Add the stones to complete the charm. Tie the bag and lie back down on the floor, placing the sachet in the middle of the symbol on your chest. With your eyes closed, envision the bag surrounded by an orange hue, and see this same energy going into your solar plexus area. Let your energy merge with that of the bag. When you feel a sufficient connection, thank Mercury and close the circle as you normally would.
We will here draw on another powerful aspect of Mercury, which is study, the intellect, and the mind. Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo, the two most mentally focused, analytical signs of the zodiac.
This spell is designed for people who are undergoing any type of study. For those in school, whether college, high school, or another type of formal educational system, consistently performing magick to bring about mental focus is a good thing to consider. It’s easy for the mind to wander or become overwhelmed with an abundance of information. Utilizing magick can help adhere the mind of the practitioner to the studies at hand, encouraging a constant absorption and comprehension of information being presented.
This spellbag can be ideal for a person who is engaging in metaphysical studies. Whether in an occult school, training coven, or other type of structured esoteric program, one can reap particular benefits by creating a charm to aid in the progressive work. Occult information can seem daunting and even incomprehensible if a person is beginning a system of study into new information. Just as the Universe is infinite, the amount of wisdom we can attain is just as limitless. Crafting a bag such as this can help keep the mind focused and inspired, knowing that the endless road of knowledge is being embarked upon.
Discipline is an element of life that is often lacking in the West. Everybody’s upbringing and experiences are different, and if you have come to feel that a more disciplined approach to life and study would be beneficial, you may want to craft this bag to keep the inspiration and motivation flowing.
As with all things, there is always a balance. An extreme lack of discipline can create apathy and indifference to progression in life. This can lead to depression and feelings of worthlessness. An overabundance of discipline can lead to rigidity and over-seriousness, and even bitterness and elitism. Everybody responds differently to varying levels of study and devotion, and I believe that pushing the limits of the mind can invoke confidence and accomplishment. Life is change; life is progression. To buckle down and study—both regularly and constantly—is to take the path of personal evolution.
Stepping Back & Further Application
Before performing this spell, be sure that your intention is clear. For what reasons do you feel inclined to craft a spell for study? Are you embarking on a new “odyssey of the mind?” Do you wish to hone abilities you already possess? Are you afraid of failure? It’s easy to become discouraged with learning and stop. The demon of looming failure is a powerful one, but one that mustn’t be surrendered to. Giving up only breeds more of the same. Courage can be cultivated by disproving your own doubt.
If you approach this spell with fear and anxiety, this energy will naturally absorb into the sachet. Instead, take a breath and realize that you have all the ability in the world to learn new information, assimilate it into your consciousness, and progress in life. If you feel you’re not absorbing information that’s around you, analyze the reasons. Does your mind wander too frequently? Do you really want to be learning the information you’re being presented, or is it disinteresting?
Consider other energetic elements you can add to the bag. If you are in medical school, maybe adding a folded diagram of the human body to the sachet would be beneficial. If you’re studying Thelema, maybe ninety-three mustard seeds would be a good addition. As with all spells, craft them to your specific purpose and be creative.
Supplies
• 1 candle each of the colors white, yellow, and orange
• raw benzoin (or storax) incense resin
• a round incense-burning charcoal disk and sand in a dish or censor
• 8 small squares of aluminum foil
• an orange permanent marker
• an orange drawstring sachet bag
• 1 stone each of citrine, turquoise, and moonstone
• 8 black-eyed peas (blackeye beans) or yellow-eyed beans
• any combination of the herbs caraway, cinnamon, clove, dill, eyebright, gingko, jasmine, peppermint, rosemary, sage, spearmint, thistle (milk or blessed), vervain, and white horehound
Notes
• It’s a good idea to keep this bag close to you as much as possible. If you take a book bag to school, stick it in there; if you do most of your work at home on the computer, place it nearby.
Procedure
Begin by casting a circle, calling the quarters, chanting, or raising energy as you normally would, performing protective exercises, and altering your consciousness. Clear your mind, bring focus to your breath, and meditate for at least a few minutes. When ready, begin the spell.
Ignite the candles and benzoin incense. Once the incense is billowing, face the east. Raise your arms above you, close your eyes, and bellow:
Spirits of study—hear me now!
Mercury and the Muses!
Those of thought, mind, and intellect!
Spirits of Air and Will,
aid me in my working.
Venerated keepers of the mental plane,
assist in all of my studies hereon forth.
Grab the aluminum foil and marker. On one side, draw symbol 7. On the other, draw the symbol for Mercury. Fold this three times and place in the bag.
Next, add the stones. While adding the turquoise, say:
Mercury bear witness. Fill this bag, that it may radiate with knowledge . . .
Add the citrine, saying:
. . . through all my days . . .
Add the moonstone, saying:
. . . and all my nights.
