Knowing Magick — The Styles of Magick

Not everyone practices magick in exactly the same way, even if they come from the same spiritual belief system. Practitioners within a particular magickal-religious sect (Wicca, for example) will actually span an entire range of styles.

There are four basic styles of magick:

• ceremonial magick;
• nature magick;
• kitchen magick; and
• intrinsic magick.

The Art of Ceremonial Magick

Ceremonial magick requires dedication and patience. In some ways, it is the most complicated form of magick. This style involves the use of symbols, colors, perfumes, music, and other cues in its practice. These things are usually used to assist in connecting with the divine, which is usually seen in a precisely defined aspect. The tools of a ceremonial magician are well-crafted and beautiful.

Ceremonial magicians enjoy dressing up in their special robes, using their ritual tools, and practicing by candlelight. They are also prone to calling upon spirit guides or angels, consulting astrological correspondences, and they tend to use recorded music during their rituals. The true ceremonial magician appreciates beautiful costumes and ritual tools, meaningful symbolism, and the power to lift their thoughts into a higher spiritual realm.

The Harmony of Nature Magick

The ease of use of nature magick attracts many practitioners. It is practiced outdoors when possible, and encourages a spiritual attunement with the elements — earth, air, fire, and water — as well as to various plant and animal spirits. The nature magician practices their magick in accordance with the cycles of the moon and the seasons, and their ritual tools tend to be simple, sometimes even rough, such as a simple stick for a wand.

Nature magicians enjoy practicing their craft outdoors, in whatever clothes they happen to be wearing. Usually barefoot and working under the light of the sun, moon, or stars, they tend to use whatever is available for ritual tools. A pocketknife makes a decent athame, a discarded branch can be used as a wand. They prefer to commune with plant and animal allies, and time their rituals according to the phases of the moon and the time of day.

The Warmth of Kitchen Magick

A magician of this stamp uses the magick of hearth and home to keep a household up and running. Magick for protection and healing is very common, and the tools of this style of magick are the tools of everyday life – paring knives, spices, herbs, and whatever else is close at hand. Rituals are simple in appearance, almost to the point of being casual.

Those who practice kitchen magick tend to avoid dressing up. They are comfortable practicing indoors under the electric lights, and often invoke the spirits of hearth and home. They enjoy a clean and attractive home, and their family’s health, happiness, and harmony is upmost importance.

The Simplicity of Intrinsic Magick

Practitioners of intrinsic magick are generally opposed to using tools, robes, and other props for their magick, for theirs is the magick of the mind. They achieve their results by the mental, psychic, and spiritual power that they already have, for their tool is the body of energy.

They tend to work skyclad, meaning naked, without donning ritual robes. They do not feel the need for light, since their rituals happen solely in their minds, and they invoke the Higher Self, rather than outside forces. Their own biorhythms guide the timing of their rituals, and they enjoy the feeling that they can wield the power of their own energy to change the world.

These styles can easily be blended into whatever form works best for you. Most people will have a style that they are most drawn to, and will augment that with whatever feels right. Try all of these styles, then choose the style, or combination of styles, that empowers the magick within.

Readying Yourself for Magick — Dedicating Yourself to a Deity

Dedicating yourself to a deity should not be done lightly. When you commit yourself to a god or goddess, you are embracing all that they are. Most gods and goddesses have more than one aspect. For example, Brigit is a goddess of healing, but she is also a goddess of creativity and smithcraft. She should not be chosen as a patron goddess unless you are willing to embrace her in all her aspects.

How to Dedicate Yourself to a Deity

If you are sure that you would like to dedicate yourself to your chosen deity, then you must create a ceremony to express this desire. This ritual can be short or long, elaborate or simple, but it must come from the heart. This ceremony should be unique to you, but there are some common steps that can be incorporated. A general outline for this type of ritual might be:

• Prepare your body and mind by meditating, ritual bathing, fasting, or any other activity that will clear your mind and cleanse the body;
• Dress appropriately, in robes or other ritual garb, or perhaps consider going skyclad;
• Create an altar specifically for your patron goddess or god, separate from your working altar;
• Create sacred space by casting a circle;
• Invite your patron god or goddess to join you in your circle, and introduce yourself;
• Swear an oath of dedication, explaining how you plan to be of service to your patron;
• Thank your patron for his or her presence; and
• Dismiss the circle.

How to Serve Your Patron Deity

Once the ritual is complete and you have dedicated yourself to your patron goddess or god, you may find yourself wondering how you can now fulfill your oath. How can you be of service to your patron? Any action that shows respect and love can be considered a service. Here are a few ideas.

• Create a permanent shrine or altar for your deity.
• Write a poem, song, or story about your deity.
• Invoke your deity during rituals. Perhaps even create an entire ritual simply to honor your patron.
• Create a unique piece of jewelry that symbolizes your deity, and carry it with you.
• Teach a class to the public about your deity, sharing his or her knowledge with others.
• Dance purely for your deity, expressing in dance the personality of your patron.
• Create clothing that is specific to your deity. Maybe this clothing will become your ritual garb.
• Create an astral temple for your patron.
• Go out into the world and do the work of your patron. If he or she is a healer, then heal. If your deity is an artist, then create.

Continue to increase your relationship with your patron goddess or god, for this will strengthen the magick within. Truly exploring the depths of a relationship with the divine can take a lifetime, and choosing to become the disciple of a god or goddess is a personal decision. The closer you are to the divine, the more powerful your magick will be, and the more wisely you will use it.

Readying Yourself for Magick: Connecting to the Divine

A connection to deity is essential to the full practice of magick. This is not to say that one has to follow any particular religion. Any religion or spiritual path can offer a wondrous connection to the divine. However, this connection must be of a personal nature in order for it to benefit magickal practice.

