This material is provided for the use of those who feel a special calling to teach, to heal, to protect, and to work defensive magic. It is especially intended for those who may lack formal training. It is intended to be the first installment of well, at the least two. The Guardian's Grimoire will also contain some material that will read more like a Book of Shadows, for it is intended to be a bit of both. Anyone wishing to contribute to future editions of this project may contact me at Estara@aol.com. You may submit articles under your craft name, a pseudonym, or anonymously. You may likewise distribute this information to others, if no money is charged and credit is given.

Editing note: Where the third person is used, I vary it between he and she for alternating cases. A disclaimer: the presence of any idea or suggested practice in an article does not imply the agreement of the authors of other articles, of the editrix, or of Guardians in general. Love and good hunting to all who read.

#1. THE BOOK OF HISTORY by Abritha

#2. THE VOWS OF GUARDIANSHIP by Abritha

#3. INHERENT RISKS OF AWAKENING by Abritha

#4. SUGGESTED READING by Estara

#5. THE VERY FIRST THINGS YOU HAVE TO LEARN by Estara

#6. MINOR POSSESSIONS OR ATTACKS by Estara

##7. WARDS AND SHIELDS by Chameleon

#8. GLOSSARY page

The Book of History

by Abritha

Know that there are many realms besides the physical one in which we now live. In the astral plane alone there are countless lands, in which all sorts of strange creatures and demigods dwell, such as appear in legends and folklore throughout the physical world. In the beginning, before man ascended into sentience, the passage between most of these lands was difficult or impossible, and many of the beings in those lands had never met or heard of one another. When humanity, which then had no home except the physical world, began to reach out to the spiritual and astral worlds for guidance and meaning, there was a great upheaval: for the energy of their questing was so great that many gates opened between the physical world and the various astral lands. Not only that, but over time, many more gates opened between the different lands themselves, and there came to be traffic from one astral land to another, and between the astral and physical realms. In the physical world, the results of this mingling were humans with unusual gifts and fondness for our ways; and these today are called shaman and pagans. In the astral realm, many strange new beings were born of minglings between different races. Those who had come before, and who now called themselves the Pure Ones, did not know what to think of these new children, who seemed to be subject to none of the old rules they had followed, and who often exceeded their elders in raw power. They came to be called simply The Mixbreeds, or even Mongrels by those who feared them. A great Council was established of members of all the Pure races; but the Mixbreeds, though many were of noble lineage, were not included. The time came when a single dark entity, having access to so many of the other destructive races, was able to temporarily unite them and attack their lighter brothers, with the hopes of conquering them, and eventually all of the astral and physical realms. However, as the gods would have it (for there is contact between the astral and spiritual, or godly, realm, as there is with the physical) he was side tracked and weakened by an obsession with another Mixed breed, and this made possible his defeat. He was destroyed and his army routed by a mere handful of other Mixbreeds. When they had recovered, this group, angered by the lack of aid they had received from the Great Council on which many of their own families sat, departed for the physical world vowing not to return. As the news of this event spread, many other Mixbreeds and even a few Pure Ones sided with the exiles, and decided to follow them to (from their perspective) the New World. The Council, regretting its former inaction, sent this group with their blessings, named them Guardians, and charged them with watching over the gates to the physical realm so that no dark power might abuse them. This was the First Wave, and the handful that preceded them were called the Progenitors. In the physical world this became a golden time, when many civilizations flowered under the combined wisdom of human sages and heavenly immigrants. Over time, however, some of the First Wave became enamored of power and prestige, and wished to control the gates for their own purposes rather than for the greater good, or to use their magical power to make kingdoms for themselves; and perhaps some of them had intended this from the start. When the Council learned of this (which took some time, for the dark Guardians sent false reports of their doings) a Second Wave was sent to police the first; this group, like the ones before, consisted mostly of Mixbreeds, largely of noble lineage. This resulted in the Guardian War, after which the Second Wave remained as watchdogs, the First Wave (those who had not turned) resumed its campaign to aid friendly and potentially powerful humans, and the Progenitors went into hiding, though promising to come forward as Elders to the others if they were needed, for they had many enemies.

The Vows of Guardianship by Abritha

The Guardians come in myriad shapes, and often mix the expected traits of two or three pure races. It would be foolish to expect us all to have identical agendas, powers, or practices. These things, however, hold true for all. We are sworn to help and protect each other first of all: for despite our differences, we are all alien (not aliens!) to this plane, and most of us are Mixbreeds together. We are sworn to control the gates that lead to the astral lands: for although much good can be done with them, so can much harm come through them. We are sworn to help and protect those true humans who would be our allies: for it is part of the nature of the collective unconscious of humanity that it has a marked effect on the gates we must control. During the Era of Science, when belief in our peoples and their lands waned, the gates largely sat idle; but we are experiencing a renewal of religious faiths of all kinds, some friendly to us and some unfriendly, and this resurgence is feeding power to the gates that will make them more difficult to guard. It is in our own interest to discourage those whose energy feeds to dark gates, and to encourage those whose energy feeds to the gates leading to our own and allied lands. We are sworn to be watchful against those, physical or astral, Guardian or not, who might seek to harm us, our charges, or the gates. Those of us who came as warriors or assassins are also sworn to be the first defense (or offense) against such beings, but all must resist them in whatever way they are able. In the interest of fulfilling these vows, we must strive to (re-)learn all we can of magic, mythology, religion, counseling, combat, and whatever other skills will aid our specific vocation.

Inherent Risks of Awakening by Abritha

Certain problems are common in Guardians in the process of remembering who they are. These can be avoided or curtailed if one is aware of them; or they may fade after the Awakening is complete. Should they become severe, or fail to improve after the Awakening, seek counseling, preferably from trained Pagan clergy or from pagan-friendly professionals

MEGALOMANIA

The Guardian, beginning to realize his true nature and powers, exaggerates them and believes himself to be uniquely Godlike. He should be assured that, although he is indeed unusual in racial makeup and abilities, there are a score of other Guardians who can make similar claims. If he is tempted to ideas of invincibility, he is reminded that there are many beings as powerful or more powerful than he is: and that, like any being encased in mortal flesh, he can die. There may also be intolerance or impatience towards true humans. The Guardian is reminded that these, too, are the people he has sworn to protect, and that the enlightened among them are destined to ascend into our own lands.

We are not gods, though with spiritual striving we may move further in that direction. We are Guardians. The Guardian, remembering that we have powerful enemies and that she is not invulnerable, becomes obsessed with the idea that her personal enemies are legion and that they are coming to attack her. She is assured that, unless she is actively involved in some actual working, she is unlikely to be attacked in earnest. However, she is also reminded that a certain amount of caution is advisable for Guardians in general, and that she should therefore practice cleansing, shielding, and banishing. Beyond this she should not trouble herself, for confidence is itself an effective shield, and lack of it leaves any other shield incomplete. She is also assured of her own ability to deal with minor problems. If the time comes that she is genuinely at risk from something greater than herself, she should seek out other Guardians or other pagans who are friendly to her or her cause.

INCOMPLETE/INACCURATE/FACETED MEMORY

Memory of our Astral selves and deeds is complex and difficult to retrieve. It often takes years to establish complete (or functionally complete) memories. The process can be sped along by interaction with other Guardians: however, this occasionally results in collective flights of fancy rather than facts. When the Guardian is able, he is encouraged to check his theories with other Guardians and through astral travel. (Remember, however, to be cautious in revealing these theories or memories to those who are not Guardians. Sometimes memory comes in very small pieces, and each piece is embellished by the Guardian's mind into a complete tale, only some of which is true. When this is the case, the tales often seem contradictory to each other, but contain common themes. The Guardian is encouraged to study the themes that arise from these ideas, and to pursue them, since they will probably lead towards the true memory.

RELIVING OF MEMORIES/PROJECTION

The Guardian regains a true memory (or a large fragment) of an emotionally intense event or series of events. However, she wrongly interprets it as belonging in the present or future rather than the past. This can contribute to paranoia (see above). She may also subconsciously recreate the event: that is, since she believes that it is going to happen, she unwittingly projects the people and props she needs to act it out on the astral level. This can happen to groups of Guardians as well as to individuals.

The Guardian is urged to test whether emotionally charged astral beings are projections or are real in themselves, and to verify whether a remembered event is in the past or the future through divination if possible. She may then (if she is projecting) devise a ritual or journey to help her deal with the information she has remembered, or talk it out with other Guardians. If she has devoted a great deal of emotional energy to the projection, she may need to banish it as if it were real, before she can move on to dealing with the emotional baggage.

SCAPEGOATING

This is most common in groups of Awakening Guardians. As past memories (real or not) come to light, there is a temptation to hold other Guardians accountable in this life for their (alleged) actions in others. This is discouraged, since it often leads to unnecessary discord and, of course, does not alter the original events.

FEAR OF INSANITY

The Guardian takes his returning memory as a sign of dementia. This is an understandable concern, as our existence is hardly accepted as fact by humanity at large. it is hoped that the Guardian will be soothed by exposure to this book, and by communication with other Guardians and even, on a more limited basis, with other pagans in general.

INCOMPLETE/REPEATED AWAKENING

The Guardian, unable at the time of first Awakening to deal with the ramifications, shuts herself off from the spiritual and astral realms. She may be able to exist for years in this way: but in time, the Awakening will begin again, moving at an accelerated pace until it reaches the point at which it was previously stopped. The re-Awakening may be prompted by meeting another Guardian, or by some other event.

ODDITY MAGNET

The Guardian finds himself at the center of odd coincidences, unusual psychic or astral activities, and other peculiar events a disconcertingly large amount of the time. Unfortunately, this one never entirely goes away. The Guardian is encouraged to approach the Cosmic Oddities to which he is prone with a sense of humor.

Books and articles by SILVER RAVENWOLF. Although

(contrary to popular opinion) her books do not necessarily stand alone, in combination with other books she fills in important gaps. She also has a tendency to provide information a new Guardian might need to know, like how to do inconspicuous magic at work or consecrate an item at a fast food restaurant. (A lot of this practical in the field information comes from her articles in the 1995-97 Llewellyn Magical Almanacs, but there is also much to be gained from any of her books.

Books by Z BUDAPEST

Although men will have to be willing to overlook some non-inclusive language, Z is another author who understands and addresses the needs of those who are ethical but not always pacifist. (She is, in fact, the coiner of the phrase You must be able to hex to be able to heal.

Books by RAY BUCKLAND, especially his Complete Book of Witchcraft, which although not truly complete (don't try to slide by with his version of circle casting) offers a lot of information, as well as exercises and workbook-style quizzes. Ray is sometimes criticized for making grandiose and unsupported claims about his teachings (especially in the case of Pecti-Wica, his allegedly Scottish tradition), but for our purposes, whatever works, works.

Books by SCOTT CUNNINGHAM

He is noticeably more pacifist than a Guardian, but his works are tremendously valuable for gaining a beginning understanding of magic, solitary Wicca, stones, herbs, and elemental magic.

Way of the Strega by RAVEN GRIMASSI

This contains some off-the-beaten-path ideas and methods of magic, such as shadow magic and a simple counter magic involving a bowl of water, some vegetable oil, and scissors.

A Grimoire of Shadows and Magical Rites from the Crystal Well by ED FITCH.

The material in these books has influenced a number of pagan traditions, and both cover subjects that are seldom discussed elsewhere. The Grimoire also has an extensive section of exercises (presented by level) for magical and psychic development. Thelema Without Tears by LON DUQUETTE.

A good overview of the hows and whys of several of the essential ceremonialist practices, including the banishings (both lesser and greater) of the Pentagram and the Hexagram.

Works of Fiction

Although over reliance on fictional influences will get you looked at strangely by other pagans, it is true that certain fantasy novels and role playing games are helpful. Recommended, among others, are books by Tolkien, Roger Zelazny, Gael Baudino, Dion Fo rtune, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and Mercedes Lackey, and games by White Wolf (Vampire: Masquerade, Werewolf: Apocalypse, and Mage: Awakening).

In fact, it is largely because of the works of Mercedes Lackey, an apparent favorite of young Guardians, that the term Guardians was chosen to represent us at this time.

Other Potential Studies

AT LEAST 3 BOOKS ON YOUR PREFERRED TRADITION, if you have one. If you lack a teacher, this will provide you with some depth. It is especially good to have at least one book containing exercises, and at least one book about the mythology and/or religion of the region from which your tradition comes. Having a specialty from which you can work your way out is often helpful AT LEAST 1 BOOK EACH ON AT LEAST 3 OTHER TRADITIONS. Sooner or later, you are either going to team up with, come up against, or do magic for, someone from a different tradition than yours. Some familiarity with the other person's system will prove extremely useful.

WORLD MYTHOLOGY/RELIGION/SYMBOLS.

This, again, provides you with some depth of knowledge about other beliefs with which you might come into contact. Also, knowledge of symbols is useful in your own magic, as well as in identifying the work that others have done

DIVINATION

The choice of method (Tarot, runes, omens, geomancy, etc.) is yours. This provides you with a means of getting information about the present and near future, both physical and astral.

ASTRAL PROJECTION

This gives you a means of going home to collect information, materials, or allies, or for calling on enemies.

FENG SHUI

This is an ancient Chinese art of creating harmonious surroundings based on how energy naturally flows through space. This is good to know because the better the natural energy flow of your home is, the more difficult it is for harmful energies to stick there. Several books and videos are now available on this art.

MARTIAL ARTS/SELF DEFENSE

Not every threat you ever face is going to be on the astral plane. Elaborate rituals aren't much help against a skinhead who's about to knock your head off with a board. A well placed kick, however, is.

SURVIVAL/DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Total survivalism is not recommended (unless you want to leave no doubt in the minds of your neighbors that you're a complete loon), but common sense dictates a certain level of preparation against whatever natural (or unnatural!) catastrophes are likely to occur in your area. Lanterns or flashlights, preserved food, bottled water, first aid supplies, and other such items are strongly recommended.

COUNSELING

Take a class on counseling if any are available near you. Being a Guardian involves a lot of listening to other people's problems.

THE YELLOW PAGES

Know who the other guardian-like services are in your area, so that if someone comes to you needing detox, a shelter, a bodyguard, the police, a doctor, a psychiatrist, or a lawyer, you have some idea of where to send them.

The very first things you have to learn by Estara

The following practices are essential to all other work. To master them is to have a solid foundation in place for learning any specialization, and to have the means to protect oneself in the meantime. The practices are presented in the following manner: first, an explanation is given of what the practice is and why it is important. Second are details on one straightforward method for the practice. Third, some possible variations are given, to show how the practice can be altered or personalized.

Keep the following balance in mind.

Learn the simple method first. This gives you the feel for the practice and what it is intended to do. It also gives you a version to teach to others in need.

Learn at least one variation. After you have mastered the simple version, doing at least one variation will give you a sense of what is possible, and encourage you to experiment to find the best methods for you.

Study other variations. Getting a sense of how other traditions approach the practice will help you understand what is happening should you come into contact with members of those traditions. The more systems of magic and religion you study, the better you will understand what others are doing and how best to respond.

Also remember that READING IS NOT ENOUGH. These skills must be practiced on a regular basis to be mastered and used effectively. In addition, these skills, though important to all other practices, are not a full tradition or magical system in themselves. They are to be combined with other training for best effect.

Meditation

This skill involves moving from your normal waking state into a state of focus and calm. The ability to reach this state is needed in every other magical or spiritual endeavor. It is also beneficial to your mundane life, as its calming influence relieves stress and improves concentration.

Simple Method

The best method to use depends on your personality. If you are an intellectual type, you should use a clear-mind meditation. Sit comfortably, take a few deep, relaxing breaths, and whisper to yourself, Clear. Try to completely empty your mind of all thoughts. If you catch yourself thinking, take another deep breath and repeat to yourself, Clear. It will take quite a bit of practice to be able to completely clear your mind for any length of time, but you should begin to notice improvement after only a few sessions.

If you are an emotional type, or if you find the clear-mind meditation maddening rather than helpful, try a single-focus meditation. Sit comfortably, take a few deep, relaxing breaths, and this time, focus on a chosen word, phrase, or image. Use this mantra to focus your mind and clear it of other concerns. Thoughts pertaining to the mantra are acceptable, but these too should fade as you practice more.

/If you are a physical type, try an action-oriented meditation. This is similar to a single-focus meditation, except that the focus is an activity rather than a word or image. You can use tai chi, yoga, a martial arts kata, spinning thread, or any relatively simple activity to clear and focus your mind.

Variations

Any studied form of standard meditation is acceptable. Also, after you have mastered one of the three types above, experiment with one of the other two types.

Awakening the Other Senses

These activities are meant to train your astral senses, which (unless you have already reawaken them) may be atrophied and inactive in your physical life. These senses are crucial in detecting and performing magic, and in communicating with nonphysical beings.

Simple Method:

Begin by choosing a simple focus object for the sense you want to train. For example, you might select a candle holder for sight, or the chime of a particular bell for hearing, a favorite perfume for smell, a piece of fruit for taste, a feather or a piece of textured fabric for touch. Study the actual object first, paying close attention to its details. Then, remove the object and try to recreate it in your mind as accurately as you can. For example, look closely at the candle holder, then close your eyes and try to see it in your mind.

Variations:

As you become good at this, start to choose more complex objects as the focus. Then, try to focus on more than one sense at a time: for example, try to recapture both the sound and the appearance of the bell. Ultimately, you want to be able to sense an object as clearly in your mind as if it were actually in front of you.

You will find that your other senses also improve as you practice other exercises in which they are used.

Centering

Centering is simply concentrating all of your focus and energy into your physical body. (You are literally Contemplating Your Navel.) This is a preliminary step in self-cleansing and grounding, and the practice helps the ability to focus on the individual chakras to balance them--all skills coming up later. Centering also collects your energy for you, which may be scattered by activity or lack of focus. Centering is related to meditation, and each skill helps the other.

