Laurie Cabot was born Mercedes Elizabeth Kearsey on March 6, 1933 in Wewoka, Oklahoma.  She grew up in California but later as a teen came back to the Northeast to Boston to finish school.  She later when on to be a dancer at a well known club in the city, The Latin Quarter.  In later years Laurie would teach classes at Salem State College as part of the continuing education program, she’d give lectures and classes at other schools as well, and she would do a great deal of community work as well, and earned the Paul Revere Patriot’s Award in the late 1970s from Governor Michael Dukakis for her community service work with dyslexic kids.  In 1977 Gov. Dukakis bestowed Laurie with the title of “The Official Witch of Salem”, a title that Laurie has proudly carried ever since.

Laurie says that when she was a child, around the age of 6, she became aware that she had psychic abilities.  In her book “Power of the Witch” she tells a story about an elderly neighbor Mr. Bancroft, who passes away of a heart attack.  A week before his death she was told by her friend Kenny that Mr. Bancroft died and when Laurie went home to tell her mother she told her that their neighbor was alive and well.   Not knowing what happened or how she got the information Laurie just carried on as normal.  But a week later when Mr. Bancroft did pass away Laurie talked to her friend Kenny to find out how he knew that was going to happen.  He had no idea what she was talking about and said he never told her anything of the sort.  Laurie said that she wished someone had explained to her what precognition was so she could understand these experiences since this wasn’t the first and certainly wouldn’t be the last time she’d experience this.

In 1971 Laurie opened the very first Witch shop in Salem on Derby St.  It was also the first Witch shop in the country as well.  Her shops went through a handful of incarnations, including Crow Haven Corner which was opened by Laurie, later taken over by her daughter Jody, and is still open but under the ownership of a woman named Lorelei, a well known psychic from the area.  Just this week, a few days ago on the 31st of January, Laurie closed her most recent shop, The Official Witch Shop, ending her 40 years of having a shop in Salem.  It was a something the was certainly an end of an era but it was a sign of change since Laurie’s reasons for closing the shop was to make her more available to focus on creating a physical temple for her Cabot Kent Hermetic Temple.  And I am excited for that!

Laurie also founded several Witchcraft advocacy groups over the years including the Witches’ League for Public Awareness (WLPA) in 1986 and later the Project Witches Protection (PWP).  In 1987 Laurie decided to run for mayor of Salem after incumbent mayor Anthony V. Salvo made some derogatory comments in the media about Witchcraft.  Laurie wanted to continue on the efforts to change the perceptions of the idea of who Witches are and what they are capable of, so she started her bid for the office of mayor.  She ended up dropping out of the race on August 11th, and didn’t file the signatures and nomination papers to officially join the race, stating that other obligations, including work on a book, would prevent her from fully filling the mayoral duties.

When I first read “Power of the Witch” after having only read Scott Cunningham at this point, I felt like there was a whole other level to the Craft that I was discovering.  At this point I was 15.  I had read “Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner”, “Magickal Herbalism”, and “Earth Power”.  I had read a few bits and pieces from other books at the library but these Cunningham books were onces that I had bought at a local new and used bookstore.  I was a three years or so into my exploration of Witchcraft and two into actually practicing Wicca.  My interest in Salem was growing since it was only a few hours away and it was the kind of thing that you couldn’t avoid hearing about in school, especially with it being so close.  That was how I heard about Laurie.  When I was in the bookstore in the mall one weekend I started looking to see if I could find this book and much to my happiness, I found it with ease.

The approach that Laurie takes with the Craft as a science, giving a solid basis to many of the practice and beliefs beyond just believing in them, that inspired me.  I’m a person that likes proof and facts.  I don’t tend to beleive something because someone tells me about it or even if ten people tell me.  I need to find facts, history, and then experience things on my own.  And there were some things that she presented that made sense beyond just “oh, I could believe that”.  I think that it was really reading “Power of the Witch” that made me realize that this path was right for me.

Laurie’s Crystal Countdown, which is based on Jose Silva’s “Silva Mind Control” techniques, is by far the most effective meditation technique (for me) that I’ve ever worked with (and later it would reappear somewhat modified when I would begin studying with the Temple of Witchcraft).

And years later I would meet Christopher Penczak, start reading his books, and discover that he was a student of Laurie’s, something that made complete sense because so much of the things that made sense to me from her work comes through in his as well.  Even though I’ve been on this path for 26 years, I’m a huge advocate of always learning and always studying on this path.  So three years ago when Christopher started teaching the Temple tradition on a larger scale it gave me a chance to study with him, learn more about some of the similar things that Laurie teaches that drew me in, and finally put the last piece into the puzzle of my spiritual and magickal path.

On March 5th I’ll finally get to study directly with the woman who I feel is responsible for me seriously being on this path; I’ll be taking Laurie’s Witchcraft 1 class, her first degree class, something I’ve wanted to do for some time.  I’m planning to take Witchcraft 2 as well and, as long as I’m still going to be in Salem and I don’t end up moving back to California (ugh, make it stop!) I’ll be taking Witchcraft 3.

