Basil: Goddess (especially holy basil or tulsi), healing, protection.
Bay leaf: Offering to Hekate and Apollo, banishing negative energy, luck in situations that require physical strength.
Cinnamon: Offering to Hermes/Mercury, to “heat up” or “sweeten” a spell, as incense to purify a space.
Copal: One of the “dynamic duo” of incense—multipurpose clearing of negative energy, creating sacred space, energizing space, attracting good spirits and repelling negative entities, sanctifying and consecrating, elevating mood and altering consciousness.
Dragon’s blood: Protection, cleansing of negative spirits.
Frankincense: The other (along with copal) of the “dynamic duo” of incense. Multipurpose cleansing and purification, sanctifying and consecrating, elevating the energy of a space, attracting benevolent spirits while repelling negative spirits, mood lifting, consciousness shifting, common offering to deities.
Garlic: Repelling negative psychic energy (think vampires), Mars, Hekate, protection.
High John the Conqueror: Often carried as a talisman or added to mojo bags. Power, luck, “masculine” energy.
Hyssop: Purification, blessing, protection. My go-to magical oil, especially for protection and sanctification.
Jezebel root: For protection of sex workers.
Mint: Cleansing and purification, burned with frankincense to generate visions.
Mugwort: Psychic energy and dreaming, protection from psychic negativity, burned as incense to sanctify and purify space.
Myrrh: Protection, cleansing, healing. Very similar in most respects to frankincense, and may be combined with it for a synergistic effect. Good for banishing negativity and creating sacred space.
Red pepper: Repellent, to “heat up” or energize a spell, keep someone away.
Rosemary: Aphrodite, protection (especially when planted near front door), purification (when burnt as incense or used in a bath).
Rue: Protection, cleansing.
Sage: Cleaning, protection, feminine energy and power.
Solomon’s seal: Protection, decision making, wisdom.
Rocks, Minerals, and Crystals
Antigreed, capitalism: Pyrite (fool’s gold).
Attract energy: Lodestone.
Binding and banishing: Jet, obsidian.
Capture and hold energy: Quartz (all varieties).
Goddess: Moonstone, selenite.
Grounding: All crystals, especially salt, hematite, lodestone, petrified wood, and quartz.
Hekate: Moonstone, selenite.
Justice: Bloodstone, hematite, selenite.
Peace: Amethyst, celestine, jade, obsidian, selenite.
Protection: Amethyst, black tourmaline, fire agate, obsidian.
Reproductive rights: Moonstone, selenite.
Salt: Deep cleansing, powerful protection, purification.
Curios
Animal teeth, bones, hair, etc.: Energies and qualities of the particular animal.
Feathers: Elemental air, swiftness and flight, energies and qualities of specific birds.
Mercury (Liberty) dime: For mojo bag, protection, general good luck, liberty.
Colors (Candles)
Black: Black power, Africa, darkness, shadow, negativity, hiding something.
Blue: Peace, pacifism, water, healing.
Brown: Court cases, legal issues, humility, animals.
Green: Plants, earth, money, abundance.
Pink: Sexuality, femininity, friendship, nonsexual love.
Rainbow: LGBTQ+ “rainbow flag,” humanity in all its colors and variations.
Red: Mars, blood, heat, passion, warfare, love.
White: Purity, cleanliness, sterility. As it contains all other colors within it, it can substitute for other colors when necessary.
Yellow/Gold: Sun, fire, attraction, positivity, intellect, wealth.
Moon Phases
Waxing (increasing) moon: spells for attraction, growth, increase.
Full moon: Revelation, power, shining a light on a subject, peace, justice.
Waning (decreasing) moon: Decrease, sending things away, binding, banishing, and release spells.
New (dark) moon: Binding, obscuring, halting, negativity, regeneration, rest.
Correspondences for the Centering Ritual
Before me: Future, infinity, beings yet to come, choice, open road.
Behind me: Past, the dead, ancestors, choices I have made, consequences.