Simple Method:

Take a few deep, relaxing breaths, and begin to imagine that you are following your own breath inside your body. Each breath carries you deeper into yourself, deeper and deeper, until you find yourself within your center, behind your navel.

Variations:

As this skill improves, it is possible to center using fewer breaths. While in your center, you may imagine that you are surrounded by a vast pool of liquid light. (Such experiences will become more vivid as your other senses awaken.) Take note of the color of this light: it is a personal power color for you, and may be used to help you project and control energy.

Auric cleansing

This is another skill that improves your personal energy and focus when you are preparing to do serious work. It also clears out pockets of negative energy that may be inside or attached to you, whether due to your own mind set or health or to outside influences. Auric cleansing is also a preliminary step to some of the later exercises.

Simple Method:

Center yourself. Here in your center, imagine a small, glowing flame. This flame may be blue, golden, or your own color: experiment to see what works best. Imagine that this flame is growing inside you, spreading in a growing sphere through your whole body. Wherever it meets with negative energy, it pops it, making the negative energy disappear. The sphere continues to grow until it not only fills your body but grows beyond it on all sides, leaving you completely encased in a huge sphere of light.

Variations:

If you prefer another element, the purging flame can be replaced by torrents of water or by a whirlwind. However, if you alter the cleansing method, remember that a good cleansing covers both the inside and outside of the person. With practice, a variation can be developed in which you envision another person being cleansed--be sure to have the person's permission.

If only (or additionally) an external cleansing is required, the body can be smudged (purified by exposure to incense smoke--sage is the most often used for this), or a rattle can be used to break up energy around the body. If you are experienced with moving energy through your hands, you can also sweep energy off of another person with your hands (be sure to cleanse yourself afterward). For these methods, be sure to move smoothly over the body so as not to leave anything behind. You might, for example, make a habit of going up the front of the body and down the back, or of starting at the head and moving consistently toward the feet.

Grounding

This connects your energy to the energy of the Earth. This has obvious benefits for followers of an Earth-honoring religion, but it has additional uses as well. One, it serves as an anchor, making you more difficult to move by outside forces. Two, it serves as a source of additional energy in order to conserve or augment your own. Three, it provides a channel with which to send away excess or unwanted energies.

Simple Method:

Sit down and center yourself. Then move further down into yourself until you are at the very tip of your spine. From here, imagine that a large tap root is growing down out of you and into the earth. Each breath pushes the root further down into the earth, plunging all the way in time to the very center of the Earth, her molten core. Feel the root reach into the heart of this core, flooded by warm, golden, healing energy. Now, use your breath to pull this energy up towards you. As it reaches you, breathe it up through your spine and let it radiate out into the rest of your body until you are entirely filled with the light of the Earth's core. At this time, if needed, you may send unwanted energies back down the root to be recycled by the Earth.

Variations

Numerous different effects are possible in grounding. You can actually journey astrally into the center of the earth, by which you will gain other things than energy; you can send down a pillar instead of a root, which emphasizes the anchoring effect; you can send down roots from a standing position, and become a tree with flowers of energy blooming from your arms; you can elongate your astral legs until they touch the core of the earth, which frankly feels odd but is sometimes done. Once you master one method, feel free to experiment with others.

Shielding

For a Guardian, the art of shielding is crucial, and its benefits hopefully are obvious. Depending on the strength and intent of the shield used, it can range from a buffer against irritating coworkers to armor against a magical onslaught.

Simple Method:

Center and cleanse yourself. As the cleansing flame becomes larger than you, fully encasing your body, see it stop growing and become brighter around the edges. Imagine that after you stop concentrating, this peripheral flame will remain in place around you, deflecting or destroying any harmful energy that approaches you.

Variations:

Most decent books will give at least one or two methods of shielding--sometimes they will be presented as quick forms of circle casting. Books by Scott Cunningham and Silver RavenWolf are suggested as starting places for experimentation. Shields can be created ahead of time and triggered by catch phrases, stored in objects, molded into different shapes, decorated with symbols. Individual chakras, parts of the body, or objects can have their own shields, as can entire areas. Here, more than in any of the other fundamental skills, there is room for individual experiment. In any case, you should cleanse yourself or your object before shielding, to prevent accidentally sealing in negative energies. (though this opens up interesting possibilities for combative magic, which will be discussed elsewhere).

Chakra balance

The chakras are energy centers located down the spinal cord. Each is believed to govern different functions, encompassing the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Making sure these centers are balanced with each other and filled with clean energy allows everything else to run more smoothly.

Simple Method:

Center yourself, then move down to the base of the spine. From here, you will move into each chakra, measuring the size and brightness of each chakra. They may be envisioned as spheres or wheels. If any are too large or small (racquet ball size is good), take note of this and imagine it growing or shrinking to the desired size. Likewise, if any are very dim or murky, imagine them becoming clearer and brighter. It is helpful to use energy obtained by grounding to feed small, dim, or murky chakras.

Base chakra: the tip of the spine

This governs the impulse for physical survival. It is usually seen as red (the colors are commonly used, but are only suggestions).

Sacral chakra: the sexual organs (lower abdomen). This governs sex, obviously, but also basic empathy and gut reactions. Orange

Solar plexus: just that, above the navel but below the chest. This is the seat of the Will. Yellow

Heart chakra: the heart. It governs compassion and is the balance point of the chakra system. Green (pink if you prefer).

Throat chakra: the base of the throat. It governs intellect and communication. Blue

Third eye: the forehead, between the brows. It controls the astral senses. Indigo

Crown: at the top of the head. It is the link to the spiritual realms and their wisdom. Violet

Variations:

Stones or candles of the appropriate colors are often used to help balance the chakras. There are whole books devoted to the chakra system for those interested in further study.

Cord cutting

This practice enables you to detach yourself from draining persons or situations. It is a good thing to try when you are feeling inexplicably drained or obsessed, or when you are conscious of wanting to cut ties with a particular person.

Simple Method:

Center yourself, then relax. Imagine that you are studying yourself, with eyes open or closed, whichever makes it easier for you to see astrally. Notice whether there are any colored strands of energy attached to your body. They will most commonly attach to chakras if they are present. Some strands may lead to friends rather than enemies, and these will look and feel benign. If you notice that any strands are unusually thick, dark-colored, or simply feel bad, you may decide to cut them. To do this, simply imagine yourself taking up a knife or a pair of scissors and severing the cord close to your body. Imagine the cut searing, making it impossible to reconnect. Your short end is reabsorbed into your body, and the long end fades away into nothing. Do this as unemotionally as you can, since a strong reaction only serves to reinforce the connection.

Variations:

With practice, this can also be done for other people. You can also learn to move your consciousness along a cord to see who or what is at the other end.

Clearing a Space

This should be done before shielding an area (or casting a circle, which is after all only a variant of shielding), for the same reason that you should cleanse yourself before shielding yourself. A banishing (a gung-ho version of clearing space) is often sufficient in itself without a shielding, though it never hurts to put up a shield if you want negative energies to stay away.

Simple Methods:

Some of the same things work for space as for individuals: you may move around the area with a smudge stick or incense, or sprinkle consecrated water if you know how to make it, or shake a rattle or bang a drum. The general practice is to move clockwise as a general rule, but for banishing there is also a case to be made for moving counterclockwise. Experiment (at a non-crucial moment) to see which feels better.

Banishing:

Below is the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, an essential of Ceremonialist practice. A CM (ceremonial magician) will tend to do this ritual at the least provocation, whereas Wiccans, when they know the practice at all, tend to save it for emergencies. Note that the standard CM version is Kabbalistic in other words, it utilizes Judeo-Christian names for God and angels. For those who are not comfortable with this, there follows an explanation of what each part does and how it can be altered.

Preliminary notes:

As you draw figures in the air, imagine that energy (of your personal color) is flowing down your arm, through your fingers or athame (knife), and actually creating the desired picture in the air. The Banishing Pentagram mentioned is that of Earth. To draw it, start at the lower left corner of the star, move to the top point, and so on. Ceremonialism has a different Banishing Pentagram for each element, but this one will do for a start

1. The Cabalistic Cross

Touching the forehead, say Atoh

Touching the chest, say Malkuth

Touching the right shoulder, say Ve-Gedurah

Touching the left shoulder, say Ve-Geburah

Clasp hands at the heart and say Le-Olam. Amen

2. The Pentagrams

Facing East, point with fingers or athame and draw the Banishing Pentagram. Thrust into the heart of it, saying, Yod He Vau He! Turn toward the South, continuing to draw a circle as you do

Facing South, draw the Banishing Pentagram and thrust into it saying, Adonai! Turn toward the West, continuing to draw the circle.

Facing West, draw the Banishing Pentagram and thrust into it saying, Eheieh! (Eh-hey-yeh) Turn toward the North, continuing to draw the circle.

Facing North, draw the Banishing Pentagram and thrust into it saying, Agla! Turn toward the East, completing the circle

3. The Archangels

Facing East, stand with your arms stretched outward in a T, and say:

Before me, Raphael!

Behind me, Gabriel!

At my right hand, Michael!

At my left hand, Auriel!

About me flames the Pentagram, and in the column shines the Six- Rayed Star.

4. Repeat the Cabalistic Cross

Explanation:

1. The Cabalistic Cross

This establishes your association with God and the center of the universe. In Cabalism, Atoh is the Crown, or God as total potential; Malkuth is the Kingdom, or the physical realm; Gedurah is the Pillar of Severity, Gebulah is the Pillar of Mercy, and Le- Olam is the center of harmony. (In Biblical terms, Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, Forever.) If your path gives you some way of identifying yourself with Godhead or the center of the universe, it can be put here in the place of the Cross.

2. The Pentagrams

If you hate pentagrams, you can replace them with another symbol of protection (Thor's hammer is the other popular choice). The Names of God (the words you say as you thrust) can be replaced with the names of deities that you associate with the directions or elements.

3. The Archangels

The Archangels serve as protectors. They can be replaced with other protective entities: some people use more gods here, but it seems more appropriate to use demigods, heroes, totems, or some other mid-level beings. The About me flames... statement is basically an affirmation that the banishing is successful.

Minor Possessions or Attacks

by Estara

This is a checklist for how to deal with an average problem with possession, psychic or astral attack, haunting, and the like. If you find while working through this list that the problem is too thorny for this approach, seek help.

By the way, this is not a call for you to put a Ghost buster shingle on your door and go into business professionally. This information is provided because, as a Guardian, you are likely to be asked for this kind of aid at some point. You are allowed to refuse--in fact, in certain circumstances it is recommended. As I will say several times in this article, if you don't feel up to the task, DON'T DO IT, or at least get help.

1. Do a Lesser Banishing of the Pentagram Truly, it never hurts to start here.

2. Survey the Scene . Have a long talk with the victims of the attack. When did the problem start? What else was going on in their lives at the time? What are the attacks like? Do they tend to happen at a certain time or in a certain place? If the problem is confined to a certain physical area, go there and have a look around. (Be sure to shield yourself.) Try to get a feel for the energy around the person/people involved and the area.

3. Take Care of the Mundane First . This is an important principle of serious magic. If you suspect that other serious problems are partly or fully responsible for the attacks--for example, a drug addiction or an untreated mental disorder--these must be taken care of before any heavy magical working is attempted. In fact, once the related problems are in hand, the attacks may disappear. Realize that some people for whom an addiction or disorder is the real problem will not want to face this, and will insist that you do magic for him or her. Stand firm. If the victim will not cooperate, you will not be able to help him whether you do a working or not, in which case it is better that you save your time and energy for someone you can help. Regrettable, but true

4. What Does the Victim Gain? Sometimes, although a genuine magical problem exists, it is being aggravated by the victim herself. Ask yourself if the victim is gaining something, however subconsciously, from the idea of being under attack? Does it make her feel special? Does it gain her extra attention? Does it arouse pity and doting behavior from her normally apathetic boyfriend? Taking stock of the victim's motives does not mean that you are blaming the victim, and you should avoid suggesting to the victim that you hold her at fault. It does let you know whether you will have to overcome the strange urge in some victims to continue to be attacked, as well as the attack itself. This makes your job much more difficult. If you suspect that the victim has ulterior motives, suggest tactfully that you will only be able to solve the problem with the active assistance of the victim. A victim who insists the contrary, that she is powerless to even help and that you must rescue her, is holding on to the position of victim, and until she changes her mind you will not be able to solve her problem. Again, sad but true

(You may notice at this point that you are being asked to turn a good number of people away, and wonder if the author is being quite fair. Rest assured that this advice comes from years of experience, and that the people you are turning away now, you would otherwise be turning away weeks, months, or years from now, with you exhausted and them none the better for it.)

I will give an example of this particular problem. I worked for a while with a woman named Dawn (not really her name). Dawn was a woman of genuine magical abilities, and actually did attract the attention of baddies. However, because she was from a twisted family and had been a sickly child, she was also the sort of person who was used to getting all of her attention by acting out or having things wrong with her. Being attacked fed right into this for her, so she ended up walking around with the astral equivalent of a kick me sign on her back, which didn't make it easy to keep her pest-free. She wasn't able to get rid of her attackers on a long-term basis until she moved away from her family and dealt with some of her emotional and health-related issues (see #3)

5. Projection or Entity?

Typically, the only people who fall under genuine attack are those with genuine psychic or magical gifts themselves. Mundane people seldom fall under the Evil Eye, and although some of these will offer you good money to free them of imaginary curses, it is unethical for you to accept. You may, however, do some general protection or prosperity spell for them, charging only the cost of your materials, if you think it will make them feel better.

If the victim seems to you to have latent abilities but is unaware of them, gently suggest--in whatever terms the person will find comfortable--that you suspect that he has these abilities, and that in a calmer moment he might wish to learn more about them . This will enable the victim to develop the strength to defend himself, and may win you a future ally in other cases. If the victim is already studying psychic abilities or magic, enlist her aid in whatever work you undertake, so that she can learn to repeat the process herself if need be.

The question now arises of whether the being making the attack is real or created. Sometimes a powerful astral or physical being will create a flunkie to do his dirty work. If this is the case, it should become apparent from divination, feel (unfortunately, this only comes with practice), and possibly the practice of following cords of energy that will connect the creation to the creator. You will have to deal with the creation first, followed as soon as possible by the creator.

It is also possible for the victim to unwittingly create his own attacker. This most commonly happens because of severe emotional trauma, either in this life or a previous one, that is subconsciously being acted out by the victim. After the initial dealings with the projection, which you will have to banish as if it were a real being, the victim will need to confront this trauma and come to terms with it to prevent another attack from occurring.

How do you tell a projection from a real entity?

Besides learning the feel, you can look for a strong correlation between the attacker's nature and the psychological makeup of the victim. For example, the victim believes that he was once burned as a witch and the attacker is an Inquisitioner; or the victim is a survivor of sexual abuse and the attacker is a rapist. This, however, is not proof in and of itself. A real entity, or even one created by someone other than the victim, will have access to information that the victim does not. The following is a Buddhist story about this method of testing.

A widower came to a monk with his problem. He had found another woman that he wanted to marry, but the ghost of his first wife was haunting him and making threats against the new woman. He was full of conflicting emotions, and wanted to know what to do. The monk suggested that, the next time the ghost appeared, the widower should take up a handful of rice and ask the ghost to tell him how many grains of rice he was holding. If she could answer correctly, the widower must do as she said. When the widower tried the experiment, however, the ghost shrieked and vanished, for she could not answer, being only a projection of the widower's guilt over marrying again.

Now, if you are dealing with a real entity, you must (without becoming paranoid about it) consider the chance that the entity is actually trying to get you indirectly. Examine your memories, if you've had any, for enemies, and try a divination about it. Again, don't get paranoid, and don't fall into the trap of thinking that everything that happens to anyone has something to do with you personally. Just be aware of the possibility. If you think that you are dealing with something with personal enmity towards you, seek help.

6. Talk to the Attacker . Obviously this will not always be possible. But sometimes, for example in some hauntings, the attacker is not completely hostile, and you may be able to come to some sort of mutually acceptable terms. In any case, the attempt will allow you to see exactly what you're up against, and help you divine what its motives are and what its weaknesses might be.

If at this point you feel that the attacker is more than you can handle alone, SAY SO. Seek help, or refer your client out to someone you think more suited to the task. There is no shame in admitting that a problem is too big for you. Better that, than that you should come to harm attempting the impossible.

7. Attempt the Work.

This will vary too much by situation to be described here. Proceed according to the standards of your own tradition and experience. Again, as always, be willing to bow out and get help or a referral if you're not making any headway. The truth is that not every problem is solvable, especially by a solitaire.

Once you're satisfied that you've cleansed the area and the victims and eliminated the threat against them, leave maintenance instructions, along with referrals to people that can help with any residual difficulties (for example, counselors, feng shui practitioners, appropriate clergy). If the problem was area-specific, take special care to make sure that the energy of the area is restored to a balanced state.

Wards and Guards

Shielding 101

II Quick and Easy Protective Spells

Serious Magick for the Religiously Oppressed

Back to Iowa and other Spells

I - Shielding 101

You will note that _Wards and Guards The Series_ is occasionally tongue-in-cheek. I have found bigots of all sorts, but particularly the Religious Warfare types, take themselves far too seriously.

A good belly laugh does wonders for relieving the tension and, quite frankly, they have no idea of how to deal with laughter. Keep smiling.

Shields

OK, you've heard that you should practice your shielding, right? Books, live teachers, etc. all say you should be doing this, and do you? It's like exercising - one morning you wake up tired, say I'll let it slide JUST TODAY and the next thing you know you've turned into a limp noodle with barely the strength to use the TV remote. Don't despair! You can still erect a barrier against the attacks of Those Who Mean Us Harm.

