Section 1: Deals with how to use wands and staves in magical practices, and is meant to aid those who don’t know what a wand does or how to use it.
Section 2: Deals with the different qualities of various common woods, and is meant to aid those who want the correspondences of different woods.

Types of Wands

There are basically three types of wands that are of use to us as magicians. The first type, and the most important, are wooden wands, which will be dealt with in this article. There is a second type which is a piece of crystal in the shape of a wand, known as a crystal wand or energy wand. These are generally associated with the new age movement and are very useful. Lastly there’s a type of wand that is hand made by putting gemstones and herbs inside of a hollow pipe. I’ll discuss these types of wands in future articles. There are other types of wands, most notably a metal wand, which some stores are now selling. These things are next to useless and a waste of money. You’re better off with either a wooden wand or a knife.

How to Use a Wand

Wands are one of the magician’s five elemental tools and are fire associative. Wood is great at quickly absorbing and easily working with large amounts of energy, and so wands are used to manipulate large amounts of energy easily. Note the following exercises assume at least a passing understanding of how to manipulate energy. Without this understanding your results will not be as impressive.

Soak and Radiate: This is not really an exercise. Just a comment about the nature of a wand. If you watch a wand you’ll notice that, all on its own, it will very easily soak up some of the energy around it. You’ll also notice that the wood will radiate this energy from it, as if it is slowly leaking out. This is the nature of wood and how it reacts with energy and why it is so good at manipulating energy as it does.

Moving Energy: Moving energy is easy enough. If you can find it in the room you can easily wave your hand to move it, or swirl it around, or whatever (you don’t even need a hand, but these things are always easier with physical aids). Now try these same exercises with your wand. You’ll notice you’re moving a much larger amount of energy around, and you’ll be doing it a lot easier than if you just used your hand.

Pulling Energy into the Wand: Put each hand on opposite ends of the wand and hold it horizontally at chest level. Now concentrate on pulling nearby energy towards yourself and into the wand. You should notice the wand works kind of like a magnet pulling in whatever stray energy may be around.

Raising Energy (Method One): This is the same as the previous method, except this time try to pull energy from more than just the surrounding area. You can also try pulling energy from out of the ground. You’ll notice you’ll pull a lot of energy into the area very quickly.

Raising Energy (Method Two): Pretty much the same as the last method, except instead you hold the wand in one hand and move the wand in an upward motion. This is typically the preferred method for raising energy from the ground. You can also prance around the room doing this because, um, some people like that sort of stuff. Not me! But some people.

Energizing (Screw Method): Swirl the wand over an object or person in a clockwise motion to push the nearby energy into it. Swirl counterclockwise to drain.

Directing energy: This is pretty much the same as moving energy. Hold the wand vertically and move your arm down until it is at a ninety degree angle with your body. All free energy should now rush towards whatever is being pointed at. Unless the energy is specifically charged for an act, this is generally an attack. You throw enough energy at a barrier and it will break. You throw enough energy at something living and you will kill it. It helps if the energy is aggressive and malicious, but an aggressive and malicious intent is usually enough to do it.

All of these methods are more dependent on will and intent than anything else. The motions are only meant to help focus the mind and one’s intent through physical action.

Staves

Staves work much the same as wands. They’re pretty much just really big wands. Anything you can do with a wand, you can do with a staff. The advantage of having a wand is that it is easier to carry around to rituals, it’s easier to store several of them, they’re easier to charge on an alter, they are cheaper and easier to make, and some woods can not be made into staves.

Staves have several advantages. For starters, they’re more inconspicuous, if you have a small, modest staff. If you have a ten foot tall staff with feathers and bells hanging off it, no it’s not inconspicuous. If you have a cane-like walking stick, you just use a cane to walk.

Staves are also bigger. Technically this means, all things being equal in regards to wood types and enchantments, they should be able to move larger amounts of energy. It’d be very rare though, with a properly enchanted wand, to hit a point where you felt you needed more and a staff would make much of a difference.

Also, being bigger, staves can hold larger charge for longer. This is actually the biggest advantage the staff has. Wood radiates energy, and so the charge is always disappearing. The more energy that enters a piece of wood, the quicker it will radiate out. A staff can hold a lot more energy though, so a staff will keep its charge much longer.

Because of this, and the ease of carrying it around as a walking stick, many people like to take staves to places with large amounts or unique energy in order to charge them. Properly done, this can result in a very powerful and highly charged tool when used in ritual.

Adding Gemstones to Your Wand

A lot of people like to attach gemstones to a wooden wand. Whether or not to do this is up to the practitioner and largely a matter of preference. A gemstone will hold a charge much better than wood, and so it can be used as a battery for the wand. Gemstones also amplify energy (meaning the energy coming off the wand will be increased). A gemstone may make it easier to manipulate and shape energy in a finer, less broad, way. And finally a gemstone will taint the wands energy to that of the gemstone. The exact taint is dependent on the type of gemstone used, and is beyond the scope of this article.

On the downside the gemstone will have its own personality (which you much be compatible with, in addition to that of the wood), and a gemstone will have a particular taint on the wand’s energy (which the wand ideally should be compatible with).

The Personality of Wood

Remember that wood was once a living thing, and as such each plant had its own personality, and that personality is going to carry on to the wood itself. That’s why it’s important to be sure that you are compatible with a particular wand or staff.

The Qualities of Wood

Broadly speaking, different types of wood have certain inherent qualities, and these will effect how any wooden magical tools made from them operate. Listed below are some of the most common, and also some of the most useful, types of wood you’ll find in magical tools and their general qualities:

Apple – Apple is associated with love and fertility, and is good for utilizing love and sexual energies. It works well with all sorts of love spells, lust spells, marriage spells, and fertility spells. Apple is compatible with deities of love, sex, desire, and courtship.

Ash – Ash is fire associative. All wands are fire associative, but ash is doubly so. Ash makes a very good battle wand. Its best use is for direct attacks against people and entities. It also does pretty well with death curses and with destroying crops (not really that useful in this day and age though). Because of its combative nature, it’s also good at most kinds of protection magick, like casting wards and barriers. Properly enchanted, ash can also do well in aiding all kinds of creativity. Ash is compatible to deities who are fire associative and deities of warriors and battle (Mars, Aries, Athena, Tyr).

Elder - Elder wood is very good at finding and absorbing negative energies. For this reason most people will find Elder, at best, difficult to work with in any kind of magick that doesn’t involve harm, vengeance, or cursing. Elder is also a very alive and vengeful type of tree, and Elder wood should never be taken off of a tree without permission from the tree, otherwise you may have to deal with the wrath of the tree. Elder wood will often work as a ward by itself, either because entities fear the elder wood, or because they fear that which is powerful enough to control the elder wood.

Elm – Earth associative, Elm is the opposite of Ash.

Hawthorn – A fae associative wood (and surprise, you can make alcohol from it). Like oak, this is an otherworldly wood, which makes it somewhat useful for evocations, but keep in mind that it comes from fae realms and generally connects to fae realms. Hawthorn is best for magick dealing directly with fae. Fae-kin may also find the wand very compatible. The wood’s nature may also make it a good choice for fae-like endeavours. Cutting down or otherwise destroying a Hawthorn tree that fae have laid claim to will often times make them angry and vengeful.

Hazel – Air associative. Hazel is a wood of wisdom and intelligence. Because of this, in spiritual work, many see hazel wands as a general good all-purpose wand.

Maple - Generally a wood of protection.

