instant

magick

To Write to the Author

If you wish to contact the author or would like more information about this book, please write to the author in care of Llewellyn Worldwide and we will forward your request. Both the author and publisher appreciate hearing from you and learning of your enjoyment of this book and how it has helped you. Llewellyn Worldwide cannot guarantee that every letter written to the author can be answered, but all will be forwarded. Please write to:

Many of Llewellyn's authors have websites with additional information and resources. For more information, please visit our website at http: / /www.llewellyn.com

Other Books by Christopher Penczak

City Magick: Urban Spells, Rituals and Shamanism

Spirit Allies: Meet Your Team from the Other Side

The Inner Temple of Witchcraft:

Magick, Meditation and Psychic Development

The Inner Temple of Witchcraft Meditation CD Companion

Gay Witchcraft: Empowering the Tribe

The Outer Temple of Witchcraft: Circles, Spells and Rituals

The Outer Temple of Witchcraft Meditation CD Companion

The Witch's Shield

Magick of Reiki

Sons of the Goddess

The Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft

The Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft Meditation CD Companion

The Mystic Foundation

Ascension Magick

The Temple of High Witchcraft:

Ceremonies, Spheres and The Witches' Qabalah

The Temple of High Witchcraft Meditation CD Companion

The Living Temple of Witchcraft Volume One:

The Descent of the Goddess

The Living Temple of Witchcraft, Volume One CD Companion

Special thanks to my husband, Steve, my parents, Ronnie and Rosalie, Leandra Walker, all of my students, and most especially Laurie Cabot.

Contents

List of Exercises 000

List of Figures 000

Introduction 000

Chapter One: What Is Instant Magick? 000

Chapter Two: The Anatomy of a Spell 000

Chapter Three: The Worlds of Magick 000

Chapter Four: Instant Magick Spells 000

Chapter Five: Spell Crafting 000

Chapter Six: Advanced Instant Magick 000

Chapter Seven: Instant Healing 000

Chapter Eight: The Magickal Life 000

Appendix: Correspondence Charts 000

Exercises

Exercise 1: Altering Consciousness 000

Exercise 2: Sensing and Manipulating Energy 000

Exercise 3: Elemental Connection and Balance 000

Exercise 4: Spirit Guides Meditation 000

Exercise 5: Weaving Meditation 000

Exercise 6: Rising Through the Chakras 000

Exercise 7: Rising Through the Planetary Spheres 000

Exercise 8: Programming Instant Trigger 000

Exercise 9: Higher Self Connection 000

Exercise 10: The Inner Temple 000

Exercise 11: Heartbeat Control 000

Exercise 12: Breath of Fire 000

Exercise 13: Cooling Breath 000

Exercise 14: Positive Breathing 000

Exercise 15: Negative Breathing 000

Exercise 16: Elemental Breathing 000

Exercise 17: Pranic Breathing 000

Exercise 18: Pore Breathing 000

Exercise 19: Inner Temple Healing 000

Figures

Figure 1: Elements on the Pentagram 000

Figure 2: World Tree 000

Figure 3: Om Symbol 000

Figure 4: Astrological Wheel 000

Figure 5: Web of Life 000

Figure 6: Chakras 000

Figure 7: Planes of Existence 000

Figure 8: Ten-Pointed Star with Planetary Symbols 000

Figure 9: Tree of Life 000

Figure 10: Banishing Pentagram 000

Figure 11: Caduceus 000

Figure 12: Astrological Glyph of Mercury and Venus 000

Figure 13: Hand and the Elements 000

Figure 14: Color Wheel 000

Introduction

Contrary to the title, Instant Magick is not a quick book of spells that requires no energy, effort or imagination. Instant Magick is not one quick, easy open package designed to make your life perfect with a few herbs, crystals or candles. Magick doesn't work that way, though we often wish it would.

Magick is a path of transformation, healing and awareness. Instant Magick is a book that will help you weave the natural energies of life through your will, words and visions into a transformation. The initial results can seem instantaneous. You will an event to occur, and it occurs. The process of magick is to explore your will, your wants and desires, and through it, to weed out the unwanted, unhealthy and unnecessary desires to find your true will, the desire of your soul.

I'm a practical person, and think the exploration of your true will should have practical applications. The traditions of magick I have studied are about learning to go with the flow of nature, and gently shape it to aid your journey. The knowledge of magick can simply be the difference of learning when to swim with the stream of life, rather than against it.

The spells of Instant Magick are not your typical pagan or ceremonial spells. They don't involved complicated rituals. They don't involve altars and magickal tools. You don't need candles, special ingredients or exotic symbols. I love those spells, and have used them before, and will use them again, but there are many times in life you need to tap into your energetic awareness and create change. You can't always get to your altar, and many times, you need magick in your car, at work or on the run. The spells here are accessible at any time, through meditation, visualization, words and intent. Many practitioners gain a greater awareness of energy as they practice traditional magick, and learn to adapt their will-working techniques to many different traditions. They do magickal working similar to Instant Magick, yet most only teach and talk about specific traditional spells with traditional recipes.

You don't have to be involved in traditional magick to use this book, but it doesn't hurt. It is for beginners, but can show new methods to the experienced practitioner. An understanding of magick helps the study of any technique. You don't have to come from a specific belief system such as modern paganism, witchcraft or ceremonial magick, though we'll be using elements from those traditions. My background is in these forms of western magick, so of course they will be a part of my magick and writing. We won't, however, be using traditional spellcraft techniques, so you don't need to buy any tools, herbs or crystals. All you need is yourself.

I'm not a fan of traditional spell books. I'm not a fan of teaching people to just do spells. I like magick books, and I like teaching people how to do magick, to understand the discipline, theories and practice of it. I don't like teaching pieces. It's the difference between teaching someone how to cook, and how to cook just one thing, with no idea how the process works. If you stick to one recipe, or one spell, you are fine, but if you venture from that one familiar territory, you are out of luck because you don't have the fundamentals. I like to teach people the foundation, so they can make their own magick.

Instant Magick is a different kind of spell book. Though it will have recipes, they're not the typical recipes you've seen before. The ingredients are non-tangible, but just as effective. The first chapters will give you the fundamental concepts of traditional magick. The non-tangible ingredients are the energies that correspond to the traditional colors, candles, herbs and stones. Through working with them on a primal in tuitive level, you will understand the fundamentals of all spellcraft, and take it in the direction you wish. Use this book and its spells to inspire your own spells. Work with your own understanding of magick to fill your own needs and find your own path of the true will.

chapter one

What is Instant Magick?

Instant magick is a technique to create change in your life in the simplest way possible. Modern mystics define magick as creating change in your reality with the power of your will. You intend something to happen, and it occurs. Traditionally such magick is executed through ritual.

Rituals can be simple or complicated, depending on the tradition. Some are acts of folk magick, and require only household tools. Their actions seem fairly ordinary, but when done with will and intent, they become a magick ritual. Things like cooking, sewing and gardening, along with dancing, singing and playing with dolls or sticks can be incorporated into folk magick.

A lot of our superstitions devolved out of folk magick. Things like throwing a pinch of salt over your shoulder when the shaker spills seem random, but there is an idea behind hem. Early on my path, I was told by a practitioner that salt naturally absorbs harmful energy. Salt is used in all manner of protection spells. When the shaker spills, it would be surmised that harmful energy was around you. It could be a malicious thought or word from someone else, what those in folk traditions think of as the evil eye when done intentionally to cause harm. The salt was "reacting" to the harmful energy. To get rid of the harm, you threw the vessel, the substance that attracts the harm, the salt, behind you, to put it to your past, not before you, to your future. When you realize that, it no longer is a superstition, and becomes a ritual of magick.

Complicated rituals are found in other traditions, from formalized systems of Wicca to ceremonial magicians and their lodges. Even most mainstream religious services have their basis in older, more mystical rituals. Such rites involve special words, movements with and without specific ritual tools, done in a specific manner. The magical orders of witches and magicians have their tried and true methods of doing spells, specific acts of magick. Though some divide witchcraft and Hermetic magick into low and high forms of magick, both can be quite complicated in their own right, just different.

These more complex paths are based on systems of correspondence. In magick, all things relate to each other. Certain objects share qualities with certain ideas and intentions. The light of the Sun can be seen in the shining metal gold. The two are related, just as the light of the Moon is seen in the metal silver. Sun and Moon are symbolic of male and female, projective and receptive, rational and intuitive. The correspondence systems build upon these qualities, forming intricate cosmologies and theories. These systems relate intentions with astrology, symbols, herbs, stones, colors and metals. By matching your intention with the proper rituals, tools and timing, you create a powerful spell.

Instant magick takes the best qualities of both these systems and merges them into a harmonious whole. The technique uses the simplicity of folk magick and the art and logic of the correspondence style systems, but instead of focusing on the outer tools, the focus is brought back to the inner tools. The inner experience, the practitioner's own ability to sense and manipulate energy, and the divine connection are the greatest tools of all.

In complicated forms of magick, and even aspects of simple folk magick, the preparation involved in getting the necessary tools together prevents the practitioner from using magick in day-to-day life, for dayto-day needs. Instant magick makes magick instantly accessible. The results are not always instant, but with if not an instant manifestation. The results are not always instant, but with some of these spells however, you will feel an immediate difference as soon as you do them.

Immediate change most often occurs when you change the inside reality first. Most practitioners of spellcraft are focused on using ritual to create a change in the environment and people around them. Most of the spells in this book focus on using energy to bring a change in you, the spell caster, rather than the outside world. When you change your inner reality, you change your viewpoint, and the way you relate to the outer world. If you transform your relationship with the situation in the inner world, you will transform the situation at hand in the outside world. Once you practice magick long enough, you realize what mystics have known for centuries - there is very little difference between the "outside" and "inside" world. It's just a point of view.

Let's say you are in a situation where a coworker or family member is doing something that really bothers you. It might be a perfectly acceptable action, like constantly tapping his foot, but it just annoys you. As time goes on, it bothers you more and more. You have asked him to stop, but it's an unconscious habit, so he always falls back into it even though he doesn't mean to do it. It distracts you from your own tasks at hand. What do you do?

Most people who start the practice of magick would do a spell to make him stop it permanently. They see themselves as the mighty magicians, and something this trivial they can affect immediately.

Some would argue it would be unethical, because you are violating this person's free will tap his foot if he so chooses. He's not hurting anyone. They would have a point too.

Your last option should really be your first option. You could change yourself, change your reaction patterns, so that it no longer bothers you. You have the greatest sovereignty over yourself. Use it. We are here to master ourselves as well as influence the outer world. If you are bothered and annoyed by someone else, chances are it has little to do with the foot tapping. You are upset about something, and you are simply venting it in this small way, making a mountain out of a molehill. If you really had the magical power most witches claim to have, little things would not bother you. See this person as a spiritual teacher urging you to look inside and use magick upon yourself. Our antagonist, big and small, can be our greatest teachers.

Many forget that magick is all change, and the greatest change is the change in the inner, not outer landscape. Outer magical changes seem more impressive at first, but the inner changes are more long lasting. They are the most impressive. Anyone can learn to do some basic spells and have good results, but the practitioners who develop a solid spiritual and magical practice and become more centered, calm, healthy and truly confident over time are the magicians who impress me.

Instant Magick contains spells of change for both the inner and outer world, but you should never forget that you are the connecting point between the two. Your relationship to these worlds is where the strongest magick manifests. For outward spells, it can take longer to manifest in the physical world. Your results might not be instantaneous, but your ability to take action and self-responsibility will be more immediate. Magick gives us the tools to act when problems arise. Other times, outer manifestation is almost instantaneous. Many witches and mages have experienced doing a spell, such as getting a communication from a distant out-of-touch friend, and received a call or letter within the day.

At first glance, the techniques of instant magick will seem to be simple self-help, based on affirmations and creative visualization. When I look at them, I see that such modern takes on magick, found in corporate boardrooms and recovery groups, are actually harnessing more ancient principles of magick. My interest in instant magick grew out of an understanding of these techniques. The first "spells" I learned in witchcraft were much like the ones found in this book. They involved, will, intent, a light meditative state and quick visualization. They served me very well to this day.

Then I met other witches who told me I wasn't doing "real" magick. I didn't know "real" spellcraft. To them, spells were the recipes they copied out of their teacher's magical book of rituals, called a Book of Shadows. They felt such spells were more valid, because it was tradi tional and passed on through secrecy, yet these particularly witches didn't have a great understanding of how and why they worked. They simply followed the recipe. Since my technique was more fluid and imaginative, but lacked the esoteric words and ingredients, it didn't seem like real magick to them.

I knew my magick worked, but I still felt inadequate compared to their traditional training. I felt like I was missing something and I continued my studies in more traditional directions. I learned systems of correspondence. I learned formal ritual. I learned astrology and herbalism. All of these techniques are wonderful, valid and I do use them, but I still found myself going back to my daily quick spells. I found myself expanding upon them, and adding to them, using the knowledge of more complicated forms of magick, yet not adding physical tools to it. I went beyond simple visualization and affirmation, though they are still my foundation. As I became more sensitive to energy, I moved into using my will with energy. My visualizations became more abstract, more symbolic, yet still powerful. I worked my knowledge of, and most importantly, my growing relationship with, the elements, planets, colors and deities into my acts of instant magick.

Through these experiments, my magical awareness grew. My understanding grew. My spirituality grew. Through a merging of the aspects of magick that were most important to me, I found a path that I could use whenever and wherever I desired.

Now I thought I was so special for expanding upon these basic techniques, but found out that I was not the only one. Some techniques and ways of doing things may be particular to me and my own unique thought process, but I found the basic idea of instant magick, of energetic magick with some form of correspondences, but without physical tools, was being used by many practitioners. I know a few who focus on chant. Others petition deities or spirits for their results. Many more still just focus in the energy of their desire. But they all work and all are forms of instant magick.

The idea of no tools magick isn't as new and modern as one might think. Doreen Valiente, best known as Gerald Gardner's high priestess and arguably the mother of modern Wicca, wrote about it in her book, Natural Magick. In the chapter titled Mind Magick, she tells the story of Karagoz.

"In the late eighteenth century there lived a remarkable man called Mehmet Karagoz. He was known as the Wizard of Albania. People from all over Europe and Asia sought his advice and told stories of his supernormal powers. He was born in the wild and remote mountains of Tartary, and his father was a shaman, a magician-priest of the private religion of those parts.

"When he was a young man, Mehmet seemed to be so lacking in natural ability that his father felt unable to have him initiated, thinking that the youth was incapable at that time of following his father's vocation. Instead, the old shaman gave Mehemet a piece of practical instruction: "Believe in the possibility of what you intend to do, hold it strongly in your mind, and it will happen." He told his on to practice constantly and one day he would find that the power had indeed developed and was his.

"This instruction of his father's was the foundation of Mehmet Karagoz's magical career. He traveled widely in search of knowledge and eventually settled in Albania, where he founded his own occult school and became one of the most famous and most mysterious of adepts. He used no rituals, but worked entirely through the powers of the mind. "

-Natural Magic, p 17

The story of Karagoz shows how the most important factor to magick is belief and mental focus, rather than tools, and that it has been a part of traditional magick for quite a while. In this book, techniques will be expanded upon to give you more inner tools to focus your mind and direct your beliefs.

Through learning these techniques, you will discover what aspects of instant magick work best for you. You don't have to use them all. Don't be overwhelmed by the choices. The variety seems to make the system too complicated, but the options give you the freedom to choose what works for you. Follow your intuition. See what sparks your magical curiosity. What raises the hairs on the back of your neck or send a shiver down your spine? That's where you will find your magick. Then you will have the knowledge and skills to create your own instant spells, to be used whenever you need to create a change in your life.

chapter two

The Anatomy of a Spell

When you have no knowledge of spellcrafting, looking in a book of spells seems like an unfathomable mystery. From the old translated Greek papyri and alchemical texts to the most modern kitchen witchcraft book, the words, colors and ingredients often seem to be randomly mixed together. There is some inherent order, some rhyme to the reason, yet if you don't know the codes and correspondences, it makes no sense. The thought of really doing your own spells seems impossible.

Like any unknown, when you look at one part at a time, it seems easier to understand. When you take something apart, and understand how the parts work together as a whole, the craft of magick becomes much clearer.

Although there are many variables to magick, much like the human body itself, the anatomy of a spell consists of three basic components, regardless of the tradition or ritual. The three components are:

1. altering consciousness

2. clear intention

3. working with energy

If you have all three components, you can stylize them in any way that makes you feel comfortable. It will still work. If you are missing any as pect, then you spell is not likely to manifest. It's like missing a vital organ. The whole cannot be sustained.

Working with these three components is the creative aspect of ritual design. Each tradition and in fact, each ritual, has its own way of altering consciousness, focusing intention and manipulating energy. Ritual is the technology, the vehicle to do spell work. Just as most cars have the same basic machinery to get you from point A to point B, rituals have the same basic machinery.

The difference is in the style. Not all cars look and feel the same way. We each have our preferences. You may have a favorite color, manufacturer or model. Some like convertibles, some like controlled air conditioning. Some preferences are based on economic choices. They are not always what we want in our wildest fantasies, but they are what is practical. Spell work is the same way. Our fantasy of magick might be dancing naked around the bonfire, deep in the forest, on the night of the full Moon. It's a wonderful way to work magick if you can get it, but most of us can't, at least not regularly. Practically speaking, we need a style of magick we can do in our own home, and in the quiet moments of the day. Fire dances and kitchen witchcraft both share the same three components. Both will take you were you need to go to do spellcraft. The difference is in the style and practicality.

Altering Consciousness

The first component, altering consciousness, is often overlooked in modern spell casting. The purpose of most rituals is to alter consciousness. When we change our mindset, our relationship to the inner and outer worlds, we find that still point where all magick is most effective. It's the foundation to magick. When we are immersed in and distracted by our cluttered thoughts and daily concerns, we cannot find that still point to do our magick. The techniques of altering consciousness bring us out of day-to-day focus, letting us step between worlds, step out of space and time, and work with magickal energies. We can still be aware of the regular world, and still function, but our focus, our anchor in reality has shifted. When we shift our reality anchor, the endless possibili ties of magick open up to us. We sense things unseen to us before and the road rises up to meet us, to guide us in the next step.

Altered consciousness seems to be this elusive state achieved only by mystics and gurus, but technically it refers to changing your consciousness from wherever it is at currently, to a new and different level. In spell casting and magickal meditation, it usually refers to altering your consciousness from the waking level of reality scientists have called beta level, to a lower brain wave state, creating a more relaxed, yet focused state in the alpha, theta or in the deepest levels, a state called delta. Alpha is a relaxed state that includes daydreaming as well as the trance like states caused by repetitive dancing and music. We all float in and out of alpha all the time. The difference between a daydream and magick is the conscious control of the switch. This is the art of altering consciousness.

Repetition and structure in thought, word and movement is what creates altered consciousness in ritual. Eastern traditions use the repetition of a mantra as a meditative focus. One sacred sound, one word or phrase is repeated silently over and over again. When it is spoken or sung, the mantra becomes a chant. Western traditions have their words of power as well, and many eclectic practitioners just repeat their magical or mundane name over and over again. People also count their breaths. You can stare at a visual focus, called a yantra or mandala, to induce an altered state. All the senses, not just sound and sight, can help create a new awareness. Candles, incense, oil, food and drink play a part in many different types of ceremonies. All of the various rituals, both in meditation and magick, are designed to induce an altered state.

Any ritual designed to induce an altered state must have boundaries. It must help you enter and cross the first boundary, and actually succeed in getting you into an altered state. It's not as hard as it sounds. Sitting in a dark room with your eyes closed, breathing deeply will get you into an alpha state usually within less than five minutes.

The ritual technique must have a way of ushering your return back to normal ordinary consciousness. The method must ground you back into physical reality, into the here and now, and not leave your awareness floating.

We these thoughts in mind, create your own ritual to enter an altered state of consciousness. Make it something you can do almost anywhere to focus your awareness. Look to this exercise as an example to inspire you.

Exercise 1

Altering Consciousness

Sit down comfortably and close your eyes. You can light a candle or incense, or play soft music to help you relax, but you don't have to do so. Ultimately, you will want to be able to alter you consciousness anywhere, under any circumstances, but if you are just starting out, do whatever you think will help you create a relaxed feeling.

Bring your awareness to the top of your head and scan your body, bringing your awareness slowly down from the crown to the feet. As you pass each body part, give it permission to relax. Be aware of resistance and stress, and when you find such places, image waves of relaxation flowing from your crown, through these zones, sweeping them clear of all unwanted energies. Allow yourself to relax fully, to the best of your ability.

Breathe deeply. Take full, slow breaths that fill your lungs to the bottom, and gentle release the air. Try to make each inhalation and exhalation a little longer than the last. Feel the breath like gently winds, blowing back and forth. Imagine any distracting thoughts in your mind are like clouds, and your breath gently nudges them out. Don't obsess or try to control them. Just let the winds of your mind sweep them away, until your mind is like a clear sky.

Focus on your heart. Feel the energy in your chest. Feel the beat of your heart and the flow of your blood. Feel the love you hold in your heart. Feel the love you have for family and friends, the love you have for the divine spirit, and the love you have for yourself. Within your heart and soul, feel the spark, the flame of light that will guide you. You don't have to see anything in your inner vision. Just know its there and acknowledge its presence.

Though this centering ritual we have acknowledged the four traditional elements of magick. Relaxing the body helps the earth element. Clearing the mind and focusing on the breath is for the air element. Focusing the heart, blood and love is symbolic of the water element, while the spark of our soul is for the fire element. This alone is enough to alter your consciousness, but it can prepare you to go deeper.

With each breath, count down from twelve to one. I imagine that my mind's eye is like a movie screen or chalk board, and I am drawing the numbers twelve, then erasing it and drawing eleven and so on, until I reach one. That activates my more active, analytical mind, yet focuses it on the tasks at hand. Then I count down from thirteen to one, not visualizing, but simply listening to my inner voice, activating my receptive, intuitive mind for the task.

After both counts, you are in an altered state of consciousness. Take a few moments to simply enjoy this state of mind. Feel yourself aware, yet relaxed. Focused, yet open. This is the meditative state. Our count down is only one way to get to this state, but it's very effective for modern magick workers.

Affirm that you are in your meditative state, a state where all magick is possible, if it is for the highest good, harming none. Your magick is in accord with your true will.

When you are ready to come out of this state, reverse the process that brought your brain waves down to this level. Count up from one to thirteen. Count up from one to twelve. You don't have to visualize the numbers at this point. Normalize your breath. Feel your body. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Move your limbs. Stretch. Activate your physical energy.

If you feel spacey, what most call "ungrounded" at the end of the exercise, you have several options. You can simply wait and center yourself. You can push your hands down into the floor, "earthing" any excess energy and helping you get in contact with the physical. You can imagine your feet are like the roots of a tree, anchoring you, or that you have a string of light descending from the base of your spine into the earth, tying you down like a balloon. You can eat or drink something, to get the metabolism to start up and bring your energy into the physical, or you can hold something that has grounding magickal properties to it, such as most dark stones like hematite, smoky quartz and black tourmaline. Once you feel grounded, you can return to your normal routine.

Practice this skill of altering consciousness daily until you are well versed in it. The process will come in handy for future acts of instant magick and meditation.

Clear Intention and Divine Will

What do you want? Do you really want it? Have you thought about what it entails and how your life will change once you have it? If you can't answer these questions easily, then you do not have the second requirement of magick-clear intention. You must know what you want before you set the wheels of creation in motion. You can do magick without clear intention and get results, but it's not very smart. The result you get isn't always what you really want.

Intention is the focus of your will, your primal energy used to create. Will relates to the element of fire and the ritual tool of the wand. The magick wand directs our will. Fire is the spark of creation, the spark of life within us. It is the divine godlike essence. As the divine force is a creator, we too are partners in the creation process. This is the fire that fuels our creation. If you don't know how, where or why you are directing it, then you will never have clear results in magick. Most people are not clear in their intentions, so their will is often thwarted and they see no other options. Understanding of will and intention is what separates ordinary people from magick workers. We all have the same potential. We all create our own lives, our own realities. Those who do magick are simply more educated and active in working with their inborn gifts. They are conscious o their creations.

Working with your will, magick teaches you about two very different and distinct forms of will. First there is your personal will, what most people are familiar with when you say the word `will.' It is what you want on a personal, ego level. It is influenced by your hopes, dreams, fears and past successes and failures. Personal will is not good or bad. It's simply a part of existence. We all have personal wills.

The second will is divine will, known as true will, magickal will or higher will. This is what your soul, your higher self wants for you. It is the true "you" beyond this time, place and body. It is the bornless, eternal self. Your true will helps you fulfill your place in the divine plan. It is your life's purpose. We have many purposes, on many different levels and in many different situations. Our true will regarding our family and relationships might be very different than our true will with our career, yet when it is true will, they are compatible and supportive of each other.

Our true will change over time. What is appropriate at one point is not at a later date. My experience as a musician and singer was my true will for a short time in my life, and in that time I was supported in that endeavor with my magick. It helped me learn many things about public speaking and getting over stage fright that has served me in my magickal writing and lecturing. It was not appropriate to remain a professional musician for my entire life. My true will called me to other work.

Many think that true magick is the acts that support, encourage and express your true will. If your magical intention is not in harmony with your true will, then you are not doing magick, or at the very least, you are not doing good magick. Magick that derail your true purpose, but are done with the intention of the highest good, harming none, often just fail. We might not be conscious of our true purpose, but we can do magick with the disclaimer "I ask this be correct and for the highest good" or something similar, to short circuit spells that conflict with our divine true will. Though many can do harmful and malicious magick, out of harmony with their true will, their spells are short-sighted and will eventually turn back upon them. Magick stemming from true will is just on another vibration than harmful magick, or magick stemming from pure ego. Some magick is not of the true will, but not necessarily harmful. Magick is a technology. If you have the proper technique, intention and energy, you can create almost anything. The question is, "should you?" Sometimes exploring desires that are not for the highest good, eventually point us towards the direction of true will. When we burn our hand, it can teach us to not stick it into the flame. Some of us have that self-preservation instinct, while others have to learn the hard way. Ultimately, magick stemming from the intention to work our true will is much more effective over the long run.

When we work magick, we find our true will by examining what is supported and what is not. We work through our desires, finding what is healthy and what is not. We work through our fears, blocks and ego. Those spells that do not manifest are usually not for our higher good, and we can more fully examine why we wanted them in the first place. By watching the spells that work best, we find experiences that support our higher will. If a spell doesn't work, we also have to consider our technique and spellcraft before assuming it's not for our higher will. There is a science behind magick, and if we choose to work with tools that conflict with our intention, they our spell will fail.

You might wonder why do magick at all? If we have a divine will, doesn't that mean things are meant to happen? If we are supported by divine will, why take action? What about fate, or destiny? Some traditions take this path, but on the magickal path, we believe that divine will holds a pattern, but we have free choice as to how we will manifest that pattern. Divine will support us, but through magick, we invite it into our lives. We become active, not passive partners in its manifestation. We create our reality with it. Divine will cannot manifest without our conscious choice and clear intention. We have free will to choose to explore and express our true will. Because of our society and the general lack of introspective and intuitive skills taught, it is difficult to even have an understanding of our true will, and we take a lot of time exploring it.

The highest aspect of magick is merging your personal will, what you want, with your divine will and becoming one. Through it, western mages and witches have their own path to awakening and enlightenment. Though magick is very practical and designed to bring balance to your life, it is also very spiritual and many spell books forget that fact when giving instructions on how to make potions and charms. Magick is a spiritual partnership, a cooperative effort.