We also have some great music this week. Be sure to check out the artist’s websites!

Circle Casting by Fiona Horne (website)
Pulse of the Earth by Hungry Lucy (website)
God Thinks by Voltaire (website)
Ice by Sarah Mclachlan (website)
The Cave by Mumford & Sons (website)
Sirena by Faun (website)
Sorcerer by Stevie Nicks & Sheryl Crow (website)

Other links for this show:
www.paganblogproject.com
Lady Liberty League
Yes to Bibles, No to Spell Books (FOX News Article)
School Bible Giveaway Protester Reports Threats (FOX New Article)

When you’re a new Witch and you’re learning about herbs and their magickal uses one of the big things that you have to be careful of is falling into the trap of baneful herbs.  There are a lot of herbs that you hear about in connection to Witchcraft, like belladonna, that are highly toxic and extremely dangerous to work with when you don’t know what you’re doing.  I’m not going to tell anyone what to do with their herbs; I would certainly be telling a lie if I said I never experimented with baneful herbs in my magick so I’m not going to tell you that you shouldn’t do it!  But you do need to know what you’re doing.

Atropa Belladonna

First let’s talk about what a baneful herb is.  These are plants that are toxic or poisonous.  The herbs we think of most when talking about baneful herbs are those that are connected to the flying ointment recipes of ancient Witchcraft.   Most modern flying ointment recipes have removed any of the baneful herbs and replaced them with herbs that are safe for ingesting or applying to the skin but that might have energetic properties that would be favored in this kind of recipe.  Yet, there are still those Witches practicing in a traditional magickal path that learn to work with the baneful herbs safely and who still use herbs like belladonna in their recipes.

Many herbs have a variety of different folk names that they are known by.  For example belladonna is also known as deadly nightshade or Devil’s berries, among other names.  Here are some of the baneful herbs who you might be familiar with.

Datura
Foxglove
Hemlock
Henbane
Mandrake
Mistletoe
Wolfsbane
Pokeroot
Wild Lettuce
Lily of the Valley
Castor Beans

This is obviously not a complete list, but an example of some of the ones that you may come across a lot in books.  There are some, like wormwood, that are baneful but that we have learned how to work with over time and have discovered that have limits that can be safely worked within.

Aconite

It’s highly advised not to burn these herbs since their fumes are possibly toxic to inhale or to use oils or ointments made with them since the toxins can be absorbed through the skin.  And it should go without saying not to ingest them either.  But if you’re not willing to test the bounds of these herbs, you can still work with them in ritual and meditation through using the herb itself as a talisman or learning to connect with the plant spirit.

I think a lot of people forget that the plant, even the dried leaves of a plant, have a familiar spirit.  We can learn to connect with this spirit in the same way that we connect with the spirit of an animal or crystal in order to work with.  While the depth of how to do this and how to work with these herbs go far beyond what I am going to cover here now, I will say that if you have an interest in learning how to work with plan familiars, including learning how to work with baneful herbs, I would recommend reading “The Plant Spirit Familiar” by Christopher Penczak.

You can start with working as simply as having the herbs safely contained within a bottle or jar on your altar and connecting with energy of the plant by holding the jar or just having it in your space.  I recently made a “Flying Witches Bottle” filled with traditional flying ointment herbs that are baneful herbs and often avoided today.  This is something I’m planning to put up in my shop very soon.  But when I made the bottle I sealed it with silver wax and placed a skull on the top.  The point of this bottle is just to have a way to connect with the essence and energy of flying herbs without having to test the bounds of taking them in through your skin.  You can call on the specific properties of one of these herbs to work with you in whatever magick you’re doing.

My fly agaric bottles.

In the case of many of these baneful herbs they produce toxins that are hallucinogens and they aid in things like astral travel, visions, journey work, and other similar works that takes us off to another plane.  I have two bottle of fly agaric  my altar.  The smaller one with the silver pentacle on it is actually fly agaric in oil and the larger bottle is just the dried mushroom on their own.  I use them when I do journey work the most.  The shamanic aspect of my practice as increased a great deal in the last few years and I have found that working with plants like this one, which is highly toxic and can be quite deadly, can be safely partnered with when used in this way.

Now comes my inevitable warning/lecture.  Do not use these plants and herbs if you don’t know what you’re doing.  That should go without saying but it amazes me just how much it DOES need saying.  I have talked to people over the years who want to know things like “how much mandrake can I use to get high without getting sick” and “how can I make a safe tea with wormwood to have hallucinations?” I just have to shake my head at these.

When I was living in San Diego this really cute herb shop opened up a few blocks from my house called Happy High Herbs.  The shop is actually one of over 30 shops through Australia, the US and the UK.  They focus on herbal alternatives to drugs as well as health and healing herbs, recovery assistance, and aphrodisiacs.  But among those things there are also herbs for spiritual work and spiritual healing.  The shop I would go to had a series of shamanic herbal tinctures for use in meditation and healing.  I was there one night, actually my last trip over there before moving back to Salem, I went to take a look at a these tinctures to buy a few that I knew I wasn’t going to find around here.  I specifically wanted to get a bottle of Peyotl, which does not contain peyote but is a vibrational essence of that plant family, and it’s used for shamanic journey work, as you would imagine.