On my right: Father, sun, light, active, giving, beginnings.
On my left: Mother, moon, receptive, taking.
Above me: Angels, planets, stars, infinity.
Below me: Rocks, magma, fire, crystals, the dead.
As outside me: Everything external.
So within me: Soul, spirit, imagination, daimon, muse, deepest self, divinity.
Resources
Activism
Bind Trump (Official) Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OfficialBindTrump/
The official home of the #MagicResistance on Facebook—a diverse, supportive community that coalesced around the Trump binding spell and grew into a much larger movement.
The Network of Spiritual Progressives
https://spiritualprogressives.org
Boggs, Grace Lee. The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011.
Horwitz, Claudia. The Spiritual Activist: Practices to Transform Your Life, Your Work, and Your World. New York: Penguin, 2002.
Sharp, Gene. From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Framework for Liberation. Boston, MA: The Albert Einstein Institution, 2002.
African Diaspora and African American Magical Traditions
Lucky Mojo
http://www.luckymojo.com
Lucky Mojo Curio Company publishes a large collection of books and online information about Hoodoo, Conjure, and Rootwork.
Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers
http://readersandrootworkers.org/
Chireau, Yvonne P. Black Magic: Religion and the African American Conjuring Tradition. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003.
Murphy, Joseph M. Working the Spirit: Ceremonies of the African Diaspora. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1994.
Tann, Mambo Chita. Haitian Vodou: An Introduction to Haiti’s Indigenous Spiritual Tradition. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2012.
Ceremonial Magic
Kraig, Donald Michael. Modern Magick: Twelve Lessons in the High Magickal Arts. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2010.
If you’re intrigued by ceremonial magic, this popular course, based on the Golden Dawn curriculum, is the perfect place to start. It also covers, to a lesser extent, witchcraft and chaos magic.
Entheogens/Plant Medicines
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
https://www.maps.org
Erowid
https://erowid.org
Heaven, Ross. Plant Spirit Shamanism: Traditional Techniques for Healing the Soul. Rochester, VT: Destiny Books, 2006.
Smith, Huston. Cleansing the Doors of Perception: The Religious Significance of Entheogenic Plants and Chemicals. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2000.
Vayne, Julian. Getting Higher: The Manual of Psychedelic Ceremony. London: Psychedelic Press, 2017.
General Magical Theory
Ramsey Dukes (Lionel Snell) has created a superb series of videos that explore many topics in magic: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-NwOu0WV5Qd_U4zOP33sw/videos.
Jodorowsky, Alejandro. Psychomagic: The Transformative Power of Shamanic Psychotherapy. Translated by Rachael LeValley. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2010.
DuQuette, Lon Milo. My Life with the Spirits. Boston, MA: Weiser Books, 1999.
DuQuette’s fascinating autobiography is a deep dive into the ups and downs of the magical life.
Quareia: A New School of Magic for the 21st Century
https://www.quareia.com/
Josephine McCarthy and Frater Acher created this free, in-depth curriculum in visionary magic. Highly recommended.
Hermetic Magic
Hermetic Magic: The Postmodern Magical Papyrus of Abaris. Edited by Stephen Edred Flowers. Boston, MA: Weiser Books, 1995.
A practical guide to Hermetic magic derived from the Greek Magical Papyri.
The Hermetic Library
https://hermetic.com
Incense
Cunningham, Scott. The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1989.
Neal, Carl F. Incense: Crafting & Use of Magickal Scents. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2014.
Mermade Magickal Arts
https://www.mermadearts.com
High quality magical raw incense and blends, electric heaters, charcoal, and accessories.
Magic in Religious Traditions
Buddhism
Beyer, Stephan. The Cult of Tara: Magic and Ritual in Tibet. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978.
Though focused on Tibetan Buddhist magic, this hefty book contains a wealth of wisdom about magic in general.
Christianity
Conner, Robert. Magic in Christianity. Oxford, UK: Mandrake of Oxford, 2014.