SHIELD #1, THE WARM FUZZY

This is for the Profoundly Limp Noodle to use, as all it requires is that you're still breathing. If you aren't breathing religious bigots are the least of your worries. That said, as you inhale imagine energy and strength pouring into your body with the air. As you exhale, imagine your expelled breath as a golden mist. As you continue to breath in and out visualize this mist becoming a warm, protective sphere around you, growing larger with each exhalation. You can do this while tuning out exhortations to REPENT OR BURN! by letting your eyes rest somewhere less distracting than the slavering idiot next to you and setting your face in a contemplative expressive. The idiot will think you are considering their viewpoint while you are actually achieving Nirvana through this simple meditation. Nod occasionally and make polite, affirmative noises from time to time. When they start to wind down, thank them for their concern, say You've given me much to think about, and LEAVE - BEFORE they invite you to their Bible study group. These folks are used to dealing with clear opposition, not passive resistance. This is also a good shield to cook up any time you feel a need for a little extra protection. I frequently summon it up while waiting for commuter trains or when I need to ride the bus home at night. I wouldn't call it a heavy duty shield in general although with practice it can become surprisingly strong.

SHIELD #2, MIRRORED SPHERE

This one requires a little more visualization power but is well worth it. It is designed specifically for repelling psychic attacks. When you cast your shield visualize it as a mirrored sphere with you on the inside. The mirrored surface reflects the Nasty Influences trying to harm you. Acutely, I visualize a geodesic dome of mirrors. Some people prefer boxes. The important point is that it completely surround you with reflective surfaces.

How to build this?

It takes a little practice (or a good Astral Construction Crew). I started practicing at home in quiet surroundings, working on how I wanted the final form to look and building it in my mind. Once I got the shape firmly set I worked on summoning it up by an act of will at a moment's notice. I had incentive, as I was working with Fearsome Fundies at the time, and I got to the point where I could almost instantly snap it into place regardless of the chaos around me. If you are often in situations where you feel mentally assaulted take the time to develop this shield.

OK, those are two very basic shields. Keep them in mind, because we'll be using them in the next section of Wards and Guards - Quick and Easy Protective Spells.

WARDS AND GUARDS II - Quick and Easy Protective Spells

A word about various supplies and implements first: this section assumes you are either in an emergency situation or a situation where donning elaborate robes and engaging in a 3 hour ceremony is not practical. Therefore, when I say salt I mean every thing from ritually consecrated sea salt harvested by a 10,000 year old ritual under the proper astrological sign you just happen to have in your pocket to those little paper packets from the fast-food emporium of your choice. In fact, I tend to assume the little paper packets are more readily available. Use your own best judgement, folks. As I said, these are quick and dirty spells for tight situations, and most of the energy in them comes from your need, not the ingredients themselves.

TURNING YOUR SURROUNDINGS INTO A PLACE OF WORSHIP

What better way to foil the plans of religious bigots intent on converting you at work than to make your desk a Holy Place? If you are waiting in the hospital for news of a loved one's health, why not pray where you are instead of worrying about chapel hours and possible Roaming Missionaries?

Also, please note that by the term Fundi I do not refer to any one particular group. A Fundi is any creep who insists you believe as they do or suffer the consequences. These folks can be Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Atheist, or even fellow Pagans who think the God/ Goddess talks only to THEM and not you. They practice religious intimidation and even black magick (though they won't admit it) to get their way. Stand firm!

PROTECT YOUR DESK

Summon your Warm Fuzzy Shield at least once a day while seated at your desk. I used to do this over a hot cup of tea as part of my daily settling in. If anyone asks what you are doing say you are either 1) trying to wake up, 2) going over your list of things to do in your head, or 3) praying for world peace. If they ask why you don't pray the way they do tell them you use a different phone service than theirs, one with fiber optic lines so you don't need to pray as loudly because the signal is clearer. If it isn't morning, tell them you're taking a moment or two to compose your thoughts, or you're on your coffee break. Over time your desk will accumulate a Warm Fuzzy aura.

Please note the desk is used as an example. Cab and truck drivers can do this in their vehicles, cooks in the kitchen, etc. Wherever you happen to be, if you've got a minute or two to sit or even stand still, you can do this.

STEALTH WATER AND SALT BLESSING

All you need for this is water and salt. If you have the time and means, use spring water (easily available these days at the corner store) and sea salt. However, this can be extremely effective with water out of the tap and condiment packs of salt. I know of at least two instances where this was done in a hospital situation in the wee hours of the morning with great success.

Summon a shield

I prefer a Mirrored Sphere for this myself, as it is a mini-ritual, but Warm Fuzzy will certainly work if that's all you've got the juice for. add a pinch of salt to the water, and speak a brief blessing over it. I usually go for Mother Goddess and Father God, bless this water and salt and make them holy - it's short, it's sweet (alright, salty), and easy to remember under stress. Certainly, however, you can get more elaborate if you desire.

Now, with your finger, draw a circle around the area you wish to protect. With a desk, I'd drag my wet finger around the edges of the desk. With a hospital bed, do the same for the bed frame. If you're in a waiting room do your chair. If you're in court do your chair, but discreetly. For cars, circle the entire car. If anyone asks, tell them you're removing smudge marks from those [expletives deleted] neighborhood kids. No, salt isn't good for the finish, but a pinch in a glass of water is not nearly as toxic as your average winter's road salt.

Add any additional protective signs and/or runes you feel would be of assistance to you.

INCENSE POTPOURRI

with the potpourri trend continuing this is a fashionable means to protect yourself. Either buy or (better yet) make a protective incense or oil. You want something with an odor even without being burned. Get a small, nice, pretty container - pottery works best for me, followed by glass. Plastic is usually incompatible with this but there are exceptions. Fill the bottom of the container with the incense and/or oil, then make a tossed salad of protective herbs and/or flower petals. Use some sense - you want a perfume, not a fumigation. Be absolute. Set it on your desk, on a counter, wherever. If anyone asks, it's air freshener.

STEALTH ALTARS

If you have a definite work station - a desk, cubicle, whatever - why not make it into an Holy Place? In the four cardinal directions hang a picture for the element - a landscape for Earth, birds or clouds or musical instruments for Air, seascapes for Water, you get the idea. Or, in a corner of your desk, put a stone, bird feather, sea shell, and piece of charcoal in a small bowl to represent the elements. There are an infinite number of variations on this. Add a cut flower (or even a dried one) in a small vase. I know of several Pagans who keep a God/ Goddess image on their desk - usually a postcard with a female or male image, solar disk, or a picture of the grove they worship in. If these items are small they will fit on almost any desk. I used to keep a toy dinosaur, darwin fish, and a copy of Stephen Jay Gould's _Ever Since Darwin_ on my desk to fend off the Creationists. Use your imagination. Since this is a personal altar/holy space whatever has meaning for you will make a good addition. Consecrate the area with the Stealth Water and Salt Blessing and perform a daily shield exercise there. You'll feel much more connected and serene and the Fundies will have absolutely no idea you are (EEK!) performing PAGAN RITES in PUBLIC!!!.

P.S. don't forget to decorate your work area for Halloween, Yule, etc. - it's traditional, it's Pagan, and it's fun. I used to bring in pussy willows for spring, flowers all summer, colored leaves, Indian corn (maize), and dried wheat in the fall, and dried plants in winter. It's a way to keep riding the Wheel of the Year when you live in Chicago and don't get out much.

Please note a darwin fish is just like those Fundi fish they paste on their cars, notebooks, etc., EXCEPT the fish has feet (it's evolving, get it?) and instead of the word JESUS inside it says DARWIN.

SONIC SHIELDING

Take your favorite ritual music in an instrumental only version and play it while your work. The Fundies will have no idea what it is (although oddly enough they often wind up enjoying it...). If you play it softly it will help drown out distracting sounds (such as loud Fundi praying) while improving your basic frame of mind. This can be almost anything really - harp music, whale song, rain forest noises, a jam session at the last Sabbat, whatever. I have a collection of Yule songs on tape along with some VERY Old English Carols that either have little to do with Christmas as a Christian holiday or deal very irreverently with the childhood of Jesus which I love to play throughout December. Pumpkin Carols are good for Halloween. Madrigals can be appropriate for May celebrations (pay attention to some of the lyrics). There are Pagan songs that share tunes with Christian hymns - Simple Gifts/Lord of the Dance and That Old Time Religion come to mind. If you play an instrumental version you can enjoy YOUR version and the Christian Fundies can enjoy THEIR version at the same time! And if that ain't a feat of magick I don't know what is.

OK, so far we've dealt with protecting you and protecting your personal space. Next time we move on to Serious Magick for the Religiously Oppressed.

WARDS & GUARDS

SERIOUS MAGICK FOR THE RELIGIOUSLY OPPRESSED

Okay, your shields are up, your surroundings filled with incense, images, and sounds to reinforce you on the psychic plane, and you are STILL being harassed. It could be frothing rabid Christians force-feeding you Bibles, it could be a plague of Jehovah's Witnesses leaving knuckle-imprints on your front door, it could be disbelieving atheists who want to either excise your misguided and superstitious beliefs or have you committed, it could be relatives or others intent on taking away your children because your beliefs are more than a little unconventional. What do you do? You get serious.

There is, however, one obstacle that people sometimes trip over, the prohibition of the Wiccan creed that goes harm none. Well, if you AREN'T Wiccan this probably isn't a problem - so skip the rest of this paragraph. If you ARE Wiccan please remember that harm none applies to YOU, TOO. We aren't talking about strolling down the street indiscriminately turning innocents into loathsome toads, here. You are under attack, those you are opposing are not innocents and you are an agent of the Three-fold Law - the one where you get what you give, times three. Or, in this case, THEY get what they give, times three. None of this turn-the-other cheek stuff, please. That said, keep in mind that the following are not quickies. You will be dealing with some considerable force here, so be respectful of it. Do a psychic pest removal of your space before working, and make sure you will be undisturbed while doing the spells. Although I've written these from a Solitary perspective, there is no reason they can't be modified for use by a group.

Your home should be your refuge, whether that is where you are experiencing problems or somewhere else. Just as you should buy strong locks for your doors, you should also thoroughly equip your house with psychic guards. I find the following can be easily incorporated into spring cleaning, although certainly it can be done any time you have the energy to thoroughly scrub your entire dwelling place.

1. As always, take care of the mundane cleaning first. Scrub floors and paint walls, etc.

2. Light purification incense in center or hearth of the house. This is not necessarily the physical center, but the room you intend to spend the most time in or the magical work area. In my case, this is the kitchen which is way off to one side of the apartment, but I spend a lot of time there. Invoke Deities of your choice. In this case, I don't think a Circle is practical as you aren't intended to contain energy but to drive out Nasties. Bless salt and water and combine them in a clean spritzer. You don't need to make salt-water sludge, here, just a pinch will do.

3. Carry the incense from room to room, fumigating each room and hallway. Spritz rooms lightly with salt and water. Don't forget attics and basements! If you are truly obsessive do the yard as well (if you have one). Work from the center outward.

4. Optional: repeat fumigation with a blessing or prosperity incense.

5. Engage Wards and Guards (see below).

6. Decorate

7. Think happy thoughts

SUGGESTED INCENSE: A basic purifier of sage, cedar, and bay. Or those smudging sticks that are getting so popular these days. This not only works, but doesn't leave the sulfur-and-brimstone ambience of some other purifiers. Other additions are copal or myrrh. Or, if your tradition has a particular preference, use that. For blessing incense, use a cinnamon and clove base with other pleasant scents as additions for a pleasing atmosphere.

UN-SUGGESTED INCENSE

Pretty much all the traditional ones, those containing such lovelies as garlic, sulfur, asafoetida, and other - *ahem* - aromas guaranteed to exorcise both the dead and the living. Some formulations are downright toxic. Don't use these unless you have a MAJOR infestation of high-caliber Nasties. In which case, why would you want to live there anyway?

WARDS AND GUARDS

PENTAGRAMS: Draw a pentagram, point upward, on the side of all doors with a white pencil. Draw pentagrams, point outward, on all window sills. These pentagrams do not need to be large or conspicuous.

OILS:

Anoint doorways and window frames with protective or anointing oil. A dab on jambs, thresholds, and lintels should do.

HORSE SHOES:

Okay, we've all heard of horseshoes and we all know what they do. The question is, points up or points down? As near as I can determine, points up attracts and stores luck, but some say this luck then STAYS in the shoe until it is inverted. An alternate theory says that points-up negative energy enters one end of the horseshoe and exits the other, deflecting Nasties. Points down mean the luck showers down across a threshold, like a gentle waterfall, which should be an interesting way of blessing your house guests, but no word on when, if ever, the luck runs out and you need a new horseshoe. EVERYBODY agrees that iron is A Good Thing, so get those horseshoes up whichever way you hang'em.

IRON NAILS

These should be old, preferably handmade antiques, or railroad spikes. Charge four of'em up and place one in each corner of your house. Around windows drive three nails (nail nails, not railroad spikes), one in each bottom corner and one in the top center of the frame, forming a triangle.

Okay, now that that's done, don't forget to do an occasional fumigation of your occult work area.

WITCH BOTTLES - WHY WITCH BOTTLES?

Well, because they work, for one thing. I became interested in protective spells both out of personal need and because I found I had a knack for them (or at least, that's what all the people who have asked me for assistance have said). A short time later I encountered a group of spells called Witch Bottles, all of which had certain properties in common. All are spells of a protective nature. Sometimes they trap negative energy, sometimes they tab repel it, sometimes they convert to another form, but all are of a protective or ward and guard nature

All involve filling a container, most often a bottle, with magically charged ingredients.

They fall into one of two subdivisions of bottle spell.

*Those that are loaded once, and derive their power primarily from the power of their contents

*Those that are cumulative, and derive their power not so much from the inherent power of the ingredients but from an accumulation of a lot of not-so-powerful small elements to make a whole larger than its parts. These often involve repeated chants, and rely also on the cumulative power of these as well As to which might be better - for beginners the cumulative witch bottles should be easier to produce in an effective manner, not requiring the intense, focused concentration of those that need a large initial charging. For an adept, however, it may be more a matter of what is felt to be appropriate.

Although you can use huge, quart or larger size mason jars you can also be equally successful in using smaller bottles and jars. Clear glass seems to be the preferred material, although there is nothing to say that colored glass or plastic wouldn't work. Due to copyright considerations, I can't reproduce some spells for your convenience - you are going to have to do some research. Perhaps by a future edition I will be able to actually give you the text of some of these

COLONIAL WITCH BOTTLE

This is a classic witch bottle, the oldest example of which in America dates back to the 1700's (hence, colonial), and in England they've been made since at least the early 1600's. I've never seen this one presented quite the same way twice, but I've seen it several times. Improvisation around the basic theme seems perfectly acceptable, especially since this is a personalized spell. Given that there are no expensive, rare, or difficult to acquire items required, I'd say this is about as folksy as folk magic can get. It also poses some risk in the making of it, so use some sense, please. You want to hurt your ENEMIES, not YOURSELF.

This is a reflective spell to turn a specific act of evil magic directed against you back toward the originator. It is specific to one person, the one whose bodily fluids are incorporated into the spell. It is also quite powerful. Some of the ingredients are pretty icky (the gross factor is a vital component of both the spell and its power) so this may not be one to pass around to beginners or the squeamish, and some people might have problems with using actual blood, especially the suggested menstrual blood.

It can also be used as a general warding spell if placed inside the walls of a house or buried on private property. If it is to ward a household I suppose blood from all living under the same roof can be incorporated if you're feeling especially thorough or threatened, but one person alone should provide more than enough power to handle even worse-than-average Nasties. In any case, this one is sure to set Fundi teeth on edge and make them run screaming and gibbering into the night. (heh, heh, heh)

MATERIALS:

Small jar or bottle; Debris: broken glass, broken mirror (optional), rusty nails, old razor blades, barbed wire bits, other similar objects; hawthorn thorns (if available); urine (I told you this can get gross); blood; disposable lancet if needed for blood letting (check drugstores or medical supply stores where diabetic equipment is sold). - if you don't use disposable - sterilize!. black candle; protective gloves

VISUALIZATION:

You don't need to know the source of your misfortune in order for this to work, you need only focus on the actual problem, spell, curse, or other reason for this spell. Of course, if you can name names that is all to the better.

The negative influences are attracted to the urine and blood, which carry your essence, but are caught in the wire and metal, baffled and cut by the glass, impaled by the thorns, dissipated by the iron. and drowned by your urine (pleasant, ay?). The blood lends more power to the spell.

Thorns and mirror are optional, but considerably increase the spell's power. Thorns have long been recognized as useful in defense, and the mirror shards reflect any residual baneful energies away from you,

VOICE OF EXPERIENCE:

Use some sense around rusty metal, razor blades, and broken glass. Use gloves to protect your hands - nothing says you can't, after all. Wire cutters and similar paraphernalia may be needed to cut barbed wire and such to a length that fits in the bottle. Do this as prep work.

Do NOT share blood letting instruments. We've all heard about HIV and how it is spread, so do your friends a favor and don't share EVERYTHING with them. Also, there are nasty things that can be spread by contact with bodily fluids besides HIV, and some of them can be fatal, too. Sterilize any blood letting devices thoroughly. Use disposable if you can. Let's be careful out there. In regards to other bodily fluids - again, gloves are OK. Don't handle someone else's, it's not a healthy practice even if no one has lethal viruses in their system. Better yet, do this one entirely on your own.

HOW TO:

1) My sources usually don't mention this, but I'd suggest constructing this within a Circle.

2) Fill the jar with the debris and hawthorn thorns until they form a tangled mass. Nails and wire bits should be bent. Blades should be broken, bent, and/or rusty. The glass should have jagged edges. The pile should not only LOOK nasty, it should BE nasty.

3) Cover these with your own urine. If you're female, or simply uncoordinated, it is perfectly acceptable to piss in a container prior to starting this project and pouring it from the chamber pot into the witch bottle. Or else use a really big jar with a wide mouth.

4) Add some of your blood. A few drops is sufficient, let's not get carried away. Menstrual blood is particularly effective. However, if you're male or otherwise do not have access to this substance please use a sterile implement and some sense. You only need a FEW DROPS, not buckets worth.

5) Seal the bottle with black wax. If you wish, inscribe runes or other symbols into the seal to further fix the spell but do not break the seal. If you do, remove it and start with fresh wax again.

6) Clean up any spilled bodily fluids with bleach, PineSol, Lysol, or similar heavy-duty disinfectant.

6) Take it to where no person or animal will find it and bury it upside down in the Earth with some sort of appropriate banishing words. I prefer something along the lines of Leave me alone, ass hole, but most folks like stuff that rhymes.

This is NOT intended to hang around your house. When you have built it you need to bury it. This can be done in a remote place. Most versions (and actual findings) of this Bottle say to bury it UPSIDE DOWN, and archeological finds of these apparently also commonly have bent iron nails buried in the hole along with the Bottle.

Alternatively, if this is used as a warding spell in household defense, it can be placed INSIDE a wall. In this case, place right-side up to avoid smelly leaks and spills. These have been found in both masonry and plaster walls.

I find this particular spell fascinating because it actually does have a long-term documented history of use.

TIM MURPHY's TRADITIONAL WITCH BOTTLE AND HOUSEWARMING GIFT

OK, so Tim wasn't the one who called it a housewarming gift. But it WOULD make a great one, wouldn't it? And though he gave it to me, it seems to have come from yet another source so if you want to know where it came from you'll have to ask him yourself.

MATERIALS:

three glass containers that fit inside each other; mercury; eye dropper; water; fill - pebbles, sea shells, sand, more of the same sort of thing; decorations for lid of third jar (optional); consecration tools

VISUALIZATION: Tim didn't include a specific one, but I think if you read the spell you'll get the idea.

VOICE OF EXPERIENCE: Again, no specific tips. However, anyone who's worked with mercury knows how it slips, slides, bounces, and disappears (hey, they call it quicksilver for a reason). This is why eye dropper appears on the materials list.

HOW TO:par

1. Transfer the mercury by medicine dropper to a tiny bottle or vial. Make certain the cap is tightly closed.

2. Fill the second glass vessel with water and drop the vial with the mercury into it. Screw the lid tight.

3. The third container should be quite a bit larger for it holds the pebbles, shells, and a quantity of sand. Fill to three-quarters with the stones and shells; make a well in the middle of the sand to cradle the water jar and hold it upright. Carefully arrange the units so that the interior jar of water and mercury is hidden from view.

4. The lid of the third jar can be decorated in any way you choose; this final touch belongs to your imagination and inventiveness.

5. To charge the bottle, with your dominant hand make a series of counterclockwise circles around the completed bottle as you say:

Earth holds water,

Water holds life,

Life in safe keeping,

Free from all strife.

This could become quite an art object if you get serious about decorations.

OTHER WITCH BOTTLES

I'd love to give you full instructions, but the following ARE copyrighted. Listing of these resources in no way constitutes an endorsement of any particular belief system. They are intended for reference.

LAURIE CABOT's WITCH BOTTLE FROM _THE POWER OF THE WITCH_

This spell is intended to neutralize the power of a particular individual or organization who in any way poses a threat to your security, be it physical, financial, or emotional. The quantity of some of the more expensive ingredients used may put it outside some people's price range.

DRAGON's PEACE, FROM SCOTT CUNNINGHAMS' _CUNNINGHAM's ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MAGICAL HERBS_

A quick spell to bring peace and quiet to your house.

Frankly, I have never associated Dragon's Blood with peace before, but I include it for the curious and those for whom it works. Look under the entry Dragon's Blood.

AVENGING ANGEL TRAPS IN _GREEN EGG_ #101

This spell is intended to protect against the prayers and influence of organized groups hostile to your activities. MY personal all-time favorite and very effective in my experience. I've also worked up several variations on I'd love to share, but it's that nasty copyright thing again. Hey, I get in enough trouble as it is...

JAR OF STONES, FROM CUNNINGHAMS' _EARTH, AIR, FIRE, AND WATER_ This is a house protection spell, and I suppose that, since you are supposed to use an EARTHENWARE crock or jar it isn't EXACTLY a bottle spell, but it follows the same format of filling up a container.

SAND TRAp

FROM SCOTT CUNNINGHAM's _EARTH, AIR, FIRE, AND WATER_

More Earth magick from Scott. The end result resembles some of those sand-paintings people used to use as planters.

THREAD CHARM BOTTLE FROM DIANE CAMPANELLI's _WHEEL OF THE YEAR_

This is a general protective charm, and a lot more pleasant to make than some of the others listed here. Also a natural for any

sort of needle worker, as it requires many, many little tiny threads.

VENGEFUL GOSSIP TRAP, FROM _GREEN EGG_ #102

Although the tone of the source material seemed to indicate that this was a tongue-in-cheek enterprise, what the hell. We still need to deal with vengeful gossips, don't we?

WARDS & GUARDS

BACK TO IOWA AND OTHER SPELLS

HOT FOOTING, a.k.a. BACK TO IOWA, by Chameleon

I call this one Back to Iowa because of my nemesis at a former place of employment. Among other things, this woman compromised computer security and failed to do several work assignments, which she attempted to blame on others. Including me, hence my fury and this spell. Shortly after I did the following she lost her job and returned to her home state of Iowa. Hence the name of the spell

The PURPOSE of the spell, why you do it, is to get someone off your back. The intent is not to HARM someone but to make them GO AWAY and leave you alone. This is NOT, however, intended for petty grievances. This is a serious spell with a fairly good kick to it. If it backfires it can make YOU go away i.e. lose your job. Use at your own risk

And, oh yes, this is COPYRIGHT material. If you reproduce it in ANY form whatsoever you must include the following:

**********************************************************

* Copyright 1994 by Chameleon. *

* May be reproduced under TWO conditions: * * #1, this disclaimer must accompany text. * * #2, copies are to be distributed WITHOUT CHARGE *

* unless PRIOR permission of the author is * obtained to charge for this text. *

* Chameleon may be contacted at the e-mail address *

* brumstik@interaccess.com *

*************************************************************

MATERIALS: Hot Foot Powder, bowl to hold powder, small jar or vial, 4 black candles, 2 black rush lights, drum or other rhythm instrument (optional, if you know how to clap your hands)

A word about certain items: HOT FOOT POWDER is one of those "magical incense" things you buy at occult supply stores - you know, the ones labeled "sold as a curio, for entertainment purposes.

only". Z. Budapest in _The Goddess in the Office_ describes this as a white powder, but the Hot Foot Powder I bought is most definitely black (and smells pretty good, too, in fact). The only thing I can conclude is that Z and I go to different occult suppliers. RUSH LIGHTS have nothing to do with Mr. Limbaugh. Traditionally, they're rushes dipped in wax or tallow then lit - a sort of candle, very long and thin, that burns quickly and doesn't throw a whole lot of light. The ones I used were a thin candle

wick about 15 inches long dipped in black wax a couple of times. These babies are fragile, so handle them with care until you're ready to use them.

Cleanse and purify your altar area. Set up your altar for charging magical tools. Arrange the four black candles for lighting purposes and use no other color of candle during this spell. If you want, drape the altar in black, wear black, and otherwise dress up the area.

Pour a small quantity, about a spoonful, of the Hot Foot Powder into the bowl and place it on your altar. I usually put things I intend to charge on top of my pentagram, but use your own preferred method. Get comfortable in front of the altar, you're going to be there for a little while.

Put the black rush lights on either side of the bowl. Light them, while focusing on your grievance. Get a good rhythm going - beat that drum, shake that rattle, clap those hands, beat that floor, whatever - and make it an urgent sort of beat, the sort that makes you want to run. As you do this, chant:

You shall rise, you shall rise

You shall walk and you shall fly

Out of my life and away

Onward

Outward

Away

Begone!

And trouble me no more

I give you no power

You have no power

No power

Over Me!

Keep repeating this chant and get really worked up. Feel that power and anger rising up. Get loud if you want (well, not so loud the neighbors call 911). Keep repeating the chant until the rush lights have burned almost completely down, then grab that bowl full of Hot Foot Powder and send all the furious energy into it. Visualize that powder just bubbling and boiling over with your emotion. When the fury is in the powder pour the powder into a small jar and close up tightly. Be sure to ground yourself before

leaving the Circle.

Now, take that charged powder and lay it in the path of your enemy. Make sure you aren't seen doing this. Pour it into your hand then with a strong puff of breath blow it over an area your foe walks over regularly. This spell is specific to one person, so don't worry about it affecting other people who cross over it. Hot Foot Powder is very fine, and if you only use a spoonful it shouldn't be visible on a floor. If it is, it will look just like dust. Blame it on poor housekeeping, the local construction site, whatever.

BINDING THE ENEMY, from _A Phoenix Not Yet Risen_ by Chameleon

This is part of a larger collection of spells oriented towards resolving an injustice along the lines of child abuse and sexual assault. Like the proceeding this is NOT intended for petty grievances. This is for REALLY SERIOUS STUFF. This is a high- power spell and I suggest you consider carefully whether this much of a magical kick is needed.

That said, the intent is, again, not so much to HARM the enemy but to render the foe HARMLESS. Do try to keep this in mind

And, again, this baby is COPYRIGHTED. By the same person, in fact, as the above so it, too, has the following conditions attached.

*************************************************************

* Copyright 1994 by Chameleon. * May be reproduced under TWO conditions: *

* #1, this disclaimer must accompany text. *

* #2, copies are to be distributed WITHOUT CHARGE *

* unless PRIOR permission of the author is * obtained to charge for this text. * Chameleon may be contacted at the e-mail address *

* brumstik@interaccess.com *

*************************************************************

MATERIALS: black altar cloth, black candles, dark or black candle holders, water, sea salt, cauldron or bowl, black human shaped candle, thorn or bolline, red cord several feet long, 13 red-headed pins, large jar with a lid that's big enough to hold human shaped candle, "debris" - rusted wire, bent nails, staples, thorns, nettles, or the like, urine, and an athame or sickle.

NOTE ON MATERIALS: HUMAN SHAPED CANDLE: a "poppet" or other black figure may be substituted for the black candle. It's just that the candles are already in a handy human shape and wax is easy to carve, cut, and stab. BOLLINE: for those of you who don' t know already, it's a knife dedicated to making ritual objects or harvesting ritual plants or the like. Basically, a magical utility knife. If you don't have one don't sweat it, though. Substitute a sharp, sturdy knife like a paring knife or heavy exactoe blade. RED CORD: Preferably cotton or wool thread, somewhere between kite string and packaging cord in weight. Should be at least two or three feet long, but not so long you get it all tangled and snarled when you start knotting it. RED PINS: I like quilting pins, if you can get them with red heads. They're big and impressive looking and don't bend quite so easily as regular straight pins. "DEBRIS": when dealing with rusted wire and the like, use some sense and be careful. "Harm none" applies to YOURSELF, too. URINE: Yeah, it's icky, but it's also a great way to show contempt

Purify the area and yourself. Drape the altar with a black cloth and set up the black candles and candle holders. Bless the water and sea salt and mix in a cauldron or bowl. Wash the black, human shaped candle in this salt water. On the candle's back write the name of the Oppressor backwards, three times, with a thorn or bolline, saying

This is [name]

And this is the evil within him/her

This is [name]

And this is the shame within him/her

This is [name]

And this is the binding of him/her

Place the human candle on the altar and take up the red cord. Dip it into the salt water, wring it out if necessary, and while you tie nine, evenly spaced knots in the cord think of your anger at the injustice done to you. Take the cord and bind it around the human candle, starting at the neck and ending at the feet. As you do this, say:

I bind you, I bind you, I bind you

You can never harm me again

Repeat until the binding is done. Place the red-headed pins in the salt water, then pierce the figure in the appropriate places as you say the following:

At temples, 2 pins, 1 in each = You will not think of me, you will not think of me. At forehead, "3rd eye" position, 1 pin = You will not dream of me. At eyes, 2 pins, 1 each = You will not look at me, you will not see me. At mouth, 1 pin = You will not speak of me. At hands, 4 pins, 2 each = You will not restrain me, you will not touch me, you will not reach for me, you will release me At groin, 1 pin = You will not lust after me. At feet 2 pins, 1 each = You will not approach me, you will walk away from me

Place the bound candle in the jar. Arrange various debris around it - rusted wire, bent nails, staples, thorns, nettles until the candle is in a "cage". Fill the jar with urine and screw on the lid. If you're female or you're a guy with poor aim it is perfectly OK to pee into a container big enough to prevent

"accidents" and a mess first, then poor the urine into the jar with the bound image. Depending on how much space you left in the jar this may take a lot of urine so you can either stockpile it in a separate container in preparation for this, or you can fill up the remaining space with that salt water you were using earlier. In any case, the bound figure should be completely covered. Seal the lid with wax from the burning black candles and inscribe with any runes or symbols you find appropriate. As you do this, say again

I bind you, I bind you, I bind you

You can never harm me again

Place the jar on the altar and make sweeping motions around it with an athame or sickle saying:

I cut all bonds between myself and this evil

It is gone from me!

I cut all ties between myself and this evil

I am set free!

I cut all links between myself and this evil

It is gone, and will never return to me!

Take the jar to a remote place and bury it upside down in the ground where none will find it. When this is done sprinkle some salt above the site, then walk away and do not look back

Glossary

Astral: a level of reality that is separate from the physical world. In the astral world, mythical beings are real. Humans can be trained to see and interact with the astral world.

Aura: a field of energy around a person. It can be seen with practice.

Awakening: the process of remembering your spiritual identity. This can take a long time and have strange effects on your personality.

Banishing: sending away negative energy

Cabala: a magical world view created by the Hebrews. It divides Godhead into ten parts, which are arranged in a tree like pattern and each have different functions. Knowledge of these parts and how to travel between them is the foundation of Cabalistic magic.

Ceremonial Magic: an elaborate form of magic, based largely on the Cabala and on Greek and Roman religion and folklore.

Energy: actually, everything is energy. In this context, energy is the stuff that magic and astral objects are made of.

Guardian: a person whose spirit has agreed to serve the world and its people. To some, a Guardian's spirit is seen as having a nonhuman origin. There are several types of Guardians, including healers, teachers, seers, and warriors. These functions are very like some views of shamanism, and the study of shamanic practices would probably be rewarding to Guardians.

Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram: a specific method of banishing created and used by Ceremonial Magicians. It is useful to other people as well.

Magic: a method of gaining control of energy, and thus control of the astral and physical worlds.

Negative energy: in our context, energy that is not wanted or that is harmful.

Pagan: someone belonging to a nature-oriented religion. Pagan religions often have more than one God, have female Goddesses, and allow or encourage the use of magic.

Pentagram: a five-pointed star, generally seen as a protective symbol in magic. It is also a religious symbol for Wicca.

Positive energy: in our context, energy that is desired and helpful.

Possession: the control of a person's body by someone other than that person.

Projection: an astral being that was created by a physical person. This can be done intentionally or accidentally: the accidental ones sometimes turn on their creators, if they were made out of negative energy.

Religion: a way of thinking about the astral and spiritual worlds and their relation to us.

Shield: a protective wall of energy that seals positive in and negative out.

Spirit: the part of a person that survives death.

Spiritual world: the place where God(s) reside.

Wicca: a specific pagan religion honoring an equal Goddess and God, worshipping at Full Moons and eight seasonal festivals called Sabbats, and practicing magic. It is nature-based, and tends to be much less elaborate than Ceremonial Magic. Wicca is only one pagan religion: there are others.

Wiccan Rede:

An it harm none, do what you will. The harm none is often a sticking point for Wiccan Guardians, but it is to be understood that self-defense is acceptable.

Part Two

Welcome to the second Guardian's Grimoire. As before, it is divided roughly into sections: information about Guardians specifically, then general magick, then (a new category!) non- magical information that might be pertinent to Guardians. We also have a nice dedicatory poem this time, courtesy of Storm dancer. Certain articles in this issue assume familiarity with the first Guardian's Grimoire, which can be found in the pagan libraries of AOL and Compuserve, or can be requested from me directly at Estara@ aol.com.

Again, ideas presented in one article do not necessarily represent the ideas of other contributors, the editrix, or Guardians in general.

And remember, we do accept unsolicited articles! Feel free to contribute--send to the email address given above.

Contents:

Guardians (dedication poem) by Briah Stormdancer

Help in Remembering Yourself by Abritha

Guardianship Tips by Windlight

Tips for the Wyvern Coven by Estara

Second Sight and Scouting by SharTasha

Questions and Answers about Shielding by Estara and Windlight

Solitary Dangers by Dyareus

Creating a Spell by Estara

How To Do Magical Things, With Not So Magical Things, In Not So Magical Places by SharTasha

Tools and Talismans for the Completely Closeted by Estara

Uses of Music in Magic by Estara

The Witches' Pyramid (Making a Spell Work) by Estara

Some Thoughts on the Martial Arts by Briah Stormdancer

Guardians

by Briah Stormdancer

Shrouded in flesh,

We are Suns unborn.

Yet the light of what we will become

Burns in our eyes for all to behold.

Warriors are we, too long weary.

Yet again and again, we rise.

Our swords, our very souls,

Nicked and often dulled, but never broken.

From our knees, with leaden arms,

We offer our swords aloft.

With no prayer on our lips for our own sakes,

We swear again our hearts' allegiance.

Radiance breaks, hard upon the looming shadow,

The Dark that would enfold, consume us.

Bowed but unbroken, we weep with joy,

At the majesty that touches us.

Behold! Our swords, our souls,

Remade as new - edged again with keen purpose.

Our battle cry rings out, as we leap again into the fray.

And the echoes of that cry are heard,

By every heart, that listens.....

Help in Remembering Yourself

by Abritha

Guardians who have not yet completed the process of remembering who and what they are may be wondering how to speed up the process. While, unfortunately, there is no one set method (yet) for prompting recall of your Guardian persona, there are certain techniques and circumstances that may prove useful.

1. Be around other Guardians. This will tend to happen anyway, as Guardians seem naturally drawn to each other even before they remember themselves. When you are with other Guardians for any length of time, you will tend, as a group, to start remembering lives and events you have in common. In fact, this is a common way that the Awakening begins. However, if you do not find yourself among other possible Guardians, you will have to content yourself with the other methods until such time as your normal b and find each other.

2. Read avidly. Both fiction and nonfiction will be helpful. You may find yourself consistently drawn to a type of fiction or historical nonfiction that will reflect something about your past. For example, you may be profoundly interested in Tolkien like elves in fiction, which may imply elvish blood; or in vampires, fairies, banshees, devas, or whatever other semidivine beings. Or you may have an interest that reflects a past life, such as Civil War books or medieval fantasy or recreation. A strong interest in a place, either specific (Paris) or general (mountainous forest), can also indicate a place of origin.

3. Pay attention to your skills. Sometimes what you can do reflects what you are. This can be combined with #2 for an especially good indication. For example, a nymph is very likely to be able to attract sexual partners at will and to move energy naturally through sex. A banshee may foresee deaths and be able to speak with the dead. HOWEVER, remember that many of us are of mixed lineage, and may therefore have abilities that are not usual for our kind. Do not despair, then, if your abilities alone do not lead easily to Awakening.

4. Pay attention to abilities you have in dreams. A shape changer may often transform in dreams; if he is of a specific type of shape changer say, werewolf--this might also mean that dogs and wolves show up in a lot of his dreams. Someone with a nymph back ground might have a lot of dreams of being in or near the water.

5. Leaf back through characters you've created for books and games. Often your true self will test the water with your conscious self by appearing first in the more acceptable contexts of fictional stories or role playing games. See if there are any re current themes in such characters you've created. Note *any* similarity: in names, in colors of dress, in background, in abilities or experiences. Any of these might be signs of genuine memory (not just lack of creativity).

6. Meditate on pieces you've gathered so far. With a fragment of memory to start from, in the relaxed state of meditation, you may be able to access more. Try imagining yourself as your true self, filling in whatever information you can: things you might have worn (at least colors), what your features might have been like, your surroundings. Alternately, you can do this exercise visually, standing in front of a mirror in a dark room with a lit candle and asking to see yourself as you were before you came to this plane.

NOTE: used with permission from The Moon Underhill #1, available on AOL

Guardianship Tips

by Windlight

This article is intended as a sort of crash course in making sense of being a guardian. (I use that name because I've yet to hear a better one. Battlemage is another that could be used, if one preferred, for the sort of guardianship I'm talking about.) I've been one for almost two years, but I have no formal training and I've only recently contacted some more experienced ones, over the net. However, I am still alive, relatively sane (what *is* the measure of sanity, any ways? The average American? I don't think so....) and I've picked up some decent methods of protection and combat magick.

\tab

Take this as you will; it's worked for me pretty well, though magick still frustrates the hell out of me sometimes. I'm publishing this article so that it will *hopefully* reach the people it needs to: the teenagers who suddenly heard a voice telling them, "You are a Guardian," (caps, please) in no uncertain terms, and having it kick in the next night when they don't even know how to shield. I had this happen to me a month before my sixteenth birthday, so this is right where I'm coming from. Hopefully, this info will be useful to those who aren't called to be a guardian (or forced into it) as well, as just about everyone with psi that I've talked to has had "problems." You really never know what might save your neck someday. Or someone else's.

I don't want to get too dark and preachy here, but, rather obviously, we are *not* living in some New Age of goodness and All Pervading Light. Combat magick can be used against muggers as well as astral predators. (Though I live in N. Minnesota, where I'm not even certain we really have pickpockets, and haven't had to do so. A friend of mine has had to do so; she had backlash for a week but didn't get raped.)

And if anyone wants to take up the argument of, "But rabbits don't have guardians, why should people? We need natural selection! Get rid of all the ass holes!" go join cause with my old partner in magicks, Autumn, and find someone else to rip on.

First, the real basics:

A guardian is a person who tries to protect places, people, and sometimes beings of the spirit worlds, foremost from those things and people who attempt to use harmful magick, such as psivamping or pain causing, to gain power or sustenance. The people who usually need this sort of help are those with some psi (since they're the ones who attract this variety of trouble most often). This is a very narrow definition, and not a complete one; a lot of things a guardian will do aren't very occult, but I'll be focusing on that.

Before I go farther, let me edit in something I found out after writing the rest of this. Not all guardians are combat mages; some are teachers, or healers, or preservers of knowledge. As one person told me, " A guardian is teacher first, healer second, an d combat mage only when all else fails." (paraphrased) However, you can easily find books on those topics, the only Healing I know how to do is that of land-energies, and I'm trying to get the first across with this ensign. Probably there will be more articles on this later.

I don't know how guardians are chosen, but I'd hazard a guess that anyone who is one in this life has been one in others- especially if they don't receive training. It has it's ups and downs; for instance, the "neutral" and "good" things (mostly astral beings but also some people who know about guardians) are likely to trust you instantly on that basis alone... But the more predatorial things will try to get rid of you any way they can, it seems. Also, you *can't* use the darker magicks yourself. (Personally, I find this no great loss except the occasional times I want to play a prank on someone - but I've had guardianship frying my brains for a while now.) You won't be expected to possess much common sense either <sigh>. Anyone who willingly puts their life on the line to protect someone they don't know, just because some force within them says they *have* to, is a bit gone... On the bright side, though, when you're doing that you have very large amounts of power at your disposal, or at least as much as you need. Generally, the more people you're protecting, the more power you'll have... I think. It may be that the power guardianship gives you is a reflection of the power of whatever you're up against- anything trying to prey on a group can be pretty dangerous.

\tab

Something I ought to mention: if you look at what a guardian is capable of, and what a dark mage is, the abilities are pretty similar. I mean, I can psivamp really well... So can most of the things that prey on people with psi. I just choose not to... Though, in truth, guardianship wouldn't let me. If I tried to steal the life energies from someone, the way a psivamp does, I'd either get instant backlash or I would simply be unable to reach out the energy siphon. However, if it was against aforementioned dark mage, I might be able to drain him, then use his own energy against him. Though it is likely that the energies of someone using dark magicks would be too filthy to use without purifying.

Just be very* careful about who you think is dark/ evil/ unbalanced/ whatever. Most people, here or on the astral ( I spend a lot of time on the astral ) are just people, neither good nor evil. However, a lot of people *are* pretty self interested, or have their own interests, needs, and agenda... Sometimes, they will act/be very threatening, and you might start to think of them as the "enemy." The truth might be completely otherwise... A lot of my friends and allies on the astral started out being exactly the opposite. Guardians can be threatening to people who think, rightly or wrongly, that they might be the ones that the Guardian comes after. This happens most often when you have allied yourself with a person or group who has enemies. sigh> Be careful about who you ally with...\tab

***mark

Now, to change focus: Basic Technique

First, the most important thing is to know something about what's going on around you; who is claiming what territories, where the power flows are, the energy "flavors" of different places, and if you can, who is operating in your area. Basic stuff. Though mostly, the more arcane things tend to be discovered by "accident," if you will. I'd recommend putting up little watchers: bits of magick that sense energy flows and alert you to anything out of the ordinary. Depending on the area, you'll want to adjust t heir senses, or just sensitize them to things affecting guardianship. I've seen someone actually use summoned beings for this purpose, but I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, if you've got allies, ask them to keep their eyes open for you, but minor watch spells work just fine. And they don't require libations. They do have one major drawback, though, which is that magical watchers can be traced back to you, if you leave a permanent link to yourself (like your aura signature) on them. Try to cloak this, or make the link tenuous. Do what you can to minimize your aura signature.

On the other hand, there are times when you'll want to make it as blatant as possible, though it's best to keep those rare. For example, I live in a small town, economically centered around a paper mill. _Repeatedly_, things have tried to or actually have used it as a spawning bed; the place is on the list of top 500 U.S. polluters, so it has a filthy aura in the first place, and I guess that's considered attractive, to some things. After the last one, I pretty much just said screw this and shielded the da mn thing, leaving on it my mage-mark bright for all to see, as a challenge. Something wants in, it has to come after me, which I find preferable to finding something has cloaked itself in there and has been building up power. (Also I keep my house really heavily shielded. <grin>)

Which brings me to another point. Anytime something is in my area, it tends to go after me before anyone else. I'm told I show up quite brightly, so that makes sense. (I must just have a higher nutritional value <wink>) But I'm pretty certain that this is very common among guardians. So, be very paranoid. It's a job requirement.

Just watch your back. Partners are really good to have, too, and they don't necessarily have to be combat mages. I MUCH prefer working with one; feels far safer. And my Sight is very poor; I almost entirely rely on telepathy, so having someone along with clearer Sight is very nice. Or someone who can run distractions - like something a friend of mine did when we were taking on some sort of demon: infected it with a non-harmful virus (so it went right through his shields) that made him think in Norwegian. Definitely distracting.

Try to build up a power reserve; I think of mine like flasks, which I "wear" on my back - though they don't really take up "space", and visualize the power I put into them as liquid. I almost never have any reserves, though. Right now, writing this, I'm up to full power for the first time in at least a month. Ran into something more powerful than me... The other thing is, I keep my shields too high. As I said, about paranoia...

Allies are important. Mostly, I don't go out asking for favors or help, but helping out others, directly or not, has tended to make me some friends. Which, all in all, I much prefer, and try not to abuse. NEVER think of them as some kind of summoned servants - I'll get defensive here - but as what the name implies; allies.

Hmm... Another thing. Be very careful about accepting "missions." If you have a "visitation" by some Power or another, DON'T take it at face value. An example: I know of a relatively minor one who was trying to fuck up a guardian. She and some friends managed to reverse it on him, and added some bindings when they tossed it back. Basically they were just to prevent him from taking direct revenge. So, the guy went out, gave a Holy Mission to a pair of more experienced guardians, and sent them after her. If you ever get into a situation like that, where for some reason another guardian comes after you, flash guardianship as strongly as you can.

Which brings me to another point. Guardianship *is* something distinct and recognizable in someone. It might be a good idea to try to hide it, or at least damp it down a lot. Mostly it appears like a brightness, and sometimes a fierceness or protectiveness ... Hard to describe.

Okay, one last thing. Guardianship gives you power to protect others - but not yourself. Which is why you have to be careful. Also, it isn't at all likely to kick in if those others are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. There is one exception to this, and I don't know if there are reasons other than the obvious for it. Guardianship _always_ rouses if you're up against a full demon. Even if it's coming after you. And it might not give you much choice in how you go about it... Be careful, or you'll find yourself going into a frontal battle with something infinitely sneaky. (Of course, that sneakiness keeps them from understanding the value of a straightforward, simple plan, and can be used against them.)

\tab

From my experiences, I believe there is a desperate need for people who will use their psi - or anything else - to attempt to give people the freedom to live "uninfluenced." I'll say out and out that it looks impossible; with today's pollution, loss of the Earth's pure places, over-population, and the mind dead way so many people act, it's very easy for twisted magick and beings of it to profligate. (Feel free to draw your own conclusions from the symptoms described.)

I believe that most of the twisted entities are nature elementals whose homes were polluted, and being tied to them, they become what their homes are. So, one starting place is cleaning up those places, both with purification rituals and anything you can d o to physically cleanse a place. Though gods know it seems futile... But anything helps.

Something that may help: places and their spirits are intertwined. If you can affect an area's spirit, it will slowly affect the place as well.

Then, crime and violence: many, many of these beings feed on fear or anger; emotions are a very filling sort of food to them. Remember how much more power emotionally charged magick has? It isn't safe to use reliably, but you get a lot more charge... Now think of something that needs to feed on energy. Perhaps at one time it fed on different sorts of emotional output, but who knows? We have to deal with it the way it is now. And with *so many* people... Do you understand why there are so very many of this things?

And most people, glued to their televisions and not realizing the *emotions* it makes them release - and think about the average TV show, and how people react to them- don't even realize that there is more than the banality of every day life out there... Can you say easy prey? Or look at our inner cities. It isn't hard to push someone's emotions *just a little bit* and look at the return it's possible to get.

When I go against something, if I can get a grasp on it, I usually try to purify it instead of killing or destroying it. Sometimes people or entities are acting under the influence of something else, and making a mistake... would be horrible. Be careful.

Bright blessings if you decide to walk this path. Anyone who will do so is needed... But be very careful, and don't jump in and say you want to be one without any experience whatsoever. From what I've heard, most potential guardians get trained. Start looking around, and if it calls to you, consider it carefully. If you don't have any desire whatsoever to put up with the bindings of being one, don't, obviously. Backlash is the least painful of the things that will happen to you. If you want to do the protective magicks, though, anything helps, and you _certainly_ don't have to take guardian's oath to do them.

\tab

I hope this has helped someone. I've kept this very basic, because I'm not trained, and mean this for others in the same situation. I don't want to pass on something I've gotten wrong myself, and this is based entirely on personal experiences. Blessed be.

Tips for the Wyvern Coven

by Estara

In A Grimoire of Shadows , Ed Fitch gives this definition of Wyvern covens. A Wyvern coven is composed of those who are young, especially those who are just coming of age. These young people are especially strong at Magic, with a natural talent that frequently surpasses the level that usually comes after years of training. Young Witches between the ages of twelve and twenty can thus be formed into a Wyvern, or Dragon Coven, to meet emergencies with a vastly powerful Magic. Ideally, the Wyvern coven is formed under the guidance of trained adults, who put the youths through a magical basic training before turning the Wyvern coven loose.

It is my experience that in recent times, these working groups have tended to form spontaneously among the gifted, especially young Guardians. Because of our unusual natures and the fact that we have done this work many times before, we tend to unconsciously find each other, band, and begin working magic (often defensive) at a relatively young age. The advantage of this is that we learn that we are not alone, and we are able to appear where and when the need strikes without the need of any preliminary bureaucratic nonsense. The disadvantage is that the Wyvern coven often has no training, no real knowledge of what they are to do or how to do it, nowhere to turn for advice--so it falls into troubles that those who are trained are usually able to avoid. It is my hope that this article (and this Grimoire in general) will help you steer clear of some of these pitfalls.

If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him . I don't mean anything deeply philosophical by this. I mean, beware of people who will try to prey on your doubt and lack of formal training. A legitimate teacher does not have to spend the bulk of his time explaining to you how wonderful he is--he is able to SHOW you by example. Stay away from anyone who:

\tab *makes extravagant claims about the age or powers of his tradition. Yes, I realize that we

\tab \tab are able to do unusual things and our memory goes back a long way. This rule still

\tab \tab stands! One of us will be able to back up his claims.

\tab *makes her way sound like the One True Path that all enlightened people should follow.

\tab *demands large amounts of money in exchange for his wisdom.

\tab *says that your past experiences are irrelevant, or that you are not a real practitioner if

\tab \tab you haven't done such-and-such.

\tab *spends any amount of time explaining to you why you suck and they're brilliant.

\tab *demands sex, servitude, or other unreasonable costs for her marvelous training and delightful \tab \tab \tab company. \tab *demands that you cut off relations to family or friends or disavow your previous beliefs.

In short, don't be too desperate to find real training. Often the best teachers are not advertising themselves--they are sitting back, watching. Meanwhile, what you are doing IS legitimate and important.

No bragging . I know it's exciting to discover your powers and your heritage, but the hard cold fact is that even other pagans are often scared off by claims about nonhuman spirits, soul bonding, overt powers, and yes, Guardians in general. Anyway, it is a generally accepted truism in magic (see rule #1 above) that someone who really has their act together would not have to brag about it all the time. It's true that a little judicious talk here and there will help you find others of your kind, but don't unleash the full force of your unusual experiences and theories on every passerby.

No Blame Memory Retrieval . In a group, memories of other lives tend to come back more quickly, and your memories will often involve each other. Do not, DO NOT let yourselves be caught up in arguments carried over from these other lifetimes. It is a waste of energy and it compromises the integrity of the group. I have seen close friends break off all ties because one apparently turned the other over to the Inquisition hundreds of years ago. I have been in another group that worked splendidly together until three of the members started trying to work through several lifetimes of romantic entanglement to see who had the real right to be together. It turned out that none of them did--they all ended up with different partners but by the time this became clear, the entire group except for two people had disbanded. The past is often interesting and sometimes relevant, but remember that it is the past and not the present, and should stay that way.

No black magick . I don't care if you're warriors. I don't care if you're not Wiccans. The plain fact is that in energy, like attracts like. If you are young and inexperienced, the last thing you need is to call down destructive energy on your own head by misusing it elsewhere. Believe me, it WILL come back and bite you. You may not recognize it as yours--you may think it is an attack, lash back against it, and suck yourself into a destructive cycle. (This is why you always have to check your facts before you start shooting.) Those who are not called into matters of defense should not have to worry about this at all. For the warriors I suggest the following guidelines. These are my impressions, which are not universal: the point is that you should think about what you're doing and why, and use the least force necessary.

Let me emphasize that: THE LEAST FORCE NECESSARY!! I can hear some of you arguing with me. But sometimes it's an emergency, life and death, blah blah blah. Listen. It is very, very difficult to move enough energy in this plane to kill someone via energy alone. If it's not energy alone--if it's, say, you were almost hit by a car--you had better be damned sure (pardon me!) that you're sending your little fireball to the right target, and not just overreacting to what turns out to be a coincidence. This is not a game. Meanwhile, even the most negative attack can normally be stopped with a grey defense. You should only go with something truly destructive if you have GOOD reason to believe that all other options are gone. You will be held accountable for what you do here.

White defense: Binding--you tie your enemy's energy to him; it never gets clear of him to do harm to you. (Some Wiccans think that even this counts as grey, but in my opinion this is excessive. Don't dismiss Harm None as a valid magical rule, but don' t obsess about it either.) Shielding--you protect yourself so your enemy can't hurt you. Talk to the person if they're physical. Call the cops if you're being physically harassed.

Grey defense: Turning back--when the enemy's energy reaches you, it bounces back and hits your enemy instead. (This is considered grey by some because someone gets hurt, even though it was obviously the idiot's own fault.) Fate laying like turning back, except that it is faster, has more punch, and can be used to turn back retroactively. This is darker grey than turning back. Prayers of compassion--you ask a deity or other being of positive energy to enlighten your enemy so that he stops doing what ever he's doing. This is technically grey because you're influencing his mind. (But tell that to the Christians! Oh, well.) The other catch is that you have to do this out of a place of genuine pity and compassion for it not to be black magick.

Black defense (last resorts): Hexing--you turn back the enemy's energy and add some of your own. You might also call down the wrath of a God onto the person. Have the person beaten up. (Not recommended--he might retaliate!)

What is my own track record? I have never laid a hex. I have done fate laying once, years ago. I did it to a man who had screwed over both of my best friends. I basically asked the fates (hence the name), whatever he's got coming to him, bring it on now . Within a couple of weeks he had lost his home, his job, his best friend, and his girlfriend (and several things happened to her as well). I did it in the heat of the moment, and if I had known how well it would work, I would not have done it.

Even gentler sounding methods can have an immense effect. I once did a binding at a site where I knew several people had been engaging in sexual manipulation. I made that flavor of energy inaccessible from that site. The next time the major culprit visited the location, he snapped mentally and ended up in an institution for two months. It turned out that this warped sexual energy had been his main means of support, and my binding combined with stress was enough to break him. So, don't assume that the white or grey methods won't be strong enough until you've tried them.

And, generally: read. Practice basic exercises. Have other hobbies to keep you balanced. Hold together. Remember you're not crazy.

Second Sight and Scouting

This chapter will deal with sight and scouting on both the physical and astral planes. The first thing I will be doing is giving a bit of definition and explanation, as well as reassurances that this is for real and not a figment of an overly active imagination.

The first thing I would like to address is what I mean by sight. I do not only mean the physical sight of something being there, I also mean the feelings that something or someone is there, the ghosting image of something astral, hearing voices without anything around for them to come from, and the list could go on. What I'm saying is that everyone's sight comes to them in different ways. Sometimes it will be different each time for the same person because of how it was sent or remembered. I have had things come as dreams, voices, images out of shadows on the wall, characters in books I or friends have written, characters I've created for role- playing games, waking dreams or day-dreams however you prefer to call them, and the list goes on. Never ignore something just because it doesn't fit in your preconceived definition of sight because that could be the most important part of what you need for what you are doing.

The next thing is a summary of what scouting or a scout is. In times of war before they send the troops out they send scouts to check what is up ahead: who is there, what kinds of conditions will be there, what kind of armament they possess and the like. As a scout you will get all the information and deliver it to the troops so they can better prepare so the attack will be successful. Also you have to remember that as the scout you may be the first to be attacked because the other side obviously does not want the information you carry to be passed on to your troops. You will also find yourself passing on the actual fighting to someone else unless you have no choice. This is perfectly O.K. A lot of times you have already expended a great deal of energy simply receiving the information or getting it passed on as well as setting up the first lines of defense. I know from personal experience that if something doesn't look good I set up defenses first than start letting everyone know. It would be foolish to let your back be wide open like that. At first the images may not come all that easily. You may not have any idea what to do with all the information you have right now. You may think you've developed schizophrenia. It may appear like your head is running a movie theater for your confusion or hopefully your enjoyment. Don't worry, I am here to hopefully work you through all of this to get you back to abnormal-normal.

Before you go on , this would be a good place to say this if it can come to you in a form, you can send it in the same way. Always remember this!!!!

Some common kinds of sight and ways to use them are as follows:

1. You see things before they happen. This could be as simple as dreams that come true or you have day-dreams of a sort where your mind plays out things over and over that later play themselves out. Usually things that play over and over like that are warnings of things that could happen. You are being given advanced notice that if things stay the same, this is the outcome that is likely to happen.

I will give you an example. I kept having a waking vision of being hit by a van and being sent to the hospital in a coma, and this vision got more detailed as time went on. I knew the color and type of the car, who was there, where I was, and so on. I began telling friends, especially those who were in it because it really scared me. The one thing I didn't know was which day it was going to happen. I knew it was at an event of a group I'm involved with, so it had to be on one of the normal meeting days, but I couldn't narrow it down. After a while I just sort of forgot about it and didn't really have many more visions. Then one day, I was at the park where the event was shown to happen. All the people that were in the dream were there. Then the events started to play themselves out. My friend and I were about to leave the park, the activity was over, we were saying good bye to our friends there and getting ready to go to the car. The car was parked along the row of parking spaces that you had to cross the street between parking lot lanes. I was walking across this space with the guy I was dating at the time and looked over my left shoulder, the was traffic goes down that lane of parking spaces. A van that matched the description of the one in my dreams started coming at me, going a bit to fast for being in a parking lot. Everyone saw it and let out an audible gasp; the guy I was with and I also saw it. I pushed him lightly out of the way and narrowly missed getting myself out of the way. The van never really slowed down. That's where I changed it--in the vision, at that moment I didn't get out of the way in time and got hit by the van. Instead everyone was OK, just a little shaken and with a different opinion of me in some cases.

2. Another way of getting information is hearing voices when no one is there for them to be coming from. (Editrix's note: this can also take the form of words or voices popping directly into your head.) This one is a bit hard to explain but I'll do my best. This one could be like hearing a conversation in your head in which you can't physically understand what is being said but your subconscious gets everything that is being told to you. In this case it sounds to me like whispers that I can't hear quite right because I'm listening through a closed door. Or sometimes it's not in English, but in a language I've never heard yet understand every word of, but could never tell anyone what they are- I just \i KNOW. This is the hardest to accept sometimes, very frustrating, because you know you need to let someone know something but you can't bring it to the surface to do it. Don't worry! You just need to learn to send it the same way to others. Remember the motto IF it can come to you in a form, you can send it in the same way. The other way of hearing voices reminds me more of the feeling of talking to myself or the beginning signs of schizophrenia. This way you actually have an understandable conversation going on in your mind. After a while the voices stopped sounding like my own, but at first I thought it is me making up things in my mind to keep me amused or something. It may very well be just you working out something that is in your sub- conscious that was sent earlier but it still is a conversation with someone else, just in another form. Sometimes this may be nothing more than a word or two in answer to a question you have formed or it could be a whole dialogue. The most important key to both ways I just described is to RELAX. Just let it fill your mind. It may not need to make sense today. The best time for this is when you're lying in bed when you are relaxing getting ready to go to sleep. Don't try forcing yourself to be involved with the conversation right away. Just l et it happen. listen and keep any responses you feel you have to say to as few words as possible. You can talk right over something important if you're not careful.

3. Seeing things that aren't there on the physical plane. This one can still scare me and I've been at this for quite a while now. This is when you see shadows or things flit over your shoulder and sometimes you think you've seen a ghost. The reason I don't like this is I've developed the feeling that goes with it of telling if it's friend or foe. If a foe can get that close to me I know I'm in for a fight and I start calling in the troops. My opinion from experience is if you can manifest in the physical you've got a serious mind about you and you're pretty determined to get things done. It takes a lot of energy to make a physical manifestation. If it's a friend I don't worry for my well being but I do worry about theirs unless it's in response to a call. I've noticed that I don't see anything physically unless it's very important. But remember one thing, i DO NOT PANIC!!!!! That is the worst thing you can ever do. I know I've probably scared you a bit with this one, I don't mean to, I just want you to understand the importance of this type of sight.

4. Seeing things on the astral plane as though you are seeing something physical. This one comes with practice really. Your third eye sees like your physical eyes. They almost work together to give you the picture. You don't really see anything with your physical eyes, you more catch the feeling with your third eye and your physical eyes catch the real sights and your mind puts them together, doing all the translating and seeing, forming an image in your mind just as though you really saw it with your physical eyes. Did I lose anyone in the translation? I certainly hope not, but I really can't better describe this one. Let me give an example:

I was having problems with a foe who was attacking me at my home. If the average person looked out my bedroom window all they would see is the view of my neighborhood. I felt someone outside so I looked with my physical eyes wide open but also with my third eye wide open. The combination of both formed an image in my mind of the person who was harassing me. I asked a couple of friends for help, this person is not a good guy, nor is he in the slightest a weak person. I knew from past experience that I can't handle him alone. Anyway...defenses of my own plus ones provided by those I asked for help started to appear and when I looked out my window I could see the fortress that developed outside (we got a little carried away, but the guy is gone so what the hey...).

Basically you use both kinds of sight in conjunction with each other to get the full image in your mind.

5. The last one I will go into in this installment is the feeling of someone or something being there, but nothing else to go with it. This is sort of like the old stories of going into haunted houses and feeling a shiver every time you walk over where t he person died, or other such folk tales. I must admit that I do put truth to some of those stories. I have had some mighty interesting experiences in haunted places. Most of the time if you go in there with the thought of I'm not here to make you the side show anyone who is there is likely to be friendly. I did have one experience where this was not the case and myself and the people I had in my car all saw the eventual physical manifestation of the person who was there. The only thing I will say Is . I'll never do the hunting-for-ghosts-on-Halloween thing again!!!! A group of friends and my significant other at the time knew I had the ability to track things like ghosts because I can feel them. So we went out on Halloween to do such. The only smart thing they did was have me stay in the car so I could not be a target (well, that and it was my car we were driving, so they wanted a quick getaway), for some reason that crossed their minds (don't ask me about the logic here). Anyway, back to the topic at hand... You never really see anything there, you just sort of feel something akin to a tingle or a shiver or something. It could just be that gut feeling that something is or is not right or something like that. This is probably the most common o ne for people to experience without even knowing it. Once you learn to recognize it , it can be one of the most powerful and useful kinds of sight. You may have a gut feeling about something that could be based on suppressed memories or information you got from one of the above mentioned conversations in your head that just now is surfacing. Or the person sending the message is not that strong and this is the best they can do. Remember, all the info you get is not just from other scouts, so they don 't always have the same gifts that you do.

I have only given you a few types of ways that you may get your information, there are many more, as everyone is different. My ultimate goal here is to make you comfortable with your talents and not to be scared of them. It takes some getting used to but, it really is worth living with and becomes easy to live with!!! I wouldn't trade it for anything!!! I hope I have been of a little bit of comfort and given you confidence. Good Luck and good hunting.

Questions and Answers About Shielding by Estara and Windlight

1. Can shielding make you a little tired?

Any energy work can make you tired if you're not used to it. This is where the importance of Grounding and Centering comes in (see GGI). I would advise grounding often and practicing with your shields when you *don't* need them, so you can get a feel for them. --Estara

2. Is it possible to shield too much?

Sure. If you forbid *any* energy to get to you, you're running purely on your own, which runs out after a while. You need a certain amount of connection to the *helpful* energies of the Earth (grounding again!). You just don't want nasty stuff coming through. And it's harder to see or feel energy through heavy shields, so you need to lighten up when you're trying to do those things. Remember, though--switch to a lighter shield instead of going without one.

It's also possible to *think* about your shields too much once they're up. You have to put them up, and then stop thinking about it--have faith that they'll work. Worrying erodes magic. (Obviously, if you think you have a shield up and you feel yourself get hit with an energy sledgehammer, you need to worry for long enough to beef it up a bit. But short of that, get your mind on something else.) --Estara

3. What all EXACTLY do shields keep out? Negative energies, other people's thoughts/emotions, other people "sliming" you or projecting emotions onto you, etc?

Yes. ;) Picking up other people's thoughts and emotions more properly falls under chakra problems, though. Most likely is that your second chakra (stomach area, orange) is too far open. If you can, imagine an orange light in your stomach, and see how big it is. If it's bigger than a silver dollar and very bright, you need to tone it down. See it shrink to silver dollar size, and dim to about a 40-watt bulb. Do this whenever you feel like you're "empathing" more than you want to. --Estara

4. What should you do if you encounter a rough situation and your shields aren't working?

Get away from the situation if you can. Try another shielding method, and see if it's better. Make sure your second chakra isn't too far open. You can also give it extra protection by seeing a pentagram (five-pointed star) over it. Pray for help from y our favorite god or goddess, especially a protective one. Carry a charm that helps things "bounce off." Crystals are popular for this. --Estara

5. How do you know when you are shielded enough?

When you don't feel like #4. ;) --Estara

6.What could it mean when your existing shields feel almost oppressive?

It probably means that you are relying on putting a huge *amount* of energy into your shields, instead of on putting up a well-designed shield. Practice, practice, practice. :) --Estara

7. Sometimes I get the feeling that people--strangers, mundane people--are running fingers through my shields, trying to get through them. It feels weird. What's happening?

"Sleepers" (to use a term from the Mage game, as I can't think of a better one) are naturally attracted to the energy of someone who is "waking up" or Awakened. They will often try to be physically near you or reach toward you emotionally or in energy, an d the more powerful and balanced you are, the more it will happen. (It will also come to include other "wakers" who are less balanced than you.) All the practices mentioned above will help to an extent, but to a small degree, this is part of the price we pay. ;) Remember that you will most likely end up teaching or helping people in some way (that is what power is for), and your ability to feel where they're at will help you. In other words, it won't always be purely an annoyance.

Actual attacks and directed negative energy is something else. Fortunately, it's also less common. There are more people 'asleep" than "awake." Here is where shielding and other magical practices become more important. Again...practice, practice, practice. -- Estara

8. Will shields help me control my telepathy? I can't turn mine off!!

Technically speaking, shields are more magick-oriented. If you're using shields, (well, as I know them anyways) then that's something mostly external to your mind. Useful if someone's attacking you, but better - and far harder; I don't know how to teach it - to learn enough skill to keep others out and yourself in. I think it's kind of a folding back into yourself; for a long time I was "thinking loudly," constantly projecting on the unconscious theory that if I was constantly pushing out no one else could push in. Like screaming loud enough that you can't hear anything else.

But the thing about shielding is that it muffles everything. If you're wearing clumsy stuff, you've just blinded yourself. It is very useful though, especially when you're just starting out. (I consider the white light ones, in general, not very good because most people don't really understand where the light is coming from or what it is, and don't really have a strong personal connection.)

Anyways, for telepathy shielding of the magickal sort, first get a ball of energy up by making/ visualizing currents of energy running down your arms to your palms, hands held about four inches apart. Do this until your hands feel like magnets pushing at each other, and focus the energy into the shape of a ball. Then, very clearly, think at the ball like you were using projective telepathy. (You can give it just about any sort of orders here, but here's some ones to this purpose.) First, make all the energy move out into a round shell, then section that into divisions like on a soccer ball. Think of the most shock absorbent material you can, and tell the shell that that's what it's made out of. Then, keeping in mind that it will lose _no_ strength in the pro cess, visualize it becoming transparent, so you can see through it and clearly use telepathy when you want to. Leave it on low most of the time; send it more power when you're in a bad situation. The more power you have in it, the harder it will be for you to see out, though. Then, visualize it expanding so that it will fit over your head with an inch or two to spare, and put it on. Windlight

Also see Question #3. --Estara

Solitary Dangers

by Dyareus

(keytoad@aol.com)

In this day and age it is fast becoming difficult to find the "enlightenment" that supposedly permeates our society. For example, a young woman in the heartland is currently fighting a custody battle because the court ruled her an unfit mother due to the fact that she was a wiccan! Ach. I know I'm proud to be an American. However, civil rights are not our only concern here. Pagans and Magicians everywhere are faced with many dangers that they find they must face alone. For some, the challenge can be found in the mundane world in a fight for civil rights, but most of us have found that there are even more dangerous foes to be encountered on a more astral level.

Before I take this to the heart of the matter, a bit about myself. I have been an occultist for quite sometime, but have only been Initiated for a year or so. I currently reside in the Land of Lincoln, where the only pagans around are those that are staked in the front yards of our town's many ministers. Thus, I sadly could not find a decent workable coven in the area without starting one from scratch myself so I returned to being a Solitary. This has many disadvantages... the most significant being that I have no one to cover my back or lend me power when I practice Magick (ritual or Mind Magick). That is why I am offering this survey course in astral defense. Yes, DEFENSE. If you want to learn offense like levinbolts you'll need to contact me personally as I have no guarantee that you are not some psychotic cowan with a bit Psi potential who is dabbling in things arcane "for the hell of it."

Even if you have no experience in mind magick, this should help. First, a bit on the nature of Psi. Bear with me, elders. I can almost promise you that if you stay in the occult long enough you will sooner or later run across someone who will need the id of a Combatant. In ritual magick, one uses candles, herbs etc. to attune energies naturally and produce a desired outcome. In Mind Magick one forgoes the physical and creates change by sheer mental will. This is usually called Psionic or Psychic phenomenon. Most Solitaries (in any occult practice) must try to replace the teacherless void they have with scraps of vague references from things like Llewellyn practical magick which usually passes over the more complex forms of Combat Magery. What follow s are the basic techniques that Guardians, Combat Mages and many "Psychics" use.

Before I begin describing Shielding, I should note that everyone is born with SOME potential. Some greater, but most lesser than others. Each person has both a starting point and a maximum potential. Those with high potential and high starting points are usually called "natural witches." (There is evidence that it is genetic, but I simply do not know.) Everyone has SOMETHING and chances are, if you're drawn to the occult it means that your subconscious is setting you up to learn because you have Talent . Anyway, natural witches usually find themselves NEEDING training and are usually known as "psychic" by their friends and family. Most other people will find that their particular Gift manifests itself in one major way called a Primary Gift. My Primary is Receptive Empathy and my Secondary is Spirit Ken. (This can be thought of as a college major and minor. Some students are double majored, some go on and get PhD's, etc.) There are far too many Gifts to name, but yours will manifest in time and with effort.

