Aphrodite, please

uncross my sacred heart

in the shadows of my altar,

bless me, soothe me,

find me, take me, show me,

send me my sweet hot,

my Ares incarnate,

Adonis on earth.

i believe, i receive

your will be done

in perfect love

and perfect trust

Aphrodite knows

i conjure, my Pan,

my Ra, my sun,

my breath,

my father, Zeus.

no one can love you

like a witch so deep,

cracked open,

light shining, sex oozing,

priestess of love.

so mote it be.

‘66 Good Luck’

by Chen Lit Yee

‘Liu Liu Da Shun’ – 66 Good luck, phrase used during shop opening wishing someone well – also used during Chinese New Year for good luck

‘Blessing’

by Anuar Zapari

‘Stay out’

by Crystal Chong

taken in Jalan Carpenter, Kuching

These three scrolls found at an entrance to the upper levels of a shophouse along Carpenter Street in Kuching are meant to keep away ghosts and evil spirits.

Top three letters – ‘Feng Shan Shi’ symbolize the  temple issuing the scrolls, in this case the’ Feng Shan temple’ – which, literally translated, means  ‘Phoenix Mountain temple’(Feng – Phoenix, Shan – Mountain)

They are a beautiful example of the power of writing. As bearers of meaning and content, written words have always held a mystical power and often even magical properties. There are many examples where written words are used in incantations and rituals.

Anna Madorsky is the new (old?) name of LA-based singer/songwriter Rouse, and even though this is her    sophomore release this ‘debut’ album is full of fresh new stuff. While Rouse’s first offering to us was a dark,  breakup-inspired album, with notes of electro and dirty house. ‘Incantation’ has a much lighter sound but just  as many layers: Tori-Amos piano licks, atmospheric percussion and still a bit of the good synthy stuff we  know from before. The sheer diversity of the sounds, all of them fully formed, gives the impression that Anna  hasn’t been resting up in her year-long break.

The songwriting is very well executed, approached mostly in the third person as Anna takes us through the daily life of… well, ordinary people having existential crises. Now on paper this might make you baulk, as nobody really wants to listen to some twit whining about how his wife doesn’t appreciate him because she nags him about the hoovering, but it’s not that kind of album. Despite the dodgy conceptual point of view, Madorsky draws us in with the story of ‘Clinic’ – somewhere the normal folk can go for a vent about things as diverse as gay rights and the recession. It’s actually very interesting stuff, everyone has a story but it’s not told with pity or sap but with dry humour and honesty.

Madorsky’s voice serves as the glue holding it all together – her diction, pitch and delivery twist and turns around the music so readily it almost sounds like two different people singing. Highlights include ‘Therapist’s Office’, a lovely bluesy, rocky song and ‘Broken Artifacts’ is dream-pink changing into something slinky. This lady comes highly recommended and doesn’t disappoint.

8.5/10

 A note on timing:  If you have your Samhain ritual on Oct. 31st, you will need to take into account your children’s desire to trick-or-treat.  Trick-or-treating can last up into the night, giving your ritual a late start, not to mention that your kids may not be able to stay up late enough to attend.  I’ve known many people who are resentful of trick-or-treating, thinking of it as a “secular” celebration of the holiday.  But I see the Halloween trick-or-treat as very much a pat of the Samhain tradition.  I’ve also known of people who send one parent out with the kids to trick-or-treat while the other parent has ritual.  I’ve done this before, and although it seems like an ideal solution, it separates the family on what should be a family holiday.  So if your kids are still at the age for trick-or-treating, you might want to have your Samhain ritual the day before or the day after “Halloween”.  Keep in mind the old Samhain was a three day event, and originally, it wasn’t a date on a calendar.  So many Pagans get hung up on celebrating on the “right” day.   Consider though, that there has been two calendar changes- after the Roman invasion, it was to the Julian calendar, then in the mid-18th century to the Gregorian calendar, which put everything 11 days before the old reckoning.    Also, the Celtic festival dates changed from year to year, in accordance to actual harvest times, and other seasonal indicators which vary for different places.     

