The Greatest Lesson

The Greatest Lesson

What is the greatest lesson? 

As a spiritual teacher I often get asked this question and to be honest I don't always have an answer.

In fact, I don't have all the answers to anything. I know a lot but when it comes to someone else's spiritual life and path there is only one person with all the answers they need. 

Only the self.

You.

You have all the spiritual answers within yourself that you need. That doesn't mean you won't be sparked or taught or inspired by others. Or that techniques or systems can't be explored through a book like the The Key Opening the Doorway to Magickal Practice.

What it does mean is that YOU must open the doors.

Always.

That if you seek within your mind and heart it will never be a wasted journey.

We have been conditioned by Abrahamic faiths not to think, not to seek, that the spiritual self  comes through (male) leaders of that faith. That the answers will be given if you are "good" enough.

Your mind is a garden and you allow are responsible for what you choose to grow there. What grows in the shade is just as important as in the light. What is poison, what is medicine what gives nourishment, all of which you can control, IF you choose to try.

This in modern terms is "mindfulness".

I prefer headology.

First sight and second thoughts. 

That is to see what is actually there with no judgement, no need to add or take away.

Second thoughts mean to watch your own thinking. Watch your train of thought. 

Add and remove, look at what it is telling you. Be the observer within your own mind and it will teach you things I have not even imagined for you.

Fundamentally I believe in embracing yourself, in finding your own worthiness and path.

I could make a lot more money just writing the normal pagan book telling you you must be this or that, shaming and blaming, ridiculing those who are different (Christian or pagan), but I won't.  

Your true power can never be given to you, only you can embrace it, use it and open the doorways to the happiness and wholeness you deserve.

Are you bold enough to try?

Can you let go of your fears and old ideas?

Shall we begin? Imperfect in our seeking but wild and free?

Bright Blessings xxx

Vulnerability and Addiction

Vulnerability and Addiction.

First off this is just some ideas and brain stuff I wanted to put down to see if it had any cohesion.

If vulnerability is the necessary birth place of the joy and the authentic whole happy self (Watch this if you don't understand), but is also deeply uncomfortable for a huge amount of people. To reduce this discomfort people numb (all feelings are numbed not only the good feelings robbing the person of the ability to feel happiness or joy,) and maybe this anxiety of vulnerability is the crux of addition.
We now know that the cage (in rat addition testing) is a greater determining factor in addition than the access to the substance.
What if the "cage" for addicts is vulnerability?
If so, this might be why the group therapies, like AA might have some success for some. They are giving both connection and force the addict to address their actions in a very vulnerable way.
The success would depend on whether they found their whole-heartedness, and learned to connected and be vulnerable, or simply found other ways to avoid shame or deal blame.
Shaming addicts, would of course, be the worst most painful thing for them to endure. This shame and self loathing is exactly what they numb to avoid.
The level of addiction may not be based on external trauma, abuse or tragedy, instead it may stem from fear of shame, low self worth, the need to control something within themselves they fear is unworthy or shameful.
All of this comes back to the culture. If the culture, country or family have strict lines of what is worthy/unworthy, acceptable/shameful and more importantly numbing behaviour becomes more extreme; this is a breeding ground for addition.
Britain is  particularly good/bad for this kind of culture. Repression, stiff upper lip, and an intense dislike of strong emotions (good or bad) it is the perfect breeding ground.
Add into that poverty (which is labelled as a personal failing not a social disease) and the narrow margins of acceptable feelings it is unsurprising Britain has an addiction problem.
Yet if this idea has any kind of truth in it we need to rethink addiction, numbing (alcohol in particular) and strong emotion. In particular shame and and blame.
Vulnerability is a bitter medicine, uncomfortable but needed for joy and fullness of life. If we could teach others to embrace it how different the whole world could be.

Bright Blessings xxx

Dancing on The Knife

Dancing on The Knife

Mabon

Both a time of year and a God in his own right (a Welsh God) Mabon is a complex weave of myth and magick.

Traditionally the Autumn Equinox is a blend of cool mists and rain mixed with late flowers, and harvests. Frost creeps over spiderwebs first thing in the morning but the days can feel like summer in the sun, even as the leaves change from deep dark greens to scarlet, orange, yellow or brown. 

The light and dark are in balance.

Mabon, the God, is the sacred child of the Great Mother, Modron.

Mabon brings change and walks between worlds bringing light and darkness depending on when and what is needed. This "Other-worldly" travel speaks of the idea that he was the first (or the first kind) of druidic/shamanic class and could represent "awakened masculine consciousness". Often brought into the world he is needed in by an animal, (a blackbird, an owl, a stag, an eagle or a salmon) Mabon is both "good life" (fruitful harvest, plenty and prosperity) and "good death" (peaceful transition, life well lived, death at the right time).

He is both wise and sagely but powerful too. He fearlessly faces his transitions from light to dark, from life to death and all the dreaming between. He dances joyfully along the knife edge of the year knowing that the darkness is that of seeds in good earth, sleep in night, death and re-birth. Mabon's wisdom is that of accepting constant change, working with the ebb and flow of the seasons (your own and of the world around you), to listen to the animals for their wisdom is deep.

There is a thin line between dancing and dreaming.

I shall feast today. I will hold circle. Sing and dance. Not as a performance but an expression at the peace I feel within myself.


Bright Blessings xxx

Children and Magick

Children and Magick

First off, sorry I have been busy in the world the for a few week.

Secondly...

Childhood

I read weird things from time to time about "protecting children" from magick, paganism and witchcraft. I find this a very odd notion. It isn't pornography, or X Factor, or other awful things.

Magick is the joy and wonder at the power and beauty of the world. Children feel this more keenly than adults. They see things that adults miss and have a natural kin to wild places and the wee-folk.

When my little one was a baby I took her everywhere with me, including to do a bunch of readings during the regular guys holiday. She sat with her big deep eyes quietly as did the reading, only making a fuss to grab my crystal ball every chance she could.*

I knew then it would be pointless to "keep her from magick" as it would be not refuse to allow an otter to swim. I did my thing, often when she was in bed but I was never secretive or tried to hide who I was from her, after all when she is grown she will not be suprised that I am a person as well as a parent and I cultivated many things, from music and games to reading that we have in common.

Her brief foray into the world of school was pretty horrific and I decided to "teach" her our ways and beliefs after she came home spouting and confused about Jesus, and then I endured 11 prayers to Jesus in a 45 minute harvest celebration. 

I never "made" her do anything. We had parties and feast during the pagan holidays. Answered any questions as honestly as I could and did R.E. projects to learn about lots of different faiths

As she got older she wanted to do more and more asking for quill pens and big books to write it. She wanted stars and to collect stone eggs. She had a way with reading people (* the crystal ball is now hers) and an instinct to heal people too).

Some of my fondest memories are from sacred sites, and circles watching little witch move with poise and grace as well as a faery twinkle.

When she dances in circle, sings or chants, drums or just helps out she is a valuable and important part of our family. She brings a cool reflective radiance to all she does, as well as her wicked sense of humor.

In Phillip Pullman's His Dark Material series his character's talks about separating the wild soul from children to "save them" (but really to control them) and to me trying to separate children from their own powerful and beautiful magick would be like that.

Magick makes children powerful and they are rarely seen that way in our culture but they are. They have one foot always in the other realms, one foot dancing to unheard songs and the brush or ancestors or grandmother's long since crossed over.

I used to call her "my little Goddess" as though those eyes watching me were the Goddesses own. She is. She will teach her children and their children how to carve pumpkin's, sing lullabies, make wishes, dance in the rain. 

She will wield my witch-blade, own my books until she passes them on. Her magick is not my magick it is entirely her own and her children's will be different again (biological or otherwise). Childhood should be full of wonder. It should be full of magick.

Bright Blessings 

xxx

The Restless Dead

The Restless Dead

Spirits 101.

Spirits are the energy imprint, spirit body, projection or emotional idea. Some of them used to be living humans (ie dead people). Some of them did not. Energy does not die. It just changes form. When it passes from this place to another (as it naturally should) it goes back to through The Veil or astral to be reunited, healed, taught and/or reborn. 

On this plane spirits can see us but often can not touch or interact with things. Sometimes we even appear as ghosts or shadows to them. This makes most people (even dead people) get pretty pissed off when people ignore them, when they are frightened or lost. This is what most haunting is like.