Before you do any magick, even the seemingly simple spells in the popular books, think about those initial questions. Is this something you want? If it's worth putting time into, then you must have some desire for it.

When you really think about it, is it what you really want, or do you want something different? Many people do magick for the means to the end, not the goal, when magick for the goal is far more effective. If you are sick and lack health insurance, don't do a spell for the money to buy your medicine. Do you really want the money, or the medicine? Do a spell for the medicine itself. Someone might give it to you free of charge. A government agency might come in and have a program that you qualify to join. There are many possibilities. In fact, I would imagine your goal would be to get better. If that's the case, then do the spell to get healthy. If the medicine is a part of getting healthy, it will be included into the spell, perhaps with other benefits. Getting healthy might mean getting involved with an herbalist or nutritionist who agrees to take you on a client at a very low cost. If you did a spell strictly for pharmaceuticals, the energy of the spell would be not free to act and attract the herbalist into your life. Ask yourself what is your end result and once you know, go for that result with your magick.

Have you thought about the consequences of the spell and how it will change your life? Many people do spells, have success by getting exactly what they wanted, but never think about it. I know someone who did a love spell to find her perfect husband. She found him, but then was upset that he was so serious so quickly. She thought she would still be able to date other people too and have fun. Her new boyfriend wanted to get married and settle down right away. She never thought about the implication of finding her husband. She only thought she wanted it. Still, she got exactly what she asked to get.

Lastly, ask yourself if this is for your highest good? Does this support your divine will? Does it seem in balance with where your life is going? Is it in harmony with other messages and experiences, or is it contrary to what feels right for you now?

By asking yourself these questions, you become clear in your intent. You will walk the magickal path of will and learn to understand your needs and desires. You will manifest what is needed, discard what holds you back and transform your life as you merge with your divine higher will.

Energy Direction

Energy direction is the third and final component of spell casting. Altering consciousness allows you to perceive and tap into the subtle energies within and around you. Clear intention opens the pathway from what you desire to manifestation. Energy direction allows you to gather the necessary energies and launch them into the universe to manifest your will.

You need a method of energy direction. Like altering consciousness, the methods to direct energy are diverse. Different traditions combine a variety of these techniques to make effective magick. Some people use their pure will to gather and direct energy. Once they psychically sense energy, sheer focus and concentration is the only thing needed. Movement, postures and dance are all effective ways to both alter consciousness and work with energy. Visualization is an effective tool for directing energy. Seeing in your mind's eye what you want to manifest is a prime method of programming the energy to do your bidding. Like a mantra, words and sounds focus and send energy. Affirmations, positive statements and prayers are all methods to manifest. Many prayers end with an affirmation, a statement that what is said is true, such as the Judeo- Christian "amen." Other traditions have similar words and sounds. In Wicca, we end many spells with "so mote it be" meaning "it is so." Energy is often raised, gathered and projected through the medium of ritual. Ritual can combine a variety of techniques together fluidly and effective to create change.

Think about how you perceive and manipulate energy best. What senses and techniques appeal to you? If working with subtle energy is brand new to you, and you have had no previous experiences, try this simple energy exercise to get your feet wet. Then experiment on your own.

Exercise 2

Sensing and Manipulating Energy

Sit down comfortably. You don't have to get into a deep meditative state as in Exercise 1, but you should be relaxed and in a receptive frame of mind.

Raise your arms out and to the sides, palms facing forward. Slowly bring your hands together. With each moment and breath, allow yourself to sense the energy between your hands. It will not necessarily grow stronger the closer your hands are together. You can feel the energy pass in waves. Some waves will have certain qualities, differing from others. The energy can be felt like resistance from a magnet, or perhaps in terms of cold and hot temperatures. The experience is very subjective and everybody feels it differently, but with practice, you will feel it too.

Once you have a sense of subtle energy in your own body, play with the exercise, using other people, plants, trees and rocks as your target. Can you sense their energy? Many people can tune into one type of energy-say that of minerals-better than people. Learn where your strengths and weaknesses are.

To manipulate this energy, you can use your will, play acting and visualization. Repeat the sensing energy exercise. Bring your hands fairly close together, perhaps six inches apart. Your intention is to create a ball of light between your hands. Imagine the feeling of energy you sense is like clay, and you are molding the clay with your will and your hands, into a ball.

Energy work and breath work are intimately tied together. Breath moves energy. In the ancient worlds, the word for vital life force was often linguistically connected to the words for breath and air, believing air carries this vital energy. In Hinduism, prana is the life energy related to breath. Pranayama is breath work, specific yogic exercises, to build this energy within the body. Breath is related to the mind. Energy moves with the breath and the mind. Calming the breath alters the consciousness, the energy of the mind.

When you want to add to the ball of energy in your hands, imagine breathing through your feet or crown. As you inhale, draw up earth energy from below, or sky energy from above, and feel it circulate through your body, to your arms and out through your hands. Notice the slight differences between the two sources of energy. As you become more skilled at this, you can draw on earth and sky energy simultaneously.

You can also breathe in slow, long breaths and fast, rapid breaths to feel the energy of the body shift. By exhaling "into" the ball of energy, you can add to its power. Play with the breath and learn how energy moves with breath and thought.

Imagine it a specific color. Choose your favorite color for now. All colors have specific properties and intentions. You can experiment and see how the variety of colors affects you. If in doubt, choose a ball of white light. Make the ball bigger and sturdier as you manipulate it. When done, you can either put the ball of energy into the ground, or imagine reabsorbing it back into your hands. Later, you will learn how to create and direct this energy for a variety of intentions.

Thoughtfarms

Thoughtforms are the building blocks of a spell. They are simply "packets" of energy directed by your will. An altered state of consciousness allows you to sense and manipulate energy. Through using your will, you gather your packet of energy-either literally in your hands, or in your mind's eye. Focusing on your clear intention for the spell, you imprint your intention into the energy. Though such energy packets consist of a variety of energies, they are called thoughforms because your thoughts, your intention, rules it. You intention is like a computer program. The energy now seeks to fulfill the instructions to the best of its ability, like a computer running code.

In magick, we create intentional thoughtforms, with specific purposes. When they complete their purposes, they have used up their energy, and any remaining energy breaks down to its basic components harmlessly. Some of these thoughtforms can be crafted into semi-permanent constructs that can be periodically "recharged" such as a thoughtform designed to protection a home. Even if you don't do magick formally, you can unconsciously create thoughtforms. Our hopes, dreams and wishes can create helpful thought forms, much like an unconscious spell. Unfortunately, many people focus on the problems in their life, and create and continually recharge harmful thoughtforms that broadcast feelings and thoughts about unhappiness, shame, fear and anger. These thoughtforms eventually become the energy "block" in a person's energy system that can manifest as mental/ emotional imbalance and even physical illness.

A key factor in successful spell casting is learning to let go of your thoughtform, thereby letting go of your intention. If you don't let it go, it can't go out in the universe to create your desired intention. You call it back by thinking about it, worrying about it or getting upset about it. You drain its energy, taking back its power bit by bit, until it has none to fulfill your intention. Trust that it's working. If you could keep a completely upbeat attitude, and send it more energy, as many people try to do through repeated actions, then you could potentially empower the thoughtform, but for most of us, particularly beginners, our repeated thoughts come with doubts and fears. It's best to learn to let it go completely, and not concern yourself as to how a spell will manifest. Juts be confident that it will because you crafted it properly.

Magical Ritual

Ritual brings together the three components of spell casting. Ritual is the structure where we place all the parts of our craft. Ritual is really a form of technology, allowing us to smoothly integrate altering our consciousness, focusing our will and raising and directing energy.

Ritual uses symbol, usually a variety of symbols, to speak with the universe. As humans we cannot process raw magickal energy. We create symbol systems to interpret energy and work with the universal powers. Even when we think we are processing energy directly, we perceive it through symbols of the physical senses. We feel it as temperature or magnetism. We physically "see" it as light. We "hear" it as sound. Our senses are symbolic when it comes to subtle energy. Some symbol systems become our spiritual structures and eventually our religions. They are the interface we use to connect with subtle energies.

Wise magick workers realize that all traditions are just that, different interfaces, and each is equally valid and powerful when used by a knowledgeable practitioner. We each resonate with particular symbols and systems. When we find systems that work for us, or create our own from parts of many traditions, we have a technology, an interface that allows us to do magick.

A computer-oriented friend describes it as operating software. There are many different kind of operating software for a computer. Each has its own style and set up. We are comfortable or familiar with a particular kind of software. We can work in other software, but prefer the one that makes the most sense to us. Often we choose that one intuitively. Its creator's imagination is in harmony with our own. Other times we focus on the one that is the first kind we learn. It is the most familiar and comfortable. Knowledgeable users can customize their "preferences" and "settings" to make something eclectic and personal. No path is completely right or wrong. Each is a way of using ritual, of an operating system, to your best advantage.

Rituals are a form of repeated actions that are symbolic in nature. We already know symbolic actions and movements as a part of our cultural heritage. They are innate, but since most people don't live a magical life, we don't recognize them.

Raising your arms up to the heavens is a natural movement to connect with the energy of the sky, sun and stars. Bowing down on the ground connects you to the earth and grounds you. Arms outstretched put you in a position to receive energy. Arms crossed not only close your body language, but prevents unwanted energy from entering your space. People who feel threatened often fold their arms to cover their heart or solar plexus, places where we can feel vulnerable. All these movements have symbolic qualities to them, but they also alter consciousness and energy, whether we realize it or not. Forms of magick in the eastern traditions, yoga and marital arts, alter consciousness and energy through body movements. Ritual magick has similar, if not as vigorous, body movements.

Traditional magick rituals with which we are most familiar use ritual tools along with motions and words. The tools hold both a symbolic power and literal power. A silver chalice is symbolic of the element of water, and of the Goddess energy, but there is a natural vibration to the silver metal and the shape of the chalice. Magickal rituals use colored candles, incense, herbs, oils, stones, symbols and a variety of ritual "weapons" such as the wand, blade, chalice and shield. Each holds both a symbolic power and inherent natural vibration that makes it useful in altering consciousness, focusing will and directing energy. When you hold a symbol of a specific energy, particular a symbolic tool that has been ritually consecrated, you attract the vibration, the energy, of the concept it symbolizes.

All of these tools are much like the different paints in an artist's box. They are the colors a magick worker can choose from to express the art of a spell. Many artists favor particular kinds of pigments, brushes and canvases. The tools we use in spellcraft reflect our personal tastes and aptitudes as well as our tradition of magick.

The rituals of Instant Magick do not use the conventional pigments of physical tools like candles and incense. Like interpretative dance or musical toning, these rituals use raw emotion, will and intention mixed with powerful words, visualization and energy. By learning the techniques of instant magick, you will learn how to create your own magick.

chapter three

The Worlds of Magick

We live in many worlds. Many realities co-exist with ours. We simply don't see them. Science will admit that the entire world is permeated by energy, the electromagnetic energy of the known spectrums. We can see light, but hundreds of different waves and particles move through our world without our visible notice. We are surrounded by the magnetic energy of the Earth's field. We have a variety of radio and television waves conducting communication. Invisible particles bombard us from the Sun. We are surrounded by many energetic worlds, but never really notice them. We lacked the technology to explore them fully until fairly recently.

Magick is a technology, a technology that allows us to explore the unseen worlds of a different nature. Many of these worlds are the energetic blueprint, the foundation, for our physical, known reality. They are all complimentary to each other. Just as worlds of light and sound do not fight for dominance, neither do the subtle magickal energies. Some worlds are more responsive to our thoughts. What we think and will becomes a reality on that plane of existence. If you create the proper pattern and fully energize it, you can manifest your will in the physical universe. Magick is the technology to not only tune into these foundational realities, but also the tool to create change in those worlds, and eventually our own.

Paradigm

Each magical tradition has its own view, it own paradigm that allows the user to connect with these other worlds, this subtle energy and create change. The paradigm is like the aforementioned operating system to our human hardware. If you run a particular view, you will be able to perceive and work with the energies of magick in a particular way. The various techniques of each paradigm are like the programs on our system. Each software has its own advantages and drawbacks, and we each have one view that we tend to favor over others, just like computer users prefer a particular operating system or program.

Each tradition has a slightly different paradigm, often with their own religious beliefs, ethics and dogma, but they have many common aspects to them. Each divides magickal energy into a variety of groups. These subdivisions, like the energies themselves, are usually complimentary. Simple subdivisions lead to more and more complex subdivisions, though they are all from the same source. Like a tree, with one great trunk, the branches reach out and become increasingly more complicated, yet are still part of the same tree.

It is usually only in the comparison of some parts of Eastern and Western traditions that you will find greater differences, at least at first. With further study, you realize each is talking about a similar concept, but has different names and cultural connotations to them.

The following are four multi-tradition paradigms that can be used by anyone. They are used extensively by a variety of traditions. You don't have to choose one and exclude the others, but the more you practice Instant Magick, the more you will find the paradigms that apply best to you. Each paradigm gives different energetic correspondences for magick. I believe in having a multi-paradigm approach. When you truly realize what a paradigm is - a model, a map, a way of looking at things - you will never confuse your map for the terrain again. You will never believe that your paradigm is the one and only truth. It is simply one way of looking at things. Some magicians and witches get so caught up in their tradition or paradigm, they don't see the possibilities in other viewpoints. A good practitioner can work with many magical "operating systems" and "programs."

The Elemental Worlds

The universe is composed of five elements. Everything is composed of these basic components-earth, air, fire, water and spirit. This is a popular paradigm found in many traditions, including alchemy, ceremonial magick and witchcraft. Western ritual magick is often based on the elemental paradigm, honoring the four directions and the center, symbolic of the four outward elements and spirit in the center.

The paradigm itself has been greatly misunderstood by most, particularly with the rise of modern chemistry. The elements are not obvious in everything. Each element is not meant to be taken literally, as our interpretation of the elements of the modern periodic chart. As a literal scientist looks at any object, from a rock to a growing flower, he sees no actual fire in it. The blowing wind has no visible earth. The great truth is that each element is symbolic. Each represents an energy, an archetype, a force of consciousness, more in the domain of the psychologist than the chemist. The literal element best describes this energy, but they are truly symbolic of larger metaphysical forces.

Earth

The earth element is the physical world. All matter is an expression of the earth element. Anything that can be measured by the physical senses is composed of earth energy. The physical shell of all things is the earth element. Cells, molecules and atoms are expressions of the earth element. The material world, in fact the entire material component of the universe, is the expression of the earth element. Earth is the densest of the elements. It is the sacred expression of all the other elements in the densest form. Symbolically, the earth in our bodies is the bones and minerals, but technically our entire physical body is an expression of the earth element. The metaphysical concept associated with earth is Law, as the earth element is dominated by the physical laws and structures of the known universe.

Water

Water is the element of shape and form. Our magickal forms are more fluid than our physical. Just like water will take the shape of its container, our water element is shaped by our physical container. It is also shaped by our thoughts and feelings. Water relates to our emotional self, our dream body or astral self. Here we find our self image. The astral self is a template for our physical self. When we create changes in the realm of the astral, the world of form, we create potential patterns to make changes on the physical plane. Though the fluid in our bodies is symbolic of the water element, truly our emotions and emotional body is the water elemental energy. The highest expression of water is Love, the highest of emotions and the purest energy to create change through magick.

Air

The element of air is the realm of the mind. Air energy is the idea behind all things. In the magical laws called the Hermetic Principles, the first principle says that we are all thoughts in the Divine Mind. All things have a basic idea, a divine thought that eventually creates its form (water) and manifests its form in the world (earth). In living creatures, this element expresses symbolically as our breath, but truly it is the mind, the mental body. In seemingly un-living objects, it is the structure which creates its shape, from the geometry of a molecular structure to the blueprint of a building. The sacred principle of air is Life, as air is associated with the breath of life. Air is associated with life force, such as the Hindu term prana. Without this divine thought, nothing could be created or alive.

Fire

The sacred spark is the element of fire, the most difficult of the first four elements to know. Unlike the previous three elements, the symbol of this energy is not physical. You can hold earth. You can drink water. You can inhale air. But you can't hold fire. You can hold something that is burning, but not the actual flame. Fire is energy, pure potential energy to be put to use. In the physical body, fire is manifested as the metabolism, and inner fire that is obviously present, yet cannot be touched. But truly, the fire element energy is the spark of divine life within us, the soul. Fire manifests as our passion, drive and will. Fire is the metaphysical power of Light, the divine illumination that stimulates vision, awareness and change. Without the fire element, thoughts (air) are not illuminated to take shape (water) and manifest (earth).

Spirit

Spirit is the fifth element, the sum of all four elements, yet more than the sum of its parts. Often called quintessence or akasha, spirit is the binding force in which the other four manifest. Spirit is the power from which the four elements manifest and to which the four will return. Its job is to keep them all together, yet separate enough to be distinct. I associate spirit with the concept of Liberty, the freedom to pursue your true will.

Figure 1: Elements on the Pentagram

Each of the elements is linked to a ritual tool found in a variety of magickal traditions. You can find them in traditions of witchcraft, Celtic legends and ceremonial magick. Most common images of the four appear in the four suites of the Tarot cards. Though Instant Magick is not concerned with traditional altar building or tool gathering, we understand these tools are found within us.

The magickal symbol of the pentacle, a five-pointed star in a circle, is often used for both the element of earth and the element of spirit. The five points are symbolic of all five elements. The point on top symbolizes the rulership of spirit over the more terrestrial elements. Other times, the pentacle is described as a coin or shield for the element of earth.

The chalice is the tool of water. The cup is receptive and nourishing. The cup holds the waters of love and healing. The mythic image of the Holy Grail, the healing cup of divine love, is the ultimate symbol of water element.

The blade is the ritual tool of air. The blade, either as a ceremonial sword or double-edged blade is known as an athame in the Wiccan traditions. The blade is symbolic of cutting to the truth, and cutting mental attachments to things that no longer serve. The mythic image of the sword of truth, known as the Sword of Nuada, or the more well known Excalibur, is an embodiment of the air tool.

The magick wand is the symbol of fire. Wands direct your magickal will, directing energy to be used in ceremony or healing. The wand is sometimes substituted with a staff, torch or spear, depending on the tradition. The Spear of Lugh in Celtic myth is associated with fire, as well as the magick wands of traditional magician images such as Merlin.

Exercise 3

Elemental Connection and Balance

Perform Exercise 1 to get into a meditative altered state. On the screen of your mind, imagine a five pointed star, a pentagram, and know that each point is symbolic of the five elements. Through this meditation, you will experience and balance all these energies within you.

As you continue to focus on the inner pentagram, bring your awareness to the bottom right hand point, and feel the pentagram turn red, like a blazing fire. Feel yourself become engulfed in the flames of the pentagram, engulfed in soul fire and burning away all that hinders your true will. Feel yourself energized and focused. The flames return to the screen of your mind, forming a pentagram again, but you still contain the new vitality and energy they granted.

You awareness moves up to the upper left hand point, for the element of air. The pentagram turns yellow and from it issues forth a strong wind, blowing your hair back, but also passing through your body, down to the bone, clearing your mind and body of all unwanted thoughts and unhealthy patterns. You have a fresh new outlook and a greater sense of creative expression. The wind dies down and you bring your focus back to the pentagram.

Bring your awareness to the upper right point, the point of water. Feel the pentagram turn blue, and crashing through the pentagram comes a wave of salt water. The water is cold but refreshing. It cleanses your heart and soothes away any harmful emotions or past pains from family, friends or lovers. You feel filled with pure unconditional love and a fresh sense of self, like being reborn. The water receded into the pentagram.

Your eyes flow down to the bottom left corner, the point of earth. The pentagram turns green with your gaze, and as you focus on it, you feel your body begin to crystallize, becoming a like a rock. You feel solid, stable, even like soil, fertile-fertile for the will, mind and emotions to grow in and with you. The sense of crystallization and soil recede down into the ground below you, but you still retain the feeling of strength and preparation within you.

Finally you bring your eyes to the top point of spirit, and feel yourself immersed in a multicolored white light, like gazing at a shiny opal, or through a prism. All colors are present in the energy of spirit, also called akasha. Feel yourself protected and balanced by the fifth element.

When done, erase the image of the pentagram from the screen of your mind and return yourself to normal consciousness.

The Crossroads at the Tree

In the shamanic paradigm, the universe is a great tree known as the world tree. The branches reach into the heavens and hold up the stars. The roots dig deep into the underworld. The trunk lies in the middle world, the realm of space and time. This is the vertical reality of expanded consciousness.

From a psychological perspective, the three worlds represent levels of consciousness. The middle world is the ego, the personal self. The lower world is the unconscious hidden self. The upper world is the realm of super-consciousness, beyond ego and the unconscious. To the mystic, these are not only symbolic of the levels of consciousness within us, but in the divine mind of the universe.

Through ritual the shaman can consciously go to the tree, which is everywhere, and access the three worlds. The shaman can always stand in the crossroads, the place where the worlds overlap at the base of the tree. The shamanic traditions of native people and those in the realm of witchcraft overlap. The images of the crossroads, heavens and underworlds are found in the mythologies of all traditions, even if they are not considered to be classically shamanic.

The key to forms of shamanic magick is through building relationships with spiritual beings from these three worlds. By working with these spirits, the practitioner can create change. Ideally, one is connecting to all aspects of the self, the middle ego self is aligned with the lower, usually unconscious self and with the higher divine self. With this alignment, all things are possible. Allies from these realms help the practitioner create such an alignment and manifest change.

Practitioners of spirit magick work with their allies from the various worlds to get information, divine the future and make change. Shamans have their animal and plant allies that will bring through spirit medicine to heal and bring balance. The use of spirit in such a magical manner is not limited to shamanism. You find it in Christian magick as well. Many will call upon a specific angel or saint who has dominion over a particular area of life. Healing petitions are said to one being, while a "prayer" for finding lost objects is sent to another. Candles are often lit, or offerings given. You find the same traditions in Voodoo, with the beings known as the loa, acting as spiritual intermediaries. Altars are built, and offerings made. Each has its own symbols and correspondence to create an effective petition.

Certain traditions of ceremonial magick will not petition the spirits, but summon and bind them. Angels, elementals, spirits and even demons are summoned to do the magician's bidding. Medieval tomes are filled with spirit correspondences, names, sigils, and rituals to summon and bind spirits.

Some modern traditions create magical constructs, intricate thoughtforms or "artificial" spirits, programmed to perform specific tasks. They function much the same way as the spirits of old, making some wonder if the spirits of the ancient world are simply intricate, long lasting thoughtform constructs created by centuries of belief. To others, such thoughts would be tantamount to blasphemy, believing each archetype is a pure expression of the divine.

All such spirit patron practices can be traced back the polytheistic pagan religions where a deity has reign over a sphere of life. Each god is a manifested aspect of the creative spirit. The divine creator is too vast to know, so it manifests in more human, more knowable forms. These godforms are often referred to as archetypes from a psychological model, because they appear in so many cross-cultural forms. Each pagan culture manifested a god of the sky, a god of love, a god of the Moon, a god of the Sun, a god of truth and a god of the nature. They manifest in a variety of forms and genders, but similarities occur between cultures. Even in our modern myths, we still have a manifestation of Mother Nature and Father Time. Their roots can be found in the stories of Gaia and Chronos.

Working with patron spirits, angels and deities is about building a relationship with the spirit worlds and the divine. In cultures past, practitioners would know, from their cultural mythos, which spirits to peti tion. In the Greek world, one would call upon Aphrodite for help in love or perhaps Hermes for help in gambling. Modern practitioners do not have this cultural foundation easily available, since magick is not a part of most people's daily reality, but we now have a rich cross-cultural mythos we can draw upon. Modern practitioner will often choose to pick one culture and remain loyal to it, perhaps based on ancestry or personal interest. Others, myself included, are more cross cultural, thinking of the entire world as our ancestors, and having a right to all the myths and manifestations of the divine.

Exercise 4

Spirit Guides Meditation

Perform Exercise 1 and get into a meditative altered state. Imagine a pentagram of light before you, a symbol of protection as well as the elements. Imagine a pentagram in each of the four directions around you, charged to protect you for any unwanted energies or influences.

On the screen of your mind, imagine a great tree-the largest tree you have every seen. It could be an oak, ash, yew, willow, pine or anything that speaks to you, but its proportions are gigantic. It reaches up to the heavens and holds the stars in its branches. Its trunk is impossibly wide, like a building. Its roots pass through the planet and deep into the underworlds below.

Imagine the screen of your mind is like a window or door. It is a portal to the spirit realms. Imagine stepping through the gateway and standing before the tree. Feel the earth beneath your feet. Smell the moist soil. Hear the wind rustle the branches. Reach out and touch the bark. Feel your connection to the world tree.

Walk clockwise around the base of the trunk, realize the roots contain all manner of openings, crevices, caves and tunnels. Look for the opening that calls to you, that intuitively catches your attention. You will know the right one when you find it.

Figure 2: World Tree

Once you do, enter the dark tunnel. Feel it spiral into the other worlds. You may feel it move downward or upward, depending on what is right for you. Both are acceptable. Feel your pentagrams about you, protection you. See a light at the end of the tunnel. Enter the light and find yourself in a sacred space, out in nature, a place that feels completely comfortable to you. Perhaps it is a place you have visited in your dreams. There, waiting for you, is a guide who is correct and good for you at this time. It might be humanoid-perhaps a spirit, angel or ancestor. It might be an animal spirit. Take this time to meet with the spirit and to get to know its role in your life. Ask the spirit how it can help you in your magick. This spirit can give your magical and spiritual advice.

When done, thank the spirit guide, knowing you can always return here and meet with your guide. Return the way you came. Thank the great tree, and step back through the screen of your mind. Erase the image of the world tree, and return yourself to normal consciousness.

The Web of Life

Instead of a World Tree, many look to the image of the spider's web as the symbol of the universe. We are each strands connected to the web of life. Many look to the divine creator as the Weaver Goddess, continually weaving the universe outwardly.

Mythic traditions give us the story of three sisters, three goddesses of fate who weave our lives as they spin the threads of past, present and future. To the Greeks they are known collectively as the Moirae, and individually as Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos. The first spun the thread of your life. The second measures it, allotting the time you would have, and the third will cut the thread of life. Ariadne is also looked to as a weaving goddess and her name was translated into the weaver goddess imagery of the Merlin texts of European lore. To the Norse, the three are collectively known as the Norns, or Wyrd sisters, singly known as Urd, Verdandi and Skuld, she who was, she who is and she who will be. The triple weaver image can be found in the popular Wiccan image of the triple goddess. Though modern scholars debate the antiquity of the triple goddess image, we do find the triple goddess themes in ancient lore from many cultures.

The three sisters can be seen as embodying the three universal forces of creation. They are the powers to create, to sustain and to destroy, as embodied by the maiden, mother and crone. In Hindu mythology, the same fundamental forces are embodied by male deities. Brahman is the father and creator. Vishnu is the preserver. Shiva is the dissolver or destroyer. Some dissect the sacred tone OM, or more appropriately spelled AUM, and give each of the letters to one of these three primal forces. Even the symbol for OM is reminiscent of an Arabic numeral for three. Ritual magicians embody similar concepts in the figures of Isis, Apophis and Osiris. Isis is the creating force of nature. Apophis is the destructive force, while Osiris is the power of regeneration and resurrection. The chant IAO is used to align with these powerful forces. Mystical Christians often look at the word God as creator as an acronym. The G stands for generating, the 0 for organizing and the D for dissolving. In astrology, the three principles are described as cardinal, fixed and mutable. When the Sun is in a cardinal astrological sign, a season begins. At these points you have an equinox or solstice. The middle of the season is marked by the sun being in a fixed sign. The season transitions when the sun is in a mutable sign. Cardinal, fixed and mutable is known as the triplicy.