Shielding:

This is the basic technique that hides one's thoughts, emotions and feelings from people who deliberately or subconsciously Read you. It also stops you from receiving their thoughts and emotions though, so keep that in mind. Eventually, one should be able to Shield nearly instantly and after MUCH practice one can even shield others. The shield lasts months or years, but most people like to re-enforce it every now and again. Often you'll find yourself subconsciously feeding it in your sleep or even during your daily activities. At any rate, the last issue gave a pretty good account of the "ground and center" method which is also found in Lackey's fantasy novels. This is the best I've ever found, but here we go reiterating. First, take a deep breath and relax. Then pull all of your energies to your center. (The heart chakra for you Easterners.) This is Centering. Now, swiftly "flush" it all downwards. The longer you spend thinking about it, the more energy you will indirectly give yourself to deal with. This should be fast. If you have Other Sight you will be able to physically see the energy waves. Otherwise you'll need a Kirlian camera to photograph the auras. (Isn't science neat!)

Once cleared you need to re-channel the energies properly. This energy CAN be taken from spirits, gods, objects etc. but usually I suggest taking from yourself or from nature (ie: the air around you, a stone etc). This can either be done by drawing the energy like a vacuum with your receptive (not dominant) hand and then moving it to your center or thyroid and then up to your head, or by remaining symmetrical and drawing it straight into your thyroid, pituitary or mind. No one really agrees so be pragmatic and use which ever works best for YOU. I find that the first works best, but I'm ceremonial by nature and am used to channeling with my hands. Once the energy is collected and moved to your head the trick is to solidify it. This is the secret to a good shield. Most people will stop here, but the energies will flit off unless you visualize it becoming a solid barrier or force field. Don't hesitate because your analogy seems cheesy or Star-Trekish. If it helps you to feel it, it can't be wrong! This is a solid, impermeable wall. It shouldn't crack or break in day to day activity, but it can be recollected by you at any time. This invariably is Felt so you'll know when you get it right. Practice assembling and recollecting this until you can do it quickly and efficiently. Try out different strengths, but stay in good health as this can sometimes require a lot of energy for beginners. Again. Replenish this as needed. I like to reinforce mine every night before sleeping, but then again I'm paranoid . :)

Warding:

What shields are for people, wards are for objects. Many books, tools, doors and locks are warded. It is the same basic premise except that you must channel the energy into place around an object. Start by performing "ground and center" as described above. Then let the energy you collect from wherever stream through your hands and into, around and at the object. It should wash away the objects aura nearly completely and OtherSight gifted will see a faint incandescent glow before it fades to invisibility. Focus on making it into an alarm. A ward requires the touch of an offensive, unwelcome or malignant aura to go off. If one touches it when one is not wanted one will feel a slight flare of its power like a verbal warning. If one continues anyway it will do minor damage to them like unbalancing their auras and notifying the one who set the ward if they left a string tied to it. (This is just what it sounds like... a mental tie that binds the ward to you and tugs if it's offended.) If one breaks the ward the energies go flying into the person in a rather spectacular fashion. If they are shielded then the shields are dealt a pretty heavy blow. However, wards can be removed by a skilled intruder if they can match their aura energies to the ward and absorb it. There may be other ways, but they are uncommon enough as to elude me now. Ward strength is directly proportional to the amount of energy you put into it. I once had a coven that combined five people's energies into a ward, making for a very complicated and powerful alarm. As far as I know, ward energies do not wear off nearly so fast as shields. (This indicates entire centuries.) Some even are equipped with a kind of funnel that continues to pull energy in from the surrounding air to maintain its a power, but this is far too complicated for me to perform let alone teach.

Oh, one other thing. There is a current movement in the occult against Milton Bradley's Ouija "game". Experienced Warders, it would be much appreciated if you would ward these the next time you stop in the toy store. This is harmless to the "players" an d allows them only to receive messages from their own subconscious while preventing them from drawing any harmful spirits. The same is being done to various tarot decks etc, but to a lesser degree from what I'm told.

Watchers:

Watchers are a kind of living ward. They can be kept on a leash of sorts by their makers or made independent. This is a bit more abstract and astral travelers find them invaluable. Start by creating a Ward, but freeform... that is, don't focus it on an object. Channel it between your hands in midair and focus on its purpose. Should it watch over you personally while you Travel astrally, should it watch the house like a dog... the possibilities are endless. Once you get really good you can give it a multiple purpose, but for now I advise creating several and giving each one only one task. This is not a psychic pet with a personality. This is simply several energy flows acting together as a moving ward. To recap, shields are for people, wards are for objects and places and watchers are for ideas. They work the same way as wards... being set off as a flare or a sort of defensive attack dog. I have far less experience with these, but I imagine that they can be absorbed the same way as wards and shields if one is very very highly skilled.

These are the three basic techniques. Keep in mind that these may be combined. The best shields usually have watchers and other various psychic "traps" hiding behind the perimeter shield if you invade them. Also, remember that it is very difficult (prob ably impossible) to probe or attack with psi while shielded. However, experiment with a mental probe, if you wish. But first practice making only a small hole in your shield and then probing out of that. This hole can be filled almost seamlessly infinitely faster than re-shielding completely starting with a ground and center. Try probing other people who suspect are shielded. You may surprise yourself by finding holes, cracks and seams. Experimentation is the key to mind-magick. Just don't go nosing a round in their thoughts or it's sure to come back on you. E-mail me with any comments or constructive criticism.

keytoad@aol.com

Bright Blessings

Creating a Spell

by Estara

Sure, it's fun to collect dozens of books filled with other people's spells, but it's also expensive. And what happens if you need a spell when you're away from your library? Or you have the books, but none of the spells in them seem quite right for what you want? Or one sounds good, but you don't have any asafoetida on you (or whatever herb or tool you're missing)? Or, darn it, you just want to do something a little more creative than copying someone else's exact procedures? Then you want to create a spell.

Know what you want to achieve . What exactly is it that you want to have happen? Are you trying to banish something? Find love? Get a job interview? Get as specific as you can about the end product without setting down how it has to happen. For example, you might say, I want a good but affordable red truck, but not I want Ted down the street to sell me his truck. There are two reasons for leaving the how part open. First, it leaves more options for the energy to move along its easiest path: it may be that Ted won't sell you his truck, but someone else will run an ad next week, or you'll win a drawing for a truck or enough money to buy one. Second, it frees you from the ethical concern of trying to influence Ted's mind. If you're not in a life-or-death situation, the fall out of manipulative magick is usually not worth the temporary gain.

Know the phase of the moon . There are a lot of other correspondences you can worry about later, but this is the most influential and the easiest to keep track of. If you don't know offhand (you might want to start paying more attention in the future!) you can look it up, as even many mundane calendars keep track of new and full moons. An actual new moon or full moon is good for practically anything. If the moon is moving from new to full, or WAXING, it's a good time to start or add things. If the moon is moving from full to new , or WANING, it's a good time to end or subtract things.

This doesn't mean that, in a pinch, you're doomed unless you wait the two weeks for the next good moon phase: for a lot of things, it's in how you spin the spell that makes the difference. For example, if you want to do a healing, and it's a waxing moo n, focus on adding health; if it's a waning moon, focus on subtracting injury or disease.

Know your strengths . If you've done magick before, think about what's worked for you in the past. Maybe you tend to get faster results if you use candles. Or runes always flop for you for some reason. Or you're good with angels, bad with Roman gods, a whiz at love spells , awful at money spells. In the long term, you may want to work on strengthening your weak points, but don't cripple yourself in your hour of need--if you really need the spell to work, do what works for you NOW. If you're new to magick or don't know yet what your strengths are, think about what you like and dislike. If, like me, you're really into music, you might want to try adding chanting or drumming to your spells. If, like my husband, you have an overactive sense of smell and are sickened by strong scents, then mixing incenses may not be for you. Don't try to work magic with anything you're allergic to, either. (If any of this sounds too obvious, trust me, it isn't. I spent the longest time trying to work with charcoal incense because it was mo re spiritual, in spite of the fact that I can't breathe when charcoal incense is burning! Now, heck with it, I use cones. I do much better work when my lungs are getting enough oxygen.)

Know your client . If you're doing a spell for yourself, you've already taken care of this by exploring what you want from the spell and what your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes are. If you're doing it for someone else, you need to find out as much as you ca n about this person's motives and where they're coming from spiritually. For one thing, you may not want to do a spell for them after all. A girl might ask you to do a love spell, and then when you talk to her, she reveals that she specifically wants t his guy on the track team, but he's got a girlfriend, but since you're a witch (or whatever) can you, like, make her leave town or break her leg or something and make him like me instead? Unless you can talk her down to a more ethical spell, say Attract someone to me who will have these qualities that I like in the track guy, you don't really want to get caught up in her little melodrama. You would only be buying trouble for yourself and more bad press for the Craft in general.

If you are going to do a spell for someone, besides finding out their motives and goals, you might want to consider where they're at spiritually. In my own work, I try to tailor my spells to the beliefs of the client, so that, for example, a Christian will get crosses as their protective symbols, angels, saint candles, and hymns in the place of chants, even though what I do for myself and other pagans is quite different. Although all energy has one ultimate Source, different streams of energy do feel different, and we will unconsciously block those that feel too alien to us. If you don't feel up to altering your work in this way, add a disclaimer to spells for other people, asking that the energy move into their lives in the most comfortable and least obtrusive way.

Know your correspondences . Yes, darn it, we're back to these. This is where you match up everything you've got so far and see what you get. Let's say, for example, that you want to do a spell to help you ace your science test. The moon is waxing, so you're going to concentrate on increasing your knowledge and concentration. You know you like Celtic gods and heroes, you're good with herbs and candles, but chanting makes you feel like an idiot. Okay.

You learn from your trusty books (yes, you still need them for this part, unless you have the following memorized) that Wednesday is the best day to start a knowledge spell, because it belongs to the planet Mercury. Since the test is on Friday, you decide that's fine. (If you couldn't wait, you could start the spell in the planetary hour.

But, Estara, what's a planetary hour? There's a system in which every hour after sunrise is assigned a planet, and that planet decides what magic is best done, or at least started, in that hour. The hours start with the planet that rules the day: the Sun on Sunday, the Moon on Monday, Mars on Tuesday, Mercury on Wednesday, Jupiter on Thursday, Venus on Friday, and Saturn on Saturday. From there they proceed in this repeating pattern (starting from the planet of the day): Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars. For example, the third planetary hour, or third hour after sunrise, on Friday belongs to the Moon of Mercury, on whatever day or night you chose. For more punch, use both the right day and the right planetary hour.) You choose Taliesin as your godly patron, because as a bard he was full of knowledge. (You might have chosen Merlin if you were in an Arthurian mood, or Brigid if you wanted a goddess. If you liked someone other than the Celts, you might pick Thoth, Hermes, Athena....) Your favorite herbal book suggests lavender, peppermint, or thyme for jobs involving Mercury. Your favorite color for brain power candles is yellow.

Here, then, is the spell you might do: on Wednesday, before you start studying, you say a little prayer asking Taliesin for help with your studies. Knowing that Taliesin was a bard, and bards had to memorize huge amounts of information, you hit especially hard on help with memorization. You pick up a yellow candle, and while you cover it with lavender oil or rub it with the raw herb, you imagine yourself absorbing all the information you need as you study, taking the test on Friday calmly, knowing the answers, and getting back a good grade on Monday. You will picture this very clearly in your mind; you do not try to make a chant for it. Then, while you study, you burn the candle and drink peppermint tea.

Remember to tailor your spell not only to what you like and can do, but to what you have available. Don't decide you simply must have a homemade incense made with asafoetida for your spell to work if you've never made incense before and don't know what asafoetida even is. There is always more than one way to get something done-- keep thinking until you hit on something attainable. If you're short on supplies, the following will work for practically anything: white candles; clear crystals; plain vegetable oil (for dressing the candles); frankincense; water you've charged with energy; made-up chants (yes, make something up on the spot! it's fun!); good timing; and focus, focus, focus. How To Do Magical Things, With Not So Magical Things, In Not So Magical Places.

I'm sure this is a problem that everyone has run across at one point in their life, or will face at some time in the future: how to do something in a pinch, when you are at a place that is not magic friendly, and you don't have your tools with you and you have to do SOMETHING....Well at least one , if not all of these things at once anyways. Well here are some things that have worked for me in the past that I'd like to pass on to you.

I've grown up in an environment, up until recently, that was very stifling magic wise. My family did not accept it, nor did the person I had been dating. Gratefully, things have improved. Now my family is more open about it and the person I finally ended up marrying is supportive as well. But a lot of the things I still do now are a direct result of the limits I used to have. Other things have come out of the need to do something in a hurry, when doing anything complicated was either impossible or too lengthy to risk. I will include all of these things and hopefully some of them might work for you.

The first is an easy defensive trick I have picked up. This is for setting up a shield around whatever you want to protect in one easy step. Get a flashlight--a small one you can keep in your purse/glove-box/pocket works, or a big one, doesn't matter. Shine it where you want a shield. Imagine it to be a protective white light surrounding what it's shined on and around. Same as mentally forming one, just a bit faster in that the light is instant, you just have to tell it what to do as opposed to making it, then directing it, then telling it what to do. Also you can cover it with a story for someone who might not like the answer I'm making a shield. It also worked when I didn't want to alert my husband one night until I could figure out what it was that was bothering me. I simply said I was watching the shadow of the dream catcher I have above the bed. You could pass it off as looking for something, checking the batteries to see if you need new ones--while you were out, thought you saw a spider on the wall, etc. I've used this more times than I can count because it's easy to do and easier to cover than anything I've tried similarly.

The next is some quick and easy ways to recharge, cleanse, expel negativity, and other related things. These are several versions but they all have a common link, it all depends on what element you're comfortable with or what you think will work for the particular circumstances. I'll be giving them vaguely simply because it varies from time to time and objective to objective, but you'll get the jist and that's what is important here.

Take a shower. Simple enough. No one questions if you feel like taking more than one a day, or you could make it a daily routine when you bathe each day to work it into physically cleaning yourself. Imagine the water running over you, washing the negativity down the drain back into mother earth. Also you can imagine the water running over you and filling you with its energy, recharging you. Baths can be good as well but I find that I like the idea of running water as opposed to stagnant water, it feels more to me like its energy is there as opposed to bath water that once it's there, it's not being replenished so there's only so much you can get from it. That and more practically, being a tall person, I find I don't fit comfortably in most bathtubs. It's really a matter of preference as to which you use. It's also up to your imagination as to what you can get from the energy of the water in the shower. Another thing I find works is if you need to clean and/or consecrate items, plug up the sink (important so nothing important goes down the drain!!) run the water over the item while envisioning it cleaning etc. then let the water that's collected in the basin go down the drain once you have moved the item(s) out of the way, envisioning the negative etc. going down the drain. As I said at the beginning, I've only given you a couple of examples that I have found to be helpful in the past, and to this day for that matter, it's really the most open for improve method I use though.

Stand in the wind, roll down the window of a moving car, stand in front of a moving fan and so on. Again this has many uses, many exactly the same as the first one I explained about water. You can use the wind to recharge or cleanse etc. Imagine the wind taking the bad stuff away or sending the good stuff to where it's supposed to go. You can visualize it surrounding you with energy that you absorb to use. Again the uses are endless. It's that this is something everyone does so it doesn't look odd if you do it. Everything is kept as thoughts to yourself so no one's the wiser. Again I've put this method to use many times and know it has worked.

This is a hard one to do without looking like a pyro but I've managed in the past. Lighters are the best things to have with you, even if you don't smoke. They're also practical when lighting the fire at a beach party where someone forgot the matches, or offering a light to someone who does smoke--though I hate the habit, I've seen people get real unfriendly because it's been too long since they've had their last one so I'm willing to help, just so I can put up with their company (sorry to offend those who smoke... I'm not trying to but I can't help it). Candles are also good to have, they're fashionable so no one thinks bad if you own them, just stick to generic white or a color that matches your decor if you think it could be a problem. I've learned that just because I have a black candle people think ill of it. Color isn't always important, it helps but it doesn't matter if you can't get the right color for the job, no one will smite you for using the wrong one, just don't concentrate on the color aspect of it for that time. Even a camp/bonfire can work. Light the object of choice. Feel its warmth( your hands are cold). If that's not practical just look at the flame and imagine it burning away the negative energy you direct at it. To feel its energy, if you can't physically feel it (which is my method of choice) just feel it enter you by looking at it and feel its energy that way, or if you can get in the path of the smoke that works as well. I've been jokingly teased about being a pyro in the past, because I used some of the methods and get too involved in it. It's not the easiest as I've said but it can be done discreetly if you need to, I have when I needed to.

Well this one is one that I find I need to be creative about. One thing is go to a park if you can, one that is more on the natural side as opposed to the sprawling flat grass area with play equipment for the kids and maybe a concrete walkway. Just relax and take it in. Or sit on the ground and absorb. There is nothing wrong with choosing to sit on the ground as opposed to a chair for a while when out with someone. Just sitting on a grass lawn is a good idea if no other is available. Or simply standing on the ground and letting energy flow through your feet. Earth is everywhere; just avoid the paved, man-made surfaces and make it a point of finding natural surfaces and you can get pretty creative from there.

That is a brief idea of how to get the energies of the elements when you need to in a pinch. Hopefully this gives you ideas to work it to what you need to achieve.

I will leave it at this for now. There are many other things that can be done. The list can go on and on. Your imagination and creativity is key to successfully improvising. Even the most common things can be used as magical tools. All you need is a cover story if it looks really odd, but most of the time you can do something without making a single head turn. I've used everything from water in a glass, to rubber bouncing balls for spheres of protection, to a bunch of doodles on a piece of paper. You'd be amazed at what you can come up with in a pinch. So I offer you good luck and best wishes.