Oak - Oak is an ancient tree, the species is older than this world. Oak does not originate here, it originates in other worlds, and as such it acts as a sort of anchor to these worlds and their magicks. Because of this oak is a very powerful magical wood. Groves of oak trees are a preferred place for ritual because the area is anchored into other worlds. Oak also works very well when used to move through worlds (either going out via astral projection, shadowwalking, or dreaming) or bringing things in through evocation. Oak is also associated with lightning and is sacred to all lightning associated gods (Zeus, Thor).

Pine - A good wood for spells involving youth, the slowing of age and decay, immortality, and strength (when defined as resistance). Also a good all purpose wand for spells involving practical matters.

Poplar - Some confusingly think that poplar is good for protection spells, when in fact it’s that items made from the wood make excellent guardians. Your poplar wand isn’t so much going to be good at casting protection spells as it is going to be good at protecting you from attacks while you carry it.

Rowan - Rowan is an excellent absorber of energy. This makes the wood superior in all kinds of protection spells. In fact just having Rowan wood on your person may be enough to completely absorb all of the energy from a hostile spell. Likewise Rowan can absorb the radiant energy from the area and from dead spirits and stray entities, rendering them harmless and invisible. Properly enchanting and using Rowan wood will make magnify (and if done right filter) its absorption abilities making it more effective in these endeavors. Also due to its very high sensitivity in regards to absorbing energy they make superior dowsing rods.

Sandalwood – Sandalwood is a divine wood. It is associated with divinity, the gods, and all matters of a higher spiritual nature. Sandalwood is also an endangered and protected species, and there is a much greater demand for the wood than supply. Because of this most sandalwood is not true sandalwood, but of a related species.

Willow – Willow is water associative. It’s good for both healing spells and cleansing spells. It’s also good for exorcising spirits (which is technically a cleansing spell). This makes Willow an excellent choice for besoms and brooms. In actuality what Willow is good at is washing away that which is bad, improper, or old and bringing forth that which is new or a renewal. It is because of this that willow is sometimes associated with bringing the dead to their final resting place, however willow’s association is with exercising the dead and the resulting renewal, not with the land of the dead or with death energy. Willow can also work well with death spells under very limited circumstances. Due to willow’s nature of getting rid of that which is bad, improper, or old there are some legends that the tree will uproot itself and seek out and kill travelers.

(European) Yew – First off, make sure you get European Yew and not Pacific Yew (which is more common in North America). Yew is associated with the dead and the land of the dead. Yew is very good at utilizing death energy (this is the energy of the dead, not energy that kills). It’s also for bringing forth and controlling the dead. Ash is compatible with most Chthonic deities.

This is basically a rehash of the information I supplied in my earlier post, summoning Baal quick and dirty like. The reason for this is to eliminate some confusion. This is not an evocation method. It doesn’t really evoke. It’s meant for communion. In fact, it’s generally used for divine communion, and that’s how I was originally taught it, although you could do it with anything. Anyways here’s the method, as taught to me, with some paraphrasing and minor tweaking.

1. Figure out which deity you would like to contact. Remember not everything that’s ever been listed as a god or deity or whatever really is one. When first starting, it’s better to pick a big name that is tried and true. It’s also best to pick a god or goddess you feel a personal connection to or compelled to contact. I’d recommend against using this method with the Judeo-Christian god (yes he exists, however there’s a reason why I recommend this and it deals with the nature of what he is, and I’m not opening that can of worms here). I’d also recommend against trying to contact a supposedly all encompassing deity (I’m talking about the Wiccan Goddess). Also remember that sometimes deities are incorrectly associated as the same deity, and other times they have multiple names. Figuring out exactly who you want to talk to may require some research. For instance, Venus is not Aphrodite and Jupiter is not Zues, Pluto is the same as Hades and Dionysus, Bacchus, and Iacchus are all the same deity.

2. Do some additional research on the deity to get an idea of who you’re trying to contact. Read the mythologies concerning them. Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Mythica are good places to start. The information may not be the best there, but at the same time remember that a lot of the myths out there are long bastardized and misunderstood, to the point that you usually can’t decide anything for certain about a deity until you’ve met them.

3. Next you need an altar. You can build a very nice permanent altar, but for now we’ll just use a makeshift altar. I have a whole FAQ on altars. Basically it’s just a space we set aside for an entity, in this case a deity. All we need for an altar is a representation. We can easily go online and find a picture and turn our computer monitor and surrounding area into a temporary altar. The altar is not essential, this can be done entirely mentally, but it’s easier with an altar early on.

4. Next we want to prepare ourselves for divine communion. What different gods will find acceptable and offensive varies. In emergencies, this step can be skipped, and most deities will understand. It’s best to take a shower or bath beforehand, especially if it’s needed, and a short cleansing ritual while you’re in there won’t hurt. Clothing will vary considerably based on personal taste and deity. At the very least you’ll want to have descent, clean clothes. Formal is more respectable, but black tie is usually going way too far. Naked is actually sacred and as formal as you can get (plus it will help with the later steps). When in doubt, wear nothing. Also make sure the area around the makeshift altar is clean and dusted and free of garbage or crap to show proper respect.

5. To begin the communion meditate in front of the altar, hopefully reaching a state of trance (although this isn’t mandatory). I’ve also written an FAQ on this. Once you’re relaxed, you need to direct energy towards the representation. This is simple energy manipulation. If you can’t do this, you can try directing thoughts or focusing on the representation, although this won’t be as successful. Direct the energy at the representation with the intent of it reaching the deity (this is important. Ultimately the representation doesn’t really matter, it’s the intent of where the energy is sent).  Also try to keep your shields, filters, wards, and barriers as low as possible and be open to receiving foreign energy.

6. After a time you should hopefully feel divine energy sent back at you. If you’ve never felt divine energy before, don’t worry, you’ll know it when you feel it. The first time it is thousands of times stronger than what you’re used to and literally rips right through you. Once you get used to dealing with divine energy this will ease up a bit. You shouldn’t do this around bedtime, at least at first, because you’ll be wired for a long time.

7. Once you feel the energy coming back at you, you’ve successfully achieved communion. You can now direct the energy coming into you back to the deity, creating a cycle. You can also bury thoughts into the energy to communicate, and stuff will come back in the energy sent to you. Sometimes this might be a direct worded answer. Other times it may be more detailed and beyond words, and it may be buried in the energy and not fully manifest for hours. Divine energy also tends to try to create a purity, although the definition of what constitutes a purity varies between gods. Jupiter, for instance, defines purity as being larger and stronger, and Jupiterian energy tends to make people stronger and helps them to build muscle.

8. After ending the communion it’s important to keep the divine energy and not cleanse or ground until it’s worked its way out of you, unless it’s a dire emergency. Divine energy is a divine gift, and intentionally expelling it is disrespectful. Also information may be buried in the energy to answer your questions and offer guidance.

9. Not everything that can be contacted with this method, and not everything listed as a god, is a god. From my experiences no real god will get upset if they are asked to prove that they are in fact a god (at least by their own methods, in other words don’t try asking gods to prove themselves by winning you the lottery. That actually can get you in trouble if you ask the wrong one). Anything that says its a god and wants to treated as such will see nothing wrong with proving this unless it isn’t a god. I’ve also found that deities don’t mind being questioned about their advice or about their nature. There usually isn’t anything wrong with asking why.

10. Objects can also be blessed by a deity while doing this through various methods. If you have something you want blessed, have it ready and ask the deity if they’ll do it during the communion. Usually, if they’re willing, they’ll give instructions of what needs to be done.

11. One of the worst things you can do is utilize a deity’s energy for a purpose that you don’t have permission to utilize it for (especially if it’s something the deity wouldn’t give you permission to do). It’s always best to ask first and to respect their wishes.

12. The gods understand that we are only human. They also understand our nature and all our emotions. They do forgive honest mistakes and know that we’re all far from perfect. They also are there to guide us and help us with our lives and our spiritual paths.

I’m going to do a quick summary on one of the least horrific of all monsters one is likely to face, the boogey men. Bogey men are actually enjoyable creatures that are so pathetic that they are funny to anyone with a sense of humor (and who can get over their want to eat people). Bogey men are so inept that I doubt they can frighten anyone who isn’t a very young child.

To start, bogey men like to eat people. Or at least they think they do. I’m very skeptical that a bogey man could actually eat a person. Even under the unlikely scenario where they manage to get ahold of a person (and this is very unlikely considering a four year old is both physically stronger and mentally smarter than a bogey man), I’ve never seen any evidence that they have the power or means to physically injure a person in anyway.

They don’t just prey on children either. There’s a good chance that at some point in your life there’s been a bogey man trying to eat you. If you haven’t developed the ability to see things though you probably wouldn’t even notice the bogey man. They can’t do much, and their energy signature is so weak it makes it difficult to sense them. Typically bogey men sightings are by very young children because of their innate ability to see and sense otherworldly creatures.

They are equipped to project thoughts in order to communicate, although they haven’t developed the ability well enough to think silently, and so all of their thoughts are projected (and the bogey men are usually ignorant of this). Their communication skills are at the same level as a small child.

Direct exposure to light will hurt and even kill bogey men. Because of this they hide in shaded places, such as under beds or in closets, and only come out when the lights are off. While the lights are on, they may try to lure prey to their area. They may claim to be sad or lonely or offer to play in order to get someone into the shaded area. Bogey men are harmless, even fun, creatures and their usually isn’t a reason to hurt them.

Bogey men are beloved by certain types of fae creatures, and their energy signature is very compatible. Bogey men and fae also tend to be drawn towards similar types of energy. However boogey men are far rarer than fae. And so having fae doesn’t necessarily mean a bogey man is present, but a bogey man almost always means that there is also fae.

Update: I’ve added some additional entries to this list, so I bumped it back up on top.

A short overview of the different types of matter and how they effect energy.

Wood - Wood naturally absorbs nearby energy and tends to charge itself rather effectively. Wooden altars for spellwork are preferable in some traditions because the wood of the altar will absorb some of the energy from every working turning it into an enchanted object and energy battery that can aid in spellwork. For much the same reason, seance tables and spirit boards are most effective when they’re made out of wood. Wooden objects that are frequently present during spell and ritual work or are left on altars may end up enchanted and even sentient with no effort or even want on the part of the practitioner. Some practitioners and traditions prefer not to do ritual and spellwork over a hardwood floor because of the tendency of the wood to absorb the energy and become enchanted (many times it doesn’t take much effort to throw away a working altar because it’s becoming a problem, but tearing apart your living room floor…). In the form of a magickal tool wood is best used to broadly manipulate energy in general ways, such as absorbing it, raising it, and moving it around. Different types of wood each have their own small nuances and abilities, and may also taint the energy or be more effective when working with specific types of energy. Additionally the nature of the tree or vine the wood originates from may have some effect on the metaphysical qualities of the wood.

Metal - Metal is man made, and it’s very good at both sealing energy and manipulating it in finer more specific ways. Metal is very good at holding energy, even better than wood because much less energy dissipates from a metal object than a wooden one. However metal objects don’t naturally absorb energy nearly as well as wooden objects do, and so it is often up to the practitioner to personally charge the item or create a method in which the item can be charged. This isn’t to say that metal objects won’t absorb energy on their own, they will, just not to the degree wood will. As a magickal tool metal makes a good battery holding an available charge for the practitioner (as previously discussed). Also it may be used in general energy manipulation, however metal is considerably weaker than wood in terms of broad applications of energy manipulation, such as pushing energy and raising it, so much so that metal is nearly useless in this regard so long as a wooden alternative is available. However metal excels at the finer acts of energy manipulation such as opening portals and pinpoint attacks. As an example, if a practitioner were faced with an energy wall, they could use a wooden staff to raise a large amount of energy and then direct it towards the wall hitting it hard enough to knock it down by sheer force, or they could use a metal knife and, utilizing a much smaller amount of energy, slice a hole in the wall the practitioner could act through. Also because of its ability to be sealed, metal is good as an enchanted magickal object, and also as an object into which an entity is sealed. Much like wood, the various types of metal each have their own nuances and abilities, however unlike wood individual pieces of metal tend not to have specific personalities, at least not before they’ve been charged or enchanted, so a practitioner is able to simply take a specific piece of metal off the shelf rather than looking for the particular one that calls out to them.

Stone - Stones are energy manipulators. They’re almost as good as metal as far as sealing energy in goes, and they too are very effective as a battery, as an enchanted object, or for sealing an entity inside of it. They also act as energy amplifiers making energy stronger as it passes through. They can self-absorb energy, although not to the degree wood can, and they also tend to produce a lot of energy on their own. Different types of stones have different qualities to them, however, and how effective a particular stone is at any of the above abilities varies based on its type. Also stones have a taint to their energy based on the type they are with different types of stones tainting energy in different ways. For example turquoise stones tend to be tainted with dream energy, which makes turquoise very effective when it is being used as an aid for such tasks as lucid dreaming, dreamwalking, or keeping nightmares away. Stones tend to have very distinct personalities which can effect their overall compatibility with a particular practitioner, and so some care should be taken in choosing the right stone.

Quartz Crystal - Technically quartz crystal is classified as a type of stone, and it fits the above description of stone, but it has some unique qualities that make it preferable to any other stone in many situations. To start, quartz crystal is very good at amplifying energy, probably the very best stone at this particular task, and it’s also very good at effecting energy and moving it, once again probably the very best stone for this task. They’re also very good at absorbing energy and okay for sealing purposes (which in combination with their amplification abilities makes them a very good battery). And quartz crystal does not taint energy, an ability which is unique to it. They’re the blank page of stones. If a crystal has a significant taint to it, it’s because someone put something into it that made it like that. A crystal is only going to be what you make it. However, like other stones, crystals do have distinct personalities, and this can result in a small, although not very significant, taint, and so a practitioner should, as in other instances, take care in picking out the right quartz crystal.

Water – Water (and many water based liquids) have two very distinct and opposing qualities, it both absorbs and dissipates energy. As for its absorption quality, water will drain energy out of anything it comes into contact with, or even anything it’s near. Water is typically used in cleansings because of its ability to draw out energy, which may be negative energy or may simply be unwanted energy. Vampires typically have issues crossing bodies of water because of their hypersensitivity to vampiric like attacks and its strong draining ability. At the same time though water tends to shoot out the energy it collects on a constant. So even though water is used to cleanse, it can also be used for the exact opposite effect, to charge. One good way to do this is to have a container of water out during a ritual. The water will absorb the energy of the ritual, and afterwards an object can be put into the water in order for it to be charged with the ritual’s energy. Water’s dissipation effect also means that large stagnant bodies of water can develop into paranormal hotspots because they are constantly absorbing and spitting out large amounts of energy (an example being the Devil’s Hole in Nevada). Water is also very good at pulling in emotional energy although it will lose the charge very quickly. Because of its ability to both give and take water is also seen as a unifier and bonding agent that can bring two things together.

Synthetics – Various synthetic material such as cement, plastic, and man-made bricks do not hold a charge at all, and because of this can not really be used for any effect. Some practitioners and traditions prefer to do their rituals on a cement floor because the floor will not absorb the energy or become enchanted by the ritual. Although synthetics don’t hold energy they don’t block it either, and energy can pass through them as easily as it passes through air, and without acquiring any kind of taint. Synthetic tools are useless and offer the practitioner no benefit beyond their own natural ability. Some entities, given permission to do so, may be able to enter into and manipulate synthetic objects, although it isn’t possible (at least not without great difficulty) to seal them into the object to prevent their escape, or to aid them in staying inside of it.