———. Jesus the Sorcerer. Oxford, UK: Mandrake of Oxford, 2006.
Robert Conner’s groundbreaking scholarship sheds new light on the use of magic in Christianity.
Meyer, Marvin W., and Richard Smith. Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999.
Judaism
Bohak, Gideon. Ancient Jewish Magic: A History. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
Islam
Knight, Michael Muhammad. Magic in Islam. New York: Penguin, 2016.
Meditation
Chödrön, Pema. How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind. Boulder, CO: Sounds True, 2013.
Music
Environments 2: Tintinnabulation. Atlantic 81765-2, 1990, compact disc.
I have yet to find a more powerful musical adjunct to rituals than this recording of modulated electronic bells. Worth seeking out.
Gardner, Kay. A Rainbow Path. Ladyslippper LRCD103, 1984, compact disc.
Gorgeous, evocative acoustic music for meditation on the chakras.
Harner, Michael. Shamanic Journey Solo and Double Drumming. Foundation for Shamanic Studies C-1, 1993, compact disc.
Powerful, simple shamanic drumming.
Protection Magic
Fortune, Dion. Psychic Self-Defense. London: Rider & Co, 1930. Reprint, Boston, MA: Weiser Books, 2001.
A must-read for anyone beginning magical practice.
Science and Magic
Radin, Dean. Real Magic: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science, and a Guide to the Secret Power of the Universe. New York: Harmony Books, 2018.
Sheldrake, Rupert. Science and Spiritual Practices. London: Coronet, 2017.
Shamanism
Harner, Michael. The Way of the Shaman. New York: HarperOne, 1990.
The classic introduction to shamanic practice.
Sigils
Wen, Benebell. The Tao of Craft: Fu Talismans and Casting Sigils in the Eastern Esoteric Tradition. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2016.
White, Gordon. The Chaos Protocols: Magical Techniques for Navigating the New Economic Reality. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2016.
Tarot
Knight, Gareth. Tarot & Magic: The Treasure House of Images. 2nd ed. Gloucestershire, UK: Skylight Press, 2012.
Tyson, Donald. Tarot Magic: Ceremonial Magic Using Golden Dawn Correspondences. Previously published as Portable Magic: Tarot Is the Only Tool You Need, 2006. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2018.
Witchcraft/Wicca/Paganism
Cunningham, Scott. Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1989.
Yes, it’s a little on the “lite” side, but Cunningham’s book has introduced more people to Wicca than any other.
Huson, Paul. Mastering Witchcraft: A Practical Guide for Witches, Warlocks, and Covens. Lincoln, NE: Backinprint.com, 2006.
A classic, foundational book on witchcraft that pulls no punches. Although somewhat dated, it is still one of my favorites.
Hutton, Ronald. The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 1999.
———. The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2017.
Ronald Hutton’s scholarly books are impeccably researched guides to the history of modern witchcraft.
Starhawk. Dreaming in the Dark: Magic, Sex & Politics. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1982.
———. The Spiral Dance. 20th anniversary ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.
Starhawk pioneered the use of magic in social and environmental activism.
[contents]
Bibliography
Adler, Margot. Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today. Rev. ed. New York: Penguin Books, 2006.
Alinsky, Saul David. Rules for Radicals. New York: Vintage, 1989.
Alvarado, Denise. Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook. San Francisco, CA: Weiser Books, 2011.
Arcana Mundi: Magic and the Occult in the Greek and Roman Worlds. Translated and annotated by Georg Luck. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1985.
Armand, Khi. Deliverance!: Hoodoo Spells of Uncrossing, Healing, and Protection. Edited by Catherine Yronwode. Forestville, CA: Missionary Independent Spiritual Church, 2015.
Armstrong, David. A Trumpet to Arms: Alternative Media in America. Boston: South End Press, 1981.
Athanassakis, Apostolos N., and Benjamin M Wolkow. The Orphic Hymns. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013.