Slowly add the 8 black-eyed peas one by one. While doing this, think about your studies. Imagine yourself understanding all of the information you’re presented, and see yourself succeeding in your chosen area of study.
To top off the bag, add the mixture of herbs. When finished, tie the bag and hold it to the incense smoke. Say 8 times:
Now enchanted, this charm is mine,
I carry wisdom through all time.
From the ears into the mind,
There is no knowledge I cannot find.
So mote it be.
Thank Mercury and any other spirits present, and close the circle as you normally would.
Automatic writing is a skill that takes time to develop. It can be described as a process of channeling that consists of the writer receiving messages through themselves and transmitting them on paper.
When automatically writing, the conscious mind of the writer steps to the background. Much like invocation in Pagan traditions, the spirit of that which is communicating is allowed to step forward and dictate messages using another person as a conduit. Instead of speaking, however, all information received is immediately written. Most automatic writers act as “trance channels,” though some find success by remaining fully conscious of, and interacting with, their immediate environment (while giving no attention to the hands). Every practitioner has a different method.
Similar to invocation, messages that are received during this process are not filtered through the mind. Instead, they are allowed to flow naturally. When the rational mind filters what the subconscious detects, messages become distorted. Instinctive censorship and rewording can occur as a result of insecurity and uncertainty. Unfortunately, it’s easy to mistake externally received messages with information of the subconscious. What appears to be a message channeled from an external intelligence can, in fact, be one from the “higher self” or the subconscious—and vice versa!
Some modern surrealist artists practice surrealist automatism. This is similar
to automatic writing, but the artists generally credit their subconscious or unconscious mind as the producer of such imagery (or music, etc.). Mediumistic automatism, on the other hand, is frequently practiced by mediums, and is assumed to be messages from spirits of the deceased.
Practicing automatic writing allows a person to not only tap into their subconscious, but into the other planes. Whether a spirit plane, astral plane, or alternate dimension, information can be transmitted from a variety of “places.” However, it’s essential that the receiver of the messages does not mistake a simple ghost-communication for musings from Andromeda. Discernment, and even doubt, is key.
When first practicing automatic writing, the final messages can appear to be extremely garbled. It’s not unusual for the writer to receive pages upon pages consisting only of random letters, numbers, symbols, and sentence formations. At first, it can be difficult to even decipher the most simple message from all the seemingly abstract nonsense. Even the most gifted automatic writers can struggle with decoding that which is channeled.
Though some people are born with an innate ability to almost effortlessly automatic write (or are born with natural psychic powers, artistic talents, musical abilities, and so on), it is a learned practice for the majority of people. As with all abilities and skills, practice makes perfect.
Stepping Back & Further Application
As mentioned, it can be very difficult to decipher messages received when automatically writing. If you feel that automatic writing is a skill that you are naturally inclined to or wish to develop, keep on practicing. Eventually, messages will come that will be both understandable and significant. Don’t rush the process. At the same time, don’t feel bad if the messages you do decrypt seem to be extremely simple or even silly. Take what you get and keep developing the skill; not every message has to be profound.
Sometimes it’s impossible to interpret what’s been channeled. Still, many messages can be decrypted by scrutinizing the symbolism of the transmission. The receiver can do this by analyzing what each message could possibly indicate to them personally, or by getting advice from others (especially from the person who the message was meant for, if there is one). One can also research numerology, Qabalistic symbolism, and sacred geometry when faced with symbolism in the form of shapes and numbers. Or you can try an Internet search for strange words or names that stick out.
When decoding the message, beware of anything that seems particularly profound. Maybe you are receiving messages that the Earth is going to explode in a couple of days, or that you’re being visited by beings from a distant galaxy. Now, I’m not one to discount the possibility of alien communication through automatism, and I have in fact read a number of “extraterrestrial channeled” books that have highly conscious information throughout. What I mean to emphasize is that one should approach automatic writing with considerable skepticism in order to distinguish likely reality from flights of fancy. One might also want to keep in mind that, much like the Ouija board, should one genuinely channel an external being, that being certainly has the capability of lying!
Supplies
• sandalwood incense sticks
• a white candle
• parchment paper
• a ballpoint pen
• 1 cup of pomegranate juice
Notes
• Pomegranate is a fruit associated with Mercury, and it has numerous mythological associations. Connected with Persephone, daughter of the Greek goddess of fertility, it is said that the god of the Underworld, Hades, tricked her into eating the fruit upon freeing her (following her abduction). This compelled her to enter the terrain of the Underworld for part of the year annually, thus making the story an origin myth for the seasonal cycle.
Procedure
Begin by casting a circle, calling the quarters, chanting, or raising energy as you normally would, performing protective exercises, and altering your consciousness. Clear your mind, bring focus to your breath, and meditate for at least a few minutes. When ready, begin the spell.