Glass – For most purposes, glass is a poor man’s quartz crystal. Glass is very similar in its makeup to quartz crystal, and so it also shares a lot of the same qualities. Glass tends to be blank and without taint. It also tends to lack the distinct personalities of quartz crystals (which may be a benefit). It can hold some energy, thought not as well as quartz crystal, and it isn’t really that great of an amplifier. With magickal work the major drawback of glass tools is that they are fragile, and they tend to break if you put too much energy through them. Glass is usually used to make crystal balls, mirrors, and candle-holders, and the last one tends to break quite a bit with stronger candle magick spells (which is why I’d suggest using a metal holder). The one great, and somewhat unique, quality of glass is its reflective ability. To begin with, this obviously makes it good for scrying. The reflectiveness also makes it good for opening portals, banishing things from this world, and sealing entities into pocket dimensions.

Bone or Ivory – Bone and ivory are similar enough that they are almost exactly alike. Bone is unique because it is a piece of a dead animal, or even better a dead human if you can get one. It’s usually the bone of a dead whatever, and so a lot of people tend to use bone magickaly in order to access and manipulate death energy. This works, but there are better ways of going about getting death energy, and bone has a much better use, it tends to generate life energy. This in turn makes bone very effective in holding, sealing, and manipulating the souls of the dead. Sometimes the soul of the dead person or animal will still be bound to the bones, making it instantly enchanted with a dead soul. A lot of the times even if the original soul isn’t attached to the bones, there are ways to call it back into the bones. Bones also allow the dead greater power in performing actions on this plane.

Cloth – Cloth will absorb and hold energy. It’s not great at doing this, but it’s unique in the way that it is typically used. We wear are clothes all day. We shed skin and hair and fluids into our clothes. Because of this our clothes are very connected to us. Wearing someone’s dirty clothes gives a very strong connection to them, especially to an empath. Washing helps, but it usually doesn’t do enough. Cloth is also good at absorbing perfumes and incense and other smells, which in turn means cloth usually keeps a good memory of where it’s been. It’s a good idea to throw clothes away rather than giving them away or selling them, and it’s usually a good idea to buy all clothes new rather than used. The materials used in clothes are varied, and each is actually unique in its abilities, but most materials will also follow the general rules listed above. In my experiences I’ve found that leather (real leather) in particular is very good at absorbing energy, holding it, amplifying it, and projecting it outward. Leather things make great enchanted objects.

This is a heads up that my friend Tom has been working on channeling and transcribing a series of 84 sigils (28 sigils of the Ether, 28 of the Abyss, and 28 of Earth), these are not only beautiful, but full of symbolic meaning (some of it which is hidden and has never been published) and they’re all very powerful. Right now Tom is printing them for everyone to see and hopes to eventually publish them with some sort of scheme that will allow others to use and expand upon the work in their own publications. He’s also working on commentary for all the sigils which will incorporate his own work and experiences with them.

The binding sigil was one that really struck me because it contained a symbol which I routinely use as part of a binding spell (now that it is given away, I’ll be posting it shortly). I’ve never actually told anyone the methodology of the spell, especially Tom since I use it against him when he tries to get in magical shenanigans when I’m driving him places.

The Short History of the Sigils

Part One: Alagon.

Sometime before I met Tom, while he was living in Florida, he managed to open a lot of stuff up at once and happened upon an entity which called itself Alagon that took an interest in him. Tom began channeling the gospel of Alagon and distributing it to others. He managed to find several other people who knew of Alagon and his work. Alagon meanwhile was causing Tom headaches and some bleeding from his head. Others who worked with Alagon had the same problems, and some apparently died of aneurysm. At the time the true nature of Alagon wasn’t known. Tom was still in contact with Alagon when he moved to Las Vegas, and a local magician, Bon Necron, managed to break Alagon from Tom and partially bind him. Later Tom would give me some of Alagon’s gospel to look over, and reading it I did come into contact with Alagon and suffered a severe headache from it. The true nature of Alagon wouldn’t be known for some time.

Part Two: Adiemus

Adiemus was the magical name of a practitioner, who is sometimes also referred to as the Baron, who was active up until his death somewhere around 1920. He was a very powerful practitioner who had access to quite a bit of information and claims to have known and disliked Allister Crowley. Since his death he’s been in contact with prospective students, although his brutal and violent teaching methods typically lead his students to a gory death if they advance too far into his studies. Some of his knowledge and teachings are openly traded within some circles of the community, and stories of his unfortunate past students are out there. Adiemus had a very strong connection to Persephone and had dealt largely with interdimensional travel, astral projection, and dream walking. Tom had come across some pieces of information on Adiemus throughout his travels.

Tom eventually gave me the information he had concerning Adiemus as a curiosity to work with. I don’t intend to speak for Adiemus, and to be honest I think he might be a little off-put by me, but he has taken an interest of sorts in me. Like him a have a very strong connection to Persephone, so that may have something to do with it. Over the years I’ve gained information from Adiemus, and that is where I first learned of the gates and what Alagon, like Adiemus, truly was.

From Adiemus I learned that there were 28 gates of this world. The gates had long ago been sealed, and each gate belonged to some god. However it was an impossibility to close the gates since things must be allowed to pass through for the survivability of the world, and so unto each gate was given a guardian. This guardian, when they ascended into the gate, would gain all of the knowledge and power of the gate, and all those who had been a part of it before them. But this was only a temporary, and detestable, job. Each guardian had the power to seek out there successor, so they could move on, although in doing so they give up the knowledge and power of the gate.

In order to take a gate, a person needs to have a strong connection to the god to which the gate belongs. They also need to seek out the current guardian and undergo their trials and prove themselves worthy of the gate. Finally they need to be fully informed about what the gate is, what guardianship entails, and that it is a trap, and then still choose of their own will to take the gate.

Adiemus is the last person to take his gate, the gate of Persephone. Alagon is the name of the an older entity which guarded its gate, although it has now gone through seven or eight guardians since, but it regards itself as being all that has come before it.

Part III: Phillip

Several weeks ago after a failed magical experiment me and Tom were screwing around with automatic writing when Tom happened upon a magician known has Phillip who had some cool sigils. After talking to him for some time, Phillip claimed to know about several more sigils (the 28 sigils of the ether) and agreed to show them to Tom. Very quickly Tom managed to figure out how to retrieve the sigils without Phillip’s aid. He also happened upon knowledge of other sigils. First the 28 sigils of the Abyss. And then the 28 sigils of Earth, which he reckoned to be the gates that Adiemus and Alagon are connected into.

For a couple of weeks now Tom has been feverishly working on completing the ether sigils and his commentary on them. He then hopes to do the Abyss and Earth sigils.

Now that Tom has taken to figuring out and publishing one of my defensive maneuvers, I may as well tell the world and let others work with it.

This is a simple binding spell. Binding in this term is a spell that is meant to limit the magical ability of another practitioner. There are three ways to go about binding someone. You can internalize their magick within themselves so they can’t effect the world outside (this is the most simplest form, and it has the added advantage that the practitioner may not notice it). You can largely restrict the amount of energy they are allowed to produce and tap into thus rendering them unable to utilize magick (this renders the magician even more powerless but they’ll notice the spell right away, and it is rather difficult to pull of). Or you can completely bind them so they have no higher connection, no access to magical ability, and no way to cast any kind of spell (this is a complete binding and by far the most powerful and effective, although it generally requires quite a bit of work).

