Many have interpreted the stories of Ouranos-Kronos-Zeus as an illustration of patriarchal rulership, where the ruler desires power and seeks to keep hold of that power at all costs, similar to the Biblical story of Herod the Great. They see Ouranos and Kronos as the “evil” father who rules as a tyrant and desires to keep his subjects, even his own children, within his tight grip. It is only the benevolent Zeus and His “enlightened” siblings who overthrow the “tyranny” and bring light and order to the world.

I propose this is not the case.

To begin, let’s look at the meanings behind the deities. Ouranos is the celestial, timeless sky who descends each night to mate with his wife, Gaia. To relate them to the Qabalistic Tree of Life, I propose they correspond to Chokma (Ouranos) and Binah (Gaia). They are two parts of the timeless Supernal Triad. But to bring about manifestation to more concrete planes, there needs to be a way to break from timelessness and create a more concrete form. Thus, Gaia and Ouranos gave birth to Kronos.

I think Saturn/Kronos is frequently misplaced at Binah on the Tree of Life. This has never made sense to me because that would be the only planet originally placed in the Supernal Triad, thus breaking the natural symmetry and rhythm of the Tree. As a result, I realized that Kronos properly exists in Daat, the Abyss. It is through time that all lower aspects of existence can be manifest because of the framework provided by time.

Kronos castrated his father, Ouranos, not out of the petty desire for power but instead it was the power of time that made further emanations mortal and changing. In effect, the creation of time castrated Ouranos’ ability to emanate timeless offspring. Now all things have a time-based reference and therefore, are mortal and finite. This is what separates the Supernal Triad from the lower Sephiroth.

The story says that Kronos wanted to prevent his children from overthrowing him, as he had with his father. As a result, he devoured his offspring until Zeus tricked him. This makes sense because time devours (ends) everything as now everything changes and is finite.

The story of the Titanomachy can be taken a couple of ways. One is that Zeus, with the help of his mother and grandmother, discovered the secret to beating time, thus becoming able to create immortal, unchanging and supernal creations. But he did not kill time. Instead he only banished Kronos to Tartaros, the Abyss. This does not diminish the power of time, but makes it a force hidden from the understanding of lower emanations on the Tree.

When Zeus, a deity of light and order, led the Olympian Gods to the victory of the Titanomachy, it broke the universe through the barrier of timelessness and enabled more concrete forms lower on the Tree to manifest.

But it was not a total victory. Kronos was not killed or made impotent. He was simply hidden away in the darkness of Tartaros, where many of the dark and powerful Titans exist. Kronos still rules all below Him, as time ends all things just as it begins all things.

The second way to look at the Olympian victory is that Zeus did not beat time, but only learned to use it for His will which is to bring forth further manifestations on lower, and more concrete, levels. Zeus brought a further separation between the Light and the Dark when he pushed Kronos into Tartaros.

Many more people worship Zeus instead of Kronos because they are drawn to His light and sense of concrete order. They shun the things that live in the dark out of fear of it.

This is why most people cannot progress beyond Chesed and truly cross the Great Abyss. They cannot get past the fear of the ticking clock, the vast darkness with its many pitfalls into hubris and insanity. Most focus their energies only on the light and wonder why the dark, destructive forces of time always intrude in their workings and in their lives.

A few learn to embrace the dark and balance it with light. They seek its wisdom and understanding. This allows them to truly understand time and use Kronos to guide them across toward the eternal powers of the Supernal Triad on the other side. Kronos is not a petty tyrant who wishes for everyone to stay within His grasp at all costs. He is a guide for those who wish to grok time and use it to further their will, for both creation and the necessary destruction.

These select people who commit to studying the dark mysteries also understand that order is not timeless. Light is not timeless. All things are born of the dark and they will die in the dark. It is through embracing the darkness of Kronos/Daat that they can evolve into a higher eternal being themselves.

But does this mean there’s nothing you can do for yourself or your family? Does it mean that you’re doomed to poverty? No, not at all. Even during the Great Depression, many families grew in abundance and some even became wealthy. How do you grow instead of decline? It’s a matter of understanding the nature of abundance.

I’m sure you’ve read about abundance before, as it is a popular topic among Pagans/Wiccan literature and elsewhere. But hopefully here I might provide a slightly different perspective that may help supplement what others have written.

Money, wealth, love, and all things are ruled by the Law of Gravity, as it affects energy in addition to matter. The law may manifest differently depending on the nature of the matter or energy but it does affect everything. Ever notice that people who already have millions of dollars are the ones who receive even more millions? The same as how people who have nothing generally don’t receive anything substantial either. Government policies and forced redistribution of wealth through taxes and welfare cannot change this fundamental law of the universe.

Many have said that the difference is your attitude. You need to think about positive things to attract positive things. If you think about negative things, then you will attract that. There is a lot of truth to it. But I don’t agree with how I’ve seen many approach this.