Tools and Talismans for the Completely Closeted

If you can't get away with a lot of weird-looking stuff, you need to learn a primary rule of Kitchen Witchery: Use What You've Got. The following items are inconspicuous but useful. They are not equally inconspicuous: some will go totally unnoticed (the quarter), while some might be commented on but generally thought harmless. They should fit reasonably well in your purse, backpack, or briefcase. (If they don't, remember that if you practice enough, you don't NEED any props at all--they're fun and helpful, but you won't necessarily die for lack of them.

A Canadian quarter. Showing the head of Queen Elizabeth II on one side and the head of a caribou on the other, a Canadian quarter can be consecrated to represent the Goddess and the Horned God. Alternately, a Susan B. Anthony silver dollar has a matronly Susan on one side and an Eagle on the Moon (obviously shamanic symbolism!) on the reverse, and each is surrounded by a coven of thirteen stars.

A packet of fast-food salt and a bottle of water. These can be consecrated, then combined at any time for quickie Holy Water, useful for banishings and consecrations.

Scissors or a pocket knife. Either of these can double for an athame. (NOTE: *please* use scissors rather than a pocketknife if possession of the latter is illegal at your school or work place.) Similarly, any stick you pick up outside can be made to serve as a wand.

A lighter. Trust me, this is field tested, and the Gods will not bring fiery vengeance down on your head if you use a lighter instead of matches.

A box of birthday or Menorah candles. Get these either in assorted colors, which will give you some for varied uses, or get white, which can be used for about anything.

A spice rack. (For use at home or at someone's house--obviously you can't put one in your purse.) A lot of common cooking spices have older magical uses. Bay leaves, for example, are sacred to the Greek god Apollo and are useful in divination and protective magic. Use any herbalism book to learn the uses of some herbs you have around the house.

Small stones. These can be in your bag or in jewelry: however, the mundanes are starting to catch on to this one, so if you're in deep hiding you'll want to limit yourself to just a few pieces. There are several books that deal with the meanings of stones--if you buy them from a New Age store, you can also ask the cashier.

Playing cards, dice, or dominoes. These can be used for divination in the place of Tarot cards. Look for a book on Gypsy methods of fortunetelling to learn these methods. If you are in high school, check the rules to see if you can be accused of gambling before you start carrying ANY cards or dice with you.

Your mind. Remember, the important part of magic happens in your head. If you have *you* with you, you can work magic.

There are several uses for music in magic and ritual. These are a few of them.

This is a time-honored shamanic practice, especially with drums. The sound of drumming, sometimes a specific beat for a specific purpose, moves the practitioner into a state of trance. In some Native American circles, the drumbeat is thought of as a horse that the practitioner rides into their journey. In Santeria, the drumbeat is specific to a particular loa (god), who descends into the practitioner when thus called. Either way, this is powerful stuff. It is best to have had at least marginal amounts of training in trance work before attempting this. Read about trances and shamanism and practice with lighter forms of visualization first, if nothing else.

2. Mood setting for journeys/visualizations Otherwise known as trance lite. This method, while still effective, is much safer for the novice than deep trance work. You can begin by trying visualizations and journeys you find in books. Read it over a few times, and try to decide what mood it seems to convey. Read it aloud once, leaving pauses where appropriate, and time yourself. Then, look for a piece or pieces of music of about the right mood and length to match the visualization. You can play this music in the background while you actually go through the visualization; you will find that it helps you move into the right frame of mind more quickly and easily. The more music you listen to and the more practiced you are with visualizations and journeys, the easier it will be to match the music to the visualization.

I would recommend that you stick to either instrumental music, or vocals in a language you don't speak. Words that you understand (or half-understand) tend to snap your conscious mind back to attention at inopportune moments. Also avoid music that changes too abruptly in speed or loudness, for the same reason--it will break your concentration.

This is a common form of magic. In its most basic form, chant magic means simply finding or writing a short chant or poem that conveys what you want. Say, for example:

Hermes, clear the road for me,

As I will, so mote it be!

when you're trying to get through rough traffic. You repeat the chant over and over again, allowing the repetition to turn off your conscious mind (by which I mean, the part that doesn't like magic) and stir you up emotionally and energetically. When you feel the energy peaking, you release it into the object you're working with if you have one, or into the ground, to do its work.

This can also work with short songs--and they don't have to be pagan, either. A couple of years ago, my husband's grandma was terminally ill. Being a marginal Christian, she was horribly afraid of death. Obviously I couldn't go sending her a pentagram and a note from the Horned One saying that she would be okay in the Summer Land! Instead, I bought her a crystal cross, and into it I sang Amazing Grace and The Lord is my Shepherd, both hymns of peace and acceptance. It seemed to help her. The cross has since become a treasured possession of one of my husband's aunts, a Fundamentalist. Go figure.

A recent (obviously) variation of #3, and one that I have not seen discussed elsewhere. Rock songs, being comparatively short and primitive musically, are actually rather good vessels of energy. Here's the process:

a. Choose a song that you like and that affects you emotionally.

I find that the emotion the song creates in you is more important than the exact lyrics. Of course, it's important that the lyrics are at least a rough fit of what you want! But, for example, if you hate Mariah Carey, no matter how perfect the lyrics to one of her songs might be for a love spell, you are not going to be able to make it work. You'll be too busy thinking and feeling, Yuck! Mariah Carey! to move any *love* energy.

In alternative rock it is easier to find dark spell music than light. Even more so for metal. Be prepared to hunt a while for the right song for, say, healing. It can be done, it just takes more work.

While it is possible to do this while singing along in the car, it's better if you're somewhere that you can concentrate and have freedom of movement. Definitely be out of range of people who will look at you funny.

Play the song. Sing along if you can; if not, dance to it, or do whatever you do when you're really into a song. This is your energy connection to the music. (Did you ever wonder why you get things like mosh pits? It's the energy of the music. If the people don't know how to channel it correctly--and they usually don't--it can become chaotic and destructive. If they did channel it correctly, every rock concert could be a spell.)

d. Build through song, release spell at exploding point

Here's the difference between a rock spell and rocking out. As you're listening to the song, you're getting into it emotionally, BUT you're also continuing to focus on what you want to happen magically. You're using the song as a vessel.

At a certain point in most songs--classically trained musicians call it the golden mean--the energy of the music peaks. Usually in rock songs this involves becoming louder or changing key. The rest of the song after this point is basically wrapping things up. In magical terms, the golden mean is the energy peak, the point at which you release the energy with the intent of fulfilling the spell; the rest of the spell is used to make sure you've properly released and grounded the energy.

Now, don't laugh. I'm trying to use an example you've heard, as my musical tastes tend towards the obscure. This song could be used to ask for a sign from your beloved as to his intentions, or as an aid to divination on the subject. There's a point in the song where the music dies down, and she's chanting If he loves me, if he loves me not, if he loves me, if he loves me not, and then the key goes up and she sings really loud, How will I KNOW!! This is the energy peak of the song: this is where you would gather and release the energy. (Remember, only try to use this song if you like Whitney Houston.)

This is more like what I actually listen to myself, if you care. The Creatures are an offshoot of Siouxsie and the Banshees: both bands are really handy for grey stuff like turning back and (remember, I advise against this generally) hexing. Anyway, this particular song is for turning back, at least by this usage. It can also be used to gain autonomy--some of the lyrics favor one purpose, and some the other. The lyrics at the golden mean, though, favor the use of turning back negativity. Again, the music dies down, and Siouxsie sings, Bad pennies return from whence they came-- the music behind her stops completely-- It all comes back like a boomerang. Then the music explodes back as she calls, Boom boom boom booooooom! This is the point where you would release the energy.

This one is a little trickier, because it doesn't follow the die down-explode-end progression we've been discussing. It does, however, dissolve into an out-and-out chant at the end (Love is all you need) through which you could channel energy for inspiring peace and love. By the way, while we're discussing the Beatles, I recommend the movie Yellow Submarine. It's actually about the magical uses of rock music, in an odd way. There's also an early scene in which they go to pick up George, and he's merrily warping reality in his apartment and doing odd things with cars. It's all in the mind, he says. Lots of fun.

The Witches' Pyramid (Making a Spell Work)

by Estara

The Witches' Pyramid is a set of four principles that are very important to successful magic: To Know, To Will, To Dare, and To Keep Silent.

To Know: Do research on the kind of spell you're trying to do. For example, if you like to use candles in magic, read about what other people have done with candle magic. What steps do they go through? You don't have to make your spell exactly like someone else's, but if you notice everyone else dressing their candles with oil while concentrating on their purpose (for example), it may be something that you want to try as well.

Also learn about the magical correspondences for your tradition and use them in your spells. For example, if you were doing a love spell and you were a fan of the Norse pantheon, you might want to emphasize certain runes, invoke the goddess Freya, and do the spell on Friday (Freya's Day). There are also correspondences in most traditions for colors, plants, animals, times of day, seasons, and phases of the Moon, among other things. The more of these you can incorporate into your work, the more focused your energy will become.

Go over the spell in your mind a few times before you actually do it. Know what step comes next. If possible, memorize your lines.

Now that the spell is focused, YOU must be focused as well. If you throw a spell together at the last minute and do it half heartedly while watching The X-Files, no matter how skilled you are, you will get less bang from your magic than you would have if you prepared well and really concentrated on what you were doing. A regular practice of meditation (see Guardian's Grimoire I) will teach you to focus your mind, which will in turn fuel your magic much more effectively.

You must have confidence in your spell for it to work. You must believe that you have done real magic and that real magic works. Your spell feeds off of your thoughts and energy, and if you don't feed it well, it will die.

It's not only your conscious mind that has to believe in the spell, either. Any ambiguous thoughts you have lurking about will compromise your magic.

On the top of a sheet of paper, write what the spell is basically for: A Job, for example. Write down every thought that comes into your head about A Job. When you run out of ideas, read over your list. How many negatives are in it? These are thoughts that will interfere with your spell unless they are dealt with. For example, if I do a spell for A Job, and I discover that deep down I hate most jobs and would rather not have one, for my spell to work I either have to change my goal or deal with my attitude problem.

The other part of daring is infusing your spell with some emotion. Emotion is energy. Gosh, I wish he would leave me alone will not give much punch to a hex. (I don't recommend hexes anyway, but this is an example of using emotion for energy.) LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!!! will do better. Feel something as you're doing the spell. Give a flying fig how it turns out. If you don't care, why should the Gods? (And for that matter, if you don't care, why are you doing the spell in the first place??)

Now that you've done your spell, shut up about it. There are two reasons for this. One is that the energy you spend dwelling on it is energy that isn't going to the spell itself. It's more efficient to just think about something else and let your spell do its work. The other reason is that if you talk about your spell to someone who doesn't believe in magic or who doesn't want your spell to work for some reason, that person can undermine your confidence, which will weaken the spell.

Some Thoughts On the Martial Arts

by Briah Stormdancer

(grymmwulf@aol.com)

Introduction:

I have been in and around the martial arts since my mid-teens. Sadly, I must report that the majority of that time was spent as a "rogue" martial artist: I drifted from school to school, gathering what I thought were the building blocks of my "own" system, and in actuality learning very little of the true spirit or practical application of the martial arts. That all changed a few years ago, after some hard lessons in maturity and humility. I have now been at my current dojo for over four years, and am in the "home stretch" for my first black belt.

I would like to expand on Estara's comments in GGI regarding the desirability of martial arts as a Guardian skill. When all is said and done, I have more experience as a martial artist than as a witch, and so feel that I have more to contribute on this subject.

What follows are my feelings and opinions, and should be taken as such. I am certain there will be those who, as martial artists, disagree with my views, perhaps vehemently. This is to be expected. I will certainly try not to intentionally offend any art, system, teacher or culture. If I do offend, please let me know; I can only apologize for those transgressions which I am made aware of.

There are many considerations when choosing a martial art to study. Not the least of these are the physical, financial and temporal resources of the student. In other words, do you have the physical ability, money and time to properly study the art of your choice? If you are uncertain, I suggest that you shop around via your local YMCA, community center or county recreation programs. Local community colleges are also a good place to look. Very often, one can find a number of courses this way that are reasonably priced, of limited duration, and are often sponsored by an existing school. The advantage here is that you can pay up front, take the course, and if, at the end, you don't like the system, you walk away clean. Most such courses are also conveniently scheduled, because of their community orientation. If, upon completing the course, you find that you wish to continue in that system, all that remains is to find a full-time school that teaches it. If the course was sponsored by such a school in the first place, so much the better. Another benefit to community-oriented martial arts classes is what I call "non-denominational" martial arts, usually taught under the headings of "self-defense" or "anti-rape". One stern warning here: many such courses are foisted on the public by "rogue" martial artists (see above), who are looking to promote their own "killer" system, recruit for their own cult/school, or just rip off a few bucks. So always ask to see credentials. This is not an insult to any reputable school or teacher. Indeed, the truly qualified will be more than happy to show you their resume (so to speak). Anyone who feigns indignation when asked to produce credentials should be avoided at all costs. And don't hesitate to verify those credentials; in this day and age of computers, anyone with a color printer can produce a very convincing "Black Belt Certificate"!

True self-defense courses are (or should be!) quite a different experience from the formal study of a traditional art. Self-defense is intended to give the student a better than average chance of surviving a hand-to-hand combat situation, with a minimum of study and practice. As such, effective self-defense requires, in my mind, a whole different set of teaching skills. Accordingly, I suggest that, when reviewing the credentials of a self-defense instructor, look for military and/or law enforcement training and experience, in addition to more classical martial arts rankings.

Another advantage to self-defense courses is that, by their nature, the techniques are better suited to a wider range of physical abilities. Those who may find a classical martial art to be beyond their present physical ability may find a few well-chosen self-defense courses to be of immense value. I simply do not believe that there is any one, single, ultimate, "best" martial art. I do, however, believe that there are very gifted and skilled martial artists who have found that single art, or combination of arts that, as practiced by them, is unbeatable. I believe that it is the combination of the art and the artist that creates the winning system. And winning often means little more than making it home alive at the end of the night.

So, in shopping around for an art, try to be brutally honest with yourself, and begin in an art that suits you, physically and mentally. If you take on an art that is not suited to your physical ability or temperament, you may become frustrated and drop out, carrying with you a bad feeling about martial arts in general. This is often the result when unsuspecting people are put through the "meat grinder" of assembly-line, belt-by-contract schools. The intent here, anyway, is to learn to defend oneself and others, not to look "cool". The nice thing is, "cool" almost automatically follows proficiency in any art. "Cool" comes from well-learned technique and personal confidence, more than anywhere else.

Basically, modern American martial arts fall into a few distinct categories: Distance and Striking, Closing and Grappling, Evasion and Redirection, and Weapons. I propose these categories only for the sake of argument in this essay, and acknowledge that other martial artists will envision different categories altogether.

Karate, kung fu, boxing, capoeira, and la savate are examples of distance and striking martial arts. These system primarily rely on punches, kicks and similar hand/arm or foot/leg techniques to strike the opponent. This is not to say that some grappling techniques do not exist in these arts (with the possible exception of boxing), but the main focus is on maintaining controlled distance from the opponent, and striking for effect.

Students with a higher than average athletic inclination and a high degree of innate flexibility and speed will often excel at these arts. Students who tend to be more anaerobic and less flexible will find these arts difficult to master.

Judo, ju jitsu, Chinese chin na, Russian sombo and generic shoot wrestling, are examples of closing and grappling martial arts. These systems primarily rely on closing the distance to the opponent and inflicting damage with throws, joint locks, breaks, dislocations, etc. With the possible exceptions of "tournament" judo and sport sombo, these systems also make effective use of punches and kicks, but in very close-range application.

Students who are compact, with short limbs and bodies, or who are even overweight, will be at an advantage in these arts (all other things being equal). Students who are taller and lighter will often find themselves "undercut" by students with lower centers of gravity!

Aikido is the single example this martial artist can put forth in this category, but I set aikido apart from other closing and grappling arts because of its ethic and its execution. Whereas almost every other art makes some use of the theory and practice of focusing your inner strength, or using your opponent's against them, these techniques are brought to a very high degree of development in aikido. The goal of the aikido practitioner is no less than to defend himself completely from his opponent, while at the same time inflicting no harm whatsoever on that opponent.

Accordingly, aikido is difficult to learn and master, but incredibly beneficial to any martial artist, both physically and spiritually. Whichever art you eventually decide to concentrate on, I recommend at least some cross training in aikido.

Many martial arts incorporate the study of some form of weapon as part of the curriculum. On the other hand, some weapons systems, like Japanese kendo and European fencing, stand alone. I suggest that everyone interested in the serious study of the martial arts adopt some form of weapons practice, but only after a foundation in hand-to-hand basics has been laid down.

For myself, I prefer the study of stick-fighting techniques, such as bo jutsu, hanbo jutsu, yawara jutsu and so forth. The advantage to such systems is that a improvised weapon is so easy to find! If you are a skilled stick/staff fighter, you can find a makeshift weapon almost anywhere (remember, even pens and pencils make great yawara sticks!).

Whichever weapon system you choose, consider two things: First, can the weapon techniques be adapted to an empty-hand situation, or to another type of weapon? Many kendo (samurai sword) techniques work well with a staff, and many staff techniques work well with a spear. European fencing techniques can be adapted to a cane, in a pinch.

And second, how legal is the weapon? Nunchaku, an ancient and effective Okinawan weapon, are sadly illegal in many states, because of misuse by the "general" public. Can you carry your weapon in your car? On your person? Onto an airplane? Consider these questions carefully.

Weapons are quite useful to those who cannot otherwise defend themselves. Nor do I limit weapons to the whack, hack and slash variety. Anyone who thinks shooting a pistol is not a marshall art has never shot with my sensei.

The ability to defend oneself and others on the physical plane is important to a Guardian. Even if you are never actually attacked, self-defense or martial arts training can help you to control a victim who is hysterical or in a seizure, without harming that person. It can also help you control and protect yourself in an unexpected situation, whether it is slipping on ice or being knocked down a flight of steps by an overly-energetic poltergeist.

If nothing else, the confidence and inner calm promoted by the arts can greatly contribute to your other work as a Guardian.

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