This type of binding is the first kind. This is a very good and effective binding because, despite being very simple to undo, it’s very strong and very deceptive in its nature, often times tricking the victim into fruitlessly expelling time and energy.

To cast the binding we draw the crossed symbol and place it upon the victim. It’s enough to draw the sigil in the air with our finger and then move it on top of the victim. The entire sigil is blessed by Saturn, who is a god of boundaries and rules and order, but Saturn’s power is only put at the point where the two lines cross.

Where the two lines cross is the only point where the sigil can ever be broken. Once the sigil is broken the binding is broken. Since Saturn’s power is only where the lines cross, the rest of the sigil will seem weak to an experienced adept who can identify it for what it is. The first instinct of the adept will be to just throw energy at the sigil until the binding is overcome and broken. However this will do nothing as throwing energy at any point other than where the lines cross won’t break the sigil, and where the lines cross are empowered by Saturn, and cannot be broken except by divine power.

To break the sigil, all that needs to happen is someone needs to grab both ends and twist them so the line uncrosses and makes a horseshoe shape. At this point the sigil will disappear and the binding will be over with. This makes it very simple for the caster to undo the binding, and the simple nature of breaking the binding is usually hard to guess.

In the terms of our magickal practices, the most important and strongest relationships we develop are with our teachers. And by teacher I’m referring to a traditional one on one spiritual mentorship. There is also the more modern usage which would refer to someone running a class or seminar on a metaphysical topic. That is an entirely different situation with different rules and boundaries, and nothing said here is in regards to that situation.

Often times our teachers will push on in new directions of thought and practice beyond our normal boundaries and press us to think and do things which may make us uncomfortable. They are people who are above us, who we deem as more powerful and more knowledgeable, who guide and instruct us, and who many of us will naturally seek the approval of. And they typically come to us when we’re still new to the community, and before we know any better. They demand us to trust and have faith in them. And that trust and faith demands a great deal of responsibility on the teacher’s part. It’s very easy for the student to be taken advantage of in a student-teacher relationship. It’s also common enough for the student to be seeking a teacher for all the wrong reasons. In any instance, the teacher is considered the superior person in this relationship, and no matter what the circumstances they should know better. Below are some thoughts and facts on the student-teacher relationship and what it should ideally be, which I’m providing as a guide for students and prospective students. I would hope that anyone engaging in the teaching side of a student teacher relationship would already know all this.

1. Most importantly, and the cardinal rule of the student teacher relationship, is that our teachers come to use when we need them, and we instinctively know that they are our teachers and we need to follow them. Every part of our being tells us that the relationship is true and right. If there is doubt that a person is really your teacher, if you don’t feel instinctively drawn to the person and their teachings, then they are not your teacher.

2. A lot of people in the community actively seek teachers, either because they want to possess their power or they want the prestige that comes with being a student of a particular teacher. These are the wrong reasons to be taught by someone, and a person should be wary of anyone willing to teach them under these circumstances. Besides, power comes from yourself, not your teacher, and your prestige, if you are a worthwhile practitioner, should be because of your acts and your ability, not because of your lineage.

3. Your teacher should be teaching you because it is their role and their place in the relationship, the same as it is the student’s role and place to learn. Just as a student feels a compulsion to be taught by the teacher, the teacher feels a compulsion to teach the student. That being said, teaching is not a career or a service rendered. The student shouldn’t have to earn their teaching in any way. This means paying money of course, but it also means buying gifts for their teacher (including paying for meals or going out with them), driving their teacher places, doing chores for their teacher, or working for free or at a reduced wage for their teacher (such as in a metaphysical store). Not all teachers will have money though, and it is acceptable for the student to be expected to pay their own way, ie buying their own books and magickal tools and supplies for spellwork, paying for their meal when they go out to eat, and even bringing something to a pot luck gathering they attend with their teacher.

4. Sex –> it’s inappropriate for a student to have sex or engage in any other type of romantic act with their teacher. There is no reason for it, and a teacher should never even ask. A student should never feel as if they have to, or that there’s something to be gained by it. It is appropriate for a teacher to instruct and give advice concerning sex magick or sex in general, however a boundary is crossed when telling turns into showing or doing. Sexual magick is something that is ideally done between equal partners. Sex magick is something that sexual partners explore together. The teacher-student relationship is not a partnership of equals, but one of a superior and inferior person.

5. Your teacher is not your friend or your romantic partner. These are relationships that are based, at least in part, on an equality and mutual respect. They are also relationships that move outside the boundaries a teacher should keep. It’s perfectly natural for a student and teacher to develop a very close and intimate relationship with one-another, however this relationship will still remain in the boundaries of the student-teacher relationship. It can only develop into something else after the student has completed the teaching and has had time to develop themselves so as to be a peer to their teacher. And it very rarely ever develops into a relationship that breaks the boundaries of the student-teacher relationship.

6. Teaching shouldn’t last forever. It’d be rare for it to last much longer than a year. Whatever the case, eventually the teacher will have fulfilled their purpose and at that point they should release the student from their bond so both can move on with their spiritual paths. There are those in the community who attempt to get students and then try to keep them forever beneath them and forever their students, which leads directly into number seven.

7. The ultimate goal and dream of every teacher should be that their students exceed them. In this way every successive generation becomes more powerful than the last. This isn’t always the case, some students will never reach the level of their teacher, but it should be the goal.

8. A student is not their teacher. Every spiritual path is different, and a student’s path may not match their teacher’s. While the relationship persists, the student may be very much in line with their teacher’s thinking and methodologies. However at some point the student should break away and craft their understanding, magick, and spirituality to fit their needs and personality.

What is a walk-in

A walk-in is an entity which has come to gain control over a physical body other than the one it was originally incarnated into. A walk-in differs from a possession. With a possession a second entity inhabits the body with the original incarnate person, and this second entity sometimes becomes the dominant personality and takes control of the body. With a walk-in the original incarnate person has left their body and is effectively dead and the walk-in is the only entity inhabiting the body. A walk-in can be another human being who has died or otherwise become detached from their original body. A walk-in may also be another entity, typically a lower realm entity that is unable to incarnate on this plane of existence.

Rules regarding Walk-Ins

1. In theory a walk-in could enter a body after a person has died (defined as the astral body being detached from the physical body). In most cases this is obviously counter-productive because the host body won’t be usable for long by the time the host astral body is disconnected. If the astral body were to be destroyed though the host body would be free and undamaged. However I’ve never seen nor heard of a walk-in trying to kill the astral body to get at the physical body, even when the walk-in has been powerful enough to do so, making me believe that for some reason that eludes me at the moment this method is not possible.

2. Walk-Ins generally enter into bodies of suicidal people, helping the person within the host body disconnect from it so that they can inhabit it.

3. Walk-ins do not find suicidal people to switch with. Instead they find suitable hosts and then attack them psychologically, systematically driving them into depression and sometimes insanity, eventually leading to suicide. The entire process can sometimes take years. Even if the walk-in is eventually removed before inhabiting the body the psychological damage they do can be severe and possibly permanent.

4. Once a walk-in comes to inhabit a body the person originally inhabiting the body is effectively dead. As far as I know, there is no way to bring this person back.

5. Physical bodies are made to house specific astral bodies. Housing a foreign astral body inside of a physical body (as is the case with walk-ins) requires excess energy besides what the body is designed to provide. In order to keep the body the walk-in will have to feed off of the lifeforce of the body, which will in time age and structurally damage the body. The more different the astral body is from the physical body it inhabits the more energy it needs to sustain itself. For example an ascended master would ideally want to inhabit the body of a person with magical aptitude of the same gender (in this case the body would probably last for close to its normal lifespan). If, as a counter-example, a very non-human lower realm creature were to take over that same body, it would eat through it very quickly. Sometimes the body won’t even last days.