Figure 3: Om Symbol

Figure 4: Astrological Wheel

Mystics also tap into the universal image of webs and weaving for creating magick. Personally, I have worked in my own practice with spider spirits and the weaver goddess, so I thought such practices were particular to me and people like me. It is not something found extensively in traditional Wicca, shamanism or ceremonial magick. Yes, the image of the web of life is used in a metaphoric sense in many native traditions, but I had not come across much lore encouraging using the image to make magick. I then corresponded with a few magickal practitioners who imagine the world in terms of a web and perform their instant magick through an inner ritual of pulling and weaving "strings" of energy in their inner vision. One felt it was natural with his patron goddess, a many armed Hindu deity. Later, I even found the image in a magical role-playing game called Mage: The Ascension (White Wolf). In this unusual game, the world is imagined as a tapestry, and mages are the ones who see and can reweave the patterns of reality. The concept, from ancient mysticism to modern games, is a constant theme. Magick is about patterns and gently changing those patterns in accordance with will. A weaving metaphor is an apt way to manifest these changes.

Figure 5: Web of Life

Exercise 5

Weaving Meditation

Perform Exercise 1 and get into a meditative altered state. Imagine your four pentagrams protecting you on all sides. Imagine yourself sitting in the center of a giant web. You are not trapped in the web, but you are safely in the center, as if it were your home.

Notice the thickness or thinness of the strands. Notice how you feel when you bring your attention to a particular strand. As you look across the astral strands of webbing, notice how each of the major strands is linked to a major person, place and event in your life. Look down each strand to see what you are connected to, to what important factors that create your reality. Notice how the strands are not only anchored in the present, but the past and the future. The web is not just in this moment, but all the past and all the present. There are too many strands, too many webs connecting with this one, to make a full survey of them all, but you are in the center of your web and can create your reality.

Notice how certain strands connected to the past have specific qualities-a certain look, feel or touch. Others connected to the present are all similar. Lastly strands reaching into the future have certain qualities and characteristics. Strands of the past, present and future are not often separate, as you find them entwined together, and branching out from each other.

You might find the web is oriented somewhat like a compass, with major strands in the four or eight directions. Certain areas currently behind you can have more past strands, while those in front of you lead to the future. Various strands could have other associations, such as elemental or astrological. Feel the strands that are reaching to the dynamic cardinal energies. Feel those with the static fixed energies. Finally reach out to those with the changing mutable energies.

Reach out and touch a strand in the web. It gives you information about that strand. You know that if you worked with that strand, you could alter its future path, or change how you relate to the past. Now is just a time to be aware of the web, but you know you can come back to the center of the web at any time, and use it to shape your reality.

When done orienting yourself in the web, thank the web. You may feel the presence of a weaver goddess or god. Thank the weaver. Then return yourself to normal consciousness.

The Universal Body

As above, so below. As below, so above. This Principle of Correspondence is found at the heart of many magical traditions. The human body is a map of the universal body. One is patterned after the other. By understanding the worlds within you, and the consciousness they contain, you can alter the reality of the worlds around you.

Many traditions focus on an intimate understanding of the body and its physical systems. Mystics will also seek to explore the subtle bodies and subtle anatomy, along with the muscles, bones and organs. A system from India that has become ingrained in western magick, known as the chakras, is a great model for understanding the cosmic and the subtle bodies.

Viewed as existing along the spine, seven major centers of power are located, corresponding to various glands and organs within the body, but also corresponding to a level of consciousness that humanity uses. Each level of consciousness is marked by a color, and imbalances in each are characterized by certain illnesses and issues. Those centers lower on the spine are more simple and considered by some to be crude, while those higher are more complex and considered more spiritual. All are necessary. Without the lower ones, the higher ones would have no foundation, but in general our life focus starts out lower, and generally ascends as we accumulate wisdom and experience.

Root

Red-The root chakra is located at the base of the spine and is the root, or foundation of consciousness. Here are our survival instincts, and our desires for pleasure and procreation-survival of the species. Dealing with the material world, and often the force of struggle that goes with it, is associated with the root consciousness.

Belly

Orange-The belly chakra, also known as the sacral or naval chakra, is the center of first emotional consciousness, where we reach out and build relationships with others. Intimacy, trust and sexual relationship, and how we communicate basic feelings is this center's province. It is also the center of creativity.

Solar Plexus

Yellow-The solar plexus is the center of power, ruling a basic fight or flight response. Here are the issues of self-image, self-esteem, and the loss of power, creating fear and anger. Here are the issues of controlhow we control ourselves, how we might control others, or let ourselves be controlled.

Heart

Green-The heart is the realm of love, and connecting to others on an emotional level, without need or control being the motivating factor. Here we have empathy and relationship-from family and friends, to romance, to the stirring of spiritual, unconditional love. The heart is the bridge between the lower and higher chakras.

Throat

Blue-Here is the chakra of communication and expressing your ideas. Often forgotten, it is also the realm of listening to others, because communication takes speaking and listening to be effective, from both sides. Here we express the will of our lower chakras, giving word and form to things that are often seen as intangible. That is the power of the magick word.

Figure 6: Chakras

Third Eye

Indigo/Purple-The brow, or third eye chakra, is the realm of psychic sight, both seeing images of the past, present and future, and projecting out magickal concepts of what you wish to create. It is our image of ourselves in action and as a spiritual center, represents transcending the dualities of the world and finding oneness.

Crown

Violet/White-The realm of the crown is of divinity, spirituality and connection to the source, described as blinding light brighter than a million suns, or a thousand petalled lotus, in many ways the totality of the crown is beyond most human understanding. Located at the top of the head, slight above and outside the body, it is the idea unconditional spiritual love and connection we aspire to. It is the soul, the higher self and our divine consciousness.

These chakras correspond to layers of the aura, known as subtle bodies, and the corresponding universal planes, or dimensions of existence where these bodies reside. Various names for these seven planes exist, but I will be using some simpler, non-traditional terms that I have found the easiest to understand, remember and teach.

Physical

The root corresponds to the gross plane of matter, the physical realm, because its needs are of the physical world, caring for the physical body by getting the food, sleep, shelter and sensation that is needed.

Etheric

The etheric realm is the primal pattern upon which material reality is built; it is like the energetic structure, skeleton or grid. The elemental planes and nature spirits are said to reside in this realm, close to the material realm, helping build it, but not a true part of the physical. Our etheric body is the first layer of the aura, often viewed as a white light around the body. Breaks and injuries can be sensed in the etheric body as weaknesses, and escaping energy, even if the physical body has healed.

Astral

The astral realm is a more fluid and symbolic pattern of the physical. Everything physical has an astral double, but not everything astral, such as many spirits and entities, has a physical body. The astral is more malleable to our will, so our self image is often the appearance of our astral self, not our literal image. Dreams and visions often occur on the astral level.

Emotional

The emotional plane is sometimes referred to as the Upper Astral, containing the highest and purest of the astral plane. Here are the astral connection we build through relationship, empathy and love. Here are the powers of higher creation, where magick requires emotion, and ideally, love, to manifest.

Mental

The mental plane is the realm of idea, concept and design. Here is where creation is first expressed as a concept, word or form. It is said that the clearer, more detached spirit teachers exist on the mental plane, above the more distracting realms.

Psychic

The psychic plane has many alternate names, including the Higher Mental Plane. Here is the realm of psychic energy, where divine power becomes light, the inner psychic light that connects us all. This light radiates through the planes below, and becomes the light of our visions and creations.

Divine

The divine plane encompasses and permeates all things. In Hermetic magick, an axiom known as the Principle of Mentalism says, "We are all thoughts in the divine mind." We are all divine creations, made of di vine energy. On this plane of existence, we are all connected, all one. Our divine bodies are all connected and understand each other greatly, seeing the pattern of all the planes below

You might have noticed this model takes the simpler concept of the five elements and extends it into seven specific planes. Both are different, but similar, views on reality and can compliment each other.

Figure 7: Planes of Existence

Exercise 6:

Rising Through the Chakras

Perform Exercise 1 and get into a meditative altered state. Take deep cleansing breaths and really feel your body. Fill your lungs totally on each inhale, from the bottom of the lungs up to the top. Exhale from the top to the bottom, completely. Feel the blood pumping in your heart and through your body. Feel the currents of bio-electrical energy in your nervous system. Come into total awareness of your body.

Slowly bring your awareness down to the base of your spine. Feel the ball of red light, spinning like a vortex at the base of your spine, at the perineum point. Feel your body and feel your needs. Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Are you tired? Excited? Are you wanting or needing anything, or are you satisfied? What do you feel on the physical level? Truly feel the physical level, and let the red energy of the root bathe you, bringing you into physical awareness and balance.

With your next inhalation, draw the energy of the root up to the belly chakra. Feel the ball of orange light slightly below the navel. Feel the etheric plane, the energetic pattern of reality. Feel the energy that supports and sustains your body. Feel your sense of trust, intimacy and security. Let the orange energy of the belly bathe you, bringing your etheric body balance.

Inhale, and bring the energy up to your solar plexus chakra. Feel the golden yellow vortex of power. Feel your power on the astral plane, your ability to drive forward, to bring your will into shape and form. Feel your sense of self, your astral self image. Feel the golden light of the solar plexus fill your body with power and health, transforming your astral body into your ideal self-image. Create the person you want to be.

Drawing in your breath, draw the energy up to the sternum, to the heart chakra. Feel the heart pulse with a green glow and fill your being with a sense of empathy, love and compassion. Feel the flow of love into every fiber of your being. Reflect on your relationships, your loves, friends and family, and most importantly, your relationship with yourself. Feel how the emotional body is the bridge between the higher and lower worlds.

With the breath, allow the sphere of light to rise from the chest to the throat, transforming into a ball of brilliant blue light. Feel your light and energy infuse your mind, the mental body that permeates and encompasses all the others. Feel your mind become clearer, sharper and more creative. Feel your power to express your every thought and feeling.

As you breathe, allow the energy to rise to the brow, to the purple indigo light of the third eye. Feel your intuitive awareness grow with the light. Feel your ability to see into the past, present and future with clarity and insight expand. Feel your power to project out your desires, and be understood by the universe. Feel the psychic body absorbing and relating non-ordinary information for you to use.

With one final act, draw the light and breathe up to your crown. Feel your connection to the higher self. Feel your awareness grow. Know that you are a part of everything, and everything is a part of you. Become one with your higher self, even if only for an instant. Feel the dazzling, blinding light of the crown infuse every fiber of all your bodies with divine light. Feel the light pour out of your crown like a divine fountain, bathing you completely.

Allow the energy to flow down around you. Be aware of your other chakras and bodies, from the brow to the throat, down to the heart, solar plexus, belly and root. Bring your awareness back to the breath and the physical body. Stretch as needed. Ground yourself. Return yourself to normal consciousness.

Once you are familiar with the spheres of influence in the chakras, you can use their colors and images in your instant magick.

The Music of the Spheres

The music of the spheres refers to the wheels of planetary orbit "rubbing" together, making the sublime harmony of the heavens. Enlightened sages and mystics are said to hear the music of the spheres.

Planetary correspondence is one way of organizing magickal ideas. In astrology, each planet is associated with an aspect of life. Each is named after a godform that is also linked to that function of life. Venus is the goddess of love and the planet of love. The planets are synchro nously named after the godform that is most appropriate. Some believe the "new" planets, recently discovered, only receive their final name when the archetypally appropriate name is chosen. Uranus was originally called the Star of George, but the name was not universally accepted until Uranus was proposed.

Each planet is associated with the zodiac signs, colors, numbers, symbols, herbs, oils, incense and stones. These correspondences are used to create magical rituals and spells that will resonate with the energy, the vibration of the planet. By mixing several different planetary energies, you can create your own magical symphony.

More importantly, each planet is the physical representation of a level of consciousness. They are like the organs, or the chakras of the solar being, the entity of our solar system. As the ancients knew, `As above, so below" the patterns of the planets are reflected in our own consciousness. The level of consciousness that each planet embodies is found within our own consciousness. Planetary rituals help us tap into those levels of consciousness and bring out their gifts.

Sun

The Sun rules primal energy and life force. It is the "heart" of our solar system and the engine of our magick. Solar spells are for health, vitality, energy, success, creativity and prosperity.

Moon

The Moon embodies our emotional consciousness, intuition and psychic ability. Spells involving the tides of the moons, feminine mysteries, divination and emotional healing are ruled by the Moon.

Mercury

Mercury relates to our mind and memory. Magick involving the mental faculties, including communication, logic and travel are ruled by Mercury. The archetypes of Mercury are messengers and magicians, so the travel of ideas, people and energy is also ruled by this planet.

Venus

Venus is the power of attraction and personal love. Our ability to attract the people and resources we need, as well as develop personal, affectionate relationships are the realm of Venus.

Mars

Mars energy directs the will, the power of force and initiation to move forward. Mars can be perceived as anger, passion or drive, depending on the expression. All magick involving direct action, power, protection, destruction and warrior energy involves the red planet's energy.

Jupiter

Jupiter is the power of the higher self, expressed as wisdom and expansion. Some experience it as grace, prosperity or "good luck." Jupiter energy expands, and is used both in money magick and in finding spiritual purpose and knowledge.

Saturn

Saturn is Jupiter's compliment in energy, involving contraction instead of expansion. Saturn limits, binds and protects. Saturn is the force of karma, the consequences of our past actions. Magick involving protection, slowing down and time is ruled by Saturn.

Uranus

Uranus breaks limits. It is the power of the innovative, inspired mind, thinking outside of the box. Uranus is the higher, divine mind, personal expression and higher ideals. Uranus' energy is like a bolt of lightening or Promethean awareness, granting new insight.

Neptune

Neptune is the power of unconditional love, romance and creativity. As Uranus is the higher mind, Neptune plays the role of the higher heart. Neptune rules the dream worlds and creativity, from the realm of the artists, musicians and dancers to the shaman and mystic.

Pluto

Pluto is the power of transformation. This energy often destroys to rebuild, being named after the god of death and the underworld. All death is a rebirth, a transformation, though the process can be difficult. Pluto energy hopefully destroys that which doesn't serve to bring you to a great awareness and understanding.

Figure 7: Ten Pointed Star with Planetary Symbols

Exercise 7

Rising through the Planetary Spheres

Perform Exercise 1 and get into a meditative altered state. Imagine your four pentagrams around you, for protection. Feel your energy and awareness expand to the area around you. Be aware of the room you are in, the building or landscape that surrounds you. Feel the gravity of the world keep your body in place as its moves in it rotation and orbit.

Gently feel yourself rise from this place and time, ascending upward. Below you, your body glows like a star, a star that only you can see, that will always guide you back, without fail. As you rise up through the sky, through the clouds, enter the orbit of the Moon around the Earth. Find the Moon and go towards it. Feel as though the orb of light is a gateway for you to enter its consciousness. Enter lunar consciousness. Feel yourself surrounded by purple and silver light. Feel your intuition and emotions come to life in this sphere. Feel the moon and its vibration. Feel the night and the energy of the Goddess all around you. These are the qualities of Luna.

Rise through the Moon's power and reach to the Sun. Feel the golden yellow light of the Sun. Fill with power, illumination and vitality. Surround yourself with the solar gold. You align with the solar fires, the center of the system, with power and gravity. You feel like the Sun ruler. You are healthy, vital, successful, inspired. These are the powers of the solar sphere.

Rise up through the moon and feel yourself penetrating a level of orange energy. Enter the plane of Mercury. Mercury is the sphere of the mind, intellect, logic and memory. Everything is sharp, fast and active here in Mercury. Everything races. Everything is made from language. Feel your mental abilities sharpen. These are the gifts of Mercury.

Rise up through this sphere and enter a green world, the world of Venus. Venus can feel like a primordial ocean, or lush forest or jungle. Venus is the power of life, and the attraction of energies that create life. Venus feels magnetic and heavy at times, but also very vibrant and vital. The vibration of Venus at its highest level is attraction and love. Working with these powers is the role of Venus.

Rise up through the energy of Venus and meet its compliment, the red sphere of Mars. Mars is the sphere of dynamic action, energy and will. Mars is stimulating, calling you to action. Mars can be militaristic or sexual. The red energy surrounding you is vital life force, primal passion and vital energy. Feel these qualities of Mars.

Rise up through this red sphere and enter the blue and purple tranquility of Jupiter. Jupiter is the power of peace, expansion and spirituality. Feel the shift into a stable sense of power, of knowing. Feel your connection to the divine world. Jupiter is associated with sky kings. Feel the power of the tranquil sky. Jupiter is the sphere of teachers and divine wisdom. Feel your connection to this wisdom. Feel the gifts of Jupiter.

Gently rise up from the sphere of Jupiter into the inky blackness of Saturn. You might feel a stronger sense of gravity here than anywhere else. Saturn can feel repressive, restrictive or binding. You are like a lump of coal in the pressure of the mountain, waiting to be fused into the diamond. Feel the darkness, but move through your fears, into a quiet surrender of the divine creative process. Trust. Feel protected by the process. These are the lessons of Saturn.

Emerge from the darkness into the electric neon blue light of Uranus. Uranus is bright, flashing and innovative, decorated with lightning bolts of inspiration and an awareness of freedom. Thing seem doubly bright after the darkness of Saturn. Here in Uranus, all ideas and expression are possible. You are free to be yourself and to perform your higher will. These are the qualities of Uranus.

Transcend the dazzle and rise into the sea green sphere of Neptune, the foggy mist. Neptune is the fog of illusion, delusion and, if you pass them, ultimately unconditional love. It is like the collective consciousness, containing both the best and worst we have to offer. Feel the source of creative inspiration well within you, looking for an avenue to be released and expressed.

Rise into the realm of Pluto, though it may suddenly feel like a descent into the underworld. The color dominating this sphere is a dark scarlet. There is a heaviness in the air not unlike Saturn, but tinged with the air of Mars as well. There is power here, but also death and transformation. Pluto's realm can feel as if someone were dancing on your grave. Pluto is the ability to surrender to divine will, and when you do, to be reborn like the phoenix. Feel yourself alight with transforming flame.

Like the phoenix, the fiery bird of spirit, rise above the sphere of Pluto. Feel your power, and follow your trail back to the glowing star of your body. Descend quickly through the spheres, through scarlet, sea green, electric blue, black, blue/purple, red, green, orange, golden yellow and silver/purple and back through the sky of the Earth, back to your body. Feel yourself become integrated with the body. Return yourself to normal consciousness.

These are only a few of the magical paradigms. Though they seem very different, you can relate them together. The elements can be seen in the chakras, and the chakras in the planets. Astrology brings them all together in its own way, using gender, archetype, element and triplicy with the planets and colors.

One of the most complex, yet most rewarding is the Tree of Life. Found in its original Hebrew forms of mysticism, or adopted in the traditions of Hermetic magicians, the Tree creates a model of reality that incorporates many of these paradigms within it, from the elements to the obvious tree symbols. Each of the tree glyph's ten spheres is associated with a planet or heavenly body, and the connection paths have their own correspondences as well, including tarot cards and letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Knowledge of these correspondences is used to create magick, meditation and ritual.

Figure 8: Tree of Life

By looking at many models, an aspiring magician or witch can realize that all are right and all are wrong simultaneously. Reality cannot be summed up by any one symbol, but each one is an accurate way to describe reality for that tradition. No one computer program can fulfill of your needs and functions. Building a relationship with your paradigm, and in fact, many paradigms, is the first step in harnessing the energies of magick to create change.

chapter four

Instant Magick Spells

Here is the heart of the book, the spells. Most people buy books on magick for the spells, and like any other book, you can use these as rotes, as pre-made formulas for you to use.

Many people think of spells like scientific formulas. Once concocted, they will always work, for anyone, but magick doesn't work that way. It takes a personal connection to the forces of the universe to make magick work. No matter how perfectly you execute a spell technically, if you do not have an energetic connection on some level, little will happen. Most spells are designed to help you with that energetic connection, but they are not foolproof. Unfortunately people think spell books are keys that allow you to have "power" without doing any of the spiritual preparation to truly make effective life changes. You can take this section with the same attitude, and could still have some success with it, but you would be missing the point.

Unlike many other spell books focused strictly on technique and tools, however, I hope the previous information gives you the necessary skills to make your own instant magick spells, to fulfill whatever situation occurs in your life. Use these as inspiration, to show you how a spell can be crafted in the various paradigms. Explore these spells to find how you understand and perceive magick. You can try a spell, focusing on one aspect, one paradigm and discover it doesn't work for you. You can try the same spell, using a different technique and get success. You have now discovered one aspect of magick that works for you, and one aspect that doesn't. That will help your future spell crafting

Instant Magick Trigger

One of the things that allows a magical person to access these simple instant magick spells anywhere is through an instant magick trigger. This trigger is somewhat like a post hypnotic suggestion, a program in our consciousness. When we are in an altered state of mind, clear in will and prepared to focus energy, our three requirements to a spell, we can program our mind with a trigger to automatically and easily get us back in touch with that state of mind, even if on a lighter level. Programming the trigger is a mental suggestion coupled with a physical action, such as crossing your finger, which will trigger a return to that state of consciousness. With the trigger, you can enter this light altered state while driving, having a conversation or while at work, and set in motion your instant magick spells.

Some triggers have inherent qualities to themselves, like subtle energy psychic switches that can change consciousness. They are known as muddras in the eastern tradition. The first trigger I learned, crossing the first and second figure, I later discovered was a muddra and according to yogis, used to balance the electromagnetic field and make manifest wishes. It's now easy to see our association with crossing our fingers for luck.

Other simple muddras used as a trigger include making a "ring" with your first finger and thumb, or your middle finger and thumb, or even your first two fingers and thumb. What separates a muddra from a trigger is the programmed intention to use it to enter a light meditative state.

Other triggers may not be as elegant. In Celtic myth, the Irish hero Finias MacCool sucked his thumb to gain wisdom, insight and magick. He was mimicking his own image of when he received his gifts, getting burned on the thumb from cooking the Salmon of Knowledge. When he sucked it, he gained the Salmon's knowledge. Similar images are found with the Welsh bard Taliesin. Words of power, as well as more complex phrases or hand gestures can be used as a trigger to change consciousness. I even know of one California witch who naturally followed Samantha from the popular Bewitched television series, wiggling his nose as a focus for his instant magick.

For now I suggest you choose a simple trigger for the following exercise. Use something you can do casually, because that is when you will need it most. If you are unsure, I suggest the first one I learned, crossing your first two fingers. For this exercise, do it with both hands to give your flexibility. In life, your trigger will be active when you cross the fingers of either hand. If you should do it on both, it deepens your connection to the altered state. The same holds true for other hand muddras, such as the thumb and first finger together.

Exercise 8

Programming Instant Trigger

Perform Exercise 1 and get into a meditative altered state. Stay at the place where you feel relaxed yet focused on the task at hand. Take a few more centering breaths after your countdowns.

Physically perform your instant magick trigger. If you chose crossing your first two fingers, do that now in both hands and hold it. Silently repeat these words to your own consciousness three times.

I program this as my instant magick trigger. With this trigger I can instantly access a light meditative state and all my magickal abilities, for the good of all, harming none.

You can end the third time with a "so mote it be", "so be it", or even `Amen" depending on what you are comfortable with. When done, release your trigger and return yourself to normal consciousness.

Ethics of Magick

You probably noticed that last exercise's program ended with "for the good of all, harming none." Another way to put it would be "in accordance with divine will" or even "true will." With our discussion on the best magick being focused on true will, our higher will, we should keep that in mind when we are doing magick.

Magick is a science. The energies we are raising are real, and have a real affect. Our intentions govern this energy, but we must be clear in our intentions to be effective. They have an affect beyond the power of positive thinking. Someone does not need to believe in our magick, or even be aware of it, for it to work effectively. Most magick is subtle anyway, and the majority of people would not be aware of it. If magick is an energetic power, we always have to treat it with respect, not only in our actions, but our thoughts and minds.

Most traditions of magick believe in some form of universal self-regulating mechanism. It's not moral or judgmental. It simply brings balance through adjustment of energies. Magick workers believe that energy returns to its source more powerful than when it left. In Wicca, it's called the Law of Three, stating that energy returns three times as powerful as when it left. Other traditions believe similarly, but without the triune measurement. In Wicca, there is only one rule, one rede or credo, because with this knowledge, it simply makes common sense. `And let it harm none, do what you will." Though it has many layers of meaning, the basic concept is you are free to explore your will through magick, but keep the guideline of harming none always in mind. If you do no harm, no harm will return to you. Do nothing you do not wish to return to you. Treat others as you wish to be treated. If you cannot love and embrace another, you don't have to, but remain neutral in your heart and mind.

Intentions such as "true will," "harm none" or "the highest good" are ways to program our magick and prevent harm when possible. But we have to believe in those phrases as much as we desire and focus on our intention. I truly rather have a spell fail, than cause harm to myself and others. If a spell conflicts with my true will, I wish it to fail and inform me. If my desire to succeed outstrips my desire to know my true will, then I am missing the spiritual path of magick and opening myself to harm on a variety of levels.

Treat your magick, and your will, with respect. Remember the first world you seek to change is your own, and then the outer world will change in sympathy with it. Do not force your will on others without regard to the consequences. Remember your freedom, but remember the forces of the universe may bend, but do not break and harmful actions eventually catch up to their source.

Magick or Coincidence?

With all magick, but particular acts of instant magick, acts that are more creative, spur of the moment and have less of the weight of centuries of formulaic tradition upon them, it is easy to get discouraged. We start to wonder if our time and effort is really having an effect, or is it all in our mind.

It is even easier to chalk up our true successes to coincidence. When we intend something to happen, we will it, we are doing magick! When it actually occurs and we don't want to claim the enormity of our own personal power, and the underlying responsibility that goes with it to create our own reality, we run from it. We say to ourselves, "oh that would have happened anyway." "That was just a coincidence." "I was lucky that time."

That is completely normal and really a part of the process of understanding our magical self. It's rare to come across someone who has no magical experience, who truly assumes that all their magick will work all the time, that it is completely really and it no way could it be self delusional. Those thought, and doubts are normally and healthy. If you don't have them, they you have either been blessed with an amazingly magical upbringing, an incredibly natural open mind and intuitive understanding of magick, or you are somewhat unbalanced. I think it's hard to live in the rational world and keep traditional material responsibilities and not have such common sense thoughts. But what you do with the thoughts is what defines a witch, mage and mystic. If you let them prevent you from experiencing things and being open, than you will miss out in the magick of life.

If you persevere on the magical path, open to the experience, you soon realize that you are consistently "beating" the odds, and going beyond what could attributed to chance, luck or coincidence. Then you begin to truly understand how magick works in life, and how much personal empowerment it gives, as well as how much responsibility you hold for using it. You become responsible for all your thoughts, words and deeds, because you recognize all are triggers for magical change.

Spells of Instant Magick

The following is a spell book of instant magick spells that have worked for me, my family, friends, coven mates and students. I share them with you to show you the wide range of results you can get from instant magick, but also to see the variety of ways you can execute an intention.