*This ritual does not specify who is to say/do what in most instances.  This is for you to decide among your family.

Preparation:  Prepare the Samhain feast, set the table, including a place setting for the Beloved Dead and a bowl of apples, and finish setting up the ancestor altar.  Open windows a little in each room, if practical.  Have ready a candle to light for your Samhain fire if not using a fireplace.  In this ritual, everyone will be going from a shrine/hearth area to a dining area.  These two areas should be close together, so that someone can keep an eye on the hearthfire and/or candles.   (It is traditional to kindle the fire of Samhain at dusk.)

~Sain the house and family members with juniper smoke.  All gather around the family hearth or ancestor shrine.
~Ring bell (or silver branch) to signal beginning of ritual.
~Recite a Four Winds Blessing or Three Realms Invocation, according to your family’s tradition.
~Light the Samhain candle (or fire in fireplace), signaling the beginning of the season.
~Offer a portion of the Samhain feast for the deities (into the fire of the fireplace, or on a dish on the household shrine) and recite a Samhain Invocation:
“Grandmother Cailleach, Grandfather Cernunnos,
We honor and welcome you at the season of Samhain.
May you bless us with health, joy, and prosperity in the winter days ahead.
From the depths to the heights, from the heights to the depths,
as a blessing on the hearth of every home.”
~Prepare an offering for the Sidhe and place in a windowsill.  This can be a wordless action, or say something simple like, “Fair folk, we honor you with food and drink.”
~Prepare a portion of the Samhain feast (including an apple) for the Beloved Dead and place on ancestor shrine (or designated table setting).  You may choose to say something like “Ancestors and Beloved Dead, we honor you with food and drink as you cross the veil to visit us on this night.”
[All proceed to the dining area and sit at the table.]
~The Apple
“Behold, the fuit of the Otherworld, of immortality.”
Cut an apple in half horizontally to reveal the star at the center. 
Pass an apple half to everyone at the table.  Everyone eats their apple.  
“As we have eaten of the fruit of life, so our ancestors live in our memories.”
Participants share stories and memories of the Beloved Dead and Ancestors.
~Ancestor Feast
Serve a feast of ancestral foods.  (Optional- explain the importance and symbolism of each dish before passing it around the table.)
~Hidden Charms
Serve Fuarag and/or Barm Brack
~Parting Blessings
“We thank the Fair Folk for dwelling in peace among us. 
We thank the Ancestors and spirits of our Beloved Dead,
for coming among us in peace and blessing our rite.
Ancient Grandmother and Grandfather, we thank you for your presence. 
May you receive the Beloved Dead and give them strength to come to rebirth. 
As it was, as it is, as it evermore shall be. 
With the ebb, with the flow, blessed be.”
~Ring bell (or silver branch) to signify end of ritual.
~Gather in the family room for divination games and traditional Samhain stories.

I found out from 3 of my male friends that when they were young and stupid, I mean really young like 8 – 16 years old, they visited a babalawo (read medicine man/ native doctor/ really-freaky-old-man-who-chants-incantations-and-spills-chicken-blood). They did this for the following reasons:

• One wanted to get back his 19,000 Naira (about 130 dollars that was stolen from his backpack at school – and no, he never found the money
• For the other one, he and his friends wanted to get more strength to beat up other guys in the neighborhood- they paid extra to get a charm that would freeze their opponents, but alas, no freezing occurred.
• And for the last one, he and his friends wanted to win a football match. They gave the medicine man a whole lot of money and still lost the match 19-6

Can you believe that? I had no idea that some little boys had the courage to go and dabble in ritualistic stuff.

This game has wizards n' shit

Incantation is a pretty by the numbers side-scroller where you play as a wizard with really non-threatening magic. You can jump around and collect coins, and occasionally you’ll teleport somewhere else in the stage by shooting a crystal with your non-threatening magic. The graphics are all cutesy and bright, the music is…present, and the control is fine.

That’s it.

I’ve reviewed enough of these games to tell you that there’s nothing special here, nor is there anything particularly offensive. Incantation just is. Why don’t you ask me to review some toast?