I see a lot of Wiccans who go through life trying very hard to focus exclusively on positive things, and deny as much as they can the negative things. This is an unbalanced way to live and tends to not achieve the positive abundance that’s sought, but instead the denial brings misery. It is a passive-aggressive way of viewing the universe.

Instead, my suggestion is to put aside your expectations. Life shouldn’t be “like” anything. Many, including myself, become despondent when life brings something that “shouldn’t have happened.” Life is. Just take it how it comes and don’t worry about how it “should” be. Instead, view the events that happen to you in terms of your will. The events happen and you need to decide how to react to them.

Think of it this way. If you lose your job (as I personally experienced during the Dot.Bomb crash), you can go home and mope about how your former employer “owes” you something, like a job or salary. Or how the government “owes” you for higher unemployment benefits than the small amount they give for a while. Or how the government “owes” you for a livelihood. This thinking comes from how you’re not “supposed” to be jobless. You say this shouldn’t have happened and someone (other than you) caused your plans to be thwarted.

Well maybe someone other than you messed up. But how is that thinking going to help your situation? Instead, think (and pray) about it in terms of your will. Maybe it is a blessing in disguise. You need to look at your will and decide from that what you are going to do next. Don’t worry about the past, about what happened. Just look at where you are at right now, what is your will, and what can you do today to further yourself along your path. If you don’t know what your will is, then I highly suggest checking out my series on the Witches Square, which will help you discover your will.

How does this relate to abundance and gravity? Here’s how. Take what happens to you or around you and find something, no matter how small, to be thankful for or that is positive. This is where I deviate from the people I see who only see the positive and deny the negative.

Don’t deny that it sucks to lose your job (or whatever negative happened to you). Likewise, don’t deny that you’re pissed off about it. Anger and sadness are a natural part of a balanced life. Scream out your anger to Medusa. Then see where you are at and what you are going to do. What good came out of it? Did it free you from an unhappy situation (even though it wasn’t the way you wanted to be freed)? The way to see the positive and attract the positive (thus raising the gravitational pull of positive things to yourself) is to find the blessing in everything.

If someone else gets the promotion you wanted, don’t resent them. Be truly happy for them. Get pissed off about it at home, figure out what the blessing in it could be for you (this may take some meditation and prayer) and then be honestly and sincerely happy for the other person. Understand that this doesn’t all have to happen in a day. It takes time to go through the process.

Here is a small prayer I wrote that can help with growing the abundance of money, love, and anything in your life:

Lord Apollo, Lord of Light,
grant me the eyes to see that my life is blessed,
even though I am blind to it sometimes.
Show me the blessings in everything.

Lady Venus, Lady of Love,
help my heart open to your eternal love,
and the positive attractive powers of your love,
as love draws all things together.
Show me the way to open my heart more to give away what I wish to receive.

Lord Jupiter, King of Abundance,
guide me to use the light of Apollo and the love of Venus
to attract the abundance of the universe
as you attract and grow, and give eternally.
Show me the way to use my many blessings to achieve my will.

So mote it be.

Over the last two years since that post, I have learned a lot about ministry from my Gods. I still see much of what I previously wrote as being still relevant and important, so I suggest you take a look at it if you haven’t already.

I grew up spiritually in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. It is a very spiritually open and developed area that has earned the nickname “Paganistan,” and with good reason. Since moving to Aberdeen, SD and the Los  Angeles area, I have had the opportunity to experience living in less Pagan-friendly areas.

Through that experience, I’ve seen how much more dire the situation is for a lack of ordained Wiccan and Pagan ministers. There are literally millions of people interested or practicing Wiccan or Pagan religions who are in need of ministerial services and unable to obtain them locally. This ranges from spiritual counseling, bereavement assistance, spiritual guidance and instruction, leading groups, and just being a spiritual friend.

A number of Wiccan and Pagan organizations and churches have folded in the last few years, making it more difficult for people who are called to obtain their ordinations locally, or receive any local ministerial training.

It is because of this that I have changed my views on online ordinations and related ways of getting ministerial credentials. I previously wrote that free online ordinations like those issued from the Universal Life Church offered no training or preparation and are not recognized by all states. As such, I recommended against using that method because it was what I considered to be inadequate.

The Gods have been telling me, though, that I need to be more open and flexible in my thinking. Even though I received ministerial training thorough an apprenticeship program, I’ve since learned that I still had much to learn that can only be taught by experience and the Gods. There is nothing that will replace the teaching methods used in the School of Hard Knocks.

As a result, if you have a desire to serve others in a ministerial capacity, don’t let the lack of a local organization prevent you. It is the Gods who offer True Ordination. People (and organizations created by people) cannot do this for you, regardless of your religion. The obtaining of ministerial credentials is just a human legal procedure used to give the State power over its subjects. If the Gods call you to ministry and give you ordination, then look into the laws of your area to see if you need to file ordinations to get state recognition. Many states have no such requirement, so you don’t need to do anything.