Each spell has a list of "correspondences" associated with it. They differ from the traditional correspondences because they are not herbs, stones or other typical associations. Here we have the more energetic correspondences, including the colors, elements, planets, spiritual entities and words of power/ affirmations that can be used. When executing these spells, you do not have to incorporate all the correspondences. Pick the ones that resonate for you. If you work well with elemental energy, but have no connection with the planets, don't try to draw upon the planetary paradigm to make it happen. Stick with the elemental associations. Be creative. For example, the WHEEL OF FORTUNE spell is prosperity magick based on Jupiter energy, and the imagery of the Wheel of Fortune tarot card. If those symbols don't work for you, know that the element of Earth is also about abundance and prosperity. Call upon your connection to the Earth element, explored in Exercise 3, to help you create the flow of fortune you need. There are also correspondences to call upon a variety of beings, including animal, plant and stone spirits. To learn more about adapting these spells, and how to work with various correspondence systems and the spirits associated with it, look to Chapter 5 and the Appendix. I suggest reading the entire book before attempting any spells in this chapter, so you have a complete idea of the system and how to work with it for your highest good.

Each spell has instructions as to how it was cast in the past, but you are not limited to those methods. These are now your instant magick spells. Feel free to adapt and change them as needed.

Alarm Clock

Intention: Waking up on time without an external alarm

Colors: Black, White, Gray, Yellow

Triplicy: Mutable, Cardinal

Element: Earth, Fire

Planet: Saturn, Sun

Chakra: Root

Entities: Any deities associated with time, sleep or dreams, such as Chronos, Hypnos, Morpheus, Phoebetor, Phantasus. Also gods associated with the Sun and dawn, including Ra, Horus, Sekmet, Bast, Shamash, Helios, Apollo, Balder, Bel, Lugh, and Amaterasu. Archangels Raphael and Michael. Rooster animal spirit. Mornings Glory plant spirit. Citrine stone spirit.

Words: Tomorrow, I will wake up at XX:XX AM/PM. So mote it be.

Description: Use this instant spell to set your internal alarm clock, your bodies physical rhythms to get up on time. I don't use it every day, but when I do use it, it works! I hate getting up early, and usually work late. I hate the sound of alarm clocks and worry about being up on time when I need to get up, to get to an appointment or catch a plane.

When I need to get up at a specific time, I use this spell. Lie down in bed, get into my meditative state. I feel my physical body and its rhythms. Then I visualize an alarm clock, traditional or digital, at the time I desire to wake. I say my affirmation three times, specifying the time. I make sure I specify AM or PM, and that it is tomorrow for which I set my alarm clock. Then I go to sleep and let my body and inner consciousness wake me up one time. If you are unsure this will work, feel free to set your physical alarm clock a few minutes later, just to make sure you are up. Once you have had success with it, your confidence in the technique will grow and you will no longer need a back up.

Animal Communication

Intention: To send and receive information between you and an animal, usually domesticated.

Colors: Blue, Brown

Triplicy: Mutable

Element: Air, Earth

Chakra: Belly, Throat

Planet: Mercury, Earth, Moon

Entities: Many deities are associated with specific animal allies, while others are patrons of the entire animal kingdom. Many suitable gods include Artemis, Diana, Cybele, Heckate, Athena, Bast, Sehkmet, Innana, Rhiannon, Freyja, Frigga, Cerridwen, Pan, Poseidon, Faunus, Mercury, Hermes, Anubis, Thor, Odin, Freyr, and Indra. The archangel of communication is Raphael. Saint Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals. The animal spirit of the particular animal with whom you wish to communicate. Lapis and Turquoise stone spirits. Catnip plant spirit.

Words: I hear and speak the wisdom of the animal world.

Description: Mages, witches and shamans are known for their link to the animal world, being able to empathize and communicate with animals. You don't hat have to be a fully initiated shaman to connect with a loved pet, but this technique can help you have greater, clear communication, both with domesticated animals and those you might safely encounter in the wild.

While holding your trigger, take a few deep breaths and focus your attention on the animal in question. Imagine a link of blue light connecting the two of you. The connecting line can be through the air, or though the land beneath you. It is important not to think of the connection as too projective or threatening, rather a soft and steady connection to the animal.

Imagine this as your "phone" line, translating your communications back and forth. Think your message in words, or better yet, in pictures. Allow the response to come to you. It too might be words or pictures. Animals, particularly wild ones, don't recognize the words we use, but our psyche can seem to translate the message into ways we understand. I've had full fledged conversations with insects as well as four legged friends.

When done, say farewell and imagine the energetic link dissolving away harmless.

Astral Wind

Intention: Cleansing, Healing

Colors: Blue, White

Triplicy: Cardinal

Element: Air

Chakra: Throat

Planet: Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus

Entities: All deities of the sky and storm, including Uranus, Zeus, Jupiter, Hera, Juno, Hecate, Amon-Ra, Nuit, Shu, Enlil, Inanna, Marduk, Indra, Shiva, Tyr, Thor, Odin, Freyja, Tarranis, Gwydion, Dagda, Nuada and Arianrhod. Raphael is the archangels of Mercury, Tzadkiel of Jupiter and Uriel is often associated with Uranus. Paralda, the elemental king of Air. Sky animals such as Eagle and hawk.

Words: I summon the astral wind to cleanse and clear.

Description: I first learned this technique from a magical healer. She would summon a current of astral energy, an astral wind, to cleanse the body or to cleanse a space. Since that session, I have tried it myself with wonderful results.

The effect is very easy to accomplish. You are simply calling the patterns of change that are already present on the energetic planes. When you perform your trigger and attract a wind, I usually experience as coming from behind me, and blowing all unwanted energies, either from my body, or from the space around me, away and off my future path.

The astral wind is particular effective for removing unwanted energies on the emotional and mental realms, including stress, tension, anger and the residue of emotions left from conflicts in the home or office.

Banish Illness

Intention: Removing all forces that are causing a physical illness, such as bacteria, viruses and malignant cells

Colors: Red, Red-Orange, Black, White, potentially any color that suits you.

Triplicy: Mutable

Element: All

Chakra: Root for physical illness, though theoretically all chakras, as the chakras closest to the afflicted body part are also part of the healing process.

Planet: Mars, Saturn, Moon, Mercury

Entities: All deities of healing and medicine, such as Sekmet, Isis, Bast, Thoth, Anubis, Imhotep, Apollo, Asclepius, Athena, Minerva, Hermes, Mercury, Hygeia, Pan, Gaia, Rudra, Shiva, Quan Yin, Bridget, Cernun- nos, Bel, Dagda, Diancecht, Gwydion, Nuada and Merlin. Raphael is the archangel of healing, known as the physician. St. Luke is the patron saint of physicians. Our Lady of Lourdes is also known to heal bodily ills. Various herb and stone spirits, depending on the illness.

Words: I immediately banish all illness, with ease, grace and gentleness

Description: This instant spell is used to draw out the cause of an illness, much like drawing poison from a wound or bite. It may not literally draw out an illness, but it remove the etheric or astral energy of bacteria, virus particles, malignant cells, parasites, poisons or any other unwanted invader. Without the energetic imprint, the particles easily collapse and are healed by the immune system. I've even used it to banish excess alcohol after an evening of festivities before a hang over can occur.

Once tuned in to your body or the body of the recipient, though the use of your meditative trigger, hold the intention of finding the unwanted illness. If visual, you might perceive it as specks of dark colored light in the body. You could literally see it with your psychic eye, or see symbolic equivalents, such as sluggish microscopic monsters for malignant cells. You might feel or hear a discordant vibration in the overall sound of the body. However you perceive it, bring your attention to the invader. Outside of the body, create an illness magnet, a small ball of light that naturally attracts the illness. Imagine all of the particles gently flowing out of the body, through the pores, causing no damage on their exit. They gather outside of the body, around your self created magnet.

Once you have drawn out all the particles, banish them. You can use a banishing pentagram drawn over them, imagine them burning in fire and scattering the ashes in the astral wind, ground them into the earth to be recycled or send them into the heart of the Sun.

You can finish the process off and stimulate the immune system by using something similar to Gaia's Fire (See below).

Figure 10: Banishing Pentagram

Clear Sky

Intention: Mental Clarity

Colors: Blue, White, Yellow

Triplicy: Mutable

Element: Air

Chakra: Throat

Planet: Mercury

Entities: All air and sky deities including Uranus, Zeus, Jupiter, Hera, Juno, Hermes, Mercury Amon-Ra, Nuit, Shu, Enlil, Inanna, Indra, Odin, Gwydion, and Arianrhod. Raphael is the archangels of Mercury and the element of Air. Paralda, the elemental king of Air. Ascended Master Kuthumi. Stones such as amethyst, kyanite, lapis lazuli and turquoise. Angelica and peppermint plant spirit.

Words: My mind is completely clear, relaxed and peaceful.

Description: Use this technique for mental clarity, for when your mind is running wild and racing with thoughts, preventing you from being present and focused.

With your trigger, take a few deep breaths. Imagine your mind like a stormy sky. If you are mentally agitated, it is filled with clouds. If you are emotionally agitated, it could be filled with rain, thunder and lightening, showing the mix of mind and emotion through the symbolic mixing of air and water.

Through an internal practice of "cloud busting" focus your intention on one cloud and one cloud only. Use your will to break it apart. The unwanted thought associated with that cloud is neutralized as well, at least for the time being. Don't focus on what the cloud represents, but the cloud image itself. If you don't see the cloud clearly because you are too scattered, know it is there, dissolving away. Work on your inner sky, one cloud at a time, focusing your mind on the task at hand, simultaneously bringing peace, clarity and greater awareness.

Computer Alignment

Intention: Magically improving the function of computers and other office equipment

Colors: Blue, White, Gray, Yellow

Triplicy: Mutable to adapt to new situation, Fixed to stabilize working order

Element: Air

Chakra: Throat, Third Eye, Solar Plexus

Planet: Mercury, Uranus

Entities: Deities of technology and innovation, including Prometheus, Athena, Minerva, Haephastus, Vulcan, Ptah, Khnemu, Thoth, Ea, Viskvakrma, Bridgit, Lugh, Diancecht, Goibnui, Weiland, and Merlin. Though Raphael is the archangel of Mercury, Gabriel, archangel of the Moon, is known as the messenger. Uriel is associated with Uranus, the planet ruling innovative technology and electricity. Saint Isidore of Seville is known by some as the patron of computer and internet users. Ascended master Hilarion.

Words: This (name the equipment) immediately works perfectly Description: When I had an office job, I found myself strangely enough in charge of the computer system of the small office, even though I had no computer administration experience. I was just good at figuring things out, and soon found my job encompassing computers along with my usual assignments. I got my reputation for being a computer whiz by using magick. When all else failed, I would use a little instant spell to get things going again. It didn't always work, but it did work enough times to truly teach me that magick can affect everything, including technology, even if many traditionalist disagreed. I started to evolve a paradigm that looked at computer as extensions of the spirits of information. When treated as such, they would often respond just like other spirit allies.

There is no simple way to explain this process. Each computer, each system, and each situation is different. Basically using your trigger, you envision the system working, performing whatever function it will not currently perform. I usually shut down the system, get into a light meditative state, and then envision myself operating the machine exactly how I want it to work. Sometimes I would imagine it surrounded in a blue or white light, or even an electric blue, to represent all the electrical links being made correctly. Then I wait a few more minutes, perhaps get a drink, come back and turn it back on. Strangely enough, suddenly it works, with no explanation. I usually thank the spirit animating the computer for its hard work

Cosmic Telephone

Intention: To contact someone psychically

Colors: Blue, Purple, Orange, Yellow

Triplicy: Cardinal

Element: Air, Spirit

Chakra: Throat, Third Eye, Crown

Planet: Mercury

Entities: Deities of communication such as Athena, Minerva, Hermes, Mercury, Thoth, Seshat, Anubis, Ea, Nabu, Sarasvati, Agni, Ganesha, Brigit, Ogma, Odin, Taliesin and Merlin. Gabriel is the archangel messenger. Paralda, the elemental king of Air. The animal spirits of Blue Jay, Crow and Raven. Plant spirits of Daffodil and Peppermint. Stone spirits of Kayanite, Lapis Lazuli and Turquoise.

Words: I am sending a message to (recipient's name)

Description: Cosmic telephone is one of my favorite instant magick spells. I primarily use it when I have lost touch with a friend or colleague and want to contact them, but don't know how. I don't use it in place of traditional communication methods like the phone or email. We do this trick all the time. If you have ever thought of someone, and reminded yourself you have to contact that person and suddenly the phone rings and it's the person you were just thinking of, then you have had a cosmic telephone synchronicity.

With your trigger held, or in a deeper meditative state, think about the recipient of your message. Say their name in your mind. Visualize them in your mind's eye. Connect in whatever way you feel is appropriate. Once you feel connected, simply think your message, usually something like, "please call me." Imagine them receiving the message before you come out of your meditative state. Then allow them to make contact.

Be sure your intention is not to force or compel the recipient to contact you. If they have chosen consciously not to, for whatever reason, you must respect that. You can only send the suggestion, not a command, or you would be violating the ethics most magical practitioners carry.

Direct Communication

Intention: Enhances communication between you and another person, on all levels.

Colors: Blue, Orange

Triplicy: Mutable

Element: Air

Chakra: Throat, Belly

Planet: Mercury

Entities: Deities of communication such as Athenea, Minerva, Hermes, Mercury, Thoth, Seshat, Anubis, Ea, Nabu, Sarasvati, Agni, Ganesha, Brigit, Ogma, Odin, Taliesin and Merlin. Gabriel is the archangel messenger. Paralda, the elemental king of Air. The animal spirits of Blue Jay, Crow and Raven. Plant spirits of Daffodil and Peppermint. Stone spirits of Kayanite, Lapis Lazuli and Turquoise.

Words: I am speaking and listening clearly.

Description: Many people have difficulties in communication because they are only focusing on one half of the process. Some struggle to be heard, and focus so much on expressing themselves, they are not listening to the other. Others focus on listening and responding to the other, they never express their own feelings on the subject at hand. We often react to the other's words, rather than digest them and respond. In the heat of the moment, we process the exchange on all the subtle levels. Communication entails our words, but also our sub tle energy. As our middle selves speak, we are also exchanging information on the higher and lower realms simultaneously. This magick can help us more consciously process our communication.

Whenever entering a conversation of importance with another, from business meeting to potential personal argument, take the time to tune into your subtle energy. Use your trigger. If the person is open to magick, you can do it together. If not, or its not appropriate to bring up the subject of magick and spirituality, then do so silently. I call upon my higher selves and my highest guides and deities to be with me, as well as the higher self and guides of the person with whom I am communicating. Then I imagine a beam of energy connecting us-not chaining or linking us in an unhealthy way, but a temporary line of communication opening, like opening a phone line. While in this conversation, I not only use my logic and reason, but pay attention to my empathy and intuition to make my decisions and choose my words. I pause, feeling no rush, when responding, so I don't react, or worse yet, over react. I respond to the situation. Sometimes the ideal is not met, but the process is definitely helpful.

When done, I thank and release those I have evoked and imagine the line gently dissolving away.

Dream Walking

Intention: Lucid Dreaming, Dream Communication with others

Colors: Blue, Purple, White, Silver

Triplicy: Mutable

Element: Water

Chakra: Belly, Third Eye

Planet: Moon

Entities: Deities of dreaming, such as Morpheus, Phoebetor, Phantasus, Gaia, Selene, Isis, Osiris, Asclepius, Lilith and Chandra. Archangel Gabriel, as the angel of the Moon. Angel Asariel. Niksa, the elemental king of water. Animal spirits of dolphin and lizard. Plant spirits Chamomile, Juniper, St. John's Wort and Valerian. Moonstone stone spirit.

Words: I am dreaming consciously.

Description: Dreamwalking is an act of instant magick to do before bed, to create clear, conscious, lucid dreams. It is particularly powerful for those who have difficult and disturbing dreams to take some measure of self control and empowerment in the dream state.

While in bed, through the use of your trigger, consciously program yourself to awaken in your dream, to realize it is a dream and to have control over it. You can repeat the affirmation and do petitions to spiritual entities, but I find imagining myself in a place of power, or near an unusual and startling object, is a great way to "awaken" my dream self. I imagine myself at the top of a castle tower for a place of power. For an unusual object, I rarely dream about balloons, so programming myself to be holding a bunch of pink balloons triggers my mind to remember this strange command, and know that it is a dream. Then, once in a lucid state, I can more consciously guide the dream and take control when needed. Even in situations I cannot completely control, I can use my imagination to prevent and fear or potential harm. I think it's good not to banish disturbing images and scenes immediately, until you understand them, but you don't have to react to them in fear. You can create shields around you, become invisible, immaterial or anything else you can imagine. It is your dream.

Deeper states of dream walking can occur between people with a strong emotional or psychic link. Don't enter into this process lightly, but if you feel drawn to do it, you can "send" dreams to others, giving them a message, often in much more detail than the previous "cosmic telephone" though you run the risk of the longer message being misunderstood or garbled if the recipient is not versed in dream magick and mental clarity. Intimate groups, such as covens and lodges can do dream work together, having group dreams and journeys for magick, ritual, healing and self discovery of the group identity.

Electromagnetic Protection

Intention: Protecting energetically sensitive items from electromagnetic scanning devices.

Colors: white

Triplicy: fixed

Element: fire, earth

Chakra: crown, third eye, root

Planet: Saturn, Sun

Entities: Protection deities, including Athena, Minerva, Hecate, Hera, Juno, Artemis, Diana, Zeus, Jupiter, Isis, Hathor, Anubis, Hathor, Bast, Selqet, Horus, manna, Sin, Ninurta, Indra, Thor, Odin, Dagda, Cerenunnos, Herne, Macha, Freyr, Tyr, Heimdall and Thor. The four Archangels of the Watchtowers, particularly Michael and Uriel. Ascended master Hilarion.

Words: These items (name them) are complete protected from all harmful energy.

Description: As I continue to travel and teach, I use this magick to protect any important ritual tools for the disruptive energy that is found when one goes through major airport security screening, such as Xrays. When I travel with ritual tools, tarot cards, crystals or flower essences, I perform this spell. Much like Psychic Shield, imagine the object you wish to protect encased in a sphere. This sphere can be complete opaque though. You don't have to let any energy in and out as you would in the crystalline sphere of a traditional protection shield. It will protect the magickal intentions you have consecrated your ritual tools. When your travels are over, imagine the opaque shield dissolving away.

Filter

Intention: To Keep a Cleansed Space Purified

Colors: White, Gold, Yellow, Orange, Red

Triplicy: Cardinal

Element: Fire

Chakra: Root, Belly, Solar Plexus

Planet: Mars, Pluto

Entities: Deities of purification, like Artemis, Diana, Hera, Juno, Hecate, Isis, Horus, and Bel. Michael as the archangel of fire, while Samael is the archangel of Mars. Angel Cassiel and archangel Samael. King Djinn of the element of Fire. Any totem animal spirits, but in particular Crab, Crow, Dog, Porcupine, Turtle and Wolf. Plant spirits aconite, angelica, basil, blackberry, cinquefoil, lavender, mandrake, mugwort, rose, vervain, vinca and yarrow. Stone spirits fluorite, garnet, jasper and turquoise.

Words: I charge this gateway to neutralize all the unwanted, inappropriate energies of anyone who passes through it.

Description: I created this spell for when I am doing public workshops and rituals. Usually before doing any magical work, even a simple lecture, I like to cleanse a space. I will cleanse it with incense or pure visualization (See Violet Flame below). But many times I do not have the opportunity, nor would it be appropriate, to smudge each individual who enters the room. Everybody carries their own energies with them, and sometimes one person having a bad day, who cannot put that energy aside for the event at hand, or one person with an attitude, can imbalance an entire group. Often cleanse the space will help a person be uplifted when they enter, but other times, they bring that energy into the space and there is not a lot anyone can do.

To prevent this from happening, I would cleanse the space normally, and then draw a banishing pentagram over the entrances to the room, surrounded by a counter clockwise circle, tracing the doorframe so in reality it would look more like a five pointed star in a rectangle than a traditional pentacle. I would imagine the image like a spider's web, or a mesh net over the door. The web would allow all balanced energy to pass through, but will hold back imbalanced, harmful energy, absorb it and neutralize it. I would imagine a line from the bottom of the rectangle down through to the flood and into the earth, to ground unwanted energy so it would not harm anybody else.

When I did this trick, I found in general I had much more balanced, pleasant experiences than when I didn't do it, so it became a standard part of my space preparation. Long time students even commented on feeling something different than usual, but they weren't sure what.

It didn't necessarily solve any long term problems for the individual, but provided a stable environment for my presentations and rituals. I use it in my office and even my home when having a social gathering. I've found no need to banish and dismantle the construct, as it will eventually face, usually by the end of the evening.

Gaia's Fire

Intention: Physical Healing

Colors: Green, Blue

Triplicy: All

Element: Earth

Chakra: Root, but potentially all chakras.

Planet: Earth

Entities: Gaia-Mother Earth, and all deities that embody the Earth, such as Demeter, Ceres, Cybele, Tellus Mater, Isis, Inanna, Freyja, Modron and Danu.

Words: I am completely healthy.

Description: Gaia's Fire is a method used to heal the body and reduce pain. It's particularly useful after immediate minor injuries or flare ups of older injuries. Working with earth energy, both the element and the planet, it taps into the primal renewing energy of the planet which resonates with our physical bodies, made of the Earth. The healing energy manifests as a green flame engulfing the body, "burning" away all injury, returning your body to its primal, uninjured pattern. It helps to have a strong relationship with the Earth Goddess and to do this spell with her permission and blessing.

Sit comfortably, ideally with either the souls of your feet, or the base of your spine on the ground. Contact with the ground stimulates the con nection to Earth energy. Even if you are indoors or on an upper floor, the position still facilitates the connection.

Enter your meditative state. Create a link from your body down into the Earth, like dropping an anchor. Imagine it connecting deep into the planet. Feel this line of energy act like a straw, and draw up the healing energies of the planet. As it enters your body, it ignites as green fire. The fire dissolves away your illnesses and injuries. The energy physically rejuvenates you. Feel the fire flow through your body and escape through the skin as it ignites. You are releasing energy as you draw up more. The exchange releases the energy of pain and injury and will stimulate rapid healing.

Do this for at least two minutes. You can hold it as long as you can concentrate and your intuition guides you. It doesn't take long to make a lasting effect. I normally do no more than ten minutes. When you are done, stop drawing the energy up. Thank Mother Earth. Let the remaining energy within you burn. Count up from your meditative state and ground as needed. Notice the healing change in your body.

You can do this spell for others when they desire to be healthy and give you permission. If possible, guide them through it as a meditation. If not, have them repeat the affirmation while you move the energy.

Golden Thread

Intention: Finding Lost Objects

Colors: Gold-any color will actually work, though gold or green are the traditional colors of attraction.

Triplicy: Mutable

Element: Water, Earth

Chakra: Heart

Planet: Venus

Entities: Deities of attraction, such as Aphrodite, Venus, Isis, Hathor, Inanna, Ishtar, Astarte, Freyja and Branwen. Haniel as the archangel of Venus. St. Anthony of Padua, as the patron saint of lost objects. Animal spirits eagle, hawk and falcon, for keen eyesight and the ability to see things from above.

Words: I immediately locate (fill in the object).

Description: This spell was first taught to me by a traditional witch. Since then I've used it to find things when I misplace them. While using your trigger, imagine the object that is missing tied with a gold thread. Imagine the other end of the gold thread in your hand. "Pull" on the psychic thread and visualize the object coming to you. Then go looking for your lost item. A parent has told me that it also works for misplaced children.

Grounding

Intention: Bringing Personal Energy and Focus to the Material World.

Colors: Earth tones-black, brown, tan, rust

Triplicy: Fixed

Element: Earth

Chakra: Root

Planet: Earth, Saturn

Entities: Earth deities such as Gaia, Tellus Mater, Cybele, Demeter, Ceres, Persephone, Proserpina, Chronos, Saturn, Pan, Seb, Osiris, Ea, Enlil, Dumuzi, Inanna, Nerthus, Freyja, Frey, Cernunnos, Danu, Modron and Danu. Earth elementals, including the King of Earth Elementals, Ghob. Sandolphan, archangel of Earth. Spirit animal of snake and turtle. Plant spirits of Dandelion and stone spirits Garnet and Malachite.

Words: I am fully grounded. I am fully present.

Description: Ground simply means anchoring yourself to the physical, earthy plane. When we meditate and journey, we are naturally ungrounded and have to bring awareness back to function in the world. High energy rituals, such as the magick circle, can often cause one to be ungrounded. The circle exists between the worlds and focused the participants attention between the worlds. The energy of the ritual can charge individuals, and part of the grounding process is to release excess energy that is not appropriate for material world functioning, into the land. This is also called grounding or "earthing" the energy. It allows the practitioner to come back to the world more easily. Often eating or drinking something, the traditional cakes and ale, or feasting in the pagan world, can ground. When you are digesting something, your energy is concentrating on the physical process and can bring you back to the physical world. Ungrounding also occurs involuntarily during shock and trauma. Your energy and spirit find the body to uncomfortable or even painful to be, and partially leave the body, creating a state of ungrounded-ness. Some people are more naturally ungrounded, often described as flighty, and need these techniques when having to focus on material concerns.

Grounding is more of a basic life skill than an instant magick spell, but when framed in terms of a spell, it can be more effective for some people. If you have to ground yourself, it can be difficult under certain circumstances, but if you think of it like all other acts of magick, all other shifts of consciousness, and evoke the powers of a planet, chakra or deity, you can have greater success. You are automatically evoking those qualities within you, but thinking of the planet Saturn or the color brown can be the focus to truly get you grounded. You can also apply the principles of a spell to help another ground. Teachers of metaphysical classes are often called upon to help students ground after difficult experiences. Partially they are guiding the student's consciousness into self-grounding, but at times they are also guiding the student's energy to ground when the student is not aware.

Many grounding technique exist using the correspondences above. Some simply will themselves back. Most techniques include body movement, to bring the body back to awareness. Pressing down your feet activates earth awareness. If you press down with your hands, or bend over and release excess energy, you are earthing it and coming back to material awareness. This is traditional after ritual. Some kneel down in a reverent bowing fashion, imagining the energy is pouring from the hands and crown. Visually you can imagine a beam of light descending from the root chakra into the earth like an anchor. Some of my friend describe it as tying down a balloon. You can visualize the legs as roots that dig deep into the earth, anchoring your like a tree or strong plant. Some imagine sinking into the sand to get grounded. If all else fails, eating something will usually bring your energy back to the body.

Invisiblity

Intention: To make you, someone or something else less noticeable, particularly less noticeable by those you wish to avoid.

Colors: Black, White, All colors

Triplicy: Mutable

Element: Water

Chakra: Third Eye, Crown

Planet: Neptune

Entities: Hermes, Mercury, Hades, Gwydion, Loki and Odin. Archangel Gabriel and elemental King Niska. Some of the Goetic spirits confer the gifts of invisibility, but I suggest not working with them unless you are well versed in ceremonial magick. Animal spirit of Coyote and Fox.

Words: I am completely invisible from all those I wish to avoid.

Description: Invisibility spells don't really make anyone literally invisible. They help you energetically blend in with the environment so that others take less notice of you. Think of it as a magical camouflage spell. You can use it to prevent attracting attention when you want to maintain a low profile. When I perform this spell, while holding my instant magick trigger, I imagine a ring of light around me, much like casting a magick circle, but this ring is bending light around me, making me blend in with the surroundings, as if I am "wearing" the colors of everything around me. You can put out the intention of being invisible to a certain person, group or segment of the population. I cast this invisibility ring around my car and ask to be protected from all police officers who wish to pull me over and ticket me, and I ask this be for the highest good, harming none.