I could review toast and it would be more interesting. I love toast. Eat it almost every day. A bit of browned brown bread with some peanut butter slathered on that sucker is a wonderful second breakfast. I like to darken my toast so it’s firm and crunchy with the centre approaching softness. I don’t understand those misguided souls that burn their toast beyond recognition. All carbon and a mouth full of ashes. Breakfast time tragedies.

Now that I think back on it, I don’t remember if Incantation has an intro screen or a storyline of any kind. Why is the deformed little wizard so intent on blasting everything with his benign sorcery (wizardry)? He’s probably trying to save someone from something, but who and from what? Why is he on his own? Doesn’t he know that, as a wizard, he’s compelled to find a “meatshield” and hide behind it for the entirety of any battle? He is not minimizing his weaknesses or maximizing his strengths at all. Clearly he can’t cast spells above 4th level because his INT isn’t that high*!

The problem with games like Incantation is that they ride this line between almost decent and terrible where I can’t really latch on to anything to talk about. They just sit there, being. Like I said already, Incantation just is. It doesn’t care that you’re not interested, it doesn’t care that you’re ambivalent, it doesn’t care about anything or anyone. It’s Incantation. It has a tiny wizard who fires little balls at things.

If you like wizards, this game has an approximation of one.

* That was a joke from 2nd edition Dungeons and Dragons, so I’ll understand if you’re too young or cool or a combination of both to get it. Be happy you don’t get that joke.

When I was a Celtic Reconstructionist, I studied Ar nDraiocht Fein (ADF) druidry for a while.  I think the only thing that put me off of being a druid is that their rituals are too danged long and complicated.  I still draw inspiration from them though- their chants, rituals, and most of all I still agree with their cosmology.  The Well of Wisdom is symbol for my Goddess.  The World Tree is symbol for my God.  These are concepts I cherish from ADF teachings.  Another one of the aspects of their cosmology that I hold dear is the concept of the “Three Kindred”.  It is a beautiful way of thinking of the Spirits collectively.
The Three Kindred are; the Gods (Shining Ones), the Ancestors (Mighty Ones), and the Sidhe (Noble Ones).  There is a beautiful song by Lisa Thiel from her CD “Invocation of the Graces”.  It is called “Triple Goddess Blessing”, but I use it as a Three Kindred prayer/invocation for solitary practice.  Sometimes I vary the words.  Sometimes I simply use the first line of the song to end a ritual.  There are several songs on that CD that I use for ritual, by the way. 

You can hear sound samples here:  http://www.ladyslipper.org/rel/v2_viewupc.php?storenr=53&upc=60148706172
The words are actually from the Carmina Gadelica, a collection of old Scottish prayers, blessings, and invocations.  I am sure that in Christian times, the “Sacred Three” meant the trinity of father, son, and holy ghost.  But I have a feeling that this prayer invocation was used before the Christian era, to call to the Sacred Three that is close to my heart- the Three Kindred. 

As it was, as it is, as it evermore shall be
Thou triune, Sacred Three, be with me, be with me.
With the ebb, with the flow, be with me, be with me
With the ebb, with the flow, be with me, be with me.

Effective incantations for spells are short, sweet, and to the point. They’re usually broken down into the following rhyme scheme:

A B
C B

Oh great Goddess, hear my calling to thee!
Make me as happy as when I was three!

“Oh great Goddess” would be A, “hear my calling to thee!” and “as when I was three!” are both B, and “Make me as happy” is C. Those two phrases that fall under B do so because they rhyme. Thee, three.

Your incantation usually will never be shorter than this, but it may be longer. Beware long incantations. While you may feel longer incantations means you’re being more specific, which is great, you may also doom yourself by making to too long to remember.

And while short incantations are great (I invoke KISS here. Keep It Simple, Stupid!), they also tend to be problematic as they may be too vague. The universe, fate, whatever you wish to call it, has a funny way going about things. Wishing you were as happy as you were when you were three may end up with you finding yourself in possession of toddler toys, for example, instead of you feeling the joy you did when you were three years old.

