Planetary Spells & Rituals
Page 24
Weather influences mood much more easily than we usually notice (I’d suggest trying to observe weather’s effects on your psyche from day to day). Weather is also the single most binding force between people; all individuals can relate to and discuss the phenomenon of weather as a consistent point of reference. Great friendships and relationships have begun with a simple comment on the weather, which is certainly an affirmation of its profound effect. When all other conversations fail or an ice-breaker is needed to end an uncomfortable silence, people talk about weather! There’s a reason for this: weather affects all of us. It’s Mother Nature at her finest. Pagans honor the tides of nature. Many cultures, as well as everyone’s ancestors, live(d) in direct conjunction with the cycles of nature and their area’s ever-changing weather pattern, entirely dependant on weather for survival.
Although fun, it’s good to approach weather magick with a distinct purpose. Don’t do it just to see “if it works.” Instead, consider it a type of magick that can help the Earth. Numerous native cultures practice rain dances and other types of weatherworking to influence the growth of crops, avoid drought, and achieve other survivalistic aims. These ceremonies are usually performed by ritual specialists and are of utmost importance to a culture’s sustenance.
If weather conditions in your area are severe, consider working with the weather to help better the environment. If you’re in an area that gets extreme wildfires, consider summoning the rain and calming the winds. If you’re in an area where rain is causing damage, consider working with the forces send the rain away to an area that needs it.
The weather won’t instantly change when weather magick is performed. Such things are better reserved for Hollywood portrayals. Instead, weather magick is best worked continually over time. Weather isn’t “controlled” or “commanded”—it’s worked with. Weather is a force much more powerful than our little human bodies, and its spirits deserve our respect.
Stepping Back & Further Application
Effectively altering weather patterns takes steps. Most weatherworkings need to be performed daily over a period of time. Additionally, consider the possibilities for the weather to shift: is there rain geographically close to you that you wish to bring to your area? Are there heavy winds nearby that you can try to summon to your area? Do weather conditions ensure that the outcome you’re looking for is a possibility? What are the odds of the weather helping you?
Keep in mind that all intention—all magick—works through the path of least resistance. After researching current weather statistics in and around your area, consider “weather” or not (ha!) the outcome you’re hoping for is attainable and in your favor. Ask yourself if it’s truly in the best interest for the environment or if it’s an unnecessary expenditure of energy. The actual need to perform weather magick is infrequent unless your life is directly tied to the harvest of the land or weather conditions have become threatening. Contemplate just how your desired change in weather will affect others in the vicinity (even hundreds of miles away), water supplies, animals, and crops.
Supplies
• a shaker or rattle
• the appropriate tool, candle, herb, and/or stone (see Procedure)
• a large blue sheet of paper
• a black permanent marker
• a lighter
Notes
• Depending on the weather you’re calling, you may be using beryl. Beryl stones include the following: emerald, aquamarine, bixbite, heliodor, maxixe (a type of beryl), morganite, goshenite, and golden beryl.
• This working should, of course, be performed outdoors.
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.
Think about the weather pattern you are trying to cause. Now, bring to mind the opposite condition of that weather pattern, its antithesis. For example, if you are working to bring rain, the opposite of rain is dryness. In this case, dryness will be called the antithesis.
Now that you know what you’re working with, link your mind to the spirit of the antithesis weather pattern (that is, the one you’re experiencing an abundance of and are trying to banish). Connect to the antithesis by physically mimicking the force. For example, lightly flail your body around to mimic air and dryness, cover your head to mimic rain, and so on. Begin mentally communicating with the force, explaining to it why you wish for it to go away. Don’t be aggressive, but do be assertive. Communicate respect and appreciation, but tell it why you’d like for it to be on its way and return at another time. Conclude:
Hail and farewell.
Do the same with the force you are summoning. Mimic it, link your mind to it, and persuade it to come. Speak to the spiritual forces that govern the force and convince them to come to the area. Explain why it’s significant and exactly why you’d like to experience the force. Shake the rattle and construct a chant. Dance around and communicate with the desired force. Visualize it coming, negating its antithesis. Additionally, use the following brief guide for suggestions:
Bringing rain: Burn cotton and send prayers in the smoke. Throw rice in the air while focusing on rain. Use a sword to summon and direct the clouds. Draw symbol 20 on the blue paper and burn it. (Don’t worry; birds won’t explode if they eat uncooked rice—it’s an urban legend. They actually quite enjoy it!)
Stopping rain: Focus energy in a beryl stone and leave it outdoors (see Notes). Use a sword to summon and direct the clouds. Draw symbol 21 on the blue paper and burn it.
Bringing snow: Throw crushed ice cubes in the air while focusing on snow. Burn a white candle outside and focus your intention in the flame. Use a sword to summon and direct the clouds. Draw symbol 22 on the blue paper and burn it.
Melting snow/ice: Burn a yellow candle outside and focus your intention in the flame. Use a sword to summon and direct the clouds. Draw symbol 23 on the blue paper and burn it.