Bell, Karl. The Magical Imagination: Magic and Modernity in Urban England, 1780–1914. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2012.
Betz, Hans Dieter, ed. The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation: Including the Demotic Spells. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1986.
Bible. King James Version. Bible Gateway. 1987. https://www.biblegateway.com/.
Boggs, Grace Lee. The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011.
Bonewits, Isaac. Neopagan Rites: A Guide to Creating Public Rituals That Work. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2007.
Bracelin, Jack L. Gerald Gardner: Witch. Pentacle Enterprises, 1999.
Brown, Coleston. The Mystery of the Seven Directions. Vancouver Island, BC: Le Brun, 2010.
Carroll, Joseph Cephas. Slave Insurrections in the United States, 1800-1865. Boston, MA: Chapman & Grimes, 1938. Reprint, Mineola, NY: Dover, 2004.
Carroll, Peter J. Liber Null & Psychonaut. York Beach, ME: Weiser Books, 1987.
Carter, Chris. Science and Psychic Phenomena The Fall of the House of Skeptics. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2012.
Casas, Starr. Old Style Conjure: Hoodoo, Rootwork, & Folk Magic. Newburyport, MA: Red Wheel/Weiser, 2017.
Brown, Coleston. Magical Christianity: The Power of Symbols for Spiritual Renewal. Wheaton, IL: Quest Books, 2007.
Conner, Robert. Jesus the Sorcerer. Oxford, UK: Mandrake of Oxford, 2006.
———. Magic in Christianity. Oxford, UK: Mandrake of Oxford, 2014.
Cooke, Charles, and Russell Maloney. “Hex
ing Hitler.” Talk of the Town, New Yorker, January 18, 1941.
Couliano, Ioan P. Eros and Magic in the Renaissanc. Translated by Margaret Cook. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1987.
Cunningham, Scott. The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1989.
Cyprian of Antioch. The Book of St. Cyprian: The Sorcerer’s Treasure. Translated by José Leitão. London: Hadean Press, 2014.
de Alverga, Alex Polari. Forest of Visions: Ayahuasca, Amazonian Spirituality, and the Santo Daime Tradition. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 1999.
d’Este, Sorita, and David Rankine. Hekate Liminal Rites: A Study of the Rituals, Magic and Symbols of the Torch-Bearing Triple Goddess of the Crossroads. London: Avalonia, 2009.
Decker, Ronald, and Michael Dummett. A History of the Occult Tarot, 1870-1970. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co, 2002.
Dickinson, Tom. “How the NRA Paved the Way for Mass Shootings.” Rolling Stone, June 15, 2016. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-the-nra-paved-the-way-for-the-orlando-shooting-20160615.
Dillon, Nancy. “Top 15 recipients of gun group campaign donations and their NRA grades as firearm bills keep getting shot down.” New York Daily News, December 10, 2017. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/15-top-recipients-donations-gun-rights-groups-nra-grades-article-1.3687802.
Dominguez, Ivo, Jr. Practical Astrology for Witches and Pagans: Using the Planets and the Stars for Effective Spellwork, Rituals, and Magickal Work. Boston: Weiser Books, 2016.
Du Bois, W. E. B. The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches. Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Company, 1903.
Dukes, Ramsey. How to See Fairies: Discover your Psychic Powers in Six Weeks. London: Aeon Books, 2011.
———. The Little Book of Demons: The Positive Advantages of the Personification of Life’s Problems. London: Aeon Books, 2005.
Dunn, Patrick. Postmodern Magic: The Art of Magic in the Information Age. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2005.
DuQuette, Lon Milo. My Life with the Spirits. Boston: Weiser Books, 1999.
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. “Burning Incense Is Psychoactive: New Class of Antidepressants Might Be Right under Our Noses.” ScienceDaily. May 20, 2008. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520110415.htm.
Flint, Valerie I. J. The Rise of Magic in Early Medieval Europe. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1991.
Magic for the Resistance Page 19