If they do require this step and you don’t have a Wiccan organization in your area that offers this, then by all means file with the Universal Life Church. They are very familiar with the filing requirements of every state and can provide whatever paperwork you need, including hand-signed original documents. Though they charge a fee for some services, it takes them time and resources to do this, so I think it’s appropriate to pay for that.

Also remember that you can act as a minister even without filing. The only restrictions in states that require filing generally relate to officiating legal marriages. You can do everything else without filing.

As far as receiving ministerial training, my suggestion is to perform daily practices (you can find some suggestions on this blog and elsewhere), open your heart, pray, and listen to your Gods and spirit guides. It is the School of Hard Knocks, but it is an excellent school if you remain open, loving and persevere though the challenges of ministry.

The Wiccan and Pagan communities need more ministers, and the Gods are calling more and more to serving them in ministry. Don’t let the rules of human-run state prevent you from answering the call you received from the Gods to serve.

They said that when they approached their altar after the ritual, they felt physically sick. Though effects like this don’t happen often, they are not uncommon. I thought I’d share my response with them, which includes a more intense ritual of physic surgery that can help with this problem. Note that this ritual is very intense and will require preparation. Don’t do this ritual if you are not ready to go through an intense spiritual purging, or if you’re not really ready on all levels.

In general, it is common for someone to feel sick after a healing. In the bodywork circles, such as massage, shiatsu, Reiki, etc. it’s frequently called a “healing crisis.” The cause is generally from getting rid of something that you’ve become very used to having. Your body is trying to readjust to the new condition of being without that burden that it was used to having. Think of it in similar terms as the withdrawal symptoms that drug addicts (including caffeine addicts) experience when their body is cleansed of the drug they have been used to having.

It sounds a little different in the particular situation that was described to me. Healing crises normally are a general feeling of illness, such as headaches or sick-to-your-stomach feelings that last for a few days or up to a week after a healing. From what the person told me, it only happens when they approach their altar. It seemed to me, by what my spirits told me about it, that their particular problem is that they didn’t completely let go of the negativity they were pushing out when they performed the dark goddess ritual. They pushed out most of it, but still held on to a small portion. That energy is in their body at the place where they felt sick.

If you’re experiencing something like this, or another type of healing crisis that either affects only a part of your body or only at specific times, then this ritual may be for you. If you are experiencing a general healing crisis, where your whole body (or most of it) feels tired, low-energy, or ill for a few days to a week, then it is better to simply care for yourself with relaxation time and meditation instead of doing this ritual.

A localized, specific healing crisis may happen for a couple reasons:

1. Your body (including your spiritual body) was not completely ready to let go of all the negativity. To relate it to a physical ailment, this type of cause is common with cancer patients, where it can take multiple surgeries to remove it all. In this case, it has nothing to do with fear holding it back, but simply that one working is not enough. If this is the case, then a repeat of the dark goddess ritual may be more appropriate, instead of this ritual.
2. You had not completely committed (either consciously or unconsciously) to ridding yourself of that negative energy you purged. You thought you wanted to push it away, but some part of you was afraid to do so. This is common in drug addicts (including caffeine and nicotine addicts), where they are consciously committed to kicking the habit, but some part of them fights very hard to get the drug. This isn’t a sign of a weakness of your will or resolve, but is instead a sign of fear to surrender and let go of that part.

If your issue caused by cause #2 above, this intense ritual of psychic surgery may help.