Iron Will

Intention: Perseverance in Difficult Situations

Colors: Black, White, Red

Triplicy: Fixed

Element: Earth, Fire

Chakra: Root, Solar Plexus, Heart, Crown

Planet: Mars, Saturn

Entities: Any deity known for its will power and strength, including Ares, Mars, Prometheus, Ra, Isis, Osiris, Horus, Set, Durga, Odin, Rhiannon, Pywll, Morrighan and Lugh. Archangel Michael and Samael, King Djinn, and all fire elements. Stone spirits of Citrine, Garnet and Ruby.

Words: I am strong. I am powerful. I am persevering.

Description: Magick can be used to strengthen our personal will. The exploration of magic is the exploration of will, and if you apply yourselves to a disciplined magical practice, you will find your natural will expanding. You will find yourself capable of things you did not imagine of yourself, including feats of physical and metal fortitude. Many of the yogic and marital art traditions build the spiritual/magical will through physical feats and tests. Early in my practice I never linked those teaching to magick, but as I continued by a tradition of witchcraft and yoga, I noticed how my magical will allowed me to succeed at physical tests that I felt were beyond me. In truth, they were mental feats, not physical ones. I only had to overcome my doubts to get in touch with my power. Magick and the martial arts teach us a certain detachment, learning that our body, mind, heart and even will are extension of the true self, they are the tools of the magician warrior, things the true self own. We are not solely our body, mind, heart or will. We are something vast and beyond it. That is why the pentacle, blade, cup and wand are the four tools of the magician.

By tapping into that solid warrior strength you can preserve in difficulty mental, emotional and physical situations. In the more dire situations, you can use it to endure pain, illness and injury, and allowing yourself to respond in a balanced way, rather than panicking. It doesn't mean you ignore the problem, but you respond in the best way possible, rather than react foolishly. We can endure less dire situations of family difficulties. Anytime I need to fortify myself, I try this technique.

I imagine myself in physical, mental, emotional and spiritual perfection, my idealized self. I often feel like I am transformed by the spiritual fires into a clear, shiny metallic or stone being. I am solid, stable and eternal. I identify with the solid core, the divine self, rather than the fluid wave of physical sensations, mental thoughts, feelings and desires.

When I am done my challenging situation, I imagine the same spiritual forces returning me back to a more normal state of consciousness and ground myself as needed.

Parking Space

Intention: To find an open parking space near the door of wherever you are going.

Colors: Blue, Orange

Triplicy: Cardinal, Mutable

Element: Earth, Air

Chakra: Third Eye

Planet: Jupiter, Mercury

Entities: Hermes, Mercury, Artemis, Diana, Hercules, Janus, Anubis, Thor and Lugh.

Words: I have an open parking space exactly where I want, waiting for me when I arrive at (fill in the location).

Description: This is by far my favorite instant magick spell because it was my first. The continued success of this spell under many circumstances made me a true believer in both magick and the practicality of magick in daily life. While holding your instant trigger, visualize a parking space wherever you are going, near the door. Imagine yourself pulling your car into it. Or call upon whatever powers and correspondences that you can use to connect you to that space. You can imagine blue or orange light guiding you to the space, or your connection to a spirit holding the space for you. It might seem silly or trivial, but magick is a practical art and can be applied in all aspects of life.

Plant Communication

Intention: Communication with the Spirit of Plants

Colors: Green, Blue

Triplicy: Mutable

Element: Earth, Air

Chakra: Belly, Heart, Throat

Planet: Mercury, Venus

Entities: Deities of Nature, including Gaia, Tellus Mater, Pan, Artemis, Diana, Cybele, Hecate, Athena, Minerva, Faunus, Dionysus, Bacchus, Damuzzi, Vajrapani, Frey, Cernunnos, Blodeuwedd, Ceridwen and Merlin. Stone spirit of moss agate.

Words: I am in communion with the plant world.

Description: Echoing the magick of Animal Communication above, Plant Communication uses the same skills, if through slightly different channels, to resonate with the plant world. Herbs, flowers and trees are filled with consciousness, and their consciousness is willing to communicate and partner with us if we only listen to it. Modern thought would have us believe a lot of our herbal knowledge is trial and error, but any spiritual herbalist, from any tradition or place in the world, will tell you that the plant want to be involved in our lives, and will tell us their properties if we would listen to them.

My first experiences with plants were quite startling. Through workshops involving plant spirits and their magical and medicinal uses, I learned how to "communicate" with a plant, simply by getting into proximity with it, getting into a light meditative state and having a firm intention and receptivity to its message. The Yarrow flower told me its use as a flower essence, and though it used different worlds, I could corroborate its information in a book with what other flower essence practitioners believe yarrow's properties are. Since then I've had lots of information for both medicine and magick come through the green world. Some is corroborated in traditions, and some may be just for me and my practice.

Messages can come in words, pictures and feelings within your body. All are ways to commune with the plant. You can imagine colored lights encompassing you both, beams of light connecting you, or do simple rituals and evocations to connect. I've found it quite easy to just sit and meditate near a plant or tree and have its world open up to me, with no formal technique or ritual.

A lot of confusion and concern is around exactly who is communicating. People use the words devas, faeries, nature spirits, elementals and plants spirits, sometimes synonymously. The exploration of the green world is a bit vast for this book, but this magick focuses on the living consciousness of a particular plant, what I will call its plant spirit. The plant spirit not only contains information regarding its particularly species, and its medicinal or magical uses, as well as that particular plant's needs and concerns. It is through this work you will know if a plant needs more water, light, fertilizers, or is happy with its current situation. I think such communications are the first steps in building a green relationship. Then you can dive deeper into the esoteric information regarding the plant world.

Like any conversation, when done, thank the plant and release or reverse any techniques you used to get into communion with it, closing the space. I simply thank it and say good bye.

Psychic Shield

Intention: Protection on All Levels

Colors: Crystaline White, Purple, Violet, Deep Blue

Triplicy: All Three

Element: All

Chakra: All, but particularly the root, solar plexus, heart and crown

Planet: Saturn, Mars

Entities: Deities of Protection, including Athena, Minerva, Hecate, Hera, Juno, Artemis, Diana, Zeus, Jupiter, Isis, Hathor, Anubis, Hathor, Bast, Selqet, Horus, Inanna, Sin, Ninurta, Indra, Thor, Odin, Dagda, Cerenunnos, Herne, Freyr, Tyr, Heimdall, Michael as the archangel of fire, while Samael is the archangel of Mars. Angel Cassiel and archangel Samael. King Djinn of the element of Fire. Any totem animal spirits, but in particular Crab, Crow, Dog, Porcupine, Turtle and Wolf. Plant spirits aconite, angelica, basil, blackberry, cinquefoil, lavender, mandrake, mugwort, rose, vervain, vinca and yarrow. Stone spirits fluorite, garnet, jasper and turquoise. Ascended masters El Moyra and Sananda.

Words: I am completely protected on all levels.

Description: Like grounding, psychic shielding is a basic life technique that we all use, consciously or unconsciously. Our energy field, our aura, creates a boundary of protection for us, our personal space. When we consciously engage the energy around us, we can create an even more effective personal protection shield.

Get into a light meditative state and be aware of the energy around you. Feel yourself encompassed by a sphere or egg shape of energy. This is your aura. Be aware of the boundary around your aura. Using your imagination and will, transform the edge of the aura into a crystalline shield of light, translucent and prismatic. Charge it will your protection mantra, "I am completely protected on all levels." Repeat as many times as you need to feel confident in your shield. It will block out harmful energy, and allow what you need and want to pass through the shield. When visualized with only opaque white light, it can create a feeling of being closed in psychically, not allowing anything in our out. For physical dangers, it will not necessarily stop them. Don't expect to be invulnerable to physical blows. It can act as part of your early warning system, using your intuition to help guide you out of harm's way. Reestablish the shield often to make it stronger.

Once you feel confident in making your shield, you can extend your talents to create shield around your home, office or car, simply by crystalizing and programming the energy around the object or location. Everything has an aura, and can be used to create a zone of psychic safety and protection.

Scrying

Intention: Psychically Viewing the Past, Present or Future

Colors: All, but blue, indigo, purple and violet are very effective

Triplicy: All, depending on when your target is-mutable would be future, fixed is the past and cardinal would most likely be the present.

Element: Water

Chakra: Belly, Third Eye

Planet: Jupiter, Neptune

Entities: Deities of fate and prophecy, such as the Norns or Moirai, Fortuna, Janus, Gaia, Apollo, Maat, Odin and the archangels Ratziel and Tzaphkiel. Ascended master Hilarion. Animal spirit snake. Stone spirits amethyst and moonstone.

Words: I am seeing psychically into the past/present/future.

Description: Scrying, sometimes spelled Skrying, is the art of gazing to induce mystical vision. Traditionally one scrys into a reflective surface or some sort, like a crystal ball, polished mirror or still body of water. Scrying can also be done in whispy smoke, blazing fire or simply staring off into the corner of the room. While in a trance state, the shapes and reflections offer symbolic suggestions that can be interpreted, much like gazing at clouds. If you ask a yes or no question, and see a "Y" or a "+" sign, the answer would be affirmative. Images reminiscent of a crown can indicate power or authority. A flower could indicate issues of love and relationship. A ship, plane or car could indicate travel. Animals all have their own unique animal medicine messages cover in detail within other books. Each image carries its own meaning, to be interpreted by the scryer. A knowledge of mythology, magick, alchemy, tarot or any esoteric art expands your knowledge and ability to interpret universal symbols.

This act of scrying instant magick is the first I learned, and really requires no tools, or even the use of outer vision. Get into a meditative state, and using your will and psychic energy-create a reflective surface. When I initially learned it, the surface was a rectangular gem imbedded in the left hand. Later, I created a mirror out of silver liquid in front of me. The benefit of an inner scrying device is that the images can be more literal and often clearer than the flashes and shadows from traditional tools, at least initially. Working with traditional tools can develop a strong detailed sight, but I often prefer the inner scrying to answer my direct questions.

Once you have created your inner scrying device (which you can also do in your inner Temple, see Chapter Six), ask whatever questions you have and let the images take form. They will most often be symbolic and have to be interpreted, but some answers could be literal.

When done, deconstruct your scrying object, returning it back to the basic elements from which you created it. Bring yourself out of the meditative state and ground as necessary.

Sleep

Intention: To Induce Restful Sleep

Colors: Blue, Indigo, Black

Triplicy: Fixed, Mutable

Element: Water

Chakra: Third Eye

Planet: Neptune

Entities: Deities of sleep and dreams, including Hypnos, Morpheus, Phoebetor, Phantasus. Plant spirits chamomile and valerian.

Words: I am sleeping peacefully.

Description: Even with all my meditative training and practice, one of the biggest problems I have is difficulty falling asleep. Since sleep is something that must be surrendered to, I have a hard time letting go and relaxing my mental focus. I'm much better at it now, thanks to this spell.

While in bed and feeling restless, I simply count down into a meditative state. I made my petitions to the gods of sleep and dreams, and imagine a deep indigo mist rising around my bed. I know the mist is empowered to bring deep, restful sleep. As it surrounds me, I imagine breathing it in. Each breath brings me to a more peaceful state, until I doze off in a deep cloud of rest.

Usually this works quite well. The only complaint I've had from some who I have shared it with is that they have difficulty waking up in the morning. It can be combined with the Alarm Clock instant spell.

Spider's Web

Intention: Creates stability in chaotic environments

Colors: White, Grey

Triplicy: Fixed

Element: Earth

Chakra: Root

Planet: Saturn

Entities: Spider Grandmother, Arachne, Athena, Minerva and Arianrhod. Animal spirit spider.

Words: I create order and structure in the environment around me.

Description: I have an affinity for the magick of spiders and webs. I love the patterns and structure to the shape of the web. Though my relationship with my spider totem, I learned this technique to bring structure to chaotic situations. I don't use it often, since chaos is often needed, but if things seem energetically out of control, particularly in large groups such as parties, meetings and public rituals, this can help even out the energy.

Calling upon spider spirit with my instant magick trigger, I imagine a "psychic" web being weaved from the center of the room to its edges. The web is charged with a solid, stable, fixed energy that brings everyone to center, calms harsh emotions and puts everyone and everything in the proper place for the bigger picture, the bigger pattern. It doesn't always last long, and if people have decided to cause conflict, nothing you do can prevent that, but the effect often creates a safe space to take a peaceful breath, clear your head and sort out any difficulties that have arisen.

Usually I don't deconstruct the web, but let it dissolve naturally, much like a spider's own web.

If you don't feel an affinity to spider, you might try this effect through other means. I hope it inspires you to new acts of instant magick, calling upon the individual gifts of your animal spirit guides.

Spirit Bandage

Intention: For long term healing, to keep healing energies flowing even when you cannot focus on the healing.

Colors: Green, Gold

Triplicy: Mutable

Element: All

Chakra: Root, Heart, all chakras

Planet: Mercury

Entities: All deities of healing such as Sekmet, Isis, Bast, Thoth, Anubis, Imhotep, Apollo, Asclepius, Athena, Minerva, Hermes, Mercury, Hygeia, Pan, Gaia, Rudra, Shiva, Quan Yin, Bridget, Cernunnos, Bel, Dagda, Diancecht, Gwydion, Nuada, Merlin and archangel Raphael. Ascended master St. Germaine.

Words: Every moment I'm growing more and more healthy Description: Through this spell, I imagine myelf being wrapped up in bands of healing energy, much like the bandages of a mummy. If I have an injury or affliction, I put the bandage around that specific area. If I am working on any mental-emotional-spiritual healing, or an overall illness, I imagine the bandages mummifying me completely, soaking my body with healing. I find this technique particularly helpful when I'm going to bed. When I wake up, I'm feeling much better, as if my healing ritual continued throughout the night.

Spirit Gate

Intention: Opens a Temporary Gateway Between Worlds

Colors: Any color, though I usually use blue and purple

Triplicy: Mutable

Element: Depends on the gate, but usually Water works best because of its association with the West and the land of the ancestors.

Chakra: Third eye

Planet: Jupiter, Neptune, Mercury

Entities: Psychopomps and Guardians of the Gateways and Cross Roads, deities of the underworld, including Hermes, Mercury, Hecate, Hades, Persephone, Pluto, Proserpina, Anubis, Osiris, Hel, Morgan, and Cernunnos. Animal spirits crow, raven and ant. Plant spirits of poisonous herbs, particularly aconite, mandrake and nightshade. Obsidian and onyx stone spirits.

Words: I open this gate to the spirit world for the highest good.

Description: Working with spirit gates are usually done through more complicated rituals, though they can be effectively created when using instant magick. Spirit gates are only created with reason, and are not something to be played with. Make sure you close the gate once you are finished, to prevent anything else from crossing through it.

The first time I used one I didn't entirely know what I was doing. I simply followed my guidance. While driving home from school one day, I saw a crow that was hit by a car. One wing looked mangled, and it was trying to fly with its one good wing, with no success. I instinctively went to pull over to try to help it, having no idea what I would actually do, but I have a connection to crows and needed to do something. Before I could reach the bird, another car struck it and killed it. A flashing insight from my spirit guides asked me to create a blue sphere around the body, so soothe the crow's spirit, with the intention of a gateway to send it gently from its state of pain and confusion to the peace of the realm of the dead. I did so, and immediately felt a shift in myself and the area. I then collapsed the ball of light to close the gateway. Though I'm sure the crow's spirit would have made it to the next world, pain and confusion can cause it to linger in torment. I have subsequently used this technique when finding animal bodies that have died violently, usually by automotive death. I've also used it in situations when I am cleansing a house where spirits seem to be lingering. Persistent or malicious spirits are not so easily banished, but I've found this technique helpful in situations where the spirit is simply confused and needs help crossing over.

Sword of Truth

Intention: To Know When the Truth Is or Is Not Spoken

Colors: Blue, White

Triplicy: Cardinal

Element: Air

Chakra: Throat

Planet: Jupiter, Venus

Entities: Deities of Truth and justice, such as Artemis, Diana, Hera, Juno, Zeus, Jupiter, Apollo, Ares, Mars, Athena, Minerva, Themis, Heckate, Osiris, Isis, Horus, Maat, Anubis, Tyr, and Odin. Archangel Raphael, angel of Air and King Paralda, ruler of the element of Air. Crow animal spirit. Lapis Lazuli and Turquoise stone spirit. Ascended masters Sananda and Serapis Bey.

Words: I speak the truth and know when the truth is spoke to me.

Description: We'd all like to think we know the truth when its spoken, and ideally we do when we listen to our intuition and inner voice. Though there are times when others can fool us, or we fool ourselves into hearing what we want to hear, or what we are afraid to hear, rather than knowing the truth. The tool of the element of air, the blade, is often embodied in myth as the sword of truth-both the faculties of reason and the powers of justice, of higher truth. By invoking the highest powers of the elemental of air and of the powers of truth and justice, you can have greater clarity in knowing when a communication is truth or falsehood, and base future decision upon it. I've found the technique particularly helpful in business negotiations.

Through your instant trigger, call upon the powers of truth, however you embody them-the element of air, a particular entity, color or planet-and then visualize a blazing sword between you and the person you are communicating with. I imagine it with electric blue flames. If you are conversing through the computer, simply imagine it psychically between you, if not literally. Divine the truth by the flames brightness and darkness. When the flames are dim around the sword, the communication is somehow false, consciously or unconsciously. If the flames glow brightly, it is true.

When done with the exchange, thank and release the sword, mentally erasing it from the space between the two of you.

Violet Flame

Intention: Cleansing, Purifying

Colors: Violet

Triplicy: Mutable

Element: Fire, Spirit

Chakra: Crown

Planet: Jupiter, Pluto

Entities: The ascended master known as Saint Germain, master of the seventh, or violet ray, Tzadkiel, archangel of Jupiter.

Words: I call upon the Violet Flame to cleanse this space.

Description: Violet flame mythology is found more in New Age esoter- ics based upon Theosophy than in traditional magick, but I find this technique so powerful, I couldn't help but include it. In the Theosophical model, the divine is divided into a variety of "Rays", each corresponding to a color, a purpose and spiritual being said once to be human, but who ascended from the wheel of rebirth to be a spiritual teacher and master. The model is not so different from our chakra or planetary paradigms. The seventh ray, or violet ray concerns ceremony, magick and healing, and is headed by the modern mythic figure Saint Germain. Considering his association with alchemy and hermetics, he is an ideal theosophical patron from modern witches and mages. Many believe him to be the Arthurian mage Merlin, or at least one of the Merlin priest mages, in a past incarnation, before ascending in the life of the European alchemist. Saint Germain is credited with quite a number of channeled books, articles and healing systems. Some individuals claim to be his sole earthly voice, but I have found the ascended masters, much like all divine figures, are available to all.

The violet flame is a cleansing light, being the highest part of the color spectrum. Calling upon the violet flame, often through the mediating intelligence of Saint Germain, creates a zone of cleansing and purification, banishing all unwanted forces and entities. I envision violet flame before and after all my sessions, classes and rituals, using it much like the traditional purification rituals of salt, water and incense, or the ceremonial Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. I personally still use these rituals, but often back them up with the violet flame, or use only the violet flame when I'm in a rush and can't perform full rituals.

The flame, often described as a red-violet with hints of silver flickering in it, starts in the center of the space, and expands outward, raising the vibration of the area. Working on the same principle as high vibrational incense and oils, anything of a lower, dense or harmful vibration must either transform, or leave the space. The flame quickly dies back, leaving the space balanced and clear.

Well of Compassion

Intention: Creating A Flow of Compassion Energy

Colors: Green, Pink, Turquoise

Triplicy: Mutable

Element: Water

Chakra: Heart

Planet: Neptune

Entities: Goddess or Gods associated with wells, healing and/or compassion. I call upon Brid. Other possibilities include Quan Yin, Tara, Maat, Amaterasu, Shiva and the archengles Gabriel and Michael. Ascended master Sananda and Kuthumi.

Words: I am infinite compassion

Description: The well of compassion is a technique I when I became overwhelmed with being in public situations. Since then I have shared it with healers, social workers and therapist who are versed in magick, and we have all found it a staple in our magickal bag of tricks.

Some situations require you to be present, attentive and compassionate, but on the personal level, you are having difficulties because a person is too overwhelming, draining, talkative or depressed. You can be fully protected, having your boundaries and shields in place, and not be losing energy, but your heart just isn't in it.

As you are working with an individual or group, subtly do your instant magick trigger, and call upon a healing, compassionate deity. Visualize a well or spring overflowing in your heart. Silently state your affirmation. Feel the universal, divine compassionate energy flow from your heart, fill you and spill out to the room and people you are working with. It's not your personal energy, so you will not be drained. Its flowing through you.

Notice how your mood, attitude and the general dynamic of the situation changed for the better. When you are done, simply thank the deity and allow the image of the well to fade from your heart.

Wheel of Fortune

Intention: Manifesting "good luck" and prosperity

Colors: Green, Blue, Purple

Triplicy: Mutable

Element: Earth, Fire

Chakra: Heart, Throat, Third Eye

Planet: Jupiter, Venus

Entities: Hermes, as a god of Gambling, and other deities associated with good fortune and luck, such as Zeus, Jupiter, Saturn, Hecate, Fortuna, Isis, Lakshmi, Ganesha, Freyja, Thor, Gefion and Danu. Angel Sachiel archangel Tzadkiel. Plant spirits Money Plant, Cinna mon, Cloves and most spicy herbs. Stone spirits amethyst, citrine, emerald, purple fluorite, lapis lazuli and malachite.

Words: I am prosperous and fortunate.

Description: The Wheel of Fortune tarot card often signifies a change of fortune, a change of probability in the cycles of life. Usually it means an opportunity of prosperity or good luck. By using it as an instant magick symbol, we can create prosperity and good luck in our life. Magick wielders know there is no such thing as good or bad luck, or random chance. Everything occurs for a reason, but the source of our difficulties is unclear, it can appear to be luck. Misfortunate is often simply an energetic block, and this wheel can clear energetic blocks that not longer serve a higher purpose.

I have used it for a more immediate effect in games of chance, such as the slot machines at a casino, but never to any great winnings. It can also be used to change the general outcome and fortune when you feel like you are continually blocked, when the wheel's polarity is not spinning in favor of you. Other spells can be done for a specific effectmoney, new job, etc.-but this act will simply turn the tides and bring you many previously unseen opportunities.

Through a light meditative state, imagine a wheel of light spinning in front of you. Like a roulette wheel, imagine it stopping in a place that symbolizes you "winning." Feel your excitement from the "game" you have won, and as you feel the energy of your meditation, draw it into you. Imagine the wheel vibrantly filled with light, and as you inhale, bring that fortunate energy into you, into your body and aura. Return to normal state of consciousness, and allow the fortunate "luck" to come into your life.

At first this section reminded me too much of a sci-fi fantasy role playing game book, with such specific spells and correspondences. And in the modern rites of magick, using both ancient and modern models and lore, there is nothing wrong with that. Our fantasy comes from our past mysticism and magick. I recently had someone not involved in magick ask me if I played a lot of the Dungeon and Dragons game as a kid, be cause my classes and correspondences seemed to be outlined in similar levels. I had a hard time explaining to this person that the idea of such levels of initiation and correspondence come from traditions of ritual and magick across the world and across the ages. They didn't start in a role playing game.

In the spirit of modern magick, use whatever images and correspondences activate your magickal mind. Many modern magician's borrow from popular lore, including the stories of H.P. Lovecraft, Anne Rice or even Buffy the Vampire Slayer, working with new thoughtforms society is placing a lot of energy into. Though it's personally not my cup of tea, find your own magical inspiration. Remember this is only a springboard for you learning to integrate your magick into daily life. Once you understand how magick is not something you do, but something you are, there will be little need for rotes and spell books.

chapter five

Spell Crafting

Now that you have a primer of instant magick spells to inspire you, let's talk about how you can create your own spells to suit whatever your needs are at the time. Once you understand the process, you don't have to really have anything prepared in advance, you can create something in the moment to fulfill your needs.

Basic Instant Magick

Instant magick doesn't have to complicated. It doesn't have to use correspondences, colors, entities or planets. Those tools are given to help you, particular for people who feel they are not talented at basic visualization skills. Such correspondences are to show that simple magick can be worked in many ways.

The basic concept and application of instant magick can be found in my previous book, The Inner Temple of Witchcraft: Magick, Meditation and Psychic Development. The basic technique I initially learned from my teachers was to focus on what you want to create, hold your instant magick trigger and in your mind's eye, with eyes open or closed, visualize the outcome of your intention. Again focus on the goal, not how it will manifest. Create and image of the outcome occurring and how you feel when it happens. Hold it for a few moments, or simply repeat it two or three times, and then let it go. Assume the magick will occur and go about your business.

The only drawback to this simple technique is if you have difficulty visualizing-creating and holding images in your mind - you might have difficulty being confident in your work. In fact, the more detailed versions of instant magick spells evolved out of my students' difficulties with visualization. By incorporating numerous correspondences, students could work with the symbols and systems that the yare most suited to use, and discard the others.

Instant Magick by Correspondence

In traditional spellcraft, I learned and teach that although visualization is very helpful and powerful, intent is the most important thing. The rituals of folk magick work even when the practitioner does not have strong visuals. A candle spell can be done with poetry and verse. A petition spell can be done in plain words, calling upon the Goddess and God. Sympathetic magick involves ritual actions. The "image" is in the actions. Nothing needs to be visualized.

Since traditional spells can be worked with many different systems of correspondence, some students wanted to apply those correspondences to acts of instant magick, rather than use long and complicated rituals. They would come to me and tell me how they got instant magick to work just by visualizing a color and thinking about their intention. Another was successful by repeating an affirmation, and had instant success, beyond the power of suggestion. One would "talk" to the spirits of the objects, places and people involved, receiving good results. Magical energy was raised and projected. A few others simply "said" their intention to their spirit guide or deity. I was amazed at the variety of expressions instant magick can take. They don't require crisp visualization, just feeling and intent.

Creating your own spells, instant magick or otherwise, has three basic components.

1. Creativity

2. Knowledge

3. Divine Inspiration

Part of the process simply is creativity. Necessity is truly the mother of invention, and when you need to create something, it can spur your creative mind and imagination to solve the problem. Like magick itself, you need desire to make it work. If you don't want to create a new result, then it will be more difficult.

The second part of spell crafting is knowledge or research. For instant magick, it is essential to understand the symbol systems that work best for you, even if they don't match traditional systems. What aspect of the correspondence calls to you? Do you like working with color? Elements? Planets? Notice from the previous meditations how color corresponds with both elements and planets. Do you feel a direct connection to particular spirits, or deities? Perhaps they can aid your magick. Do you like working with words, visualization, the energy centers of the body? Pick the tools and mediums that work best for you, but don't be afraid to stretch your wings. The more you understand symbols and symbol systems, and experience what works for you, the better you can craft new magick. Study mythology, rituals and traditional spell casting to expand your toolbox. Though we call it instant magick, there is actually quite a bit of study and research to do. If you desire to call upon an entity listed in one of Chapter Four's spells, it is probably prudent to research that entity if you know nothing about it. Without this knowledge, you might be surprised to know who or what you are inviting into your life. Some could consider my inclusion of the entities as irresponsible, but like older magical texts, I think the mysteries shouldn't be explained completely in any one book. Each should leave room for your own experience and research.

The last component of spell crafting is truly divine inspiration. All spells already exist. Some would say they exist in the memory of the world, in the akashic records, the spirit imprints of everything that is, was and will be. Regular meditation, ritual and awareness of the world can help you tap into this divine information more easily. Ask the divine creative force-however you see it-for help when crafting your spells.

Spell Design

Any given instant magick effect can be designed and implemented in a number of ways. Any of them are correct, as long as it works for you. It can take a lot of experimentation with the different styles to find the way that works best.