6. A walk-in requires consent to take a body. This consent is generally given in exchange for the original incarnate person being detached from the body. A walk-in can never just take a body (even if a person is astrally projecting).

7. Some walk-ins are able to access the memories and knowledge located in the host body’s brain. At the same time, lacking a biological brain of their own prior to entering the body, the walk-in must house their knowledge in their astral and mental bodies and then attempt to transfer it to the host body (which, as one can imagine, can cause much fogginess). The resulting personality, knowledge, and even sense of identity of the walk-in after entering the host body varies.

8. Some walk-ins have a very limited understanding of general human behavior. They may not understand how to act in a socially acceptable way or understand many subtilties that we know from a young age. For example, I know of a walk-in that was aware that he was supposed to wear clothes, but was unaware of the fact that people generally change clothes in private, and saw nothing odd about stripping naked in the middle of the street and changing clothes.

9. An old immortality trick is for a magician to find a powerful item and infuse a bit of their essence into it. At death, they then literally possess the item and remain in it for years, decades, even centuries in some cases. Possessing the item they manage to direct its course, to a degree, seeking out a suitable host. Typically they find and present themselves to a beginning practitioner who finds the item and is happy to have found a strong magical object. The practitioner then begins using the object during which time the magician becomes a walk-in and attempts to systematically attack and destroy the host before entering once they become suicidal (Note, not all possessed objects are magicians seeking host bodies for immortality. The vast majority are simply possessed objects and can be invaluable aids in ones spiritual progression and magickal advancement).

10. Walk-ins are typically dark and evil creatures, and thus their energy is usually offensive.

11. Typical traits possessed by people who become targets for walk-ins:
a. Magickal aptitude
b. Emotional and/or psychological issues (especially depression); emotionally imbalanced
c. Loners with no or very limited support groups
d. Suffers from anxiety issues (including panic attacks) or is easily scared.

11. Signs that a person might be a walk-in (note, all of these signs could be caused by other factors):
a. Drastic change in personality overnight
b. Was recently suicidal/seriously depressed but isn’t anymore
c. Missing large chunks of memories they recently possessed/possessing new memories they didn’t have before.
d. Offensive and/or dark energy, especially when it contrasts their previous energy signature.
e. Major and drastic changes in their life direction without prior warning.
f. Strange and atypical behavior that wasn’t present before.
g. They admit to being a walk-in.

12. Entities that exist as walk-in spirits can be very good at what they do, even if they do seem less than intelligent in other areas. Most can find the chinks in the psychological armor of the best of us, and even a trained adept can become emotionally unhinged if they are not careful.

13. Do note that in all legal and mundane matters a walk-in is considered to be its host body, and that the actions of the walk-in may be immoral, but they are not illegal. However action taken against the walk-in, specifically against the host body, may be illegal. The information provided here is for educational purposes concerning walk-ins, and in no way is meant to condone or encourage any illegal action.

14. That being said, I am of the opinion that walk-ins need to be dealt with prior to taking over the host body while they are still incorporeal (and thus have no rights under the law). After they have managed to take over the host body there’s really no point to stopping them.

What Are Lures?

Okay, we’ve talked about glamours and projections, now the next step up is a lure. Lures are an invasive form of magick which attempts to twist the thoughts and desires of its victims, named such because lures are mostly used to convince a person to become somehow romantically involved with a practitioner. As a comparison, a glamour is like wearing nice clothes to make yourself appear more attractive to a girl. A projection is like putting a love song on the radio to put her into a favorable mood. A lure is like slipping pills into her drink so you can rape her. There’s also one more step in perception magick between projections and lures, and that’s thought suggestions, so we’ll have to talk about that before we get into lures.

What are thought suggestions?

A thought suggestion is when we pop into someone’s head and place a thought in there. Generally the person will believe they’re thinking it, and act upon it accordingly. Some thought suggestions are very blunt and to the point, and simply hope the person will act accordingly. Others are intricately woven and designed in such a way that they are more like a seed that will, given some time, grow and completely change the way a person thinks about something. Still others are given an intensity and urgency that seems to force action.

There are some very complicated spells out there that try to basically create thought suggestions, for the most part though these things are generally done psionically. And a lot of things out there are partial to thought suggestions too. It is a favored form of manipulation. Both Pixies and Vampires, for instance, are known for utilizing thought suggestions.

The best thought suggestions are done via energy transfers. All people shed energy all the time. It comes out of us, forms around us in an aura, and eventually leaves us completely. People also absorb energy around them barring some sort of defense, like a shield, to prevent this. With practitioners, this absorption is usually like a sponge, it goes in and stays there for a while with energy accumulating over time. With non-practitioners the energy tends to just pass through them, but at the same time taints them. This whole energy transfer is how projections work. But we can also manipulate this energy on a much finer scale. We can take a very small amount, charge it only with a specific energy, and throw it at a person. That’s not a huge step up from what we talked about in the section on projections. We can do this with emotion. We can utilize emotion to create an emotional energy and throw that at a person to manipulate them emotionally. We can also bury words and thoughts, and even ideas (but that’s more complicated and generally less successful assuming the target speaks the same language), into energy.

If you can manipulate energy, it isn’t hard to bury words into it, it just takes some practice (BTW, this is also the method through which telepathic communication between practitioner’s works). For the best success though, especially early on, use the KISS model (keep it simple stupid). Simple and to the point phrases like “Leave a big tip”, “Isn’t She Hot”, and “Get out” will garner a lot more success than overly complicated thoughts that seek the same basic end result.

If you can’t manipulate energy that well yet, you may want to try thinking the thought as loud and intensely as you can and at the same time concentrating on the person. The success rate will be a lot lower, but it’s good exercise.

It is also possible, albeit a bit harder, to create a thought suggestion field, or in other words to put out a thought suggestion that acts like a projection effecting people in the general area instead of a specific target. To do this we would simply take the thought and bury it in energy (like a normal thought suggestion) but instead of a fine small ball we throw at someone we would project the energy around us (like a projection).

Thought Suggestion Fields and Time

A thought suggestion is instantaneous. We do it, it’s done, it’s over with, we don’t have to upkeep it, it isn’t meant to last. A thought suggestion field, on the other hand, is like a projection, we want it to last. With a projection, it will fortunately work to upkeep itself, this being largely do to the fact that emotion manipulates and changes energy accordingly, and as such the energy will manipulate us and those around us creating a cycle of energy to feed the projection as it is shed. Unfortunately thoughts and ideas do not modify energy, so thought suggestion fields do not feed themselves. In order to sustain the field the practitioner needs to constantly bury the thought suggestion into energy being let out into the field, or a way needs to be developed to sustain the field from the outside. Because of this thought suggestion fields are almost never used among experienced practitioners. In most instances, some better method that requires less energy is available.

Lures

Now a lure is going to combine all the elements of all of the things we’ve talked about thus far. We’re also going to have a higher degree of invasiveness than what we’ve already seen, and we’re going to have a better degree of sustainability, which is vital, and which will be achieved via an outside source. A strong lure, properly cast, is nearly invincible and can only be combatted by practitioners and those possessing either a very acute self-awareness or a very strong self-discipline. We’ll talk about combatting all of these things in the next section, and there we’ll discover just how vital things like self-awareness and emotional discipline are to an adept.

Making a Lure, an Example

The most common type of lures out there are the ones designed to make other people want to have sex with the practitioner, followed by lures that make people fall in love with the practitioner. These are not the only uses of lures, but the most common, and some of the easiest to cast. As an example, we’re going to look at a lure to get people to sleep with you.