Incantations can address a God, Goddess, or nobody at all and be left to the universe to decide your fate. I personally like directing mine to my Matron and Patron seeing as I know their personalities and they know mine. I feel that way, there’s less confusion, and my wishes have a better chance of being carried out.

Ultimately, how you write your incantations is up to you. This is merely a suggestion for effective incantations.

Last week, me and baby went to the blackberry patch and found a few (mostly) ripe blackberries. We’ve walking over there about every day and we always seem to find a few- he eats them as quick as I can pick them! Yesterday, though, I found a whole handful of ripe blackberries, plus a bunch that were out of my reach. So I guess it’s officially blackberry time! Oh, they are so good!
***
Blessed Queen of the Brambleberries sweet!
Hail to You, Wild One of Briar, Leaf and Fruit.
In the heat of summer, You abundance bursts forth.
Your dark berries yield their precious juices in a healing elixir.
We offer you thanks and a song.
***
“Berries ripen slowly… on the vine… sunshine and water… over time.  Early fruit is bitter, but don’t wait for it to fall… or you may not get any at all.”

Incantation by Alice Hoffman
The main character in this book is Estrella deMadrigal. Estrella had a quite abnormal family in comparison to most teenage girls in Spain during the early 1300’s. Her mom, Abra, was the most beautiful person Estrella had ever seen. Abra used to make remarkable yarn in shades of blue never imagined. Everyone in town had believed Estrella’s mother was also a grand healer. Abra was believed to cure almost anything known to man.
Estrella and her mother lived with Estrella’s grandmother, a nasty old woman (in Estrella’s Opinion) who was kind to everyone but her; her grandfather, who was said to be the greatest teacher in Spain and who thought no woman (except Estrella’s mother, Abra) should be allowed to be educated; and her brother, Luis, who was off at a seminary, studying to be a priest.
Estrella was a girl on the edge of adult years and just beginning to experience life. Her best buddy, Catalina, her neighbor was her dearest companion. Catalina and Estrella had grown up as ‘Raven’ and ‘Crow’ (both nicknamed for their black hair) laughing and sharing everything. That was until the summer when Catalina’s cousin, Andres came to live with Catalina. Suddenly, the girls’ friendship is in jeopardy. Catalina has forever dreamt–as did her family–in her making a match with her cousin, Andres. However Andres has different plans. He’s fallen for the attractive neighbor, the best friend, the exquisite Estrella. Estrella try as she may can’t stop thinking about him either.

Estrella was alive at the time of Persecution of Jews in Spain in the 1500. Her family and their neighbors all despise Jews and call them ‘Marranos’ or secret Jews. There is a reward for anyone who finds such a family, and will get to keep all of the families’ possessions. Naturally, everyone suspects the other, but this suspicion brings the greatest of relationships apart, as you will soon see…

Teen Reviewer: Ankita Mishra, 8th Grader, Cary

*This blog post got Ankita a ticket in the prize drawing for our Teen Summer Contest. Click here to find out how to enter!*

Let’s go another day,
awakening toward night
to make the perfect arc
of ourselves diving
into a warm bay. 

A steady stroke,
side by side, above
strong, hands ready
to reach from the dock
to take both of us
before we weaken too much.

I just hate those days when I feel like the world is crapping all over me. I was going to go into town this morning and just when I’m about to leave I find I have a flat, a low spare, and no Fix-a-Flat. The last few days have been a little trying for me but today just chaps my ass.

I remember when I was little and the show Bewitched was all the rage with my class. I wanted so much to have a life where when things go wrong, a twitch of the nose or a simple incantation could right the world. I wanna be Samantha Stephens!!

Instead, I stood there looking at my very deflated tire, trying not to swear (too much) and chanting “puppies & kittens, puppies & kittens”.

Okay, tire is changed and I will have to drive with my fingers crossed on a spare that has 15 LBS. of air in it to get my tire fixed. I’d say “life could be worse” but if it can be, it will happen to me. I’ve turned into Eyore!

