue your spiritual practice and take care of yourself the best you can. Connect with your ancestors, gods, and nature spirits the best way possible and reconnect with the Universal energies. I have been learning a new spiritual lesson for myself, trust in the Universe and yourself enough to know you and your family will get through. Be open to the possibilities and opportunities that the Universe is presenting to you at this time. Be connected and be well. By doing this, your dreams should make more sense to you.

 

I live in Chicago and it’s cold for 5 months out of the year. The darktime in the northern US is long. Our nights begin around 4:30pm in Winter. The days are cold and most of the time there is a snow storm sure to come.  After a few winters, believe it or not, you get used to it. As long as you bundle up you will be fine walking through snow filled sidewalks and taking on any winter breeze coming your way. We rarely see the sun during the dark days. It’s almost always gloomy and the few days that the sun shines through are truly glorious occasions. Many of us long for spring and we count the days until Mother Earth awakens from her slumber. But there is magick and power in the dark times of winter.

During the light time of Spring and Summer we celebrate life and the abundance of the earth, but the Winter holds it’s magick as well. As we know, from Samhain until Ostara the world around us seems to die. The cities are still hustle and bustling with people going about their daily routines, but if you live in the countryside all seems quiet and can seem quite desolate. As we celebrate life in the summer months, so too, should we celebrate the quiet and dead times of the winter. The winter holds many spirits that we should take the time to honor and learn from. One of the biggest things I enjoy doing in the winter months is to honor the gods of the ancestors. Goddesses such as Persephanie, Hecate, and Hel have much to teach us about our ancestors and our own mortality. When we work with goddesses of death and the ancestors they are able to teach us how to connect with our beloved dead. There is much power by connecting with the ancestors.

Another thing I enjoy doing at this time of year is to venture our into a desolate natural area and commune with the spirits there. Have you ever gone into the snow filled woods and connected to the spirits? It always fills my spirit with wonder and magick to go into the woods and establish relationships with the winter spirits. I have found that the spirits are very active because there is little human traffic through these natural areas. This is also a wonderful time to connect with the forest animals. The trees and shrubs are bare and it is far easier to see animals looking for food or just enjoying the winter day. When you approach the animals do so with humility and caution. They are not used to seeing people during these gloomy days and they will often watch you to make sure you are not there to cause them harm. I never get too close to them out of respect. This is their wood and their home. I will open my heart chakra and radiate the energy of love, compassion, and healing. Animals can sense our energies so when I do this they don’t find me threatening. Most of the time the animals I connect with in my local park or forest preserve are deer, racoons, foxes, birds, and rabbits. One way to connect with them is to gently send energy from your heart chakra. Sometimes, they may send energy back to extend a greeting. I may then speak with them through my heart and leave a small offering for them.

There are many long nights in winter. The nightly winds can be brutal and I often seek the comfort of my warm home and the cuddles of cats. The dark night has healing power of its own. This is the time for magical solitude in the darkness. The darkness can help us go within our own mind and spirit and discover much wisdom and power. I find myself lighting a single candle in the dark and asking my gods and spirits to show me what I need to heal. I ask them to show me in a spirit journey the areas of my life that I need to address and take care of. I will also ask them to help me find the wisdom to heal my spirit and to show me the best way for me to do so. I then close my eyes and visualize my gods and spirits showing me the path on which I need to follow to discover the healing power for myself. 

One of the more powerful things I will do, is ask my spirits to help me work on my shadow. I have found that the spirits will remind you of things that you have long forgotten. Things that we have put aside for another day. The dark nights of winter are a good opportunity to address things that linger in the shadow mind. I also ask the spirits to guide me through my shadow work in a way that is balancing and healing and to be patient with me when I don’t understand certain things about my path and myself. Then I ask them to send me healing energy so I can process the shadow in a way that is good and right for all concerned.

The winter has much magick and power if we take the time to go within and reflect on its energies. As the warm days teach us the magick of life so, too, does the cold days of winter teach us the magick of the dark and of the dead time. Winter magick can be challenging, but through practice and patience with ourselves we will discover the power of the dark days.