Psychic Surgery Ritual for Removing Specific Negativity

1. Make sure that you read the above introduction fully and understand that there are risks to doing this ritual if you are not ready.
2. Make sure that you’re ready to be clean of that unwanted part of you. Many people use their phobias, bad habits, hurtful thoughts, and other negativity as a crutch in life. If you’re not really ready to let it go, then it may not work. Meditation and prayer can help with this. When you are sure you are ready to let it go, then move on to the next step.
3. During the night of a Full Moon (or within 3 days of a Full Moon):
   1. Have a length of biodegradable black cord available. The actual length and thickness don’t matter, but 12-24 inches would be sufficient. It should be made of natural fibers like cotton, silk, hemp, etc.
   2. Also have a pair of sharp scissors and a clean glass jar with a lid (such as a Mason or canning jar or a mayonnaise jar) available.
   3. Go to the altar and notice how your body feels. Don’t be afraid to feel sick. If you feel like throwing up when you approach it, bring a bucket and a wet towel with and allow yourself to let it happen if it does.
   4. Banish away all negativity from the space. Odds are that your body won’t be able to let go with just a simple banishing, but it will prevent other negativity in the room from complicating things.
   5. Raise a circle of protection and call quarters in your usual fashion, including any spirit guides or totem animals you wish to assist.
   6. Invite Medusa and the Healing Pentad into the circle. The Healing Pentad consists of: Asclepios (God of Healing), Podalerios (God of Surgery), Machaon (God of Physicians), Hygeiea (Goddess of Wellness), and Panacaea (Goddess of Medicines).
   7. Close your eyes, relax and feel the sensations. Allow any images that come from it to appear. Understand that the Healing Pentad will protect you and help you heal, while Medusa will take away the negativity/blockage.
   8. Actively allowing the sensations to be experienced will help you understand why it is happening. Maybe it’s an old traumatic experience, or some other cause. Whatever it is, allow yourself to fully experience and explore it, knowing that there is truly nothing to fear. If you feel the urge to scream or cry, let it happen. This process will bring out the cause of the negativity and loosen it from your physical and/or spiritual body. Then the divine physician, Machaeon, can guide it away.
   9. When you think you’ve experienced it fully, take the black cord and tie 3 knots in it. Place all 3 knots near the same end of rope. They should be separated by about 1 inch or more of rope.
   10. Take the first knot in both hands and focus the physical sensations you feel into it. Ask Medusa to help the negative energy go into the knots.
   11. Take the second knot in both hands and send the negative emotional feelings you experience into it.
   12. Hold the third knot in both hands and feel the negative spiritual energy, the blockage, flow from your body into it.
   13. When the cord is charged, place the end that doesn’t have any knots near your body, preferably touching near the place where the negative physical sensations are strongest. Hold the other end out away from your body toward the altar. If it’s easier, you can place the cord on the altar as well, but with the knots pointed away from you.
   14. Take the scissors in your hand.
   15. Ask Podalerios to cut away the negativity and its cause from your body, mind and spirit.
   16. Cut the cord such that all 3 knots are still connected with each other, but separated from the end of the cord closest to your body.
   17. You may feel a release, or some other sensation when the cord is cut. It may hurt a little, but don’t be afraid of it. Likewise, if you don’t feel anything physically, do not worry. The magic works on higher levels than your body so you may not feel anything initially.
   18. Ask Panacaea to help take away any pain and to give you the spiritual medicine that will help you recover.
   19. Ask Ascleipios to help you heal from this psychic surgery.
   20. Ask Hygeiea to help your body grow and develop from the experience and become it’s natural well-self. She will help you become stronger from the experience.
   21. Place the whole cord (both parts) into the glass jar and close it tightly. Keep it covered and in an out-of-the-way place, such as in a basement or the back of a closet where you won’t see it.
   22. Thank the Gods (and any spirits and/or totems you may have called) for their assistance and dismiss the circle.
4. During a night of a Dark (New) Moon, or within 3 days of one:
   1. Still covered, take the cord in the jar for a drive, along with a shovel. Go to a remote location that you will not return to for many years, if ever. It should be away from people and on public land, so you are not trespassing.
   2. If you wish, you may put up a small circle, inviting Medusa to join you. For this part of the working, a circle is not required, though.
   3. Dig a hole in the ground about 1 ft. deep.
   4. Remove the cut cord with the knots from the jar.
   5. Gently place the cord in the bottom of the hole, saying a prayer to Medusa asking her to take it along with your unwanted negativity and decompose it and turn it into fertile earth that other living beings may use for good. Medusa has the power to take unwanted negative energy, break it down completely, and turn it into something more useful, just as worms and maggots do for a dead body.
   6. Thank Her for Her assistance and fill in the hole. There should be as little evidence as possible that you were ever there when you are done.
   7. When you leave, make sure you take with you everything you arrived with, except the buried cord.
   8. Do not look back when you leave and do not return to this place for many years, if ever. It needs to be at least the amount of time needed to completely decompose the cord.
5. Upon returning to your alter after burying the cord, do a banishing of the altar and the room it’s in (and ideally your whole house) with sage. You can also use the first part of the room banishing spell I previously posted.

This spell will rid you of the root cause of your trouble that’s causing your feelings of sickness. It will take time for the effects to fully manifest, but know that it will happen and the Healing Pentad will help you recover and grow. It is best if you can take it easy for a few days after the ritual. This may include taking time for a slow, hot cup of your favorite tea, a long bath, meditation or anything else you do to relax. Avoid stressful situations as much as possible for a week.

If you have any questions about this ritual, or any others, feel free to email me via my contact form. Or, if you prefer, feel free to mail me via snail-mail at the address posted on that page.

In Love and Light.

The roads on the mountain were full of various beings walking, including humans, different animals, spiritual beings. They were all walking at different speeds and were currently at different elevations. The roads were the religions and religious traditions. Some people were further along the path and closer to the Gnosis of Divinity. Others were lower and less wise. Everyone was stumbling at times. Sometimes someone would lose their footing and slip backward.

There were some people who were helping those who slipped, along with helping those who merely stumbled. They caught them to keep them from slipping. But those helpers were themselves walking the path as well.

The higher, spiritual entities included such beings as spirit guides, Gods and others. Because they were no longer corporal, they had the ability to connect with people further down the mountain to help them. They could tell those people what the road is like ahead and how to navigate the obstacles easier. They couldn’t pick the people up and carry them past the obstacles, but they were able to help with inspiration, energy, foresight, and many other ways.