For example, you are outdoors doing a ritual that includes a candle being lit. The wind begins to blow and you fear you will not get it lit and have it stay lit. First know that as powerful and wonderful as candle magick can be, the lighting of the flame is not always crucial. You can do the ritual outdoors and light the candle inside.

Perhaps it is a wedding or handfasting ceremony, and the couple really would like a candle to be a part of the ritual. Those not understanding magical principle might think that the wedding is doomed if the candle does not light, a sign from the gods. So it would be easier for all concerned if the wind died down a bit for the ritual, and the candle stayed lit. With a little bit of instant magick, this is possible.

Though there are a few ways to approach it, the easiest would be to gently stop the wind from blowing in the ritual area for the duration of the ceremony. You are not preventing the wind from blowing at all, nor are you altering major weather patterns. You are simply looking for a lull in the winds that coincides with your ritual.

Here are some suggestions to execute that intent. Realize that although they come in separate categories, they are not mutually exclusive. You can enhance your magick by incorporating more than one technique into it. You are not stuck in any one specific paradigm or expression of magick. All work harmoniously together.

Basic Visualization

In the most basic form of instant magick, activate your trigger and imagine the duration of the ceremony without wind. Feel your elation at the end, knowing the candle flame stayed lit.

Elemental

Activate your trigger and feel your connection to the element of air. Feel your will merge with the atmosphere, and gently slow and nudge the air into not blowing during the ceremony. You can also visualize the Earth energy rising up, forming a barrier, blocking the wind and safely redirecting it.

Triplicy

To create a place of tranquility, the energy of the fixed, or sustaining aspect of the triplicy is needed. In your mind's eye, imagine weaving a web of sold, strong energy around the area, creating a zone of tranquility and stability, without movement or change. You can also use the image of a ring of light, bubble or pillar, formed from stable, fixed energy.

Planetary

Start by deciding what planet is most appropriate for quieting the winds. On first glance, Jupiter is a good choice. Known for its peace and inner quiet, good fortune and named after the sky and storm king who can create or banish the clouds, this energy would be appropriate to the task at hand. With your trigger held, visualize the symbol of Jupiter in blue or purple, its colors, and feel it expand to fill the space with blue or purple, creating a zone of Jupiterian peace. With different reasoning, one might pick Mercury, for clear air and because the planet has no atmosphere, or perhaps Saturn, to slow and bind the winds. It all depends on your creative imagination.

Colors

Many of the potential colors have been covered in the air symbolism and Jupiter symbolism. You could visualize a bubble of blue, or purple creating a zone of stillness with the use of your trigger. Yellow, for the clarity of mind, is also another air color found in ritual magick. Orange for Mercury is another possible choice. When in doubt, a crystal white light can be used for almost any intention. Perhaps working on the op posite element, not air, but earth, can create the zone of stillness. Deep greens, browns and other earthen tones can stem the frenzied wind and create a grounded zone where the candle will remain lit. You can create balls of energy, as you did in Exercise 2, and you're your will imprint them with specific colors and intentions.

Chakras

Much like the colors spell craft, if blue is the appropriate color, radiating peace from the throat chakra can create a zone of tranquility. Imagine drawing energy from the Earth and Sky, through your chakra column and radiating it out from your throat.

Spirits

Call upon spirits who govern the air currents. The elemental king of Air, Paralda, is a good choice. You can make your silent inner petition as such, "I call upon the King of Elemental Air, Pralda. I ask that your mighty winds subside to tranquility for the duration of this ritual. I honor you and thank you for your kindness, for the good of all, harming none. So mote it be." Other beings include the sky deities Uranus, Zeus, Jupiter, Hera, Juno, Thor, Tarranis and Nuit. You could also call upon Raphael, the angel of elemental air.

Words

Affirmations can not only affect your own consciousness, but have great impact on the environment around you. There is power in a few well chosen words said with clear and direct intent. Something as simple as, "The air is still and quiet. So mote it be" repeated three, nine or twenty seven times in a row, can create change. Affirmations in multiples of three are very powerful, used to connect the three selves, the conscious, psychic and higher minds that are synchronized when entering an altered state. Doing this, and any affirmation, with your trigger makes it much more powerful.

Through this simple rundown, you have a variety of ways to implement your will and create tangible, magical change. Combine them in ways that suit you. I personally might combine the planetary evocation of Jupiter's energy with a spiritual petition to the god Jupiter /Zeus and visualize the flame staying lit the entire ceremony.

Another example of instant magick spell crafting could be healing a wilted plant in your window garden. Healing plants is very similar to healing people, animals, land or anything else. Again going through our paradigm models, we could find many ways to accomplish this goal. Again all of these are done in conjunction with your instant magick trigger, unless you choose to get into a deeper state of meditation and work on a deeper level with the techniques.

Basic Visualization

In your mind's eye, simply imagine the wilting plant reversing its deterioration, becoming healthy, vital and alive.

Elemental

Is there a particular element at loss here? If so, physically correct the imbalance before calling upon elemental energy. Common sense is as important as magick, even more so in most cases. Don't overlook the obvious. Does the plant need more water? Is the soil healthy? Is there enough air and light? Once the practical concerns are remedied, feel the elemental energies you feel are most appropriate. Earth is for physical healing, and would be primary in this case, but you can repeat this process with each element. Remember the feeling and qualities of each element when you call upon it. Feel your will evoke the energy of each element, and use that energy to nourish, heal and grow the plant back to a balanced, healthy state. Use your intention to direct the elemental energy into the plant.

Triplicy

For aiding an ailing plant, I might choose mutable energy, because of its adaptable vibration. The third aspect of the triplicy is about renewal and transformation, so it feels appropriate. Keeping with our weaver imagery for the triplicy, I would imagine the tired and loose "strings" of energy connected to the lifeless plant. With that image, I would "pull" the string up like a puppet, animating the plant and returning it to an upright state.

Planetary

Planets associated with healing include Mercury, as the caduceus of Mercury is the modern medical symbol. Venus has a strong association with plants. Either could be used for this work. Imagine the glyph you have chosen, in its associated color. Project that glyph into the plant, with your intention for healing. Let its vital force animate the plant.

Colors

The obvious color for plant healing would be green. If the plant flowers and the flower is a particular color, that color too, will match its vibration and be beneficial in healing. Perform exercise 2 and create your ball of energy. Change it to the appropriate color for healing and gently "feed" it to the plant, letting the plant slowly soak up its energy.

Chakras

Imagine drawing energy up from the earth through your feet and body. Feel the energy flow out of the heart chakra, the center of green growth and vitality. Radiate your loving heart energy out to the plant to revitalize it.

Spirits

Any beings associated with nature could help in plant healing. Aphrodite, besides being a goddess of love, is a goddess of nature. Flowers spring up in her passing. Demeter is the goddess of all growing things. She and her daughter Persephone control the seasons, according to Greek myth. The Norse pair of deities, Freya and Frey have strong associations with nature and the green land. The Celtic Green Man is of course an obvious choice. Uriel is the archangel associated with the element of earth, and appropriate for the work.

Figure 11: Caduceus

Figure 12: Astrological Glyph of Mercury and Venus

Words

"This plant is completely healthy, for the highest good, harming none. So mote it be!" is an appropriate affirmation for plant healing. Try holding the plant while repeating the statement.

In the case of such healings, you can repeat the process several times, as often as you intuitively feel is necessary. Gauge your actions based on the plant's response to your magick.

One of first and foremost concerns when it comes to healing should be addressed before any of these techniques are attempted. You must seek permission of the recipient. This is so vital for the ethics of healing, and is stressed more in human healing spells than anything else, but all beings capable of being healed should be asked first. Sometimes a person, plant or area of land is undergoing great transformation through illness, and on the highest soul level, does not actually want the process to be stopped or healed through conventional means. If that's the case, you really can't do much to heal the situation anyway, at least in the long term, until the being decides on that higher level it's time to heal.

If you attempt a healing that goes against the recipient's higher will, there is a process of energetic struggle. Magick is real energy, and the recipient must expend a certain amount of energy to return itself to the state that is most correct for it, even if that state is a state of illness. The struggle can distract it from fully participating in the lessons and experiences at hand. That is why, as ethical magical practitioners, we ask permission first. When someone is consciously engaged in the healing process it is much more effective, and they have the opportunity to explore their personal will and divine will in a fully conscious way, be able to participate in all the experiences available.

The process of receiving "permission" from a plant might seem silly. I know I thought it was when I was first told about it, but it can be quite moving. You can use this to ask healing permission of beings, though with humans, its best to attempt conscious permission first. The Animal Communication and Plant Communication spells from the previous chapter can also be used in those situations.

Exercise 9

Higher Self Connection

Use this same process in designing your own spells. When you become well versed in all the components, it will become quite easy and intuitive. A list of correspondences with all the various systems discusses is included at the end of this book to help you out.

Pick a situation where magick could come in handy, and design a pattern, a spell, that could transform and aid that situation. The more you do it, the easier it will be. Use the spells from the last chapter as inspiration.

chapter six

Advanced Instant Magick

At first glance, you might be tempted to think the spells of instant magick are just cheap parlor tricks, simple momentary changes to make life easier, without deeper significance. And at first glance, that might be true. When training in magick, it's best to start with the smaller steps. Build up your little victories to have great confidence in larger works.

When you reflect on it, the technique of instant magick is to find your tools within, and within the energetic environment around you. Traditional ritual tools serve the purpose of attracting, harnessing and directing the natural energies in your magick. A wand naturally resonates with the life energy of the tree that spawned it. The metal of the blade has natural properties in tune with iron and the fire used to forge it.

Unfortunately many people get so involved in finding the perfect tools, and not being able to do magick without their tools, they forget the natural energies are already around them in abundance. If you can find those qualities within you, then the forces of magick will flow with you. Instant magick gives you smaller ways to tap into those forces, ways to bring the magick into your everyday life.

There is no reason such techniques cannot be applied to more "advanced" forms of magick and ritual. You can find yourself in situations where the appropriate tools are not present, yet still have very magical experiences. Impromptu road trips, visiting friends and family, and even the emergencies of life have forced me, and other witches and magicians, to figure out different ways to tap into our magick, ways that are always often found in our ritual books and traditional training.

Granted, most of us are coming to these experiences with a strong foundation in traditional magick, ritual and spellcraft. We adapt and make do with what we have, and are familiar with the energies of traditional ritual magick. With that familiarity, the essence of the energies can be evoked more easily. We know the right "vibration" to tune into it because we've done it many times before, under more traditional circumstances.

If you haven't had a lot of traditional experience, this next section might be a leap for you. I would suggest studying it, but also studying traditional spellcraft and ritual. Learning about the four ritual toolsthe wand, blade, pentacle and chalice - along with the cauldron, candles, incense, herbs and stones, is crucial.

Just because I advocate a tradition of inner magick and inner tools, I do not think that the old ways are no longer relevant. They are quite wonderful, and in many situations I prefer them. I just want to demonstrate they are not the only way. Each of us must find the magick that is perfect for us, in every moment and place. A more dogmatic traditionalist would probably not agree, and find such magick absurd, but in the end, I always suggest you have an open mind, and find what works for you. Such things have worked for me, but have not become a complete replacement to my traditional ceremony and craft.

Deep Meditation Magick

If being in a light meditative state induced by your trigger can create such wonderful changes in daily life, imagine how deeper states of consciousness can affect your reality. A quick light meditative state seems to work well for quick light results. These things are helpful, but are not as serious. "Like attracts like," or so the old magical saying goes. Getting a parking space is wonderful, but if you are able-bodied, having to walk is not that big a deal. Not getting the parking space sometimes can help you appreciate when your magick does work, and generate a sense of gratitude.

Deeper, longer lasting and more profound magick is facilitated by a deeper state of consciousness. A longer period of meditation can prepare and focus the mind, aligning your will and energy, aligning your conscious, psychic and divine minds, for the task at hand.

Through using the same techniques and focuses, but while in a deeper meditative state, as facilitated by practicing Exercise 1, you can initiate life changes and make more dramatic leaps. The bigger the result, the less "instant" it might be, taking longer to manifest on the spiritual planes of existence and precipitate as a reality in the physical world. No real timeline can be given for manifestation, since each situation is unique. I've heard arbitrary rules about things taking at least three days, three weeks or a Moon cycle to manifest. I've had some pretty spectacular instant results, and waited several months for other things. Be confident in your magick, and know if it's your true will and you executed the spell properly, it will manifest.

Inner Circle Casting

One of the primary forms of ritual in Wicca and forms of Ceremonial Magick is creating a protective circle in which to do magick. The circle is traditionally cast around an altar, using a wand, staff or blade to mark the boundaries. The four quarters, and their associated elements, are evoked to guard and guide the proceedings of the ritual. Energy is raised, programmed through the spell work and released to manifest. Tools such as candles, incense, herbs, stones and charms are a part of making the magick. When done, the four quarters are dismissed and the circle released.

To do a circle in the more meditative style of this book, your only tools will be your own will, intentions and inner feelings of the magical energies. It can definitely help if you are experienced in traditional circle-casting, and want to apply the technique to your instant magick, particularly for when you are away from the standard tools and altar set up.

Though it may seem controversial to some, I was blessed with teachers who stressed the idea that we have all the tools inside us. Your hand is your wand and your blade. Your heart is the cup. Your body is the pentacle. Don't let the lack of tools prevent you from doing magick and practicing your craft.

Start by facing either the north or the east. Some prefer the east for the power of the rising sun and new beginnings, but I was taught to start in the north, to tap in the natural flow of magnetic power from the North Pole. If you were doing this in the Southern Hemisphere, face the south and move counterclockwise, to be in harmony with that hemisphere's energy.

Use exercise 1 to get into a meditative state. Though you can do this with your eyes open, and actually move around and speak out loud, as you would in a traditional ritual, it might be easier to do it all mentally and silently when first trying the technique out. Intent is the most important thing. Your magical energy will follow a strong intent. When you are comfortable with it, trying doing the tool-less ritual in a lighter meditative state, eyes open while moving around and speaking.

Ideally you can use Violet Flame (Chapter Four) or something similar to cleanse the space before you create your circle. Traditionally the space is cleansed with incense, fire, salt, water or the besom, but with instant magick, we are using pure energy and intent.

Once in a meditative state where you are aware of energy, have cleansed the space and are facing the appropriate direction, create a ball of light before you, at least beyond arm's reach. Traditional circles often have a diameter of nine or thirteen feet, so the ball of light could be 4.5 or 6.5 feet away from you, assuming you are located in the center of it. The light is often a prismatic white light, electric blue or violet. Use whatever color feels most correct for you and evocative of sacred space. The color may change of its own accord as you perform this ritual.

With the power of your will, the power behind the wand, move that ball of light clockwise around you, to your right, then behind you, at the same distance, to your left and back to its place of origin. Let the light trail, creating a ring of light around you. Pay particularly attention to your back, since most people will collapse their aura in the back area, since we often don't pay attention to our back and symbolically to our past. A balanced magical worker stands in the center and is aware of all directions and space.

Repeat this motion three times, as quickly or as slowly as comfortable, to create a magick circle around you. Each ring could be a different color as you draw it. Pay attention and see what the colors are teaching you. Focus on the intention of creating sacred space. Create an intention of blocking out all unwanted influences. Create an intention of moving between the worlds, creating your own miniature cosmos to do your magick.

Now anchor and balance the circle with the four creative forces of the elements. I will use the set of correspondences that I personally prefer, starting in the north, and using earth, fire, air and water respectively. Other traditions and systems use other elements for the directions. You can adapt those traditional elemental correspondences to this technique. If you are well versed in ritual, and call upon specific guardians for the four directions, such as archangels, elemental kings or the four winds of Greek myth, feel free to adapt these quarter "calls" as well.

Bring your attention to the north. Feel the energy that is elemental earth. Traditionally it is characterized as being cool and dry. It is solid. It is the foundation, the power of manifestation. It is your body, and the world. Feel this energy. Invite the energy of earth to your circle, to guide and protect you in this magick. Call upon the guardians and watchers of elemental earth for their help.

Once you feel this presence and acknowledge it, bring your attention to the East. You don't have to turn around if you don't want to. Sometimes that can be disruptive. Simply bring your mental attention to the east.

Feel the energy that is elemental fire, characterized by the qualities of warm and dry. It is energetic and dynamic. It is changing and transforming. It is passion, intensity and the soul. Feel this power within and around you. Invite the energy of fire to your circle, to guide and protect you in this magick. Call upon the guardians and watcher spirits assigned to the element of fire for their help. Once you feel this power and acknowledge it, bring your attention to the south.

Feel the energy of elemental air within you. Air is the breath, but also the mind, intellect and power of communication. Air is warm and moist, carrying thought and sound upon itself. Feel the element as a part of you, and the connective force in the world. We all breathe the same air. Invite the energy of air to your circle, to guide and protect you in this magick. Call upon the guardians and watchers of air for their help. Once you feel the energy and acknowledge it, bring your attention to the west.

Feel the energy of elemental water, the waters of life and love. Water is the flowing force that we all need to survive, characterized by being cool and wet, loving and nurturing, yet forceful and cleansing. Feel the water that consists of your body, and the emotions that permeate your being. Invite the power of water to your circle, to guide and protect you in this magick. Call upon the guardians and the watchers of water for their help. Once you feel the element of water, and acknowledge it, bring your attention to the center.

Feel the divine power. Feel the divine power within. Feel the divine power manifesting all things, on all levels. Feel the source of all, the Great Spirit. Call upon divinity to be with you in this circle, to make itself known. In many forms of magick, particularly Wicca and witchcraft, the divine would be acknowledged as both God and Goddess. Ask in your heart and mind that all acts in this sacred circle be in accord with divine will, harming none. When you feel the connective force of the divine, you can invite any other spirits and entities that are appropriate for your intention. If you have a favorite guiding spirit, angel, ancestors or power animal, they can be invited into the sacred space.

Any magick can be done in this space. You can do the instant magick spells, and any deeper acts of meditative magick. What you will in this space will manifest, so choose wisely. You can form your magical intention as a petition. Some practitioner read a written petition in ritual, usually burning the paper. Here, without ritual tools, I suggest you form your intention or affirmation and repeat it three times. I usually phrase my petition spells to start with a call to the divine, ask for what I want, and then thank the divine, asking that it be for the highest good. You can also use this format:

I, (state your name), ask in the name of the Goddess, God and Great Spirit, to be granted (state your intention). I thank the Goddess, God and Great Spirit for this, and ask that it before the highest good, harming none. So mote it be.

If you don't see the divine energy as the Goddess, God and Great Spirit, you can use whatever words are right for you, such as "I ask in the name of the Universe ..." Many traditions of circle casting are very conscious of the Moon cycles, only doing magick to receive things when the Moon is waxing, or growing in light and doing magick to banish things when the Moon is waning, or lessening in light. Though I generally follow this rule, but with simple acts of instant magick, I've found it doesn't matter. I can hold an intention for a parking space near the door when the Moon is waning. So for some forms of more advanced, inner magick, I've found you can do things when you feel the need to do them, even if it doesn't fit with traditional Moon lore.

Spells don't have to be done in your circle. You can also choose not to do spellwork, but to meditate, commune with the gods or celebrate the moment.

If you choose to do spells, then you must release their energy. Whatever energy you have raised in your circle, imagine sending your intent out with a burst of power. In witchcraft, this is often called a "cone of power" done by raising the arms to the sky in a sweeping motion, sending each intent outward. Traditionally one can do three spells per circle without weakening the outcome.

When done, don't simply wake up and walk away. You lay between worlds, and must close the gateways and space before you continue in the waking world. It is very important to close the space. If you don't close the space, your own energy can be imbalanced, as well as the energy of the environment around you.

Bring your attention to the north. Hold the intention of thanking and releasing the forces of elemental earth. Hold the intention of closing the gateway. Feel the earth energy pull back. Then move your attention to the west, moving counterclockwise to break the space down and return it to normal. Counterclockwise movement ends the ritual, and is also known as widdershins.

In the west, hold the intention of thanking and releasing the power of elemental water. Hold the intention of closing the gateway. Feel the water energy recede.

Bring your attention to the south, and again, thank and release the power of elemental air. Hold your intention of closing the gateway. Feel the energy of air return to its source and leave your space.

Move widdershins and bring your attention to the east. Thank and release the power of elemental fire. Close the gateway of fire with your intention. Feel the power of fire withdraw from your circle.

In the center, thank the divine power and all spirits you have invited and acknowledged. You may not feel them recede in the same way the elements do. In Wiccan magick circles, often the ritual is worded, "We thank all spirits of Perfect Love and Perfect Trust. Stay if you will, go if you must. Hail and farewell." The same sentiment is here, even if the circle is done silently within your consciousness.

Bring your attention again to the north, and imagine tracing the circle counterclockwise around you. Move to your left, behind you, to your right and back to the north. You can imagine the light erasing away, or expanding out infinitely to the universe. Either will dismiss the sacred space and close the gateways between worlds. When done, return yourself to normal consciousness and ground as necessary.

For more information on traditional ritualistic circle casting with tools, the altar, spoken words and physical spell craft, refer to my book, The Outer Temple of Witchcraft: Circles, Spells and Rituals.

Meditative Ritual at the Inner Temple

For those who favor traditional ritual, but realize that due to circumstances, it's not always possible; these inner techniques give you a few options. You can use all of your traditional tool techniques even when the tools are not in your possession.

I am a firm believer in the inner temple traditions, working with the forces and teachers of the inner planes, and part of my teaching is to emphasize this again in the witchcraft communities. Inner temple traditions are found in all kinds of mystical orders, not just witchcraft. The basis is finding your inner sacred space, from which all magick and ritual sacred space flows. Learning outward ritual, through tools and traditions, is one way of getting in contact with the inner sacred, and is the most traditional and well-known method in most forms of religion and mysticism. Once you have a connection to your sacred source, you can adapt the techniques and work with different methods.

The inner temple is a sacred space envisioned with you, within your sacred source. It is intimate to your connection with the universe, within you, yet connected to everyone and everything. It functions as your personal "home base" in the spiritual planes, where you can meet with the spirits of guidance, teaching and healing. It serves as an inner magical laboratory for the experiments of transformation. The inner temple is a place of safety, a magical retreat to contemplate and experience the divine. It can serve as a launching pad into new territories and realities. In reality, the temple serves whatever purpose is needed in your quest for understanding and experiencing the sacred.

One experience that is not often taught is using the inner temple to create outward magical change. Any ritual or spell craft you can do in the physical world, with your physical body, can also be done in the inner temple. If you would do a traditional candle spell, but find yourself in a place where you cannot do a candle spell-you're a guest in someone else's home, the people around you would not understand, you don't have any candles, you're at work, etc.-you can do it in the inner temple.

Through meditation and inner pathworking, visit your inner temple, your inner sacred space. The temple may not be a temple at all, but a place in nature. It will reflect your own spirituality, from this life and perhaps previous ones. Its structure and shape will even inform and teach you on the path. A guided meditation, excerpted from my previous book, The Inner Temple of Witchcraft: Magick, Meditation and Psychic Development, is provided below if you have never experienced an inner temple meditation before. This is an abbreviated version. For the full meditation, and the corresponding information, look to the book.

Exercise 10

The Inner Temple

Start Exercise 1 and get into an altered state. In your mind's eye, visualize the great world tree, a gigantic tree reaching up to the heavens and deep below the Earth, larger than any tree you have ever seen. It is a sacred tree and you may recognize it as oak, ash, pine, willow or any other tree that has meaning for you.

Imagine the screen of your mind's eye is like a window or doorway, a portal you can easily pass through. Step through the screen and stand before the world tree. Look up and feel its power. Touch the tree and place in it the intention of visiting your inner temple.

Look around the base of the giant tree, in the roots, and search for a passageway. It may be a hole or tunnel, or even a pool of water that gives you entry into the tree. As you enter, you find yourself in a tunnel, winding and spiraling to your inner temple.

At the end of the tunnel you see a light, and you move toward that light and step out into your inner temple. Look around. Take stock of all you see. Notice all the fine details of your sacred space. Let the images come to you.

First look for a reflective surface, a mirror or pool of some kind. Gaze into the mirror and see yourself, your spiritual self, as you truly are. Look at your self-image. Do you like it? Do you like yourself? More importantly, do you love yourself? Love is the foundation of true magick. Look yourself in the eyes and tell yourself you are loved.

Leave the mirror and continue exploring, looking for your place of water. Here you bathe in the water of your own power. Think of all your worries, your hopes, fears, dreams and insecurities. Think of all the things that bring you unrest. Feel them rise out of your body and sit on the surface of your skin, then wash them away. Wash away all that does not serve your highest good and release it, to be dissolved in the waters.

Journey to the center of your temple, if you are not there already. Take a look around your sacred space. Feel it. Know it. Reflect upon its structure, shape, form and color. If there is anything about your temple you do not like, you can change it now by doing some inner spiritual decorating.

Once done, return through the world tree tunnel that brought you to this place and stand before the world tree. Step back through the screen of your mind's eye and let the world tree gently fade from view. Erase the image of the world tree, and return yourself to normal consciousness. Do any necessary grounding.

While at your inner temple, use your will, imagination and visualization skills to create whatever tools you need. Remember the wand is a focus for will. If you are in touch with your will, you can manifest an inner wand. The blade is for truth, chalice for compassion and the pentacle for sovereignty. Know these qualities within you.

If you need a red candle, manifest a red candle in your inner temple. If you want to work with particular herbs or stones, manifest them by evoking the spirit of the herb or stone. If I need vervain for a spell while at my inner temple, I would say in my inner voice, "I, Christopher John, call upon the plant spirit of vervain to aid me in the magick. Hail and welcome." I might "find" some vervain growing in my temple, or go to my inner temple's "workroom" and find a "jar" of vervain. Perhaps I will just call a vortex of vervain energy to my inner temple, without shape and form, but pure plant spirit medicine.

Perform the ritual as you normally would, but in your mind and heart. You don't have to physically move or speak, as you might in the circle casting above. "See" and "feel" yourself doing it, but your selfimage, your energy body is doing it, in your inner temple. You are still aware of your still body in the physical world. You are aware of both realities at once, but focusing your attention on the inner reality over the physical.

Cast your circle. Evoke the elements and the gods. While in the inner temple, your vision and experience of the gods and spirits can be more direct, vivid and dynamic. Go with it. They may provide additional energy or instructions that you wouldn't be as aware of when doing a physical ritual.

When done, complete the ritual as you normally would in the physical world. Then return your consciousness back to the physical world, secure that you have raised sufficient energy to make your magick work.

It's important to realize that although I personally find this technique quite wonderful, and have used it often, it's not a permanent substitute for traditional ritual. If you come from a background that will never perform traditional ritual, then this might be the only way that you do and it will be helpful. I find a balance of both inner and outer work, inner and physical rituals, are best in my own spiritual practice. The act of physically moving along with energy, physically speaking evocations and spells, and partnering with physical aspects of the natural world through stones and herbs is incredibly rewarding. I tend to use this inner technique when doing an outer ritual is not feasible or practical. I don't want to discourage you from doing ritual, or encourage you in throwing out traditional ritual if it is a part of your path. I just want to share an additional tool for your magical toolbox.

Empowering Objects

Magical energies can be infused into physical objects. They can serve as a focus for the energies, charging them with a spell, or allow you to bring out inherent powers in the object's structure or symbol. You can empower something with an intention, and then give that object away to another, so you don't have to be present to have the magick work. It's a way to bridge the gap between your mundane and magical worlds using simple tools. You can also empower objects that you will use yourself, particularly in situations where you cannot focus on your instant magick. Having a pentacle ring or pendant empowered for psychic protection is easier than continually doing your trigger and mentally reinforcing your shields when facing a friend or co-worker who constantly drains you.