I wish that all who read this have nothing but good things come their way.

Words are power.

We can affect another persons entire state of being simply by the words we use, and that is only one level of the power they posses.

In this article we will explore why words are so powerful- and I will give you simple techniques to use in your own life to help you harness that power and use it for healing, empowerment, abundance, prayer and joy!

Words, as we commonly work with them, have two expressions- spoken and written. Let’s explore these in turn.

The Spoken Word

When we speak a word, a complex range of vibrations is created within our bodies that is projected into the world around us.

Sound vibrations have form, substance and a predictable flow.

Our minds conjure up what we want to say, our heart backs it up with the appropriate emotional charge (love, desire, anger, etc.) and our body responds by flexing and expanding in many places to create a sound vibration. This wave leaves us and hits the atmosphere around us, touching and affecting everyone and everything it passes. On the spiritual level- the mental and emotional charge behind a vibrational wave impacts what the wave hits, creating a subtle affect.

Maybe our parents were onto something when they told us to never gossip or say bad things about people!

On the energetic level, sound waves do not ‘die’ when we can no longer perceive them with out senses. They continue to move forth, expanding into the greatness of the cosmos- our words affect everything!

In most spiritual, magical and mystical paths on the planet- speaking words of power is paramount to creating an energetic change. Spells, incantations, liturgies, empowered prayers, etc. are recited time and time again, adding to the stockpile of collective consciousness that backs the sound each time it is resonated. When done with true understanding of the words power- a fine-tunes force can be placed behind it that ensures it will create the desired ‘magical’ change as it expands into the universe.

The Written Word

Much like the spoken word, the written word also carries great influential power. No matter what language we speak or write, letters are merely symbols for a sound. As a collective, we all see the letter ‘A’ and are aware of the vibrational wave it creates when sounded- and thus the symbol becomes married with the power.

When we write words, just like when we speak them, they will affect a change in those who read them. Think about how you react when you see the words ’stop’, ‘free’, ’sale’, ‘love’ and ‘no’.

Although the words I am typing now have a neutral meaning- there is also a deeper level of resonance that carries through them like a pipe based on my intentions in writing.

If you are experiencing a tone of seriousness, concern that this information will be used in proper ways and a sense of spiritual channeling; you’re tapped into the psychic level of these words!

Since time immemorial, symbols have been used both to harness and call forth a specific power. Letters that represent sound vibrations are one of the most powerful on the planet (think about the Sanskrit letter for ‘AUM/OM’ and the meaning behind intoning that sound!). In the modern day- most of how we interact with other people is based on the written word with text and email- and so our awareness of the hidden power of the written word is more crucial than ever!

Why Words Make Magic

You are an individual being with unique likes, dislikes, soul, history, desires, fears, etc. From you comes a vibratory field (often the same field perceived by psychics allowing them to read you!) that represents or symbolizes the totality of who you are. Similarly, spoken words as vibrations and written words as symbols also give off this ‘energy signature’ that is unique to each combination of sounds or letter symbols.

When two people come together, their energy fields merge creating a third ‘vibration between’. When many letters are written into a word or toned into a word they merge and become a unique vibrational field. When vibrations interact with other vibrations change and new force arises.

Think of this in terms of throwing a stone into a pond- ripples!

Speaking a word carries its unique vibrational signature out to the world where it will affect all other fields it encounters. The same applies to writing words.

The Karma Of Words

As we learned above, the sound vibration from speaking a word or the symbolic vibration from writing a word symbol carries afr further than we can imagine with linear minds. Eventually, it is no longer empowered for one reason or another and hits the parabola of its cosmic tour… what then?

Return to sender!

What you speak, you will hear. What you write, you will read.

Whatever we create in this world we must, at some point, recon with. The vibrations we send out in any form will eventually go ‘full cosmic circle’ and come back to us. If we have used our vibrational powers to bless and love- we will receive this Divine force back tenfold as it receives power with each field it positively affects. If we have used vibrational powers of hate, we will receive it back even greater as it gets empowered by the chaos and imbalance it creates.