A personal relationship to the divine is one where either you have chosen a particular deity, or that deity has chosen you. Most people have an easier time establishing this connection if they visualize the deity in human form, complete with a name, history, and bursting personality.

How is the Divine Visualized?

No two people share the exact same worldview. This means that no two people see the divine in exactly the same manner, though there are usually similarities between people who share a similar religious background. Often, personal views of the divine change over time. There are many ways in which the divine is visualized today.

• Imaginary beings created by ancient peoples as a way of coping with and explaining the unknown in the natural world.
• Beings that started as imaginary, but because of the energy directed toward them by worshippers, have now become real and taken on a life of their own.
• Beings that existed prior to any humans, and are supernatural and immortal in nature.
• Aspects of the original deity who created the universe.
• Aspects of the psyche of the individual, and not external at all.
• Human beings who were so influential in their time and culture that they became deified after death.
• Imaginary beings created by the priestly class as a way of controlling the masses.
• Unknowable entities that fill a psychological need in the human psyche.
• The unifying force of the universe.

These are only some of the ways in which the divine can be visualized. It is impossible to get into specifics and describe each aspect of the divine, since no two people will see the divine in the same way. For example, not all Christians see God as an elderly gentleman with a flowing white beard. Not all Wiccans see the Goddess in her Triple form – Maiden, Mother, and Crone.

How Can I Connect to the Divine?

The divine is such an all-encompassing idea that it is best if you are able to connect to a more familiar aspect of the divine, such as Isis, Diana, Lugh, or Odin. Choosing an aspect, instead of focusing on a form that is somewhere ‘out there’ and whose nature is uncertain, allows the mind to grasp the idea of the divine with greater ease. This increases the likelihood that you will make a lasting connection to this deity.

Perhaps you already feel the call of a particular deity. If not, feel free to choose a deity from any time or place in history that you feel can help you on your spiritual journey. There are hundreds to choose from, so take your time, do your research, and choose carefully.

Once you have settled on a particular aspect, there are many things that can be done to encourage a connection with this deity. Remember, these are only suggestions. Anything that will enhance your relationship to your chosen god or goddess will suffice.

• Read a book (or many books) about your chosen deity.
• Perform online research to learn as much about your deity as possible.
• Meditate, focusing on your deity and its personality.
• Use your dreams to further connect with your deity.
• Find, buy, or make a statue for your deity.
• Make a painting or collage or your chosen deity.

Building a relationship with a particular deity may happen in an instant, or it may take many years. You may or may not choose to dedicate yourself to your deity, but either way, the personal relationship that is developed with a particular aspect of the divine is powerful and fulfilling.

Herbology: The Tools of Herbology

Herbology is the art of using herbs and their components for medicinal or magickal purposes. Herbology is also called herbalism or herbal medicine. For the modern herbalist, whether medicinal or magickal, there are many items and tools that can make the practice of herbology easier and more enjoyable.

The Mortar and Pestle and Its Place in Herbology

The mortar is a bowl-shaped object into which herbs to be ground or powdered are placed. The pestle is a long item, almost like a stick, that is used to grind the herbs against the mortar. If you also practice herbology for magickal and medicinal purposes, it is recommended that you have two of these: one for medicinal purposes, and one for magickal preparations. The reason here is simple — magickal preparations often contain items that should not be ingested.

Today, there are so many types of mortar and pestle available that the novice can be a little confused. Some common types of mortar and pestle are:

• Wood — Even if you can find one of these, it is best to pass it by, since wood is porous and a breeding ground for bacteria;
• Brass — These are nice, since they are not porous and are fairly cheap;
• Marble — The only real problem with a marble mortar and pestle is the fact that it can chip and crack without anyone really noticing;
• Glass — Though difficult to find, their ease of use and quick cleanup makes these a worthwhile investment;
• Ceramic — If you can’t find a glass mortar and pestle, ceramic is a good second choice, since it’s almost as easy to clean, especially if it’s white.

Some herbalists will use a coffee grinder in place of a mortar and pestle. This is perfectly acceptable, but observe the same rule as with the mortar and pestle — have two of them, if you’re interested in both the medicinal and the magickal.

The Use of Blades and Knives in Herbology

There are two kinds of blades that are in general use for practitioners of herbology. The first is called a hand sickle or boline. This is a tool for harvesting, and has a curved blade. The inside of this blade is sharpened for a clean cut. The boline is not a tool for whittling or general cutting, but is only used for harvesting, and so is only necessary for those people who grow and harvest their own herbs.

Any decent herbalist will have a working knife that is used solely for herbology. This knife is used for carving, chopping, whittling, and all other cutting that may need to be done, with the exception of harvesting. This knife should be a straight blade, and single-edged, so that it is possible to put weight on the blade without cutting yourself. The exact style of this working knife will vary according to personal preference.

Other Tools Used in Herbology

There are many other tools that are either useful or necessary to the practice of herbology. Some of these include:

• Hammer — This might seem an odd item to keep in a kitchen or workroom, but it comes in handy when breaking up large chunks of herbs, especially ginger or orris root;
• Mixing bowls — Only glass or ceramic should be used;
• Eyedroppers — Glass with a rubber or plastic bulb are the best;
• Scale — Invest in a high quality scale, as the lower-end scales aren’t accurate enough;
• Measuring cups and spoons — Any type that cleans easily is appropriate;
• Glass bottles and jars — for storage of herbs and herbal preparations;
• Cheesecloth — good for straining herbal preparations, and also for adding herbs to bathwater without unnecessary mess;
• Cotton bags — used to make sachets, for those interested in such things.

For the dedicated herbalist, the right tools are not only convenient, they are a necessity. Whether you choose to practice herbology for medicine or magick, ensuring that you have the right tools are your disposal will make it a more enjoyable experience.