As I was talking to the woman that owned the shop about line of essences this typical SoCal college wannabe stoner guy comes over because he heard us talking about peyote.  He asked “So will that stuff get you high?  I took peyote once and it made me really sick so I’m not sure I want to do it again but I want to get the high from it.”  While I know it probably wasn’t my place to do it, I couldn’t help but go off the guy a little bit.  I explained to him that despite what he may think, peyote is not a plant for getting high.  It’s a highly spiritual plant that is meant to be taken for specific things.  It’s toxic and that’s why it makes you sick.  But if you approach the plant with the right intention you’re less likely to have a lot of problems with it because the spirit of the plant knows you’re coming to it with respect and the right intention.  When your spirit is not in alignment with the spirit of the plant, you’re not going to be able to work well together.  “So in other words,” I said as he began to get a glazed look come over his face, “if you’re using a sacred plant like peyote, salvia divinorum, or any of these other shamanic herbs to just ‘get high’ you’re not using the plant the way it was meant to be used and you’re not going to get the results you hope for.”  He looked a little surprised and confused all and the same time and the woman that owned the shop looked a little impressed.  She immediately asked me if I lived locally and if I would be interested in teaching classes there but since I was leaving in less than a week that wasn’t going to happen.  Which is a shame because I love being able to talk to people about things like entheogens. (I’m hoping to have time later this year to do some blogging specifically on entheogens.)

So just remember that if your intention is in alignment with the herb and you take the time to connect to the herb you can work with any baneful herb safely either as a talisman or as a plant spirit ally.  Knowing the uses of the herb and the possible dangers of it when it’s ingested is important.   Remember, just because you’re working with the herb energetically doesn’t mean you’ll never run into a problem.  So take your time to study your herbs and know how to work with it.  Developing a relationship with a plant spirit is like developing a relationship with an spirit guide in that it takes time and respect.

Oh…and now that Incubus Sukkubus song. 

I’m working on an article for the premier issue of The Modern Witch Magazine on crafting and working with moon cords.  I love moon cords and I teach cord magick to my students as a standard method of spellwork right after teaching candle magick techniques.  However, I’m always a bit surprised at how many people don’t know anything about it.  It’s so simple and quite effective; personally I find the results to be pretty much like using simple candle magick, which any Witch will tell you with the right level of focus and intent can be quite powerful.  So I make a point to intentionally teach this work.

After working up my quick outline and did a Google Book search to find what books I should go pull from my shelves to look read through.  I ended up grabbing “Earth Magic” by Marion Weinstein (a favorite of mine because it’s an old brown and gold covered book, 4th edition printing, and it just feels nice to hold).  I also got out “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wicca Craft” by Miria Liguana and Nina Metzner as well as “Lady of the Night” by Edain McCoy.

Marion Weinstein’s book was first published in 1980.  The editions that are out now are called “Earth Magic: A Book of Shadows for Positive Witches”; my edition is “Earth Magic: A Dianic Book of Shadows, a Guide for Witches”.   I did a quick double check with Google Books to make sure my edition was the same as the stuff that was on the site coming from the current edition, and it was.  So I read the chapter eight, “Cord and String Magic”.  It sounded really familiar to me.  I had searched for some cord magick stuff online and found a few websites (here, and then to this site which the previous one sites as a source, and here as well).  What I was reading in “Earth Magic” sounded identical to I’d see over and over on these sites.

Then I pick up the next book, “Wicca Craft”, and turn to page 59 and I almost threw the book to the floor.

Now, first, let me share the first paragraph of the chapter on cord magic from Marion Weinstein’s book.

[box type="shadow"]The idea behind Cord Magic is to embrace and preserve specific attributes of Moon Power which are available during a specific phase of the Moon. These attributes are directed into a length of cord and held there by knots; thus the attributes are available to the Witch at any time. For example, you may want to perform some magic which is appropriate for the Waxing Moon, such as drawing something into your life. Ideally, you would be wisest to wait until after the Moon is New to utilize the most compatible energies for your work. But what if you have good reason not tow wait, and what if -in linear times- up in the sky, the Moon is actually waning? No problem, if you have prepared a New Moon cord! By placing the cord on your altar as you work, you can actually draw upon the New Moon Power at any time of any month.”[/box]

[box type="shadow"]“You can prepare a cord during each phase of the Moon, and thus have available to you the Power of each phase. However, I strongly suggest that you use the cords only when absolutely necessary, and try to work with the phases of the Moon in the sky whenever you can.[/box]

If you’ve looked at those links up above this will sound really familiar to you.  Now look at the first two paragraphs of “Wicca Craft”.