Also unlike glamours and projections which are more often than not done psionically, lures are more often than not done via spellwork, especially among beginning practitioner. This is because lures are far more complicated and have far more parts. However we’re going to look at casting a lure psionically and then look at how to build that into a spell (perhaps one day actually, but I’ve spent too much time on this article and am loathing the idea of writing the spell right now).

Starting the Lure – Making a Projection…And Then Some

To start our lure we’re going to start with a projection. We want a projection that says fuck me. Projections of desire, horniness, and passion are all good ideas and will work okay in a lure. There is however a better projection, but it’s not one that is usually naturally occurring. Unless you’re having sex with someone, you won’t see this projection outside of a practitioner.

We’re going to start with a simple idea. We’re going to project the release of an orgasm. Men and women orgasm different. It’ll be easiest to project this as per your gender, at least to start. It doesn’t matter that you’re going to be targeting the opposite gender, it’ll still turn them on. Once you become more experienced and have actually experienced the orgasm of the opposite gender projecting that becomes easier.

Doing this is no different than projecting anything else. Simply imagine yourself having an orgasm and how it feels, and if you need to play with yourself and bring yourself to orgasm, then project that exact feeling outward into the energy. It’ll latch into it just like an emotion will, and if strong enough everyone around you will feel like they’re having orgasms.

Now projecting orgasms is great. It’s a wonderful tool and will serve you well in your sex life even outside this experiment. However we’re going to take this one step further. We’re going to back it up a bit. Imagine how you feel just a little bit before you have an orgasm. That wonderful joyful feeling of having sex, where you feel like you’re going to orgasm at any moment and any second now it’s going to start. That is the feeling we want to project out.

Now when people come around us they’ll feel like they’re about to orgasm, that they desperately want to, even need to, orgasm, but they won’t. Instead of orgasming they’ll just get that feeling again and again, but each time getting stronger and stronger. This type of projection will not just make people horny, but super horny and super desperate for sexual release.

Adding Thought Suggestions

The next step is to add thought suggestions to the projection, creating a thought suggestion field. As we talked about earlier, if we put a thought suggestion in, it’ll go away almost as quick. We need a way to sustain the suggestion. We’ll talk about that later. For now we just need to worry about the thought suggestions themselves.

Lures are very complicated with many parts. When you’re first starting out, it’s best to keep this part simple to make things easier, and we never want a lot of different thought suggestions in there. Too many suggestions just make the spell more complicated and open up more opportunities to failure. We want, at most, two to three suggestions. Following the KISS model, good, easy suggestions would be “isn’t he hot” and “I need to fuck him”. These will work pretty good.

We can do better though. Let’s start with “isn’t he hot”. That’s a question and just draws attention to you. Change it to “he’s so hot” and it’s better. Let’s change it to something more specific though and point out an attractive quality instead. “His blue eyes are so gorgeous”, “his chest is so toned”. Also, a very good one, which shouldn’t be underestimated, is “every one else thinks he’s so hot”. The psychology of people, both men and women, you’ll do better, more than half the time, convincing them that everyone else thinks you’re desirable rather than convincing them they think you’re desirable. Part of it is, too, that the person may be embarrassed to have sex with a fat person, or an old person, or a scrawny person and have people know about it. This helps with that problem. Finally, some really good ones, especially if you aren’t all that attractive, is “I can’t do better than this”, “this is the most attractive person I’m going to find to screw tonight”, or “Hey at least she’s easy”. A lot of lures and love spells utilize ideas like this because they are very powerful.

Now “I need to fuck him” is a bit blunt. Expect about a 50% or less success rate with that one. “I need to get laid tonight” is a little bit more general, but it doesn’t focus on you so it won’t help as much. Lowering their self-esteem with thoughts like “No one would want to have sex with someone as ugly/cheap/skanky/fat as me” is probably a better idea. It doesn’t focus on you, but when you offer sex, they’ll jump. You might want to try something more subtle though, like “he’d probably have sex with me”.

What we’re doing here is putting in seeds of ideas that will germinate and sprout forth with our thought suggestions. Thought suggestions like these are generally more effective than simple blunt suggestions. They’re far more manipulative and far more difficult to identify. They also allow the mind to branch off and create a whole series of thoughts naturally that lead the person in our desired direction. Ultimately we’re able to give the person a very complicated idea while still just implanting a single, simple thought.

Making the Glamour

Remember how we said the projection won’t work if the person thinks you’re an unattractive loser? Lures are quite a bit more powerful, but difficult to pull off if the person thinks you’re an unattractive loser. So we need to glam up. Make ourselves all attractive and hot. See section one. We don’t need to add anything special here.

Adding Invasiveness

Adding invasiveness to a lure isn’t difficult. Remember our energy is connected to us, like a limb, and will do what we want it to. For instance if we want our energy to target people, to try to bypass shields, to go after people who may have some protection it will. All we have to do is want it to do it.

Adding sustainability

There are many different ways to go about this. We can use runes, talismans, jewelry, and a million more ways on top of that. For this experiment though we’re going to use a very simple method and sustain the spell through a stone we’ll carry in our pocket.

First we need to pick out a stone. We’re going to want a stone that seems compatible with us. We also want one that is naturally attuned to desire and lust. Emerald is a good stone for this. However it can be very hard to get a specific stone, and most times we have to go with whatever selection is available, and unless you’ve memorized a lot of facts about stones and their correspondences it can be hard to get just the right one in the store. A good solution to any problem like this is to go with a compatible quartz crystal. It’s a clean stone that we can manipulate however we want, and it’ll be superior to just about anything else in the amount of energy we can push out of it.

Now there are other rituals to be done like cleansing and empowering the stone, but once that is taken care of we can begin the ritual for making the stone sustain our lure. Specifically, at least to start, we want to sustain the thought field that is projected out.

The way to do this is to project the thought buried in energy into the stone the same as we would a person. However when we do that we want the energy to go through the stone and then come out around it. Visualize the stone almost as a prism and the thought suggestion as light. It comes into the stone as a single beam, and immediately leaves as a cone. We can put the projection into the stone too at the same time, and in this way we can sustain both the thought field and the projection indefinitely with the stone.

Now a stone, especially one like crystal, will amplify the energy alot. It’ll also more than likely have a lot of latent energy in it. And then theres the energy you pumped into it putting the thought suggestion there. All in all it’ll last for a little bit before it runs out of juice. But what if you need something that’ll last all night?

What we need is a source of power for the stone. There are a few good ways to go about this. An obvious method is to just put the thought field into the stone and then have it feed off of the projection. It’ll work, but unfortunately it requires the practitioner to sustain the projection themselves instead of having the stone do the work. We could also have the stone feed off of the free energy in the surrounding area, like a projection would. This works great so long as there is enough energy around, but as soon as there isn’t the spell will break. Ideally we’d want to tie the stone to an infinite or near-infinite source of power that it could draw from. Many practitioners will use the earth for this. You could also draw off the power of one of the four elements. You could draw off of a deity, but I wouldn’t recommend doing that for a spell like this. And finally you can draw off of yourself and have the stone feed off of you.

And that’s pretty much it. From here it’s just a matter of carrying the stone, which will house both the thought field and the projection. You can also have the stone house the glamour too, which will put all aspects of the spell into the stone. Do remember to give the stone the intent to be invasive. The energy coming out of the stone is no longer yours, and it won’t naturally follow your wants and intents. The stone itself may go to sleep, especially if it hasn’t been used in a while, so prior to use it’s a good idea to push a lot of energy into it in order to wake it up. How long the stone will last and be able to cast the spell is dependent upon your psionic ability, but it’s a good idea, especially when starting out, not to expect it to last more than half a day or so.