Many people didn’t know what road to take. They walked along, but the road got very difficult. Or maybe it didn’t feel like the kind of road they wanted to walk on. So they traversed sideways to change to a different road. This sometimes made the walk less burdensome to them. It’s not like the road was really any easier, but the scenery and the people walking that path were more appealing.

Some people would keep changing roads, believing that if they just found the expressway, they could get all the way to the top quickly, easily, and in air-conditioned comfort. Unfortunately for them, the roads I see are all winding and rough.

As the roads continue up the mountain, they merge at different points. At the very top, all of the roads and paths merge into a single, narrow footpath of Enlightenment.

The vision is similar to others I’ve had in the past, but I saw it in a new way this time. I saw the struggles everyone was having. Even those who were leaders and enlightened-ones were struggling. They helped others, but themselves sometimes fell. Occasionally, I would see people on different paths reach out and help each other. They didn’t push the other person to change to their “better” road, but encouraged the person on their own path.

I learned many things from this vision that I thought I’d share.

1. We are all struggling and suffering in our journey toward Gnosis and Enlightenment. Everyone, from the very wise Dalai Lama to the adamant Atheist. The specific obstacles are different in their details, but nobody is immune.
2. All spiritual and religious paths are not the same path. They may all lead to the same summit. They may all converge into a single path, but they are still different paths. Nobody, except those who have achieved complete Gnosis would know anything about that single, short footpath that is rarely traveled at the top. What I can say is that the final footpath was a new path, not an extension of any single path below.
3. Some of the roads were paved and wide, carrying many people, but were full of potholes and were confusing to follow.
4. Some of the roads were narrow, sometimes only a single person trying to see it in the underbrush. These paths were no less confusing or difficult.
5. The people who changed paths did so by going sideways or down normally. It was very rare for them to move upward during their transition.
6. People who continued to change paths over and over again, never being satisfied, continued to go around the mountain or down it, rather than up.
7. The best reason to change paths is because you find more kindred people and spirits there or you enjoy the scenery better. Not because you think the new path is the “true” path or an easier one.
8. As you get higher up the mountain, you find an understanding of other religions. You don’t see them as being the same with different names, since they are not the same. But you gain an ecumenical understanding of the faiths and the people who follow them.
9. It is wise to not judge those below you on the path, or on other paths, for you may be the next to stumble and fall.
10. It is wise to offer a hand of sincere compassion to those around you, especially those who are struggling or have fallen, for you may be the next to stumble and fall.

May the light of your Gods shine upon you and your path.

The reason we chose Joshua Tree was because we wanted to be far away from people in a remote area in nature where we could celebrate with a lot of noise. We love to drum with our children and ring bells and chimes and we didn’t want to disturb anyone. We also didn’t want to be disturbed. Since most land (even remote, unoccupied land) is privately owned, we needed to choose a spot that we knew for sure was government owned and opened to the public to ensure we were not trespassing. The national park made a logical choice.

The way we have addressed onlookers in the past is to simply ignore them during the ceremony. When the circle goes up, make sure that it is strong enough that everyone present can focus on the ritual and not be disturbed by what’s going on outside the circle. We have not had problems with ruffians who wanted to disrupt the ritual in the past, as onlookers have been just curious. I think in most areas the fear of protesters and ruffians is over-blown (though I do understand that in some areas of the US, it is a very real and legitimate concern). If you have a problem with such people causing a disturbance, as long as you are following all rules and laws, you can call the police to protect you.

A larger concern for me is disturbances from officials, such as police, security guards, or park rangers. You legally cannot just ignore those people. Last night, a park ranger approached our family during the middle of the ritual. Luckily it wasn’t during a particularly intense section. We had to momentarily stop the circle and I approached the park ranger to greet him. I was very, very polite at all times, even turning my head-mounted flashlight off so as to not blind him. He shone his light in my face, but I ignored that, since he needed to know who I was and that I was not going to harm him.

He asked what we were doing and I told him that we were performing a family Wiccan ritual celebrating the Winter Solstice. I’ve learned it’s best to describe our activities in language that he will understand, so we did not use any Wiccan jargon during the conversation. He approached our altar and asked what various items were, which we politely described.

Prior to arrival, I made sure I knew the rules of the park, so we knew we were not violating any. These are rules such as not disturbing or taking any plants, animals, rocks or anything else in the park. Our candles were all tea-lights contained in jars to prevent the risk of wildfire, a very serious concern in southern California. It also had a side benefit of protecting the candle flames from the desert wind. We had worked to contain all of our belongings, including trash, in a small area to ensure that we left nothing behind. This showed the park ranger that we were serious about respecting the land.

The park ranger asked more specific questions about our liquids. We had blessing water with us and cherry-lemonade. Naturally, he needed to be assured we had no alcohol with us. Incense was burning (Dragon’s Blood, Juniper and Sandalwood), but he didn’t ask any questions about it.

We were conscious to make sure we were extra polite and respectful of the park ranger at all times. As a result, he left without incident after being assured that we were not doing anything to violate the park rules.