[box type="shadow"]“The idea behind moon cords is to embrace and preserve specific attributes of moon power that are available during a specific moon phase. These attributes are directed into a length of cord and held there by knots; thus the attributes are available to a witch at any time.”[/box]

[box type="shadow"]“For example, you may wish to perform some magick that is appropriate to the Waning Moon. Ideally, you would be wisest to wait until three days after the moon is full to utilize the most compatible energies for your work. But what if you have good reason not to wait, and what if it’s the time of month when the moon is actually waxing? No problem! If you have prepared a Waning Moon cord, you can draw upon the Waning Moon power at any time of any month. You can prepare a cord during each phase of the moon, and have available to you the power of each phase. However, Liguana strongly suggests that you use the cords only when absolutely necessary and try to work with the phases of the moon in the sky whenever you can.” [/box]

Soooo…yeah.  The whole rest of the piece in “Wicca Craft” is essentially the chapter from “Earth Magic” with some words added and others changed around.

Like I said, this doesn’t surprise me.  It’s not as though it’s the first time I’ve been doing reading and research on a topic and come across this kind of plagiarism, but it annoys the crap out of me.  Especially given that in the Craft there are so many books out there and so little new information to be had.  It’s because it’s just really one book that people keep regurgitating and putting back out into the market with a prettier cover and nicer paper.  It’s horrible.

So I just had to point that out because it caused me to stop what I was doing and just have a moment of not only being annoyed but also wondering why so many publishers are so happy to keep putting out rehashed material.  This is why I have the concerns I do about getting my next book project published by a “real publisher” (like I talked about a little while ago after Devin harassed me about it) because it’s not a rehash which means it could be a risk.  Is anyone willing to take a risk anymore or is it seriously just all about the mighty dollar and what sells?

Here is the first episode of what we’re calling Season 3, the start of a new chapter of The Modern Witch as we join the PRN family.

The Modern Witch ~ Show Notes
Season 3 Episode 1
Air Date – January 21, 2012

On this episode we introduce the world of Pagan Radio Network listeners to us and we tackle the subject of what it means to work with the Gods verse worshiping the God, and in Rowan’s segment this week she reflects on her first experiences with hearing Pagan music and and discovering Pagan radio shows.

Music in this episode:

Witcha by S.J. Tucker (website)
Bewitched by Raquy and the Cavemen (website)
Avalon by Sully Erna (website)
Hecate by Wendy Rule (website)
Freya Shakti – Emerald Rose (website)
Aradia – Alchemy VII (website)
Monica Richards – We Go On (website)
Ghosts by Ladytron (website)

Other links to visit from this show:
www.ModernWitchMag.com
www.DevinHunter.net
www.OneWitchsWay.com
www.TheWitchsParlor.Etsy.com
www.PaganBlogProject.com

These burners were created by stage magician Andrew de Ruiter.  The burners were born out of a combination of a magic trick he performed called the “Close-Up Fire Fly” and an enjoyment of incense.   The magic trick used an LED light for it’s effect.  He held an incense stick in the light and saw the way the smoke was illuminated by the red light of the LED and he soon began working on developing what would later in 2009 become this burner.  After a period of experimentation he came up with a design that would hold the four lights and be just large enough to hold the battery pack inside the base.  If you click here you can see a video from the website of the burners in action.

The burners are all handmade by the creator and consist of squares of wood (red cedar seemingly the preference) that feature four holes for your stick incense and a center plate for cones and blocks.  But the thing that makes these burners especially unique are the fact that they light up!  In the top of the burner are four LED lights that are turned on by a switch on the side of the box.  When you place your incense in either the holder holes or on the plate the lights, when turned on, will illuminate the smoke and turn it various colors as the lights cycle through their colors.  This is something that can be both a fun decorative touch to your altar or other places you burn incense, but it can also be a great aid in libanomancy, aka incense divination.

The burner itself is simple and it’s fun to play with in the dark.  During the day you’ll still notice the light change the color of the smoke, but not as dramatically, of course.  As far as a magickal application for these, if you’re someone that doesn’t just burn incense for the hell of it, I do think that for divination these could be handy.  Sitting in a darkened room with your stick or cone incense of preference burning on the Apparition Incense Burner will illuminate the smoke giving you a better look at it for the purpose of discerning shapes and images. Otherwise it makes a nice burning for general atmosphere if you like to burn incense outside of magickal settings.

I like the burner but I found that a number of the stick incense brands I burn didn’t fit in the holes because the sticks were too big.  The sticks that I do have that fit stood straight up so the ash fell all over.  I would definitely recommend placing the burner on a dish to catch any stray hot ash.  For cones and blocks it works quite well.  I also found that if you’re really looking to get the colored smoke effect, this was the best way to get it.  The cones are centered with the four lights around them whereas the sticks are disbursed in between the lights.  Also, give that the smoke from the stick starts rising at a higher point than if it were coming from a much shorter cone, you get a naturally better effect with the cone.

I also found that placing the burner on a little bit of a raised surface so that it’s eye height or slightly higher works the best for divination work.  The lights, while a little bit recessed into the wood, still stick out a bit from the surface (on mine two of the lights are more out than in) which can make look at changing LED lights while watching the smoke a little difficult.