Light the incense and candle, and set the paper and pen on a hard surface in front of you.
Cup your hands above the pomegranate juice. Imagine it glowing in a soft white light and recite:
With this juice, I take into myself the ability to journey the planes. Behold! This sacred libation is charged with vibrations beyond my consciousness. As this drink is internalized, I take into myself the ability to expand beyond this waking sphere. Messages now come to me easily and freely. I am open to receive.
Close your eyes and drink the juice. With your eyes still closed, start humming quietly. Find a comfortable, high pitch and continue vibrating this tone for a few minutes. If random thoughts enter your mind, see them disappearing instantly. Keep reentering a space of mental expansion and detachment from ordinary reality. When you feel inclined, put the pen to the paper and stop humming.
Begin writing. Do not become aware of what’s being written. You may wish to look around, or you may find the practice easier with your eyes closed. Don’t pay attention to your hands; just make sure that the pen is connected to the paper and is still writing. If necessary, put the first piece of paper aside and grab another.
During this process, your hands may be writing letters, numbers, words, symbols, drawings, full sentences, random scribbles—anything. Be open to any and every possibility, and don’t limit your thinking to what is “proper.” If you find yourself wondering what’s being written, distract your thinking by focusing on something else in the room. Over time, you’ll discover the method of focus (or lack thereof) and trance that works best for you.
When you feel a sense of completion, set down the pen and close your eyes. Take a number of deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Lie on the floor, move your body, eat something, or do whatever it takes to ground and center your mind. When finished grounding, close the circle as you normally would, and plan some time in a few days to decode the messages.
Venus
Zodiacal rulership: Taurus, Libra
Color association: Green
Sephira: Netzach
Number: 7
Day: Friday
Archetypes: Love Goddess, Fertility Goddess, Sea Goddess, Maiden
Themes: Love, fertility, attraction, relationship, valuables, romance,
pleasure, beauty, sensuality, sexuality, affection, friendliness,
aesthetics, erotica, luxury
Of all the spells that can be performed, love spells are renowned for being the most tricky. All of us want to love and be loved. All of us deserve to love and be loved. Of all the emotions in the Universe, love is the most valued, desired, and misunderstood. True love is pure, a spiritual diamond in the rough, and it can be the thing that dictates one’s life.
Indeed, there are many aspects and forms of love. We experience different types of the emotion when feeling love for pets versus nature, friends versus relatives, long-term partners versus flings. Love is not limited to one sensation alone; it takes numerous forms and is expressed in a variety of ways. Though the following spell is focused on the romantic variety of love, love in all its many aspects is just as vital for happy and healthy functioning, if not more so.
Playwright Oscar Wilde once wrote that “the mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.” This quote illustrates the divine nature of love as a spiritual connection between souls. It’s difficult to understand the feelings that love evokes and, as with all spiritual experiences, love is something that must be experienced to be known.
They say that love is blind. Though it’s a most exalted experience, romantic love can injure other aspects of the mind if a person allows it to. Rationality, common sense, and discernment often take a backseat to romantic love. This idealistic approach isn’t always best.
To idealize love is to seek it with
out considering other aspects of the equation. Idealism can be the cause of unhealthy behavior and mental attachment. Because all things are temporary, one mustn’t become attached to the sensation of love. Attachment to anything, or to one’s perception of it, can lead to injurious decisions and dissatisfaction.
This spell should be performed if you feel that you are truly ready to attract a romantic lover into your life. While a life partner would be ideal, realize that this spell draws the frequency of love and not necessarily an extended duration of it (though it may). People meet and separate for specific spiritual reasons, and everyone has a different set of lessons they’re meant to learn in this life.
Stepping Back & Further Application
If you’re single and are unhappy with being single (which is an unfortunately common view), consider the reasons. I’m not talking about reasons why “nobody likes you”—such thoughts are based in a “victim mentality” and are highly unrealistic. Instead, analyze the spiritual reasons as to why the Universe would put you in a lonely situation. Perhaps there is an abundance of self-work you need to accomplish now, and doing this spell would only be ignoring its necessity. Consider this, and the benefits of the single life, very wisely and thoroughly. I also recommend looking at the spell Sacred Body, Sacred Mind: Invoking Self-Love in this section before performing this working.
Desperation is a palpable, negative vibe to emit when seeking love. If your desire for love finds you desperate and obsessive, examine the reasons behind the feelings and work on those first and foremost.
You get what you give. If you feel hatred toward yourself, how can you expect others to feel the opposite? Loving oneself is important for healthy functioning, and this means loving yourself for who you are.
Keep in mind that for every type of person there is, there are those who are attracted to that type of person on numerous levels. Love is never gone or unattainable. It’s never too late to find a partner and enjoy the connection.
Planetary Spells & Rituals Page 10