When general ritual objects are empowered for ritual use, it is called charging, consecrating or hallowing. The object is cleansed of any unwanted energetic influence, and then imprinted with a specific or general intention. The ritual cup is imprinted with the energies of water and the goddess, the blade with air and the god. Usually such objects are not touched by those who are not involved in magick, and only in sacred ritual space. Many will cover them in silk until such times, fearing their power will dissipate otherwise.

Other times an object is a vessel for a specific spell-either with an end goal in sight, such as finding a lover, or a long term non-specific goal, such as general protection or health. When objects are empowered with specific spells and effects, they are said to be enchanted.

Traditionally, objects to be empowered are usually of natural substances. Though as a modern witch I have no bias against using manmade objects, but metals and stones, in particular take an intention the best and last the longest. In our magical correspondences, particularly with elements and planets, each metal is associated with a specific planet and power, and would be more appropriate for specific workings.

Most modern practitioners will not use the toxic liquid quicksilver. Some substitute aluminum for it, while others feel aluminum is not magical enough. I've had great success with aluminum. Traditionally iron is used for protection by grounding unwanted energies, like a light ning rod, so many feel it is not appropriate for non-Martian magick. Lead, likewise is very dense and grounding, and is not used for general purposes. Lead can be hard to obtain because it is potentially poisonous, so many magicians use pewter as a substitute. My favorite all purpose metals are gold, silver and copper, though copper and silver win out more due to their availability and cost when compared to gold. I like to use coins, particularly pennies and foreign coins as my medium for metal magick, unless I have a nice piece of jewelry I can focus upon.

Stone in general is a wonderful medium, particularly those with a high quartz content. Most of the standing stones of Europe, renowned for their magical abilities have quartz within them. Quartz points, polished pieces and other rocks with quartz content are excellent for magick. They are considered all purpose amplifiers, in tune with the power of the world. I also like smooth beach and river stones. Other rocks and minerals have different properties, and an exploration of mineral magick can be quite rewarding.

Wood and other plant matter is another medium for magick, and quite powerful too, though often not as long lasting as minerals and metals. Candles, for specific spells are empowered to send or receive energy, as the basis of candle magick.

Don't be limited to traditional correspondences. Anything can be empowered. Clothing, hats, jewelry, appliances, stuffed animals, toys, photos, paper, pens, paintings and food can all be vessels for magick.

The first step to empower an object is to cleanse it. Most traditions have rituals of cleansing involving salt, water, fire and smoke, but in instant magick, you can connect to cleansing energies without those rituals when needed. I hold the object, and imagine filling it with cleansing, pure light-either a crystal white light, or a white light tinged with violet, the highest color on the spectrum. I feel these intense energies, coupled by my will and intention, clearing the object and leaving it in a natural state, ready to imprint my spell upon it.

If you have a particularly powerful object you wish to use, or perhaps one with other strong energies already apparent, like an object passed down in your family, you might want to sit and meditate with the object, asking it if it wants to be used in the way you intend, and seeing what method is best to cleanse and imprint it with your magick. You can use a variation of the body talking experience, from above, to project your mind from your inner awareness, to connect with the object, and consult with its naturally accumulated wisdom and energy. You may feel your object has not accumulated a sense of consciousness to respond to you. If so, simply meditate and ask yourself if this process is right for all concerned and follow your intuition.

The second step is to actually empower the cleansed object. Think about your intention. Get into your meditative state or perform your trigger. Use the systems and tools that empower your instant magick. Connect with your appropriate energies, from whatever worldviews you hold. As you hold the object, either visualize, speak or will your specific instructions into the object. Repeat the process as many times as necessary until you feel the intention and magick has taken hold, and is completely clear to the object, and to the universe.

When done, imagine you are "fixing" the magick, so it cannot be easily undone. It's like pulling the tab on a cassette, or clicking the "read only" button on a computer file, so no one can alter your magick unless they know what they are doing. Then use the object as you have intended.

For example, I might do a spell to help a friend feel more confident in her social life. She explains she gets nervous around people she doesn't know. Women intimidate her and she gets tongue tied around men she is attracted to. I pick a nice shiny new penny. Once cleansed, I hold it and imagine it filling with waves of love. I imagine the love as green light, and it absorbs green light and reflects and pulses with this self love, radiating inner beauty, inner confidence and inner light. I imagine my friend holding the penny, and she shines with green, loving and attractive light. She looks confident. People are responding to her pleasantly. Everything in her path is smooth because she feels comfortable in herself. I finish up, fix my intent and give her the penny, telling her to carry it in the bottom of her purse somewhere and forget about it. Silently and slowly, it works its magick on her, and the changes I envisioned become closer and closer to reality. When she feels she no longer needs the spell, she can give me back the penny, and I can re move the enchantment by re-cleansing it. Though it might work for someone else, I didn't do the spell for someone else, so it might be useless to them, unless I or someone else modifies it.

Spells on Locations

Much like an object can be empowered, a location can be empowered. This is done through a partnership with the energy of the land and the construct upon it. Places are usually enchanted with a general intention that is all purpose, rather than a specific, goal oriented spell, though goal oriented spells are possible.

General intentions can be creating an area of sacred space that facilitates ritual and communion between the worlds. It can be used for ritual or meditation, but in general holds a quality that is of a "higher vibration" than other locations. Any area where rituals are frequently done will build this vibration up eventually, but this helps jumpstart the process.

A healing center can be empowered to be a place of healing, peace and insight. A business can be charged for prosperity. A reading room can be consecrated for insight and awareness, as well as receptivity, because those who receive psychic readings are not always ready to hear the messages appropriate for them. A garden nursery can be charged for healthy growth, while a health food store can be charged to maintain the energy of fresh, healing foods. The only limit is our imagination.

Specific spells on locations can include making a place you are selling desirable and attractive to those who would buy it. Such spells, and in fact all spells, should be removed before you sell a location. It's not fair to new owners to have magick workings continue without their knowledge. They need to be able to imprint their energy upon a place and mark out their own space.

Location empowerment is done just like objects, except the whole location is cleansed. The spirits of the land and buildings are consulted to make sure this action is agreeable to them, and then instead of holding the object, the entire territory is "held" in your mind as you imprint and fix your intention.

The most common location spell is for protection. Such large protection spells are called wards, and the process of creating them warding. They energetically and psychically protect a space. Most witches and mages I know ward their homes, vehicles and even businesses. They are done through a variety of modern and traditional rituals. Many are highly complicated and involve many objects and tools, to make very effective, and semi-permanent wards. They should be re-established every so often. I try to do it at least every year. If visiting a place for a short period of time, I will ward my hotel or guest room where I am staying with a simpler, instant magick form of ward.

To create a ward, cleanse the area of your home and land with light. Commune with the spirits of the land, call upon your gods and guides to ask for help and if the warding feels right to you, then proceed. Simply hold the idea of the entire space in your mind. Call upon the forces of protection from your paradigm, from the planets, to the colors or elements, which speak most strongly of protection. Perhaps, in this case, you will call upon all forces, to be protected on all levels. Imagine around the area a shape or structure of protection. It can be a bubble or shield. They are fairly common. It can also be a pyramid, crystal, castle or mountain. All are acceptable shapes. If you work with spirits, call upon spirits of protection. Many call the totems of wolf, dog, turtle or dragon to protect the place. Let your magical style and persona inform you as to the form and techniques that will be most powerful for you. As you enter the realms of more "advanced" magick, the steps are not always clear cut. You have to trust yourself and your guidance to create the personal vision that suits your own working. When done, affirm and fix your creation and check on it periodically, to reinforce it.

These are just some of the examples of "advanced" magick. The whole concept of advanced magick is to really follow your own path, your own guidance, and you will discover your own rituals, techniques and mysteries to share with others. Let your spirit and imagination be your guide. As long as it harms none, all things are possible.

chapter seven

Instant Healing

Out of all the magical disciplines to learn, healing is the most important to me. Learning healing techniques proved to me how powerful and effective magick really is. Though I learned more complicated healing rituals, I always went back to the foundations of my training, the inner mental magick that you can do anywhere and at anytime.

Many of my first experiences with healing used instant magick techniques. I was very drawn to witchcraft as a healing art, looking to our history as cunning women and men with knowledge of herbs and folk remedies. I expected to learn such arts right away, as the foundation of the Craft. Though I did learn them, the first healing technique I learned was using colored light to affect health, both physical and mental. It required no tools or harvesting. I found myself using it often and effectively, for my own healing, and to help those around me. Through this rebalancing, I banished headaches, colds and pains, jumpstarting the rejuvenation process within me.

Understanding, awareness and control over the physical body is critical in deeper forms of magick. Using these techniques to not only heal myself when feeling ill, but maintain health by using them preventa- tively, my overall well being vastly improved. The simple act of taking time for meditation regularly seemed to clear many of my minor health problems, including severe hay fever allergies. Though they are not a substitute for traditional mainstream medical care when you need it, magickal healing has made much less dependent upon the medical community.

If everything is made up of energy, then all illnesses are also made up for energy. If you know how to manipulate the flow of energy in your body, flowing through your thoughts and emotions into your body, and you know how to conduct the flow of energy in the environment around you, into and out of you, you can make significant shifts in your energetic health. When you make a change in your energetic health, your physical health will follow suit.

Body Control

The first step to greater health is in learning to control yourself. Your body responds to your thoughts and emotions in ways that most people are unaware. Many of our regular illnesses are caused by what healers call "blockages." They are energetic blockages, places where the energy of your body does not flow freely. When the energy becomes stagnant, the physical activities in that part of the body also become stagnant, and eventually become a place of weakness susceptible to illness and injury. In a holistic model of health, a practitioner helps you remove these blockages so that the energy flows freely and the body can restore itself to optimum health.

You can do a lot to remove these blockages yourself, and prevent them from forming in the first place. When your thoughts and emotions contract, they cause the flow of energy to contract. When you are in fear, anger, jealousy, shame, depression, worry and stress, your consciousness contracts. This creates a stress on the body. Different parts of the body naturally correspond, catalogued through the chakras, astrology and a variety of esoteric healing systems, with certain types of thoughts and emotions. The contracted energy from a particular though or emotion often lodges in a specific place in the body. Those with a lot of anger issues often have an energetically imbalanced liver. Those with issues involving speaking up will usually have imbalanced energy near the throat and thyroid. The body responds in a way to tell us what thoughts and feelings are adversely affecting our health. We just have to remember how to listen to it.

If you can manage these thoughts or feelings on the mental and emotional planes, before they become long standing issues that develop into physical ailments, you can go a long way in becoming a healthier person. You have already learned the most important technique to improve your health, Exercise 1: Altering Consciousness (Chapter 2). A regular meditation program integrated into your life gives you the time and space to work out these issues before they become a physical problem. I've found regular journaling, along with regular meditation, to be very effective. Once I write something down, I feel I have to act upon it. I can't just cover up the issue anymore. By altering your brainwaves, your biorhythms and body chemistry also change.

When you calm down, you body releases stress and the blockages that can cause illness. Many times the best method to treat an illness, at least in the short term, is to alter your consciousness and allow your body to repair itself. I had developed a very serious cough stemming from bronchial pneumonia. I would cough and cough until I couldn't strop. I wasn't able to breathe, freaking out and heartbeat racing out of control. Only when my partner reminded me of my spiritual tools, was I able to induce a light trance state, stop the continual coughing and eventually get to a doctor. By the time I did get medical treatment, they didn't think the situation was so bad. It was still smart to check in with a professional, but I was able to stave off the crisis through my magick.

Here is a variation of the meditation, allowing you to control your heartbeat and metabolism

Exercise 11

Heartbeat Control

1. Start Exercise Exercise 1: Altering Consciousness to get into your magical mindset. Ask this be for your highest good, harming none.

2. Feel your heartbeat, nice and relaxed, slow and steady. Feel the pulse of it move through your body. Feel and know your natural rhythm. You can physically put your hand on your chest or neck, to feel your pulse better. Does this feel like the right pace for you? Are you a little stressed, or relaxed? Pay attention to your heartbeat, and make paying attention to it a part of your daily life.

3. With just your simple intention, imagine your heartbeat getting faster, most excited, but keeping within a normal safe range. Imagine yourself getting good, exciting news. Feel the heartbeat rise slowly. Feel the shift.

4. Then though intention, imagine your heartbeat getting slower, more relaxed. It stays within normal range, but at the level it goes to during peaceful, restful sleep. Feel the slow, steady yet relaxed heartbeat. Feel the shift from excited to peaceful though the power of your magickal will.

5. Intend that your heartbeat return to the level that is correct and good for you at this time. Take notice of the shift. Does it get faster or slower? Is it different from when you started the exercise? How does your body, mind and emotions feel at this level? Relax and allow

6. Return yourself to normal consciousness, counting up, giving yourself clearance and balance. Do any necessary grounding.

It's easier to do in difficult circumstances if you practice it with your meditations regularly.

Magickal Breath

Breathing exercises are a part of magick and mysticism, and go a long way to contribute to overall health and well being. By shifting your breath, as you do in Exercise 1, to relax, you change your consciousness. Different breaths, with different intentions, can be used to alter your body and awareness in many ways.

One of the most useful healing breaths I've learned is the Breath of Fire, from the kundalini yoga tradition as taught by the late Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D. Breath of Fire is said to do for your body in two minutes what an hour of normal breathing does. When done, it raises metabolism and body temperature, burns calories and detoxifies the body. Spiritually, it helps clear the energy bodies, particularly when combined with other exercises in this yogic tradition. Breath of Fire is the hallmark of kundalini yoga. I've used it to energize myself before a ritual or meditation, to free up energy and allow it to flow better during my magickal practices. I've also done it to generally energize my mind and body, before a workshop, while driving in the car or between exercises at the gym.

Exercise 12

Breath of Fire

1. Sit supported with your spine straight. Traditionally you are sitting in easy pose, a simple cross legged position on the floor. You can also sit in a chair, with your spine straight. Use whatever works best for you and your body.

2. Start a rapid breath, equal on the exhale and inhale. It ranges from 120 beats to 240 beat per minute. A musician metronome can be helpful to find this pace. It's powered by the belly/ solar plexus point, but is not a bumping of the belly. It's relatively shallow and can almost feel like hyperventilating. If you begin to feel that way, slow down the breath and work your way up to the traditional speeds. The chest is lifted and stays still. The spine doesn't flex.

3. Once you have the rapid breath going, the mantra, repeated silently in your mind is Sat on the inhale and Nam on the exhale. Sat Nam means "true name" and refers to your divine self, soul or higher self. The mantra helps elevate your consciousness while you do the breath.

4. Try Breath of Fire only for two minutes to start, if you can.

5. Kundalini yogi's often end Breath of Fire exercises with what is called the root lock, or mulbandh. It locks the energy released in the breath and allows it to circulate. Inhale fully and contract the rectum and sex organ. Squeeze the naval back to the spine. Hold your breath for 3-5 seconds. Exhale fully.

6. Return to normal breathing. Relax and rest a minute.

You don't have to end with the root lock. Breath of Fire works fine without it as well. The lock just gives it an extra bit of power.

A second kundalini yoga exercise I enjoy is a cooling breath known as Sitalee Pranayam. This meditative breath cools you down, calm your nerves, shed stress and develop your meditative mind.

Exercise 13

Cooling Breath

1. Again sit in a comfortable, easy pose, spine straight and supported.

2. Extend the tongue slightly past the teeth and lips.

3. Curl the tongue into a "U" shape. Some people physically cannot do this, and that's fine. The breath will still work, but if you can, try to form the U curled shape.

4. Inhale through the tongue to allow the air to hit the center of the tongue as it moved into the chest. Breath deeply. This isn't fast like Breath of Fire.

5. Retract the tongue, close the lips and exhale smoothly through the nose, as completely as you can, pulling the naval back to the spine to completely empty the lungs.

6. Keep repeating the breathing pattern.

7. Focus your eyes, while closed, up at the brow point, as if you were gazing through your third eye. Keep the gaze fixed here while you breath in and out.

8. You can also use the Sat Nam mantra, Sat on the inhale and Nam on the exhale.

9. Do this breath for two minutes. Then when done, inhale, hold for a few second and release. Breathe normally and rest.

Polarity breathing is a technique I learned in my initial training in magick. Technically they are two different exercises for energetic balance, originally the are found in the Wisdom of the Mystic Masters by Joseph J. Weed. Though I usually do not use the terms of positive and negative to denote good and bad respectively, I love these exercises. I prefer to use the terms positive and negative to refer to electrical charges, and if I want to banish harm, illness or danger, I use those words rather than negative.

Use the positive breathing exercise to counterbalance "a negative condition." I was taught to use it when feeling out of sorts, feeling depressed or down trodden. It returns a sense of balance and even optimism, neutralizing the negative energy. You can repeat this process in chronic situations, but you should wait for 2 hours between sessions.

Exercise 14

Positive Breathing

1. Sit in a comfortable manner, with your hands in your lap and your feet squarely on the floor, without touching each other.

2. Take a few deep breaths to prepare of the meditation.

3. Place the index finger, middle finger and thumb of each hand touching its match on the other hand, forming a triangle composed of the first two fingers and thumb on each hand.

4. Take a deep breath and hold it for seven counts. Exhale.

5. Repeat step 4 for six more times.

6. Release your hands and breathe normally. Put the whole exercise out of your mind and let your energy naturally return to balance.

Negative breathing is said to counteract an "over-positive" condition, when someone has too much energy, is frantic, nervous and especially helpful when one is suffering from the early stages of the common cold. This breath helps remove the germs that cause the cold in six to eight hours if done soon enough.

Exercise 15

Negative Breathing

1. Sit in a comfortable manner, with your hands in your lap and your feet squarely on the floor, but in this exercise, make sure your feet are touching.

2. Take a few deep breaths to prepare of the meditation.

3. Hold your hands in front of your body at the chest level, thumb touching thumb and each finger touching its corresponding finger on the other hand.

4. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Exhale slowly and when your lungs are completely empty, hold your breath out from the count of seven.

5. Hold the hand position, but relax your breath, taking five or six relaxed, normal breaths. Allow your breath to return to normal.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5, for six more times.

7. Release your hands and breathe normally. Put the whole exercise out of your mind and let your energy naturally return to balance.

A breathing technique that is for overall well being and balance is the Sufi Elemental Breaths. They activate and balance the five elements within us. Although originating, or at least making themselves known to the modern world through the Sufi tradition, I learned these breaths in the elemental practices of witchcraft, so they are compatible with any tradition that recognizes the elements. The colors I learned were a bit different from the traditional Sufi colors, which I will list below, if you rather have the traditional version. I've actually seen several different versions of this exercise over the years, but the basic breathing patterns are always the same.

The Sufi Elemental Breathing is a breathing version of Exercise 3: Elemental Connection and Balance, allowing you to more fully and physically intergrate these energies, feeling them in your body as living energies, and giving you the opportunity to see what elements resonate the easiest and hardest for you, and where in your body you have potential blocks to your health that can be healed by repeating this exercise regularly. Repeated use of this breathing technique strengthens your elemental paradigm to fuel your instant magick spells with the power of the elements.

Exercise 16

Elemental Breathing

1. Begin by sitting or standing upright with a straight spine.

2. Focus on the element of earth and the magnetic field of the planet below. Breathe in through the nose and out through the nose, drawing up the magnetic energy of the earth through your feet and legs, through the base of your spine. You can see the earth energy as a healing green power. Feel the magnetic energy balance with your body, anchoring you. Feel it connect with the earth element in you, your bones, your minerals and trace elements. Feel yourself become purified with the power of the earth, down to your bones. Feel yourself grounded and stable. Perform at least five breaths total in the earth element.

3. Focus your attention on the water element. Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. Imagine drawing up blue cool watery energy from the earth below into your belly. Feel it sooth and cool your emotions, purify your blood. Feel it wipe away all that is impure and unwanted. Feel yourself flexible, fluid and pure, like water. Perform at least five breaths of the water element.

4. Bring your attention to the fire element. Feel the fire element ignite in the solar plexus, like a red candle flame. Breathe in through the mouth and out through the nose. Witch each breath, feel the flame grow brighter, illuminating your entire body. Feel the heat of combustion, as the stomach digests your food, your fuel, like the Sun burns its own fuel to create light. Throw all that doesn't serve you, particularly anger, into the fire and light, to be purified. Feel the light fill all your cells, energizing them with divine power. Feel the power rise from your solar plexus and illuminate your heart. Feel yourself energized. Perform at least five breaths of the fire element.

5. Bring your attention to the air element. Breath in through the mouth and out through the mouth, as the air feeds the light within your heart. Feel the blue air energy move through your entire body as you breathe, cleansing all your organs and tissues of impurities. Feel yourself expand. Feel your creativity grow. Feel yourself release the thoughts that shackle you to an old sense of self. Perform at least five breaths of the five element.

6. Bring your attention to the fifth element, if ether, or akasha, the element of spirit. Breathe in and out through the nose. Feel the energy ascend to the crown and above, like a dazzling rainbow of light flowing in and out of you. Feel your connection to all the elements in you, and feel your connection to all life, everywhere, connected by ether, life force.

7. Gently return your awareness and breathe normally, feeling the shift of elemental energy within you.

This meditation can be aided with a clock that gives an audible tick, or a metronome, to keep a regular pace for all the breaths. As you develop, you can extend the time you spend on each element as needed, though the ideal is to spend the same amount of time on each. Five breaths per element is usually considered the minimum.

Traditional Sufi colors would be yellow for earth, green for water, red for air, blue for air and white or rainbow for ether. I use the more traditional western elemental correspondences for the elements. Some version of the meditation specify the various colors and energies entering and exiting through specific body parts, but this is the first way I learned this meditation and its still my favorite.

Some have used the added technique of muddras to elemental breathing. Each of our fingers stands for a specific element and planet. When you place the thumb and a particularly finger together, you activate that elemental energy within you. Thumb and middle finger together is for the earth element and Saturn. Thumb and index finger is Jupiter and water. Thumb and ring finger is the Sun and fire. Thumb and pinky finer is Mercury and air. Try doing the elemental breaths with the corresponding muddra. You do not need to use any muddra for the fifth element.

If you work with a strong elemental paradigm in your instant magick, you can use these muddras instead of your instant trigger, to conjure forth the appropriate energy for your spell. Some eastern mystics feel that the thumb with the pad of the finger is receptive, and appropriate in this meditation. If you put the pad of the thumb to the nail of the finger, the energy is more active and projective, good for spell work.

Figure 13: Hand and the Elements

Another form of energized breathing is known as pranic breathing. It's a little less complicated than the previous elemental breaths, though I find it just as powerful, but in a different way. Prana is the energy of all things. The elemental breathing meditation refers to it as ether or akasha, some would say the element of spirit. A term from India, prana is also associated with the element of air and the breath, as breathing exercises are known as pranayam. In other parts of the world, the same basic energy is known as chi, ki, mana or numen. It is in the food we eat, in the air we breath and all around us and in us. Prana is the vital life force you felt in Exercise 2: Sensing and Manipulating Energy.

By drawing upon the life force, or prana, from the environment around you, you can increase the healthy flow of energy throughout your body, and direct it to wherever it is needed to aid in your healing process.

Exercise 17

Pranic Breathing

1. Focus on the land beneath you. Imagine your legs, feet and toes are growing into the roots of a great tree, anchoring and grounding you deeply into the land. Feel yourself connected to the pure heart of the earth. As you inhale, draw up the energy, the prana, of the land. Feel it warm and tingly as it enter your physical body. Program the energy with healing intentions, such as saying silently, "This energy heals me and balances me in all ways." Do this for a few minutes, until you are comfortable with the intention and sensation.

2. Focus on the sky above. Imagine your crown reaching up to the heavens, growing out like the trunk and branches of a tree, touching the sky. As you inhale, draw down the prana of the sky, the pure energy of the cosmos. You might feel your "branches" connect to the Sun, Moon or a particularly planet. When in doubt, connect to the energy of the Sun as the more pure and healing prana that is the source of all others in this system. Feel it enter your body via the crown. Program it with the same healing intention. Practice this for a few minutes.

3. On your next inhale, try to draw energy from below and above simultaneously, if you haven't done so already.

4. Imagine the energy of these two worlds meeting in your heart and forming a ball of prana. Imagine that ball like a radiant star, sending out energy to the rest of your body in waves of healing light.

You don't have to end this exercise, but simply let it face from your consciousness when you need to turn your attention to other matters. The energy will still flow and heal you for a time. If you need to stop the flow, or feel overwhelmed by the energy, first imagine stopping the flow from the heavens. Imagine all the excess prana draining down through your roots to the earth. Make the flow one way, and out, until all the excess is done. By your will and intention, it will happen.

The last easy breathing exercise I have to share is pore breathing. There are several different version of the exercise, in both Eastern and Western traditions. Basically you look at your skin as part of the energetic respiratory system, allowing it to absorb more prana than you would through normal respiration

Pore breathing can be a combination of both the traditional pranic breathing and the elemental breathing exercises. Rather than focus on the chakra column and the duality of above and below, pore breathing focusing on the entire being, with the skin, and specifically, your pores, as the medium to transfer energy. Through pore breathing, you focus on a particular intention or quality of energy, and as in inhale, you inhale that intention into every cell in your body. You fill yourself with a quality. Like a sponge, you will absorb it through all the tiny holes of your body.

For example, you can breath in love. Feel that emotion be absorbed. Think and feel it strongly around you as you inhale. Breathe in love. And when you exhale, exhale and release whatever you feel is its opposite, or whatever prevents you from feeling love more fully. I would imagine either fear or hate. You continue the process until you feel that you have filled your body with as much of that energy as you can take.

Pore breathing works with ideals, such as love, joy, peace, harmony, but can also be used to invest yourself with a particularly color of energy, such as pink, green or blue light. Think about the qualities of the colors and the chakras and planets associated with them. Pore breathing can also be used to invoke yourself with elemental energy, either a particular element or with all five, like the Sufi breaths. If you wanted to do a spell that involved a particular element, you can build up a "charge" of that element within you. If you feel that you need to bolster a particular element for your healing, you can also focus solely on it. Just make sure you don't focus on one element so much that you become out of balance with the others.

Exercise 18

Pore Breathing

1. Sit up straight and supported, in whatever position is comfortable for you. Ideally your back shouldn't be touching a chair, but do whatever you need to do to support your back and be comfortable. Though some say you should have as much skin exposed for this, I've found it works just fine fully clothed.

2. Think of whatever intention you want to breathe in. If there's an opposite to release, think about what you need to release.

3. As you inhale, be very aware of your skin. Feel as if you are breathing in and out through your pores, as if each is a little mouth, sucking in an energetic breath.

4. Imagine yourself bathed in the energy of your intention. As you pores breathe, they breathe in the energy of your intention. Witch each breath it moves deeper, as you exhale the unwanted energies and draw further upon what you want. It becomes a part of you, down to the very bone, circulating through your entire body.

5. Feel the energy build inside you, until you have as much as you want and need.

6. When done, you can either direct the energy towards a specific goal, such as healing, or other spell work. You can a let it be absorbed by the body.

Some fear that pore breathing is dangerous, that you can overload on energy. Depending on your intention that you breathe in, that's true. If you feel you are overloaded on energy, simply ground the excess into the Earth. Like your pranic breathing, reach out with your roots, and direct the unwanted energy to the land below you, to be grounded and neutralized.