This interaction with the park ranger last night is typical of our past experiences over the years with officials who may approach us during outdoor rituals. It is not their job to judge the religion we are celebrating, as they are banned from doing so by the First Amendment. It is their job, however to ensure that all rules are being followed and that everything is handled in a safe manner.

When I’ve seen Wiccan and Pagan groups have problems with the police or park rangers, it is normally because they were either not following all rules. For example, many parks may ban open flame, alcohol, or weapons such as athames or swords. Otherwise, it is because not everyone was quiet, polite and respectful to the officer. If you get defensive, then they will think you are trying to hide something. Just keep your cool and silently ask your Gods and spirits to help you show them that they don’t need to concern themselves with your ritual.

Luckily, Pagans and Wiccans worship the earth and would not leave trash behind, which is a very major concern for park rangers. This reputation for respect and honoring the land and the rules helps the rangers understand us better and makes it easier in the future to hold outdoor rituals without disturbance.

My hope is that Pagans and Wiccans will become more comfortable holding outdoor rituals. We are a nature-loving, earth-worshiping group of religions and we are spiritually most at home in the outdoors. It is only natural that we should hold our worship services outdoors whenever practical, knowing that we can confidently handle any disturbances that may occur. As our reputation for respect and honor becomes more well-known in the police departments and park ranger stations, we should experience less and less disturbances from officials.

When someone lives through thousands of lifetimes and more, they evolve in wisdom and understanding to the point that they no longer need to reincarnate. They are given a choice. They can choose to live a life of human suffering and reincarnate voluntarily to be a light in the world, or they can choose to be a spirit guide and not reincarnate. Those who choose to come back are frequently unique people with strong spiritual influence in the world. Such examples would be Jesus of Nazareth, the Prophet Mohammad, and more recently, Mahatma Gandhi and the Dalai Lama.

Most choose to not reincarnate and help people from the spiritual planes as a spirit guide. They are assigned to a soul to aid them and guide them in their life toward wisdom and enlightenment. They follow the soul from lifetime to lifetime, so your spirit guides have been with you through many past lives and will still be with you in future lives.

It is common to have more than one spirit guide. From what my spirit guide told me about it, a new spirit guide is in an apprenticeship program, where they guide someone (or more commonly a few people) under the supervision and guidance of a more experienced senior spirit guide. As a result, it is common to have a junior spirit guide and a senior spirit guide. You normally will talk with the junior spirit guide most of the time. The work of hypnotherapist Dr. Michael Newton also agrees with what my spirit guide told me, so I highly recommend reading his books Journey of Souls and Destiny of Souls to learn more about spirit guides and what it is like between lifetimes.

Enough of the background theory… let’s get to how to contact your first spirit guide and begin the conversation with them.

1. Make sure you have at least 30-60 minutes available to be undisturbed. This should be done in a closed, dark room or outside. You can have a few candles lit for light.
2. Change into your special ritual clothing if you have any. If not, you can choose to do this ritual skyclad (nude). You can also do it in regular clothing, but make sure it is loose-fitting and comfortable.
3. Banish the circle in a widdershins direction, commanding as strongly as you can that all negative spirits, demons and energy leave this space now so you may work in peace and be undisturbed by them.
4. Cast a circle of protection in a deosil direction. Focus the energy to come from the earth and up thorough your body, down your arm and out your 2 outstretched fingers (index and middle). Command that it keep out all negative energy and influences and anything that will disturb you.
5. Take some salt and add it to a small amount of water to bless it. You are taking the salt, representing Earth, and combining it with water to create the Elixir of the Mother’s Womb, from which we all came. Dab or smear some of the salt water on your forehead between your eyes (where your Ajna chakra – Third Eye – is located).
6. Light some mugwort, sandalwood and wormwood. Stick incense works, but loose incense burning on incense charcoal works best. When lighting these, keep in mind that you are lighting the Spark of Life, combining Air and Fire. This is the male aspect of creation. Wave the incense smoke around you and all over your body, paying particular attention to your forehead area. Breathe the incense deeply and feel your mind and third eye opening.
7. Lay down on your back or sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Feel your belly rise and fall with each breath.
8. When you are relaxed, ask your spirit guide to make themselves known to you. You can do this aloud or silently in your mind.
9. Meditate silently, letting any thoughts slip thorough you. After some time, you will hear a voice in your head. You may also see a figure appear. This will be your spirit guide.
10. Ask them their name. This is an important thing to get from them, as it will allow you to easily contact them in the future. Your spirit guide loves you and cares for you, so they will give their name to you freely.
11. Ask them any questions you have and have a conversation. It doesn’t matter if it is short or long, since this is only the first contact of many you will have.
12. When you are done, thank them for connecting with you and guiding you.
13. Take the circle down by extending your middle and index fingers and draw the energy in by going in a widdershins direction. Feel the energy go into your heart and warm it. Feel the love of the universe, of your spirit guides, and the Gods in your heart.
14. Write down your experiences in your magical journal. This is very important because it is very easy to forget the details (even though you swear you won’t forget). Write down as much detail as you can remember, even those that don’t make sense or seem unimportant. They will come in handy when you review your journal in the future. Make sure to write down your spirit guide’s name.