Thinking before we speak or write is one of the best forms of spiritual medicine we can take! Imagine that short pause and deep breath that happens before we let our mouths create vibrations without control and how much cleaning up we could do with it!

Working With The Power Of Words

Although this article is FAR from exhaustive and holistic on the topic, I would like to offer you some simple yet highly powerful techniques you can start using right away to initiate yourself into the ways of word magic.

Please ensure that your integrity, intention and compassion are in good repair before working with any forms of energy harnessing.

Ϫ Say the magic word! Ϫ

Send out waves of gratitude by ensuring you say ‘please’, thank you’ and ‘you’re welcome’ whenever possible. These simple phrases really are the ‘magic words’ because in pure simplicity they express gratitude, compassion, love, kindness and respect!

Ϫ Pray With The Pen Ϫ

The next time you sit for a good prayer session, bring a pen and paper along!

Once you have spoken your prayers aloud, write down positive and present forms of those prayers (love, healthy, wealthy, harmony, etc.) in black ink. Please the paper in a special spot and allow it to be your ambassador to the universe- sending a constant stream of vibration to the cosmos!

Ϫ Say It AND Spray It! Ϫ

Grab a clean, clear glass bottle and write words of power all over the outside of it with a black ‘magic’ marker. Words like love, healthy, peace, joy, harmony, wealth, abundance, compassion, light, etc. are all great choices! Fill up every space you can with words that symbolize what you’d like to attract into your life.

You may want to pray over or consecrate this jar once done to empower it with a spiritual charge.

Once completed, you can either store written prayers or more powerfully, fill it with clean spring water. Allow a full day of partial sun to filter your words into the water- creating an extremely powerful spiritual elixir! You can sprinkle this water on yourself or around the house to empower and bless it. You may also want to consider placing a quartz crystal or other healing stone in the water to further amplify it’s vibrations.

Water is the universal solvent- and is also a perfect energetic computer. What you put into it become part of it- making it ‘liquid power’!

Every time I grab a new bottle of water I always grab a permanent marker too- writing on the outside a word of power that I’d like to open up to that day.

Today’s ‘water bottle word’ was “Receptive”.

Ϫ Practice Makes Perfect! Ϫ

Try intoning words of power like a repetitive mantra when you need them.

In stressful situations, prayerfully and powerfully intone ‘calm, balanced, courageous’.

In times of illness or imbalance try ‘healthy, strong, whole and happy’.

Create a personal and catchy strong of power words that are important to you and include a 5 minute toning session every day!

Ϫ Bless It Forward! Ϫ

Make it a point every day to bless others with your words.

Tell people you appreciate them, tip those who serve you with words in addition to cash, let people know you notice the small stuff and appreciate their being part of your path.

Write a few lines each day expressing what you are grateful for, what brought you joy and what the highlight of your day was.

What you speak about, you empower!

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions and I will do my best to answer!

Peace, Blessings, Love, Joy, Health, Compassion, Abundance, Progress, Strength, Wisdom…

Josh Williams

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La band è attualmente in studio per registrare una canzone inedita, “VOICE OF A BETRAYED GENERATION” per una compilation di gruppi italiana distribuita da Audioglobe

Il 30 maggio serata distruttiva all’ex mattatoio di Perugia

www.myspace.com/massobliterationdeathmetal

I have opened a project page for this work where I will post all the relevant information regarding the piece as it develops. You can find it by clicking here.

]]> http://lionelserre.wordpress.com/2009/04/17/vieux-demons/ Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:05:23 +0000 lio http://lionelserre.wordpress.com/2009/04/17/vieux-demons/

The drawers have all been closed,

the knives are drowsing. The doors

have all been checked. The locks are still.

The faucets have all been tightened, clockwise,

their tears stifled. The quiet does not hold the future

and its terrors clenched, but instead is the absence of time.

The dark is blank. The world that surrounds us,

thick and imperceptible as dreams, beckons sleep

as we welcome tomorrow, inevitably and without struggle.

We can do nothing to prevent it.