Part 1: Glamours
Part 2: Projections
Part 3: Lures and Thought Suggestions
Part 4: Ethics and Defense

This is just a short post to quickly explain the bodies we inhabit. You’ll learn the differences between an astral and a mental body, things that are never spoken of like a mento-physical body, what these bodies are capable of, and what a HGA (Holy Guardian Angel) really is. All of this stuff is very basic and essential to understanding the way the universe is made up and how we both fit into it and move through it. It’s also a bit confusing, but that’s largely due to multiple terminologies and people discussing the subject that either don’t know much about it or have only, so far, come to realize part of it. Okay, now for a quick overview.

The Physical Body

Okay, our physical body is what we’re in right now, our body. It’s that physical thing that gets fat when you eat junk food, tires out when you exercise, gets old, and eventually dies. Generally it’s limited to the physical plane, Malkuth. For the most part it also has some limited interactions with Yesod (because Yesod is Malkuth), and you can also walk into the lower realm of Lilith. You can also get to other lower realms, physically, by way of Lilith, but we’re not going to talk too much about that here.

The Astral Body

A lot of people look at the astral body as being an energy body or a soul. That’s a somewhat correct, but somewhat limited, assessment. The astral body is limited to the physical realms of existence. This would be Malkuth/Yesod, Hod, Netzach, Lilith/Gameliel, Samael, and A’arab Tzereq.

Living beings have both an astral and a physical body. A disincarnate spirit meanwhile only has an astral body.

The existence of energy and matter, at least on the Sepiroth, are unique to the physical realms. The astral body being of the physical realm (like our physical body) is therefor made up of energy and matter (same as our physical body). Many people look at the astral body as being only energy, but this isn’t true. It also contains mass, albeit in most cases only small amounts of mass. However there are several ways to increase this mass which is how we are able to interact with the physical plane from our astral bodies. Within the Qlippoth the astral body, although still a combination of matter and energy and still typically more energy than matter, has a much higher mass.

The astral body is always there, usually. Many people see astral projection as the act of popping out of ones body. In reality though it’s just a shift of perspective from the physical body to the astral body. Most of us have a fairly solid astral body that follows us around, usually existing in the same space as our physical body. Some people though tend not to form the astral body at all and just keep a mass of energy. This mass is then formed into an astral body when they project out.

The astral body can be moved and manipulated while you’re not astrally projecting too. This is would be how certain things like remote viewing work (the astral body is sent to a distant location to look, and what is seen is interpreted through the conscious physical body). The physical body can also be manipulated while astrally projecting, although it takes large amounts of concentration. The next time you astrally project, try seeing if you can manage to move your physical body from a distance.

Astral bodies are both physical and finite. They’re created as part of the process that makes us an incarnate being. We did not have our astral body during our past life, in the same way we didn’t have our physical body then. Granted you can shape your astral body and many people do shape there’s to resemble their past life astral form, but it’s still a new body mimicking the old body’s form. Many people see the astral body as our soul and lasting forever because it can survive our physical body’s death. However the astral body itself just has the ability to possibly live longer. Our astral body can and will eventually die. We can be astrally killed.

When an astral body dies it doesn’t leave a corpse, it just ceases to exist. Most people will astrally survive their physical bodies, even if for a very short time. Most people will eventually just shed their astral body when they move on after death. If the astral body is killed while the physical body still lives, the physical body will die. It may be possible to keep it technically alive for some time (maybe), and it may be suitable for a walk-in to quickly jump in, but the person will have passed on and there will no longer be a connection point between their body and soul.

It’s difficult to transfer information between our physical and astral bodies. This often times leads to shady recollections and memory issues concerning astral projections, and also an inability to keep concentrated and focus on our goals when we project out.

The Mental Body

Netzach is the first physical realm. This is where matter and energy first exists, and the physical laws take effect in Hod. Our astral body, being made up of matter and energy, can’t move past Netzach. So we need another body, our mental body.

Beyond Netzach are the higher planes, also known as the mental planes or the heavenly planes. Here things don’t exist as physicalities and energies. They exist as ideas and thoughts and intelligences. A mental body has no real physicality, it is simply an intelligence, a collection of thoughts, ideas, emotions, personality, ect. What it appears as is simply the form it chooses to project out.

Our mental body is also known as our Holy Guardian Angel. It is a part of us (if you pray to your HGA, you’re praying to yourself). This body is connected to us, but there is also a huge separation between us. Because of this, in order to access our mental body, we need to reunite with it. Our HGA always takes the form of the gender that is opposite our physical one. In order to rejoin with our HGA we need to have sexual intercourse at a higher level, one that is more attuned to the mental planes. This allows us to access our mental bodies.

Joining with our mental body not only allows us direct access to the mental realms, but it also lets us access our mental body while conscious. Our mental body is always there, and it’s running around the mental planes doing things (it doesn’t follow us like our astral body). These planes are loaded with information, just about anything you might want to know, and also power, and you can access via your mental body while you’re conscious.

Mental bodies tend to die less often, although they still are mortal. A single mental body can last many lifetimes. When it dies, its intelligence is absorbed into the planes and continues to exist. A mental body typically can’t be killed (there might be a way), at least in a manner it won’t just resurrect itself from. It can be changed though.

Mento-physical body

In the Qlippoth the mental planes run parallel to what are known as the hell planes. Instead of abandoning the physical body for the mental body, in the hell planes we take our mental body (our HGA) and combine it with physicality. This creates a superform encompassing the astral and mental forms. A living person killed here will physically die, however the mental body will have the ability to resurrect the astral, and the mento-physical body will survive. This can result in a perpetual death where a person is continually painfully killed again and again. As I said, hell planes.

The Primal Body (or the emotional body)

Beyond the mental planes are the highest planes of existence, the first triad. Things like intelligences, thoughts, concepts, change, ect. are all constructs of the middle triad. These things don’t exist in the highest triad. In order to access this triad we need access to our primal body. The three planes represent the first impurity (brought about by self acknowledgement), purity, and singularity (the spark of creation). That’s all that exists there. In order to find our Primal Body we need to cross the abyss.

The abyss is a psychological state that we go through. We can leave it at any time after we enter, and we can reenter later. Some folks that get in work a lifetime and never manage to get past it. The point of the abyss is to destroy ourselves. We want to break ourselves down and cease to be thoughts and intelligences and what not and exist as our simplest, purest form. This may mean destroying ourselves, shaving off parts of ourselves, and returning ourselves to a purity. More often than not it also involves numerous mental breakdowns and other psychological horrors. We are literally trying to break our mine so it isn’t there, to return ourselves to a more primal state of being.

The Super-Physical Body

In the same way the mental body can not access the first triad of the Sepiroth, the Mento-Physical body cannot access the first triad of the Qlippoth. Once again, in order for the proper body to be accessed, an abyss must be crossed. This abyss isn’t a psychological state, it’s a literal abyss. It’s crossing is an ordeal and a trial that will test the practitioner physical, mentally, and magickally. There are ways to leave it without crossing, but not all who go in can. If you reach the end the mento-physical body will have evolved into the super-physical body. This would eventually lead to Thaumial, which is the first division, at which point the super-physical body is supposed to divide into multiple beings, each of which can run the gauntlet itself, eventually reforming into an even more advanced being.

Beyond Kether and Thaumial

There are realms beyond these. The three Ains are the next barrier to be past in order to find the next body, however as far as I’ve been able to tell nothing on in the mental realms or below has ever gotten past those barriers (or if they have remember doing so), and so what lies beyond that is a mystery.