The worst spirits to deal with (as a house clearing medium) are drug addicts and alcoholics. They often have no idea they are dead and are full of unresolved issues. For regular people, child spirits are the most terrifying. If you have never seen a full screaming snot bubble tantrum of a scared and angry 3 year old you can not imagine how that translates into spirit activity.

Spirits are supposed to "cross over" into the light. (This light is what Light workers and mediums are connected to).

A medium should be able to speak to the spirit, find out what is wrong. Calm everything down and cross them over (guides the other side often help).

Spirits who have "crossed over" and who are guides don't move things, or interact with the physical much at all. They often become guides and protectors of the living and will communicate with me easily messages and the like to the living.

The first thing to do if you are being haunted is to calm down. Spirits can draw energy from strong emotions and being frightened is not going to do anyone any favours.

If you are not a trained medium, find a reputable professional to help you. 

Poking at something with a spiritual stick when you have no training or idea what you are doing is really dumb.

Smudging can help.  

You can buy Banishing the Dark incense here

Crystals and charms can help protect you too.

You can have something created by an expert.

Cascarilla is used to create wards and protection too.

Ground eggshells and herbs can stop spirit from getting in or out.

Salt is your friend.

Salt washes, salt in jar or bottles, salt in circles. Salt (you can have it tailored to your needs) is not liked by most spirits, especially when charged with crystals, herbs and oils.

Most spirit is not evil, dark or unnatural. Most are just confused and lost.Compassion and kindness, light and love are the best idea.

If you are sensitive or find yourself drawing these beings to you, a good idea would be to train yourself with a decent group of mediums. They are unlikely to stop coming to you, all you can do is deal with them kindly. 

Bright Blessings xxx

Don't forget to get my book The Key Opening the Doorway to Magickal Practice. 

Binding

Binding

The Short Term Solution

This is a Paracelsusian Binding Box. As Bindings go, it is a mid-level binding. It neutralises what ever is put in it for a period of time.

It could be a crystal you used in a healing that has gone black (happened a few times to me when healing folks). Or it could be something very brightly "light" that you want to hide, or shield away from someone (or something).

However when we talk about binding what we usually mean is a person.

Lots of people prefer binding to hexing or cursing as it seems nicer.

Except it binds your power, energy and magick into the mix. (If your power, magick and energy isn't going into your magick... then it isn't magick).

I don't think binding (or "put a bubble of light around it/them") is nicer, smarter or better magickally than say a Banishing or a nice clear "Fuck Off, Fuck Off when you get there, then Fuck Off Again."

Granted this makes this person SEP (Someone Else's Problem) but essentially it works.

Binding weaves complicated magickal threads of your fate and the other persons together. 

I just don't care enough about "the Great Unwashed" to mix my magick with their energy and their fate. If I do care I do a temporary one (you weave how long it will last into the spell in the first place).

Binding works well on people being "lead" astray. (In real world terms, many a guy is lead by his penis, has a break down, falls in with the wrong crowd, can't shake an ex no matter how destructive, is being a bit of a dick for some reason.) 

It doesn't work well on people who are toxic, asshole, abusers, users, liars. The binding might rob them of their "fix". This can make them more dangerous.

When the binding erodes or breaks it will be all the worse for the binding. Some binding would take maintenance, and again you would be binding yourself to their actions, thoughts and feelings. Yuck!

The other thing is these threads can be traced back to the witch or magick worker. Right to you! It takes some serious skill (not to mention practice) to remove, disguise or erase these threads on all planes. You might manage one or two but rarely all of them.

So if this is still something you think is a great idea.

How to Bind.

You will need.

Poppet/Object of connection.  

A vessel.

Thread/cordage/something to bind with.

You can use a poppet you make and stuff it with their hair, or just as easily some dirt from their foot print. You can even pin their shadow onto a paper (add the name though).

You then need a vessel. You can visualise (make a thought-form bubble), put the dirt in an halved onion, sew it into a lemon.

Then you need to find your poise. You need to find that thread, that essence in The Veil and wind it.The colour of the thread is not as important as you feeling you are binding around this person. Is it a spider web, a cotton wool wrap, a thread of nettles, or a bind of Morning Glory. As you you need to fix the length of time the binding will last.