Once you have made initial contact with your spirit guide, you will have an unbreakable chain to them that you can use all your life (and future lives). If you are lost or confused about something, you can ask your spirit guide for advice. You will get to the point very quickly of not needing to do a full ritual to converse with them. You can simply call their name and they will respond. You can do this silently in your head as well.

After a while, your spirit guide may introduce you to their teacher, who guides them through their apprenticeship. If you ever ask a question that your spirit guide doesn’t know, they will ask their teacher, so don’t worry about having a problem that they can’t answer even though they are an apprentice.

As you go through your journey in life, feel free to run things by your spirit guide. For example, it may be confusing to see all the different conflicting views on how to live a Wiccan life, or what deities to worship, etc. Use your intuition and ask your spirit guide.

Just make sure that you remember that your actions are your own and you follow your own free will. Your spirit guide will give you advice, but like all advice in life, you can choose to follow it or ignore it. You do not serve your spirit guide, but they are great advisors.

May your conversations with your spirit guide be deep and plentiful, and bring you blessing.

Hymn to Hekate

Hail Hekate, Dark Mother, keeper of hounds
You watch over the souls of all young things
Hear our prayer Lady listener of all
Who heard Kore’s scream of Terror falling into the arms of Hades
And alerted questing Demeter to her daughter’s passing
Mother of Mourmo, you transform Fear into physical reality
Shooting it into the whirling crossroads of Fate and Will
That we may no longer be overcome with Regret
Mistress of the Gnosis hound, you uncover that which would remain hidden
And rouse our souls in bacchant to examine the darkest deeds
Sending them to haunt us until we cast them away
Through the Courage of the all-seeing Dawn
Granddaughter of Phoebe and Koios,
Daughter of Asteria and Perses
Your Mother sheltered her sister Leto when under pregnant duress
She escaped Hera’s jealous wrath
To bring forth Artemis and Apollo
You cause our hearts to cry out “Mommy!”
Seeking shelter and rest in your comforting embrace
Midwife of new beings, watcher of herds,
You tag the sickness that we may heal ourselves
And replace the miasma with Strength and Harmony
Goddess of lost treasures returned,
We offer you the choice cuts first
To keep the Earth fertile, lest our foul deeds return to life
And pursue us for eternity
Guard our promises, Lady of the keys
Protect our gates and crossroads from surprise attacks, without and within
And send your dogs barking to scare away the intruders
Should we not fulfill our bargain in return,
May your hounds devour our souls

—Rev. Lady Bella Sundancer

Hymn to Medusa

Hail Lady Medusa, full-fledged raging gorgon Queen,
Your serpent-locks strike dread
Your pain is gut-wrenching in its sadness
Born terrifyingly beautiful of monstrous parents,
From the oceanic depths of the murky earth
You alone of three sisters were mortal
Seduced by Poseidon, cursed by Athena,
Endlessly pursued by terror, rage, despair, and malevolence
With one look you take it all in and the worst fiends
Are frozen into stone
In death, with one mirrored stroke by Perseus beheaded,
You are forever disembodied
Your blood created a mighty spawn
Fit to quake the mightiest heroes’ hearts
Lady Queen, you purify the bloody oath
And taking everything, you take no words lightly
For your sacrifice we give you our solemn word
That you may devour that which is unclean
Oh pale lady of the backbiting sweetness of revenge,
We pray to you to take away our deepest fears

—Rev. Lady Bella Sundancer

The obsession with light in nearly all people creates and reinforces a state of imbalance between our light and dark sides. As humans, we are created from opposing forces. This makes us all inherently light and dark in equal measure. If we focus our energy only on our light aspect, it can cause many problems.

The problems created manifest in many ways. For example, if someone represses their anger, they can become passive-aggressive. Their repressed Shadow lashes out with vengeance when it momentarily escapes its confines. Addiction is another very common manifestation of a repressed Shadow. The nature of the addiction, whether it be to drugs, alcohol, gambling, shopping, sex, criminal behavior, food, etc. is related to the nature of the person’s Shadow, especially the repressed portion.

Another issue that occurs is a loss of passion and vitality. As our intellect and emotions come from our light-side, our passion, drive and courage come from our dark-side. This starving of the Shadow can result in a person losing the will to live, losing focus in their life, and in extreme cases, can result in a new, stronger Shadow (a demon as some would call it) to enter the person’s life and take over as their Shadow, consuming the starved old Shadow. I have personally seen this happen.

It is important to learn about the nature of your Shadow and to feed it the measure it needs. This does not mean that you should indulge in absolutely everything that your Shadow seeks, as that will cause an imbalance in the other direction, which leads to ruin. Instead, work with it and develop a sincere relationship with it. Don’t just try to learn about it to learn to control it. Know that it is a natural part of yourself and if you try to hurt it, you are hurting yourself.