One thing that I would love to see if the option to either purchase burners with single color lights or the ability to select a color and pause it at that color.  The cycling of the colors is pretty and fine for just general burning, but if you’re trying to use this for magick or meditation the transitions move a bit fast and some of the colors might be a bit harsh or distracting for some people.

Overall these burners are a very cool novelty item that could have a magickal application or two. I really enjoy mine and find that the overall craftsmanship of the burner to be quite good!  I would definitely recommend getting one if you’re into these cool light trick sort of gadgets and they would surly make a cool gift for an incense enthusiast!

The burners are available in the red cedar wood for $30 direct from the creator.  Other woods are also available at different prices.  Check out the Buy Now page on the Apparition Incense Burner website to order one today!

So you saw the post the other day with the cover and whatnot…now here’s some pictures of it in my hands!

Copies are on the way to me for The Witch’s Parlor.
It is currently available for sale on CreateSpace and will be on Amazon in a week or less.
If you’re interested in a digital version (in PDF format) you get that too!

Order it in paperback on for $13.95.
Order it in PDF format for $9.95 by clicking the button below.

In the Norse traditions the blót, which is pronounced as you might things, bloat, is a meal or feast that has a sacrament aspect to it.  A sacrifice is made and gifts of energy and blessings from the Gods are received.  The two that I have attended also included another ritual as part of it called a sumbel.  I’m not going to go in depth on the sumbel here because I’m planning to cover that during an S week later in the year, but it’s basically rounds or ritual toasting.  From what I’ve learned from both my study of Ásatrú and from my personal experience a blót can include a full sumbel or it can simple include one or two rounds that toast the Gods and heroes or ancestors.

A blót bowl made by DragonOak.com

Blóts take place at the holidays and at some other special feast dates for certain Gods.  The name blót is an Old English derivative of the Proto-Germanic word “blótan” meaning “sacrifice, worship”.  This is the real core of the blót; it’s main function is to offer up a sacrifice to the Gods.  This has changed over the centuries from animal sacrifice (and at one time human sacrifice, which has been especially suspected to have been part of blóts with the Vikings) to now consisting of a sacrifice in the form of something that has been very carefully crafted for the Gods. Most commonly this is either mead or ale that has been brewed specifically with the sacrament of the blót in mind.

There are several  “Ásatrú; The Hidden Fortress”, Edred Wodanson (the late E. Max Hyatt who passed away in January 2010).  lays out a basic blót along with a full blót to Odin.  He says that while a blót can be long and involved there are really five core aspects of a proper blót.

1. The Banishing – The first step is just as it sounds; the space where the rite is to beheld is cleansed and any negative energies are banished.  It is extremely important in the process of the blót for the space to be sanctified and made fit for the Gods to be present in.
2. The Calling – This is the calling of the Gods, done in a strong and bold manner, calling to one’s Ancestral Gods to invite them to be present.  He makes a big point of stressing that this should be a “knee-bending” type of invite, but something done with force and strength, but again an invite, not a command.  The belief that he has, and that many who follow a similar practice have, is that when called the Ancestral Gods will come.   (As an aside, and if anyone can correct me on this, please do, but from having read Edred Wodanson’s books I believe that the type of Ásatrú that he practiced and wrote about was more of an ancestral based practice…and I use that term rather than nationalist because I don’t know that he was that extreme, but he did seem to stress the idea that to practice Ásatrú you need to have Germanic roots that tie you to the Norse Gods by blood…a view that is not at all uncommon in Ásatrú as opposed to the more eclectic Norse Neo-Pagan practices).
3. The Sacrifice – This was most traditionally an animal sacrifice to the Gods.  It was the idea of giving life essence to receive life essence.  From talking to practitioners that live in rural areas and who raise their own animals for food I have been told this is still a common practice, but for most modern day practitioners the sacrifice consists of something that has been carefully and meaningfully crafted with a great deal of energy and intention for the Gods.  Holy mead and ale which will be used in the blót itself is the most common thing used.  The mead is blessed to make it sacred and then it is offered up to the Gods.  In the blóts I have attended this is done with a full horn of mead, the first horn poured from the bottle, and the horn is offered to the Gods and then poured into a special offering bowl and left on an altar for them throughout the rite of the blót.
4. 

   Drinking from the horn. Drink with the point down or you'll get mead spashed back in your face!

   The Gift – This is the process of receiving a gift from the Gods.  Unlike in some Pagan traditions where receiving gifts from the Gods is never expected in Ásatrú there is an exception that the Gods will reciprocate when they are given a gift and offering.  One of the texts that are important in Ásatrú is the Havamal, which is a sacred poem from the Poetic Edda.  In the Havamal is a section called “Odin’s Rune Song” and in the eighth stanza of the poem it says:

   “Better don’t ask than offer too much;
   A gift demands a gift.
   Better send none than slay too many.”