How to Break a Binding.

Bindings are always still connected to the person who worked the magick. As she used to say "Be sure your sins will find you out". Fire, glass, witch blades and certain places within the Veil it's self remove all bindings. (If you work with the dead/spirit, all binding from life fall away in the White Fire.)

Careful removal of the bindings from someone's aura works well too. 

Summary

Binding is not a "nicer" thing to do to someone. A binding requires a lot of work to maintain. It doesn't "fix" the problem. Holistically I am always a "deal with the cause, rather than treat the symptoms" kind of witch.

If a "Shut Up, Fuck Off" spell gets rid of the problem, do it. Maybe a Truth and Justice spell instead?

A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing with Bindings, luckily I have been doing this a long time.

Bright Blessings xxx

Don't forget. Buy the book The Key Opening the Doorway to Magickal Practice. 

Visit the shop Lucy Drake & Co on Etsy.

Lughnasdha

Lughnasdha Lammas

 Celebrating Earth And Sun 

It has been a wet and cold(ish) July here. The plants can't decide if it is Autumn or Spring (the horse-chestnut trees leaves are all on the turn but my back garden looks like a jungle).
When I "touch base" during a ritual I am not turning my back on the world. How odd that would be. Of course my practice is still based on Celtic customs and "18th century peasants" but as I grew up in Wales on a farm, that doesn't seem too odd. It doesn't seem odd that people took their beliefs with them, especially as they had had what was theirs stolen from them (their land).
While the grain harvest is a dusty (and thoroughly unpleasant job) Lammas, loaf mass, is not only celebrating the death of "John Barley-corn" but the earth that grew him. The rain that didn't fall. The storms that didn't happen. The community coming together, because in order to eat everyone needed to help. That the water is still pure and sweet.
The beer drunk, the whiskey, the bread eaten is not of this years harvest. No that is too wet and green.
In fact if you can eat bread, if you can drink beer, or whiskey, or a thousand other foods with grain in it you have a lot to be thankful for!
A thousand miracles have to happen for a harvest.
The earth that bears grain in one place may still be green and growing somewhere else.
It isn't just this years harvest we celebrate. It is last years, and all those that came before so we could be where we are.
If this years "harvest" is yet to bear fruit, that is not important. What is important is the abundance and generosity of the earth. For the wells and water ways. For the bilberries, and early blackberries. For the lush grass making milk in goats and cows. For butter and cream.
Lughnasdha might bear the Gods name but the feast and games and playful rites were in celebration of his mother. It was her wisdom and her death that brought growing and sowing to people.
At this festival we are drawn back to the ancient places, the wells and barrows, the track ways and stones. Not only because the best bilberries grow there, but many a baby was conceived under the bilberry bush, in the sunshine under our ancestors knowing gaze.
The seeds we sow, and harvest we gather are not just based on some idea Gerard Gardener wrote down. They are based on forces and miracles we rarely stop to notice.
Flour isn't some hard won prize these days, but it was. It takes a huge amount of water and nurture and care to grow. Harvesting it (even with technology) is messy, dry, dusty work. Work still subject to the weather, and earth. Still subject the the magick and miracles.
At Lughnasda I am not celebrating something I am divorced from. I am celebrating the thousand things that go right to make one loaf of bread.
Celebrating the griddle stone. The oven. The butter and cream. The bilberries and stary nights.
I remember the way corn looks like water under the wind. Sounds like the ocean when you pour it and feels like water or sand beneath the fingers.
Your miracles won't be mine. Your harvest will not be mine either but if Lughnadha sound silly, or out of season, every piece of toast, every muffin, every bottle of beer came from this spiritual place. It can trace it's lines back so far and deep into our history. Our ancestors who worked so hard, and play so hard too, who danced across mountains, sailed over seas and reshaped the world with a few grains, and plough.

Ritual is not a space to turn your back on the world, but a space to draw into the myth and symbolic to express something deep and ancient and beautiful. It is a different space but that makes it no less worthy, no less real or no less special for those within it.
It is a patriarchal dichotomy to place "doing" over "feeling", to place "real" over ritual, intellect over body. To be whole and spiritual and within the world both are needed and no more or less magickal than each other.

Bright Billberry Blessings xx

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