The effect of pore breathing is much like changing the vibration of your energy. One magickal axion, known as the Principle of Vibraiton, says that all things vibrate, meaning all thingsfrom our bodies, to the elements, to concepts such as love and healing, have a vibration. You can mentally affirm that you are "vibrating in harmony with" whatever your intention or energy is, as you breathe through your pores, making the exercise even more effective.

Techniques for Healing Others

The basic instructions I was given were simple. Foremost, make sure you have permission of the recipient of the healing. Conscious permission is best. If not, you can ask their higher self, their divine consciousness, if the healing is for the highest good when you psychically connect to them. This higher self permission technique is a last resort. Conscious permission is preferred for two reasons. First, it can actively en gage the recipient in their own healing path, and second, when we really want to help someone, sometimes our desire to help can cloud our ability to really hear the response. Hearing no when you want to help heal someone can be difficult, so many well meaning healers will assume the answer is yes, even when the illness or injury is serving the higher good of the intended recipient on some level. It can be hard to see on a personal level, especially when there is suffering involved, but necessary on the impersonal soul level.

Once you have permission, you can begin the healing. While in a meditative state, mentally picture the recipient in your mind's eye, to the best of your ability. Repeating their name, silently our out loud, particularly if you have never met them, is a great way to connect psychically. Some will hold a picture of the person, or an object the recipient touched. In magick, using something another has handled to create a connection using the Law of Contagion. The magical concept states when two things have come into connection, there will always be a connection between them, no matter how far away from each other they are now. If the recipient is physically present, you can touch them, but it is not necessary. You are not transferring your personal energy to the person, but gathering the energy of the universe to help heal and transform. I like the use of touch in healing, in this and many other techniques, when possible, but it is also good to make sure you are shielded from picking up any unwanted unhealthy energy from the ill recipient, so trying doing Psychic Shield (Chapter 4) before doing healing work. If you receive any impressions that are physically or emotionally uncomfortable for you, acknowledge them and affirm they will stop. If they do, that was simply how your psyche was relaying information, and once you acknowledge the information, it is no longer necessary. If they don't stop, and you feel you are taking on the illness of the recipient, break contact and try again later. Reaffirm your shields. In the meantime, do your own healing and rebalancing exercises to purify yourself.

Once you have established the connection, there are several ways to go about the healing.

Colored Light

Imagine the recipient surrounded and filled with green light, pure green light gathered from the abundant energy of the universe. Use the green light for all manner of general healing, to promote immunity, new growth and vivid health. Green, like the fresh growth of the spring, or a clear emerald. If you needed intense healing for life threatening situations, use red-orange, like the glowing ember of a flame. Red-orange stimulates the survival mechanism, and can heal intensely and quickly, but can be an ordeal in itself. You can use the pore breathing techniques to help focus and direct the energy, as long as you are gathering and directing outside energy, not simply projecting your own. You can only use also use Exercise 2 to aid in directing energy. You must build up a "charge" of that color energy in you to direct for the healing. You can transfer it through touch if you are in person, or mentally "send" it across the astral, with the intention that it be for the highest good, harming none. When done, thank and release the person. Imagine wiping their image away from your mind as you send them the healing. You are releasing their energy.

Pranic Healing

You can sent pure healing energy, pure prana, rather than colored energy to aid in the healing process. Use your pranic breathing to direct energy towards a person in need of healing, via contact if you are physically present with this person. If not, you can will the prana cross the astral, projecting it from your heart or hands, with the intention of the highest healing good and imagine in your mind's eye that the recipient receives the energy and is healed.

Elemental Healing

Just as you can send colored light and pranic energy to someone, you can also send healing light. Use Exercise 3: Elemental Connection and Balance, Exercise 14: Elemental Breathing and the elemental version of Exercise 16: Pore Breathing to connect with the elemental energy. I sug gest you send all five elemental energies, with the intention of health and balance.

When done the healing session, it never hurts to do something to balance yourself, such as an elemental or chakra balancing exercise, to make sure you haven't taken on any unwanted energies from the session. Make sure to ground yourself after ever session, coming fully back into the world and your own energy.

Advanced Color Healing

Later, with a greater understanding of the energy bodies and the chakras, I learned how a variety of colors can affect health beyond the two I initially learned. If you know where the illness or injury is, determine the color of the chakra closest to it. Using that color or its complimentary color on the color wheel can be used to bring healing. The color of the chakra will energize and bolster power when the area is weak. If the area is overactive, the complimentary color can be used to soothe it down. If someone has an agitated lower digestive system, and needs it to be soothed and calmed, the natural color of the belly chakra is orange, and its compliment is blue, so filling the area with blue light will bring soothing. Once things are calm, a seven-chakra balancing meditation can be done to integrate the healing into the entire system, using the normally accepted colors of the chakras. You can also use orange light, with the intention of healing the area and bringing it into balance, particularly if the blue light feels unnatural to you because you so strongly associate the belly with orange. Use what works for you.

Figure 14: Color Wheel

In the same vein, if you want to heal on the emotional, mental and spiritual levels, not just the physical, find the chakra that is associated with a particular imbalance, and use that chakra's color, or its compliment, to bring a change in your consciousness. True magick alters your consciousness first, so you can respond and adapt to your reality in more balanced and healthy ways. If you are despondent over an ended romantic relationship, a broken heart, meditating with the colors of the heart chakra, green and pink, are appropriate. If your mind is agitated and you can't let go of a thought or image, the colors of the throat and third eye might be helpful, blue or purple, or their respective compliments, orange and yellow At times, you will be drawn to certain colors, in meditation and even in your clothing that you have no idea why they call to you, but they are having a subtle balancing effect on your consciousness. Clothing is an excellent way to use this technique when you have difficulty meditating and concentrating.

Visual Healing Magick

Going even deeper than chakra work is healing the physical through knowledge of anatomy and biology. I've noticed those with a keen interest in the physical sciences and a willingness to apply the knowledge to magick can create some startling results.

Using meditation or your instant magick trigger, the practitioner will direct physical healing through visualization of specific actions taking place in the body. When healing broken bones, imagining the bone cells dividing rapidly and filling in the crack perfectly quickens the healing process. Visualizing toxins and poisons being flushed from the liver and running harmlessly out of the body eases the transition of detoxification. Imagining white blood cells sweeping up infections in the body is another tried and true method of healing.

Literal knowledge of the anatomy and biological process is exceedingly helpful, but you can also create the same effects through symbolism. You can imagine the bone cells as little workers plastering up the bone like a repair crew. Toxins can be passing through water "filters" that are then psychically "removed" taking the toxins with them. The white blood cells can be tanks, destroying the infections, or animals, eating them up. A favorite image is the hunting dogs of the Goddess eating up rogue cells that are cancerous. I've even used the technique to metabolize unwanted fat, but imagining the fat like lumps of fuel, being burned by the furnace of my metabolism, when I exercise. I followed up the vision with the mantra, "I am fit, trim and muscular. I am burning all unwanted fat." I just held my instant trigger while climbing the stair machine. It worked, and with proper diet, exercise, supplements and giving myself time to do it slowly and correctly, I lost fifty pounds.

If you decide to go this route of physical healing, I suggest a deeper study of medical biology and anatomy. Many health institutes have detailed courses for massage therapists and other non-traditional health professionals. I highly suggest taking the time to gather this knowledge. The medical names are not as important as an understanding of how and why things work, but such terminology can make your healing intentions much clearer to your body, and to the universe.

Body Talking

Another great way of working with the body is to use the powers of instant magick to connect to your body consciousness, your body wisdom, and ask it what the problem is, and how you can help. I call this technique "body talking" because you are both talking to your body, and listening to its answer, its needs. The wisdom of your body's elemental consciousness is vast, and it can tell you a lot.

If you have a specific illness or pain, get into your meditative state, and imagine your mind traveling from your head (even though we know your mind permeates the entire body, as the mental body layer of the aura) and focus on the area of concern. Evoke the spirit of your body. You could say, "I call upon the spirit of my stomach. Please share your knowledge with me. So mote it be." Ask that part of your body what is unbalancing it, and how you can help it. Then listen with both your heart and your mind. Follow the messages and intuitions you have. It might give you a specific form of therapy to try, or suggest you see a health care professional. It might ask to you to change your diet, or change your moods. Listen, and if you are in partnership with your body, take it into consideration. Do what it needs.

Even when you feel completely healthy, try this exercise by scanning your body, and giving any parts of your body an opportunity to speak with you and ask for what they need. You can confront potential problems before they ever manifest by having a strong connection to your body, your sacred vehicle in this world.

Minor Psychic Surgery

Rather than flushing a system with healing energy to remove blockages, you can directly remove the energy of illness or pain from someone and replace it with healing energy. This is one form of psychic surgery, where one is psychically, not physically removing, illness, with the concept that if you remove the energetic blueprint of the illness, the illness itself will easily collapse and be repaired by the body.

In day to day life, you most often see this done with headaches and minor pain. I've watched many aspiring healers attempt to remove the pain of a headache, but not know the basic healing principles and a short time later, have a headache themselves. They didn't know what to do with the energy, so their absorbed.

To remove a harmful energy or pain, imagine extended your finger, your etheric fingers, several inches longer than your physical fingers. If you were to place your physical fingertips on someone, your etheric fingertips would extend deeper into the body. I hold the tips of my finger than imagine that I am stretching them out. If working on someone else, ask them where the pain is and place your fingertips on that area. Imagine your etheric fingertips reaching in and latching on to the pain. Physically pull out, moving your arms away form the body, pulling out the unwanted energy. Do this several times until there is a significant difference. You will no longer feel the energy anymore, even if the client is still experiencing pain. Imagine taking the energy in your hand and filling it with a transformative energy, such as violet or white light, or elemental fire energy, completely transmuting the harmful energy into something clear and benign. You can also physically press it into the ground to ground the energy into the earth, to be transmuted. Make sure you direct it all the way into the earth mentally, particularly if you are on the second floor of a building. You don't want to pollute your downstairs neighbor with unwanted energies. Then perform a healing with colored light or prana over the location where you just removed the energy, filling that space with pure, healing energy, so no harm can return.

More advanced forms of psychic surgery exist, but this technique will start you on the healing path.

Healing With Spirits

The last instant magick healing technique is to heal through the power of your spirit guides. As many believe we have guides specifically to guide us in our life and guardians to protect us from harm, I believe we have guides whose job is to physically and spiritually heal us.

The best place to work with our healing spirits is through the inner temple. In the temple there is a gateway to open to our healing spirits and healing energies. I usually meditate in the temple, opening the gateway and letting its energy bathe me deeply. The guides "work" on me like a modern day energy practitioner would. Though usually I sit up to meditate, this is one of the few meditations where I lay down, as if I was on a massage table or healing practitioner table.

Exercise 19

Inner Temple Healing

1. Perform Exercise 10: The Inner Temple to enter your inner temple space. You can do it laying down if you desire.

2. Look around and hold the intention of finding your gateway of healing

3. Once you find the gateway of healing, before you open it, ask for the highest and best healing spirit guides to work with you at this time. Hold your intention for healing. What is it that you wish healed? It can be physical illness, mental issues or emotional problems in need of healing. Be clear in your intention. If you are not sure, simply ask to be healed in a manner that is for my highest good at this time.

4. Open the gateway. Feel the healing light flowing out of it. The energies will be whatever energies and colors you need at this time. Enter the healing chamber.

5. Feel the healing guides work up on you. You might feel as if you are on a work table and they are massaging you or performing psychic surgery. Allow them to heal you on all levels. Your best guides and spirits will be present when you open this gateway from the inner temple.

6. You might ask questions about your healing, and receive a response from your guides. Go with your first intuition.

7. When you feel the session is complete, thank the guides for this healing. Return back to the main temple and close the gateway of healing. Return the normal way, as if ending Exercise 10.

As you develop a personal relationship with your guides, they will teach you how to work with them on a deeper level. They will also show you how to deepen you skill when working healing magick for other people.

Magical healing, for yourself, and especially for others, is not something to be entered into lightly. Healing carries a great responsibility. These are simple techniques for your personal "toolbox" to keep your own health and help others around you. It is not a manual for those seeking to enter the healing arts professionally. That would go beyond the scope of Instant Magick. But if you find that you enjoy the healing magick of this book, I highly suggest you continue the path of education and learn the full role of a healing practitioner.

chapter eight

The Magical Life

As you continue to use magick, it becomes ingrained in your life. It becomes part of your worldview. You will never look at problems quite the same way, because you have new skills to help solve them. You will not feel disempowered, because you will know that you are innately connected to the universe, all things. All things affect you, but you affect all things. There is a reciprocal relationship to everything.

As you continue into deeper studies of magick, you learn about polarities and patterns, and how all things change and shift. Magick workers simply bide their time for the most opportune moment to create and change, and patiently listen to the world around them, to know when, and if, change is appropriate.

Slowly you become the magick. It becomes so entwined with you there is little difference between you. You become the mystery you seek to solve. At this point, you will hopefully understand the commonality between all people. We are all the magick. Some mystics enter delusion at this point, feeling they are better than others, more special, and more magical. They have delusions of grandeur, which only separates them from others, and the universe, and defeats the spiritual dimensions of magick.

Those who see the commonality of all people, realize we are all magical beings. We all seek magick. We all do magick. The difference between the mystics and those who are not, is that the mystics are con scious about it. They are actively aware. They are waiting for others to awaken to the magick. Until then, the others will be doing their own magick, unconsciously and unaware, but magick nonetheless. No one is inherently better than another. Their awareness is just focused on different things. I may be awake to the reality of magick, but slightly sleepy when it comes to calculus. Everybody is valued because of their differences. The math professor is applying his own magick, unconsciously and indirectly, into his science, just as an artist, musician, police officer, lawyer or janitor is. All aspects of life can be magical. All acts are rituals and spells. Anything that causes change is magick, and the world is constantly changing.

Thought, Word and Deed

Every thought you think is magick. Not just you, the witch, mage or mystic. Everyone. You thoughts might carry more wattage, be more clear, focused and direct, formed from your will, but basically all your thoughts, magical and mundane, have the same inherent characteristics as everyone else. Every thought by every person is energy. It has vibration. To the magician, thoughts are things. They take shape on the astral plane.

Every word that you say is magick. You might know ancient words of power, secret languages, chants, mantras and affirmations, but all your words have power, from your every day words, to your scripted spells. What you say and what you write is magick. Your words bring your thoughts into form. It gives them a greater vibration, a sonic resonance. Sounds can be used for healing or harming, just like our words. Everybody's words have similar power. Language is symbolic, and speaks not only to the consciousness mind, but to the body, emotions and soul. We don't even need to know what a word means to feel the power behind it. When someone praises you in another language, you feel it. When they curse you in a foreign tongue, this is doubly true.

Your every action is magick. Every movement is an expenditure of energy, directed by your thoughts. Your movements are thoughts put into action. Every action has the potential of creating change, from a small scale, to larger consequences we might never know about. In many ways, every act is like a ritual. Magical or religious rituals are only those we are conscious about their symbolic and magical meanings. But every action we take is sacred. It's said when one reaches a state of enlightenment, each action becomes sacred, because each action is consciously devoted and dedicated to the Divine. Each action. From every breath, every bite of food, every word and deed, from every noble sentiment shared to every bodily function.

When do you do something, magical or mundane, you are creating a change, a change in yourself, in the world around you and potentially in others, who will react to your actions. Think of how the actions of others, personally, locally and globally have effected you, people who have no concept of magick, yet they have changed your reality. It's an amazing thought. If magick is truly changing reality in accord with will, there are a lot more mages out there without candles, spell books and charms. We are all capable of magick.

Collective Reality = Collective Responsibility

We are all creating our shared reality, even if we are ignorant of magick. We all contribute to the overall vision of the planet and beyond. Our thoughts, words and deeds affect everyone. It's often compared so something called the Butterfly Effect. Science speculates that the flapping wings of a butterfly on one continent could be the root cause of a hurricane affecting another continent. We don't see those subtle links to the other side of the world, but they are there. We have to be careful where and how we flap our wings.

Because of this, it is imperative that magical people be even more responsible in our thoughts, words and deeds, because we have claimed more power around them. The more you use your abilities, the more easily and quickly you shape your reality. If we are more aware, we must be more responsible.

This doesn't mean we go out and try to convert everyone to a magical way of living. That's not right for everybody. Many need to focus their attentions in other domains. We can inspire magick through art, music and our writing, but we cannot force our magical paradigm on anyone. Imagine if someone tried to force a different magical or religious paradigm on you. Everyone must be free to choose where to focus their energy and outlook.

What it does mean is that we lead by example. We learn to explore our will, but lead as impeccable of a life as possible. It doesn't mean we are always perfect, saint-like or ascended. It means we teach and lead quietly, by example. I only had people ask me to teach them magick by first integrating healthy changes into my life. People who saw the transformation, and how much happier and balanced I was, wanted to know what was different. Only then could I share how much magick means to me. My definition of magick is very broad, including psychic experiences, spirit work, and most importantly meditation, one of the most powerful magical tools of all. Magick isn't always about spells, instant magick or otherwise.

Integrating the Magical Life

These all sound like lofty ideals, but how does one get to them? It's not easy. Learning instant magick will not instantly transform your entire life, but it's a great first building block. Keeping in mind that all your thoughts, words and deeds are forms of magick, think of the essentials of the spell. Use them as your guide-altered consciousness, intention and energy.

Strong emotion, good or bad, can alter consciousness. Strong will, even when not focused for magick, but focused in anger, can create an intention, even though it might not be completely clear to the conscious mind. Be aware of the energy of every situation. When you are interacting with someone, notice when you "react" to them, rather than act of your own independent thoughts and feelings. When you feel like someone is energetically pulling your chain, or pushing your buttons, you are reacting. It's easy to fall into blind reaction, rather than taking a moment to contemplate. We all do it. When you are aware of your consciousness, your will and the energetics of a situation, you will respond rather than react unconsciously.

Be aware of the magick in every situation and place. Feel the energy. See the sacredness. Find it in nature, and find it in the urban. Find it at sacred sites and in your own home. Know the opportunities you have to choose the best magical outcome, for the highest good, through your thoughts, words and deeds. Take them.

Be aware of the various energies from your selected paradigms. Feel the influence of the elements, the planets, the web of life and spirits. Be amazed at the perfection of the universe, the great system that functions so well through its universal connections.

Study. Learn about the world around you, and its people. Study its magick yes, but inherent in magick is history, philosophy, science and even economics and politics. They are all models of a reality. They are all symbol systems for a greater reality, a greater truth. Discern them and marvel in the differences and intricacies of the world.

Most importantly, use your magick! Use your instant magick in everyday life. Use other forms of magick as you have learned and deem necessary. Be thankful for all your magical workings. All your successes and all your failures. Acknowledge them and thank divinity, however you may see it.

Use your magick everyday. It will awaken you to greater depths of spirit. My words cannot tell you that we are all connected, but you cannot continue to do magick with an open heart and not see that everything and everyone is connected. All your actions affect others. This is one of the great mysteries. It can be intellectually learned from a book, but never understood until the mystery is personally revealed to you. If you don't seek out the mystery, you will never become a part of it. Only then will you be a part of the magical transformation of yourself, society and the world.

appendix 1

Correspondence Charts

Below are a variety of correspondences chart, organizing information on magical systems, spirits, energies and entities one can call upon to craft instant magick. Not every practitioner will gravitate to every type of correspondence. By all means, please keep your magick simple and effective. These are tools of inspiration, to help you find the best way to create you magick. Let your intuition guide you to the best systems. As you may notice, a lot of the corresponding magical purposes were not covered in the spell section of this book. Use them to inspire your own new spells and intentions, based on your needs.

Many of the correspondences are not simple energies, but specific spirits and entities, ranging from angels and elementals, to the deities and even the spirits of animals, plants and stones. A wise practitioner knows not to call upon entities that he or she knows nothing about. Before you call upon a deity or other entity, do some research. Make sure this is an entity you would like to contact and invite into your life. If you are asking for its aid in your magick, do not be surprised if it asks for your aid in other areas of life. You might want to visit your Inner Temple and make inner contact with any entities, even including animal, plant and stone spirits, before you ask them to create change in your physical life. Such prior preparation is not only smart magick, but polite. If you are asking for an entities help, you should establish a relationship with them prior to asking for that help.

Deities

Though this is not a comprehensive list of deities by any means, it is a spring board for your own research. I've tended to include deities from pantheons that I've had more personal experience, focusing on those that appear the most in the western magic and modern pagan traditions, along with a few favorites from the east. You might find your instant magick allies in the pantheons of other cultures not listed here. Some might find calling upon deities for instant magick disrespectful for the vastness of these divine beings, but I personally feel the divine is involved in our most lofty magick and spirituality to our most mundane hopes and needs. I believe its prudent to build a relationship with deities before you go calling on them to help you in daily life. That can start with reading about the history and myths of the deity, to help you make both an intellectual and spiritual connection. Then meditate with the deity, using your inner temple meditation as a launch pad to experience this deity directly. Everybody has a different experience of these godforms when working with them directly. Our modern experiences become the basis of modern magick and legend, though we are respectful to the past. Even when researching past information, we can find conflicting information from different time periods, cultures and traditions, all on the same deity. That is when you must trust your experience with the divinity directly. Once you have made contact, you can then call upon the deity for aid in daily life. If you take the time to do the necessary background work, you will find your magick much more powerful and more harmonious with your spiritual life.

Ascended Masters

The ascended masters represent a group of human beings said to have `ascended" from physical consciousness and incarnations, to a more exalted state beyond the wheel of life, death and rebirth. There they remain, postponing union with the divine to aid all of humanity in receiving this same state of union with the divine. Though there are many masters from many spiritual cultures and traditions, here I have focused on the masters, or cohens, of the seven rays. The seven ray system is a way to categorize psychology, spirituality and esoterics, based in modern Theosophy and best known through the many works Alice Bailey. Unlike other aspects of magick, the qualities of the ascended masters are often more spiritually concerned and abstract rather than more concrete issues found in pagan magick systems.

Animal Spirits

When you use animal spirits for Instant Magick, you are calling upon the overarching spirit of a particular kind of animal, what some might call the archetypal being, to grant is mystical power to you. As each animal contains a particular brand of mystical teachings and insights, referred to as that animal's medicine, you are asking it to grant you its medicine to fulfill a specific purpose in your life. A study of deeper animal wisdom in the shamanic paradigm should be studied if you are drawn to doing instant magick with the aid of animal spirits. My book The Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft has extensive information on animal spirit medicine, and how to partner with your animal spirit for healing and guidance.

Plant Spirits

When using plant spirits as patrons in your instant magick, you do not literally need the herb present. You don't have to harvest, cut or carry it with you. There is no ingestion of it as a tea or tincture. You are calling upon the presence of plant's spirit, the guiding force that develops is physical, magical and spiritual qualities. Sometimes evoking and working with a plant spirit is as effective as working with an herbal extract physically. Some traditional believe you have a power plant spirit, much like you have a natural affinity for an animal spirit. As with animal spirit medicine, it helps to develop a relationship with the plant spirits. You can develop a relationship through growing, harvesting and using the herbs in your life, with the guidance of a good medicinal and magical herbal book, but once you make a connection to a plant spirit and it becomes your ally, you can call upon it for aid in your instant magick, without having any of the physical herbs present with you.

Stone Spirits

Like plant spirits, calling upon stone spirits does not require the physical substance to be present when you are doing your instant magick. You are calling upon the spirit of the stone, the living energy that guides is physical, magical and spiritual properties. Like plants and animals, minerals are very much alive, but their consciousness is very different from cellular life. Still, they have spiritual consciousness, and can be called upon to aid your magick. Crystal magicians and healers find that once they have a strong relationship with a stone, they don't need to physical have it present to channel its power. You too can call upon the stone spirits to aid in your instant magick. I do suggest that you build a relationship with the stones you plan on calling. Obtain a small piece and carry it with you for a time. Meditate on it. Really get to know its color, its vibration and it's personality. Different stones have different personalities, just like plants, animal and people. Each resonates with different parts of life. Then, once you have a connection, you can confidently call upon the spirit of the stone when doing your magick, without having your small stone piece with you.

Bibliography

Andrews, Ted. Animal-Speak: the Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small. Lewellyn Publications, St. Paul, MN, 1993.

Beyerl, Paul. A Compendium of Herbal Magick. Phoenix Publishing, Inc. Custer, Washington, 1998.

Beyerl, Paul. The Master Book of Herbalism. Phoenix Publishing Inc, Custer, Washington, 1984.

Bonewitz, Isaac. Real Magic. Samuel Weiser, Inc. York Beach, ME. 1989.

Bruyere, Rosalyn L. Wheels of Light. Fireside Publishing. New York, New York, 1989.

Cabot, Laurie with jean Mills. Celebrate the Earth: A Year of Holidays in the Pagan Tradition. Dell Publishing, New York, 1994.

Cabot, Laurie with Tom Cowan. Love Magic: The Way to Love through Rituals, Spells and the Magical Life. Dell Publishing, New York, 1992.

Cabot, Laurie with Tom Cowan. Power of the Witch: The Earth, the Moon and the Magical Path to Enlightenment. Dell Publishing, New York, 1989.

Cabot, Laurie. Witchcraft As A Science I and 11-class handouts and lecture notes. Salem, MA, 1993.

Conway, D.J. The Ancient & Shinning Ones. Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1993.

Cooper, Phillip. Basic Magic A Practical Guide. Samuel Weiser, Inc., York Beach, Maine, 1996.

Crowley, Aleister. Magick in Theory and Practice. Dover Publications, New York, New York, 1976.

Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic. Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1992.

Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1985.

Davidson, Gustav. A Dictionary of Angels including the fallen angels. The Free Press, New York, New York, 1967.

Denning, Melita & Osborne Phillips. Planetary Magick. Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1989.

Dyer, Dr. Wayne W. Real Magic: Creating Miracles in Everyday Life. Audio Cass. Harper Audio/HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. New York, New York. 1992.

Farrar, Janet & Stewart. Spells And How They Work. Phoenix Publishing Inc, Custer, Washington, 1990.

Goddard, David. Sacred Magic of the Angels. Samuel Weiser Books, York Beach, ME, 1996.

Hay, Louise H. Heal Your Body. Hay House. Carlsbad, California. 1988.

Harner, Michael, The Way of the Shaman. Harper Collins Publisher, New York, New York, 1990, Third Edition.

Hine, Phil. Condensed Chaos. New Falcon, Tempe, Arizona, 1995.

Khalsa, Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D. Happiness is Your Birthright: The Complete Series. Book and Tape Set. Khalsa Consultant, Inc. Wellesley, MA: 1997

Kraig, Donald Michael. Modern Magick Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts. Lewellyn Publications, St. Paul, MN, 1988.

The Kybalion: Hermetic Philosophy by Three Initiates, The Yogi Publication Society, Chicago, Illinois, 1912.

Medici, Marina. Good Magic. Fireside Publishing. New York, New York, 1988.

Melody. Love Is In the Earth. Earth-Love Publishing House, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, 1995.

Penczak, Christopher. The Inner Temple of Witchcraft: Magick, Meditation and Psychic Development. Llewellyn Worldwide. St Paul, MN. 2002.

Valiente, Doreeen. Natural Magic. Phoenix Publishing, Custer, WA 1985.

Weed, Jason J. Wisdom of the Mystic Masters. Prentice Hall Art, 1971.

Whitcomb, Bill. The Magician's Companion. Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1993.

Yin, Amorah Quan. The Pleiadian Workbook, Awaking Your Divine Ka. Bear & Company, Santa Fe, NM, 1996.

Table of Contents

chapter one

chapter two

chapter three

chapter four

chapter five

chapter six

chapter seven

chapter eight