Bringing wind: Burn the herb called broom. Throw kelp and other seaweeds in the air. Use a besom to summon in the wind. Draw symbol 24 on the blue paper and burn it.
Stopping wind: Focus energy in a beryl stone and leave it outdoors (see Notes). Bury the herbs broom, kelp, and other seaweeds. For extreme purposes, bury an entire wooden besom in the ground. Draw symbol 25 on the blue paper and burn it.
Bringing storms: Sprinkle the herb lobelia on the ground. Use a sword to summon and direct the clouds. Draw symbol 26 on the blue paper and burn it.
Stopping storms: Focus energy in a beryl stone and leave it outdoors (see Notes). Use a sword to dismiss and direct the clouds. Draw symbol 27 on the blue paper and burn it.
Bringing sunshine: Burn a yellow candle outside and focus your intention in the flame. Draw symbol 28 on the blue paper and burn it.
Bringing clouds: Burn cotton and send prayers in the smoke. Burn a white candle outside and focus your intention in the flame. Draw symbol 29 on the blue paper and burn it.
There are many types of weather patterns; should your intention not be listed above, use the list to generate ideas for summoning the weather you’re wishing for. Repeat the working frequently and cultivate a sense of knowingness that the weather pattern is on its way. Frequently communicate with the force you’re summoning throughout the day, encouraging and casting for its appearance. When it does arrive, leave an offering to the spirits.
Neptune
Zodiacal rulership: Pisces
Color association: Gray
Sephira: Chokmah
Number: 2
Day: None
Archetypes: Sacrificial God, Sea King
Themes: Love, intuition, psychic ability, healing, creativity,
illusi
on, empathy, imagination, sensitivity, transcendence,
compassion, dreaming, vision
If you are experiencing absolute hopelessness, a loss of faith in everything (including yourself), a feeling of numbness and disconnection, and are toying with thoughts of ending your life, you are most likely experiencing a “Dark Night of the Soul.” (This term was coined in the sixteenth century by the mystic St. John of the Cross. See page 172 for more information.) Allow this. Allow yourself to question anything and everything in your reality. What you are experiencing is very much a natural part of the mystic’s journey and is something that all aware and conscious souls have experienced, and still experience from time to time in varying degrees. All sensitive, mystical, psychic, empathic, and healing souls experience the deepest, darkest levels of inner pain at one point or another. We experience misery to learn from it, not to be devoured by its chaotic allure or comforting torment. You are sacred. You have a purpose. There are solutions to every issue; it’s just a matter of getting back on track toward those resolutions. Panta rhei; ouden menei (everything flows; nothing is stagnant): life is a process of change.
If I can offer any consolation to those readers who may truly be contemplating suicide as a solution, allow me to admit that I’ve entertained this thought at various times throughout my life. Even for those who are steadfastly devoted to spiritual seeking, the expansion of consciousness, and the path out of suffering, the temptation to leave this world altogether can still rear its ugly head. We are all subject to such emotional patterns. Experiencing thoughts of suicide should not be seen as spiritual failure; instead, we must allow it to confirm the fact that we’re sensitive and deeply feeling individuals. By the same token, we have the responsibility to not give in to these feelings, as tempting as they may be. Our spirits—our higher selves—are connected to our mind and our emotions, yes, but these things don’t constitute the fullness of our beings. Observing our minds and emotions objectively allows us to step back from thinking that we are our thoughts and emotions. Actively navigating and working with even our most painful experiences enriches us. There is only change, and even the heaviest weights are usually not as burdensome as they may appear. We must work ourselves out of emotional attachment. Every trial in life is an initiation.
When experiencing the depths of misery, perspective is of the utmost importance. When cultivating perspective, I sometimes think about the Buddhist Monks of Tibet, for example, who have been brutally tortured, whose families have been slaughtered, who have been forced out of their country, and on and on, and yet they have come to terms with their pain enough to smile and still altruistically help others in their lives. I use this example in particular because Buddhists do not hold a “faith” view of God, the Universe, or reality itself. Instead, the Buddhist view is an “experiential” view—one that is intricately connected with the psyche. It’s not that “faith” kept and continues to keep these people going through the most indescribably horrific hardship, but that their experience has shown them that suffering can be ended through diligence and trust. Experience has disproved hopelessness and cultivated inner strength.
This is only one example. Indescribable evils exist all around the world—but so do indescribably beautiful acts of good. A person must keep perspective if suicidal thoughts are present. Change is the only constant in life, and those in desperate situations must trust in and activate inevitable personal changes for the better. This spell is simply one way to do that.