   So there is an expectation that through the sacrifice a gift will be given in return from the Gods.  This comes in the form of energy which is infused into the mead and then dispensed to the participants through drinking the mead while toasting the Gods. In times past, and even today where animal sacrifices are still done, the gift is given by energy that is passed from the Gods into the blood and meat of the animal.  The participants are anointed with the blood, the space is sprinkled with the blood (or if outdoors it is poured into the earth) and then the meat is cooked and consumed as part of the feast and when consumed the energy is again passed on to those present.
   During The Gifting, is a sumbel is to take place, it happens here.

5. The Farewell – Once the offerings and feasting is done the Gods are thanked and then released.  Any other energies or wards that have been brought in are also dispersed after proper thanks.

Diana Paxson also lays out a common outline for a blót in her book “Essential Ásatrú” that seems to be fairly similar but with a few more steps specifically noted which in Wodanson’s outline are likely part of the process just not specifically outlined.  Paxon lays it out as:

1. Preparation: Setting up the space, banishing work, warding, setting up the altar, and making an offering to the spirits of the House (if indoors) or the Land (if outdoors).
2. Focusing: A statement of intent from the rite leader is made to explain the purpose of the blót and to lay out and special steps or instructions that will be important for participants to know ahead of time.
3. Invocation: This is the same as the calling; the Gods are called to be part of the rite through prayer.
4. Offering: This is the same as Wodanson’s Gift step.  An offering is made to the Gods but she explains a bit more of a Neo-Pagan concept with this.  Paxon outlines not only the possibility of mead or ale being given but also singing, chanting, the telling of stories and myths, or the enacting of ritual drama as being possible gifts to the Gods.
5. Sharing: Here she calls this “sharing” but it is basically a sumbel.  The horn of mead is passed around in successive rounds.  Round one everyone hails the Gods, round two hails heroes and ancestors, and round three honors anyone, living or dead, that the individuals feel deserve a mention.  At the end of each round any mead or ale left in the horn is poured out into a special offering bowl on the altar for the Gods and it is then refilled with new drink for the next round.  The intention is to keep some in the horn so that an offering to those mentioned in that round is made at the end.  Again, I’ll be talking more about sumbels, a ritual I’ve had the pleasure of attending a handful of times, later in the year.
6. Completion: Here Paxson explains the closing of rite prior to the feasting.  Gods are thanked and released, wards released etc.

The blóts I have attended have been an interesting mix of the two.  The most notable difference from my experience has been in how Paxon describes steps 4 and 6.  My experiences with these rites, and in those steps, have been like what Wodanson explains.  The offerings I have seen have never been in a bardic form.  They have been the offering of mead or blood.  I have also never attended a blót where the feast was separate from the rite.  The feast is the rite.  The meat that is eaten, whether it was sacrificed for the rite or if it was purchased, blessed, and made holy for the rite, is still considered part of the blót itself, not a separate post ritual feast as we often see in many Neo-Pagan and Neo-Wiccan gatherings.

In my experience blóts are a fantastic thing to be part of.  They are powerful rites of community and worship.  When I was exploring the Ásatrú tradition and attending some rituals, events, and classes with friend who were already practicing this tradition, I was completely amazed by the community gatherings.  They were more like a true gathering than feeling like some sort of sacred religious where everyone had to be solemn in some way…though there was certainly a sacredness to what was happening!  I remember having attended a blót with some friends and then a handful of days later attending a full moon ritual with the Wiccan group I was with at the time.  A friend in that group had also attended the blót as a guest.  We stood there in circle, feeling the energy that was being raised, and it made us both being to smile and eventual let out a giggle.  A woman a few people down from me whipped her head around and glared at me and said “This is a sacred space!  This is NOT a place for giggling!”

That kind of gave me some pause and had me thinking about the more free feeling that was part of the atmosphere of the blót I attended.  But, in all honesty, that particular woman had only attended a few events with this Wiccan group and she didn’t come to many more.  I believe very strongly that the energy in a circle and during a ritual can take many different forms and you should express it how it comes out through you.  Sometimes that’s laughing, sometimes it’s crying.  Sacred space IS the place for laughter and tears!  Things like this was one of the many reasons that I eventually started my own coven.

I ended up not joining a kindred and following the path of Ásatrú, but as someone with Germanic heritage, I do feel a connection to the Norse Gods and many of the practices within Ásatrú.  I love blóts and sumbels and we practiced them in my own coven as part of our mixed Norse and Celtic tradition based on the things that I have learned through study and from the events I’ve attended.  Obviously there are bits and pieces probably missing given I haven’t been part of a kindred before.

I would love to hear more from any Norse Pagans about your experiences with blóts and learn more about them.  I know my knowledge and experiences is limited, and there are bits and pieces I probably didn’t cover (like blessing with the sign of the hammer and all that) but I’d love to hear any insights any Ásatrúars, Heathens, or Norse Pagans might have to share!

Here’s the cover of this year’s book!

The interior this year is set up with dated pages unlike last year. Here is what the calendar portion on the inside looks like this year.  (click to see a larger image)

Once I have the final proof in my hand and I can verify that everything looks as it should, I’ll be able to announce the sale details, links, etc.  I can tell you that the cost of the calendar will be $13.95 and it runs about 187 pages of so.

So stay tuned, all the final details will be out next week!

I think part of why absent healing felt like a good place to go is because of the other conversations that have ensued over the last week that have dealt with the idea of magickal ethics.  This is one of those ethical areas that I have a very strong opinion about (we’ll get there in a minute).  In the end I thought it might be a great way to share some of the absent healing techniques that I use when I do healing for someone at a distance.

So first, the basics.  Absent healing is exactly what it sounds like, healing for someone that isn’t present.  A lot of people call this distance healing as well and it’s a very common practice within Reiki.  My traditional Reiki degrees and attunements are in Usui Reiki and there we are attuned to symbols that aid in healing those at a distance, most specifically the second degree or level two symbol of Hon-Sha-Ze-Sho-Nen (as seen over on the right).  The shape is said to be designed to resemble both a temple or house as well as the human body.  This symbol is used for other things too, including viewing the Akashic Records and past, present, future healing.  It can be used for channeling energy into a past life or past situation for healing, working on someone in the present at a distance, and working to send healing to a situation that is expected in the future (I’ve used this for a friend who had an impending divorce among other things).

The general idea with working with absent healing is that, regardless of space and time, energy can go anywhere, including the past and the future.  If someone is half way around the world you can still work healing on them by directing your energy, charged with your intent, and have it work on them just as though they were present in your own room.  While I believe very strongly in the idea of energy has no bounds, I am also still a bit of a cynic and a skeptic at times.  When I do healing work on someone at a distance I always wonder what is or isn’t going to happen for them when they have that experience.  And I’m often amazed at the things friends or clients will tell me.

Those pesky ethics.
So, let’s talk about the ethics part.  This is the part that I’m really big on because healing isn’t always the positive magick that people often think it is.  The first and most important part of a healing spell or ritual or any kind is getting the person’s permission.  Healing and illness/injury is about far more than the obvious on the physical plane.  These are healing and transformation opportunities for the individual.  If the person is a magickal person or someone that is just in tune with the spiritual, they most likely know this and they will be able to tell what the illness or injury has manifested.  If you ask someone like this for permission to work on them they will be very specific in their answer (most often).  However if you’re looking at someone who is not aware of these things as you are and you see them suffering and you want to help, again, ask for permission.  Most people will say yes, but on the off chance that someone said no, depending on your ethics in general with spell work, you’re going against their free will.  Even though it’s for healing and you may see this is a good and positive thing, if they don’t want it done, don’t do it.

My reasons for being so big on this is that there are lessons to be had in sickness and healing.  Some people are not meant to be healed from an illness or injury; this may be their last trial before entering the next life.  It may also just be that there is something for them to learn in this experience that they might otherwise not discover.  I have likened this to the workaholic who ends up getting carpal tunnel and can’t work for a month because of treatment, surgery, and recovery.  This person may have been so addicted to work that they hadn’t taken a day off in a year and their family was feeling neglected.  By having this month where they can’t work, or at least not to the extent that they have in the past, they are somewhat forced to focus on other things.  This can lead to a huge turn around in how they view their work-home life balance.

We could also be dealing with someone who has fallen suddenly ill and is in the hospital with a bad prognosis and it’s just not looking like they’ll make it.  Just because you will miss them or you’re not ready for them to go doesn’t mean they aren’t.

This also brings me to a question that I get asked (and many, many years ago asked one of my teachers myself).  “What about if the person is in a coma or otherwise unresponsive?”  If you’re advanced enough in your psychic skills you can do a journey to have your Higher Self meet with that person’s Higher Self and ask for permission that way.  You will always get some sort of answer.  But I do make this caution, if the person is able to respond you must do as they have instructed, even if you disagree.  Just because someone turns down your offer for help doesn’t mean you should run to their Higher Self for a “double check”.

Working absent healing.
Working on someone who is absent is not terribly difficult.  As Witches we have many different tools at our disposal for this, and you don’t need to be attuned to Reiki to use them.  If you have Reiki skills then by all means, use them as part of your magick!  But you don’t have to feel that you can’t work absent healing if you are not a Reiki initiate.

The first thing you will need is the person’s name, location, age, and a synopsis of the situation.  You want to know what is wrong with them, how they fell ill, any medical diagnosis, and any projected prognosis.  Remember that magick is not a substitute for medicine!  Always work healing magick with someone who is getting the proper medical treatment too.  Of course, if you’re working on healing someone with a cold, that’s one thing, but if the person is telling you they have a major illness like cancer and they aren’t seeing a doctor and coming you to instead, advise them on seeing a medical doctor and then coming to you.  Knowing the prognosis will be able to help you work more effective magick.

The focus of your magick should always be on the final outcome and not a generic “feel better” sort of thing.  You may very well help them feel better but that may just mean they feel a bit better than yesterday but they’re still sick.  See them 100% healthy, relieved of all their medical issues, up and walking about, doing the things they love with ease.

Long term illnesses need long term magick.  Whatever method you decide to use, know that you may need to repeat what you do.  Be sure to take notes and keep records, and determine ahead of time if your work will need to be repeated daily, weekly, monthly, etc.

Aside from Reiki, which we talked a little about, there are three other ways of doing absent healing that I do (and one of these actually applies to how I work my Reiki healing as well).  These are sending light, working with candles, and working with poppets or proxies.

Sending Light
This is a simple method that anyone with a basic level of meditation and visualization skill can do.  Here you want to pick a color most appropriate to the healing that is needed.  You can use a general healing color such as green, blue, gold, or white.  You can pick a color that is related to the chakra that is either located in the area of the injury or that is related to the organs that may be affected by the illness.

Get into a meditative state and visualize the person standing in front of you.  See them completely and see them in their natural state (i.e. if they are always sick, see them sick…if they are usually healthy see them healthy).  Then begin to visualize a light above them, like a sun that is sitting about two or three feet above their head.  See this ball of light glow in your chosen color and see it get bigger and bigger with each breath as you exhale.  When you get to the point where the ball is big enough that it is, width wise, as large as the person, visualize it springing a leak.  As it leaks it rains down light in the color you have chosen.  See this light absorb into their bodies and their aura.  Begin to see their aura starts to glow and reflect this color as well.  See it become part of them.  When you get to the point that they are completely surrounded in this color, see the rain stop.  Watch them for a few moments and visualize the color of their aura and the healing light becoming one.  The healing light absorbs into their body and starts to work on the inside.  You can release your visualization with a prayer or blessing.

I use this method a lot and it’s one of my absolute favorites.  Simple, easy to do anywhere or any time, and ideal for absent healing work.  If you’re working healing on someone over a period of days, weeks, or months and you know that you want to send a little energy to them each day, this is a great way to do it.

Candles
This is a favorite among Witches for healing work; we do so love our candles!  You can get quite elaborate with this if you wish or you can keep it simple.  I like to use a figure candle in either green or blue and mark X’s on the spots affected by whatever is happening.  I’ll then carve their name in the base, anoint in a healing oil, and burn over time, usually about 20 minutes a day until it burns down.

Another way to do this is to use just a votive or taper candle, carve the person’s name in it and what needs healing.  Anoint with oil as desired.  Here I like to add a picture of the person; I use a green marker and draw over them an equal armed Solar Cross and then place it under the candle.  I then use a blend of herbs, usually designed for the specific illness or problem, and create a circle of herbs around the whole thing.  This I let burn straight down.

In either case, while the candle is burning, I do working to create a Cone of Power (that will be coming in a C week…*grin*) and then direct it to the person while the candle burns for them.

Working With A Proxy
This is probably one of the biggest aspects of absent healing for a lot of people.  We often need something to see or touch to do our work and using a proxy is the way to do this.  One form of magickal proxy that many are familiar with are poppets, also called Voodoo dolls.  Despite what horror and thriller films of the 1960s tried to teach the world about Voodoo, these dolls were not created with the intention of causing harm to anyone.  They were originally used for this very purpose, for helping to heal the sick.  The idea is that the doll is crafted to represent the person that needs healing and then through the use of sympathetic magick the healing work and acts of healing are performed on the doll so as to effect the person.

Making a poppet requires a little sewing skill (though you can also use wax, clay, dough, or other molding mediums if you wish).  Sew together a generic gingerbread man figure in a color for healing, most commonly white will be used but use the color you feel called to use.  Stuff with a cotton stuffing and then add herbs for healing (I have a doll someone made for me that is ONLY stuffed with herbs; certainly you can do this too if you wish).  Then add to the doll what are called “personal concerns”.  These are also sometimes called tags or taglocks; they are things belonging to the person the doll is designed to represent which carry their energy such as hair, nail clippings, or a piece of handwriting or clothing.  Place these into the doll and sew it closed.

The poppet can then be used in a great number of ways.  The most popular and probably most common is to stick blessed and charged pins in the areas of the body that need healing.  These pins are meant to send a very direct and purposeful dose of healing energy to the absent party.  When placing the pins do it with power, intent, and love.

You can also use these poppets in a proxy form for Reiki or sending light.  I have also used stuffed animals for proxies as well.  I had a friend who had a four foot tall teddy bear that she used as her Reiki proxy when doing absent Reiki sessions or people.  In this case, like with Reiki, you would name the proxy for the person, visualize them and the proxy as one, and then work the hand positions and healing work on the proxy with the intention of affecting the actual person.

Absent healing is a really great and wonderful skill that can be really useful.  There are a few other forms I use too but I’ll talk about them in future weeks (like crystal healing and how to use that for absent healing). It can be used on people, pets, situations, and places.  But again, I can’t help but stress the need to get permission before doing work.  By connecting with your Higher Self you can also connect with the spirits of a place, of an animal, and of a situation or people in the situation, to get guidance as to how you should proceed, or if you shouldn’t do anything at all.  Always take those permissions as sacred orders.