There are many rituals that can help you discover the nature of your Shadow. Here is a simple, powerful one that can help you identify your shadow and open a dialogue of understanding with it.

1. Setup a dark sacred space for your ritual using whatever method you prefer. Use dark imagery, such as any dark deities you work with, black or dark clothing, and one black or red candle.
2. Banish the space in a deosil (clockwise) direction of all obstruction and limitations and any beings that may restrict you from learning about your Shadow.
3. Cast a widdershins circle (counter-clockwise) using a wand. You may also use your first two fingers (index and middle) together instead of a wand.
4. Bless yourself in your usual fashion with the four elements. Use a dark incense, such as Dragon’s Blood or myrrh.
5. Call the quarters in the manner you feel most comfortable, though in a widdershins direction. Ask for their blessing and for their protection. Ask them to protect the circle and not let any entities enter other than the ones you call.
6. Call your Ancestors, God and Goddess. Some suggestions for deities for this would be Hestia, Hecate, or Persephone and Hades (or their counterparts in your pantheon). If you prefer to not name deities, you may simply call them Dark Father and Dark Mother. Ask for their help in meeting and learning about your Shadow. Also ask for their protection from fear.
7. Sit or lie in a comfortable position and relax all parts of your body. Let all tension and energy drain from your body to the earth below you (through the floor if there is one under you). Breathe deeply with your stomach. Feel the air move down the whole length of your torso to your belly.
8. You can also accomplish the necessary relaxation by tensing up a part of your body, hold it a few seconds as tense as you can, and let it relax as much as possible. Do this with every part of your body, one at a time. Start with the top of your head and move down to the bottoms of your feet.
9. Call to your Shadow. You may do this in a whisper if you prefer. Ask for it to show itself to you and allow you to learn about it. Ask for it to teach you its name, if it wishes.
10. Focus on the center of your body. If you have trouble with this, it is an indication of an energetic blockage (which can be helped by Getting in Touch With Your Chakras). You can gently place your left hand on your center to help your focus.
11. Imagine a blackness in your center, growing from the tiniest of points. Feel the inky-black energy grow, but do not be afraid. It will feel heavy, drawing you down into the chair, floor, or earth below you. Allow it to fill your body with its leaded black weight.
12. You may feel your breathing become difficult. If this happens, remember that the Gods, Ancestors and Quarters you called all are there to help and protect you. They will not let you be harmed. Fear is the greatest danger here, for if you allow fear to take over instead of the inky-blackness of your shadow, you can increase the separation between you and your Shadow. Just focus on breathing deeply, allowing the air to flow smoothly from your nose to your stomach and feel the fear leaving your body as you exhale.
13. Let the darkness within you just be there for a bit. Allow yourself to become used to it, as it is one manifestation of your shadow.
14. As you become comfortable with this, you may start to sense images, sounds, smells or body sensations. These may be uncomfortable for you, such as pieces of painful memories. Allow these to come and go as they will. Do not try to resist them, as they are part of your Shadow.
15. A figure may appear to you, or a beast of some kind, another manifestation of your Shadow. Or you may feel a disembodied presence within you. Speak to it in your mind. Ask what its nature is. What type of Shadow is it? What does it enjoy? What does it need to live fully and grow? How can you develop a deeper relationship with it? What is its name?
16. Do not judge its answers. Since the Shadow works with your darkest desires, passions, fears, etc. you may find its answers disturbing or repulsive. Don’t let this bother you; simply acknowledge them.
17. When you are finished, thank your Shadow for allowing you to meet it. Ask it to help you integrate and balance yourself with it better.
18. Thank the Gods, Ancestors, and Quarters you called for their help and dismiss them in your usual fashion. Make sure to dismiss the quarters in a deosil (clockwise) direction.
19. Open the circle by taking it back in the wand or your hand in a deosil direction. Touch the wand or your hand on your root chakra (Muladhara) and send the energy to strengthen it. This will help you integrate what you have learned.
20. Document what you learned. You can do this in any form, such as writing prose, poetry, drawing a picture, or whatever other form you feel will help you best remember the details. Much of what you saw and learned my be disturbing or disgusting to you or to others. This is ok. Your journal is only for your eyes. If you prefer to write it in a code, this is fine as well. Just remember that it is very important that you document your magical experiences like this so you can review it later and gain further insights.

There are many different kinds of Shadows, so don’t go into this with any specific expectations as to what you will find. When you learn about your Shadow and allow it to be an active, balanced part of your life, you will find many of your fears will cease to have power over you. You will find it easier to work on enhancing other parts of yourself because your Shadow will not be blocked from the process.

This time of annual transition is a perfect time to start working with your Shadow. This begins a process of balancing your light and dark aspects and developing them in equal measure. When you accept your Shadow and understand it, you are freed from two of the most paralyzing forces in our society, fear and guilt, the forces designed to separate you from your Shadow and your inner core strength and vitality.