This spell calls for the use of a representation of blood. This is not your own blood, not someone else’s, and not an animal’s. (Though Pagan animal sacrifice—where the body is respectfully killed and eaten, and the spirit of the being is offered to gods or spirits—is noble, there runs too great a risk of salmonella or pathogenic infection if real blood is used in the spell.) The representation for blood I suggest is Clamato™ juice—a combination of tomato juice, clam broth, and spices. Yes, I’m aware that the “Vampyre clique” in South Park drank Clamato™ juice instead of human blood, but that’s beside the point! I suggest Clamato™, or a similar store-brand blend, because of its contents. The tomato juice carries the energetic properties of tomato, a fruit that’s in the Solanaceæ (nightshade) family, which is the best type to use for death-related magick. Clamato™ also contains clam broth, which is water that was once sealed inside a clam. When shucked, this water is collected. This water carries some amount of death energy as a natural result. Additionally, the sodium content in Clamato™ is considerable, adding an energetic cleansing element to the bath. Finally, the potent spices in the drink help “chase out” blockages.
Some practitioners substitute actual blood in a spell by using a small amount of bat’s blood ink, dove’s blood ink, dragon’s blood ink, or a bottle of any red wine. As an aside, I may as well share my thoughts on actual animal sacrifice, as some spells (none in this book, however) do make use of real animal blood. Though the majority of practitioners won’t be using animal blood for any spell, whether it calls for it or not, allow me to expound. Animal sacrifice has been practiced in native, indigenous, and Pagan societies since the beginning of time, and is a highly respectable and sacred ritual procedure whose purpose is to petition a deity for a particular outcome (avoiding illness, ensuring crop growth, and so on). When sacrificed, the animals are eaten and their spirits are offered to gods, spirits, ancestors, or sacred items. Modern Western culture is quite the opposite: animals are most frequently raised under torturous, inhumane conditions, brutally slaughtered, and widely distributed to feed the public.
If you are using animal blood for any type of working, the blood should be fresh and must be from an animal used for food. (It should also be handled with rubber gloves, to avoid skin contact and its potential risks.) Those who live on a farm, for example, could directly send the soul of the animal to the gods. Personally, I’ve gone to a local free-range cow slaughterhouse and asked for fresh blood from the slit throat of the “daily cow.” It was for use in an ancient spell, but I told them it was for a recipe of traditional English blood sausage (also called black pudding or Blutwurst). However, this may not be a very feasible option for those living in larger cities. For practical and sanitary purposes, it’s generally best to use a substitute in place of real blood.
Stepping Back & Further Application
Keep in mind that suicidal thoughts are an indication that a part of the self has to die—not the whole self. What aspects of self can be put to rest in a spell such as this? Do some serious thinking about your situation and its intricacies. Suicide is a permanent response to temporary problems. Suicidal impulses are just that: impulsive. Even if we hurt on the deepest levels, we are here on Earth for a good reason and have a lot of positive work to do—and that work begins with ourselves. Even those in the most tragic dispositions can discover healing. If there’s a will, there’s a way. Also, keep in mind that the vast—and I mean vast—majority of suicide attempts are not successful. Instead, the person is either left alive and intact with none of their issues solved, or is physically damaged for life (such as brain injury). There’s a reason for this “failure” rate: the body wants to be alive.
Above all, I recommend speaking to a therapist or professional counselor if you’re truly experiencing suicidal thoughts. It’s hard to see the forest for the trees, and sometimes it takes the aid of another person to help us find the way. Do some research online, get recommendations from people, and find a therapist that suits you. Even if you live in an area of the world that doesn’t have a readily available health care plan, do your best to save up for at least one or two sessions with a compassionate counselor. If you don’t have much spare cash or your insurance doesn’t cover therapy, research low-income or free therapists in your area. Yes, they exist, they are trained, and they can help. You can also talk to loving peers or spiritual clergy. The world would be a much better place if we all had a compassionate soul to talk to. Activate the healing you d
eserve.
Supplies
• 2 large muslin bags (or others suitable for bathtub use)
• Mixture 1: any combination of the herbs dandelion, dill, eyebright, gingko, High John the Conqueror root, lavender, lemon balm, lemon verbena, mullein, nettles, rosemary, sunflower, vervain, wormwood, and yarrow
• 1 piece each of blue agate and bloodstone (or carnelian)
• Mixture 2: a combination of marjoram, St. John’s wort, thyme, thistle (milk or blessed), and willow
• a bathtub or shower
• Clamato™ juice (see above)
• an empty bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid
Notes
• This is a simple spell to aid in the process of healing. Suicidal impulses are severe, serious things and are best tackled through professional therapy. Performing a spell like this can only help get the ball rolling in the right direction—the rest is up to you.
Procedure
No circle needs to be cast for this spell. Instead, raise energy around you in the bathroom. Clear your mind, bring focus to your breath, and meditate for at least a few minutes. When ready, begin the working.
Fill the muslin bags with the individual mixtures. Inside the Mixture 1 bag, add the bloodstone. Inside the Mixture 2 bag, add the blue agate. Set the bags and the empty jar aside.
Start drawing a bath. (If you don’t have a bathtub, modify the working by dumping the ingredients on yourself while standing—or even sitting—in the shower.) Get the water as hot as you can stand it, but not hot enough to scald you. When the tub is full, add the “blood” (Clamato™) to the water. Enter the bath and get comfortable. Gazing into the water, say: